Disease

Enterovirus - Norway

Norway health officials are reporting a marked increase in cases of central nervous system infections caused by enterovirus in June. Of the tests that are typed, echovirus 30 is most commonly detected, a relatively common type of enterovirus. Most of the cases have been reported from Eastern Norway, but there are also several cases in the Bergens area and elsewhere in the country. So far, there are especially adults between the ages of 20 and 40 who are affected, but also young children.

Japanese Encephalitis - South Korea

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert for Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in response to mosquito surveillance results in South Jeolla Province confirming Culex tritaeniorhynchus, the main vector of JE.

Culex tritaeniorhynchus is a small, dark brown mosquito that is active at night and found mainly around puddles and in areas for farming and livestock. Of all the mosquitoes collected in South Jeolla Province on July 3rd, a daily average of 962 mosquitos were Culex tritaeniorhynchus, accounting for 64.7% of the total samples collected. Mosquitoes are collected twice every week as part of the JE surveillance system. An alert is issued when the daily average JE vector mosquito count is at least 500 and accounts for 50% or more of the total mosquitoes collected.

Ovine Rinderpest

An outbreak of ovine rinderpest, a contagious disease of cattle, sheep, and goats, has occurred in the southeastern province of Kerman.

Ovine rinderpest commonly known as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) or sheep and goat plague, is a highly contagious animal disease affecting small ruminants. Once introduced, the virus can infect up to 90 percent of an animal heard, and the disease kills anywhere from 30 to 70 percent of infected animals. The PPR virus does not infect humans.

Following the spread of the infection in Khabr national park, in Kerman province, so far some 50 heads of rams and wild goats have been killed. There are concerns that the disease may spread along the unvaccinated livestock in the area.