Infectious Diseases News

Avian influenza in Indonesia - further human death  (Posted 14/7/06 - Source: Reuters)

Yellow Fever - 4 cases in Peru  (Posted 23/3/06 - Source: La Primera)

Four cases of yellow fever have occured in the cities of Santa Rosa, San Martín and Palmapampa in the Ayacucho region. The regional department of health officials declared a red alert. Silvia Saravia, the regional health director, urges the population and health professionals to remain vigilant regarding possible further cases. In addition there are plans to initiate a wide-spread vaccination campaign covering the entire affected area.

BSE in Sweden - first report  (Posted 16/03/06 - Source OIE)

Sweden has has lost its status as Europe's only BSE-free country. Swedish authorities notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on the 8th of March that the first confirmed case of BSE in Sweden had occurred. The diseases was confirmed by 2 refernce laboratories - the Swedish National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala and the OIE Reference Laboratory, Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), Weybridge, United Kingdom. A single cow in a herd of 50 was affected.

Cholera outbreak in Tanzania   (Posted 13/3/06 - Source: Reuters)

New cases of cholera continue to be reported in Tanzania's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, where until Friday 79 patients were admitted to various health centres in the city. Gaston Makwembe, an information officer for the Dar es Salaam City Council, said 582 cholera patients were reported at various health centres in the city since 2 December 2005, six of whom died. He blamed the shortage of water in the city for the disease's persistence, which has seen periodic outbreaks there and in other parts of the country because of public consumption of unsafe drinking water from wells and other sources

Avian influenza – spread of the virus to new countries  (Posted 21/2/06 - Source: WHO)

The occurrence of the disease in India, reported on 18 February, is part of a recent pattern of rapid geographical spread of the virus in wild and domestic birds. India is one of 13 countries that have reported their first cases of H5N1 infection in birds since the beginning of February. (The 13 countries, listed in order of reporting, are Iraq, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Iran, Austria, Germany, Egypt, India and France.)

On 20 February, Malaysia reported a fresh outbreak in poultry after having been considered free of the disease for more than a year.

The situation in these recently affected countries varies greatly. Most European countries with good veterinary surveillance have detected the virus in a small number of wild birds only, with no evidence to date of spread to domestic birds.

In Azerbaijan, detection of the virus has coincided with die-offs of domestic birds. In Egypt, outbreaks in domestic poultry have now been confirmed in 10 governorates; deaths have also been reported in exotic zoo birds. In Iraq, presence of the virus in birds was found only after the country confirmed its first human case.

In Nigeria, as in India, the first cases were detected in large commercial farms, where the disease is highly visible and outbreaks are difficult to miss.

Apart from Iraq, none of the countries newly affected during February has reported human cases. Iraq has reported two human cases, both of which were fatal; samples from several other patients are currently undergoing tests. For human health, experience elsewhere over the past two years has shown that the greatest risk of cases arises when the virus becomes established in small backyard flocks, which allow continuing opportunities for close human contact, exposures, and infections to occur.

All available evidence indicates that the virus does not spread easily from poultry to humans. To date, very few cases have been detected in poultry workers, cullers, or veterinarians. Almost all cases have been linked to close contact to diseased household flocks, often during slaughtering, defeathering, butchering, and preparation of poultry for consumption. No cases have been linked to the consumption of properly cooked poultry meat or eggs, even in households where disease was known to be present in flocks.

Chikungunya in La Réunion Island (Posted 17/02/06 - Source: WHO)

Between 28 March 2005 and 12 February 2006, 1 722 cases of chikungunya have been notified by physicians from a sentinel network in La Réunion, including 326 cases reported during the week 6 to 12 February. Estimations from a mathematical model indicate that 110 000 people may have been infected by chikungunya virus since March 2005 in La Réunion, including 22 000 persons during the week 6 to 12 February. During the first week of February, other countries in the south west Indian Ocean have reported cases: Mauritius (206 cases) and the Seychelles (1 255 cases).

Chikungunya, a viral disease, is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, typically Aedes aegypti, although there may be other competent mosquito vectors. The name, chickungunya, comes from the Swahili for stooped walk, reflecting the physique of a person suffering from the disease. The disease has been described in Africa, South-East Asia, southern India and Pakistan. It occurs principally during the rainy season.

