Feb 15, 2010
GI anthrax patient upgraded to stable
A New Hampshire woman with a rare gastrointestinal anthrax infection is up and walking 2 months after she was first hospitalized, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Feb 12. She had been in critical condition for several weeks after attending a drum circle gathering in Durham on Dec 4, apparently from swallowing spores. Tests showed anthrax spores on two of 64 animal-hide drums and several environmental samples from the building. A state health official said the woman is now in stable condition, but she will likely remain hospitalized. Gastrointestinal anthrax is nearly unknown in the United States.
Vietnam H5N1 update details 13 outbreaks
Animal health officials in Vietnam have confirmed 13 H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in poultry since Jan 20, according to a Feb 13 report from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The outbreaks span seven different provinces, with five of them in Ha Tinh in central Vietnam. All but one of the outbreaks occurred on farms. In total, the virus killed 6,033 birds, and 14,304 more were culled to control the outbreaks. Investigations into outbreak sources found that introduction of new animals, illegal movement of birds, and fomites probably contributed to the spread of the virus.
Feb 13 OIE report
