Disease

Portugal reports hepatitis A outbreak

Earlier this month, European health officials reported on a several hepatitis A outbreaks linked to adult men who have sex with men (MSM). One of the 13 countries affected is Portugal, where since January, 105 hepatitis A cases were reported, according to Portuguese media.

Nigeria: Meningitis outbreak grows

According to Nigerian health officials, the meningococcal meningitis outbreak in the country has now claimed 328 lives to date, mostly affecting states in the part of Nigeria which fall within the African Meningitis Belt. Reports of vaccine shortages from affected areas have also been received.

Italy measles outbreak

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Italy this year, the number of cases reported to date in 2017 already surpasses the total number reported in the country in all of 2016. 1,010 individuals contracted the disease in the country this year, while in all of 2016 there were 844 infections.

The massive increase in measles has been blamed on the growing number of people who do not believe in vaccination.

Of this total, 90% of the patients were not vaccinated. The balance still indicates that 57% of cases occurred in the age range between 15 and 39 years, while 6% reached babies under one year, that is, when the vaccine can not yet be administered.