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.
Closure of live-poultry markets (LPMs) in four Chinese cities in the spring of this year promptly cut H7N9 avian flu cases by more than 97%, according to a statistical analysis published today in The Lancet.
Google Flu Trends has adjusted the modeling it uses so that it can more accurately predict US activity after it overemphasized flu severity last season, Google engineer Christian Stefansen said in a blog post yesterday.