Chikungunya is rarely fatal. Symptoms appear between 4 and 7 days after the patient has been bitten by the infected mosquito. A high fever and headache occur, with significant pains in the joints (ankles, wrists) and can persist for several weeks. The main preventive measure is to stop the proliferation of mosquitoes by reducing their breeding grounds.

Meningococcal disease in Uganda  (Posted 10/2/06 - Source: WHO)

From 28 December 2005 to 3 February 2006, 301 suspected cases of meningococcal disease including 23 deaths have been reported from the districts of Nakapiripirit (258 cases, 19 deaths) and Moroto (43 cases, 4 deaths) in north-eastern Uganda. Laboratory tests have confirmed Neisseria meningitis A.

The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision for Epidemic Meningitis Control has provided 250 000 doses of bivalent vaccine for a mass vaccination campaign, as well as 10 000 doses of oily chloramphenicol for case management. The immunization campaign has started in both districts. Reports of suspected cases in five neighboring districts are also being investigated.

Avian influenza in Nigeria (Posted 8/2/06 - Source OIE)

Nigerian Authorities have officially notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on the 8th of February 2006 of the occurrence of an outbreak of Avian Influenza in poultry on their territory. According to this report, the outbreak affected a commercial layers unit kept in battery cages, in the Kaduna state (Jaji village), in the northern part of the country. Stamping out, quarantine, animal movement control inside the country, and disinfection of the infected premises are the control measures undertaken by the Nigerian Authorities so far.

The OIE/FAO reference laboratory for Avian Influenza in Padova ( Italy ) has characterized the isolate as a highly pathogenic H5N1 and has further analysed its genetic composition. Investigations are being carried out in order to define the degree of genetic homology with the currently known H5N1 strains.

The OIE, together with the FAO, will take immediate action and coordinate a common response to this event. A team of experts will be sent to the affected area in order to assess the situation and provide technical advice to the national Authorities.

Meningococcal disease in Sudan (Posted 3/2/2006 - Source: WHO)

From 1-31 January 2006, 136 suspected cases and 15 deaths of meningococcal disease have been reported in six states of Sudan. The epidemic threshold has been crossed in two administrative units (Guli in Blue Nile State and Wad el Heleu in Kassala State). One specimen of cerebral spinal fluid has been found positive for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A by latex test. Results from additional specimens sent to the National Public Health Laboratory in Khartoum are expected shortly.

The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) had established a National Task force including UNICEF, WHO and nongovernmental organizations. WHO is supporting the FMOH in their field investigations, the provision of outbreak control supplies, strengthening surveillance as well as in the assessment of vaccination needs.

BSE in Canadian cattle  (Posted 23/1/06 - Source: CFIA)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an approximately six-year-old cross-bred cow born and raised in Alberta. No part of the animal entered the human food or animal feed systems.

This finding is not unexpected and was identified through Canada’s national surveillance program, which targets cattle at highest risk of being infected with BSE. The program has tested more than 87,000 animals since Canada’s first BSE case in 2003.

The geographic location and age of this animal are consistent with the three domestic cases previously detected through the national BSE surveillance program and the current understanding of BSE in Canada.

Avian influenza outbreaks in Turkey (Posted 10/1/06 - Source OIE)

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), FAO and the EU sent an expert from the OFFLU (OIE/FAO laboratory network for Avian Influenza) to be part of the WHO/FAO/OIE/EU/ECDC team currently assessing the situation in Turkey.

According to the latest information received from the joint team of experts, as of 8 January 2006 a total of 13 AI (H5) outbreaks have been confirmed by virus isolation in 8 provinces (Igdir, Erzurum, Sanli Urfa, Erzincan, Agri, Bitlis, Yozgat, Ankara), mostly in backyard flocks. Within the Ankara region, AI (H5) virus was isolated in one wild duck. The official notification of the outbreaks by the Turkish authorities is published on the OIE website (www.oie.int).

