Dengue

Cambodian boy has H5N1 avian flu

A 3-year-old boy from Cambodia's eastern Prey Veng province has tested positive for H5N1 avian flu, marking the country's 14th case this year, according to Xinhua, China's state news agency, today.

Berry-linked hepatitis A outbreak grows to 131

Four more people have been sickened with hepatitis A after eating a berry mix that contained contaminated pomegranate seeds from Turkey, raising the total the 131, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday in its latest update.

Four more patients have been hospitalized for their infections, raising that total to 59. The latest illness onset is Jun 24.

Meta-analysis: Flu vaccines can protect against mismatched strains

A meta-analysis of 34 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) suggests that seasonal influenza vaccines can provide significant protection against flu even if the circulating flu strains don't match those in the vaccine, according to a Canadian team of researchers.

H5N1 prevalence may surpass 10% in Egyptian backyard, market poultry

An Egyptian surveillance study found that while H5N1 avian flu viruses were uncommon on commercial poultry farms, more than 10% of backyard and live-market birds harbored the virus, according to a report in the Journal of Virology.

Report suggest poorer kids face greater food safety risks

Despite data collection gaps, there is strong evidence that poorer children are at greater risk for foodborne illness, according to a Jun 17 report from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), a nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington, DC. Kids younger than 15 account for half of all foodborne illnesses, and young children are particularly vulnerable, the

CDC Angola dengue warning covers threat to travelers

The United States and other countries are seeing a rise in lab-confirmed dengue cases in people who have traveled to Luanda, Angola's capital, and health providers should be aware that the disease in Africa is endemic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.

Saudis provide more MERS-CoV genetic sequences

Saudi Arabian officials have deposited in a public database four MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) genetic sequences from the recent hospital cluster of cases in the Al-Ahsa region, increasing the number of available sequences for the virus to nine, according to a blog entry from virologist Andrew Rambaut, PhD, of the University of Edinburgh.