Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

Between 13 and 14 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 4 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. One of these reported cases is linked to the MERS-CoV outbreak currently occurring in a hospital in Buraidah city.

Guillain-Barré syndrome – United States of America

On 10 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of the United States of America notified PAHO/WHO of 2 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) with confirmed Zika virus infection.

Elizabethkingia, Rare Blood Disease In Wisconsin & Michigan

After nearly four months of plaguing the state of Wisconsin, the dreaded disease Elizabethkingia outbreak has spread across Michigan, which is nearly 400 miles away from where the outbreak originated.

In a statement, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has confirmed that one of the 17 confirmed cases of Elizabethkingia in the state is related to the ongoing outbreak of the same disease in Wisconsin. The report adds that the disease is caused by the bacteria Elizabeth anopheles.

The state health department established the link between cases in two places separated by hundreds of miles away through the laboratory results of the patient’s blood culture isolates.

Of the 17 confirmed cases of Elizabethkingia in the same state, one has resulted in the death of an older adult in the West Michigan. The report adds that the first casualty due to the Elizabethkingia was an elderly with compromised immune system due to an underlying medical condition at the time of the infection.

Hand, Foot and Mouth outbreak in Limpopo, South Africa

There are fears that the hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak has spread to rural parts of Limpopo.

The disease, which is caused by the coxsackie virus and mostly affects children below the ages of fourteen, was first reported in Polokwane and the surrounding areas since mid-February.

The outbreak led to the early closure of some primary and pre-schools in Polokwane, to allow for cleaning and sterilisation of surfaces.

Some parents, outside Modjadjiskloof, now say their children are showing signs of having contracted the disease.