The World Organisation for Animal Health expresses its concern about the evolution of the situation of AI outbreaks in Turkey. The OIE is particularly concerned about the very bad weather conditions in Eastern Turkey that make any technical intervention very difficult and that also favour a longer survival of the animal virus in the environment.

Researchers publish details of multiresistant HIV patient (Posted 26/3/05 - Source: Susan Mayor / BMJ)

Researchers have published clinical and sequencing details of a unique variant of HIV in a patient who is resistant to several classes of antiretroviral drugs and who rapidly developed AIDS, after media reports of a possible new “super-strain” of the virus (Lancet 2005;365:1031-8).

Detailed analysis of the virus showed that it was resistant to three of the four major classes of antiretroviral drugs: nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors. Viruses usually become less virulent when they acquire drug resistance. However, the replication capacity of the patient’s HIV-1 was 136% in comparison with a median of 100% derived from a large number of wild type viruses. This indicated that despite its multidrug resistance the virus replicated as well as most wild type, drug susceptible viruses.

Rapid progression to AIDS after acute HIV-1 infection has been described previously, as has the transmission of multidrug resistant viruses. However, Martin Markowitz, of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Rockefeller University, New York, and one of the authors of the case report, said: “The unique feature in this case is the convergence of two uncommon factors: the transmission of a multidrug resistant HIV-1 variant and the extremely rapid clinical course to AIDS.” He said that the case was in the top 0.5% in terms of rapidity of disease if 12 months was assumed as the duration of his infection.

Viral sequence analysis indicated that the patient’s virus was subtype B, and the relative homogeneity of the viral population was consistent with early HIV-1 infection. Phylogenetic analysis of a nucleotide sequence from the viral pol gene and from 30 newly infected individuals and five reference HIV-1 strains showed that the viral sequence of the new case was unique. No match was found on the centre’s sequence database. “Because of its unique features, this pol sequence is now being compared with those in the database at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and in various commercial laboratories with the hope of finding a closely related HIV-1 that might provide an epidemiological link to this case,” the report said.

Treatment options for the patient are limited: enfuvirtide and efavirenz are the only two antiretroviral drugs that can provide full activity against his virus. He has been started on a multidrug regimen, including enfuvirtide and efavirenz. Tracing of his sexual contacts has also begun.

Suspected myocarditis in Sri Lanka  (Posted 17/03/05 - Source: WHO)

The Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, has reported that suspected cases of myocarditis of unknown aetiology in Badulla and Monaragala districts, Uva province, continue to be detected, although there appears to be a decline in the number of cases recorded in recent weeks.

Further field and laboratory investigations are being performed to identify the aetiology. Control measures including enhanced infection control are currently being implemented.

A team from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and WHO is supporting the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health by providing additional human resources and technical support. The team consists of WHO staff from the country and Regional Office for South East Asia, GOARN partners from the European Programme for Interventional Epidemiology Training (EPIET); Health Protection Agency/London-KSS Deanery, United Kingdom; Ministry of Public Health, Thailand (Field Epidemiology Training Program, Bureau of Epidemiology); National University Hospital, and National University, Singapore; the National Centre for Immunization Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Australia; and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA.

Avian influenza in Viet Nam (Posted 11/3/05 - Source: WHO)

The Ministry of Health in Viet Nam has today confirmed an additional 10 cases of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza. Today’s report is an official notification to WHO of some recent cases, whose infection was detected in March, combined with retrospective notification of older cases, some of which date back to late January. Of these newly reported cases, three have been fatal.

This notification of cases follows new reporting procedures established within the Ministry of Health in collaboration with WHO staff in Hanoi. Today’s official report brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases in Viet Nam, detected since mid-December 2004, to 24. Of these, 13 have been fatal.

Full information on new cases, including those that may be closely related in time and place, is critical to ongoing assessment of the pandemic risk posed by the H5N1 virus. Rapid field investigation of each new case is essential to ensure timely detection of clusters of cases occurring in family members or health care workers. Such cases can provide the first signal that the virus is altering its behaviour in human populations and thus alert authorities to the need to intervene quickly.

