Fiji : Dengue alert

Via The Fiji Times Online :

" THE Ministry of Health says it suspects a new strain of dengue is circulating in Fiji following the discovery of 13 new dengue cases at the CWM Hospital in the last week alone.

The ministry was alerted to the possibility after finding out that along with the 13 new cases, there were also 42 more cases recorded at CWMH in the previous four weeks.

Communicable diseases acting national adviser Dr Mike Kama explained there were four strains of dengue with most people in Fiji immune to the endemic dengue 1 strain.

"Most people in Fiji are immune to dengue 1 so it requires an introduction of another type in order for these kinds of things to happen," he said.

"So we are suspecting that may be the case but we don't have that information right now. We've sent our blood away to try to ascertain that."

He said a team had visited CWMH after learning of the unusually high number of new dengue cases."

Scientists prove deadly human MERS virus also infects camels

Article via Reuters, excerpt :

" Scientists have proved for the first time that the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus that has killed 71 people can also infect camels, strengthening suspicions the animals may be a source of the human outbreak.

Researchers from the Netherlands and Qatar used gene-sequencing techniques to show that three dromedary, or one-humped camels, on a farm in Qatar where two people had contracted the MERS coronavirus (CoV) were also infected.

The study, published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal on Tuesday, confirms preliminary findings released by Qatari health officials last month. Camels are used in the region for meat, milk, transport and racing."

China reports second H7N9 case in two days

Via Xinhua :

" South China's Guangdong Province on Monday reported the second H7N9 bird flu case since Sunday.

The female patient, Zhang, 65, resident of the city of Yangjiang, is in serious condition, the provincial health authority said in a statement.

Guangdong on Sunday confirmed an H7N9 case from a man, aged 39, who is also in serious condition. The province has warned the public of the transmission after the virus was found in its live poultry markets.

Lin Shaochun, vice governor of Guangdong, warned at a meeting on Sunday that the province had entered a season when human infections of H7N9 are highly likely to occur."

Panama confirms first death from dengue

Machine translated article from El Nuevo Diario :

" The Ministry of Health of Panama today confirmed that a 60 year old man became the first fatality of dengue in the country where this year there have been 1,964 cases of the disease, according to official statistics.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said the victim, not identified but notes that dwelt in the town of Chepo, about 50 miles from Panama City, was treated at a health center in the community on November 27 last and then transferred to the capital Santo Tomas Hospital "diagnosed with dengue with warning signs."

China : Two Shenzhen wet markets test positive for H7N9 bird flu virus

Via South China Morning Post :

" Two wet markets in Shenzhen have been found to have traces of the H7N9 bird flu virus, Guangdong health authorities announced on Wednesday.

A health spokesman said three out of 70 environmental samples collected from 13 wet markets had tested positive for the deadly bird flu strain.

The samples were collected from chicken stools, cutting boards and depilators collected from live chicken stalls at two wet markets in the city’s Longgang district.

The spokesman said experts believe the risk of the H7N9 virus spreading throughout Guangdong was very high, and other cases would be discovered in the area soon."

Hong Kong : Upper respiratory tract infection outbreak under CHP investigation

Press release from Hong Kong's CHP :

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (December 11) appealed to members of the public to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene to prevent upper respiratory tract infection (URI).

The appeal followed the CHP's investigation into a URI outbreak at a primary school in Central and Western District, affecting 18 pupils (nine boys and nine girls) aged between 6 and 8, and two staff members (one man and one woman).

Investigations revealed that the affected persons developed symptoms of URI including fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat since December 4.

Eight of them sought medical consultation but none required hospitalisation. They are currently in stable condition.

Officers of the CHP conducted a site visit and provided preventive advice against URI to the school. The school was placed under medical surveillance."

Malaysia : Bus load of Kedah police staff quarantined

Via The Sun Daily :

" A busload of civilian police staff have been quarantined in Kedah for the past four days to be screened for Influenza A after attending a gathering in Malacca where a member of their delegation died of the flu.

Hundreds of others who also attended the event including Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar were released after being screened by medical personnel.

More than 300 police personnel and civilian staff from all states were at the function.

The victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, was part of a delegation attached to Kedah police who attended a gathering held for civilian staff in conjunction with the 206th Police Day celebrations in Malacca on Friday which was attended by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

It is learnt that despite being ill, the woman attended the function but her condition worsened after the gathering and she was warded at Malacca Hospital where she succumbed to the flu the next day.

At a press conference here today, Khalid said in investigations showed that the cause of the flu was the influenza A virus and not the H1N1 virus."

India : 152 Deaths Due to Dengue

Via The New Indian Express :

" A total of 152 dengue deaths have been reported from the country this year and Maharashtra has topped the chart with 35 causalities, the government said today.       

Union Health and Family Welfare minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told Rajya Sabha that a total of 67,365 dengue cases were reported till November this year and out of that 152 deaths were reported.

While 35 deaths were reported from Maharashtra, 24 dengue deaths took place in Kerela.       

According to figures given to Rajya Sabha by the ministry, 285 deaths have been reported from Malaria this year till October out of the total 6,93,006 Malaria cases in various parts of the country."

Hong Kong, China offer more details on H7N9 cases

From Lisa Schnirring at CIDRAP :

" Hong Kong health officials investigating two imported H7N9 influenza from mainland China have found poultry exposures for both patients, as new details emerged about a family connection between China's two newest cases, a father and son from Zhejiang province.

Updates on Hong Kong's cases were provided today during a pandemic preparedness steering committee meeting called by Ko Wing-man, MBBS, Hong Kong's secretary for food and health, according to a government press release.

Hospital officials told the group that the first patient, a 36-year-old woman, is still hospitalized, and her condition has been upgraded from critical to serious. Her fever has subsided and she no longer needs extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment. The second patient, an 80-year-old man, is still hospitalized in an isolation unit in stable condition and has a slight fever.

Source of H7N9 still a mystery

Article via The Standard, excerpt :

" A team of local medical experts met with Shenzhen and Guangdong provincial health authorities but could not trace the source of the H7N9 bird flu that has sickened two people in Hong Kong.

The team included Chuang Shuk- kwan, community medicine consultant at the Centre for Health Protection, and Tsang Tak-yin, medicine and geriatrics consultant at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Centre controller Leung Ting-hung said mainland health officials have started investigations and taken samples from poultry markets.

"The source of infection cannot be ascertained at this stage, which was agreed by both the Guangdong and Hong Kong sides," Leung said.

But he said that the second patient, an ailing 80-year-old who lives in Shenzhen, did not come into contact with live poultry, although his family members bought slaughtered chicken."

US, Wisconsin : Milwaukee flu hospitalizations up significantly from last year

Via Journal Sentinel :

" Two months into the flu season, Milwaukee already has reported more than five times the number of influenza-related hospitalizations as last year. 

More than half of those people did not get a flu shot, according to a city health department analysis released late Friday.

Twenty-three people in the city have been hospitalized with the flu so far this year, compared with just four this time last year. 

That count represents about half of all flu hospitalizations reported statewide and marks an increase from late November, when 15 flu-related hospitalizations were reported statewide and about half were in Milwaukee County."

China : More Dutch poultry banned

Article via China.org :

" The Centre for Food Safety has banned poultry product imports from Groningen in the Netherlands due to an avian influenza outbreak.

The World Organisation for Animal Health notified the centre of the low-pathogenic H5 avian influenza outbreak today.

About 14,000 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 13 million poultry eggs were imported to Hong Kong from the Netherlands from January to October.

Import bans on the same items from three other Dutch provinces - Flevoland, Utrecht and Friesland - have been in effect since March."

More cases of A-H1N1 virus recorded in Grenada

Via Caribbean 360 :

" Less than a month after recording its first case of the A-HINI virus, health authorities in Grenada say the island has now recorded two more positive cases.

The Ministry of Health said that the two new cases were confirmed by the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).

Chief Medical Officer Dr George Mitchell said since the first confirmed case on November 5, several samples were sent for testing but had returned negative.

However, Dr Mitchell said the two new cases were from the latest batch sent to CARPHA for testing and that health officials have since stepped up their activities to do what is necessary and practical in the public’s interest.

Seasonal influenza can cause mild to severe illness and at times can lead to death. It is characterized by symptoms such as a sudden high fever, cough (usually dry), headache, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise (feeling unwell), sore throat and runny nose."

