Italy’s Anthrax Outbreak Widens as Disease Hits Six More Farms

September 29, 2011, 11:26 AM EDT

By Rudy Ruitenberg

Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Italy’s anthrax outbreak widened as the deadly animal disease spread to six more farms in the country’s south, bringing the total affected livestock holdings to 19 since the first confirmed cases almost four weeks ago.

The illness killed livestock in three towns southeast of Naples with previous cases as well as in a village about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the first outbreaks, the Italian Ministry of Health said in an alert today published online by the Paris-based World Organization of Animal Health, or OIE.

Anthrax, which has been used as a biological weapon, is caused by spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis and can survive in soil years after an outbreak, according to the OIE. Livestock typically become infected by ingesting spores from the soil or in feed, according to the group.

The disease killed cattle and sheep on three farms in Montesano sulla Marcellana, as well as livestock in Accettura and Corleto Perticara, adding to previously reported cases. Italy also found anthrax in Cirigliano, the first case there, according to the alert to the OIE.

The outbreak is continuing, and measures to fight the disease include movement controls for livestock and disinfection of infected premises, the animal-health group said. Animals are not being vaccinated, the OIE said.

French microbiologist Louis Pasteur developed an effective vaccine against the disease in 1881, according to the OIE. Proper disposal of dead animals is critical, and carcasses should not be opened because exposure to oxygen will allow anthrax bacteria to form spores, according to the OIE.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-09-29/italy-s-anthrax-outbrea...

Anthrax antibiotics pre-position plan needed, says report

Washington (CNN) -- Public health officials on a state and local level should determine where and how antibiotics for anthrax should be stored in their communities in the event of a large-scale anthrax attack, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

The report, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, recommends research to provide stronger evidence for where best to pre-position supplies.

Ever since the 2001 anthrax attack, questions have been raised about developing plans to deliver medicine quickly to those who might be exposed.

The committee created to look into the issue found "under particular circumstances, pre-positioning strategies can reduce the time within which individuals in a community can receive prophylactic antibiotics, and certain strategies can help alleviate the burden on the public health dispensing system." The committee examined a range of factors including benefits, costs, safety and ethical issues.

"Rapid access to antibiotics can prevent people who are exposed to aerosolized Bacillus anthracis from developing anthrax; once symptoms of anthrax emerge, the disease progresses rapidly and can prove fatal," the report says.

In the preface to the 369-page report, the study pointed out "concerns remain about the nation's ability to respond to an anthrax attack scenario of the most dire proportions -- for example, a large-scale attack impacting hundreds of thousands of people and carried out in multiple cities."

"Current federal, state and local plans for dispensing antibiotics rely heavily on post-attack delivery from state stockpiles or the Centers for Disease Control. The goal is to get antibiotics to all individuals in need within 48 hours of a decision to dispense," the committee said.

The report suggested pre-positioning provides less flexibility to change plans following an attack. "For example, pre-positioning may not be helpful if an attack occurs in a location other than anticipated or uses a strain of anthrax that is resistant to the pre-positioned antibiotic," said Robert Bass, chair of the committee that wrote the report.  Story continues but since I just posted the Anthrax outbreak in Italy yesterday it piques my curiosity

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/30/us/anthrax-antibiotics/index.html?ere...

William Cooper

---

I found this interesting, and thought I would share. I found this on William Cooper's website, copyright of 1997.

Since the United States Army's announcement of the inoculation of all of its personnel with Anthrax vaccine I can safely predict that the next large terrorist event within the borders of the United States of America may be biological using Anthrax as the agent of destruction and death. Anyone care to take me up on this with a substantial bet?

ZetaTalk on ANTHRAX:

ZetaTalk: Anthrax
Note: written on Nov 15, 2001

---

Following closely on the September 11 Attack on American and insidious Anthrax attack began to surface, with first one target and then another surfacing so the exact goal and scope of the attack was unknown, and this was by design. As with the practice of voodoo, the victim’s psychological state actually allows them to become a victim, to die on schedule, where they otherwise would not be adversely affected. They believe they are cursed, so create their own demise due to panic and heart stoppage. This is the goal those undertaking the Anthrax attack hope for, such that the healthy commerce of the hated enemy, the US, is stymied and falters due to fear.

• By using the airlines to create instant torpedoes during the September 11 attack, they created a fear of flying that the airlines will find they cannot recover from. Periodically there will be a resurgence, other attempts, that will partially succeed, so that only those resigned to the possibility of a quick death will take to the skies. The effect on commerce was two-fold, both in the downturn that a lack of tourism and travel would have on many industries, and in the ability for face-to-face business deals which often falter without such contact.
• By infecting the mail, a key ingredient in commerce is affected, in that not only correspondence could be affected but eventually produce and food stuffs and any physical item passing between hands. Is the populace to grow their own food and make their own clothing and correspond only by telephone or e-mail? The initial targets were highly visible, by design, for maximum impact in getting the populace nervous. The media could be counted on to be noisy about such events, and public official are closely watched so that anything disrupting their routine would be noticed.

Where is this leading, and who has designed and implemented such an insidious attack? As we mentioned when the Attack on America occurred on September 11, the instigators are not always obvious, not will they always be brought to justice. If such an Anthrax attack were possible before, why was it not used? If those who have sworn a Jihad against the US had done so years ago, then why the delay between then and now? Would Anthrax alone not have brought some satisfaction, even before the hijacking of planes to be used as bombs was arranged? And why the constant talk of Smallpox, if only a handful of germs in a couple highly guarded facilities exist? What is the public not being told, that those in authority in the US know?

In the private meetings that high level officials and the elite with power or wealth, who influence these official to a degree only suspected by the populace, heated ar

ZetaTalk continued:  ANTHRAX

In the private meetings that high level officials and the elite with power or wealth, who influence these official to a degree only suspected by the populace, heated arguments preceded the Attack on America. In a shrinking economic world, where not only a worldwide recession but an economic depression is in process, where stock markets are so shaky that panic is just under the surface, where riots in the populace of all countries are expected to emerge as food shortages and the pinch of job loss and economic ruin are to strike like a hammer on the underprivileged until their calm shatters and they begin to act out their despair - there is bargaining among the elite and powerful. What steps are to be taken, and who is to become the leader? Among the winners and losers, who will get ground under the other’s feet, and who will be on top of the pile?

Prior to September 11, the US was isolationist and arrogant, breaking treaties and increasing its arms. It was poised to take what it needed from a faltering world, and to hell with any other needy country. In the month following September 11, the US became almost humble, trotting the globe to make friends recently snubbed, and making concessions. Once again, the hand mailing Anthrax may be those who do not fear to die, in a Jihad against the hated US, but those supplying them are a complex of countries who formerly called the US a friend, but had been stunned to find treaties such as the treasured arms reduction treaty treated like toilet paper in a plan to make the US the biggest gun on the globe. The US and the former Soviet Union are the only two countries holding Smallpox reserves. Then who is it the US fears in a potential Smallpox spread - itself? The leaders of the US are telling you who they think is involved in the Anthrax assault.

All rights reserved: ZetaTalk@ZetaTalk.com

http://www.zetatalk3.com/govmt/g130.htm

Anthrax

---

Scientists' Deaths are Under the Microscope
compiled by Alanna Mitchell, May 4, 2002

Eleven microbiologists mysteriously dead over the span of just five months. Some of them world leaders in developing weapons-grade biological plagues. Others the best in figuring out how to stop millions from dying because of biological weapons. Still others, experts in the theory of bioterrorism. ... The first three died in the space of just over a week in November. Benito Que, 52, was an expert in infectious diseases and cellular biology at the Miami Medical School. Police originally suspected that he had been beaten on Nov. 12 in a carjacking in the medical school's parking lot. Strangely enough, though, his body showed no signs of a beating. Doctors then began to suspect a stroke. Just four days after Dr. Que fell unconscious came the mysterious disappearance of Don Wiley, 57, one of the foremost microbiologists in the United States. Dr. Wiley, of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Harvard University, was an expert on how the immune system responds to viral attacks such as the classic doomsday plagues of HIV, ebola and influenza. He had just bought tickets to take his son to Graceland the following day. Police found his rental car on a bridge outside Memphis, Tenn. His body was later found in the Mississippi River. Forensic experts said he may have had a dizzy spell and have fallen off the bridge. Just five days after that, the world-class microbiologist and high-profile Russian defector Valdimir Pasechnik, 64, fell dead. The pathologist who did the autopsy, and who also happened to be associated with Britain's spy agency, concluded he died of a stroke. Dr. Pasechnik, who defected to the United Kingdom in 1989, played a huge role in Russian biowarfare and helped to figure out how to modify cruise missiles to deliver the agents of mass biological destruction.

