Nipah

Experts say focus on surveillance, not genomes for pandemic readiness

Spending public health money on surveillance rather than on broad, expensive genomic surveys of animal diseases is a sounder investment and better way to prepare for the next pandemic or other global health emergency, three infectious disease experts wrote today in Nature.

DRC reports more suspected Ebola cases in Iboko

The Democratic Republic of Congo's health ministry yesterday and today ruled out some suspected cases based on lab tests and confirmed 2 more in the remote Iboko outbreak location, dropping the outbreak total to 50 cases, including 37 confirmed and 13 probable, with no suspected cases. No new deaths were reported, keeping that total at 25.

Investor index gives global food suppliers poor grades on antibiotic use

A new index that evaluates 60 global food companies on health, environmental, and social issues has found that more than three-quarters of those companies rank as "high risk" on antibiotic stewardship.

Tests rule out Nipah in 2 cases; samples from another state sent for testing

Tests on two earlier reported suspected Nipah virus cases from India's Karnataka state were negative for the virus, as another, previously unaffected state—Telangana—identified two possible cases and sent samples for testing, according to the latest media reports from India.

Second India state reports suspected Nipah cases as outbreak source eyed

Authorities in a second Indian state are investigating two suspected Nipah virus infections, both of them in people who had traveled to Kerala state where they had contact with infected patients, Reuters reported today, citing a health official in Karnataka state.

More Nipah cases reported in India, death toll reaches 10

The death toll for a Nipah virus outbreak in India's Kerala state now stands at 10, after at least 12 more people have been diagnosed as having the deadly virus, according to a Reuters report today.

Reuters said an additional nine people are being treated for infections with supportive care. Nipah virus is most commonly spread by fruit bats, and presents with severe, flu-like symptoms.

CDC: Probe of Salmonella outbreak linked to dried coconut over

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced late last week the end of an investigation into a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium tied to dried coconut.