Category Archives: pandemic

Globalization has unintended consequences… often: Malaria cases reach 40-year high in U.S. | Vaccine News Daily

The number of malaria cases reported in the U.S. in 2011 was the largest since 1971, according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC held a webinar last week on information and guidance for clinicians related to the increase in U.S. malaria cases. There were 1,925 reported cases of malaria in the U.S. with an onset of symptoms in the U.S. in 2011, which represented a 14 percent increase from 2010 and a 48 percent increase from 2008. The majority of the infections occurred among persons who traveled to regions with ongoing malaria infection.

The CDC said that imported malaria can reintroduce malaria into regions where the disease is not endemic if environmental conditions are present to support the lifecycle of the malaria parasite.

via Malaria cases reach 40-year high in U.S. | Vaccine News Daily.

New study finds plague may return | Vaccine News Daily

“We know the bacterium Y. pestis has jumped from rodents into humans throughout history and rodent reservoirs of plague still exist today in many parts of the world,” Associate Professor of the Center for microbial Genetics and Genomics at Northern Arizona University Dave Wagner said. “If the Justinian plague could erupt in the human population, cause a massive pandemic, and then die out, it suggest it could happen again. Fortunately we now have antibiotics that could be used to effectively treat plague, which lessens the chances of another large scale human pandemic.”

Other questions were recently raised about the origins of the plague. New research points to the Justinian Y. pestis originating from Asia, not Africa, which could mean the Plague of Athens and the Antonine plague may be caused by a completely separate strain of Y. pestis.

Researchers are still unable to answer why the Justinian Plague suddenly died out during the sixth century after killing an estimated 30 to 50 million people, approximately half the world’s population at the time.

via New study finds plague may return | Vaccine News Daily.

TB incidence increasing in Denmark | Vaccine News Daily

The Statens Serum Institut recently noted that tuberculosis cases in Denmark are increasing, particularly among immigrants and residents of Greenland or immigrant descent, and suggested the TB prevention plan within the country may need revision.

The presence of TB in Denmark has steadily increased since 2009. In 2012, the country saw the highest incidence of TB in five years. Most cases occurred with immigrants residing in Denmark, while the prevalence of TB in persons native to Denmark remained unchanged.

via TB incidence increasing in Denmark | Vaccine News Daily.

VDU’s blog: H7N9 snapdate: cases in 2013 vs 2014…[UPDATED]

So Zhejiang is our sentinel for an impact from market closures. The place to keep an eye on in the coming weeks as an indicator of H7N9 activity in the region. Or it might just all be down to warmer weather shooing the H7N9 away! But at least we have last year as a guide of what to expect this year. If you can expect anything from influenza.

via VDU’s blog: H7N9 snapdate: cases in 2013 vs 2014…[UPDATED].

H5N8 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in poultry and wild birds in Republic of Korea | IUCN Wildlife Health Specialist Group

4. There is currently no evidence that wild birds are the source of this virus and they should be considered victims not vectors.

via H5N8 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in poultry and wild birds in Republic of Korea | IUCN Wildlife Health Specialist Group.

Avian Flu Diary: Korea: Migratory Birds Likely Source Of H5N8 Outbreak – Government spin?

A committee of experts announced Tuesday that it assumes migratory birds were responsible for this year’s outbreak of avian influenza.

The dynamics-investigation committee of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (QIA) said the H5N8 strain of bird flu was likely introduced to Korea by migratory birds because the viral subtype had not been found in Korea before.

“The highly pathogenic avian influenza that broke out in Korea in the past was the H5N1 strain, nor the H5N8,” the agriculture ministry said in a statement based on the committee’s findings.

via Avian Flu Diary: Korea: Migratory Birds Likely Source Of H5N8 Outbreak.

(Whose interests are served by such a report in Korea by a Korean research group. The drum beat coming out of Korea since this outbreak began has been to blame it on migratory birds without a word as to how they may have been infected. Poultry farms in Korea want to be sure they get no blame and are not put on a don’t import from list. What conditions facilitate the breeding and mutation of the virus? Large farms and live poultry markets with less than favorable sanitation.)

Current H7N9 wave rivals last spring’s case total | CIDRAP

China\’s steady rise in H7N9 avian flu cases continued over the past 3 days, with 14 new cases from five provinces, as the latest test results in poultry showed a conflicting picture of the virus on farms, including positive samples found today in birds sent to Hong Kong.

The fresh round of infections—coming at a pace matching last year\’s peak—could soon eclipse last spring\’s outbreak totals and come as poultry trade and consumption are high in the lead-up to Lunar New Year celebrations later this week.

via Current H7N9 wave rivals last spring’s case total | CIDRAP.

Hong Kong bans live poultry sales, culls 20,000 birds: Shanghaiist

Hong Kong\’s food and health authority announced that it will cull some 20,000 birds after confirming a case of H7N9 bird flu at a local wholesale market in Cheung Sha Wan on Monday. The government yesterday also announced that the sale of live poultry would be banned for three weeks.

China Daily Reports:

The secretary said Hong Kong government has informed the mainland\’s authorities and required mainland\’s inspection and quarantine agencies to investigate the source of the exported poultry that was found carrying the virus.

Monitoring of the mainland chicken farms will continue after the three weeks of suspension of live poultry trading, and live fowl export to Hong Kong would not be resumed unless both the mainland and Hong Kong agree on the investigation results, the secretary told a press conference, adding that it had been the first case of H7N9 bird flu confirmed in imported live poultry in Hong Kong since the epidemic broke out on the mainland last March.

via Hong Kong bans live poultry sales, culls 20,000 birds: Shanghaiist.

VDU’s blog: Zhejiang: more live bird market closures…

These regions have already suspended trading…

Hangzhou city (which I noted here)

Xiaoshan District

Yuhang District

Jinhua

Shaoxing City

This new report notes closure of the following markets in the \”main city of Ningbo\” from 26-Jan..

Haishu District

Jiangdong District

Jiangbei District

Yinzhou District

Exotic bird imports and pigeon flying has been banned.

via VDU’s blog: Zhejiang: more live bird market closures….

Beijing Closes Live Poultry Markets to Combat Bird Flu – All China Women’s Federation

Beijing has suspended the trading of live poultry in order to halt the spread of the H7N9 bird flu virus.

The city banned the trading in its main urban areas this week, according to local health department.

A man in Beijing has been confirmed to have contracted H7N9 bird flu, the first case reported in the city this year, authorities confirmed on January 24, 2014.

The city\’s disease control and prevention center said the man tested positive for H7N9 bird flu on Thursday night.

He is receiving treatment at Ditan Hospital.

The center said the patient had bought pigeons and ate them before being admitted to the hospital.

via Beijing Closes Live Poultry Markets to Combat Bird Flu – All China Women’s Federation.