H5N1

Ebola infects doctor leading Sierra Leone’s fight against outbreak

Via The Globe and Mail, a Reuters report: Ebola infects doctor leading Sierra Leone’s fight against outbreak. Excerpt:

The head doctor fighting the deadly tropical virus Ebola in Sierra Leone has himself caught the disease, the government said. 

The 39-year-old Sheik Umar Khan, hailed as a “national hero” by the health ministry, was leading the fight to control an outbreak that has killed 206 people in the West African country. Ebola kills up to 90 per cent of those infected and there is no cure or vaccine. 

Across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, more than 600 people have died from the illness, according to the World Health Organization, placing great strain on the health systems of some of Africa’s poorest countries. 

Khan, a Sierra Leonean virologist credited with treating more than 100 Ebola victims, has been transferred to a treatment ward run by medical charity Medecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders), according to the statement released late on Tuesday by the president’s office. 

Health Minister Miatta Kargbo called Khan a national hero and said she would “do anything and everything in my power to ensure he survives.” 

Khan told Reuters in late June that he was worried about contracting Ebola. “I am afraid for my life, I must say, because I cherish my life,” he said in an interview, showing no signs of ill health at the time. 

“Health workers are prone to the disease because we are the first port of call for somebody who is sickened by disease. Even with the full protective clothing you put on, you are at risk.” 

Three days ago, three nurses working in the same Ebola treatment center alongside Khan died from the disease.

India: 165 encephalitis deaths in Assam

Via The Indian Express: Japanese Encephalitis claims 165 lives in Assam. Excerpt:

A total of 165 persons have lost their lives in Assam due to Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, prompting Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to call an emergency meeting with health officials on Wednesday. 

According to an official release, Gogoi held an emergency meeting to review the health scenario with senior officials in the backdrop of outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). 

“Reviewing the health scenario in the backdrop of growing incidence of JE and AES in the state which has claimed 165 lives so far, Chief Minister Gogoi directed the health authorities to gear up on war-footing to control the diseases from spreading to newer areas,” the release said. 

While AES accounted for 60 per cent of the cases covering 24 districts this year, JE was responsible for 40 per cent of the cases in mainly lower Assam districts, it said. 

Gogoi asked the officials to make a comprehensive action plan to control JE and AES, including setting up of an ICU in each district hospital for treatment of emergency cases along with and laboratory testing units, the release said. 

He directed the health officials to procure laboratory testing kits for quick diagnosis of cases and also to carry out intensive fogging in the affected and nearby areas and also conduct awareness campaigns by involving the panchayats.

Liberia: Government gives $500,000 for Ebola fight

Via allAfrica.com, a report from The New Dawn: Liberia: Gov't Gives U.S.$500,000 for Ebola Fight. Excerpt:

The Liberian Government has announced US$500,000 from its coffers to fund the Ebola campaign. Liberian health authorities have in recent days reported 105 Ebola related deaths, with 48 of those cases confirmed since the second wave of the outbreak here. 

Making the pronouncement on Tuesday, July 22, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf appealed to all citizens and residents to join the fight against the deadly Ebola virus, and requested the military's logistic command to help transport medical supplies to affected areas. The Executive Mansion says President Sirleaf made the call during a brief stopover at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Congo Town early Tuesday morning. 

A release issued Tuesday evening says President Sirleaf expressed the conviction that the country can overcome the outbreak if a common front is formed in the fight against Ebola through community outreach and other awareness campaigns. She commended health workers, national and international partners for their role in the fight and reassured government's commitment to the fight. 

She, however, challenged government officials in particular to take the lead in informing their communities about preventive measures, terming the outbreak as serious and suggested that everyone gets involved. "This is not the time for denial, this Ebola issue is true and we all have to fight it together," President said. 

President Sirleaf, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia called on the military to get involved in the fight by helping to transport medical supplies to the affected areas through its logistic command.

CIDRAP: Texas officials probe spike in Cyclospora cases

Via CIDRAP, Lisa Schnirring writes: Texas officials probe spike in Cyclospora cases. Excerpt:

A spike in Cyclospora infections in Texas has triggered an investigation to see if there is a common source and an advisory for health professions to consider the parasitic illness in certain patients seeking treatment for diarrhea. 