Plague in the Democratic Republic of the Congo  (Posted: 4/03/05 - Source: WHO)

The multidisciplinary team has reported a total of 57 cases (54 suspect cases, 3 probable cases), including 16 deaths in Zobia, Bas-Uélé district, Oriental province. These figures are based on the current situation and a retrospective analysis of cases. With the exception of 2 cases of the septicaemic form of plague, all recorded cases are pneumonic plague.

Out of 18 specimens tested, preliminary laboratory results from Kisangani Provincial Laboratory confirm 10 positive specimens by direct examination (sputum).

Contact tracing and follow up of 125 contacts is continuing. The team is providing support to the clinical management of cases in Zobia and Médecins sans Frontières - Belgium are constructing 2 isolation centres. Social mobilization activities are taking place in surrounding areas.

Polio in Sudan and Saudi Arabia  (Posted 7/01/05 - Source: WHO)

A current polio outbreak in the Sudan, caused by an imported type 1 poliovirus, continues to escalate. 105 cases have now been confirmed from 17 of the country's 26 states (as of 6 Jan 2005), since the 1st case was identified in Darfur in May 2004. In addition, a 2-year-old Sudanese girl from Dar Elneeem district, Port Sudan, experienced onset of paralysis on 6 Nov 2004, 1 day after arriving in Saudi Arabia from the Sudan with her family. Although genetic data on the virus isolated from the case in Saudi Arabia are not yet available, almost all other viruses identified in 2004 in the Sudan are closely genetically related to polioviruses originating in northern Nigeria and Chad.

The escalating outbreak in the Sudan and the polio case in Saudi Arabia further underline the high risk posed to polio-free areas by the continuing epidemic in west and central Africa. This risk is compounded by the growing vulnerability of populations to polio globally, following the cessation of preventive polio immunization campaigns in many polio-free countries in 2002-2003. Children globally will continue to be at risk of polio from such importations until the disease is eradicated everywhere. The Sudan is continuing its intensification of polio immunization campaigns, with support from WHO, UNICEF and other polio partners. Following 4 mass immunization campaigns in the Darfur region between July and November 2004, and 2 nationwide campaigns in October and November 2004, planning is currently under way for the next rounds of nationwide immunization campaigns commencing on 10 Jan, 25 Feb and late March 2005.

Indonesia: cases of tetanus after tsunami (Posted 7/01/05 - Source: ProMED mail)

Hospital staff in the public hospital in Banda Aceh have reported at least 5 cases of tetanus in victims of the recent tsunami. Simultaneously they have drawn attention to the shortage of tetanus immune globulin in the area.

Typoid fever epidemic in Gabon  (Posted 7/01/05 - Source: Reuters)

An unprecedented outbreak of typhoid fever has been confirmed in the northern rain forests of Gabon, causing one death so far, national radio announced on Friday. Around 50 cases of the water-borne disease have been registered over the past month in Oyem, a town of 35,000 people located near the northern border with Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon, following repeated breakdowns of the local water supply system. Health officials told the radio that cases had also been noted in various other towns in the Grand Nord region, which is home to 110,000 people, notably in Minvoul and Mitzic. The only fatality so far was registered in Oyem, which lies 411 km northeast of the capital Libreville.

"This is the first typhoid fever alert in the region and in Gabon," Julien Meye, a doctor at the endemic diseases service in Libreville, told IRIN. He said the epidemic had broken out several months after a deterioration in the supply of drinking water in Oyem, where the disease first appeared. Meye said the authorities were launching a massive information campaign in primary schools in the area to help children learn how to prevent catching Salmonella typhi, the enteric pathogen which causes typhoid.

Yellow fever in Guinea  (Posted 7/01/05 - Source WHO)

WHO has received reports of an outbreak of yellow fever in the region of Faranah, in the north of the country. Six cases have been reported from 19 October to 28 November 2004 and have been laboratory confirmed by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Yellow Fever, the Institut Pasteur, Dakar, Senegal.

A team from the Ministry of Health (MoH), Guinea and WHO quickly investigated the first cases and surveillance has been intensified. The MoH with WHO support organized a yellow fever mass vaccination campaign in December 2004 to control the disease spread in this region. No additional cases have been reported so far.

