Disease

Dengue Fever - Honduras

The government of Honduras declared a state of emergency in mid-June in 12 or the 18 departments in the country due to the ongoing dengue fever epidemic. Through the first week of June, a total of 11,436 cases had been reported, including more than 4000 severe dengue cases and 63 fatalities.

White-Nose Syndrome in Bats Spreads

A fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS), a deadly disease of hibernating bats but not a direct health risk for humans, has been detected in North Dakota for the first time.

Hepatitis A - Florida, USA

Florida state health officials reported an additional 90 hepatitis A cases during the week ending June 29, bringing the total to 1718 since the beginning of the year and 2266 since the outbreak began in 2018.

Ebola Spreads northwards in DR Congo

South Sudan is facing another potential threat with the first confirmed case of Ebola near its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reported. This is specifically significant as the country’s healthcare system has been weakened by years of civil war, making it vulnerable to the potential spread of the deadly virus.

The case was registered in the DRC town of Ariwara, situated in north-eastern Ituri province and about 70km from the border with South Sudan’s Yei River State. Despite being identified as having been exposed to Ebola and warned not to travel, the 40-year-old woman had travelled nearly 500km to Ariwara from Beni in the DRC’s North Kivu province.