News Scan for Nov 03, 2014

News brief

Chikungunya outbreak case numbers edge closer toward 800,000

The chikungunya outbreak in the Caribbean and the Americas has added 4,481 suspected and confirmed cases this week, bringing the total to 793,563, according to an Oct 31 update from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The largest increases came in Colombia, with 2,740 new suspected and confirmed cases, and Puerto Rico, with 1,534. Chile saw its first case. Confirmed cases, currently numbering 13,357, make up a small portion of the total cases.

One new death from the disease occurred, in Puerto Rico, bringing the total fatal cases overall to 153. Martinique has had the most cases, with 74, and Guadeloupe has had 65.
Oct 31 PAHO update
Oct 24 CIDRAP News scan

PATH receives Gates grant to develop malaria vaccine

The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) received a $156 million grant to develop a vaccine that will combat malaria infection on several fronts, according to a news release yesterday from PATH MVI.

The award, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will allow the MVI to focus on building malaria vaccines that disrupt the cycle of parasite transmission between humans and female Anopheles mosquitoes. The ideal vaccine will both prevent people from being infected with malaria after being bitten by an infected mosquito and prevent people from transmitting the parasite back to mosquitoes, the alert said.

Building a vaccine that interrupts the malaria transmission cycle targets the parasite when it's weakest, the release said.

The MVI proposes to have a vaccine candidate for development by the end of 2017. According to the news release, the vaccine will include new antigens validated with monoclonal antibodies, rather than prototype vaccines, to ensure that issues with effectiveness don't arise late in the process. The use of new antigens will allow vaccine recipients to develop "unnatural immunity," potentially helping to stop the growth of malarial resistance to drugs and insecticides.
Nov 2 PATH MVI news release

Flu Scan for Nov 03, 2014

News brief

Another H7N9 case in China brings total to at least 441

A woman in China's Jiangsu province has H7N9 avian flu and is hospitalized in critical care, Hong Kong's Department of Health (DH) reported today.

The 58-year-old woman had bought a chicken at a market and slaughtered it prior to having symptoms, the agency said in a news release.

Reports of H7N9 avian flu in humans began in February 2013. To date there have been 441 cases in mainland China, 57 of them in Jiangsu province, according to the DH. FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board, puts the total at 457. The most recent previous cases were reported about 2 weeks ago, in Xinjiang province and Beijing.

Among actions being encouraged by DH are avoiding live-poultry markets and farms, thoroughly cooking eggs and poultry before eating them, washing hands often, and wearing a mask if respiratory symptoms develop.
Nov 3 DH press release
FluTrackers H7N9 case count
Oct 20 CIDRAP News scan on previous H7N9 cases

Study finds globally disparate flu vaccine dose distribution

A survey of influenza vaccine dose distribution in 157 countries found that many regions fall below World Health Assembly goals for vaccine coverage, according to a Nov 12 study in Vaccine.

The study measured flu vaccine dose distribution from 2004 to 2011. Two surveys obtained distribution data from vaccine manufacturers and suppliers who are part of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations Influenza Vaccine Supply task force, the study said.

The total number of doses distributed globally increased from 262 million to 489 million from 2004 to 2011—an increase of 86.9% in distribution. Flu vaccine distribution from 2008 to 2011, however, increased only 12.1%.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Americas region received the highest number of doses, while Africa had the lowest vaccine distribution, the study said. The United States had the highest per capita distribution of flu vaccine, with 477 doses per 1,000 people. Haiti had the lowest per capita distribution, with 0.69 doses per 1,000 people.

The WHO Europe region had the lowest rate of growth in dose distribution with an increase of 14%, and Europe actually experienced a 29% decrease in distribution from 2008 to 2011, the study said.

The study authors acknowledge that global differences in vaccine recommendations, surveillance activities, healthcare provider attitudes, and reimbursement policies may affect the interpretation of their results.
Nov 12 Vaccine study