The next two deaths came four days apart in December. Robert Schwartz, 57, was stabbed and slashed with what police believe was a sword in his farmhouse in Leesberg, Va. His daughter, who identifies herself as a pagan high priestess, and several of her fellow pagans have been charged. Dr. Schwartz was an expert in DNA sequencing and pathogenic micro-organisms, who worked at the Center for Innovative Technology in Herndon, Va. Four days later, Nguyen Van Set, 44, died at work in Geelong, Australia, in a laboratory accident. He entered an airlocked storage lab and died from exposure to nitrogen. Other scientists at the animal diseases facility of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization had just come to fame for discovering a virulent strain of mousepox, which could be modified to affect smallpox. Then in February, the Russian microbiologist Victor Korshunov, 56, an expert in intestinal bacteria of children around the world, was bashed over the head near his home in Moscow. Five days later the British microbiologist Ian Langford, 40, was found dead in his home near Norwich, England, naked from the waist down and wedged under a chair. He was an expert in environmental risks and disease. Two weeks later, two prominent microbiologists died in San Francisco. Tanya Holzmayer, 46, a Russian who moved to the U.S. in 1989, focused on the part of the human molecular structure that could be affected best by medicine. She was killed by fellow microbiologist Guyang (Matthew) Huang, 38, who shot her seven times when she opened the door to a pizza delivery. Then he shot himself.

The final two deaths came one day after the other in March. David Wy

ANTHRAX and dead scientists continued.

The final two deaths came one day after the other in March. David Wynn-Williams, 55, a respected astrobiologist with the British Antarctic Survey, who studied the habits of microbes that might survive in outer space, died in a freak road accident near his home in Cambridge, England. He was hit by a car while he was jogging. The following day, Steven Mostow, 63, known as Dr. Flu for his expertise in treating influenza, and a noted expert in bioterrorism, died when the airplane he was piloting crashed near Denver. So what does any of it mean? ... Who they were:

1. Nov. 12, 2001: Benito Que was said to have been beaten in a Miami parking lot and died later.
2. Nov. 16, 2001: Don C. Wiley went missing. Was found Dec. 20. Investigators said he got dizzy on a Memphis bridge and fell to his death in a river.
3. Nov. 21, 2001: Vladimir Pasechnik, former high-level Russian microbiologist who defected in 1989 to the U.K. apparently died from a stroke.
4. Dec. 10, 2001: Robert M. Schwartz was stabbed to death in Leesberg, Va. Three Satanists have been arrested.
5. Dec. 14, 2001: Nguyen Van Set died in an airlock filled with nitrogen in his lab in Geelong, Australia.
6. Feb. 9, 2002: Victor Korshunov had his head bashed in near his home in Moscow.
7. Feb. 14, 2002: Ian Langford was found partially naked and wedged under a chair in Norwich, England.
8. Feb. 28, 2002: San Francisco resident Tanya Holzmayer was killed by a microbiologist colleague, Guyang Huang, who shot her as she took delivery of a pizza and then apparently
9. [Feb 28, 2002: Guyang Huang] shot himself.
10. March 24, 2002: David Wynn-Williams died in a road accident near his home in Cambridge, England.
11. March 25, 2002: Steven Mostow of the Colorado Health Sciences Centre, killed in a plane he was flying near Denver.

http://www.zetatalk3.com/theword/tword25t.htm

Strides in biodefense follow 2001 anthrax scare

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/story/2011-09-29/anthrax-attac...

My goodness ning news travels fast.  No sooner do I post a bunch of stuff on Anthrax......a new article comes to town reiterating the death of Robert Stevens and the Anthrax scare Hmmm.

 

Lettuce Recalled in the Latest Listeria Outbreak

 

Alaska official have said that bags of chopped romaine lettuce are being recalled because of potential listeria contamination. The listeria outbreak has already caused 16 deaths from cantaloupe over the past few weeks.

 

There have been no reported illnesses of listeria caused by romaine lettuce, but officials are taking precautions following the deadly cantaloupe outbreak. A California lettuce company has been voluntarily recalling their lettuce product in case of another outbreak .

The outbreak from cantaloupe is already being deemed the worst disease outbreak caused by food in the last decade. Spanning over 18 states, there have been 72 reported illnesses from listeria with 16 deaths. That number can very well rise. Anyone carrying produce with the bag and box code B256-46438-8, make sure you throw it out.

http://khitschicago.radio.com/2011/09/30/lettuce-recalled-in-the-la...

Human Enterovirus 68 (HEV68) a Rare Occurrence

Sat, 10/01/2011

An uncommon virus called human enterovirus 68 (HEV68) is responsible for the mortality of 3 people and has victimized 100 people. The nations hit with the infection outbreak are Japan, Philippines, the United States and Netherlands. The disease has been closely linked to the disease of human rhinovirus.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the infection attacks the respiratory system. The infectious can prove to be deadly in case of children, the disease carries cold like symptoms like severe cough and breathlessness.

The worst hit among the four nations is Japan, where 120 people have been reported o be suffering from the disease. Whereas the number of cases recorded in Philippines is 21 and in the US and Netherland a total of 95 cases have been confirmed with most cases coming from the region of Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Earlier in 1962, the disease came into notice, when 4 children were reported of suffering from pneumonia, belonging to California. The occurrence of the infection is quiet unusual and irregular, reveals the authorities of CDC. According to a statement of CDC, "Whether this increase in recognized cases is attributable to improved diagnostics or whether the clusters themselves represent an emergence of the pathogen is unknown”.

http://topnews.us/content/243839-human-enterovirus-68-hev68-rare-oc...

Malaria outbreak kills 10 in Bentiu - doctors

September 30, 2011 (BENTIU) - Health officials in Unity state say 10 people have died in a recent increase in Malaria cases. Doctors say that 80 percent of patients in the state’s hospitals suffer from the potentially fatal disease, which is spread by mosquito bites.

A nurse treats Lino Lual Machar for Malaria at Bentiu China Hospital. 30 September 2011 (ST)

Many people are ignorant of how they can protect themselves from Malaria. But civilians say the government in Unity state is failing to address the issue.

Health clinics and private hospitals in Bentiu, the state capital, report that the children and the elderly are the worst effected.

Doctors, such as Dr William Wang who works at Bentiu China Hospital, describe the situation as very dangerous.

Dr. Wang says that 80 percent of patients have Malaria "because mosquitoes here are so many". He says that patients are advised "to use [a] mosquito net at night in order to keep mosquitoes outside” but many do not.

He seriously urged the civilians to bring those with Malaria to the hospital straight away as some children die before they even reached the hospital.

Dr Wang Gang in his office at Bentiu China Hospital. 30 September, 2011 (ST)

Lino Lual Machar, who was admitted to Bentiu China Hospital, told Sudan Tribune on Friday that after taking medication he was recovering from a serious case of Malaria. He urged South Sudan’s government to encourage more investment in health care so that people did not have to rely on hospitals like the Bentiu China Hospital ,which is run by the Chinese doctors and nurses.

