Category Archives: pandemic

IRIN | Vaccine rolled out in Philippines offers new hope against dengue

After two decades of work, the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur has licensed it to Mexico and the Philippines. Last month, Sanofi Pasteur rolled out its first ever dengue mass-vaccination programme. Fourth graders are being vaccinated in three areas in the Philippines where dengue cases were highest last year.Mario Baquilod is in charge of the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau of the Philippine Department of Health. He said last year there were 200,415 reported cases of dengue in the Philippines, one of the largest numbers in recent years.Baquilod said the department wanted to add the vaccine to its arsenal of tools that combat the virus. The government aims to get one million children immunized against dengue by June – so far 263,000 kids have received the vaccine.Baquilod said they decided to pilot the programme in three public schools because they wanted to have a “captive” population for the vaccine, which takes three doses – one every six months – to be effective. The medical world is now watching what happens in the Philippines.

Source: IRIN | Vaccine rolled out in Philippines offers new hope against dengue

Virus outbreak Catalonia: Enterovirus outbreak sends 29 kids to hospital with encephalitis | In English | EL PAÍS

An outbreak of an enterovirus that can cause severe illness has already affected 60 children in Catalonia, according to the most recent figures released by the regional health department. Of these, 29 were hospitalized after suffering a form of encephalitis, which causes inflammation of the brain stem and cerebellum. Health authorities said most of the children are recovering well, although two remain in a serious condition. Similar outbreaks have been reported in Bulgaria, the United States and several Asian countries, but this is the first time Spain has experienced so many cases at the same time. It’s behaving differently from what we usually see, and it is hard to know what to expect CARLES RODRIGO, VALL D’HEBRON HOSPITAL CHIEF OF PEDIATRICS

Source: Virus outbreak: Enterovirus outbreak sends 29 kids to hospital with encephalitis | In English | EL PAÍS

Genetically Engineered Crops Are Safe, Analysis Finds – The New York Times – if you ask the wrong questions

“Ask the wrong questions and you get answers that are correct and disastrous! Ask how massive monocultures of grains could trigger new strains of bacteria, viruses, insects that could wipe out whole crops meant to feed millions of people. When the natural system “senses” an imbalance in the ecosystem and a new means arises to rebalance the ecosystem.”

The report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is not expected to end the highly polarized debate over the technology.

Source: Genetically Engineered Crops Are Safe, Analysis Finds – The New York Times

Cape Grim carbon dioxide reading exceeds 400ppm landmark for first time – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Cape Grim, on the remote north-western tip of Tasmania, is the only station analysing baseline carbon levels in the southern hemisphere. Scientists warned last week that the world’s cleanest air was nearing the 400ppm milestone. Lead scientist Paul Krummel, from the CSIRO, said the landmark CO2 figure was concerning. “It’s probably one of the last places on Earth to actually reach this milestone, and it just highlights the ever-increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere,” he said. The key impacts of carbon monoxide is warming the atmosphere and acidifying the oceans. “Globally, this is going to contribute to rising temperatures, which we are already seeing in the atmosphere,” Mr Krummel said. “It’s another milestone that we’ve reached where it’s indicating that the health of the planet is probably in trouble.” Mr Krummel said initial analysis last year predicted Cape Grim would not record such high measurements until June or July. “It’s certainly come earlier than I expected … most likely due to El Nino effects on the CO2,” he said. The El Nino weather pattern causes hotter and drier conditions, preventing the growth of plants that would suck up carbon dioxide. The Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station is operated by the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology. It measures the presence of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide and ozone-depleting gases like aerosols. The station samples some of the cleanest air on the planet, derived from the Southern Ocean and unaffected by any nearby urban pollution. When measurements began in 1976, carbon dioxide levels were slightly more than 300 parts per million.

Source: Cape Grim carbon dioxide reading exceeds 400ppm landmark for first time – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Right-wing coup and who cares? Michel Temer, Brazil’s Interim President, May Herald Shift to the Right – The New York Times

The new Brazilian president’s first pick for science minister was a creationist. He chose a soybean tycoon who has deforested large tracts of the Amazon rain forest to be his agriculture minister. And he is the first leader in decades to have no women in his cabinet at all. The new government of President Michel Temer — the 75-year-old lawyer who took the helm of Brazil on Thursday after his predecessor, Dilma Rousseff, was suspended by the Senate to face an impeachment trial — could cause a significant shift to the political right in Latin America’s largest country. “Temer’s government is starting out well,” Silas Malafaia, a television evangelist and author of best-selling books like “How to Defeat Satan’s Strategies,” wrote on Twitter. “He’ll be able to sweep away the ideology of pathological leftists,” Mr. Malafaia added of a conservative lawmaker whom Mr. Temer chose as education minister.