Indonesia hit by tetanus outbreak (Posted 5/01/05 - Source: iafrica.com)

A tetanus outbreak is killing Indonesians who survived last week's tsunamis as many had not been immunised against the potentially fatal infection, a South African humanitarian organisation said on Wednesday.

"There is a full-blown outbreak and people have started to die" said Global Relief spokesperson Murray Louw in a statement. The organisation said 12 of their volunteers, including doctors, nurses, engineers and search and rescue personnel, arrived in Indonesia's Banda Aceh on Sunday, near the epicentre of the earthquake which caused the tsunamis.

Suspected cases of cholera in Mozambique  (Posted 5/01/05 - Source: Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique)

13 suspected cases of cholera have been notified in the central Mozambican province of Manica over the past week, according to the provincial chief doctor. Firmino Jaqueta said that the victims, suffering from the diarrhoea and vomiting, received medical treatment, and no deaths have been registered.

These cases have not yet been confirmed as cholera: that will depend on laboratory analysis. The head of the Epidemiology Department in the Ministry of Health, Avertino Barreto, told reporters that analyses were being undertaken, not only on samples from Manica, but also to determine whether cases of diarrhoea reported in Maputo, and in the town of Boane, 30 kilometres outside the capital, are caused by cholera.

Cholera epidemics have occurred regularly in Mozambique during the rainy season over the past few years. The poorer suburbs of the major cities, suffering from lack of adequate sanitation and defective water supplies, tend to be the areas worst hit.

First disease outbreaks reported after tsunami (Posted 2/01/05 - Source: news.com.au)

The first outbreaks of communicable diseases were now being seen in areas hit by last Sunday's (26 Dec 2004) killer waves in Asia, a senior WHO official said today, 2 Jan 2005. "There are increasing reports of diarrheal disease outbreaks coming from displaced persons' settlements in Sri Lanka, in India," said David Nabarro, the top official at the WHO dealing with humanitarian crises. However he said the initial signs were not cause for alarm, although preventive measures and treatments must continue. "They are not causing us alarm because we expect this," he said. "What we need to do is to make sure that we continue to distribute all rehydration salts and treatment for diarrhea and we continue to do our work in sanitation and water supplies." The death toll from the catastrophe has now edged towards 126 000.

New Zealand - outbreak of norovirus (Posted 28/12/04 - Source: Lois Watson/stuff.co.nz)

Russia: outbreak of hepatitis A in Murmansk region (Posted 27/12/04 - Source: ProMED mail)

The city of Apatit in the Murmansk region is experiencing a serious outbreak of hepatitis A. The first patients were admitted to the hospital 2 months ago. At the present time, 130 people in the city of Apatit have been diagnosed with hepatitis A. The number is increasing day by day, and many children are among the infected. Epidemiologists are suggesting that water is the source of the outbreak. A regulation improving the chlorination of water supplies was issued recently, but so far this measure has not produced the expected result. Although physicians regard water as the source of the outbreak, infection is spreading geometrically by contact. Yuriy Evdokimov, the Mayor of Murmansk, is appealing to the population to observe simple rules such as careful hand-washing and avoidance of visits to neighbors/relatives in Apatit. If these simple rules are not observed, emergency measures will be implemented and a state of quarantine will be declared in the city of Apatit. The officials had allocated 4.5 million rubles [USD 162 000] for urgent vaccination of the population. According to the Chief of the City Health Department, several vaccination centers are being opened throughout the city.

China: increased efforts to contain brucellosis (Posted 18/12/04 - Source: Xinhua News Agency)

Chinese Ministry of Health said in Beijing Friday that China faces a "serious" brucellosis epidemic and the country is scaling up efforts to curb it from spreading further. "China reported 5,753 human cases of brucellosis in the first half of 2004, which is close to the total number of reported cases last year," the ministry said in a press release. "The situation is stark."

Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. These bacteria are spread primarily among animals, including sheep, goats, cattle, deer, pigs and dogs. Humans become infected by coming in contact with animals or animal products that are contaminated with these bacteria.

In humans, brucellosis can cause a range of symptoms similar to the flu and may include fever, headache, back pain, and physical weakness. Severe infections of the central nervous systems or lining of the heart may occur. Brucellosis can also cause long-lasting or chronic symptoms that include recurrent fevers joint pain and fatigue.

