Public Health

Federal ethics panel rejects proposal for human Zika challenge study

A federal ethics committee that reviewed a research proposal to experimentally infect humans with Zika virus to help gauge the best approach to a vaccine has rejected the application, according to a report posted last week and first reported today by Stat.

H3N2 strain dominates global flu, which shows signs of ebbing

Flu activity remains elevated throughout much of the world, with the H3N2 variant dominating, according to a new update from the World Health Organization (WHO). The report said the peak of flu activity may be over in parts of Europe and North America, with some countries reporting a slight downward trend.

Saudi Arabia reports severe MERS infection in Mecca

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed another MERS-CoV infection yesterday, noting a severe case in Mecca.

The patient is a 60-year-old male expatriate who is hospitalized in critical condition with MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) illness. He is not a healthcare worker and had direct infection with camels, a known risk factor.

IDSA warns about impacts to science of US travel ban

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) today, along with several other science and medical groups, issued a statement today expressing deep concerns about the impact of a recent executive order restricting entrance by foreign nationals into the United States.

US study: Only 0.2% of pregnant women infected with Zika while traveling

A study yesterday in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that 0.2% of US women they screened contracted Zika after traveling to endemic areas while pregnant.

Another MERS case reported in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) today reported a new case of MERS-CoV in the city of Jeddah.

A 48-year-old expatriate man is in critical condition after presenting with symptoms of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus).The source of his infection is listed as primary, meaning he did not contract the disease from another person.

Suspected yellow fever cases double in Brazil

The number of suspected yellow fever cases in Brazil is climbing quickly, with 421 suspected infections and two more states reporting cases, the health ministry said yesterday in a statement. The case total reflects an increase of 215 cases from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) update on Jan 18.

US reports slowdown of new Zika cases

In its weekly Zika update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday reported only 34 new cases of the mosquito-borne disease in the United States this week, bringing the total to 4,900.

Of those cases, 4,682 are travel-related and 217 were locally acquired. There are 1,347 pregnant women with confirmed Zika in the United States, and 2,885 such women in US territories.

Larvicide reduces 80% of Aedes in Brazilian city

A study yesterday in PLoS Medicine shows that the larvicide pyriproxyfen (PPF) greatly reduces the number of adult Aedes mosquitoes, the vector that transmits Zika, yellow fever, and dengue.

More MERS cases linked to camel exposure in Saudi Arabia

In recent days the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) announced three more MERS-CoV cases, two in the city of Al Hofuf and one in Najran.