H5N1

India: Chicken consumption plunges by 40 percent over H5N1

Via The New Indian Express, a report datelined Mysore: Bird Flu: Chicken consumption plunges by 40 percent. Excerpt:

The outbreak of avian influenza near Bangalore leading to culling of hundreds of birds has cast its shadow on the poultry industry here as the consumption has dipped by 40 per cent. 

Most poultry and chicken unit owners said poor demand has resulted in chicken prices coming down to Rs 70 to Rs 80 a kg from Rs 130 a kg. Egg price that had shot up to Rs 44 a dozen is now Rs 30. 

The prices had recently recovered and stabilised to Rs 130 after the Kerala government lifted its ban and permitted import of chicken and eggs from Tamil Nadu. 

Uday Kumar, a chicken and egg dealer, said he hoped the prices would recover in a couple of days. Another poultry owner clarified that bird flu has not been reported in the region. 

The Mysore poultry industry produces more than 15 lakh [1.5 million] eggs per day and supplies 12 lakh eggs and 1.2 lakh kg of chicken to North Kerala, including Kasargod, Kannur and Calicut. 

The Kerala market is important as it is the highest consumer of poultry compared to other southern states. 

During a meeting of the National Egg Co-ordination committee office-bearers, led by Mysore Zone convenor Satish Babu, they apprised the Animal Husbandry officials that culling of turkey near Bangalore has no impact on the poultry here as the live birds are medicated and monitored by doctors. 

The officials assured lifting the ban on Karnataka products only if it is certified by the Union government that the region is free from bird flu.

India: 'Unknown killer' of kids identified as Japanese encephalitis

Via The Times of India: 'Unknown killer' of kids identified as Japanese encephalitis. Excerpt:

BHUBANESWAR: The 'unknown' fever, which killed several children in Malkangiri district between October 9 and November 1, seems to have been decoded with Japanese encephalitis (JE) being cited as the cause of the disease. 

According to official figures, 23 children succumbed to the disease, while the unofficial toll stood at 40. 

Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) sent a report to the state integrated disease surveillance cell saying they found JE virus in 10 samples in the affected areas. "We tested children suffering in the area for various diseases such as dengue, JE and Chandipura virus. Ten samples tested positive for JE," RMRC director S K Kar told TOI. 

RMRC had also sent blood samples from the locality to National Institute of Virology, Pune, and found identical results. Kar said clinical symptoms of the deceased children and current morbidity of others confirm JE was the killer. 

Children in the age group of four days to 10 years were killed due to the disease. While some of them died within 48 hours, others survived up to six days. The children suffered vomiting and drowsiness with or without high body temperature, said an RMRC scientist familiar with the development. 

Dr Kar said Culex Vishnoi, the mosquitoes that transmit JE from pigs to human, were abundantly available in the affected localities. Besides, there were also several piggeries in the area. JE is not transmitted from human to human, he said.

Malaria vaccine a letdown for infants

Via CBC News: Malaria vaccine a letdown for infants. Excerpt:

An experimental malaria vaccine once thought promising is turning out to be a disappointment, with a new study showing it is only about 30 per cent effective at protecting infants from the killer disease. 

That is a significant drop from a study last year done in slightly older children, which suggested the vaccine cut the malaria risk by about half — though that is still far below the protection provided from most vaccines. 

According to details released on Friday, the three-shot regimen reduced malaria cases by about 30 percent in infants aged 6 to 12 weeks, the target age for immunization. 

Dr. Jennifer Cohn, a medical coordinator at Doctors Without Borders, described the vaccine's protection levels as "unacceptably low." She was not linked to the study. 

Scientists have been working for decades to develop a malaria vaccine, a complicated endeavor since the disease is caused by five different species of parasites. There has never been an effective vaccine against a parasite. Worldwide, there are several dozen malaria vaccine candidates being researched. 

In 2006, a group of experts led by the World Health Organization said a malaria vaccine should cut the risk of severe disease and death by at least half and should last longer than one year. 