Over the last month the state's health officials have received 61 reports of Cyclospora infections from around the state, according to Chris Van Deusen, press officer for the Department of State Health Services (TDSHS). He said an advisory went out to health providers on Jul 18, urging them to promptly report cases. 

At the time the advisory went out, the TDSHS had been informed of 34 cases.  So far it's not known if other states are seeing similar spikes. 

In a separate statement, Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH), which covers Fort Worth, said yesterday that it has received reports of eight cases so far. Prior to the spike in cases, since the beginning of the year TCPH had learned of only 1 case and the TDSHS had been notified of 8 cases. 

In a statement posted on the TCPH Facebook page yesterday, Russell Jones, MPH, the county's chief epidemiologist, said Cyclospora can be difficult to wash off all types of produce. "To reduce your risk, we recommend thoroughly washing all produce before consumption. Produce that is cooked is not a concern. It's the raw produce like cilantro and salads that can be a problem." 

Though no common source has been identified, the TDSHS said past outbreaks in the United States have been linked to imported fresh produce, including fresh cilantro, prepackaged salad mix, raspberries, snow peas, basil, and mesclun salad mix. 

Symptoms typically begin 2 to 14 days after ingesting oocytes in contaminated food and water, the TDSHS said. Symptoms include profuse diarrhea that can last weeks to months and may relapse. Others include anorexia, fatigue, weight loss, bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting and a low-grade fever.

India's encephalitis outbreak: Blood samples flood hospital lab

Via The Times of India: Encephalitis outbreak: Blood samples flood hospital lab. Excerpt:

JALPAIGURI: A day after North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb announced opening of fever clinics at seven district hospitals, the diagnostics laboratory at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) was flooded with samples. 

It was evident by late afternoon that the facility was woefully inadequate to handle the kind of volume that the fever clinics had begun generating. Lab technicians have started asking for temporary assistance to tide over the crisis. Over 1,000 samples arrived at NBMCH on the very first day. 

Hospital superintendent Amarendra Nath Sarkar admitted the pressure on the laboratory had increased manifold. "This is an additional burden but we have to deal with it. We cannot let the samples lie unexamined as lives depend on them," he said. 

On Monday, Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital alone tested 113 blood samples. "Luckily, there was no malaria found and on examining patients we found they were not positive to encephalitis either," said Susanta Roy, superintendent of Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital. On Tuesday the hospital sent the sample of a child to NBMCH. The kid is suspected to be suffering from acute encephalitis syndrome. 

Meanwhile, four more persons died at NBMCH, taking the toll to 59 in 19 days. A two-member team from the National Institute of Virology, Pune visited NBMCH on Tuesday headed by scientist DV Tandane. 

The team has come to investigate the cause of the encephalitis in the region and will collect urine, stool and blood from patients and examine them at the laboratory in Pune.

Sierra Leone: July 21 Ebola update

Via the Facebook page of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation: Ebola Update July 22, 2014.

• One hundred and eight (108) patients have survived the disease and have been discharged 

• For the 21st July 2014, a total of 27 new samples were received by the Kenema Laboratory: Kailahun (7), Kenema (15), Kono (1), Bombali (1) and Bo (3) while 1 new sample was received by the laboratory at the Kailahun treatment center. 

• Twelve (12) of the total samples received are Ebola positive, 7 from Kailahun and 5 from Kenema. 

• Three of the total samples are negative from Kenema, the remaining samples are in for re-test 

• One of the previous samples that were in for re-sampling from yesterday is now positive from Kenema while 1 is still in for final confirmation 

• The cumulative number of Laboratory confirmed cases are 422 and 143 confirmed deaths

China: A little more on the Gansu plague case

A survey of the Gansu provincial media has turned up nothing about this story, but Channel NewsAsia has a few more details: Chinese town sealed off after man dies of plague. Excerpt:

A Chinese town has been sealed off and 151 people placed in quarantine since last week after a man died of bubonic plague, state media said Tuesday (July 22). 

