Poll finds majorities in 22 nations concerned over MERS
Majorities of respondents in 22 of 24 nations are concerned that cases of Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS) might be detected in their country soon, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll of 15 developed countries and 9 developing nations released today, Ipsos said in a news release.
In the developed nations, 39% of respondents said they are aware of MERS, while in the developing countries 49% are aware. Awareness among the developed nations is highest in France (59%), Sweden (51%), and Italy (49%) and lowest in Australia (20%), Spain (26%), and Hungary (28%). In the nine developing countries, awareness is highest in China (67%), India (63%), and Saudi Arabia (62%)—home to most of the world's 90 confirmed MERS cases—and lowest in South Africa (35%), Mexico (35%), and Brazil (35%).
When it comes to the chance of MERS cases in their country "in the near future," 59% total (and 65% of those aware) in the developed nations and 70% total (and 78% of those aware) in the developing countries expressed concern.
In the developed nations, the most concerned are from Argentina (77%), Spain (65%), and Italy (64%), while the least concerned are from Sweden (39%), Poland (47%), and Germany (51%). Among the other countries, respondents from Indonesia (84%), Mexico (78%), and India (75%) expressed the highest concern, while those in China (52%), Saudi Arabia (62%), and South Africa (63%) had the lowest level of concern.
Only 18% of respondents in the developed countries said they "know enough about MERS to protect their families and themselves," compared with 40% of those in developing countries, Ipsos said.
Respondents comprised 19,014 people ages 16 years older across the 24 countries, with sample sizes around 1,000 in 10 nations and around 500 in the rest. Margins of error, therefore, ranged from 3.5% to 5.0%, Ipsos said in the release.
Jul 24 Ipsos news release
Summer's late start suggested as factor in Milwaukee legionellosis cases
This summer's late start has been suggested as a possible factor in a mysterious cluster of 31 legionellosis cases that have been reported in the Milwaukee area since Jun 1, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this week.
Public health officials said they have not identified the source of the Legionella bacteria in the cases, and they may never be able to find it, the story said. But Paul Biedrzycki, MPH, MBA, director of disease control and environmental health for the Milwaukee Health Department, speculated that the pathogen may have come from towers that store water used to cool buildings.
He said the towers are filled in late April or early May so that they're ready to cool buildings when the weather gets hot. But with hot weather arriving late, the water sat in the rooftop towers from early spring until sometime in June. Thus it could have stagnated and become dirty, allowing Legionella to grow, Biedrzycki speculated.
When air-conditioning units finally were turned on, the towers could have spewed the bacteria into the air, and it could have traveled a few miles, he added. Chlorine that is automatically fed through cooling towers after air conditioning is turned on for the first time may not have reached appropriate levels yet to kill the bacteria, Biedrzycki said.
He said no common source has been found for the 14 legionellosis cases in the city of Milwaukee (another 17 cases have been reported in neighboring counties), or even for 6 cases that appear to be related. That prompted him to wonder about a seasonal factor such as the cooling towers.
Jul 21 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel story
WHO calls for action on hepatitis threats
The World Health Organization (WHO) today urged countries to boost their efforts to prevent and control five hepatitis viruses that are linked to 1.4 million deaths each year. The group also released its first hepatitis survey, which gauges the capacity of 126 countries in battling the diseases.
The two efforts are part of the WHO's World Hepatitis Day slated for Jul 28.
Keiji Fukuda, MD, WHO assistant director-general for health, security, and the environment, said in a statement, "The fact that many hepatitis B and C infections are silent, causing no symptoms until there is severe damage to the liver, points to the urgent need for universal access to immunization, screening, diagnosis, and antiviral therapy."
The hepatitis survey points out countries' successes and gaps in four main areas: raising awareness, evidence-based data for action, transmission prevention, and screening, care, and treatment. Findings suggest that 37% of countries have national viral hepatitis strategies and that more work is needed to treat the disease.
In 2010 the World Health Assembly adopted its first viral hepatitis resolution, which called for a comprehensive approach to battling the disease. The WHO said it and funding agencies are exploring how to include hepatitis in current activity programs and noted that in June it launched the Global Hepatitis Network to help countries develop their viral hepatitis plans and programs.
Jul 24 WHO statement
Jul WHO global policy report on hepatitis
Study: Reasons for poor malaria prevention in African pregnancies vary
Obstacles to malaria-prevention care in pregnant African women include unclear guidance, erratic prenatal visits, and failures of the healthcare system, according to a study published yesterday in PLoS Medicine.
Malaria in pregnancy kills about 100,000 unborn babies and 10,000 women every year worldwide, according to an editor's summary of the study. The WHO recommends, in addition to effective diagnosis and management, administration of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine during prenatal visits and use of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) to prevent the disease in Africa.
UK and US researchers mined two large databases to find 98 relevant studies. They probed the data using content analysis (which examines words and phrases) and narrative synthesis (a method for summarizing results from multiple studies).
They found that key barriers to drug prescribing and ITNs included unclear policy and guidanc, general healthcare system problems such as drug shortages, poor healthcare provider performance (eg, confusion about the timing of doses), and delayed prenatal care-seeking by the women.
The meta-analysis identified education, knowledge about malaria, socioeconomic status, number and timing of antenatal clinic visits, and number of pregnancies as key determinants of malaria drug uptake. Employment status, education, knowledge, age, and marital status were key determinants of ITN use.
The researchers conclude that many obstacles to drug dispensing are relatively easy to overcome, while others may be more entrenched and require medium- to long-term solutions.
Jul 23 PLoS Med study