Malaria is spread by mosquitoes and kills more than 650,000 people every year, mostly young children and pregnant women in Africa. Without a vaccine, officials have focused on distributing insecticide-treated bed nets, spraying homes with pesticides and ensuring access to good medicines. 

In the new study, scientists found babies who got three doses of the vaccine had about 30 per cent fewer cases of malaria than those who didn't get immunized. The research included more than 6,500 infants in Africa. Experts also found the vaccine reduced the amount of severe malaria by about 26 per cent, up to 14 months after the babies were immunized. 

Scientists said they needed to analyze the data further to understand why the vaccine may be working differently in different regions. For example, babies born in areas with high levels of malaria might inherit some antibodies from their mothers which could interfere with any vaccination. 

"Maybe we should be thinking of a first-generation vaccine that is targeted only for certain children," said Dr. Salim Abdulla of the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, one of the study investigators. 

Results were presented at a conference in South Africa on Friday and released online by the New England Journal of Medicine. The study is scheduled to continue until 2014 and is being paid for by GlaxoSmithKline and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative.

Haiti: 2 cholera deaths, 212 cases in Gonaïves in 13 days

Via AlterPresse.org, a November 8 report: Haïti-Choléra : 2 morts sur 212 cas recensés en 13 jours aux Gonaïves.[Haiti cholera: Two dead and 212 cases recorded in 13 days in Gonaïves] Excerpt, with my translation:

2 personnes, qui ont été admises les lundi 29 et mardi 30 octobre 2012 au centre de traitement de choléra (Ctc), situé à Gattereau (au nord du bourg des Gonaïves), sont décédées de la maladie. Ces deux personnes ont refusé l’administration du sérum dans leurs bras, selon les informations obtenues par l’agence en ligne AlterPresse. 

Two persons, who were admitted on Monday October 29th and Tuesday October 30 to the cholera treatment centre in Gattereau (north of the town of Gonaïves) have died from the disease. The two persons had refused the injection of serum in their arms, according to information obtained by the online agency AlterPresse.

Les 2 personnes décédées font partie des 212 cas enregistrés au Ctc de Gattereau entre le mercredi 24 octobre et le lundi 5 novembre 2012. Parmi les personnes infectées, figurent 33 enfants âgés de 0 à 5 ans et 129 femmes. 

The two persons were part of the 212 cases recorded in the Gattereau CTC between Wednesday October 24 and Monday November 5. Among those infected, 33 were children aged from newborns to 5 years old, and 129 women.

Deux de ces femmes, qui étaient enceintes de 5 mois, ont avorté, indique Marie Mickerline Mériné, infirmière superviseuse au centre de traitement de cholera des Gonaïves. 

Two of the women, who were five months pregnant, have miscarried, according to Marie Mickerline Mériné, supervising nurse in the Gonaïves CTC.

Le lundi 5 novembre dernier, une trentaine de malades se trouvaient dans chaque tente (unité du centre de traitement de choléra), initialement conçue pour recevoir 22.

On Monday November 5, 30 patients were in each of three CTC tents, originally designed for 22. 

The report goes on to say that recent rainstorms after Hurricane Sandy have spread cholera throughout most parts of the city of Gonaïves.

Guatemala: Poor communities most hit by the earthquake

Via Siglo21.com.gt: Comunidades pobres, las más golpeadas por el sismo. [Poor communities most hit by the earthquake] Excerpt, with my translation:

El gobierno asegura que tiene recursos para hacer frente a la emergencia causada por el terremoto, pero también reconoce que la fase de reconstrucción "no será fácil". 

The government says it has the resources to deal with the emergency caused by the earthquake, but it also admits that reconstruction "will not be easy."

Países como Estados Unidos, Canadá, Taiwán, Venezuela, España, Colombia, México y Costa Rica, según Pérez, le han ofrecido su colaboración y ayuda. 

Countries like the US, Canada, Taiwan, Venezuela, Spain, Colombia, Mexico and Costa Rica, President Perez says, have offer their collaboration and help.

