Disease

Ebola - West Africa

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is not over quite yet — just one day after the region was declared "Ebola-free," a new case of the virus was confirmed in Sierra Leone. WHO had said such flare-ups were to be expected.

Zika virus infection – France - Overseas Departments

On 21 December 2015, WHO received notification of the first 2 laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus infection in two overseas departments of France: Remire-Montjoly, French Guiana and Schœlcher, Martinique. Since then, 2 additional cases have been reported in Saint Laurent du Maroni, French Guiana and in Fort de France, Martinique.

Foot and Mouth Disease in Malawi

Malawi Government has suspended all livestock sales in Nsanje district following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the district.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development through its secretary Bright Kumwembe says there is an outbreak of the disease in cattle at Bangula dip tank and Magoli Extension Planning Area (EPA) in the district which is within the Shire Valley ADD.

Preliminary investigation conducted by veterinary field staff from the Shire Valley ADD and Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development indicates a total number of 60 critical cases out of a total of 581 cattle in 4 kraals.

The ministry further said a total of 65,000 cattle are at risk within the affected area and investigations are ongoing to establish the extent of the problem.

Disease

Ebola Outbreak Declared Over in West Africa

West Africa is now free of Ebola, marking an end to the devastating epidemic that plagued the region for two years.

The three hardest-hit countries — Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone — have not had any new Ebola cases for at least 42 days, according to a statement from the World Health Organization released today (Jan. 14). Health officials typically wait 42 days to declare a country Ebola-free, because this is twice as long as the 21-day incubation period of the virus (the time it takes for a person infected with the virus to show symptoms).

Liberia was the most recent of the three countries to be declared Ebola-free — today marks 42 days since the last person to have Ebola there was cured of the disease, according to WHO. Liberia was previously declared Ebola-free twice during 2015, but each time the country subsequently experienced small "flare-ups" of the disease. Sierra Leone's Ebola outbreak was declared over in early November 2015, and Guinea was declared free of Ebola in late December.

However, officials warn that new cases of Ebola could still appear in the region, and that efforts are needed to prevent and respond to any new outbreaks.

Disease

Guinea Declared Ebola Free

Guinea, one of the countries hit by the worst outbreak of Ebola, has been declared free of any cases of the deadly virus.

Because Guinea hasn't seen any new infections for 42 days, the amount of time in two incubation cycles for the disease, the WHO declared it free of Ebola on Tuesday. The last known patient in Guinea was a 3-week-old girl who tested negative for the virus twice in November.

State Has First Instance of Dual Mosquito-Disease Outbreak

The Arizona state health department says it found more than 100 people contracted both West Nile Virus and St. Louis Encephalitis Virus this year.

The discovery marks the first time the two diseases have been found together. Both are spread to humans by mosquitoes who have fed on infected birds. In both cases, people infected may not know they have contracted the illnesses. When they do make their presence known, both appear as flu-like symptoms, but can cause serious deteriorating cognitive function, though this can be temporary.

The co-outbreaks were between May and October, prime mosquito season.The health department says this discovery is another reason people should protect against mosquito bites year-round.

Disease

New Ebola Case in Liberia

The death of a 15-year-old boy from Ebola in Liberia — a country that has been declared free of the disease twice — raises the question of why cases are still popping up in the country, experts say.

The teenager, who died Tuesday (Nov. 24), tested positive for the disease last week. His brother and father are also infected, and more than 150 people with whom the boy may have come into contact are now being monitored.

Liberia was first declared Ebola-free in May, but then a new case was confirmed in July. The country was declared Ebola-free for the second time in September.

In order for a country to be declared Ebola-free, health officials typically wait 42 days since the last person was cured of the disease.

The handling of this most recent case may already have put many others at risk.

Disease

Microcephaly – Brazil

In October 2015, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Brazil notified PAHO/WHO of an unusual increase in the number of cases of microcephaly among newborns in the state of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil.

As of 17 November, a total of 399 cases of microcephaly were being investigated in seven states in the northeast of Brazil. Most of the cases were registered in Pernambuco state (268). Other states that reported microcephaly cases are Sergipe (44), Rio Grande do Norte (39), Paraiba (21), Piaui (10), Ceara (9) and Bahia (8).

Mosquitos Spreading New Invasive Disease in Americas (Zika Virus)

A mosquito-borne disease once limited to Africa and Asia is spreading across parts of South America.