WHO : Yellow fever in Sudan - update

Press release from WHO :

" The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) in Sudan has notified WHO of a yellow fever (YF) outbreak affecting twelve localities in West and South Kordofan states. The affected localities are Lagawa, Kailak, Muglad and Abyei localities in West Kordofan and Elreef Alshargi, Abu Gibaiha, Ghadir, Habila, Kadugli, Altadamon, Talodi and Aliri in South Kordofan.

Between 3 October and 24 November 2013, a total of 44 suspected cases of yellow fever including 14 deaths (CFR: 31.8% ) were reported from this outbreak. The field investigation carried out by the FMOH team revealed that the initial suspected cases were reported among the seasonal workers coming from the eastern states of Sudan who traveled to the state of West Kordofan for gum Arabic plantation during the month of October. Subsequently suspected cases were also reported amongst the locally residing population of both West and South Kordofan states. 

The blood samples collected by the field investigation team of the FMOH from the suspected cases were positive for YF by IgM ELISA Assay at the National Public Health Laboratory of the FMOH in Khartoum. The blood samples were later re-confirmed at the Institute of Pasteur of Senegal, a WHO reference laboratory for yellow fever by IgM ELISA test followed by the seroneutralizing test (PRNT) for yellow fever. The entomological survey carried out by the field investigation team also found Aedes aegepty mosquitoes in the areas, the vector that can sustain transmission of YF."

Hong Kong steps up health controls after first H7N9 case confirmed

Via South China Morning Post :

" Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said on Tuesday Hong Kong would step up health checks at border checkpoints to screen visitors with fever symptoms in the wake of the city's first confirmed human case of the deadly H7N9 bird flu virus.

Agricultural officers would also inspect local poultry farms and chicken stalls on Tuesday, the chief executive said.

An Indonesian maid fell sick after travelling to Shenzhen last month where she had cooked a live chicken. She was subsequently tested positive for the deadly new strain on return to Hong Kong – the first case here. She was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital and was in a critical condition on Tuesday morning.

The live-in maid works for a family of four – a couple with two children. All four were said to have minor flu symptoms and were under observation in quarantine at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Speaking before an Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Leung said the government took the case seriously.

“The Centre for Health Protection is trying to trace the source of the virus and how it spread. It is also working with the Hospital Authority to monitor those who have had close contact with the patient,” he said.

On the coming public consultation on political reforms, Leung revealed that the consultation document, expected as early as Wednesday, would likely “list out all the requirements under the Basic Law and the [2007 rulings] of the National People’s Congress.”

He said his administration would keep an open mind but these requirements must be considered when Hong Kong pursued its political reform."

MERS-CoV: UAE reports cases, Qatar finds infected c

From Robert Roos at CIDRAP, excerpt :

" The United Arab Emirates (UAE) yesterday reported three Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases in one young family, including a pregnant woman. That report came 4 days after Qatari officials revealed that the virus was found in three camels with links to two human case-patients.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that the UAE cases involved a 38-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman, and their 8-year-old son. Media reports said the three were from Jordan, but the WHO statement did not list their nationality. A report today in the UAE newspaper The National said the mother has died of her illness.

The report from Qatar marks the second time the virus has been found in camels, the previous instance having been reported by Saudi Arabia about 3 weeks ago. But scientists have not yet found conclusive evidence that camels are a source of human infections."

China reports 3rd H7N9 case in November

Via Xinhua :

" A new human H7N9 bird flu case was reported in east China's Zhejiang Province, the fifth in China this autumn, according to local health authorities on Thursday.

The patient surnamed Zhang, 57, from Anji County tested positive for the H7N9 virus on Wednesday when he went to the First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, for treatment for a fever, said the Zhejiang Provincial Health Department.

He then suffered respiratory failure and shock and is still in critical condition, said the hospital.

This is the third case reported in November, following the one confirmed on Nov. 4 in Zhejiang and one on Nov. 5 in southern Guangdong Province."

FIFA World Cup organisers warned of dengue fever risk at 2014 Brazil tournament

Via ABC News :

" A leading expert in infectious diseases is urging Brazil to act aggressively to head off a risk from dengue fever at next year's World Cup.

