Category Archives: pandemic

Beni Ebola activity tops first wave as outbreak grows by 8 cases | CIDRAP

the overall total at 2,620 cases, 1,756 of them fatal. So far the DRC president’s office, which earlier this week shifted outbreak response activities to its technical group, has not issued any detailed daily updates following the resignation of the country’s health minister.

Source: Beni Ebola activity tops first wave as outbreak grows by 8 cases | CIDRAP

More parents who oppose vaccines are choosing home schooling in California – Los Angeles Times “should misguided love, self-delusion and anti-vax profit minded prophets be allowed to kill children…”

Since California mandated that virtually all kids be vaccinated to attend public school, there has been a big increase in families opting for home schooling.

Source: More parents who oppose vaccines are choosing home schooling in California – Los Angeles Times

DRC health minister resigns after government takes Ebola reins | CIDRAP – Politics and safety don’t mix!

Kalenga said that, as with any battle, lines of command must be clearly identified. “There can not be more than one decision-making center at the risk of creating confusions and cacophony that are detrimental to the response,” he said. Anticipating confusion that will result from putting the outbreak response in the hands of the committee, he added, “I hereby present you my resignation as Minister of Health.” Cases climb to 2,592 In a pair of daily updates over the weekend, the health ministry reported 32 more cases from a broad part of the outbreak region, though half of them were in Beni, a former epicenter where Ebola activity is resurging. Alongside 16 cases in Beni, other cities reporting cases include Oicha (4), Mandima (3), and Mabalako (3). Five areas each reported a single case: Vuhovi, Butembo, Mambasa, Lubero, and Masereka. Health officials are still investigating 361 suspected cases.

Source: DRC health minister resigns after government takes Ebola reins | CIDRAP

Prevalence of Zika virus in blood donations: a systematic review and meta-analysis | BMC Infectious Diseases | Full Text

The pooled prevalence of Zika infection in blood donations was 1.02%. The prevalence varied greatly and reached to high-risk level in most of the situations. The results suggest that nucleic acid tests (NAT) for blood screening and pathogen reduction/inactivation technology (PRT) should be implemented in Zika-endemic areas and appropriate strategies should be designed according to different conditions.

Source: Prevalence of Zika virus in blood donations: a systematic review and meta-analysis | BMC Infectious Diseases | Full Text

DRC notes 23 new Ebola cases as another hospital attacked | CIDRAP

Over the weekend and through today, the ministry of health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recorded 23 new Ebola cases and 19 deaths, while a Katwa hospital saw a violent attack that left one of the assailants dead. The totals swell outbreak numbers to 1,340 cases, of which 1,274 are confirmed. The number of deaths rose to 874.

Source: DRC notes 23 new Ebola cases as another hospital attacked | CIDRAP