The hospital is the best in the oil-rich state but as it is private the “poor” are often unable to afford treatment. Bentiu hospital, which is run by the state government lacks

equipment and drugs.

http://www.sudantribune.com/Malaria-outbreak-kills-10-in,40291

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=EH... Event Description

Epidemic Hazard in Namibia on Friday, 30 September, 2011 at 15:54 (03:54 PM) UTC.

Description Four Hakahana residents died from a mysterious illness that caused a strange rash and caused hemorrhaging through the nose, eyes, and other body openings. 3 died over the past 3 days while 2 shack dwellers are fighting for their lives in a city hospital and several others have been discharged from hospital. One died last week [week of 19 Sep 2011]. The strange disease that causes its victims to bleed and pass excessive blood in their urine and fecal matter has left doctors at Katutura State Hospital baffled. Medical authorities are also trying to find the source of the swiftly-killing disease that has struck terror at Hakahana. Among those who died in the last 3 days are one man, one woman, and a child. When New Era visited the bereaved families yesterday [28 Sep 2011] together with the Moses Garoeb Constituency councillor, Martin David, the families of the deceased were still in shock at the sudden death of their beloved ones. [A man] said his shebeen [bar] attendant went to see him before her demise complaining of a splitting headache and he told her to go to hospital. "After she went to the hospital she started to develop red pimples on the whole body, the same afternoon she started vomiting blood, bleeding through the anus," he said. She started complaining last Thursday evening [22 Sep 2011] and went to Katutura hospital on Friday but was sent back home as nurses said she was in a stable condition. But on Sunday [25 Sep 2011] at around 11 pm her relatives called him saying she was critical and she died upon arrival at Katutura State Hospital where she had been admitted. According to a family member of the deceased, the woman died on Monday [26 Sep 2011], and they are still shocked by the death because they had not experienced a disease with such symptoms before. New Era has learnt that another of the victims also died yesterday [Wed 28 Sep 2011] after displaying similar symptoms. The victim was also a resident of Hakahana. The residents said they now live in fear because they do not know what exactly is causing the sudden deaths. Councillor David has his own theories about the deaths saying it could be that the victims ate poisoned food scavenged from one of the dumpsites. A mourner at one of the funerals said: "We are still waiting from the doctors to identify the cause of the deaths but for now we are very scared." Residents appealed to the Ministry of Health and Social Services to urgently investigate the disease and inform the public on how to prevent it so that they could take precautionary measures. "The ministry must investigate so that they can introduce campaigns of injecting or whatever they can do for us to prevent this serious outbreak. People are dying in a short period," said one resident. Another child died last week [week of 19 Sep 2011] in the same neighbourhood when he started passing blood-tainted urine and his mother took him to hospital, bringing to 4 the number of victims. 2 people who are ho

Auckland's measles outbreak continues to spread

 

Auckland's measles outbreak is continuing to spread with 24 new cases confirmed in the last week.

That brings the total number of cases to 203 since the outbreak began on May 30.

Three people were in hospital over the weekend - bringing the total number of people needing hospital treatment from the disease to 31.

Auckland Regional Public Health's Dr Richard Hoskins is urging people to ensure they're immunised as it's the best way to be protected.

He says if people are unwell, they should stay away from work, school or public places to prevent putting others at risk.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&obje...

UC Berkeley experiencing outbreak of mumps

There is an outbreak of mumps in the UC Berkeley campus community, campus officials announced late Tuesday night.

Cases of the contagious viral infection, which is transmitted by the mucus or saliva of an infected person, were first reported on campus Friday. The confirmed cases were quarantined, but Tuesday Associate Vice Chancellor for Business and Administrative Services Ron Coley sent a campuswide email announcing the outbreak.

The email did not specify the extent of the outbreak.

University Health Services is working closely with the California Department of Public Health to limit spread of the disease, according to the email, the text of which was also posted on the campus health services web page.

Symptoms of mumps typically develop 16 to 18 days after exposure and can include fever, headache and swollen salivary glands, according to campus health services.

Beginning in 1977, children were given a vaccine against mumps, which significantly reduced the rate of the disease, according to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, after a spate of cases in the 1980s, schoolchildren were recommended to receive a second vaccination, which further reduced incidents of the disease.

Although people who have received two doses of the vaccine are at less risk of contracting mumps, campus health services recommends that students receive a third of the vaccine. UC Berkeley students can receive the vaccine, free of charge, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the campus Tang Center

http://www.dailycal.org/2011/10/05/uc-berkeley-experiencing-outbrea...

Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Reported at Plim Plaza Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland

The Plim Plaza Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland has closed three days before the end of the season after three former guests were hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease. All three guests were over 50 and suffering from weakened immune systems, rendering them particularly susceptible to Legionnaires’ disease. Guests currently staying at the hotel were “voluntarily relocated” so that “everyone would feel more safe and sound,” according to the Baltimore Sun.

Officials of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are currently conducting tests of the hotel’s water system, and the hotel itself has also hired an outside firm for water testing. Preliminary results have shown the presence of legionella bacteria in the water, but official results will not be available until next week.

The Plim Plaza is purportedly contacting guests who stayed there in the past month to warn them about potential exposure to the legionella bacteria. One former guest commented that he and his elderly mother had stayed there from September 26 to 30, 2011 and that he had not yet heard from the hotel. He had noticed officials conducting tests on the hotel’s three hot tubs during his stay, but thought at the time that they were performing standard maintenance.

The Maryland Department of Mental Health and Hygiene encourages anyone who stayed at the Plim Plaza Hotel on or after September 1, 2011 to contact their health provider if they develop symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, which include shortness of breath, chills, fever, nausea, diarrhea, lethargy, coughing, chest pain, and headaches.

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially deadly form of pneumonia that afflicts between 8,000 and 18,000 Americans per year, according to the CDC.[1] Symptoms can appear between 2 to 14 after exposure to the legionella bacteria.  continues...

http://baltimore.injuryboard.com/property-owners-liability-slip-and...

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/safety/story/2011-10-07/D...

Death toll in listeriosis outbreak now at 21

A total of 21 people nationwide have now died in the listeriosis outbreak linked to cantaloupes from a Colorado farm, the Centers for

In all, 109 people in 23 states have become sick from the outbreak, and that number could continue to climb, the CDC said.

• PHOTOS: A history of outbreaks

• MORE: Listeria threat lingers despite recall

There have been five deaths each in Colorado and New Mexico, two each in Kansas and Texas and one each in Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. Indiana is the latest addition to the list. One woman pregnant at the time of illness also had a miscarriage, CDC said.

The outbreak is now one of deadliest in the USA. The deadliest known was in 1985 when a Mexican-style soft cheese contaminated with listeria from Jalisco Products killed 18 adults and 10 newborns, as well as causing 20 miscarriages, according to CDC. It sickened 142 others.

The outbreak has been linked to Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupes sold by Jensen Farms near Holly, Colo. The cantaloupes were recalled Sept. 14, and no melons under the recall should still be on store shelves. Most of the contaminated melons should be out of the food supply by now. The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration said any cantaloupes not from Jensen Farms are safe to eat.

The first illnesses began after July 31. Symptoms of listeriosis can take up to two months to develop in someone who has eaten contaminated food, so illnesses could continue to show up into November, the CDC said.

The FDA and CDC have had teams in Jensen Farms fields and packing sheds, testing the soil, water and surfaces for clues. A report on the FDA's findings is anticipated in the coming weeks. In the past, listeria has been most strongly linked to deli meats and soft cheeses, not produce.

Listeria bacteria grow in moist, muddy conditions and live in the guts of animals, who can transport them into fields. When humans are infected with the bacteria they develop listeriosis, which is rare but dangerous illness that kills approximately 30% of its victims and can send up to 90% of the elderly people who get it to the hospital.

It is especially dangerous for pregnant women, in whom it can cause a mild illness, but it can also result in stillbirths or miscarriages.

