H5N1

Philippines: Typhoon Bopha/Pablo to hit Ilocos Norte

Via ABS-CBN: Typhoon Pablo to hit Ilocos Norte - PAGASA. Excerpt:

Typhoon Pablo may make landfall in Ilocos Norte Sunday morning, state weather bureau PAGASA said on Saturday. 

Ilocos region and Zambales are advised to prepare for stormy weather on Sunday. 

PAGASA weather forecaster Jori Loiz said landfall may occur between 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., if the typhoon maintains its current speed of 17 kilometers per hour. 

He warned that the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union are prone to storm surges. 

There areas are under signal number 2. 

Loiz said as soon as Pablo left Palawan, there have been signs that the typhoon may loop towards the northern part of the country, but the typhoon’s track was only confirmed on Saturday. 

The typhoon is also expected to dump heavy to intense rainfall within its 400 kilometer radius. 

However, PAGASA forecaster Robert Sawi noted that the typhoon is expected to weaken once it hits land and may eventually dissipate.

Zimbabwe: Cholera kills five in Harare

Via AfricaReview.com, a December 7 report: Cholera kills five in Harare. Excerpt:

Five people have died in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare following a fresh cholera outbreak, city officials said on Friday. 

Six hundred new cases of the water borne disease have been recorded since the end of October. 

Harare City Council deputy director of health Prosper Chonzi said most of the deaths occurred at high density suburbs without access to clean water. 

“The fight against typhoid, which began in the city last year, is far from over as we continue to record fresh outbreaks,” he told state television on Friday. 

Typhoid is a bacterial disease transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with faeces of an infected person. 

Harare’s water supplies are heavily polluted by sewerage from burst pipes that go for days without repairs. 

A University of Zimbabwe environmentalist, Prof Chris Magadza, this week revealed that a river that feeds the city’s main water source – Lake Chivero – now supplied 50 per cent clean water while the remainder was “our returned urine”. 

Inadequate water 

“Lake Chivero receives so much sewage and there is algae called microcystis, which can cause liver cancer,” he said. 

“For example, in South Africa this algae has killed a lot of cattle.” 

Prof Magadza also blamed the pollution of Lake Chivero on the destruction of wetlands. 

Harare has suffered a frequent outbreak of diarrhoeal diseases since 2008 when cholera killed over 4,000 people and infected close to 100,000 others.

India: Malaria, dengue cases fall in Ahmedabad

Via DNA: Malaria cases plummet as mercury dips in Ahmedabad. Excerpt:

The arrival of winter and resultant drop in temperatures has come as a huge relief to the health department of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). After a tough four months of battling vector-borne diseases in the city, malaria and dengue cases are on the decline. 

Malaria cases in November declined by 70% while dengue and falciparum cases declined by 50% as compared to October. 

In the past few months, the city witnessed a steep rise in malaria and dengue cases. On an average, 30 cases of malaria and Plasmodium vivax and 15-18 cases of falciparum were registered daily in September, the peak month. 

The cases of malaria remained as high as 2,878 in September, decreased to 1,152 in October, and further decreased to a mere 370 in November. 

Similarly, the cases of falciparum were found to be 316 in November. They were 963 and 743 in September and October respectively. The number of dengue cases in November was 339, which was 699 in October, indicating decline of around 50%. 

While the fall in temperature is one reason, the constant work put in by the health department has helped. As compared to last year, the civic body examined 1.83 lakh [183,000] more patients under ‘blood smear examination’ (BSE) to determine if they are suffering from simple fever or malaria.

Haiti: 7,787 cholera deaths as of December 4

Apologies: I posted an earlier version of this a few minutes ago, and then realized I'd included the last batch of MSPP numbers, already published here four days ago. Then I misread my own notes and posted an inaccurate tally of deaths. I've revised the post accordingly, while reflecting on how easy it is to over-blog.

MSPP has posted 7 days' worth of cholera statistics on its Documentation page, bringing us from November 28 to December 4. As usual, the total cases and deaths don't match the daily numbers: in the daily tally are 2,497 new cases, but the total cases are 2,497 for the 7 days and 619,944 since October 2010.

Daily deaths are 25; total deaths are 28, making a total since October 2010 of 7,787.

