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Case of Marburg confirmed in Ugandan health worker

Confirmation has been received that a healthcare worker in Uganda who became ill Sep11 and died Sep 28 had Marburg virus, a relative of the Ebola virus causing havoc in several West African countries. The last Marburg outbreak in Uganda, affecting 20 people and killing 9 of them, was in 2012, according to a notice from the World Health Organization (WHO) today.

Qatar has first MERS case of 2014; Saudi Arabia has 3 more

Qatar has reported its first MERS-CoV case this year, according to media reports, while Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed three new cases in as many days, all in men, none of whom are healthcare workers.

MERS strikes 82-year-old Saudi man who drank camel milk

For the fourth day in a row, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed a new case of MERS-CoV, this one in an 82-year old Saudi man from the city of Alkharj in the central part of the country not far from Riyadh, according to an MOH update today.

Study: Ebola outbreak in DRC not related to West Africa epidemic

The Ebola virus responsible for an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that began in July bears similarities to previous outbreaks in equatorial Africa but is distinct from the virus causing the ongoing epidemic in West Africa and has a different zoonotic origin, say results of a study today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Enterovirus D68 cases reach 796 as unexplained neuro illnesses rise

The count of confirmed enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases in the United States reached 796 today, and the number of unexplained neurologic illnesses with potential links to the virus has risen to 37, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

US suspends funding for 'gain-of-function' studies of flu, MERS, SARS

The Obama administration announced today that it is suspending funding of "gain-of-function" (GOF) studies on influenza and other viruses to allow time to assess the risks and benefits of such controversial research and develop a federal policy on it.

EV-D68 cases in the United States top 900

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today confirmed 126 new cases of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) in 46 states and the District of Columbia. The outbreak has now reached 922 cases, almost all of them in children, many of whom have asthma.

GAO recommends stronger food safety performance measures

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) yesterday issued a series of recommendations to enhance the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS's) ability to prevent Salmonella and Campylobacter contamination of poultry products. The report is dated Sep 30.

Another Saudi MERS case in Taif

After a small flurry of five new MERS-CoV cases over the past few days, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) today announced yet another case, this one in a 70-year-old man in Taif, site of three weekend cases.

The infected man, who is hospitalized, is not a healthcare worker, nor did he report any animal exposure. He did, however, have preexisting disease.

MERS cases in Saudi Arabia reach 772, with 329 deaths

A 46-year-old Saudi Arabian man has become the 772nd case of MERS-CoV in that country since June 2012. An update from the Saudi Ministry of health (MOH) today lists his case as well as the death of a previously reported MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronovirus) case-patient.

Report details H3N2 flu outbreak in highly vaccinated crew

In February a US Navy minesweeper moored in San Diego harbor experienced an influenza-like illness (ILI) outbreak that affected a quarter of the crew—much of it attributed to H3N2 flu—even though almost all of them had received influenza vaccine, according to a report today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Four more H5N1 cases reported in Egypt

A recent flurry of human H5N1 influenza cases in Egypt continued with at least four more over the past 5 days, along with two deaths, according to media and government reports.

Fort Detrick mishaps risked exposing workers to dangerous microbes

Two laboratory accidents at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) within the past 16 months may have exposed nine workers to a bacterium and a virus regarded as potential bioweapons, according to a report yesterday in The Frederick (Md.) News-Post.

China reports another H7N9 case in Guangdong province

China reported its second H7N9 avian flu case this year, with both cases in Guangdong province near Hong Kong, according to a report today from Xinhua, the country's state-run news agency.

Avian flu strikes second backyard flock in Washington state

Avian flu has struck a second backyard poultry flock in Benton County, Washington, according to a story in the area's Tri-City Herald yesterday.

Saudi Arabia reports MERS death in Riyadh

A 53-year-old man in Riyadh has died of a Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported today. His case was not previously reported.

The man, an expatriate, had preexisting disease, was not a healthcare worker, and had no known recent contact with animals or other MERS patients. The agency did not specify when his symptoms began or when he died.

Two Chinese provinces report 10 H7N9 infections

December disease reports from China's Fujian and Jiangsu provinces revealed 10 more H7N9 avian influenza infections, none of them fatal, according to reports in Chinese identified, translated, and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board.

Fujian province reported six of the cases and Jiangsu province reported four. No other details were available about the cases, other than that none were fatal.

WHO approves meningococcal vaccine for African infants

The World Health Organization (WHO) today approved a meningococcal vaccine for infants in sub-Saharan Africa that has already proved successful in older children and young adults along the continent's "meningitis belt," the agency said in a news release.

Flurry of human H5N1 cases in Egypt adds 6 more

Six additional human cases of H5N1 avian flu have been reported by Egypt's health ministry, three on Jan 9 and three more yesterday, according to stories from Ahram Online, part of the country's largest news organization, which brings the total so far this year to 10.

Oman reports its 2nd MERS case of the year

Oman has confirmed its second MERS-CoV case of the year—and its fourth overall—apparently in a contact of the most recent MERS patient, who has now died, according to media reports.

Flu activity up in most of Northern Hemisphere, with H3N2 dominating

Not surprisingly, the entire Northern Hemisphere is seeing increasing influenza activity, with H3N2 most common, but unfortunately in an antigenically drifted strain not well matched to the strain in this year's vaccine, according to an update yesterday from the World Health Organization (WHO).

New Disney-linked measles cases bring total to 26

California officials confirmed 7 more cases of measles linked to Disney theme parks in California, bringing the total to 26 cases reported in four states, the Associated Press (AP) reported today.

The new cases include 6 in California and 1 in Washington. Three of the California cases were reported yesterday in San Bernardino County and Long Beach.

Egypt sees second H5N1 death of 2015

A 65-year-old woman from the city of Asyut in central Egypt has died as a result of complications from H5N1 avian flu, according to a report today from Egypt's news agency Al-Ahram. She is the country's second H5N1-related fatality this year.

Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population announced the woman's death today and also reported that a 3-year-old boy from the northern town of Beheira has recovered from H5N1.

Note: The measles item was corrected on Jan 15, because the female traveler who had measles was mistakenly called the index patient. We apologize for the error.

Saudi Arabia confirms 2 new MERS cases, 1 recovery

Two new cases of MERS-CoV were recorded today by the country's Ministry of Health (MOH), the first since Jan 8, bringing the total for this year to 10 for the country and the total since June 2012 to 835.

H5N2 found in wild Oregon mallard

In the latest detection of avian flu in wild and domestic birds in Western states, Oregon officials have confirmed the H5N2 strain in a hunter-killed mallard near Eugene, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) said in a news release yesterday.