The Ministry of Health noted that it has issued a notice together with the Ministry of Agriculture, ordering local health and agricultural departments to take rigorous quarantine and disinfecting measures, and conduct strict animal cull on sick livestock to halt the spread of the disease.

Sudan's polio outbreak raises alarm (Posted 15/12/04 - Source: R. Thibodeaux/VOANews)

Typhoid fever in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Posted 15/12/04 - Source: WHO)

Outbreak of Q fever in South Australia  (Posted 14/12/04 - Source: ABC Online)

South Australia is dealing with its largest outbreak of Q fever in more than a decade. It has been confirmed that 9 farmers in the state's mid-north have the disease, and there are another 6 suspected cases.

USA: Case of bubonic plague in Colorado  (Posted 11/12/04 - Source: ABC Online)

A 66-year-old Pueblo man died this week from bubonic plague, the Pueblo City-County Health Department announced Friday. The man reportedly died Wednesday in a local hospital after being infected while rabbit hunting recently in Park County.

Cholera in Nigeria (Posted 10/12/04 - Source WHO)

United Kingdom: recent cases of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (Posted 6/12/04 - Source: Dept. of Health UK)

The Department of Health has issued the latest information about the numbers of known cases of Creutzfeldt Jakob disease. This includes cases of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) - the form of the disease thought to be linked to BSE. Deaths from definite vCJD (confirmed): 106, deaths from probable vCJD (without neuropathological confirmation): 39, deaths from probable vCJD (neuropathological confirmation pending): 2.

Increase in mumps cases in England and Wales in 2004   (Posted 25/11/04 – Source: Eurosurveillance / HPA)

Democratic Republic of Kongo: acute typhoid fever kills 16  (Posted 23/11/04 – Source: ProMED mail)

European Influenza Surveillance Scheme database suggests west-east spread of influenza across Europe       (Posted 18/11/04 - Source: Eurosurveillance Weekly)

An analysis of data collected by the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme during the past 5 winters (1999 to 2004) reveals a possible west-east spread of influenza across Europe. In 3 of the 5 winters (2003/2004, 2002/2003, 2001/2002), the analysis suggests that there was west-east spread and during one of these seasons (2001/2002) there was also a south-north spread .

More detailed mapping analyses are needed to confirm these findings, and EISS will initiate a European Mapping Project, based on a collaborative mapping project between Germany and the Netherlands, to further explore these questions and to improve the presentation of influenza activity each winter. The current objective is to provide this new mapping data on the EISS website during the 2005/2006 season.

The analysis also found that clinical activity (usually cases of influenza-like illness, but occasionally cases of acute respiratory infection) reported by sentinel physicians and collected by EISS is a valid indicator of influenza activity and that, for Europe as a whole, increased influenza activity lasts for 10 to 22 weeks (2 to 5 months) each season.

The long period of increased influenza activity and the possibility of a west-east spread may have important consequences for influenza pandemic planning in Europe. For example, these findings could help with the planning and efficient allocation of resources (such as antivirals and vaccines) in Europe before and during a pandemic.

England: emergency vaccinations for mumps offered in Kent  (Posted 16/11/04 - Source: BBC News)

Dr Mathi Chandrakumar, director of the Kent Health Protection Unit, announced a mumps vaccination program, after cases rose from 39 last year [2003] to 113 so far in 2004. Dr Chandrakumar said the rise was not an epidemic, but protection was needed. Health officials are targeting up to 30 000 at-risk teenagers at 8 tertiary education sites.

Dr Chandrakumar told BBC South East Today: "We don't need to be worried as long as this campaign is successful, and we can prevent large numbers of cases. We know it works, because, when we had an outbreak in the University of Kent, we carried out a campaign, and we stopped it in its tracks; we did not have any further cases."

Dr Chandrakumar said outbreaks were occurring in people too old to have been offered measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) jabs routinely as children. The UK MMR program only started in 1988. Dr Chandrakumar said the vaccination was "perfectly safe" and did not have any serious side effects.

Kent University completed a round of immunizations for new students at the start of term in late October 2004. Other UK universities are also launching mass MMR vaccinations to stem the mumps threat.

