Disease

Anthrax in Kenya

At least a dozen people are hospitalized and being treated for anthrax at a Murang’a hospital after consuming tainted cow meat, according to a local media account. Scores of residents of Karurumo and Kanyenya-ini villages in Kangema were rushed to hospital on Monday after they developed symptoms related to anthrax.

Zika updates for the Philippines, Vietnam

Philippines health officials confirmed 10 additional Zika virus cases Tuesday, bringing the country total to 33. The new cases were reported from Calamba, Laguna (2), Bacoor, Makati, Antipolo, Muntinlupa, Mandaluyong, Manila, Caloocan and Las Piñas.

In southern Vietnam, three additional Zika cases have been reported in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing the city’s total to 38. Nationally, the Zika tally stands at 47 with the other nine cases being reported from Binh Duong, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, Long An, Phu Yen and Tra Vinh provinces.

According to the latest Zika virus update of the WHO, 15 countries/areas in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia have reported mosquito-borne outbreak from 2015 onwards, or had possible endemic transmission or evidence of local mosquito-borne infections in 2016. To date, 75 countries/areas have reported mosquito-borne transmission since 2007, while 12 have reported person-to-person transmission probably by sexual contact since 2016.