La declaración de Estado de Calamidad, que durará 30 días y que prohíbe las concentraciones, espectáculos, portación de armas de fuego y limita la locomoción, permitirá atender con más rapidez a los damnificados por el sismo, según las autoridades. 

The declaration of the State of Calamity, which will last 30 days, prohibits crowds, spectacles, and carrying firearms, and limits movement. This will enable officials to deal more quickly with those displaced by the quake, authorities say.

De acuerdo con la Encuesta de Condiciones de Vida del 2011 elaborada por el estatal Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (INE), en los siete departamentos en Estado de Calamidad los niveles de pobreza van desde un 53.73 (Quetzaltenango) hasta un 77.47% (Sololá). 

According to the 2011 Inquiry Into Living Conditions carried out by the National Statistical Institute, in the seven departments in the State of Calamity the levels of poverty range from 53.73% (Quetzaltenango) to 77.47% (Sololá).

El departamento de San Marcos, el más golpeado por el terremoto, según las cifras oficiales, tiene un índice de pobreza del 68.54%, mientras que en Totonicapán es del 73.29%, en Quiché del 71.85, Huehuetenango el 60.50 y Retalhuleu, la zona del epicentro del terremoto, del 59.24%. 

According to officials the department of San Marcos, most hit by the quake, has a poverty index of 68.54%, while in Totonicapán it is 73.29%, in Quiché 71.85%, Huehhuetenango 60.5%, and Retalhuleu, at the epicentre of the quake, 59.24%.

En febrero pasado, el presidente Pérez puso en marcha en San Juan Atitán (Huehuetenango), con una prevalencia del 91.4% de desnutrición crónica, su programa "hambre cero" que beneficia a 166 de los 334 municipios que tiene Guatemala.

Last February President Pérez launched his "Zero Hunger" program in San Juan Atitán (Huehuetenango), which has a 91.4% rate of chronic malnutrition; the program benefits 166 of Guatemala's 334 municipalities.

Another report from Siglo21 says the president has asked the US to stop repatriating illegal Guatemalan immigrants for the time being. His government estimates that 1.3 Guatemalans live in the US, with 60 per cent of them "undocumented." Most of them, Pérez says, come from the poorest departments most hurt by the quake.

Nigeria: 17 million to be vaccinated against meningitis

Via allAfrica.com, a report in The Daily Trust: Nigeria: 17 Million for Meningitis Vaccination December. Excerpt:

An estimated 17 million people in four states are targeted for vaccination in the second phase of a campaign to eliminate cerebrospinal meningitis this December, according to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. 

The vaccination will cover vulnerable populations aged one to 29 years in Yobe, Kano, Sokoto and Borno-all marked as high risk for CSM-using the free enhanced meningitis vaccine for Africa (MenAfriVac) to build herd immunity. 

The agency says the campaign will require 17 million doses of the vaccine, provided by the pharmaceutical firm Serum Institute of India, to cover the estimated population of the four states.

Benin: Cholera outbreak in southwest

Via ReliefWeb, a report from the IFRC: Benin: Cholera Epidemic. Click through to download the complete report. The summary:

Since 23 October 2012, the municipality of Comé in the department of Mono in the southwest part of Benin has experienced a cholera epidemic; currently counting 49 confirmed cases, 3 of which were reported in the neighbouring municipality of Houéyogbé. 

Samples of the 5 initially suspected cases were sent to the departmental and later national laboratory, and after confirmation of cholera, the government of Benin declared an epidemic at the health zone level. 

The number of cases could be higher, as it is expected that not all cases were referred to official facilities and registered. The spread of the disease is suspected to be related to consumption of unsafe water and contaminated smoked fish as well as lack of proper sanitation and hygiene awareness. 

In its role as auxiliary to the government of Benin, the Benin Red Cross Society (BRCS) has mobilized its volunteers at branch level to support the health authorities in improvement of cholera awareness (prevention, detection and referral), hygiene promotion, safe water and improved sanitation at community level at an early stage to prevent the effects and spread of the epidemic. 