Encephalitis cases in Uttar Pradesh, India  (Posted 7/11/04 - Source: Times News Network)

Disturbed by the rise in the death toll in neighboring Uttar Pradesh, the Delhi government has asked 2 hospitals to remain alert for the "mysterious disease" identified as Japanese Encephalitis. The disease, that has so far caused 92 deaths, is a mosquito-borne viral infection. Delhi health minister, Yoganand Shastri, on Tuesday [26 Oct 2004] directed the health department to take due precautions against the infection.

2 government hospitals, Kalawati Saran and Guru Tegh Bahadur, have been alerted, even while authorities confirmed that no such cases have been reported in Delhi so far.

Health department officials will be meeting with officials from the Union health ministry and the Indian Council for Medical Research on Wednesday [27 Oct 2004], asking for guidelines on the issue. "We do not have a very clear idea about the disease. We will ask the ministry to issue guidelines, and the directorate of health services will implement them accordingly," said S.P. Aggarwal, principal secretary (health).

According to news reports, the death toll in UP's Baghpat and Saharanpur areas has gone up to 92. Saharanpur district was the worst affected, accounting for 40 deaths so far. A few deaths were also reported from Moradabad, Noida, and Ghaziabad districts.

West Nile virus Activity - United States Human Cases (Posted 5/11/04 - Source: MMWR)

During the period Wed 27 Oct to Tue 2 Nov 2004, a total of 10 cases of human West Nile virus (WNV) illness were reported from 8 states (Arizona,Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania).

During 2004, 40 states and the District of Columbia (DC) have reported 2241 cases of human WNV illness to CDC through ArboNET. Of these,710 (32 percent) cases were reported in California, 381 (17 percent) in Arizona, and 276 (12 percent) in Colorado. A total of 1295 (59 percent) of the 2211 cases for which such data were available occurred in males; the median age of patients was 52 years (range: 1 month to 99 years). Date of illness onset ranged from 23 Apr to 21 Oct 2004; a total of 76 cases were fatal.

Typhoid Fever in Russia (Moscow)  (Posted 5/11/04 - Source: ProMed-mail)

For the 1st time in some years, cases of typhoid have been reported in Moscow among permanent residents of the city.  Earlier in 2004, typhoid fever was observed among natives of Central Asia living in Moscow.

In July 2004, Moscow's main state health officer, Nikolay Filatov, reported that in Moscow in the first half of 2004, 27 cases of disease caused by the typhoid bacillus were reported, as compared to 12 cases during the same 6-month period in 2003. The majority of cases of typhoid fever in Moscow were imported from other regions. - Natalia Pchenithnaia

E. coli O157 outbreak in North Carolina (Posted 4/11/04 - Source: Newsobserver)

Health investigators are looking into whether 5 of at least 24 people stricken in an E. col_ O157 outbreak were infected at the state fair in Oct 2004 after finding they were all infected by the same strain.

A 6th victim who also attended the fair in Raleigh, NC was found to have a different strain of the bacterium, but health officials said Thu, 4 Nov 2004, that they think the case is related.

At least 4 cases of the E. coli infection occurred coincidentally to the fair outbreak, investigators said. They were 2 people in Mecklenburg County who got sick before the fair opened and a parent and child who live on a farm.  "It's beginning to tighten it up," said Dr. Jeffrey Engel, state epidemiologist. "Every day we get more information.  If we can get more DNA types that match the 5 and they all had fair contact, we almost have a closed case. But we have to wait for results."

By Thu, 4 Nov 2004, state health officials were investigating 38 cases of_E. coli_ infections. Engel said 75 percent of cases involved children. 3 youngsters, including a 13-year-old girl from Moore County and a 2-year-old boy from Wilson, had developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

The number of new cases being reported to state officials has begun to taper off, Engel said, and secondary outbreaks involving human-to-human transmission have not appeared. 

SARS early warning system in China  (Posted 4/11/04 - Source: Reuters)

China's capital, Beijing, has imposed an early-warning system for infectious diseases, anticipating a possible return of the deadly SARS virus as winter sets in, the Beijing Morning Post said on Friday.

