Category Archives: pandemic

CDC Foundation, Partners Launch Zika Contraception Access Network | News | PND

The CDC Foundation has announced the launch of an initiative in Puerto Rico to give women the option of delaying or avoiding pregnancy during the Zika outbreak in that country.The Zika Contraception Access Network (Z-CAN) will provide women with information, counseling, and a full range of same-day contraceptive options free of charge. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 65 percent of all pregnancies in Puerto Rico are unintended, and approximately one hundred and thirty-eight thousand women of childbearing age are in need of effective contraception and counseling.Initial funding for Z-CAN has been provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Pfizer Foundation, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, while pharmaceutical companies have pledged large-scale product donations. To date, the CDC Foundation has trained hundreds of physicians and staff and secured funding to provide contraception, information, and counseling to fourteen thousand women, but an additional $18 million is needed to reach tens of thousands more women.

Source: CDC Foundation, Partners Launch Zika Contraception Access Network | News | PND

WHO | Chikungunya – United States of America

WHO risk assessmentThis is the second time that autochthonous circulation of chikungunya virus is reported in the United States: autochthonous circulation of chikungunya virus was first reported in the state of Florida in July 2014 (12 cases). The risk of large-scale outbreaks of Chikungunya virus in the United States is considered to be low. Nevertheless, given the presence of the competent vectors (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) in different areas of the United States as well as the occasional reporting of cases among incoming travellers, the possibility of the establishment of autochthonous cycles of transmission cannot be completely ruled out. Furthermore, there is a risk of extension of disease transmission to other countries where the competent vectors are present. WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conduct risk assessment based on the latest available information.

Source: WHO | Chikungunya – United States of America

Localised Community Spread Of Zika Virus Infection With More Cases Confirmed | Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed 41 cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection in Singapore. Of these cases, 36 were identified through active testing of potentially infected persons.Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive Cluster2.    All the cases are residents or workers in the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive area.  They are not known to have travelled to Zika-affected areas recently, and are thus likely to have been infected in Singapore. This confirms that local transmission of Zika virus infection has taken place.  At this point, the community transmission appears to be localised within the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive cluster.

Source: Localised Community Spread Of Zika Virus Infection With More Cases Confirmed | Ministry of Health

Zika, a Formidable Enemy, Attacks and Destroys Parts of Babies’ Brains – The New York Times

The images tell a heartbreaking story: Zika’s calamitous attack on the brains of babies — as seen from the inside.With a macabre catalog of brain scans and ultrasound pictures, a new study details the devastation done to 45 Brazilian babies whose mothers were infected with Zika during pregnancy. The study, published Tuesday in the journal Radiology, is the most comprehensive collection of such images so far, and it reveals a virus that can launch assaults beyond microcephaly, the condition of unusually small heads that has become the sinister signature of Zika.Most of the babies in the study were born with microcephaly, but many of them also suffered other impairments, including damage to important parts of the brain: the corpus callosum, which connects the two hemispheres of the brain; the cerebellum, which plays a significant role in movement, balance and speech; the basal ganglia, which are involved in thinking and emotion.

Source: Zika, a Formidable Enemy, Attacks and Destroys Parts of Babies’ Brains – The New York Times

Deadly Yellow Fever Spreading, Amid Global Vaccine Shortages | Inter Press Service

As deadly yellow fever spreads to seven provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), new measures have been introduced to ensure that as many people as possible are immunised, despite global shortages of the yellow fever vaccine. Global emergency stocks of just 6 million yellow fever vaccines have been strained by the current outbreak, which began in Angola and has now spread to neighbouring DRC. To reach as many people as possible with the limited supply

Source: Deadly Yellow Fever Spreading, Amid Global Vaccine Shortages | Inter Press Service

Puerto Rico reports first death from Zika-related paralysis | World news | The Guardian

