Not surprisingly, the entire Northern Hemisphere is seeing increasing influenza activity, with H3N2 most common, but unfortunately in an antigenically drifted strain not well matched to the strain in this year's vaccine, according to an update yesterday from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The current spurt of cases might be caused by increased circulation of H5N1 in poultry and other factors.
H5N8 in Taiwan leads a long list of outbreaks in Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa.
Six additional human cases of H5N1 avian flu have been reported by Egypt's health ministry, three on Jan 9 and three more yesterday, according to stories from Ahram Online, part of the country's largest news organization, which brings the total so far this year to 10.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today approved a meningococcal vaccine for infants in sub-Saharan Africa that has already proved successful in older children and young adults along the continent's "meningitis belt," the agency said in a news release.
December disease reports from China's Fujian and Jiangsu provinces revealed 10 more H7N9 avian influenza infections, none of them fatal, according to reports in Chinese identified, translated, and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board.
Fujian province reported six of the cases and Jiangsu province reported four. No other details were available about the cases, other than that none were fatal.
Also, Washington state takes steps to curb H5N2 outbreaks in backyard flocks.
Scientists have identified two mutations usually associated with adaptation to mammals.
Avian flu has struck a second backyard poultry flock in Benton County, Washington, according to a story in the area's Tri-City Herald yesterday.
China reported its second H7N9 avian flu case this year, with both cases in Guangdong province near Hong Kong, according to a report today from Xinhua, the country's state-run news agency.