Hidden in these numbers are some alarming events. Grande Anse department seems to have stopped sending statistics altogether during this period, and several others missed one or more days. And even though the numbers are incomplete, Haiti saw a horrible spike in cases, from 216 on November 27 to 452 on the 28th, then 445 on the 29th, 461 on the 30th, and then a drop to 394 on December 1. By December 4, the daily cases were at 209.

People were dying even on relatively slow days, with 7 on December 2 alone. Only on the 4th did MSPP report no cholera deaths in this week.

I saw nothing about this spike in the Haitian or foreign media, or in the Haitian tweets I follow, or in the NGO reports. Cholera is now endemic, which means it's part of the background noise along with all the country's other miseries.  

Canada: Alberta probes outbreak of legionnaires’ disease

Via The Calgary Herald: AHS probes outbreak of legionnaires’ disease which sent six people to hospital. Click through for the full report and a video. Excerpt:

Alberta Health Services is investigating an outbreak of legionnaires’ disease in southwest Calgary. 

Six people were hospitalized between Nov. 18 and Nov. 23 and are now recovering. The source of the exposure is still unknown, but all of the patients live or work within 16 kilometres of one another. 

Investigators are trying to determine what connections — if any — exist between the individuals, who range in age from 51 to 78. 

No new cases have been reported since Dec. 1. 

“We want to reassure the public that we are following this as we normally would do and are attempting to identify the source of the infection,” Dr. Judy MacDonald, medical officer of health for the Calgary zone, told reporters Friday. 

Legionnaire’s disease is a form of pneumonia that is caused by bacteria that flourish in hot water tanks, plumbing and air conditioning systems. 

It is contracted by breathing droplets of water contaminated with the bacteria. Most cases can be successfully treated with antibiotics but the disease can be dangerous for people with weakened immune systems. 

The bacteria can also be spread through mist in public showers and hot tubs in poorly ventilated areas. Drinking fountains and decorative fountains have also been linked to legionnaires’ disease. 

Thirteen people died following an outbreak in Quebec City earlier this year. 

The good news, said MacDonald, is that because the bacteria is not transmitted from one person to another, the six Calgary cases do not pose a risk to the public. 

There have been 39 confirmed cases of legionnaires’ disease in the city since 2004, including a cluster of nine cases traced back to bacteria at a British Columbia resort. 

But investigators are mystified as to why so many people fell ill recently from the pneumonia-like disease, especially in November.

Uganda: Nodding-syndrome children sue parents for neglect

Via The Saturday Monitor: Nodding children sue parents for neglect. Excerpt:

Two children suffering from the nodding disease syndrome have dragged their parents to court for neglect. 

Janet Amito, 12, and Isaac Okema, 10, children of Joel Kilama and Betty Amony of Angagura Village in Aruu County, Pader District, said they were abandoned by their parents at Atanga treatment centre early this year. 

“When my brother developed symptoms of nodding, my mother refused to care for us fearing her yet-to-be born baby would catch the disease,” Amito said. 

Sentence 

“She took us to Atanga hospital after consuming away our food supplements. She then left us lonely. I cannot reconcile with her since she is not ready to reform,” Amito said. 

Pader Magistrate’s Court on Thursday ruled in favour of the children and sentenced their parents to community service. The two are serving the sentence by slashing the compound of Angagura Health Centre II. 

The children said they have spent nearly a year at the treatment centre without help from their mother. 

However, Arach insisted that her children mistook her keeping away for two months while nursing wounds she reportedly obtained in the cassava garden for neglect. She maintains that her children should continue to stay at the treatment centre until they are cured of nodding syndrome.

CIDRAP: European labs use novel coronavirus tests, devise new ones

Via CIDRAP, Robert Roos writes: European labs use novel coronavirus tests, devise new ones. Click through for the full article and links to the research reports. Excerpts:

Diagnostic tests for the novel coronavirus (CoV) that recently emerged in the Middle East are being deployed rapidly in Europe, and about 250 patients have already been tested for the virus, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). 

An ECDC survey revealed that a screening test for the virus is available in 23 of 46 responding countries in the World Health Organization's (WHO's) European Region, according to a report yesterday in Eurosurveillance. Those include 19 of 30 countries in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). 

