Arkanoid Legent

Bangladesh : Concern over deaths from incurable fruit bat disease

2012-02-13T18:40:00.001+08:00

Via IRIN News :

" An outbreak of the Nipah virus in northern Bangladesh has killed 30 people since the start of 2011, prompting national health warnings against the fatal pathogen spread by fruit bats. Everyone who got infected, died.

“Only by stopping the consumption of the raw sap, can this disease be stopped. Despite our many attempts at raising awareness, people are ignoring the warnings and as a result, are getting infected,” warned Health Minister A.F.M. Ruhal Haque.

Palm tree sap, often served fresh, is a popular drink in rural areas.

Six people from the northern Joypurhat District have died thus far in 2012 and 24 during the same period in 2011.

“In the last two years, the mortality rate has been 100 percent. Once the disease sets in, nothing much can be done,” Mahmudur Rahman, director of the non-governmental Dhaka-based Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told IRIN.

Named after the Malaysian village where the disease cross-over from pigs to humans was first discovered, Nipah virus (NiV) was diagnosed in people in 1998 in Malaysia and Singapore, then 2001 in Bangladesh.

Since then there have been 10 outbreaks in Bangladesh, killing 157 of 208 infected persons, according to IEDCR."

Australia : Move to stem dengue fever risk in Charleville

2012-02-13T18:36:00.000+08:00

Via ABC News :

" Queensland Health and local government authorities are working in Charleville in the state's south-west to minimise the risk of a dengue fever outbreak.

Authorities say they have been notified a Charleville resident recently contracted dengue during an overseas trip.

A team specialising in dengue mosquito control arrived yesterday in the town and has begun controlling the insects in properties deemed to be potentially at risk.

Queensland Health spokeswoman Christine Selvey says they are working with the Murweh Council to assess and control mosquitoes, but do not believe there is a high risk of a dengue outbreak.

Ms Selvey says the risk of residents contracting dengue locally is minimal."

Hong Kong : Little egrets test positive for H5N1 virus

2012-02-13T18:33:00.002+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (February 13) that two dead little egrets found in Tuen Mun on February 6 and 7 were confirmed to be H5N1-positive after a series of laboratory tests.

The two dead birds were found and collected at the northern entrance to Tuen Mun Park, Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road, on February 6 and 7.

The little egret is a common resident bird in Hong Kong.

The AFCD will continue to conduct inspections of poultry farms to ensure that proper precautions against avian influenza have been implemented."

Zimbabwe : Typhoid Outbreak At Harare Magistrates' Courts

2012-02-13T18:29:00.001+08:00

Article via All Africa :

" The Harare Magistrates' Courts was yesterday forced to close after a suspected typhoid outbreak that affected magistrates and other staff.

The court complex has been without running water for the past few weeks.

The court was sitting only up to lunchtime for the rest of last week because of the shortage of water.

Sources yesterday said at least five magistrates and more than 20 clerks of court were sent home in the morning after they were allegedly affected by the disease.

An undisclosed number of prosecutors were also affected with some of them failing to report for duty due to illness."

Vietnam : More HPAI in Ha Nam and Hai Duong

2012-02-13T18:28:00.001+08:00

Via The Poultry Site :

" The Vietnamese veterinary authorities have reported two new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Ha Nam and Hai Duong.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received follow-up report no. 61 on Friday, 10 February.

A total of two outbreaks were reported. Out of 6037 susceptible birds, 4887 cases were identified. A thousand bird deaths were recorded, and a total of 1637 birds were destroyed.

The source of the outbreak remains inconclusive."

India : Now, a spray to counter Avian flu?

2012-02-13T18:23:00.000+08:00

Via IBN Live :

" CHENNAI : Japanese scientists have developed an alcohol-free spray, which they claim, offers promise in tackling Avian influenza. A team of scientists headed by Prof Sunao Kubota, a well-known surgeon from Japan, has come out with the liquid that is reported to bring down avian influenza virus considerably upon spraying.

Meanwhile, to check the efficacy of the spray, preliminary laboratory tests were also done in King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research, Chennai, and the liquid was found to be effective for hand disinfection against bacteria, viruses and fungi. The findings were presented at a national conference of the Indian Foundation of Influenza here on Sunday on the topic “Molecular Perspectives and Therapeutic Strategies for Influenza”.

The liquid, Clinister, is a formulation containing sodium citrate and other additives and can be used as a mist spray for reduction of airborne pathogens, according to the paper presented at the conference."

Hong Kong : Fatal case of community-associated MRSA

2012-02-13T18:19:00.001+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is investigating a fatal case of invasive community-associated Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infection involving a 61-year-old man.

The patient, with underlying illness, lived in Tsuen Wan. He presented with left neck swelling since January 17. He was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital on January 27 and was diagnosed as having a left parotid abscess.

An operation was performed on January 30. The patient's condition deteriorated and he passed away on February 1.

The oral cavity swab and blood specimen taken from the patient grew MRSA.

He had no recent travel history. His household contacts were asymptomatic.

The CHP's investigation is ongoing."

Malaysia : AGE outbreak confined to two districts

2012-02-13T18:16:00.001+08:00

Via The Star :

" IPOH : The acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreak in Perak is confined to two districts.

State Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said the outbreak was still contained within the Tapah, Bidor, Langkap, Teluk Intan, Hutan Melintang and Bagan Datoh areas, which are in Batang Padang and Hilir Perak districts.

He added that 2,686 cases were reported as of 8am yesterday.

“The rotavirus (which causes AGE) is not airborne. It is transmitted through faecal contact on surfaces, contaminated hands, furniture and objects like toys.

“Therefore, personal hygiene, such as washing your hands after going to the toilet, is important."

Bangladesh : Nipah worry stings govt

2012-02-13T18:05:00.003+08:00

Via ProMed Mail, excerpt :

" As the government grapples to control the highly infectious and fatal Nipah virus, health minister AFM Ruhal Haque has said that people do not want to accept health messages by breaking away from tradition.

Experts say a simple practice of not drinking raw date sap, or juice, can prevent the virus from infecting. "(But) people do not care to abide by the message. We spread messages every year, but they (people) don't accept. It (drinking raw sap) is an age-old custom in rural Bangladesh," AFM Ruhal Haque said on Tuesday at the Secretariat while briefing the media about the Nipah outbreak situation in the northern district of Joypurhat.

All 6 infected people died in Joypurhat in this year's 1st outbreak of the disease last month [January 2012]."

Malaysia : Virus outbreak in state under control, says Liow

2012-02-12T10:02:00.001+08:00

Via The Star :

" A water-borne virus outbreak in two Perak districts is now under control with no new deaths being reported, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said.

The rotavirus, which also causes vomiting, fever and dehydration, had caused two infant deaths and some 2,200 acute gastroenteritis (AGE) cases in the Batang Padang and Hilir Perak districts over the last two weeks.

He said the majority of those affected were children with a high density of cases reported in areas close to the water plant that supplies both districts.

“The AGE is due to the rotavirus.

“Initial investigations show that the water was polluted by the virus.

“We are identifying the source of the virus and whether it is from the distribution channels.

“A special team from the Institute of Medical Research and the ministry is investigating the incident,” he said after launching the Gombak health carnival here yesterday.

Liow said the cases in Hilir Perak were first spotted on Jan 27 and Jan 25 for the Batang Padang district.

Two infants, aged two and 10 months old, died on Jan 31 from severe dehydration. Both cases were unrelated, he said.

In TAPAH, AGE cases in the Batang Padang and Hilir Perak districts have risen to 2,544 with 11 more patients being hospitalised."

Mexico’s 2012 Swine-Flu Death Toll Climbs to 81

2012-02-12T10:00:00.001+08:00

Via Latin American Herald Tribune :

" The AH1N1 flu strain has left a total of 81 deaths in Mexico so far this year, while 3,522 people have been infected with the virus, federal health officials said.

From Jan. 1 until Feb. 9, 2012, there have been 3,882 cases confirmed and 89 deaths from the different types of flu virus, the Health Secretariat said in a statement.

Three seasonal viruses are currently being transmitted in Mexico – AH1N1, AH3N2 and influenza B – but the AH1N1, or swine flu, is the predominant one this year, with 91 percent of the infections and the same percentage of deaths.

By Feb. 3 the secretariat had registered the deaths of 58 people across the country in 2012 from the different types of seasonal flu, which meant the number of fatalities had jumped by 53 percent.

The AH1N1 virus broke out in Mexico between March and April 2009, and locally the alert for the disease was in force up to June 29, 2010, by which time some 1,300 deaths had occurred and more than 70,000 people had contracted the disease."

Nepal : Avian influenza in Itahari farm

2012-02-12T09:58:00.001+08:00

Via The Himalayan Times :

" ITAHARI: Samples of dead chicken collected from a farm at the Itahari-based PK Poultry tested positive for bird flu in course of tests at the Kathmandu-based central laboratory.

A government team under Dr Bolaraj Acharya had not bothered to inspect the farm after poultry farm owner Nirmal Shrestha insisted that the section of the poultry, where 3,500 fowls had died some days ago, was free from bird flu.

After confirmation of bird flu, a team of technicians under Dr Acharya visited the poultry today. Acharya informed the team will cull 6,000 chickens of the farm tomorrow, warning that bird flu might take epidemic proportions.

Shrestha demanded that the government compensate poulterers like him, who have lost millions in the bird flu outbreak."

Japan : Flu outbreak hits more than 2.11 million nationwide

2012-02-12T09:57:00.000+08:00

Via Japan Today :

" The flu epidemic sweeping across Japan has now affected people in all 47 prefectures, but the epidemic may not have peaked yet, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases said Saturday.

The institute said that as of Feb 5, the number of flu patients in Japan topped 2.11 million, an increase of 380,000 over the previous week.

The number of patients visiting hospitals and clinics for flu treatment has now exceeded that during the peak week of the swine flu outbreak in 2009, when 1.89 million patients sought medical help, NHK reported.

The institute says its figures are estimates based on data sent by 5,000 medical institutions across the country at regular intervals. The data show that most patients tested were found to have been infected by the A strain of the virus, known in Japan as the “Hong Kong” strain.

The institute’s estimates suggest that although patient numbers decreased in 11 prefectures, it increased in 36 others."