The risk from the dangerous mosquito-borne virus will be greatest at matches played in three northeastern cities, Fortaleza, Natal and Salvador, said Simon Hay, a fellow at Oxford University, on Thursday.

In other cities, the dengue season is likely to have peaked before the June 12 - July 13 tournament, he said.

"Unfortunately, the risk remains high during these months in the northeast," Hay said in a commentary in the prestigious scientific journal Nature.

"The Brazilian authorities should implement aggressive vector control in April and May, particularly around the northern stadiums, to decrease the number of dengue-transmitting mosquitoes."

Qatar : Three camels hit by MERS

Via The Peninsula :

" The deadly MERS virus ( Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) has been detected in three camels linked to a human case in Qatar, the Supreme Council of Health and the Ministry of Environment announced yesterday.

The finding was made in cooperation with the Netherlands Health Ministry’s National Public Health Institute and the Erasmus Medical College.

The three camels are living in the same farm and the infection was linked to two human cases of MERS that had already been cured, the SCH said yesterday.

The finding came as a result of joint efforts by the Supreme Council of Health, the Ministry of Environment, the Netherlands’ Health Ministry’s National Public Health Institute and the World Health Organization (WHO)."

Zambia starts slaughtering pigs infected with African swine fever

Via Xinhua :

" Authorities in Zambia have began a process of slaughtering pigs infected with African swine flu in Lusaka, the country's capital, in order to contain the outbreak of the disease, a senior veterinary officer said on Tuesday.

Joseph Mubanga, director of veterinary services in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestocks told Xinhua that the slaughtering of the pigs started on Saturday and that so far 3,084 pigs have been slaughtered and the exercise will continue.

"We have so far visited 140 farms and these farms have 33,829 pigs. Out of the 140 farms, 18 have been found with animals that are with disease and this figure is at 7,033. These are the animals we are slaughtering," he said.

He however could not give the total number of pigs to be slaughtered, saying it will be premature to do so now because the number may increase or decrease depending on a number of factors."

400 students hospitalized for suspected food poisoning in India

Via Xinhua :

" More than 400 students of a Mumbai school were hospitalized Monday with symptoms of food poisoning after eating a cake served in mid-day meal, said local daily The Hindustan Times Tuesday.

Students from classes 1 to 8 of Anjuman Nurool Islam Urdu School at the financial capital of India complained of uneasiness after having the food, said the newspaper.

The incident came about four months after a poisonous mid-day meal claimed 23 children in the eastern state of Bihar.

"We rushed the students to nearby hospitals," the newspaper quoted N.M. Malik, Mumbai school principal, as saying.

However, doctors said the children were stable and many were discharged Monday. "No child was critical."

Cholera in Mexico – update

From WHO :

" The Ministry of Health in Mexico has reported an additional four cases of infection with Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa. Of these, three are from the state of Veracruz and one from the state of Hidalgo.

Since the beginning of this outbreak in September 2013 to date, a total of 184 confirmed cases, including one death, of cholera due to Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa has been reported in the country. Of these, 160 cases from the state of Hidalgo, 11 from the state of Veracruz, nine from the state of Mexico, two are from the Federal District, and two from the state of San Luis Potosi.

The health authorities of Mexico continue to strengthen surveillance and to ensure the availability and quality of care in medical units.

Measures are being implemented to ensure access to drinking water and basic sanitation at the community level. Awareness campaigns, particularly around safe water and food consumption are being carried out in Spanish and indigenous languages. Health professionals at different levels of the health care system are being trained in prevention and treatment of the disease.

An antimicrobial susceptibility test for Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa was conducted by the Institute of Epidemiological Diagnostics and Reference (InDRE) which demonstrated that the bacterium was susceptible to doxycycline and chloramphenicol, with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and resistance to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole."

Kenya declares polio public health emergency

Article via Xinhua :

" The Kenyan government on Saturday declared the recurrence of polio after its elimination 29 years ago as a public health emergency.

"The Cabinet noted the re-emergence of Polio in Kenya following its elimination in 1984. 

Cabinet declared the outbreak a public health emergency and directed the Ministry of Health to fast-track the ongoing immunization exercise and ensure the entire country is covered," a statement from the presidency said.

The East African nation has been polio free in recent years but due to low immunization coverage, the region remains vulnerable to the importations of the wild polio virus.

