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Global measles deaths have dropped 79% in the past 15 years, and the measles vaccine saved an estimated 17.1 million people in that span, but vaccine uptake has stagnated in recent years, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Seven more illnesses have been reported in an Escherichia coli O26 outbreak in Washington and Oregon linked to eating at Chipotle restaurants, boosting the overall total to 49, the two states reported yesterday. The Washington State Department of Health (WSDH) said it has confirmed 31 cases, while the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) put its total at 18.
The lastest patient, a foreign man in Riyadh, contracted the disease in a healthcare setting.
Also, researchers note vaccine storage limitations, and Australia eases screening.
Flu vaccination might alleviate symptoms of the H3N2 influenza strain, according to a small study in Vaccine.
US military researchers studied 155 patients with lab-confirmed flu from five military hospitals from 2009 through 2014. Of them, 66 had H3N2 flu, while 69 had 2009 H1N1, 3 had influenza A that wasn't subtyped, and 17 had influenza B. The vaccination rate was 72% (111 patients).
Three US outbreaks of meningococcal disease in men who have sex with men (MSM) in recent years prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to request reports from states on the disease in this population, and they noted at least 74 cases since 2012 concentrated in large cities, according to a report today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Although officials are still tracing high-risk contacts, they reported no new cases.
China has acknowledged two more H7N9 avian flu infections, both of which occurred in October, increasing the total in the early phase of what appears to be a fourth wave of infections to four. The cases, reported by China's National Health and Family Commission, were noted in a statement today from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP).
The vaccine against a strain that affects only Africa has been a resounding success.
Oregon reported 1 new case, bringing the two-state outbreak total so far to 42.
The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) yesterday confirmed that the number of locally acquired cases of dengue fever has increased by 4 since Nov 6, to 27, with potential exposure areas all across the big island of Hawaii.
The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Saudi Arabia's ministries of health and agriculture have launched a joint program for comprehensive MERS-CoV research on the Middle East, Arab News reported today as the country's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported no MERS cases for the 7th straight day.
Data management problems were linked to many challenges and presented a missed research opportunity, the team reported.
Nearly 18 months after the nation reported its first case, the WHO declared it Ebola-free.
A prescription cream used to treat skin disorders applied before flu vaccine appears to increase immune response in young adults, even against drifted strains not included in the vaccine, a small study yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases found.
Countries in the Americas and Caribbean reported 2,938 recent cases of chikungunya, bringing the outbreak total to 1,763,736, according to a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) update from late last week.
More states are reporting their first cases and even deaths, but at the national level, flu levels remained low last week.
The number of cases in an Escherichia coli O26 outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in Oregon and Washington, which has fluctuated over the past 2 days as investigations progress and states receive test results, now stands at 41.
The candidate vaccine, given as nose drops, produced a strong immune response.
A survey designed to assess flu and pertussis vaccination patterns and attitudes in women who recently delivered babies found that both moms' vaccination and recommendations from obstetricians were linked to infant vaccine cocooning.