UNICEF fights “one of the worst ever” cholera outbreaks in West and Central Africa

DAKAR/GENEVA, 11 October 2011 – UNICEF is calling for a redoubling of efforts to combat cholera outbreaks that are claiming lives and affecting large numbers of people across West and Central Africa.

This year has seen more than 85,000 reported cases of cholera, resulting in 2,466 deaths. The size and scale of the outbreaks mean the region is facing one of the biggest epidemics in its history. In addition Case Fatality Rates (CFR) are unacceptably high,  ranging from 2.3 per cent to 4.7 per cent and can reach much higher levels at district level in many countries (ranging from 1 per cent to 22 per cent in Cameroon for example). Children are more vulnerable to cholera, as they dehydrate faster, and malnourished children are especially at risk.

The most significant increases in 2011 are in Chad, Cameroon and in western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In addition there are still challenges with getting access, ensuring staff presence in medical facilities and establishing surveillance systems to monitor cases and numbers in parts of North-East DRC.

There are three major cross border cholera epidemic outbreaks in West and Central Africa: the Lake Chad Basin (Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger), the West Congo Basin (DRC, Congo and the Central African Republic) and Lake Tanganyika (DRC and Burundi). Smaller cholera epidemics in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Togo are under control.

UNICEF is providing treatment kits, conducting community awareness campaigns on hygiene and assisting with epidemiological surveys to ensure better targeting of control efforts. It is clear in this emergency that authorities can play a key role to save lives. Information exchange between cross- border districts on caseloads and population movements, as well as cross-border inspections for disinfection and chlorination are proven ways to contain the disease and save lives.

UNICEF calls upon governments to coordinate the preparation and response not only within their borders, but to ensure close collaboration with neighbouring countries. Cross-border coordination has to be encouraged at all levels, from the district to the national level.

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_60032.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15269441

India encephalitis outbreak kills 400, mainly children

By Soutik Biswas BBC News, Delhi

More than 400 people, mainly children, have died in an outbreak of viral encephalitis in northern India, health officials say.

So far 2,300 patients have been admitted to a hospital in the affected Gorakhpur area of Uttar Pradesh state.

A doctor told the BBC that it was a "tragedy beyond imagination" with children dying every day.

Nearly 6,000 children have died of encephalitis in the hospital since the first case was detected in 1978.

Most of the deaths this year have happened since July, doctors say.

The disease occurs regularly during the monsoon in the Gorakhpur region bordering Nepal in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The low-lying areas are prone to floods and water-logging. Lack of sanitation provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes and leads to contamination of water supplies.

This happens because most people defecate in the open in villages of the area, while water is consumed mainly using shallow hand pumps.

'Tragedy'

Doctors say affected patients come from 10-12 districts in the region, and are mostly poor.

Until 2005, the majority of deaths were caused by Japanese encephalitis, caused by a mosquito-borne virus, doctors say.

But in the past six years, children have been dying of viral encephalitis, a water-borne disease caused by contaminated water.

Both the diseases cause head aches and vomiting and can lead to comas, brain dysfunctions, seizures and inflammations of the heart and kidney.

Doctors say children between the age of six months to 15 years are worst affected and most of the victims are poor people from rural areas.

"It is unbelievable tragedy. There are five to 10 children dying every day," Dr KP Kushwaha, head of paediatrics at the BRD Medical College, the only hospital treating patients, told the BBC.

Most of the 370 beds in the paediatrics and medicine departments at the hospital are overflowing with more than one patient occupying a bed, he said.

October 10, 2011

Legionnaires' Disease Outbreak on Greek Island?

The Guardian, Guardian

 

A cluster of cases of legionnaires' disease in people who have been to Corfu is being investigated by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

The organisation said it was aware of nine cases of the disease in people between the ages of 39 and 79 who had travelled to different areas of the Greek island since August.

http://www.realclearscience.com/2011/10/10/legionnaires039_disease_...

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/10/13/listeria-toll-rises-to-23-...

Listeria Toll Rises to 23 With Two Louisiana Deaths

Two more people in the United States have died from a listeria outbreak caused by tainted cantaloupes linked to a Colorado farm, bringing the death toll to 23 across 12 states, health officials said.

Deaths from the largest U.S. food-borne listeria outbreak in over two decades have now reached Louisiana where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said two people had died. Deaths had previously been reported in Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/first-case-of-dengue-fever-report...

Dengue fever, a dangerous mosquito-borne illness that's widespread in the Caribbean but uncommon in the United States, is now here in Palm Beach County, public health officials said Thursday, after receiving confirmation that a local person was sick with the illness.

Health Director Dr. Alina Alonso issued a mosquito-borne illness advisory with the warning that standing water around homes should be eliminated, windows kept closed and screens repaired, and long sleeves and pants worn when outside. Insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin is recommended, she said.

Dengue is a viral illness carried most commonly by a daytime-biting household mosquito called the Aedes aegypti mosquito. It's a nuisance mosquito, one that tends to hitch rides on people as they go into their garages and homes.

Infection typically causes sudden onset of high fever three to 14 days after a bite from an infected mosquito. Aspirin-containing pain relievers should be avoided. Fever is a sign that people should seek medical attention right away.

Some people bit by an infected mosquito can fend off the illness without developing symptoms, while others can develop serious malaise, ranging from a week of fever and many weeks more of weakness, to more serious dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome, which can cause death.

The severe illness is more commonly seen in people who have been infected multiple times with different strains. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps a map of active dengue - www.healthmap.org/dengue/index.php - which shows the Bahamas is in the midst of a serious outbreak.

There are no medications available, only supportive care, nor is there a vaccine, said health department spokesman Tim O'Connor.

"It's definitely here, and people need to heed the advice and look around their homes, and do everything possible to prevent themselves from getting it," O'Connor said.

A Palm Beach County School District spokeswoman said games and after school activities are taking place as usual.

"We are working closely with the Health Department, but haven't been asked to take any action," said Vickie Middlebrooks of the school district.

The Palm Beach County resident became sick on Sept. 23, and as the illness grew worse, a physician sent the person to a local hospital on Sept. 27, O'Connor. The hospital did two initial tests, and a final test conducted at the state health lab confirmed on Wednesday that it was dengue, O'Connor said.

Palm Beach County Mosquito Control was notified late Wednesday, and targeted spraying and larviciding has begun, he said.

"They won't be doing mass aerial spraying," O'Connor said. "They are doing less spraying. But they work very closely with us and respond very quickly."

Gary Goode, an entomologist with the county's mosquito control division, said Thursday that the county is using trucks to spray the area where the case was confirmed. That location is not being released because of privacy issues, Goode said.

A helicopter will not be used to spray wide stretches of the county because the mosquitoes that carry dengue fever are typically found in containers, and not the swampy areas of the county's western section typically targeted by aerial spraying, Goode said.

"This is one that comes from around our houses," Goode said of the two types of mosquitoes in Palm Beach County that can carry the virus. "They like to live in bird baths, buckets and gutters."

Locally acquired dengue has also appeared in Martin and Miami-Dade counties this season, so the health department had alerted doctors and hospitals last month t

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2011/10/17/health-ministry-confirms-...

Health ministry confirms cases of hand, foot and mouth disease

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/china-vaccinates-9...

China vaccinates 9 million people in far western region amid polio outbreak

Tuesday, October 18, 8:34 AM

 

The World Health Organization says the polio strain detected in China had traveled from Pakistan, which borders Xinjiang and is one of four countries where the disease remains endemic. The other countries are India, Afghanistan and Nigeria.

“Overall, China, including in Xinjiang province, has good routine immunization coverage,” said Oliver Rosenbauer, a press officer for the WHO’s polio eradication drive in Geneva said Tuesday. But, he added, the virus has “a knack of finding any susceptible groups. Any chink in your armor, this virus is able to find.”

“It underscores the ongoing risk that endemic transmission continues to pose everywhere,” Rosenbauer said.