Zika joins dengue and chikungunya as invasive diseases carried by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

It threatens public health and tourism from the Caribbean to South America. Zika first appeared in Brazil last April, with local authorities linking it to foreign visitors attending the FIFA World Cup competition.

Six cases of the disease have now been confirmed in neighboring Suriname.

Symptoms include fever, muscle and joint pain, headache, nausea, eyeball pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

The illness typically lasts between four and seven days.

Ebola Returns to Liberia

Two months after Liberia was declared free of Ebola, three confirmed cases of the deadly disease have emerged in the West African nation.

Thee nation's health ministry said a new case was confirmed Thursday, when blood samples from a patient admitted in a hospital the same week tested positive.

Two other high- risk contacts also tested positive, and all three are undergoing care at an Ebola treatment centre in the capital of Monrovia, the health ministry said in a statement.

Disease

Sierra Leone declared free of Ebola

Sierra Leone has officially been declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, Freetown, at the stroke of midnight - marking 42 days without a single declared case of the disease. There were further cheers when the WHO local representative made the official announcement later on Saturday.

The outbreak killed almost 4,000 people in Sierra Leone over the past 18 months.

Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

Between 17 and 24 October 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 12 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 1 death.

Guinea records new cases of Ebola

Three more people in Guinea have been infected with the Ebola virus, a senior health official said on Wednesday, further dampening hopes of an imminent end to the world's worst recorded outbreak of the disease.

The three were infected in Forecariah in western Guinea from the family of a woman who died of Ebola and whose body was handled without appropriate protection.

In all, nine sick people are being treated at centres throughout the country and most are connected to the dead woman.

Zimbabwe runs out of money to contain outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease

Zimbabwe has run out of money to vaccinate millions of domestic animals to curb the spread of Foot and Mouth and protect against Newcastle Disease, acting Agriculture Secretary John Gondo said.

“We are in the process of vaccinating over 1.5 million cattle and 8 million chickens for FMD and Newcastle Disease, but the challenge is that there’s no money to buy more vaccine from Botswana”.

South Africa, which borders an affected area, has raised pressure on Zimbabwe to prevent further transmission of the disease, which could have an impact on beef exports.

Disease

New Ebola Cases - West Africa

The World Health Organization announced Friday that there were two confirmed cases of Ebola in Guinea.

The re-emergence of the disease suggests that the outbreak may go on its third year in 2016 in West Africa. The new cases are the first ones in West Africa since it was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) after passing 42 days without the disease. However, the new cases suggest that a place can be declared Ebola-free but with many carrying the virus.

Disease

Ebola Outbreak - Update

There were no new cases of Ebola reported in West Africa in the week ending last Sunday, making it the first week since March 2014 with zero cases recorded in the three countries most affected by the outbreak, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which cautioned that there remains a near-term risk of new cases.

WHO, in its latest update ending on Sunday, 4 October, stated that no new cases were reported in Guinea and Sierra Leone. Liberia was declared free of Ebola virus transmission in the human population on 3 September 2015.

To date, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has resulted in more than 11,000 deaths.

In Nigeria, authorities have vehemently denied claims of an Ebola outbreak in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

Disease

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

Between 1 and 5 September 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 25 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. Ten (10) of these reported cases are associated with a MERS-CoV outbreak currently occurring in a hospital in Riyadh city.

Salmonella Outbreak - USA

A cucumber recall linked to a fatal case of salmonella includes products shipped to 22 states, including New Jersey.

The recalled cucumbers, grown in Mexico and distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, have sickened 285 people in 27 states, including a woman in California who died from the illness, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Ebola - West Africa

Though several of the West African countries most impacted by the worst Ebola outbreak in history have declared themselves free of the devastating virus, experts say the fight against it overall is far from over.

“This virus and this outbreak in particular has a nasty sting in the tail,” the World Health Organization’s lead on Ebola response Bruce Aylward said, according to Reuters. “It’s not finished, by a long shot.”

Aylward led a new study to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine that still found traces of the virus in semen after six months in half of men considered to be Ebola survivors — three months longer than the virus was previously thought to remain in survivors’ systems.

One country that has seen several new cases of Ebola recently is Sierra Leone.