This operation is expected to be implemented over 3 months, and will therefore be completed by 9 February, 2013. A final report will be made available three months after the end of the operation (by 9 May, 2013).

CDC: Meningitis update for November 9

CDC has updated its HAI - Multistate Meningitis Outbreak - November 9, 2012 Case Count. The current tally is 428 cases of fungal meningitis, 10 peripheral joint infections, and 32 deaths. CDC also advises us that further updates will appear only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Uganda: One-year-old dies of Marburg in Ibanda

Via The Saturday Monitor: One-year-old dies of Marburg in Ibanda. Excerpt:

A one-and-half-year old boy has reportedly died of Marburg virus at Ruhoko Hospital in Ibanda District. 

The District Health Officer, Dr Julius Bamwine, on Thursday confirmed to Saturday Monitor that the victim, only identified as Alexander, died on Wednesday night. 

“I can confirm to you that one of the victims from Kikyenkye, who had tested positive to Marburg virus died last night. He is a son to Mr Mande who lost his wife to the same disease recently,” Mr Bamwine said. 

The baby becomes the second person from Ibanda to die of the virus but the ninth to succumb to the killer virus in the region. 

The Health ministry confirmed the Marburg outbreak a month ago in the western district of Kabale. It has since spread to three other districts in Western Uganda. Alexander’s mother, Rosette Katusiime, died of the virus at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital on October 23. Her husband had also tested positive. 

The boy was admitted at Rukoho Hospital with other four suspected cases last week. The number of suspected cases has since gone up to 12. Dr Bamwine said they are in the process of discharging eight people who have tested negative while four still remain under surveillance as they wait for their results from Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe. 

At Mbarara hospital, the three suspected cases admitted last week have tested negative and been discharged but two more cases were on Wednesday admitted with symptoms similar to those of the Marburg virus. 

“We have two male suspected Marburg patients; one is from Kisenyi in Kakoba Division, Mbarara Town. He had severe nasal bleeding while the other is from Rwampara County in Mbarara. He was vomiting and passed stool with blood,” said Ms. Eugenia Namulindwa, the in-charge of the isolation unit. 

Seven other people have died of Marburg Virus in Kabale District since October 19 and two are positive and remain admitted at Rushoroza Isolation Centre.

Jamaica, Dominica submit contrasting reports on dengue fever

Via Caribbean360.com: Jamaica, Dominica submit contrasting reports on dengue fever. Excerpt:

Two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries are reporting contrasting positions on dengue fever. 

In Jamaica, health authorities are reporting a decline in new cases, while in Dominica, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Johnson, is warning of a re-emergence of dengue fever. 

Director of Emergency Disaster Management and Special Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Marion Bullock Ducasse said in Jamaica, up to the week ending October 27, “we are reporting 2,448 clinically suspected dengue cases of which 404 were laboratory confirmed. 

“We are watching these figures very closely, because for that week… we only had reports of 250 new clinically suspected cases. The week prior to that, it was at 488,” she added. 

Dr. Bullock Ducasse said the authorities were continuing its intensified activities island-wide, and in partnership with other stakeholders would ensure that the outbreak is swiftly controlled.      

“We are on a major effort to control the dengue outbreak. We are currently pursuing intensive activities in the main areas of public education, vector control, clinical case management, and of course, we are ensuring social mobilization so that the communities can be fully involved to assist us in reducing breeding sites. Also, we are having our teams out, dealing with reducing the larvae of the mosquitoes, and fogging and spraying continues island-wide,” she said. 

In Dominica, Dr. Johnson confirmed that two people were being treated at the Princess Margaret Hospital and there have been 20 recorded cases of the disease from March to October. 

“We had been seeing a number of dengue cases in Dominica and to date I can confirm that we have seen 20 cases from March 9th to October 16th 2012,” Dr. Johnson said, adding that despite the two admissions in hospital, there has been no severe form of the disease for the year.