The 30,000 people living in Yumen in the northwestern province of Gansu are not being allowed to leave, and police at roadblocks on its perimeter are telling motorists to find alternative routes, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said. 

Other reports said that earlier this month the 38-year-old victim had found a dead marmot, a small furry animal which lives on grasslands and is related to the squirrel. 

He chopped it up to feed his dog but developed a fever the same day. He was taken to hospital after his condition worsened and died last Wednesday. 

"The city has enough rice, flour and oil to supply all its residents for up to one month," CCTV added. 

"Local residents and those in quarantine are all in stable condition." 

CCTV said authorities are not allowing anyone to leave, although a previous report by the China Daily newspaper said "four quarantine sectors" had been set up in the city. 

No further cases had been reported by Tuesday.

CDC: Chikungunya in the US as of July 22

Via the CDC: United States Geographic Distribution | Chikungunya virus. Click through for the full report and a map. The key points, with my bolding:

• Chikungunya is not a nationally notifiable disease in the United States. However, chikungunya cases can be reported to ArboNET, the national surveillance system for arthropod-borne diseases. 

• From 2006‒2013, studies identified an average of 28 people per year in the United States with positive tests for recent chikungunya virus infection (Range 5‒65 per year). All were travelers visiting or returning to the United States from affected areas, mostly in Asia. Only a quarter of the cases were reported to ArboNET. 

• Beginning in 2014, cases have been identified in travelers returning from the Caribbean. As of July 22, a total of 497 chikungunya cases have been reported to ArboNET from U.S. states and territories (Table). One hundred ninety-seven locally-transmitted cases have been reported from Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. All other cases occurred in travelers returning from affected areas in the Caribbean and South America (N=295), the Pacific Islands (N=4), or Asia (N=1). 

• With the recent outbreaks in the Caribbean and the Pacific, the number of chikungunya cases among travelers visiting or returning to the United States from affected areas will likely increase. These imported cases could result in additional local spread of the virus in the continental United States.

OCHA: "One child has been killed in Gaza every hour for the past two days"

Via ReliefWeb, a report from OCHA: Occupied Palestinian Territory: Gaza Emergency Situation Report (as of 22 July 2014, 1500 hrs) - occupied Palestinian territory. Click through to download the PDF. The key points:

• 120 Palestinians, including 26 children and 15 women, are reported to have been killed or their bodies recovered since the last update. One child has been killed in Gaza every hour for the past two days. 

• Intense overcrowding in shelters raises increasing concerns, as mass displacement continues: over 117,000 IDPs now seeking shelter in UNRWA schools and additional thousands in Ministry of Education-run schools. 

• There is concern about eight IDP shelters and thousands of households in northern Gaza that could not be reached for two consecutive days, due to intense fighting. 

• A request for a humanitarian pause has been rejected by the Israeli authorities. 

599 Palestinians killed, including at least 443 civilians, of whom 147 are children and 74 are women 

28 Israelis killed, including two civilians and 26 soldiers 

3,504 Palestinians injured, of whom 1,100 are children and 1,153 women 117,000 

Displaced hosted in 80 UNRWA schools 

44% of Gaza within a 3 kilometer wide strip declared as a ‘buffer zone’

CDC: Chikungunya in the Americas as of July 22

The CDC has updated its page on Americas Geographic Distribution | Chikungunya virus. Click through for a misleading map of that distribution: it makes the disease look universal in the US when it's just Florida, and it doesn't show Cuba as a country where chikungunya is spreading locally. The highlights:

• As of July 18, 2014, local transmission had been identified in 24 countries or territories in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, or North America.  A total of 436,586 suspected and 5,724 laboratory-confirmed chikungunya cases had been reported from these areas (Updated data from the Pan American Health Organization). 

• Chikungunya virus likely will continue to spread to new areas in the Americas (North America, Central America, and South America) through infected people and mosquitoes. 

• The mosquitoes that transmit the virus are found throughout much of the Americas, including parts of the United States. 

• Since chikungunya virus is new to the Americas, most people in the region are not immune. This means they can be infected and spread the virus to other mosquitoes.