Malaria

Saudi Arabia reports its 800th MERS case, plus death

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) today reported a new MERS-CoV case and the death of a previously reported patient. The new case brings the country's count of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) cases to 800.

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).

Saudi audit finds 16 earlier MERS cases; 1 new case reported

An independent audit of MERS-CoV data in Saudi Arabia yesterday identified 16 more infections with illness onsets before Jun 3 and has reclassified a handful of previously reported cases, the country's Ministry of Health (MOH) announced yesterday.

It said the review is part of an ongoing effort to ensure that MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) data are accurate.

Study: Healthcare-associated infections in critically Ill kids fall markedly

The rate of two important healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in critically ill children decreased substantially from 2007 to 2012, an important factor in patient outcomes as well as in monetary savings, according to findings of a study yesterday in Pediatrics.

Saudi Arabia reports another MERS case

For the second time in as many days, Saudi Arabia has reported a new MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) case after a month-long hiatus, its Ministry of Health (MOH) said today.

Continuous treatment with newer agent protects infants against malaria

Long-term treatment with a newer artemisinin-based combination drug for malaria, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP), substantially and safely reduces the risk of malaria in young children, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published online yesterday in PLoS Medicine.

Study: Drug-resistant malaria spreading in Southeast Asia

Resistance to artemisinin, the main drug for treating malaria, has now spread throughout Southeast Asia, including critical border regions, and a genetic mutation in the Plasmodium falciparum parasite that causes the disease may be the culprit, according to a study today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

US imported chikungunya cases approach 400

The steady flow of imported chikungunya infections linked mainly to travel to the Caribbean continued in the United States last week, with 98 more cases reported, lifting the total to 398, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday.

CDC names external biosafety advisers, lifts hold on TB samples

In its ongoing response to safety lapses at two of its high-containment labs, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced the members of an external lab safety work group. The 11-person group will advise CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, and the CDC's new director of lab safety, Michael Bell, MD, according to a statement.

US imported chikungunya cases climb to 114

The number of chikungunya cases imported into the United States rose by 41 in the past week, to 114, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an update yesterday. The number of states reporting imported cases climbed from 22 to 27, plus the US Virgin Islands.