The Xinjiang Health Bureau said in a report on its website that the first round of vaccinations was administered last month over three periods to cover children and people aged 15 to 39 in Hotan and surrounding areas. It said this totals more than 9.3 million people.

The WHO said a genetic link had been confirmed between the wild poliovirus type 1 detected in China and a strain circulating in Pakistan. The agency says type 1 is more dangerous than type 3 because it is more likely to cause paralysis and spreads more easily. Type 2 polio has been eradicated.

The global health body says countries should strengthen their disease surveillance systems and travelers to Pakistan should be vaccinated against polio.

Since 1998, the World Health Organization and partners have been trying to get rid of polio. But progress has stalled in recent years and some have questioned whether polio can actually be eradicated.

Polio is a waterborne disease that mostly strikes children under five. To eradicate it, officials need to immunize more than 90 percent of children in the handful of countries where it still circulates.

Map in connection with Starr's comment;

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on October 11, 2011

UNICEF fights “one of the worst ever” cholera outbreaks in West and Central Africa

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

West and Central Africa: Cholera (as of 12 Oct 2011)

http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/EP-2011-00...

Outbreak of e-coli forces temporary closure of Limerick city creche

AN outbreak of e.coli has forced the temporary closure of a Limerick creche, the HSE confirmed this Monday.

It is understood that parents were told to take their children out of the suburban childcare facility last Tuesday and they expect the doors to reopen later this week. Around six children are believed to be carrying the e.coli VTEC 026 infection although fewer are showing symptoms, which can include bloody diarrhoea.

Parents have been asked in recent days to send stool samples to the microbiology department of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital as the HSE investigates the outbreak.

This strain of the e.coli bacterium is commonly associated with contaminated water and food but can also be transmitted from person to person. The HSE has this week stressed that the creche concerned meets the regulatory standards.

“A number of linked cases of verotoxigenic e. coli (VTEC) O26 infection have occurred in a creche in Limerick. In order to break the cycle of transmission of this infection among the children and with the agreement of the creche management, the creche has closed pending screening of all of the children and staff there for VTEC. The HSE is satisfied that the creche is fully compliant with pre-school standards,” a HSE spokesman said.

“Children from this creche will not be able to attend any other childcare facilities until they have been cleared. It is hoped that the creche will be able to reopen soon but the Department of Public Health requests that employers facilitate the parents while they are unable to avail of childminding. Parents have been advised that should their child develop diarrhoea, especially bloody diarrhoea, they should seek medical attention from their general practitioner.”

The HSE said over 200 cases of this strain were reported nationally last year and rates of infection in the Mid-West were higher than average.

In up to 10 per cent of cases, VTEC can lead to a more serious condition known as haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), which attacks the kidneys.

“The incidence of VTEC disease in Ireland is high in children under the age of five years as it is more easily spread between individuals in this age group. It usually requires no specific treatment other than ensuring plenty of fluids are taken,” the HSE said.

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/outbreak_of_e_coli_forces_tempora...

http://www.thanhniennews.com/2010/Pages/20111021-Hand-foot-mouth-de...

Children being treated for hand, foot and mouth disease at Quang Ngai General Hospital in the eponymous province

The hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak across Vietnam has not been declared a national epidemic despite the fact that it has claimed 130 lives and infected 71,472 people this year.

In September alone, 26,000 new HFMD cases and 31 deaths were reported. In the first half of October, 10,000 new cases and 16 deaths were reported.

Most of the HFMD cases are children. However, adults have also contracted HFMD while taking care of sick children.

Experts say HFMD had become an epidemic given the rising numbers of fatalities and infections in all 63 cities and provinces. But Vietnamese authorities have been hesitant to declare it a national epidemic.

Dr. Tran Tinh Hien, former deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said the number of HFMD infections was higher than the number recorded during the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak two years ago.

Dr. Nguyen Tran Hien, chief of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said HFMD is definitely an epidemic given that it has spread to all cities and provinces in the country.

In late August, when the HFMD death toll hit 83 (out of 35,000 infections) in 52 cities and provinces, a Ministry of Health official told Thanh Nien the disease was still under control, therefore there was no need to declare it an epidemic.

Before that, in mid August, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien told Ho Chi Minh City health authorities that an HFMD epidemic had broken out.

“Its status is no longer ‘at risk of breaking out’ as before, it has actually started,” Tien said.

However, much to the public’s surprise, the outbreak was never officially declared an epidemic.

On October 17, Minister Tien told Thanh Nien the HFMD outbreak would only be declared an epidemic if it spiraled out of control, adding that Vietnam had not declared the bird flu (H5N1) or swine flu (H1N1) outbreaks epidemics before.

“Although no announcement has been made, health authorities are taking the best measures to prevent an epidemic,” she said.

No announcement made

Nguyen Van Binh, chief of the Vietnam Administration of Preventive Medicine, told Thanh Nien that it is local authorities, not the Health Ministry, that are responsible for making announcements about epidemics.

Binh quoted regulations as saying that the ministry can announce a national epidemic only after at least two provinces do so locally.

Explaining why no localities have made the announcement, Binh said the number of infections has yet to exceed control thresholds established by authorities.

TB Outbreaks in Texas Schools Show Disease Still a Threat

At least 100 people have tested positive for the respiratory ailment

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Outbreaks among young people in Texas of the old foe tuberculosis -- often mistakenly dismissed as a long-ago health menace now confined to the pages of a Charles Dickens novel -- show that the respiratory disease is still easily contracted and remains a potential threat to Americans, experts say.

"Tuberculosis has always been with us and probably always will be," said Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

At least 100 people have tested positive for tuberculosis (TB) on skin tests in Ennis, Texas, about 40 miles south of Dallas, including several students at the local high school. The testing was done after a teacher was diagnosed with TB before the start of the school year.

And the University of North Texas in Denton -- about 70 miles away -- recommended that 27 people who had had contact with a student diagnosed with a suspected case of TB also be tested, according to local news reports.

A student at Denton High School also has suspected TB after transferring from Ennis High, although health authorities insist there is no link between the University of North Texas cases and the one at Denton High.

"TB is spread by the respiratory-droplet route, so coughing, talking, singing, breathing, even sitting in front of somebody in an airplane" can put a person at risk, Horovitz explained. "It's air-borne but it has to be in a certain range. It could be in the same room. It's very easily contracted."

While it's no longer the scourge of centuries past, about 11,000 cases of TB were reported last year in the United States, the lowest rate ever. California, Florida, New York and Texas together accounted for half of these cases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"When looking at the populations hardest-hit by TB -- racial/ethnic minorities and foreign-born individuals -- both groups continue to be disproportionately affected despite declines," said Dr. Kenneth Castro, director of the CDC's Tuberculosis Elimination Program.

"TB rates for all racial/ethnic minorities are higher than those of whites -- seven times higher for Hispanics, eight times higher for blacks, and 25 times higher for Asians," he added. "Among foreign-born individuals, TB rates are 11 times higher than among those who are born in the U.S.

http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=657868

Biggest US measles outbreak in years

October 20, 2011 (WLS) -- The United States is going through its largest measles outbreak in years and health officials think they know why.

This outbreak of measles is the largest to occur in 15 years affecting 214 children so far. Typically there are 60 to 70 cases per year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it believes this is likely driven by travelers returning from abroad and by too many unvaccinated children.

There is a growing trend among some US parents to skip the MMR vaccine for their children.

Experts say many parents have a misguided fear that the measles mumps and rubella vaccine is not safe.

Health officials say so far small outbreaks are being contained. But, they add, parents who decide against vaccinating their child may affect the health of other children.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/health&id=8399747

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/5824162/Measles-outbreak...

Measles outbreak hits Waiheke Island

The measles outbreak which has infected more than 200 Aucklanders has now spread to Waiheke Island.

A 17-year-old resident on the island recently tested positive for the disease, Dawn Rigby, Manager of the Waiheke Trust says.