Hong Kong : Vigilance urged against meningococcal infection

2012-02-12T09:55:00.001+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is investigating a confirmed case of invasive meningococcal infection, a communicable disease transmitted by direct contact with droplets from carriers or infected persons, and has appealed to the public for vigilance.

The case affected a 55-year-old man with chronic medical condition who lives in North District.

The patient presented with left knee pain and swelling since February 7. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of North District Hospital (NDH) on the same day. He then complained of chest pain and was admitted to NDH on February 8.

Blood specimen taken from the patient grew Neisseria meningitidis. The man is in stable condition all along.

The patient has no recent travel history. His home contacts are asymptomatic.

The CHP's investigation is continuing."

India : Nine positive cases of KFD disease detected

2012-02-10T20:41:00.000+08:00

Via IBN Live :

" Nine persons have tested positive for 'Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), known as Monkey disease in Theerthahlli taluk in the past 15 days a top district official said here today.

Kyasanur Forest Disease is a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever endemic to South Asia. The disease is caused by a virus belonging to the family flaviviridae, which also includes yellow fever and dengue fever.

"Nine of the 89 samples sent to virus testing laboratory in Bangalore tested positive," Shimoga Zilla Parishad CEO Sanjay Bijjur told reporters after a review meeting with health officials here today.

He said he has directed all medical staff to complete the innoculation of KFD vaccine to all villagers before February 14 in all three Primary health divisions covering Konandur, Hombuja and Rippenpet in the taluks."

Malawi : Cholera in a Time of Floods

2012-02-10T20:39:00.002+08:00

Article via IPS News, excerpt :

" They survived floods and witnessed the horrific scenes of their houses, livestock, household items and gardens being swept away at the end of January. Now, the people of the Nsanje and Chikhwawa districts on Malawi’s southern border with Mozambique are facing another menace; a cholera outbreak, which has already killed one child and infected up to 103 people.

Government officials have attributed the outbreak to the declining sanitation conditions compounded by the floods; up to 550 pit latrines were washed away in Nsanje alone; a district hardest hit by the floods.

Sewage from the latrines has contaminated water sources in the district including boreholes and dug- out wells thereby escalating the cholera incidents, according to the assistant Disaster Management Officer for Nsanje, Humphrey Magalasi.

"Almost every household in the rural parts of the district only uses a pit latrine. Everything that was in the latrines in the flooded areas has gone into the water sources," Magalasi told IPS.

Boreholes, dug-out wells, rivers and streams are the main water-sources in the rural parts of Malawi and people use them for all household chores. There are no taps in many villages.

Lucy Mateyu, 46, a single mother of seven children from Mulolo village in Nsanje, told IPS that the floods hit her village as she was preparing lunch for her family on Jan. 23, 2012."

India : Typhoid outbreak in Himachal village

2012-02-10T20:38:00.000+08:00

Via Times of India :

" A village in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district has reported more than 15 typhoid patients, a health official said Friday.

According to the official, contamination in the drinking water pipeline could be the reason for the disease outbreak.

Thirty people of Nau Pnau village with symptoms of nausea and high fever were reported in the past 24 hours. Sixteen of them were confirmed to be suffering from typhoid, Mandi's chief medical officer Ajay Bhanu Gupta said.

Eight patients have been admitted to the primary health centre at Nagwain, said Gupta."

Uganda: Declare Acholi Disaster Area

2012-02-10T20:33:00.000+08:00

An opinion piece via All Africa, excerpt :

" THE anguish, misery, frustration and hopelessness that has gripped the Acholi community in Pader, Kitgum and Lamwo and Ugandans of goodwill over the mysterious 'nodding disease' afflicting over 4,000 children and killed at least 200 according to local media reports, is now being shared thousands of miles away by people of New York in the United States.

New York State Department of Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) officials in Atlanta, Georgia, have now confirmed that at least 15 teenage children (14 girls and one boy) from Le Roy High School in Genesee County, New York, are suffering from a mysterious disease with similar symptoms of involuntary head nodding, epileptic-like seizures and slurred speech.

All 15 children have stopped attending school. A new twist in the mystery emerged last week when a 36-year-old New York nurse practitioner, Ms. Marge Fitzsimmons, who had no connection with the Le Roy High School students, was also diagnosed with the symptoms."

Lawyer: 6 clients say they were injected as kids with malaria at Austrian clinic

2012-02-10T20:28:00.001+08:00

Via The Washington Post, excerpt :

" VIENNA — The number of people claiming they were injected with the parasite causing malaria at a Vienna psychiatric ward while teenagers grew to seven Thursday, with the lawyer representing six of them saying their accounts, given separately, are credible because they are similar."

Hong Kong : CHP investigates case of paediatric encephalitis

2012-02-10T20:25:00.001+08:00

Another press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection, excerpt :

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is drawing public attention to its investigation into a case of paediatric encephalitis affecting a 7-year-old girl.

The girl presented with fever since February 1. She was noted to have confusion and vomiting on February 3. She sought medical consultation at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on the same day and was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit.

The girl showed signs of encephalitis. She is now in critical condition.

Her nasopharyngeal swab specimen tested positive for influenza B. Her nasopharyngeal swab, endotracheal aspirate, rectal swab and throat swab all tested negative for RT-PCR for enterovirus and Enterovirus type 71. Further laboratory investigation is ongoing.

The girl had no recent travel history or influenza vaccination in recent months. Her home contacts were asymptomatic."

Vietnam : Bird flu outbreak detected in Ha Nam

2012-02-10T20:18:00.000+08:00

Via Vietnam News :

" The People's Committee of northern Ha Nam province yesterday announced the first outbreak of bird flu in Nhat Tan Commune, Kim Bang District, while many other localities reported high risk of the disease.

More than 2,500 poultry, including young ducks and muscovy ducks, raised by two local households in Ha Nam, died on Tuesday.

Later test on four samples of the deceased poultry confirmed they were positive for the bird flu virus or H5N1, according to the provincial animal health department.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Department of Animal Health sterilised the affected areas, set up five quarantine stations in the commune and culled all poultry raised by the affected households.

However, according to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent, some local residents threw dead poultry into canals, and many of duck carcuses were decomposing in the open air."

Hong Kong : Grey heron tests positive for H5 virus

2012-02-10T20:16:00.002+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" Preliminary testing of a dead grey heron found in Yuen Long has tested positive for the H5 avian influenza virus, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (February 10), adding that further confirmatory tests are being conducted.

The carcass of the grey heron was found and collected in grassland near Shan Pui River, Nam Sang Wai Road, Yuen Long, on February 8. The grey heron is a common winter visitor.

The spokesman said that two chicken farms are within three kilometres of where the bird was found. AFCD staff inspected the farms and found no abnormal mortality or symptoms of avian influenza among the chicken flocks. These farms will be put under enhanced surveillance.

In view of the case, the AFCD has phoned poultry farmers to remind them to strengthen precautionary and biosecurity measures against avian influenza. Letters have been issued to farmers, pet bird shop owners and licence holders of pet poultry and racing pigeons reminding them that proper precautions must be taken.

The spokesman said the department would conduct frequent inspections of poultry farms and the wholesale market to ensure that proper precautions against avian influenza have been implemented. The department will continue its wild bird monitoring and surveillance."

Malaysia : 545 Dengue Cases, Four Deaths Reported Nationwide For Week, Beginning Jan 29

2012-02-10T20:08:00.002+08:00

Article via Yahoo News :

" Four dengue-related deaths in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Sabah, and 545 cases nationwide were reported between Jan 29 and Feb 4, this year.

The figures indicated an increase of 57 cases or 12 per cent as compared to the previous week which recorded two deaths and 488 cases, said Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman."

Under the radar, bird flu arrives back in Egypt

2012-02-09T19:38:00.001+08:00

Article via Bikya Masr :

" With all eyes on Egypt’s new parliament in January, 13 cases of the H5N1, or bird flu, were reported in Egypt, highlighting that the deadly virus was making a return to the North African country.

According to the health ministry in Egypt, Mansoura – a Delta city north of Cairo – suspected at least 13 case of people being infected with bird flu and were held at the Mansoura Chest Hospital for precaution.

Two of those cases were confirmed as being bird flu as tests on the remaining patients is ongoing.

All those suspected to be infected have been quarantined and removed from the general hospital population as a safeguard, medical officials told Bikyamasr.com.

The resulting infections has caused both the health ministry and the agricultural ministry to begin preparations for a nationwide campaign to fight against the virus and inform Egyptians on how to prevent the disease from spreading.

“These measures are just a small part of a more general plan to curb the spread of the virus in our country,” Saber Abdel Aziz, a senior official from the state-run General Organization for Veterinary Services, told IRIN.

“We will also offer incentives to poultry growers to look for signs of illness in their animals, report sick ones, and practice bio-security.”

It is unclear what exactly that campaign will look like, but with reports continuing to circle Egypt about possible outbreaks, and two deaths, a two-year-old girl in Cairo and a 31-year-old man in Fayoum, efforts are being made to battle against the virus in Egypt."

Paraguay’s second couple in hospital with dengue

2012-02-09T19:21:00.000+08:00

Via Merco Press :

" Paraguay’s Vice president Federico Franco and his wife lawmaker Emilia Alfaro are in hospital in the capital Asuncion following infection symptoms of the mosquito transmitted dengue which is very common in tropical areas during the rainy season.

Franco who is a trained doctor and his wife are in a private clinic in downtown Asuncion after showing clear symptoms of a dengue infectious condition, said the family doctor Cesar Britos.

“At this stage all dengue tests have proved negative, which is not unusual because the contagion only surfaces in the fifth to seventh day, and even tenth, when the correct diagnosis can be proved”, said Britos interviewed by a local radio station.

Apparently Franco was prescribed three days of full rest while his wife, Alfaro could be discharged in the next two days.

“The wife Mrs. Franco has a similar situation but weaker and is evolving much quicker” added Britos. Nevertheless until doctors are not sure of which dengue strain, “forces us to be cautious and patients to rest, no stress”.

Dengue is endemic in Paraguay, Bolivia, north of Argentina and most of tropical Brazil, and is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. It causes high fever, head aches, vomiting, skin eruptions, and depression and in its haemorrhagic strain can be deadly."

Indonesia : Suspected bird flu patient dies in Bandung

2012-02-09T19:16:00.000+08:00

Via Asia One News :

" After being isolated for more than 30 hours, a 37-year-old paperboy, SA, suspected of being infected with bird flu died on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in the isolation room of Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung, West Java.

