Disease

Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – update

On 4 February 2014, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of China notified WHO of eight additional laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus, including two deaths.

Chikungunya outbreak in Caribbean expanding

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced on Monday that 247 new cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in the Caribbean in the past week alone and the outbreak continues to expand.

The epidemiological data regarding the Chikungunya outbreak shows that it began in Saint Martin and is continuing to spread throughout the Caribbean. Most of the areas already affected have seen an increasing number of cases.

Chikungunya fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease. The chikungunya virus causes fever-like symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, rash, nausea and joint swelling. There is no cure for Chikungunya and treatment focuses on alleviating the symptoms.