The WHO declared Liberia Ebola-free for a second time earlier this month after the country hardest hit by the deadly virus saw a brief resurgence of cases not long after the first time it thought the disease was gone for good. It’s now within a 90-day surveillance period.

Global Warming - Potential for Disease Outbreaks

Scientists have discovered a 30,000-year-old Frankenvirus in the frozen Siberian wastelands. They fear the dangerous virus, known as Mollivirus sibericum, could reanimate as global warming melts the ice and snow, releasing the microscopic pathogens into the air to infect humans.

Researcher Jean-Michael Claverie stated that some of the particles they discovered were still considered to be infectious.

Researchers are astounded by the prehistoric viruses they have found over the last 12 years. Each has been much larger and more complex than current viruses. The Mollivirus sibericum has over 500 genes. A virus found in 2003 was found to have more than 2,500 genes. In comparison, the flu virus has only eight genes.

Testing on the Mollivirus sibericum will take place in a safe laboratory, where the virus will not spread outside of the room after it is woken up and testing begins. Researchers are anxious to learn from the Frankenvirus and see what impact it had on prehistoric life and could potentially have on modern day life.

Disease

New Ebola death in Sierra Leone

A woman who died last week in northern Sierra Leone tested positive for Ebola, the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) said Monday, in a setback for the country's bid to gain Ebola-free status.

Disease

Ebola - West Africa Update

Africa's Ebola outbreak has not yet run its course and around 30 people are still getting infected each week, the United Nations' special envoy for the deadly disease, David Nabarro, said on Monday. Under normal circumstances, such an infection rate would be considered "a major, major outbreak," he said.

The worst recorded outbreak of Ebola has already killed more than 11,200 people across West Africa.

Disease

Congo - Ebola

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Congo are investigating a possible outbreak of Ebola in a village in the country. According to WHO spokesman, Eugene Kabambi, the suspected outbreak was in the village of Masambio in Bandundu province.

Congo has seen periodic outbreaks of the disease. Last year, a 3-month outbreak that killed 49 people late in the remote forests of northwestern Congo was not related to the West African epidemic.

Disease

Liberia - Ebola Update

Liberian officials confirmed a second Ebola case yesterday in the same town where the disease was detected days earlier on the corpse of a teenager, seven weeks after the country was declared Ebola-free. The infected person was moved to Monrovia.

Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - Update

Between 27 and 30 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of 1 additional confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) alongside 2 additional deaths.

Liberia - Ebola Update

Liberian officials on Tuesday quarantined a neighbourhood near the capital city where a 17-year-old boy died of Ebola, a grim setback for the poor African country that was declared free of the deadly virus in May.

Disease

In an update for the outbreak of ebola in Uganda, the Ministry of Health in Uganda reported 7 cases (6 confirmed, 1 probable) with Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Luweero and Kampala districts. Of these cases, 4 died.

Disease

Authorities in the Democratic Republic Congo report that the Ebola outbreak has ended.

Disease

There are now 10 cases reported in the latest ebola virus outbreak in Uganda, including 5 deaths in Luweero and Kampala.

The outbreak of Marburg haemorrhagic fever in Uganda has claimed 9 lives in 4 districts in Uganda (Kabale, Ibanda, Mbarara, and Kampala). A total of 20 cases have been reported.

Disease

In addition to the three dead in the latest ebola outbreak in Uganda, up to 15 people are being monitored for signs of the disease. Officials advised against panic after it was revealed that two possible Ebola patients had since checked into Kampala's main referral hospital.

First outbreak of a highly pathogenic bird flu virus in Australia in 15 years. Authorities hope that a cull of 50,000 chickens will contain the outbreak. It is not yet known what caused the outbreak at an egg farm in New South Wales. Japan has banned imports of eggs from Australia.

Disease

E. coli outbreak in Belfast, Ireland grows to 124 confirmed cases with a further 166 probable cases.

52 cases of Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) have now been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to date. Of these, 25 have been fatal.

France and Spain join Italy and Switzerland in halting sales of Novartis flu vaccine.

The tree disease which killed 90% of Danish ash trees has spread to the British countryside. Ash dieback has been found in the wider environment at sites in East Anglia, and there are fears it could wreak the same kind of damage as Dutch elm disease in the Seventies. The Chalara fraxinea fungus, which causes leaf loss and crown dieback and can lead to tree death, wiped out 90 per cent of ash trees in Denmark in seven years.