It is not known where the teenager contracted measles but because of the school holidays his contact with others has been limited.

There are no other suspected cases on Waiheke.

Since the measles outbreak began in May there have been 229 confirmed cases of the disease in Auckland.

Health officials are urging anyone who has not been immunised against the disease to be vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health is working with the three Auckland district health boards to ensure there is a sufficient supply of the measles vaccine, as the disease continues to spread.

Officials will administer the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine for anyone who is not immunised free of charge.

The best protection against the disease is to have two doses of the MMR vaccine.

It is vital people born after January 1, 1969 check their immunisation status and if they are not vaccinated or have only received one dose of the vaccination, they should arrange an MMR vaccination.

General practitioners will now allow children of 12 months to receive their first vaccination rather than at 15 months, with the second one being given 28 days later, instead of at the age of four.

Doctors have also been asked by the district health boards to contact all children between the ages of four and 15 who have not had two vaccinations.

The symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny or blocked nose, sore red eyes and white spots inside the mouth, with a rash appearing on the face and spreading down the body after three to five days.

Anyone who has these symptoms, or who has been in contact with someone who has measles, is being urged to stay at home and call their doctor of Healthline on 0800 611 116.

UN: Ongoing cholera outbreak in Haiti has killed more than 6,500 people

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (BNO NEWS) -- The Haitian government has reported more than 6,500 deaths as a result of the ongoing cholera outbreak in Haiti, health officials said on Saturday. Hundreds of thousands more have been sickened.

According to the United Nations (UN) World Health Organization (WHO), Haiti has recorded nearly 470,000 cases of cholera, including 6,595 deaths, since an epidemic of the disease erupted approximately one year ago

WHO spokesperson Tarek Jasarevic said the disease could infect another 75,000 people by the end of the year if the current trend continues. Of the nearly 470,000 patients, some 250,000 people have been hospitalized.

If the rate does continue, the number of total victims could reach more than half a million in a country of approximately 9.7 million.

After a decline in weekly cholera cases in August, the number of cases rose again in September. Areas such as the South and Nippes departments, Nord, Centre and the capital of Port-au-Prince all saw significant increases.

There are currently 37 cholera treatment centers, 269 cholera treatment units and 766 oral rehydration posts. However, lack of funding has forced a number of WHO's partners to withdraw or scale down their operations in Haiti, Jasarevic said. Meanwhile, WHO has urged the humanitarian community and donors to remain vigilant as long term and coordinated cholera response may be necessary.

The conditions could worsen this month as heavy rainfall is forecast in several regions of the country, which is still recording from a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake on January 12, 2010. The new

‘Mystery’ disease hits children in Andhra

Hyderabad An outbreak of diseases, one of these being described as a mystery illness, has taken a heavy toll on children in Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema region. At least 500 children, aged between two and five, have been admitted to the Kurnool Government General Hospital with symptoms of dengue, chikungunya and “strange viral fevers”, doctors say.

Since October 12, the hospital has seen the death of 22 children. Just how many of them died due to viral fever is not clear. Resident medical officer Dr Gopal Raj said the high death count is due to the large number of children admitted to the neo-natal ICU following complications at birth. Kurnool Government Hospital is the largest referral hospital in Rayalaseema, especially for newborns.

The state government ordered an inquiry on Tuesday after being criticised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) the previous day. A team of health department, sanitation and Pollution Control Board officials has been sent to Kurnool and Kadapa districts to assess the situation.

“What is alarming is the extraordinarily high number of children admitted to the hospital with viral fever. Fever patients, very young children, started coming about two weeks ago. This happens usually due to seasonal changes but now it has taken epidemic proportions. We have three to five children on the same bed due to lack of space in the hospital. There are days when more than 50 children are admitted. A majority of the cases are coming from Kurnool and Kadapa, some from Anantapur and Mahbubnagar districts,” RMO Dr Gopal Raj said.

A team of doctors from the hospital and Kurnool district health officials visited the worst affected areas — Banganapalli, Alur, Pattikonda, Adoni and Matralayam — and reported that malnutrition and extremely poor hygiene standards are making the populations vulnerable to viral illnesses.

Health Minister D L Ravindra Reddy said there were only four dengue and viral fever deaths. “I am not sure on what basis the NCPCR sought the report but there are only four deaths due to diseases. In fact, it is not only Rayalaseema districts; we have noticed dengue in Warangal too where one death occurred. The number of cases is high and we have opened health centres to conduct tests and provide rapid medication,” the minister said.

Hospital officials claim that the number of deaths attributed to viral fever is exaggerated. “There are certainly some deaths. We are finding out how many died due to viral fever and other sickness. Kurnool Hospital also receives a high number of kids in a very critical condition as it is a referral hospital for four districts,” says District Collector Ram Shankar Naik.

The NCPCR has directed the state government to order a probe and submit the report in a fortnight. Kurnool District Collector Ram Shankar Naik has been asked to conduct a probe into whether fever caused any deaths, and the reasons for the epidemic.

The commission has sought a report from the government as to what measures it was taking to contain spread of diseases. It has also asked for a report on the total number of cases of children who died at the hospital and Kurnool district primary health centres in the past three months, reports submitted by district health officials,

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/-Mystery--disease-hits-chil...

http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/mo-nc-ecoli-outbreaks-investigated-22200/

E. coli Outbreaks Sicken 23 in Missouri, 21 in North Carolina

Health officials are struggling to find the cause of an E. coli food poisoning outbreak that has sickened at least 23 people in the St. Louis metropolitan area.   

Investigators from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have not yet released an identity on the possible cause of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has rapidly spread through the area, but say they are fairly certain that it is food-related. Out of the 23 illnesses reported so far, at least six people have been hospitalized.

One local Schnucks grocery story in Richmond Heights has voluntarily pulled some of its fresh produce and restocked its salad bar, but store officials say that it was done as a precautionary measure and say they have received no indication that food from the store is linked to the illnesses.

Hospitals in the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area began reporting a high number of E. coli illnesses earlier this week and local officials became concerned. In 2010 there was a total of 10 E. coli food poisoning infections reported in the area. Reports this week alone are more than twice that number.

Another 21 possible E. coli food poisoning illnesses are being investigated in North Carolina. That outbreak has left at least four children hospitalized. Of the nine cases that have been confirmed, eight of the victims had attended the state fair. That outbreak is not believed to have any link to the St. Louis area illnesses.

E. coli O157:H7 is one of the more common causes of food poisoning in the United States. When left untreated, it can lead to dehydration and potentially life-threatening illness. While most healthy adults recover from food poisoning caused by E. coli within a few weeks, young children and the elderly could be at risk for more severe illness. If the toxin enters the blood stream, E. coli could also lead to kidney failure known as Hemolytic-Urenia Syndrome (HUS).

Shigella Outbreak Sickens 80 at South Carolina Elementary School

EMSL Analytical provides microbial testing services to protect people from environmental pathogens.
 
Cinnaminson, NJ, October 28th, 2011
 
This month, WSPA, a regional CBS affiliate, reported that a major outbreak of Shigella has sickened 80 people at the Honea Path Elementary School in Honea Path, South Carolina. According to the report, so far the sick include students, staff and parents.  The outbreak came on quickly and the school has begun extensive cleaning efforts to get the outbreak under control.
 
Shigella are Gram-negative, nonmotile, nonsporeforming rod-shaped bacteria. The illness caused by Shigella, known as shigellosis, is perhaps more often associated with outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States.  An estimated 300,000 cases of shigellosis occur annually in the U.S.
 
As few as 10 cells, depending on the age and the condition of the host, can cause illness just 12 to 50 hours after entering the human body. Shigella species are highly infectious agents that are transmitted primarily by the fecal-oral route.  The disease is caused when the Shigella organisms attach to, and penetrate, epithelial cells of the intestinal mucosa. After invasion, they multiply intracellularly, resulting in tissue destruction. Some strains produce enterotoxin and Shiga toxin.
 
