Category Archives: pandemic

allAfrica.com: Liberia: MSF Wants Vigilance At Liberia’s Borders – Ebola Cases Drop in Lofa

However, the MSF Foya Project Coordinator told President Sirleaf that when the French medial charity arrived in Lofa in August, there were more than 125 patients, but cases have stabilized and at a low level. For the past several weeks, the ETU in Foya where all Ebola cases from surrounding districts are transferred for treatment has had an average of “more or less than ten patients”, Mr. Louis said.

In the last 26 days, he reported that they did not have any confirmed case in Foya, Vahun and Kolahun districts, respectively, while attributing the success in Lofa to efficient and effective coordination among all actors involved in combating the outbreak; efficient, regular assistance with ambulances for Foya District and surrounding districts; and the establishment of the ETU for three districts in addition to effective health promotion.

“But the frontline of this response has been the health workers and national staff. And while we’re seeing result at the moment, we must praise that in the continuation of this response will be only efficient, will be possible if staff are fairly and adequately compensated in the timely manner,” he suggested.

via allAfrica.com: Liberia: MSF Wants Vigilance At Liberia’s Borders – Ebola Cases Drop in Lofa.

allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Poor Sanitation – 150,000 Children Die Annually in Nigeria – -Unicef

And world media and conspiracy nuts going on and on about controllable Ebola as if the end of world was coming!

UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Chief in Nigeria, Mr. Kanaan Nadar, disclosed this on the occasion of the 2014 global hand washing day celebration in Abuja.

UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Chief in Nigeria, Mr. Kanaan Nadar, disclosed this on the occasion of the 2014 global hand washing day celebration in Abuja.

UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Chief in Nigeria, Mr. Kanaan Nadar, disclosed this on the occasion of the 2014 global hand washing day celebration in Abuja.

Nadar called on parents to make their children see the need to always wash their hands and maintain safe hygiene at all times as this would reduce deaths caused by diarrhea by almost 50 per cent.

Nadar, said: “In Nigeria every year, we have about 150,000 children that die largely due to diarrhea mostly associated with unsafe water sanitation and hygiene.

via allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Poor Sanitation – 150,000 Children Die Annually in Nigeria – -Unicef.

We are in panic mode but in Liberia: Less Than 400 Ebola Cases Nationwide As Ebola Declines, Says Dorbor Jallah

According to Mr. Jallah, coordinated information reaching his office from the various Ebola Treatment Units, (ETUs), indicates that across the country, “there are less than 400 people who are in treatment.”

“Therefore,” Jallah said, “there are more than 300 ETUs that are empty, which means they are without people who are being treated for the virus.” The latest report has also made it clear that decisions and recommendations approved by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and implemented by the Liberian government have worked to reduce increased infection from the insidious disease, Mr. Jallah said.

“All of us should continue with the measures outlined in this fight,” he said, “because the less than 400 people being treated in the various ETUs is still a high number,” he noted.

With particular reference to the six hardest hit counties of Montserrado, Bomi, Bong, Lofa, Nimba and Margibi, Jallah said, “Lofa County, particularly Foya and Barkedu, have registered less than ten persons in treatment in the last couple of weeks.”

via allAfrica.com: Liberia: Less Than 400 Ebola Cases Nationwide As Ebola Declines, Says Dorbor Jallah.

Avian Flu Diary: Saudi Arabia – A MERS Surge?

Avian Flu Diary: Saudi Arabia – A MERS Surge?.

Recent MoH announced infections in Taif:

September 2014:
740) #861 – Male, 43, Saudi, hospitalized in ICU – Taif, Saudi Arabia
744) #865 – Male, 27, Saudi, hospitalized in ward – Taif, Saudi Arabia
745) #866 – Male, 65, Saudi, in stable condition – Taif, Saudi Arabia
763) #884 – Male, 37, health care worker, hospitalized in ward – Taif, Saudi Arabia
765) #886 – Male, 40, health care worker, Expat, hospitalized in ICU – Taif, Saudi Arabia
October 2014:
769) #890 – Male, 60, Saudi, hospitalized in ICU, camel exposure – Taif, Saudi Arabia
770) #891 – Male, 69, Saudi, hospitalized in ICU – Taif, Saudi Arabia
772) #893 – Male, 77, Saudi, hospitalized in ICU – Taif, Saudi Arabia
774) #896 – Male, 70, Saudi, hospitalized in ICU – Taif, Saudi Arabia
777) #899 – Female, 42, Expat, health care worker, hospitalized in ward – Taif, Saudi Arabia
778) #900 – Male, 60, Saudi, died – Taif, Saudi Arabia Death
780) #902 – Male, 66, Saudi, hospitalized in ICU – Taif, Saudi Arabia
781) #903 – Male, 65, Saudi, hospitalized in ICU – Taif, Saudi Arabia

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts > AMS Health Sciences, LLC Issues Voluntary Recall of Saba Shark Cartilage Complex, 60 Capsule Bottles Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination

AMS Health Sciences, LLC is notifying the public that it is recalling 2014 bottles of Saba Shark Cartilage Complex due to possible contamination of Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

via Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts > AMS Health Sciences, LLC Issues Voluntary Recall of Saba Shark Cartilage Complex, 60 Capsule Bottles Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination.