Kyrgyzstan: hepatitis A outbreak in Bishkek and Osh  (Posted 4/11/04 - Source: ProMed-mail)

A 3-fold increase in the incidence of hepatitis A has been recorded in Bishkek. According to the Bishkek epidemiological center, an increase in hepatitis A cases was 1st observed at the beginning of October 2004 and has continued to increase up to the present. 97 cases were registered in Bishkek alone during the past week [final week of October 2004], which is 3 times the number registered last year [2003], a total of 34 cases for one week in 2003. Health officials are predicting a further increase in case number.

A hepatitis A epidemic is also seriously affecting the southern part of Kyrgyzstan in the Osh region. The number of hepatitis A cases registered between August and November 2004 has reached a figure of 1874, of whom, 1593 (or 85 percent of the cases) are children under the age of 14 years. According to epidemiologists, the peak of the seasonal rise in hepatitis A coincides with long-term trends.

West Nile virus cases in Canada (Posted 3/11/04 - Source: Public Health Agency of Canada)

The total number of probable and confirmed human cases of West Nile virus infection in Canada remains unchanged since Wed 13 Oct 2004 at 29: Alberta 2 cases, (one case travel-related); Manitoba 3 cases (2 travel-related); Ontario 13 cases (2 travel-related); Quebec one; Saskatchewan, 10 cases. No deaths have been reported.

NIAID Launches Program to Improve Medical Tools Against Emerging Infectious Diseases (Posted 2/11/04 - Source: Infection Control Today)

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded 14 contracts totaling more than $73 million to fund the Large-Scale Antibody and T Cell Epitope Discovery Program, an initiative aimed at quickly identifying the regions of selected infectious agents that elicit immune reactions. The study of these epitopes, promises to uncover targets for new and improved vaccines, therapies and diagnostic tools against potential bioterror agents as well as emerging/re-emerging infectious diseases such as West Nile virus and influenza. NIAID will make information on each newly identified epitope freely available to scientists through a searchable online database currently under development.

U.S. Scientists Receive $4 Million to Study Tuberculosis (Posted 1/11/04 - Source: US Department of State)

A research team at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) will focus on tuberculosis (TB) in a search for proteins that activate the body's immune response to emerging infectious diseases, according to a November 1 OHSU press release.

OHSU funding for the project comes from the Large-Scale Antibody and T Cell Epitope Discovery Program, a five-year, $4 million contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIAID is investing $73 million in grants to promote research into the immune system response with funds being distributed to 10 U.S. institutions and three in Europe.

The OHSU team will focus on tuberculosis and will use cells from TB patients whose immune response has been able to keep the disease under control. The goal is to use this information to help create TB vaccines that can provide the same protection to others.

Dengue fever epidemic in Chinese province under control (Posted 30/11/04 - Source: ProMed-mail)

The dengue fever epidemic in Cixi, a city of east China's Zhejiang Province, has been brought under control, the Zhejiang Provincial Health Department announced on 27 Oct 2004.

To date, 80 of the 83 dengue fever patients detected in Zhejiang have been discharged from the hospital. The remaining 3 are in stable condition, but still under medical quarantine.

The No. 1 People's Hospital in Ningbo City, Zhejiang, reported a suspected dengue fever case in Xiaolin Township of Cixi on 3 Oct 2004. The patient was confirmed to have the fever the following day. By 14 Oct 2004, 83 dengue cases were reported in the city. The disease did not spread to the medical workers helping to treat the patients.

Epidemiological Situation of Hantavirus in Brazil  (Posted 26/10/04 – Source: Pan American Health Organization (PAHO))

We subscribe to the HONcode principles of the Health On The Net Foundation

- Click logo to verify

Disclaimer

This website intends to provide information for doctors. The site has no commercial character and the use is free of charge. The author intends to keep information as accurate and up-to-date as possible. However, the author cannot accept any liability for any damage or loss related to the use of this website. Any agency or company referred to above may opt to be removed from the site by mailing the webmaster.

© paediatric-infectious-diseases.com

mirror sites: www.pediatric-infectious-diseases.com / www.paediatric-immunology.com / www.pediatric-immunology.com