Symptoms can include abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and blood, pus, or mucus in stools.  Shigella is principally a disease of humans and the organism is frequently found in water polluted with human feces.
 
“Infants, the elderly and the infirm are susceptible to the severest symptoms of the disease, but all humans are susceptible to some degree,” reported Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President, Marketing at EMSL Analytical, a leading environmental pathogen testing laboratory.  “Environmental testing can identify the organism and help to pinpoint the source of the pathogenic bacteria to help prevent and stop outbreaks,” he continued.    
 
EMSL recently sponsored an educational video about Shigella that can be seen at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kufdtZzSn70

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=148421

Deadly outbreak of kala-azar disease continues in South Sudan, UN agency says

28 October 2011 – At least 720 people have died in South Sudan from a protracted outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease, and the number of deaths could be much higher, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.

WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva that more than 18,000 cases of the disease have been recorded in South Sudan since the outbreak emerged in September 2009, with children mostly affected.

The outbreak has since spread to other areas of the newly independent country, and the number of new cases so far this year is a third higher than the equivalent figures from last year, he added.Kala-azar, which is transmitted by the bite of sandflies, can cause death by attacking a person’s internal organs and bone marrow and has a mortality rate of 95 per cent if it is not treated.

WHO is working with national health authorities to reduce the number of deaths in the outbreak, in part by increasing the number of health-care facilities providing treatment for the tropical disease.

Visceral leishmaniasis occurs in three clinical forms, and the current outbreak in South Sudan involves kala-azar, the most serious form.

Kala-azar, which is transmitted by the bite of sandflies, can cause death by attacking a person’s internal organs and bone marrow and has a mortality rate of 95 per cent if it is not treated.

Daniel Dagne, a medical officer for WHO, said the number of deaths from the outbreak was likely to be under-reported in South Sudan, which has little infrastructure and numerous remote communities

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40232&Cr=South+Sud...

http://midnightwatcher.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/india-outbreak-of-d...

India: Outbreak of Deadly Diseases Including ‘Mystery Illness’ Hits Children in Rayalaseema Region

“An outbreak of diseases, one of these being described as a mystery illness, has taken a heavy toll on children in Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema region. At least 500 children, aged between two and five, have been admitted to the Kurnool Government General Hospital with symptoms of dengue, chikungunya and ‘strange viral fevers’, doctors say.

Since October 12, the hospital has seen the death of 22 children. Just how many of them died due to viral fever is not clear. Resident medical officer Dr Gopal Raj said the high death count is due to the large number of children admitted to the neo-natal ICU following complications at birth. Kurnool Government Hospital is the largest referral hospital in Rayalaseema, especially for newborns.

The state government ordered an inquiry on Tuesday after being criticised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) the previous day. A team of health department, sanitation and Pollution Control Board officials has been sent to Kurnool and Kadapa districts to assess the situation.” Source – Indian Express.

Mysterious disease kills 28 children in India – “In India’s Bihar state, at least 28 children have died in the past week from an unidentified illness. Officials said that all of the children were between two and eight years. They died in Muzaffarpur town, 80kms (50 miles) from the state capital, Patna. Bihar Health Minister Ashwani Choubey told that a team of doctors from Delhi is visiting Muzaffarpur on Tuesday to diagnose the disease. The children died after reporting high fever followed by bouts of unconsciousness and convulsions

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-09/gladstone-harbour-in-pictures...

Legionnaires' Disease Confirmed at Keswick

The long term care facility said both ill people have recovered.

 

Legionnaires’ Cases Confirmed at Baltimore Nursing Home

EMSL Analytical, Inc. provides rapid, accurate Legionnaires’ testing services

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=148939

Two cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been discovered at the Keswick Multicare Center on West 40th Street in Baltimore, MD. Their symptoms began in September, and health officials have now confirmed that the patients are indeed suffering from Legionnaires’, according to NBC affiliate WBAL-TV. Both patients are expected to recover.
 
An investigation into the source of the outbreak is underway; but in the meantime, the Keswick Multicare Center said that it is only serving bottled water as a precautionary measure.
 
Legionnaires’ disease is a very serious form of pneumonia that results in long term health effects or a flu-like illness called Pontiac Fever. Most individuals become infected by inhaling Legionella bacteria in the air; it is not spread from person to person. The bacteria spread through mist or vapor from contaminated water in hot tubs, cooling towers, faucets, showerheads, and other water systems. A current or previous smoking habit, chronic lung disease, age (usually 50 years or older), and the use of certain rheumatoid arthritis and chemotherapy drugs can increase the risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.
 
“EMSL Analytical, Inc. conducts Legionella testing by both the culture method and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR),” states EMSL’s Business Development Manager, Diane Miskowski, MPH. “Clients can be assured of EMSL’s accuracy, as we have proudly passed the CDC Legionella Testing Proficiency Program in our Cinnaminson, NJ; Houston, TX; San Leandro, CA; and Manhattan laboratories.”

http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2011/11/98019/

Ninh Thuan Province in central Vietnam officially declared hand-foot-mouth disease as an epidemic on Monday, after six out of its seven districts reported a high outbreak of the disease.

Phan Thi Lai, deputy head of the Department of Health in the central province of Ninh Thuan said that the People’s Committee had decided to announce the hand-foot-mouth disease as an epidemic after more cases were reported in six districts out of its seven districts in the province. Accordingly measures will now have to be taken to tackle the situation.

Consequently, the People’s Committee has ordered agencies and related departments to coordinate with health authorities to implement urgent and effective measures to fight the disease and prevent any further outbreaks.

Health statistics from the Department of Health in Ninh Thuan Province show that during the first 10 months of the year, over 500 cases of HFMD were detected with 3 reported deaths, a 24 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1268950/-/bhcghsz/-/

Ankole cattle corridor faces anthrax outbreak

 

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1268956/-/bhcghmz/-/

Kitgum in nodding disease dilemma

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-x-1109-whooping-cough-20111...

Doctors call for preventive measures in wake of pertussis outbreaks

Boosters recommended, in addition to washing hands, covering mouth when coughing

When a series of whooping cough cases spread through a northwest suburban high school this fall, school officials knew they had to act quickly to try to stem the outbreak.

Cleaning crews at Cary-Grove High School scrubbed down and repeatedly sanitized the sprawling campus, which accommodates 1,820 students and more than 100 teachers and staff.

"We were already tested on this" with the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009, said Jeff Puma, Community High School District 155 communications director. "We disinfected high-touch areas throughout the building — desks, doorknobs, drinking fountains — anything that a lot of people might be touching."

But there was little the school could do about a broader issue: a need for proper vaccinations against a highly contagious condition officially known as pertussis.

For pediatrician Walter A. Orenstein, the Cary-Grove case illustrates why adolescents and adults need more protection.

"Adolescents and adults lose immunity over time and it's very critical that they get a (one-time) booster dose," said Orenstein, a member of the Committee on Infectious Di

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/fs/food-disease/news/nov09...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/10/kawasaki-disease-wind-patt...

Kawasaki Disease: Researchers Find Surprising Link To Wind Patterns

Part of a series investigating the complex linkages between human, animal and environmental health: The Infection Loop.

Dr. Jane C. Burns always takes her vacation in September and October. That's when, she says, there is a "lull in the action."

By action, she means the influx of children with Kawasaki disease that she has come to expect during summer and winter months. Similar seasonal patterns are seen in other parts of the world, but no one has been able to explain why.

Now Burns and her colleagues think they may have found an important clue -- blowing in the wind. Despite 50 years of research, the underlying cause of Kawasaki, a rare condition that involves the inflammation of blood vessels, remains unknown.

