Category Archives: pandemic

WHO | Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update

{The spin explained – yesterday the government of Guinea or a spokesperson said only 61 deaths – that was referring to 61 deaths from 109 lab confirmed cases. But 129 deaths have been attributed to the outbreak.}

As of 18:00 on 17 April, the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 203 clinical cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 129 deaths. To date, 158 patients have been tested for ebolavirus infection and 109 cases have been laboratory confirmed, including 61 deaths. In addition, 41 cases (34 deaths) meet the probable case definition for EVD and 53 cases (34 deaths) are classified as suspected cases.

via WHO | Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update.

News Scan for Apr 21, 2014 | CIDRAP – Spin on Deaths

{Yesterday, there were reports that deaths had been double counted – se shall see but this makes sense – some spin over the number by reporting lab confirmed deaths and not all deaths from Ebola.}

Guinea’s number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases has reached 203, including 129 deaths, according to the latest update, on Apr 19, from the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa. The numbers represent an increase of 1 case and 4 deaths since the previous update on Apr 17.

So far 109 of 158 patients tested had lab-confirmed infections. Of the deaths, 61 are lab confirmed.

via News Scan for Apr 21, 2014 | CIDRAP.

Ebola outbreak in west Africa affecting diets continent-wide | The Raw Story

Ebola outbreak in west Africa affecting diets continent-wide | The Raw Story.

Humans, the world over, will eat ourselves into extinction by eating so much meat!

Agoutis, antelopes, chimpanzees, porcupines and other species are all in danger of extinction in Ivory Coast, but today they have at least a few weeks’ respite.

Ironically, “Ebola is a good thing for the preservation of wildlife,” said Colonel Jerome Ake, the Yamoussoukro regional director for water and forestry.

A break in hunting will also benefit the natural environment, since hunters flush out game by starting large brush fires, which they are not always able to keep under control.

In the past 10 years, such blazes have killed 120 people and destroyed more than 5,000 square kilometres (1,900 square miles) of forest and other land, a region twice the size of Luxembourg. But in these days of Ebola, fewer fires are likely to be started.

Avian Flu Diary: Saudi MOH Announces 6 More MERS Cases In Jeddah (1 Fatal)

Fast becoming Saudi SARS-MOH – Based on FluTracker’s MERS Case Line Listing, this brings to 51 the number of cases in this cluster, along with 8 deaths (or 52 and 9 if you count the religious pilgrim who died this week in Malaysia with recent travel history to Jeddah.)   Additionally, 22 (42%) are described as being Health Care Workers.

Cases clustered in hospitals, among healthcare workers and now two people who died after they returned home to Greece and Malaysia

WHO | Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – update

The following details were provided to WHO by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia on 17 April 2014:

The patient is a 54 year-old man with underlying health conditions. He travelled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with a pilgrimage group of 18 people from 15 to 28 March 2014 and became ill on 4 April. He sought treatment in a private clinic in Johor, Malaysia on 7 April and went to a hospital on 9 April. The patient died on 13 April. The patient visited a camel farm on 26 March, during which he consumed camel milk.

via WHO | Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – update.

Invasive foreign species pose a threat to the global ecosystem. So when will we learn not to meddle with nature? – Telegraph

Twelve thousand alien species of animals and plants from other lands have taken up residence in Europe, according to the European Union – and as human traffic and trade grow, that influx will surely increase. So, according to the House of Commons environmental audit committee in its latest report on invasive non-native species, it is time to do something about it.

via Invasive foreign species pose a threat to the global ecosystem. So when will we learn not to meddle with nature? – Telegraph.

Just as big a problem in US – Florida having huge problem – pun intended – with Burmese Pythons being let loose in wild and now with no natural predators chomping up Everglades species.

VDU’s blog: MERS-CoV numbers by week…

why is this happening? It’s not as though hospitals are not well aware of standard infection prevention and control practices for handling patients with respiratory illnesses of unknown origin. Respiratory illnesses make up a big part of hospital business. MERS-CoV is not the only, nor the most frequent, pathogen in this class. I suspect seasonal respiratory viruses kill many people in the region too. But do we know that do or that they don’t when compared to MERS-CoV? Some contrast here would be very valuable. Studies of respiratory viruses, using PCR-based methods to look at cases of pneumonia, from the Arabian peninsula are more rare human cases of MERS-CoV.

What’s more scary than rising case numbers for me is the fact the these hospital clusters keep on happening.

via VDU’s blog: MERS-CoV numbers by week….

NEJM Ebola Brief: What does it mean? | Mens et Manus

While deforestation in the DRC may not have brought ZEBOV to Guinea, it’s possible that it still played a significant role in the emergence of Ebola among West African human populations. If enough bats migrated out West due to habitat displacement, increased population density would boost ZEBOV transmission… Resulting in above average Ebola prevalence among reservoir bats. This enabling condition – paired with the common Guinean practice of poaching bats – might have created viable circumstances for emergence among humans… But this is just one possible theory.

Understanding Ebola’s emergence in Guinea might help us prevent similar outbreaks in the future. While the NEJM article gives us valuable insight into the virus that’s responsible for #Ebola2014, it can’t be considered in isolation when addressing this challenge. The animals that carry the disease and the environment in which they live are equally important. We must also be willing to take a step back and look at the ecosystem system that connects them.

via NEJM Ebola Brief: What does it mean? | Mens et Manus.

National Technical Commission for Biosecurity approves Oxitec mosquito for use in Brazil | Vaccine News Daily

{Nature is not a machine and cannot be fooled by humans – when the new dengue comes – Oxitec will just say… Oops?}

Oxitec announced on Thursday that the National Technical Commission for Biosecurity approved the commercial release of its genetically modified mosquito in Brazil to control dengue fever.

The Oxitec mosquito is a strain of the wild Aedes aegypti species that was modified to contain two additional genes. The added genes cause mosquitoes to die before they become functional adults.

The male mosquitoes are released to mate with wild female mosquitoes and pass the genes to their offspring. The genetically modified mosquitoes have a marker that is visible with a special light, which will aid field monitoring and help ensure the mosquito control programs are successful.

“In recent years, our technology has been attracting a great deal of attention from dengue endemic countries worldwide and CTNBio’s technical opinion will be very helpful for other countries considering whether to evaluate this for their own circumstances,” Oxitec CEO Hadyn Parry said. “We feel that the beneficial environmental profile, coupled with excellent efficacy to date, make the Oxitec mosquito a valuable new tool for health authorities around the world to complement their existing efforts in tackling the mosquitoes that spread dengue fever.”

The A. aegypti mosquito is the main vector of dengue, and is known for being difficult to control. In several trials, the Oxitec males have proved to significantly reduce the wild population of dengue mosquitoes.

via National Technical Commission for Biosecurity approves Oxitec mosquito for use in Brazil | Vaccine News Daily.