The spokesman for avian flu control with the hospital, Primal Sudjana, said SA suffered respiratory failure on Tuesday and the team decided to apply life support.

"We've done according to standard procedure [to handle bird flu suspect] by using a ventilator and Tamiflu. Unfortunately, his condition was too severe already," Primal said.

According to the family's statement taken by the team, SA along with his wife and two children had the flu, but SA had the worst symptoms. SA's wife said that SA had no record of direct contact with birds, but their neighbors did have ducks.

Primal said that samples of SA's blood and mucus had been taken and sent to the Health Ministry's lab in Jakarta.

Separately, the hospital's medical director, Rudi Kadarsyah, declined to confirm SA's cause of the death at this time.

Rudi said he was waiting for the lab results, noting that the team of doctors only suspected the patient had contracted the bird flu virus, as he demonstrated the symptoms of the disease.

"The physical symptoms were indicative of [bird flu] because he felt pains in his lungs, other body organs and respiratory systems" he said as quoted by tempo.co."

Vietnam : H5N1 influenza epidemic has returned, says official

2012-02-09T19:13:00.001+08:00

Via Vietnam Net, excerpt :

" Vietnam has had only two H5N1 influenza patients in the last two years and both of them are dead. Thus, the H5N1 epidemic has returned, remarked Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long at a meeting on February 7.

On January 10, an 18-year-old man in the southern province of Kien Giang began having symptoms of flu and he bought and took medicines by himself. Four days ago, he was brought to a local hospital when the disease was very serious. The man died two days later.

The second patient, a 26-year-old woman in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang died on January 28.

The patient was brought to the local hospital on January 23 after showing fever symptoms. She was then transferred to Bac Lieu Province General Hospital on January 25, with viral pneumonia diagnosis since the illness still persisted. She died in the hospital three days later.

Test conducted by Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City has showed that both patients were infected with Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu."

The first patient was a duck tender, while the second patient slaughtered and ate infected meat.

Dr. Nguyen Van Kinh, Director of the Hanoi-based Hospital of Tropical Diseases, said that the second patient was treated by Tamiflu late so she could not recover."

Malaysia : Cop in UN team dies of dengue

2012-02-09T18:49:00.001+08:00

Via New Straits Times, excerpt :

" IT'S a call wives of military or police personnel dread. And early on Tuesday morning, Clare Baor, received that call.

It came at 10am. The caller informed Clare that her husband, Inspector Benet Pawun, 52, who was serving with the United Nations police (UNPOL) in Dili, Timor-Leste, was found dead in his quarters.

"They told me he died of suspected dengue," Clare, 51, said at her home in Taman Anggerek at Km64 of Jalan Kuching-Serian, here, yesterday.

"The news was too much to take. I almost fainted. Only a few hours earlier, I was chatting with him on Skype and he told me everything was fine.

"'Don't worry' were the last words he said to me."

Clare, however, said she was worried as Benet had also complained that he was having a fever.

She became more concerned when her husband told her he had to go for a blood test.

"I was fretting about his fever and he kept saying 'don't worry' and 'everything was fine'."

Benet, who left with the Malaysian contingent on Oct 13 last year for a 12-month tour of duty, never saw the result of the blood test.

He was supposed to have obtained it on the day he died.

Officers went to his quarters to look for him after he failed to show up for work or respond to calls on his handphone."

Vietnam : New epidemics threaten South

2012-02-09T18:45:00.001+08:00

Article via Vietnam News, excerpt :

" Flu, diarrhoea, dengue fever and hand-foot – mouth disease (HFMD) were the most prevalent among 28 infectious diseases found in the nation's southern region last year, health officials said at a meeting yesterday.

Speaking at a conference held at the HCM City Pasteur Institute to review infectious diseases prevention work carried out last year, they also said that this year, bird flu with A/H5N1 virus, and meningococcal disease have appeared as new threats.

In 20 southern provinces last year, the HCM City Pasteur Institute recorded 290,182 influenza infections, 187,576 diarrhoea patients, 67,396 HFMD cases, including 145 fatalities, and 60,418 dengue fever cases, including 59 deaths.

Most of the HFMD cases were found in southeastern area, especially the places with crowded populations such as HCM City and Dong Nai.

The reported cases of diarrhoea reduced nearly 21 per cent last year in comparison with 2010. Most of the infections were found in Dong Thap, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Ben Tre and Soc Trang provinces.

No patient tested positive for the H5N1 virus last year, according to the institute. Early this year, the disease claimed two deaths.

Swine flu claims 11 deaths

Among the infectious diseases that killed several people last year, the influenza A/H1N1 virus, or swine flu, was still spreading in some areas of Viet Nam, but it was not as serious as when it first appeared on May 30, 2009."

Experts warn of influenza A outbreak in Norway

2012-02-09T18:42:00.000+08:00

Via Xinhua :

" Health experts warned on Wednesday that Norway is facing an outbreak of influenza A, which is caused by a new strain of virus known as H3N2.

More and more people were visiting doctors in recent days, with complains of having flu-like symptoms, said researchers with Norway's Public Health Institute.

Among all patients who saw their doctors last week, 1.4 percent was diagnosed with flu, with the cases of the influenza A occupying a dominating position, which indicates the threshold of outbreak is reached, according to Norwegian health experts.

The Southern and Western coastal areas of Norway are most affected while reported cases of the infection remain low in other parts of the country."

Vietnam : Three HPAI Outbreaks in Two Regions

2012-02-09T18:40:00.001+08:00

Via The Poultry Site :

" The Vietnamese veterinary authorities have reported three new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Thanh Hoa and Quang Tri.

Follow-up report no. 60 was sent to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) yesterday, 8 February.

Out of 2180 susceptible birds, 1035 cases were identified. 935 deaths were recorded, and 1245 birds were destroyed.

The source of the outbreak remains inconclusive."

Hong Kong : Little egret tests positive for H5 virus

2012-02-09T18:36:00.002+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" Preliminary testing of a dead little egret found in Tuen Mun has returned a positive result for the H5 avian influenza virus, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (February 9), adding that further confirmatory tests are being conducted.

The carcass of the little egret was found and collected at the northern entrance to Tuen Mun Park, Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road, on February 7. The little egret is a common resident bird in Hong Kong.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has stepped up cleansing and disinfection at the park.

The spokesman said there are no poultry farms within three kilometres of where the dead bird was found.

In view of the case, the AFCD has phoned poultry farmers to remind them to strengthen precautionary and biosecurity measures against avian influenza. Letters have been issued to farmers, pet bird shop owners and licence holders of pet poultry and racing pigeons reminding them that proper precautions must be taken.

The spokesman said the department would conduct frequent inspections of poultry farms and the wholesale market to ensure that proper precautions against avian influenza have been implemented. The department will continue its wild bird monitoring and surveillance."

Nigeria : Lassa fever kills 7 in Taraba

2012-02-08T20:00:00.001+08:00

Via Sun News :

" An outbreak of Lassa fever has killed seven people in Mayo-renewa district of Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State. Addressing journalists in Jalingo, yesterday, the State Commissioner of Health, Mustapha Hamman Gabdo said four people died at the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, one at the Specialist Hospital also in Jalingo, while two who travelled to Federal Medical Centre, Gombe for treatment also died there.

He said already, the State Government has released drugs to the Federal Medical Centre and Specialist Hospital, Jalingo to treat reported cases, adding that at the moment, seven people have been admitted at the Federal Medical Centre and were responding to treatment."

Cholera epidemic kills 4 people in DR Congo's Bas-Congo province

2012-02-08T19:48:00.000+08:00

Via People's Daily Online :

" A cholera epidemic which was reported early this month in the village of Muanda which is situated in Bas-Congo province, south-west of Kinshasa, has left at least four people dead, a source from DR Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) said on Monday.

Epidemiology experts from INRB said that the cholera epidemic had equally affected the Kitona military base which is situated not far away from Muanda.

"We appeal to the people not to panic but to maintain proper hygiene conditions, especially by avoiding to get into contact with people who have been contaminated, to boil drinking water and to properly cook the food," the Muanda zone chief medical officer Dr. Jean Miambi said.

He added that it was important for the people to properly wash their hands after going to the toilet.

Sources close to DR Congo's health ministry said that teams from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Medecins Sans Frontiere (MSF) had descended to Kitona with drugs."

Vietnam : Bird flu outbreak threatens

2012-02-08T19:46:00.001+08:00

Via Vietnam News :

" The Department of Animal Health has warned that there is a high risk of a large-scale outbreak of bird flu without drastic preventive measures in the near future.

Bird flu has been reported in four communes in three provinces of Quang Tri, Thanh Hoa and Soc Trang over the past month, affecting nearly 1,700 poultry and forcing the killing of more than 4,000 domestic fowls, said the department's deputy head Pham Van Dong at a meeting of the Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control yesterday.

A number of poultry suspected of catching the disease have started to appear in other localities such as Nghe An, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, Ha Noi and Thai Nguyen.

Bird flu has so far killed two people this year in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta's Soc Trang and Kien Giang Provinces.

The Health Ministry warned of a possible large-scale outbreak of bird flu if the three affected provinces could not keep the disease under control while unfavourable weather conditions, transport and slaughtering of poultry posed a high risk."

Hong Kong : Two linked imported cases of dengue fever investigated

2012-02-08T19:42:00.001+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is investigating two imported and related cases of dengue fever and has urged people to guard against the disease.

The first patient is a 32-year-old man who developed fever, rash and nausea since January 31. The second patient is a 30-year-old man who developed symptoms of headache, joint pain and retro-orbital pain since February 1. They attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Queen Mary Hospital on February 5. Their blood samples taken on the same day tested positive for the dengue virus. No hospitalisation was required and both were in stable condition all along.

The CHP's investigation revealed that the two patients had travelled together to Cebu, the Philippines, from January 23 to 25 and were bitten by mosquitoes there. The two men lived alone and no other home contacts were affected.

The CHP will continue to follow up on the cases.

There have been eight confirmed cases of dengue fever in 2012 and they were all imported. A total of 30 cases of imported dengue fever and no local cases were reported to the CHP last year."