The interdisciplinary team of doctors and climatologists has linked large-scale wind patterns originating in central Asia to fluctuations in cases of the serious and sometimes fatal disease in Japan, San Diego and Hawaii. Their findings, detailed in the journal Nature's Scientific Reports on Thursday, suggest that when these particular wind currents reverse -- sweeping in from the south, in the case of Japan -- the number of Kawasaki cases drop. A close look at data from these three regions found no associations with other environmental factors such as precipitation, temperature or dew point.

"If the winds blow in one direction, there is Kawasaki; if winds blow in the other, there is no Kawasaki. It's very dramatic." says Burns, a professor of pediatrics and director of the Kawasaki Disease Research Center at the University of California, San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital.

Researchers are now looking at dust samples collected from winds over Japan in hopes of determining what virus, bacteria, fungi or other contagion -- live or inert -- ultimately triggers Kawasaki disease. And until that mystery is solved, no one can be certain of the wind's true role.

If the Kawakasi agent does, in fact, traverse great distances by wind, it would be the first known human infectious disease agent to do so. Dust plumes have been known to travel internationally. And some pathogens of plants and animals such as European livestock Foot and Mouth Disease and African Swine Fever can blow around, but only over relatively short distances, said Guy Hendrickx, managing director of Avia-GIS, a Belgian company specializing in spatial information for health and agriculture research. His own research has found that insects carrying Bluetongue virus will fly with the wind over hundreds of miles -- yet still not at the same high altitude and long distance suggested in the new Kawasaki research.

"

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-10/rats-feeding-on-trash-i...

Rats Feeding on Trash Increase Disease Threat in Flooded Bangkok

Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Bangkok officials began paying residents to clear trash after doctors reported more cases of a potentially lethal rat-linked disease in flood-stricken areas.

The municipal government said it will pay 300 baht ($9.70) a day for the next two months to remove garbage in a city that normally produces 8,000 tons of waste daily. Concern that uncollected food scraps may be harboring vermin increased after Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri said yesterday seven people were being treated for leptospirosis, a bacterial infection spread in water contaminated with rat urine.

“We don’t want the rats to walk around finding food,” said Porntep Siriwanarangsun, director general of Thailand’s Department of Disease Control. “We have to take care of the garbage immediately.”

The specter of infectious epidemics is increasing as the battle to overcome the nation’s worst flood since 1942 stretches into the 15th week. Medical workers treated 4,684 people for influenza, 828 for diarrhea and 246 for conjunctivitis in 127 state shelters the past month in Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani provinces, the health ministry said this week.

“We are sending more mobile teams to cope with and combat infectious diseases,” Porntep said in a Nov. 8 interview.

Colds and skin diseases of the feet caused by contact with dirty water are the main complaints treated at refugee shelters so far, he said, adding that leptospirosis is a key concern because the bacterium may persist in water for a month.

Anti-Garbage Campaign

“We are now in a campaign to get rid of garbage because this will attract rats, and the rat urine will leave the disease on small puddles of water on the ground,” Porntep said.

Humans become infected through direct contact with the urine of rats and other infected animals or with a urine- contaminated environment, according to the World Health Organization. The bacteria enter the body through cuts or abrasions on the skin, or through the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes.

In the early stages of the disease, symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, chills, redness of the eyes, abdominal pain, jaundice, hemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash, the Geneva-based agency said.

Aid workers are delivering pre-prepared meals to displaced families to try to mitigate the risk, said Varabhorn Bhumiswasdi, director of the Priest Hospital in central Bangkok, who is leading a mobile medical team in Rangsit, a flooded area 20 kilometers (13 miles) north of the city center.

At a temporary shelter in Rangsit, villagers set up an outdoor kitchen, storing rice, raw fish and other food items in plastic bags. Trash was piled in a corner of the compound, which was shared with dogs and ducks.

No Cooking

“We tell people not to cook their own food at the shelters because we’re very worried about the garbage,” Varabhorn said. “We also warn them not to buy food from vendors because it may be unhygienic. That’s why we have to supply fresh cooked food three times a day, to prevent food poisoning and diarrhea.”

Varabhorn’s six-person team set up a makeshift clinic on a concrete bridge above the now-submerged village of Lak Hok. Patients are examined on an abandoned bed and dispensed medicines from the back of a truck.

“We’

This can't be good.  The CDC has confirmed infectious TB at a homeless shelter where occupy Atlanta protesters may still be at risk from this airborne disease.

http://nation.foxnews.com/occupy-wall-street/2011/11/10/tuberculosi...

Tuberculosis Outbreak at Occupy Atlanta's Base

 

http://www.coastweek.com/3445_zambia_07.htm

Unknown Disease Breaks
Out In Western Zambia

The strange disease is making people to
vomit, have diarrhoea and pneumonia
.

LUSAKA (Xinhua) -- At least 78 people have been admitted to a local hospital in western Zambia following an outbreak of an unknown disease, the Post of Zambia reported on Tuesday.

A strange disease has broken out in Kalabo district in Western province. The strange disease is making people to vomit, have diarrhea and pneumonia.

Dr. Reuben Mbewe, Ministry of Health spokersperson, said the district had been reporting increased number of patients presented with sudden onset of fever since Oct. 24.

The health official has however said signs and symptoms of the disease were consistent with typhoid but confirmatory laboratory investigations were still being awaited.

“The disease is affecting all ages of both male and female patients. There have been no deaths amongst the hospitalized cases, “ he was quoted as saying by the paper.

He said of the 78 people that were admitted, 65 were still receiving treatment while 13 have been discharged, adding that health officials in the district have responded well and providing appropriate medical attention to the patients.

http://www.science20.com/anthrophysis/urbanization_may_influence_tr...

Disease has played a vital role in shaping the course of human history--a point famously addressed in Jared Diamond's 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Guns, Germs, and Steel. Because we have created effective vaccines for so many diseases, and have gone quite some time without a major deadly global pandemic, it is easy to forget that infections are still a real threat. Several years ago, outbreaks of avian influenza served as a powerful reminder that any number of zoonotic diseases--those that can be transmitted between animals and humans--could eventually cross species barriers and cause real harm to humans. 

In some areas, emergence of zoonotic infections appears to be tied to anthropogenic activities. For instance, habitat destruction in Australia has reduced the availability of food resources for flying foxes--a type of bat that has been the source of 4 novel human pathogens since 1994. Where the foxes once covered large areas of natural habitat to look for patchily distributed, ephemeral food sources, they now often remain resident in urban areas, where they can forage in gardens and parks year round. This means that the bats contact each other, and the species to which they can transmit diseases, at evolutionarily new rates, thus altering transmission dynamics. This is particularly scary in the case of the lethal Hendra virus (HeV). Infected bats do not appear to suffer any ill effects of the disease, and merely pass it out of their systems via urine, saliva, feces, and placental fluids. However, where these come into contact with pasture, feed, or water, they can result in infections in horses, who then pass on the disease to humans.

(Grey-headed flying fox, Pteropus poliocephalus)  Continues...

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/malaria-outbreak-in-sidh...

Malaria outbreak in Sidhi:Collector, civil surgeon transferred

PTI | 08:11 PM,Nov 11,2011

Bhopal, Nov 11 (PTI) Taking serious note of recent deaths in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh due to outbreak of malaria, state Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan today ordered the transfer of District Collector S N Sharma as also the Civil Surgeon and Chief Medical Health Officer(CMHO) there, official sources said. While officials said that over 35 people were killed following the outbreak of malaria at the Chouphal village of the district, Opposition Congress and CPM alleged that over 45 persons died because of the disease. Besides issuing transfer orders of Collector, the Government removed Civil Surgeon, Dr MP Tiwari and in-charge CMHO Dr VV Singh from their posts for not taking necessary steps to prevent the outbreak of malaria, the sources said. The matter was raised by the Leader of Opposition, Ajay Singh and the CPM's State Secretary Badal Saroj. Later, Chief Minister himself visited Chouphal to take stock of the situation and monitored steps taken for providing relief to the people. Sidhi's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jagdish Chandra Jatia was handed over the temporary charge of the collector, the sources added.