There have been no cases reported in outbreak epicenter for the past six weeks as aid organizations are actively searching for cases of suspected polio in all health facilities countrywide."

Malaysia : Clean up to fight dengue

Via The Star :

" PETALING Jaya City councillors are urged to organise regular gotong-royongsessions in their area as a way to battle the increase in dengue cases this year.

Between January and Nov 18, a total of 2,067 dengue cases were recorded by Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).

Sixty areas in Petaling Jaya have been identified as dengue outbreak areas, with nine areas marked as “out of control.”

“Our initiatives of fogging and larvaciding will not help bring down the numbers if the public do not do their part as well,” said mayor Datin Paduka Alinah Ahmad.

She said during the council’s full board meeting that in most dengue cases, the source was found in the victim’s home and not in the surrounding area.

Alinah urged houseowners to spend at least 10 minutes a day making sure there is no stagnant water in their house and clearing potential mosquitoes breeding ground within their compound."

Saudi Arabia : MERS kills woman

Via Arab News :

" Health authorities on Wednesday announced a new MERS death, raising to 54 the number of people killed by the coronavirus in the Kingdom with the most fatalities.

A 73-year-old Saudi woman, infected by the virus and who had suffered chronic illnesses, died in Riyadh, the Health Ministry said in a statement on its website. 

It also reported a new infection of a 65-year-old Saudi man in Al-Jouf province, currently receiving treatment at a Riyadh hospital."

Dengue is 573 dead in Brazil, already double in 2012

Machine translated article from Le Parisien, excerpt :

" Dengue has 573 dead in Brazil since January, nearly double the numbers of deaths throughout 2012, reported Wednesday the Ministry of Health. 

In 2012, the disease had 292 deaths, against 473 in 2011. 

L State of Minas Gerais (southeast) was the hardest hit, with 116 deaths, followed by Sao Paulo (southeast, 72 dead), Goias (center-west, 58), Ceara (Northeast, 54) and Rio de Janeiro (south-east, 48)."

Australia : Queensland measles outbreak linked to Asian travel

Via Brisbane Times :

" Queensland's health authorities are about to issue a blunt warning to Queenslanders travelling to Bali, Thailand and the Philippines to check their measles immunisation is up to date.

It comes as the latest Queensland Health data shows three people have recently returned from Bali with measles, taking the number of cases in Queensland to 48.

Two other Queenslanders have returned from the Philippines with measles."

Brazilian towns at risk of dengue fever

Via Xinhua :

" The number of Brazilian towns at risk of dengue fever has reached 157 this year, twice as many as the figure last year, the Brazilian Health Ministry warned Tuesday.

According to the ministry, authorities found the 157 towns at the risk of the epidemic after inspections were conducted in 1,239 towns.

The figure is likely to increase, as several state capitals have yet to present their most recent dengue statistics."

Low-Pathogenic Bird Flu Hits German Region

Via The Poultry Site :

" The German veterinary authorities have reported an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) at a poultry farm in Thuringen.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received an immediate notification on Monday, 18 November 2013. The outbreak was initially observed on 13 November and confirmed on 15 November after a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test confirmed the presence of the LPAI virus, serotype H5.

A total of 824 birds were found to be susceptible to the outbreak, out of which four cases and deaths were reported. The remaining 823 birds were destroyed.

According to the OIE, preliminary information indicated that from the holding in question no poultry has been recently moved to other regions in Germany, Member States or third countries.:"

Indonesia : Three people dead from bird flu this year

Via The Jakarta Post :

" A 31-year-old housewife in Bekasi, West Java, died of bird flu last week, bringing this year’s death toll caused by the H5N1 virus to three, the Health Ministry has announced.

According to the ministry, the woman have suffered from a fever since early November and died on Nov. 11, before she had received specialized treatment for bird flu. After examining the victim’s home and environment, Health Ministry officials said she likely contracted the H5N1 virus due to the 50 or 60 chickens in her neighborhood, including her own, home-kept chicken.

The country had witnessed 195 cases of H5N1, causing 163 fatalities, since 2005, the ministry said. “If we think of the 55 fatalities suffered in 2005, this year’s total fatality rate is very low,” the ministry’s director general for disease control and environmental health, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, said recently."