No flu virus mutation detected: Chinese official

2012-02-08T19:36:00.001+08:00

Via Xinhua :

" A government health official said that no substantial mutations have been detected in the strains of influenza virus currently circulating throughout the country.

Shu Yuelong, director of the Chinese National Influenza Center affiliated with the Ministry of Health, said at a Wednesday press conference that this season's flu vaccine is still acceptable for use against the virus strains currently in circulation.

Information collected from China's influenza monitoring network has revealed an increase of flu cases since January this year, with the number of cases currently at its peak level, Shu said.

However, Shu said the total number of cases remains within an acceptable range.

Shu said influenza B is the most predominant flu strain in China this year."

Hong Kong : Little egret tests positive for H5 virus

2012-02-08T19:32:00.002+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" Preliminary testing of a dead little egret found in Tuen Mun has returned a positive result for the H5 avian influenza virus, a spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (February 8), adding that further confirmatory tests are being conducted.

The carcass of the little egret was found and collected at the northern entrance to Tuen Mun Park, Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road, on February 6. The little egret is a common resident bird in Hong Kong.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has stepped up cleansing and disinfection of the venue.

The spokesman said there are no poultry farms within three kilometres of where the dead bird was found.

In view of the case, the AFCD has phoned poultry farmers to remind them to strengthen precautionary and biosecurity measures against avian influenza. Letters have been issued to farmers, pet bird shop owners and licence holders of pet poultry and racing pigeons reminding them that proper precautions must be taken.

The spokesman said the department would conduct frequent inspections of poultry farms and the wholesale market to ensure that proper precautions against avian influenza have been implemented. The department will continue its wild bird monitoring and surveillance."

Confirmed 94 cases of dengue fever in Paraguay

2012-02-07T14:57:00.001+08:00

Article via El Nuevo Diario :

" Confirmed cases were part of a batch 691 clinical suspects were subjected to laboratory studies.

The laboratories of public health facilities in Paraguay confirmed 94 cases of dengue so far in 2012, said Monday the Department of Health Surveillance (DVS), in a newsletter.

Those affected live in surrounding cities and towns Assumption departments (provinces) of northern Concepción and Alto Paraná, east of the capital and border with Brazil, the report said."

Mexico : H1N1 virus breaks into Centinela State Prison

2012-02-07T14:52:00.001+08:00

Via KSWT News :

" Spanish media are reporting that the H1N1 virus is back in Mexico city and the cases are rising.

Mexican authorities closed many restaurants, schools, museums, libraries and theaters to stop the spread of the disease.

But here in the Desert Southwest several swine flu virus have popped up.

"We have 3 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus and those folks have been quarantined as well as the people un that housing unit," Nancy Kincaid of California Prison Health care services said.

Kincaid said Centinela State Prison in Imperial County are taking appropriate procedures.

"When they have 5 days with out any new cases then typically they lift the quarantine case, it means they're past the point of it spreading," Kincaid said.

According to the Imperial County Public Health Department 9 citizens have been diagnosed with H1N1.

"Clearly someone brought it into the prison because there are people whose movement is limited. Inmates don't go out, people come in," she said.

Dr. Gilberto Chavez, Deputy Director, California Department of Public Health's center for infectious diseases released a statement saying.""

Uganda : Nodding disease - Unlocking it will take years of research

2012-02-06T12:32:00.002+08:00

An article from The Observer, excerpt :

" Dr. Monday Busuulwa is a medical epidemiologist with the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET).

He is part of the multi-disciplinary team that is investigating the Nodding Disease outbreak that has claimed hundreds of lives in northern Uganda since 2009. Kakaire Ayub Kirunda spoke to him about the ongoing investigations and the science of investigating diseases. Below are excerpts:

Why has it taken long to know what causes Nodding Disease and how it spreads?

Nodding Disease is a relatively new medical condition whose occurrence is sporadic. The disease has previously been reported in some African countries such as South Sudan, Tanzania and Liberia, according to available literature. It is an emerging disease and this means that its cause has not yet been fully established by the medical world, but is currently under investigation. Nodding disease presents with brief rhythmic chin to chest movements of the head (nodding) which are triggered by the sight of food.

Then it is followed by loss of consciousness and convulsions. Over time, people with this disease suffer mental and physical retardation, as well as malnutrition. Important to note is that nodding disease is not contagious. But all I can say is that everything is being done to understand what within the body causes this condition.

Talking of fits, is this a new form of epilepsy as has been reported?

Nodding Disease is a rare form of epilepsy characterised by abnormal electric activity within the brain. In the case of Nodding Disease, affected children start by nodding and then present with fits that are similar to other forms of epilepsy.

Why then are the children being treated with epilepsy drugs when this is said to be an emerging disease?

Like I said, this is epilepsy. Therefore, the common medicines for treating epilepsy can also be used to control fits in these children with Nodding Disease to ensure that they can live a relatively normal life like other children. In addition to this, the management of these children requires a holistic approach that addresses the psychological, social, and nutritional needs of the sick child and the caretakers. It is also important to create a stimulating environment to improve brain development and functionality.

Could the weaponry used during the northern Uganda insurgency be partly responsible for this condition?

We do not have any scientific evidence to justify this allegation. However, what we know is that similar cases have been previously reported in places with no history of war."

South Africa : Panic over malaria dismissed

2012-02-06T12:24:00.001+08:00

Via Times Live :

" The Institute for Communicable Diseases has assured residents that Pretoria is not "a breeding area for malaria-carrying mosquitoes" despite six cases of malaria being reported in the area.

Lucille Blumberg, the institute's deputy director, said there was nothing to be worried about.

"These are rare events when malaria-infected mosquitoes are translocated in cars, suitcases or aeroplanes by travel-makers returning home from holidays. So people do not need to be worried because Pretoria does not have the right climate for the breeding of malaria mosquitoes," she said.

Malaria was detected in six patients in Pretoria with no recent travel history. Three cases were detected in Soshanguve and another three in a private housing estate.

Investigation of these cases did not find the type of mosquito with a potential to spread malaria, and no evidence was found that the disease could be spreading locally."

Zambia : More typhoid cases recorded

2012-02-06T12:19:00.000+08:00

Via ZNBC :

" Over 4- thousand 3- hundred cases of typhoid have been recorded since the disease broke out in the country.

Mufulira was the highest hit with over 3 thousand - 2 hundred cases.

Ministry of Health acting spokesperson, Chrispin Moyo says nine deaths been recorded so far.

Dr Moyo says Lusaka recorded 845 cases of typhoid, Kalabo had 253 cases and Nakonde recorded the lowest with 55 cases.

Dr Moyo says 27 patients are still under going treatment in Mufulira and Lusaka respectively.

He says typhoid is still active and has therefore called on members of the public to exercise personal hygiene and ensure that they drink treated water.

And 56 cholera cases have so far been recorded since of out break of the disease.

The affected areas being Lusaka, Mpulungu and Chongwe."

US : Egg recall in 34 states over Listeria concerns

2012-02-06T12:12:00.000+08:00

Via CBS News, excerpt :

" Michael Foods, a Minnesota-based food company, is recalling more than one million hard-cooked eggs from 34 states, after tests revealed some may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria."

Nepal : Bird flu menace

2012-02-06T12:07:00.001+08:00

Via The Himalayan Times :

" Bird flu has been detected in Khanar and Itahari of Sunsari district and in the hills of Panchthar and Ilam district as well. This has caused panic among the local residents, some of whom reported itching and vomiting, but these were only false alarms and so far no infection has been reported amongst humans.

This is not the time to panic but to work with health personnel to avert any tragedy, as doctors have already left for the infected areas to undertake safety measures. After the deaths of thousands of chicken in the affected area, samples were sent to a laboratory in the United Kingdom which confirmed that the deaths of the chicken were because of the avian influenza virus. As an immediate response to avert its spread, culling them is the first step.

The poultry farms should report all deaths of chicken in large numbers for the cause may be bird flu. A high alert has been imposed on the infected site against bird flu. The teams of doctors should be constantly vigilant as the flu can spread and occur in other areas as well posing a threat a threat to humans."

Declare health emergency in Bolivia dengue outbreak

2012-02-06T12:05:00.001+08:00

Machine translated article from La Jornada :

" The Bolivian department of Santa Cruz declared a state of regional health emergency by the dengue epidemic that broke out in the rainy season, said Sunday the government of that region, located east of the country.

The decree of the government, released today through the main forms of Bolivia, ordered the public health centers "free care to patients with symptoms of dengue and severe dengue, in compliance with health code."

Until this weekend, six people have died in Santa Cruz for dengue, a disease caused by the bite of the mosquito "Aedes agypti" while already confirmed 328 cases and 2 000 928 are suspected of contracting the disease."

Guernsey : Alert following rise in scarlet fever cases

2012-02-06T11:58:00.002+08:00

Thanks to ProMed Mail for this update :

" Health officials in Guernsey are reporting a rise in cases of scarlet fever, an illness that normally affects children.

There have been 5 cases recently and doctors and school nurses are on alert. So far there has been no explanation for the outbreak. Once a common killer, the illness is now easily treatable with antibiotics. It is caused by streptococcal bacteria and is typically seen as a rash and a sore throat.

The highly contagious disease is passed on through saliva and by an infected person coughing or sneezing nearby."

Central Mexico Stands Out with Cases of Influenza A H1N1

2012-02-06T11:56:00.001+08:00

Via Prensa Latina :

" Central Mexico has the largest number of positive cases of influenza A H1N1 infections, with 1,174 of the 2,544 cases reported in the country.

The virus is dominant in the Federal District, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro and Mexico State, nearly 46 percent of all diagnosed cases, according to figures updated by the Ministry of Health.

According to the Ministry of Health, until February 2, 2,815 patients were confirmed with the different types of influenza currently circulating in the country, of whom 58 died (54 by the A H1N1 type).

The health minister, Solomon Chertorivski, dismissed the idea that there was cause for alarm over the incidence of the disease in Mexico, and said the increase in patients is within the expected parameters."

Nepal : Lab tests confirm outbreak of bird flu in Sunsari

2012-02-05T18:36:00.000+08:00

Via Nepal News :

" The government authorities Sunday confirmed outbreak of bird flu in Sunsari district where around 5,000 chickens had died earlier this week.

The tests on a sample of the dead chicken at a laboratory based in London, England confirmed that the chickens at two poultries in Khanar and Itahari died of bird flu, also called avian influenza, according to programme director of the directorate of National Animal Health (DNAH) Dr Ram Krishna Khatiwada.

