Over the weekend and through today the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) health ministry reported 16 more lab-confirmed Ebola cases, 13 of them from Katwa, the outbreak's current hot spot. Also, in a Feb 9 update, health officials reported 7 more probable cases, all from Katwa involving people who became ill in November and December and died between November and January.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today confirmed 9 new cases of the polio-like condition known as acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), boosting the 2018 numbers to 210. The agency also noted that 7 patients so far this year are under investigation for AFM.
Washington's Clark County officials have confirmed 7 more measles cases, bringing the outbreak total to 41, plus 15 suspected infections, according to the latest update from the county's public health department.
Today Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported two new MERS-CoV cases, both in Wadi Al Dawasir, a town in south-central Saudi Arabia.
In an update to its epidemiologic week 5 report, the MOH said the patients were a 44-year-old man and a 62-year-old women, both hospitalized for their MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) infections.
Today in Eurosurveillance, researchers published the first estimates of vaccine effectiveness (VE) for the 2018-19 seasonal flu vaccine administered in Canada, showing that overall VE was 68% in a season driven by influenza A(H1N1) viruses and 72% against the predominant strain.
Because of the federal government shutdown, now in its third week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended all routine inspections of domestic food-processing facilities, a move that alarms some food safety advocates.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who received the seasonal influenza vaccine had a38% reduction in influenza-related hospitalizations compared with those who were unvaccinated. The findings, based on a Canadian study, are published in Chest.
For the flu shot, effectiveness was 67%, and for FluMist it was a not-significant 20%.
Public Health England (PHE) announced today its investigation into 28 cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP, known in the United States as acute flaccid myelitis) reported in England this year, most of them since September.
A cell-based vaccine protected about 10% better than a standard vaccine but not a high-dose version.
