A 31-year-old Indonesian woman from near Jakarta has died of H5N1 avian flu, the country's health ministry said today, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Her case is Indonesia's third this year, all fatal.
The flu vaccine was 47% effective against medically attended flu for all influenza strains in the 2011-12 season, and being vaccinated the year before lowered effectiveness, according to a study yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Lessons learned in response to H7N9 avian flu in China this year include the importance of global cooperation, transparent communication, and collaboration between human health and animal health professionals, the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Western Pacific Region Office (WPRO) said in a new report.
It added, however, that the region is not prepared for a severe public health emergency.
A 10-year-old boy from Kampot province in Cambodia who was reported to have H5N1 avian flu last week has died, The Cambodian Daily reported today. The boy is the second child to die from the disease in the country in 2 weeks.
Flu activity in the United States remained at low levels last week, though some markers showed slight increases, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.
The percentage of respiratory specimens that tested positive for flu rose from 4.5% to 4.9% over the past week, and the percentage of clinic visits for flu-like illness crept up from 1.2% to 1.4%. Both indicators remain below their baselines.
The World Health Organization (WHO), citing Chinese officials, today confirmed two H7N9 avian flu cases reported by the media yesterday and provided further details.
The first patient is a 3-year-old boy from Guangdong province who became sick Oct 29, was admitted to a local hospital on Oct 31, and was transferred to another hospital on Nov 4. He is in stable condition and had contact with live poultry, the WHO said.
China reported two H7N9 influenza cases in different provinces today, the third and fourth cases detected since mid-October.
As Syria begins large-scale vaccination efforts to combat polio, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe said in a statement today that the situation increases the risk of international spread of wild poliovirus, and aid groups called for a truce to help stem the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today confirmed a fatal case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia, adding to information in an Oct 31 statement from the Saudi government about the death of a 56-year-old.
US flu activity increased only slightly last week, though markers stayed well below thresholds, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its weekly update.
The number of respiratory samples that tested positive for flu edged up slightly, from 3.8% to 4.5%, and the percentage of clinic visits for flu remained at the 1.2% seen the previous week.
