A new genetic study of Ebola viruses in West Africa's epidemic, published yesterday in Nature, helps trace the disease's spread and, according to the authors, shows that the virus mutated at about the same rate observed in earlier outbreaks.
State officials in Minnesota and Iowa today announced one new avian influenza outbreak apiece, both of them on turkey farms.
Minnesota's Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced that one more turkey flock is "presumptive positive" for avian flu. The outbreak occurred in Renville County, located in the south-central part of the state. The DPS said details on the outbreak's flock size will be released soon.
The ongoing outbreak of cholera in Haiti that began in late 2010 has led to a dramatic rise in cases over the past 6 months, with nearly 12,000 reported already this year. The rate is only expected to soar further when the rainy season starts next month and as international aid dries up, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) story yesterday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that it and partner groups working on earthquake response in Nepal are deploying extra medications and equipment to prevent the spread of diarrheal diseases such as cholera, which can spread when disasters damage and contaminate the clean water supply.
Groups estimate that at least 2.8 million people have been displaced, with many living in 16 makeshift camps.
Haiti and the Dominican Republic continue to report cholera cases in early 2015 well above levels seen during the same period last year, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported late last week.
Another MERS-CoV case today in Riyadh boosts the number of MERS cases in Saudi Arabia this month to 13, 12 of which have been in Riyadh. The country's Ministry of Health (MOH) also confirmed a death in a previously reported patient.
In related news, a study today found no evidence of the virus in Bactrian (two-humped) camels.
To prevent cholera, chlorination programs have been launched in 107 of 500 rural water systems in Haiti.
California officials today said they have confirmed 92 measles cases since December, 59 of which are linked to visiting Disneyland, bringing the US total to more than 100 cases, while Toronto has confirmed 4 cases not linked to each other or to travel outside the country.
A fairly steady trickle of MERS-CoV cases in Saudi Arabia continued today with a report of two more, one of them fatal.
The committee that advises the federal government on biosecurity and dual-use research today approved a statement detailing its concerns about the US government moratorium on funding for "gain-of-function" (GOF) studies on influenza, MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus), and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).