Samples of the dead chicken were sent to the UK after the large number of chickens of Pathivara Poultry Firm and Itahari-based PK Poultry died earlier this week.

District authorities said they have started to adopt preventive measures to stop the spread of bird flu in the district. Other government agencies in the district have also been put on high alert."

Flu cases hit 1.7 mln amid H3N2 virus outbreak in Japan

2012-02-05T18:34:00.000+08:00

Via Xinhua :

" Influenza cases expanded by 620,000 to hit an estimated 1.73 million in the past week beginning Jan. 29, a major Japanese newspaper reported on Sunday, citing the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

Patient numbers roared in all 47 prefectures as the nation experienced its first outbreak of H3N2, a subtype of the influenza A virus, in five years, The Japan Times reported.

About 90 percent of the patients were diagnosed with the strain, the paper said.

It added that some 260,000 babies and infants under 4, who were born after the previous H3N2 outbreak, had been diagnosed with the virus."

58 People Die of Flu in Mexico So Far This Year

2012-02-05T18:32:00.001+08:00

Via Latin American Herald Tribune :

" A total of 58 people have died of the flu in Mexico so far this year, with 2,815 living patients confirmed to have the infection, the latest report by the Health Secretariat said.

From Jan. 1 to Feb. 2, according to the epidemiological report, the 58 deaths were caused by different strains of flu virus, the predominant one being the AH1N1 swine flu with 93 percent.

The Health Secretariat said in a communique Friday that the deaths make up 2 percent of the total number of confirmed cases of the illness.

Of the 2,815 cases of infection, 90 percent have been due to the AH1N1 virus, “the seasonal virus that has predominated since the beginning of 2012.”

Three seasonal flu viruses are currently active in Mexico: AH1N1, AH3N2 and influenza B.

Up to now, the average incidence of doctor’s visits for seasonal flu has been 15 out of every 1,000. During the 2009-2010 pandemic, doctor’s visits for the same illness surged to an average of 35 per thousand."

India to raise malaria toll figure 40-fold

2012-02-04T11:52:00.000+08:00

Via Times of India :

" NEW DELHI : India's new official figures for malaria deaths, to be finalized in a few weeks, could be 40 times higher than present estimates.

A 16-member committee - set up by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) - to gauge India's actual malaria death burden has reached 40, 297 as the average death per year due to the vector-borne disease.

However, India's official figure for malaria deaths stood at 1,023 and 430 in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Committee chairman and former chief of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Padam Singh Pradhan told TOI in an exclusive interview that the final report was submitted to the ministry recently."

Alarming outbreak of cholera in the Central African Republic begins to subside

2012-02-04T11:46:00.000+08:00

Latest news release from UNICEF, excerpt :

" BANGUI and NDIMBA, Central African Republic, 3 February 2012 – Véronique Yassambatendji was awakened late one night in October when her husband began experiencing severe diarrhoea and vomiting. The 30-year-old mother of four brought him directly to the local health centre in Ndimba, where he was treated with oral rehydration salts.

Unfortunately, the treatment was not enough.

“He died at 4:00 the next afternoon,” Ms. Yassambatendji recalled. “My children and I stayed in the hospital to clean ourselves, and then we took off our clothes and threw them in the river. Afterwards, health workers sprayed everything in the house with disinfectant.”

Ms. Yassambatendji’s husband was one of 19 people killed in the country’s cholera outbreak last year. More than 300 people cases were reported, and an epidemic was declared on 30 September 2011.

It was an alarming development. Though neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have experienced outbreaks over the past decade, the Central African Republic had not seen a cholera case in as many as a dozen years."

Bhutan : Bird flu confirmed in Kamji and Bunagu

2012-02-04T11:40:00.001+08:00

Via Kuensel Online, excerpt :

" A total of 83 poultry birds were culled and 139 eggs disposed on the night of February 1 after a bird flu outbreak was confirmed in Kamji and Bunagu villages in Phuentsholing, Chukha.

On January 30, the investigation team in Phuentsholing received a report of three poultry birds’ death in Kamji and Bunagu GREF camp.

The birds tested positive for H5N1 and was confirmed by the National Centre for Animal Health in Serbithang in Thimphu.

The culled birds belonged to 26 poultry owners in both the villages. Ten coops were also destroyed.

Bird flu focal person Dr Tashi Dorji said the source of infection is still not confirmed."

Hong Kong : Cluster of Vancomycin Resistance Enterococci cases in Caritas Medical Centre

2012-02-04T11:39:00.002+08:00

From Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, a 65-year-old male patient with history of hypertension and stroke was admitted to the medical ward in CMC was found to be Vancomycin Resistance Enterococci (VRE) carrier on January 30. The patient is being treated under isolation and his condition is stable.

The hospital has screened the patients who stayed in the same ward with the index patient in the same period according to the guidelines. It was found eight male inpatients (aged 74 to 87) were found to be VRE carriers. All the confirmed patients are being treated under isolation. Among them, one has been recovered and discharged. The other seven patients are in stable condition."

WHO : Influenza Update number 152

2012-02-04T11:35:00.001+08:00

The latest influenza update from WHO, excerpt from the full report :

" Summary

• Influenza activity in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere remains low overall though notable local increases in activity have been reported in North America, the western part of Europe, and northern China.

• Countries in the tropical zone reported low levels of influenza activity with the exceptions of southern China, Colombia, and Ecuador.

• Influenza activity in the temperate countries of the southern hemisphere is at inter-seasonal levels. The low level inter-seasonal transmission of A(H3N2) previously noted in Chile and Australia appears to be diminishing and becoming more sporadic.

• The most commonly detected virus type or subtype throughout the northern hemisphere temperate zone has been influenza A(H3N2) with the exception of China, which is reporting a predominance of influenza type B, and Mexico, where influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 is the predominant subtype circulating. In addition to Mexico, some southern states of the United States of America and Colombia in northern South America have also reported a predominance of A(H1N1)pdm09 in recent weeks.

• Nearly all influenza A viruses characterized are antigenically related to the viruses contained in the current northern hemisphere trivalent vaccine. About half of the small number of influenza type B viruses characterized are of the Yamagata lineage, which is not contained in the current vaccine.

• Oseltamivir resistance has been observed at very low levels and has not increased notably over levels reported in previous seasons."

Hong Kong : Peregrine falcon and black-headed gull test positive for H5N1 virus

2012-02-04T11:33:00.001+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today (February 3) that a dead peregrine falcon found in Tung Chung and a dead black-headed gull found in Yuen Long were confirmed to be H5N1 positive after a series of laboratory tests.

The dead peregrine falcon was found in the park of Seaview Crescent, Man Tung Road, Tung Chung, on January 30 and the dead black-headed gull was collected at Chun Yin Square Playground, Yuen Long, on the same day.

Peregrine falcons are rare winter visitors to Hong Kong, while the black-headed gull is a common visitor.

The AFCD will continue to conduct inspections of poultry farms to ensure that proper precautions against avian influenza have been implemented."

Flesh-eating bug that you can catch on the bus or train is spreading in the UK

2012-02-04T11:23:00.001+08:00

Via Mail Online :

" A flesh-eating form of pneumonia that is easily passed between healthy people on public transport is spreading across the UK, experts have warned.

The deadly strain of MRSA called USA300 passes easily through skin-to-skin contact. It can also survive on surfaces and so has the potential to be picked up on crowded buses and tubes.

It was first seen in the U.S but cases are now being reported in the community and not just hospitals in Britain.

Dr Ruth Massey, from the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Bath, said extra vigilance was required around this and similar MRSA bugs known as PVL-positive community acquired strains.

USA300 is resistant to treatment by several front-line antibiotics and can cause large boils on the skin. In severe cases, USA300 can lead to fatal blood poisoning or a form of pneumonia that can eat away at lung tissue.

Dr Massey said there were 1,000 cases of PVL-positive community acquired MRSA in England in the last year, of which 200 were USA300 strains.

WHO : Yellow fever in Ghana

2012-02-04T11:21:00.001+08:00

Another media release from WHO, this time yellow fever reports from Ghana :

" On 20 December 2011, the Ministry of Health of Ghana notified WHO of a yellow fever (YF) outbreak occurring in 3 districts; Builsa and Kassena-Nankana-West in the Upper East Region and Kitampo-South in the Brong Ahafo Region located in the mid-western part of the country.

A total of three laboratory-confirmed cases, including two deaths, have been detected by yellow fever surveillance, with the clinical syndrome of fever and jaundice.

The index case, reported from the Kassena-Nankana-West district, was a 12 year-old male who had been going with his father to his farm in a forest bordering Burkina Faso. Onset of symptoms occurred on 11 October 2011 and progressively got worse until he died in Sandema Hospital on 18 October 2011. District outbreak teams investigated the affected areas but found no additional cases.

A reactive campaign has been planned starting 6 February 2012, supported by the International Coordinating Group on Yellow Fever Vaccine Provision (YF-ICG) and the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO). Over 235 000 people in the affected districts have been targeted for vaccination, with the exclusion of pregnant women and children aged under one year."

WHO : Yellow fever in Cameroon

2012-02-04T11:20:00.000+08:00

Media release from WHO :

" In December 2011, the Ministry of Health of Cameroon notified WHO of a yellow fever outbreak in the North Region of the country.

A total of 23 cases, including 7 deaths, have been reported to have occurred since October 2011 in Guider, Bibemi, Gaschiga, Lagdo, Mayo Oulo and Golombe districts. These cases were identified as part of the surveillance system, with fever and jaundice within the 14 days of onset.

At least 13 cases from six health districts were laboratory confirmed at the Institute Pasteur of Cameroon by IgM ELISA test, which was followed by the seroneutralizing test (PRNT), the most specific test for yellow fever, and by differential diagnostic for dengue and West Nile Virus conducted in the WHO regional reference laboratory for yellow fever, the Institute Pasteur of Dakar, Senegal."

Indonesia : The entire region of Central Java endemic bird flu

2012-02-02T18:47:00.001+08:00

Machine translated article via Kompas :

" Following treating bird flu patients at the Hospital Dr. Kariadi Semarang, Animal Husbandry Department formed a team of bird flu handling fast motion. The first step they do is map the endemic areas of bird flu, with the rapid test.

