Disease

Chikungunya in Delhi, India - Update

During the past week, Delhi saw nearly 1600 additional chikungunya cases, a 43 percent increase over the prior week. The total cases in India’s capital is now at 5,293 cases. At least 15 fatalities lined to chikungunya have also been reported. That said, health officials say the worst of the mosquito borne outbreak is over.

India reports first ciguatera poisoning outbreak

For the first time on the Indian subcontinent, an outbreak of ciguatera was reported in Mangaluru, where more than 100 people were sickened Saturday after consuming fish heads.

Biologists in India warn that the risk of additional outbreaks stems from a number of factors such as climate change, ocean acidification resulting in coral reef deterioration, nutrient run-off resulting in toxic algal blooms.

More than 400 species of fish, including barracuda, black grouper, blackfin snapper, cubera snapper, dog snapper, greater amberjack, hogfish, horse-eye jack, king mackerel, and yellowfin grouper have been implicated in this food borne illness that’s relatively common in several areas of the world to the tune of 50,000 cases annually.

This toxin is the result of the accumulation of marine algae and the toxins they produce passing up the food chain. These marine algae hang on to dead coral and seaweed. They are then eaten by herbivore fish which are subsequently eaten by predatory reef fish which concentrates the toxin in its tissue. People get this food borne toxin from eating these contaminated larger fish. The reef fishes are more likely to get contaminated during storms and other turbulence.

After eating the affected fish (the fish does not get sick from the toxin and actually tastes good) in as little as a couple of hours symptoms may appear.Gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting tend to appear early. Then a feeling of weakness and hypertension may occur in addition to complaints of intense itching. Some mild to severe neurological symptoms are common with ciguatera; dizziness, impaired coordination, blurred vision and even coma may be seen in severe cases.

Florida, USA - Zika Virus

Florida agricultural officials announced Saturday a 6th Zika virus positive mosquito sample in Miami Beach. The positive sample was from a trap located at 575 W. 49th Street in Miami Beach.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has tested nearly 4,000 mosquito samples, consisting of nearly 64,000 mosquitoes, since May, and these six samples are the only ones to test positive.

Today, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) reported nine additional non-travel related cases today in Miami-Dade County, six of which had exposure in Miami Beach. This brings the total Zika local transmission to 133, while the total cases in out-of-state residents contracted here is now 16.