Puerto Rico has reported its first death from a paralysis condition that developed from a Zika infection as the US territory fights an epidemic of the mosquito-borne virus.The victim was a man between 35 and 45 years old from the San Juan metro area who died from Guillain-Barré, according to state epidemiologist Brenda Rivera. The condition can cause temporary paralysis and, in rare instances, death.Rivera noted that it was unusual for the victim to be so young.“What does this tell us? That all of us are susceptible,” Rivera said as she urged Puerto Ricans to protect themselves from the virus.The man, who died last month, was obese but did not have any other health conditions, she said. No further details about the victim were provided.The US territory has a total of 13,186 confirmed Zika cases, with a total of 102 hospitalizations and 34 cases of Guillain-Barré. The number of Zika cases is believed to be much higher because eight of 10 people have no symptoms and many do not go to the doctor. Those infected include 1,106 pregnant women, which is a concern because Zika has been linked to severe birth defects.“We are not going to see the effects of Zika today,” Rivera said. “We are going to see them in the next couple of months, in the next several years.”

Source: Puerto Rico reports first death from Zika-related paralysis | World news | The Guardian

UP dancer gang-raped by 4 company executives in Lucknow – Times of India – How long before men of the world unite and say no more and mean it!?!

A 25-year-old dancer was allegedly gangraped at gunpoint by four manager-rank employees of a renowned Ayurvedic drug company in a hotel room after an office party in Banthara, 20 km from Lucknow, early Sunday morning.The four accused, Satyavir Singh, Devraj Singh, Rashtriya Bhushan Bharti, and Paresh Tomar, all in their 30s and residents of Lucknow, were arrested and sent to jail after being produced in court. The manager of the hotel, Saurabh Sachchar, was also arrested for allowing a dance troupe to perform in the hotel in violation of norms.

Source: UP dancer gang-raped by 4 company executives in Lucknow – Times of India

More local Zika cases in Florida as Puerto Rico numbers soar | CIDRAP “So why is Puerto Rico mentioned second and why is this not on nightly US Network or Cable News?

CDC: Zika spikes in Puerto RicoIn its weekly Zika update late yesterday, the CDC documented a spike of Zika cases in the US territories, mostly in Puerto Rico.As of Aug 10, there are now 6,587 Zika cases in US territories, up by 1,039 from last week. But the Associated Press (AP) is reporting even larger numbers: 10,690, according to Puerto Rico’s Health Secretary Ana Rius, MD. Rius said that’s 1,914 new cases this week. A total of 1,035 cases in Puerto Rico involve pregnant women, according to the story.

Source: More local Zika cases in Florida as Puerto Rico numbers soar | CIDRAP

Florida governor criticizes Washington for lagging in Zika fight | Reuters – This after his people refused to work with CDC two weeks ago – Scott is just CYA for being a dummy!

Scott said he asked U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Thomas Frieden earlier this week for 10,000 additional Zika preparedness kits.

Source: Florida governor criticizes Washington for lagging in Zika fight | Reuters

Dangers lurking in the permafrost | Environment | DW.COM | 05.08.2016

Zombie bacteria

After the death of a young boy and more than 20 other illnesses from anthrax in Siberia this past week, it has been speculated that a recent heat wave has awoken anthrax bacteria that had been lying dormant within the carcasses of long-deceased reindeer buried in the permafrost. Anthrax bacteria can survive in the form of spores for decades”The anthrax spores lay in wait in the permafrost for more than a century,” an agriculture watchdog was quoted in the newswires as saying.And indeed, anthrax bacteria do form spores in asexual reproduction. These spores are highly resilient, and can survive temperature extremes over decades and even centuries. They come back to life when conditions become amenable for them – like in thawing permafrost.Other bacteria form spores as well. Many of those bacteria are also pathogens, or produce deadly toxins – like the tetanus bacterium or Clostridium botulinum.

Source: Dangers lurking in the permafrost | Environment | DW.COM | 05.08.2016