The result, 32 birds from hundreds of in-test samples, positive for H5N1 virus. According Whitono, Head of Animal Husbandry Department of Central Java Province, the figure is actually quite small. Poultry population growth in Central Java reached 125 million chickens per year.

"Birds that tested positive for bird flu is spread over 35 districts / cities in Central Java. But the last one we found was in Brebes," said Whitono, Thursday (2/2/2012) at Bhakti Praja Ghradika buildings, office complexes Governor of Central Java. Based on a rapid test , concluded, all areas in Central Java categorized as endemic bird flu. In endemic areas, when entering the rainy season, bird flu in poultry numbers increased rapidly."

US : North Carolina public health officials search for source of stomach bug

2012-02-02T18:44:00.000+08:00

Via CNN, excerpt :

" A series of viral outbreaks causing diarrhea and vomiting has affected scores of people in North Carolina in recent weeks, sickening them, but causing no fatalities, health officials there said Wednesday."

Schmallenberg virus confirmed in England

2012-02-02T18:39:00.001+08:00

Via Farming Life :

" THE Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) in Great Britain has reported the presence of Schmallenberg virus (SBV) on four sheep farms in Norfolk, Suffolk and East Sussex.

“Some days ago we obtained samples from animals with clinical signs consistent with SBV infection via our Regional Laboratory network,” an AHVLA spokesperson confirmed.

“The samples were analysed at the Virology Laboratory, AHVLA Weybridge, based on information provided by the Netherlands and the Friedrich Loeffler Institute."

Philippines : Capitol keeps eye on leptospirosis, dengue

2012-02-02T18:37:00.001+08:00

Via Sun Star :

" THE Iloilo Provincial Government warned the public against the rise of leptospirosis and dengue cases in the province.

The number was noted in the monitoring of the Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Pesu) of the Provincial Health Office (PHO).

Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ma. Socorro Quiñon said that from January 1-28, 2012, the Provincial Government has already recorded 63 cases of leptospirosis with three confirmed deaths -- one from Janiuay and two from Cabatuan.

She said that for the same period last year, only 15 leptospirosis cases were recorded.

For dengue fever, Pesu recorded 22 cases for the period of January 1-28, 2012, with two deaths -- one from Leon and the other one from Pavia.

Quiñon said the same number was recorded in the same period last year but with only one death."

Burma : Cholera outbreak in Kachin refugee camps

2012-02-02T18:34:00.001+08:00

Via Mizzima News, excerpt :

" Children and elderly people in Kachin refugee camps along the Sino-Burmese border have contracted cholera because of unsafe drinking water, according to workers with the Relief Action Network for IDP and Refugees (Ranir).

More than 30 children have contracted cholera and one child has died of the disease at the Pajau Refugee Camp, Ranir said.

Three refugee camps in Mansi Township and the Pajau Camp in Waimaw Township in Kachin State are all experiencing a lack of sanitary drinking water, Ranir official La Rip told Mizzima. The camps are located in mountainous areas making access to clean drinking water and toilet facilities difficult.

In China, the Ruili District adjacent to Kachin State has also experienced a cholera outbreak, according to the Wunpawng Ning Htoi group (People’s Light), which works to provide food and medicine to Kachin refugees. No estimates of how many cases have occurred were available.

May Li Aung, a worker with the Wunpawng Ning Htoi, told Mizzima that drinking water is unsafe and there are few sanitary toilets in the mountainous areas. Workers said the refugee camps near towns have enough water and sanitary toilets."

Avian Influenza in South African ostriches

2012-02-02T18:19:00.001+08:00

Via World Poultry Net :

" Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a flock of commercial ostriches in South Africa, the OIE has reported.

In a report dated 1st February, the OIE states that 12,278 birds were susceptible to the virus of which 1,028 cases have been confirmed. However, no culling has yet taken place.

The outbreak, of the serotype H7N1, was discovered during routine surveillance on the farm in the Western Cape Province. Certain emergency procedures have been put in place including quarantine at the farm in question and restricted movement control inside the country."

India : Over 6,200 poultry culled after fresh flu in Tripura

2012-02-02T18:16:00.001+08:00

Article via The Asian Age :

" Over 6,200 poultry birds and ducks were culled in Tripura after reports of a fresh outbreak of bird flu, officials said here on Thursday.

The culling was done in Lembuchara area of western Tripura. "Mopping up operations and disinfection of poultry farms, birds and ducks enclosures and cages have begun," Tripura animal resource development department director Manoranjan Sarkar said.

In addition to culling, huge quantities of eggs and feed material have been destroyed and compensation has been given to the affected people.

He said the Tripura government had imposed a ban on the import of poultry birds, ducks and other poultry products from outside the state."

Study finds influenza B may be more severe than thought

2012-02-02T18:08:00.001+08:00

From Lisa Schnirring at CIDRAP, excerpt :

" An autopsy study involving influenza B infections revealed how histologically similar the disease is to fatal influenza A and how quickly it can kill, challenging the notion that it is milder than influenza A.

The investigators, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also found a high level of cardiac injury with fatal influenza B infections, especially in younger patients.

The research group said that comprehensive studies of influenza B deaths involving large series of patients and comparing those with and without bacterial pneumonia are lacking. Their findings appeared yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Scientists know more about influenza A, because they keep close watch for unpredictable antigenic changes and the virus is found in a wide range of birds and mammals."

Bird flu claims second victim this year in Vietnam

2012-02-02T18:06:00.000+08:00

Via Channel News Asia :

" A woman in southern Vietnam has died after contracting the bird flu virus, health authorities said Thursday, in the country's second human death from the virulent disease in less than a month.

Concerns about avian influenza have risen in the region with China, Cambodia and Indonesia all reporting deaths from the H5N1 virus this year.

Vietnam has culled thousands of birds in affected areas in a bid to contain bird flu outbreaks.

The 26-year-old woman from Soc Trang province in the Mekong delta died on January 28. Tests on the victim after she died confirmed she had contracted the H5N1 virus, the Hanoi-based Preventive Healthcare department said.

"The victim culled and ate sick chicken. There had also been sick and dead poultry around her residence," it said in a report.

On January 11, a duck farmer from the southern Mekong delta province of Hau Giang died from bird flu -- Vietnam's first human death from the disease since April 2010."

Australia culls ducks in bid to stop bird flu outbreak

2012-02-01T17:28:00.001+08:00

Via Reuters, excerpt :

" Australia on Wednesday was in the process of killing 24,000 ducks in the hope of stemming an outbreak of bird flu that led to a ban on Australian exports of poultry products to Japan, along with some restrictions by some other Asian countries."

US : 4 dead swans tested positive for bird flu

2012-02-01T17:26:00.001+08:00

Article via The Boston Globe :

" State and federal wildlife officials say four of the 12 swans found dead at a Westborough pond recently have tested positive for avian influenza, but stress that there is no threat to humans.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the US Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services collected the swan carcasses from Mill Pond in December after a resident reported seeing them floating near shore."

Bird flu data should be kept under wraps, science panel says

2012-02-01T17:23:00.001+08:00

Via CNN, excerpt :

" Details of a genetically altered strain of the deadly avian flu virus are "a grave concern" to public safety and should be kept under wraps, a federal advisory board declared Tuesday."

Suspected avian flu case in Sri Lanka

2012-02-01T17:19:00.000+08:00

Via Colombo Page :

" Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health has issued a warning that there may be a threat of avian (bird) flu after a large number of fowl had died of an apparent infection at a farm in Bingiriya, Kurunegala in the North Western Province.

The Ministry has alerted that one of the dead birds had the symptoms of avian flu.

The Additional Director General of the Department of Animal Production and Health Dr. A.D.N.Chandrasiri has confirmed that the fowl deaths were due to Avian Influenza caused by a strain less lethal than the potentially deadly H5N1 strain, News First reported.

Following a meeting with the officials of Livestock and Animal Production Department yesterday, the Additional Secretary to the Health Ministry Dr. Palitha Mahipala has said that the Ministry has already taken steps to raise awareness among staffs of hospitals in Kurunegala, Bingiriya and Chilaw about the avian flu."

Swine flu spikes in Mexico after hiatus, but government says cases are within normal range

2012-02-01T17:18:00.000+08:00

Via The Washington Post, excerpt :

" Swine flu is back in Mexico, the epicenter of a world pandemic three years ago that panicked people around the globe.

The country registered more cases of all types of flu and more incidents of the H1N1 strain, originally called swine flu, in January than in all of 2011, federal health officials said Tuesday."

Experts Call On Indonesian Public to Swat Dengue Fever

2012-02-01T17:16:00.000+08:00

Via Jakarta Globe :

" Experts are calling for Indonesians to piggyback on a government campaign and take more responsibility for preventing the spread of dengue hemorrhagic fever in the disease’s most infectious month.

Haryono, the founder of the anti-dengue Pikoli Foundation, said individuals could do a great deal to help eradicate the disease.

“If the whole society, at the same time, eliminates mosquito breeding places, we can cut mosquito diseases by 70 percent,” he said. “No eggs means no larvae. No larvae means no mosquitoes.”

In 2010, after a near-death experience with dengue fever, Haryono found himself questioning health services when he was released from the hospital early.

After realizing that poor people could not afford hospital bills and that the public had little awareness of the issue, he was motivated to create the Pikoli Foundation.

“The government needs to involve society,” he said. “Many countries fail to eradicate mosquito-borne diseases because they don’t involve society.”

Experts believe it comes down to public awareness.

“People should know about dengue because this is an epidemic in Indonesia,” Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) chairman Prijo Sidipratomo said.

The anti-mosquito 3M campaign — “Mengubur, Menutup dan Menguras” (“Drain, Seal and Bury”) — has gotten lots of publicity on billboards and televisions around Indonesia, but Prijo said this was not enough to prevent one of the most deadly diseases in the country."

Hong Kong : Cluster of Rotavirus cases in Castle Peak Hospital

2012-02-01T17:14:00.001+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" Three female patients (aged 49 to 51) in a long stay ward had presented with diarrhea or vomiting symptoms since January 27. Appropriate viral tests had been arranged for the concerned patients and their test results were positive to Rotavirus. All patients have been transferred to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment under isolation and are in stable condition.

Admission to the ward has been suspended and restricted visiting to the ward has been imposed. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward concerned are under close surveillance."