Source: Michel Temer, Brazil’s Interim President, May Herald Shift to the Right – The New York Times

Zika index: VDU’s posts on Zika…

To make it a little easier for me to keep up and to look back at the crazy assumptions made during the ‘fog of outbreak’, I thought an index of some of my Zika virus (ZIKV)-related posts – would be useful.What does it mean when one twin gets a disease and the other doesn’t? The media reposts on a new twin study in Brazil.Zika, twins and complexity…http://virologydownunder.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/zika-twins-and-complexity.html08MAY2016The first ZIKV-containing epidemiology report, not focussed on microcephaly, from Brazil. But little detail and more questions raised about clicnial diagnosis to described a poorly lab-supported epidemic.Zika virus (ZIKV) disease in Brazil (not just microcephaly) gets its own report…kindahttp://virologydownunder.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/zika-virus-zikv-detection-in-brazil-not.html29APR2016Review of the first report of vertically acquired foetal ZIKV with detection of viral RNA in amniotic fluid and some further questions.Zika virus in amniotic fluid…but is that enough?http://virologydownunder.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/zika-virus-in-amniotic-fluidbut-is-that.html09JAN2016© 2013-2015 Ian M. Mackay. PhD. This content was originally published at http://virologydownunder.blogspot.com.au/ 9920132014201599

Source: Zika index: VDU’s posts on Zika…

The Icarus Syndrome Strikes Again! Avian Flu Diary: Cell Host & Microbe: Wolbachia Blocks Zika Virus In Brazilian Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes

  1. Infecting many mosquitoes with Wolbachia will result in Wolbachia resistant mosquitoes.
  2. Pretending that mosquitoes are an enemy or pest that can/should be destroyed ignores why mosquito populations explode (human interventions) and what the role of the mosquito is in nature.
  3. Someone will profit greatly and will not pay for any unintended consequences.

“The idea has been to release Aedes mosquitoes with Wolbachia in the field over a period of a few months, so they mate with Aedes mosquitoes without Wolbachia living in the place and, over time, replace the mosquito population,” says senior author Luciano Moreira of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. He is also actively involved in the Eliminate Dengue Program, a non-profit that is testing the approach in 40 locations around the world.

Source: Avian Flu Diary: Cell Host & Microbe: Wolbachia Blocks Zika Virus In Brazilian Aedes Aegypti Mosquitoes

Zika virus in the United States | Zika virus | CDC

As of April 27, 2016 (5 am EST) Zika virus disease and Zika virus congenital infection are nationally notifiable conditions. This update from the CDC Arboviral Disease Branch includes provisional data reported to ArboNET for January 1, 2015 – April 27, 2016. US States Travel-associated Zika virus disease cases reported: 426 Locally acquired vector-borne cases reported: 0 Total: 426 Pregnant: 36 Sexually transmitted: 8 Guillain-Barré syndrome: 1 US Territories Travel-associated cases reported: 3 Locally acquired cases reported: 596 Total: 599 Pregnant: 56 Guillain-Barré syndrome: 5

Source: Zika virus in the United States | Zika virus | CDC

Norovirus studies pinpoint global burden, build case for vaccine | CIDRAP

“Is norovirus an issue of child survival, a food safety problem, a healthcare associated infection?” he wrote. “Well, it’s all of these, which may have hampered our community of researchers and public health workers from coalescing around a central problem.” Other new findings from studies in the collections revealed: Genetic diversity in the virus, but similar global patterns, with novel GII.4 strains replacing each other every 2 to 4 years through gene swapping New insights on immunity, including the possibility of raising neutralizing antibodies without using cell-culture systems Regional epidemiologic patterns, such as those in the United States, where rates are higher in children under age 5 and in military personnel and their families Prevalence and data gaps in Africa, such as rates in Kenya that are double that of developed nations and lack of information about norovirus in Africa’s older adolescents and adults Vaccine development focusing on young children would offer the greatest global impact, though so far early trials have targeted adults in high-income settings

Source: Norovirus studies pinpoint global burden, build case for vaccine | CIDRAP

Mosquito Repellent Guidelines | Mosquito Research and Management

In 2011, I produced a document designed to provide guidelines on the use of mosquito repellents. I put these guidelines together because I’d noticed that the mosquito repellent recommendations provided by local health authorities didn’t reflect the wide range of products available or questions I was asked by the community. You can download this document for free here:

Source: Mosquito Repellent Guidelines | Mosquito Research and Management