Sierra Leone now but where next? Law in a time of Ebola — New Internationalist

Just this week, a woman was arrested for failure to wash her hands. There are chlorinated hand-washing buckets across Freetown these days and it is common to have to wash your hands several times a day before you enter any premises. This woman refused to wash her hands as she said she had just done so and was afraid of the effect of the chlorine. Not everyone is aware of how much chlorine to add to the water; some hand-washing points can make your hands burn or smell of chlorine all day. The woman said she was afraid of developing cancer from all the chlorine – a common fear. Our paralegal was able to advise her at the police station and contacted the woman’s family, who assisted with paying her fine.

It is a difficult time for Sierra Leone. These laws are put in place to try to halt this tragic epidemic as quickly as possible. We recognize and value this, but also want to make sure that we play a role in monitoring the current State of Emergency and ensuring that it is enforced in a proportionate way that respects people’s rights. It is easy for law-enforcement officers to assume that rights are done away with and that anything can be done just because we are under a State of Emergency.

The Ebola epidemic has impacted all areas of life in Sierra Leone and has had a significant impact on the justice system. The courts have scaled down the number of hearings per day and adjournments can be lengthy. Many magistrates and lawyers have left the country. Others cannot return from abroad due to flight cancellations caused by the epidemic. Still others cannot attend court because of the quarantines. So women may spend much longer in pre-trial detention than usual, which negatively impacts on their families: women are the main caregivers and often the main income-earners. Many women have young children in prison with them. So we try very hard to ensure our clients get bail.

via Law in a time of Ebola — New Internationalist.

Eurosurveillance – CONCURRENT OUTBREAKS OF DENGUE, CHIKUNGUNYA AND ZIKA VIRUS INFECTIONS

CONCURRENT OUTBREAKS OF DENGUE, CHIKUNGUNYA AND ZIKA VIRUS INFECTIONS – AN UNPRECEDENTED EPIDEMIC WAVE OF MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUSES IN THE PACIFIC 2012–2014

A Roth ()1, A Mercier1, C Lepers1, D Hoy1, S Duituturaga1, E Benyon1, L Guillaumot2, Y Souarès1

Secretariat of the Pacific Community, New Caledonia

Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Caledonie, Noumea, New Caledonia

Citation style for this article: Roth A, Mercier A, Lepers C, Hoy D, Duituturaga S, Benyon E, Guillaumot L, Souarès Y. Concurrent outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus infections – an unprecedented epidemic wave of mosquito-borne viruses in the Pacific 2012–2014. Euro Surveill. 2014;19(41):pii=20929. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=20929

Date of submission: 26 September 2014

Since January 2012, the Pacific Region has experienced 28 new documented outbreaks and circulation of dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus. These mosquito-borne disease epidemics seem to become more frequent and diverse, and it is likely that this is only the early stages of a wave that will continue for several years. Improved surveillance and response measures are needed to mitigate the already heavy burden on island health systems and limit further spread to other parts of the world.

via Eurosurveillance – View Article.

Climate Change & Ebola: “We’re Running Out of Time,” says World Bank President – myEARTH360 (the blog)

“Ebola and climate change have a few things in common,” he said. “Most importantly, we are running out of time to find solutions to both. Also, until very recently, the plans to fight them were either nonexistent or inadequate. And inaction is literally killing people–one because of the rapid spread of a deadly virus, the other from the poisoning of the atmosphere and the oceans. And finally, perhaps most critically from our point of view, resolving these problems is essential to development, whether from the perspective of human suffering, economic growth or public health.”

via Climate Change & Ebola: “We’re Running Out of Time,” says World Bank President – myEARTH360 (the blog).

How UNICEF Uses Mobile Phones to Help Stop Ebola | UNICEF USA

In response to the crisis, UNICEF and partners have deployed a mobile technology called mHero, which stands for mobile Health Worker Electronic Response & Outreach. The platform is designed to work in developing countries such as Liberia, where more than 80% of the population lives under $1.25 a day, yet 97% of health workers own a mobile phone. mHero allows the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare to communicate critical information to frontline health workers via SMS.

via How UNICEF Uses Mobile Phones to Help Stop Ebola | UNICEF USA.

Texas Failure to treat properly?

This failure to treat with convalescent antibody follows a failure to admit when Eric Duncan made his initial visit to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on the evening of September 25.  Although he had a low grade fever when he arrived, when he left 4 hours later he had a fever of 103 F (and was sent home with antibiotics and Tylenol).

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has been cited for the past three years for having a high frequency of ER discharges which returned within 30 days, and Eric Duncan fit that pattern when he returned on September 28 after a contact called 911, which led to ambulance transport.  By then Eric Duncan also had diarrhea and vomiting but his blood was not sent out for Ebola testing until the next day, Monday, September 29 (and media reports indicated his nephew call the CDC on Monday due to a lack of progress).

via Media Myth On Ebola Convalescent Antibodies.