Confirmatory testing of positive screened samples is available in 22 of 46 responding countries, including 18 of 30 EU and EEA countries, according to the survey. Six EU and EEA countries reported that they had tested about 250 patients who met the WHO surveillance criteria, the ECDC said. 

The available screening test was the upE RT-PCR (reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) assay, while confirmatory testing involved ORF1b RT-PCR or other target RT-PCR assays with sequence analysis, the report said. 

Nine novel CoV infections, with five deaths, have been identified in the world so far. 

In a companion report, a German team describes a new confirmatory test for the novel CoV and a serologic test to detect antibodies to the virus. The authors say the recent investigation of a cluster of novel CoV cases in Saudi Arabia suggested that RT-PCR testing may miss cases in patients with symptoms and epidemiologic links to known cases.

Nigeria: Unknown disease kills 5, affects 200 households in Adamawa

Via allAfrica.com, a report in The Daily Trust: Unknown Disease Kills Five, Affects 200 Households in Adamawa. Excerpt:

Yola — At least five people have been confirmed dead, while 70 others are lying critically ill at the hospital following an outbreak of a yet to be diagnosed ailment. It was gathered that over 200 households in the border area of Mubi-South in Adamawa State have been affected. 

Usman Lamorde, member representing Mubi-South in the state House of Assembly on Wednesday confirmed the death toll, saying the nature of the disease has not been determined. 

Speaking on the floor of the House,Usman Lamorde said over 200 household were affected in Nduku-Seranyi village. "This disease comes without warning, and by the time it is discovered, it's too late. The disease is characterized by excessive vomiting, diarrhoea, high fever and in some instances, coughing, hence the need for urgent intervention," he said. 

Following the motion, Speaker of the state Assembly, Umaru Ahmad Fintiri, ordered that health officials be deployed with immediate effect to curtail the spread of the disease. 

When contacted, the state's Commissioner for Health, Mrs Lilian Stephen, said disease control personnel have moved to the affected areas, and that the state government is waiting for the outcome of the specimen sent for analysis.

Philippines: Bopha/Pablo toll tops 500; 300,000 homeless

Via ABS-CBN News, an AFP report: Typhoon Pablo toll tops 500, military says. Excerpt:

At least 540 people have been confirmed dead in the Philippines following the deadliest typhoon to hit the country this year, rescue officials said Friday. 

Regional military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lyndon Paniza told AFP the region's armed forces had retrieved 506 bodies on the east coast of the southern island of Mindanao and around the southern town of New Bataan. 

The civil defence office in Manila said 23 other people were killed elsewhere in Mindanao, along with 11 in the central Visayan islands. 

The government agency said 383 people remained missing while the number of survivors who have sought refuge at government shelters has grown to more than 306,000.

Philippines: Typhoon Bopha/Pablo regains strength near Luzon

Via ABS-CBN News: Typhoon Pablo regains strength near Luzon. Excerpt:

Typhoon Pablo (international name Bopha), which devastated Mindanao and left hundreds of people dead or missing, has regained strength off Luzon, the UK Met Office warned Friday. 

The UK's national weather service, which has been tracking the typhoon along with other foreign agencies, said the typhoon may threaten the Philippines again, particularly northern Luzon. 

The UK Met Office's showed images and an animation on Twitter of the typhoon rapidly swirling and changing direction. 

"Typhoon Bopha was the first tropical cyclone worldwide to make landfall with winds of category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale since Typhoon Megi in 2010," it said. 

It added that Pablo "was the most intense typhoon to strike the island of Mindanao on record." 

In its latest advisory Friday, the US Navy and Air Force Joint Typhoon Watch Center (JTWC) echoed the UK Met Office's new assessment on Pablo. 

The typhoon weakened when it hit Mindanao, the Visayas and Palawan but regained quickly regained strength when it reached the open waters of the West Philippine Sea and started feeding on warm moisture coming from the east. 

"Animated multispectral satellite imagery shows a recent rapid increase in organization with the development of an 11 (nautical mile) eye," the JTWC said.  

Based on one-minute average readings, the typhoon is now packing maximum sustained winds of 148 kilometers per hour, with gusts of up to 185kph, according to the Hawaii-based weather task force. "The current intensity has been increased to 80 knots based upon a rapid rise in congruent Dvorak estimates from all agencies now reporting 77 knots."