Meningococcal meningitis spreads in five Vietnam localities

2012-01-31T19:20:00.001+08:00

Via Tuoitre News :

" The meningococcal meningitis epidemic has spread in five provinces and cities in Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Long An, Binh Phuoc and Quang Tri, the Preventive Health Department under the Health Ministry reported.

Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial form of meningitis, a serious infection of the meninges that affects the brain membrane. It can cause severe brain damage and is fatal in 50 percent of cases if untreated, according to the World Health Organization.

The bacteria can be carried in the throat and sometimes, for reasons not fully understood, can overwhelm the body's defenses, allowing infection to spread through the bloodstream to the brain, the WHO said.

After Tet (Lunar New Year), which fell on January 23, the number of patients in the five above localities has increased sharply and one of them, an 11-month-old baby in Quang Tri, has died, the department said.

At the Central Tropical Disease Hospital, the latest victim of the disease is Nghiem Duy B, 35, of Hanoi, who was hospitalized on January 27 in a coma, said Dr Nguyen Trung Cap, deputy head of the Intensive Care Unit.

B suffered from purulent meningitis that was likely caused by meningococcal meningitis, which is highly dangerous, since it could kill the patient rapidly and transmit to others easily through respiration, the doctor said."

Philippines : DOH notes 616 suspected lepstospirosis cases in region 10

2012-01-31T19:07:00.001+08:00

Via PIA :

" A total of 616 suspected Leptospirosis cases have been recorded in region 10 as of Jan. 13, this year.

Reports reaching the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) of region 10 from the Health Cluster of the Post Sendong Operations, show that the municipalities/cities with the most suspected cases were Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City and the municipalities of Opol, Tagoloan and Villanueva, all of Misamis Oriental."

Uganda : Nodding disease, the new terror in Acholi sub-region

2012-01-31T19:01:00.001+08:00

Via Daily Monitor, excerpt :

" About 2003, symptoms of a disease started appearing in the northern Uganda. For lack of name, it was baptised from one of its notable symptoms - Nodding. Now almost every family in most of Acholi sub-region has a victim of the disease, and the communities there are not at peace.

Imagine if you gave birth to a child that is retarded! How about if you have to tie your child on a tree using a rope every time you have to engage in any house chores? Or you dread cooking food in your house because you know if your child smells it, they will collapse.

Now, stop imagining - for this is happening right here in Uganda. And it could be one of your relatives.

For the last three years, at least a family in the districts of Kitgum, Pader and Lamwo, has registered a nodding disease case. Following the threats from MPs on the Acholi parliamentary group to ferry the sick children to the ministry headquarters, health officials made a tour to the affected areas to assess the situation.

On Thursday, January 5, 2012, the health ministry officials, MPs from the Acholi sub-region and officers from the affected districts gathered at Kitgum District headquarters to discuss the way forward on the nodding disease.

Inside the hall where the briefing was held the air was thick and hot. It had dark brown curtains hanging in the 15 windows, and on the wall was a portrait of President Yoweri Museveni caked with thick dark brown dust. The silence in the room spelt out clearly the quagmire that engulfed Kitgum District and other districts around it. You could almost hear the breath intervals of the over 200 people in attendance.

And when the minister stood up to speak, it was not the normal exchange of pleasantries at those meetings. This time there were no people singing and chanting by the road side as is always the case."

US : After four mutations, new virus attacks

2012-01-31T18:53:00.002+08:00

Article via Futurity, excerpt :

" Scientists have shown for the first time how a new virus evolves, clarifying how easy it is for diseases to quickly gain dangerous mutations.

Published in the journal Science, the research shows how the virus Lambda evolved to find a new way to attack host cells, an innovation that took four mutations to accomplish. The virus, which isn’t dangerous to humans, infects bacteria, in particular E. coli.

“We were surprised at first to see Lambda evolve this new function, this ability to attack and enter the cell through a new receptor—and it happened so fast,” says graduate student Justin Meyer, who co-authored the paper with Richard Lenski, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at Michigan State University.

“But when we re-ran the evolution experiment, we saw the same thing happen over and over.”

The paper follows recent news that scientists in the United States and the Netherlands produced a deadly version of bird flu. Even though bird flu is a mere five mutations away from becoming transmissible between humans, it’s highly unlikely the virus could naturally obtain all the beneficial mutations all at once. But if conditions are favorable, it might evolve sequentially, gaining benefits one-by-one."

Rwanda : Nyagatare Grapples With Malaria

2012-01-31T18:47:00.000+08:00

Via All Africa :

" The Minister of Health, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, has called for collective efforts in the fight against malaria in Nyagatare District.

The Minister was last week meeting health officials and district authorities at the Nyagatare School of Nursing and Midwifery to discuss the issue of malaria prevalence in the district.

Reports compiled from various health centres in the district indicate that Nyagatare tops malaria prevalence in the country - at 40.4 percent.

While the government plans to completely eradicate malaria by 2015, health specialists in the district warned the percentage of malaria infection could rise unless tough measures are taken."

Ecuador : Dengue increases in Manabi country and only 99 cases in less than a month

2012-01-31T18:23:00.002+08:00

Machine translated article via El Universo :

" Dengue cases are increasing at an accelerated pace in the country, especially in the provinces of Los Rios, who according to the National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) is the hardest hit by the effects of the rains, and Manabi.

As of last Friday the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) reported 465 people with the condition, of which 196 corresponded to Guayas (2 of them serious), 128 Gold, 69 rivers, 45 to Manabi (2 of them severe), and 27 to Esmeraldas (1 severe). To prevent the disease, authorities asked the public to follow at least ten recommendations. In Los Rios, the number of people infected with the disease rose to 132, according to data released yesterday by the Department of Health in this province."

Hong Kong : Update on cluster of Influenza A cases in Siu Lam Hospital

2012-01-31T18:17:00.002+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" Regarding the earlier announcement on a female severe mentally handicapped ward in which some patients had been confirmed with Influenza A, the spokesperson of Siu Lam Hospital (SLH) made the following update today (January 31):

One more 31-year-old female patient in the ward had presented with fever and respiratory symptoms. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patient and the test results were positive for Influenza A. The patient concerned has been transferred to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment under isolation and is in stable condition.

Admission to and discharge from the ward have been suspended. Restricted visiting to the ward has been imposed. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward concerned are under close surveillance."

Hong Kong : CHP investigates confirmed case of severe paediatric influenza B infection

2012-01-30T20:21:00.002+08:00

Press release from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection :

" The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is drawing public attention to its investigation into a confirmed case of severe paediatric influenza B infection affecting a 6-year-old girl.

The girl, who has had good past health, presented with fever, cough and runny nose since January 18. She was admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) for treatment on January 24 and was discharged the next day.

The girl was admitted to PWH again on January 27 for persistent malaise and progressive swelling of four limbs. She was transferred to Queen Mary Hospital on January 28 for further management.

The clinical diagnosis is myocarditis. She is now in stable condition.

Her nasopharyngeal aspirate tested positive for influenza B by PWH.

The girl has no recent travel history. Her parents developed mild upper respiratory symptoms recently.

A spokesman reminded members of the public to stay vigilant and take precautionary measures against influenza."

Indonesia : One Man Allegedly Infected with Bird Flu

2012-01-30T20:16:00.002+08:00

Machine translated article via Republika dated 29th January :

" The bird flu virus that caused the death of dozens of chickens in the village of Cinnamon, Village Cibadak, Land Sareal, the city of Bogor, alleged to have been transmitted to humans.

Ipan Sopian, a local resident, fell ill after consuming his dead chicken. Chickens belonging Ipan including one of dozens of chickens that tested positive for bird flu by the Department of Agriculture Bogor City. "In the afternoon I was still fresh chicken and want to eat, suddenly the morning was dead.

Because unfortunately, I cook just for eating. After that even my sick, "said Ipan, Sunday (29 / 1). When the check into the local health center, Ipan diagnosed with bird flu. He was allowed to go home after being given the drug. "He said bird flu. But now it is little better after a given drug,"said Ipan which has now been business as usual.

The local Health Department can not be confirmed bird flu related virus transmission to humans of this. When contacted, Section Chief of Infectious Disease Prevention Bogor City Health Office, Ratna Diah, did not give an answer."

Zambia : 20 Zambians denied entry into SA

2012-01-30T20:12:00.000+08:00

Via Lusaka Times, excerpt :

" ABOUT 20 Zambians aboard a CR Carriers bus were on Friday denied entry into South Africa by that country’s immigration authorities on grounds that they had fake yellow fever vaccination certificates.

CR Carriers director in South Africa Mafire Cisoko said only 10 out of 30 passengers were allowed to enter that country after their yellow fever vaccination certificates were subjected to rigorous scrutiny by immigration officers at Beit Bridge.

This is according to a statement issued yesterday by first secretary for press at the Zambian High Commission in Pretoria, Patson Chilemba.

Mr Cisoko said South African immigration authorities intensified searches after being tipped by an unnamed source that the certificates which Zambians had were fake because they were not obtained from government authorised health institutions.

He said the officers believed authentic certificates were dark-yellow, while the fake ones were light-yellow.

The bus on which Zambians were travelling was nearly sent back, but was later allowed entry after operators intervened, but with few passengers who got clearance at the border."

Scotland prepared for Schmallenberg

2012-01-30T20:10:00.000+08:00

Via Farmers Guardian :

" THE PCR test used to detect Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) is now available in Scotland, scientists in Edinburgh have announced.

Scientists from Moredun Research Institute said they will be screening all suspect cases of the disease found in Scotland.

SBV was confirmed on four sheep farms in eastern England last week, the first time the new livestock disease has been found in the UK. AHVLA officials believe that the disease probably came over to the UK in midges from northern Europe in the summer or autumn and has been circulating in livestock ever since.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, AHVLA and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) are carrying out SBV testing."

Zimbabwe : Cholera fears in typhoid-hit Harare

2012-01-30T20:03:00.000+08:00

Via Zim Online :

" City health officials and independent doctors have warned of a possible cholera outbreak in Harare, already grappling with a typhoid outbreak that has infected more than 800 people over the past two weeks.

The independent Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights said the absence of clean drinking water, collapsed sewer systems and poor standards of hygiene in most Harare’s overcrowded working class suburbs provided a fertile ground for both cholera and typhoid.

The association also criticised what it called lack of urgency by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe’s coalition government in responding to the typhoid outbreak.

Harare City health director Prosper Chonzi, who has blamed the typhoid outbreak on contaminated food sold in the open in the city’s low-income suburbs, was quoted by official media as saying conditions in the city were conducive for an “outbreak of cholera anytime”."

Fiji braces for disease outbreak

2012-01-30T20:00:00.000+08:00

Via Australia Network News :

" Health officials say water-borne diseases could be on the rise following severe flooding that hit Fiji's Western Division last week.

The World Health Organisation said flooding had increased the threat of typhoid, dengue fever and leptospirosis. The WHO said it was also bracing for a rapid increase in the mosquito population.

Dr Jacob Kool, a communicable diseases specialist with the WHO's Fiji office, told Pacific Beat there were a number of things which could trigger a disease outbreak."

UK : Outbreak of norovirus put pressure on Gorleston’s James Paget Hospital

2012-01-30T19:56:00.001+08:00

Via EDP 24, excerpt :

" A Norfolk hospital’s recent outbreak of norovirus was its worst for more than a decade, it has emerged.

At its height, eight wards at the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston were shut to new admissions, causing significant pressures and the most serious outbreak it has had since 2001.

The news comes as it emerges the Department of Health’s intensive support team, which has been working with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn to improve performance, will now be working with the James Paget to bring down its accident and emergency waiting times.

Nationally, the number of people spending more than four hours in A&E has risen, according to new figures."

8 dead as dengue fever hits Indonesia's Jambi

2012-01-30T19:55:00.000+08:00

Article via Phil Star, excerpt :

" Eight people died of dengue fever in Indonesia's Jambi province by January, forcing the local government to extend its alert for the disease, the Jakarta Post reported on Monday.

At least 118 people were infected by the mosquito-borne disease in the month alone.Jambi Health Agency Head Polisman Sitanggang said that the agency would take emergency measures, including mapping existing cases and inviting local physicians and public health workers to discuss how to contain the outbreak.

Sitanggang said that most of the recent infections occurred in the last week of January, despite a drop in cases recorded earlier in the month."

Rwanda : Malaria On the Rise Among Workers At Nyagatare Rice Scheme

2012-01-30T19:52:00.001+08:00

Via All Africa :

" Many workers at Kilimburi Rice Scheme in Nyagatare district have been hit by Malaria due to lack of mosquito nets.

The scheme in Tabagwe Sector, Nyagatare District, is run by Rural Sector Support Project (RSSP) and is set to produce 21,000 tonnes of rice annually with a projected annual income of Rwf 4.5 billion once complete.

When The Sunday Times visited over 170 workers camping in tents in Cyenjojo cell, most of them were suffering from severe malaria.

"I have slept in this tent for a week without going to work because of severe Malaria that hit me last week. We don't get access to mosquito nets yet this place is home to mosquitoes due to its terrain," narrated one Nzabamwita, a casual worker at the rice scheme.

Another worker, who declined to be named said; "We hear there is a massive distribution of mosquito nets around the district but we wonder why RSSP did not advocate for us to receive those prevention kits like others. And when we complain of suffering from Malaria, our managers keep a deaf ear," he said.

A report presented in a recent district security meeting cited Nyagatare District as having the highest cases of malaria compared to other districts in the country."

Uganda : Kamya demands House recall over nodding disease

2012-01-30T19:42:00.001+08:00

Via Daily Monitor :

" Uganda Federal Alliance president Beti Kamya has petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadagga, to recall Parliament immediately to discuss the nodding disease that has hit parts of northern Uganda.

According to the petition dated January 25, Parliament should not discuss anything until a satisfactory process to deal with the disease has been reached.

“Fellow countrymen and women, for once, let’s all drop everything and unite against the nodding disease. This epidemic is worse than Aids, it is more important than oil, it is the kind of thing for which Parliament should be recalled from recess immediately,” Ms Kamya said.

Reports indicate that at least 200 children have been killed by the epidemic and 3,000 were reported affected by this month. Mr Mbonye, the commissioner for health services in the Ministry of Health, fears that the disease could spread to other parts of the region after it emerged that each family in Tumangut Sub-county in Kitgum District has a case of nodding disease."

India : State keeps vigil against poultry diseases

2012-01-30T19:36:00.001+08:00

Via The Hindu :

" The government has stepped up surveillance against avian influenza and Ranikhet disease in Kerala to prevent an outbreak of the dreaded poultry diseases.

The Department of Animal Husbandry has intensified vigil at border checkpoints following an outbreak of Ranikhet disease in a poultry farm at Andipatty in Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

Vigilance squads and rapid action teams have been deployed to inspect vehicles bringing poultry from across the border. Byroutes used by truck operators to smuggle poultry consignments into the State are also being closely monitored.

Animal Husbandry Director R. Vijayakumar told The Hindu that all poultry imports from other States were being physically verified for symptoms of the viral disease. “We have been maintaining a strict vigil in the border areas for the last two weeks, especially at the checkpoints in Idukki and Palakkad through which most of the animal and bird import takes place,” he said. The inspection teams have been directed to submit samples of chicken with suspected infection for biological examination."

Nigeria : Rivers Records Two Cases of Lassa Fever

2012-01-29T17:33:00.001+08:00

Via All Africa, report dated 26th January 2012, excerpt :

" The Rivers Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, on Wednesday announced an outbreak of lassa fever in the state.

He said in Port Harcourt that two persons, including a female youth corps member, had been reported dead from the disease.

Parker explained that the victims were serving in the state, but travelled to their homes in Edo and Ebonyi during the Christmas celebration, where they developed symptoms of the fever and eventually died.

He said the state government had launched an enlightenment campaign to sensitise the people to the need to take necessary precautions against the disease.

Parker said government had received reports of "pockets of occurrences" of lassa fever in seven states, including Edo and Ebonyi."

Zimbabwe typhoid cases rises to nearly 900 amid fears of cholera outbreak loom

2012-01-29T17:30:00.001+08:00

Via Xinhua :

" In Zimbabwe's capital Harare, many of the hotels, restaurants and open air food spots face immediate closure for failing to meet health and hygienic standards amid fears that a cholera outbreak looms, state media warned on Saturday.

The move is part of a cocktail of measures designed to contain the spread of typhoid and follow recent reports indicating that a hotel worker had tested positive for typhoid.

Health services director Dr Prosper Chonzi raised fears of a cholera outbreak given the health conditions that gave birth to typhoid."

Mexican swine flu outbreak kills 29, infects nearly 1,500

2012-01-29T11:47:00.000+08:00

Via Channel 6 News :

" An ongoing swine flu outbreak in Mexico has left at least 29 people dead and nearly 1,500 others infected, health officials confirmed on Saturday. Thousands more are also ill as the country faces several types of flu this season.

Since the start of the ongoing winter season, at least 7,069 people have reported suffering from symptoms similar to those of swine flu. Lab tests are still underway and have so far confirmed 1,456 cases of the disease, which is officially known as A/H1N1.

According to Mexico's Health Ministry (SSA), at least twenty-nine people have died of swine flu so far this season. While no health emergency has been declared, officials expect the death toll will rise in the coming weeks as Mexico also faces A/H3N2 and B influenza."

Dengue outbreak infected over 300 people in Suriname

2012-01-29T11:41:00.001+08:00

Machine translated article from Prensa Latina :

" At least 300 people have contracted dengue fever in Surinam during the last week, forcing the authorities to declare a state of alert for the outbreak.

The Health Ministry said on Saturday the creation of a special team to emergency situations, as well as strengthening the work of health education and awareness and control of pests. For its part, the head of the Bureau of Health, Lesley Reside, said authorities launched a batch of material and equipment pesticides to deal with the epidemic.

The outbreak even led to the hospitalization of Parliament Speaker Jennifer Simons, the agency Caribbean Media Corporation."

Bangladesh : Nipah? Avoid date with raw date sap

2012-01-28T19:45:00.001+08:00

Via BDNews 24 :

" As nipah strikes back, with at least five deaths reported so far in Joypurhat district in northern Bangladesh, prospects of fresh outbreaks of this fruit bat-borne viral infection looms large, according to health department officials.

While experts say a simple measure — not drinking raw date juice — can prevent the virus from infecting, government records show it has killed 155 of 201 infected, spreading from one district to another, since 2001, when the virus first struck as an 'unknown' ailment.

"It is totally preventable if we avoid drinking raw date sap," said Prof Mahmudur Rahman, director of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), which oversees emerging and re-emerging diseases in Bangladesh.

"But once infected, we don't have a cure -- it's highly fatal. This year the fatality has been 100 percent so far," he said.

A highly contagious disease, Prof Rahman said the virus can pass from person to person by contact.

ONLY COUNTRY WITH NIPAH

Nipah was first detected in Malaysia in 1998 but at present Bangladesh, a hotspot for emerging diseases, is the only country in the world that reports the disease.

Nipah has become a cause of concern for the health authorities since it strikes every year during Jan to April.

Though it is believed that border districts of India have the virus, reports are not available from the Indian government to confirm it.

This year, while IEDCR is grappling to check the spread in Joypurhat district's Sadarpara and Khetlal upazillas, where five persons died in this month's outbreak, the district civil surgeon says new suspects of infection are emerging from the area.

"We received at least five suspected infections (in hospitals)," civil surgeon Mozammal Haque told bdnews24.com on Thursday."

Malaysia : 459 cases of dengue fever reported during third week of 2012

2012-01-28T19:37:00.001+08:00

Article via Sin Chew Jit Poh, excerpt :

" A total of 459 cases of dengue fever, with two deaths, were reported during the week between Jan 15 and 21 this year, a drop of 22 cases with one death from the previous week, Health Director-General Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said today.

However, he said, the number of fatalities due to dengue showed an increase with four people so far this year, from only one during the corresponding period last year.

"Last week alone there were two deaths, one each in Selangor and dan Negeri Sembilan," he said in a statement here.

He said the states which showed an increase in dengue cases were the Federal Territory and Putrajaya, with 18 cases each or 39 per cent), Kelantan 13 cases (72 per cent), Melaka 6 cases (50 per cent), Negeri Sembilan three cases (38 per cent), Terengganu three cases (30 per cent), Labuan one case (100 per cent) and Penang one case (six per cent)."