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Global flu activity stays at low levels

Global flu activity remains at low levels, with slight increases in China and South America, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its weekly update yesterday.

The agency said influenza activity remained at low levels in North America, Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. Flu activity continues to decline in southern and southeastern Asia, as well, except for Singapore, which noted an increase.

Respite from H5N2 outbreaks continues for Minnesota, Iowa

The predicted summer break in H5N2 avian influenza activity is growing longer in hard-hit Minnesota and Iowa, allowing more areas to be released from quarantine and more poultry farms to restock their barns.

South Africa, Sri Lanka cited as flu hot spots by WHO

South Africa and Sri Lanka were about the only exceptions to a global pattern of low influenza activity revealed by surveillance as of mid-June, according to a recent flu update from the World Health Organization (WHO).

China reports five H7N9 cases, four deaths

Health officials in China yesterday reported five new H7N9 avian influenza infections, as well as four deaths. The events occurred in June and were included in a monthly surveillance update from the country's National Health and Family Planning Commission that was posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board.

Flu activity up in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa

Influenza activity is starting to pick up in some Southern Hemisphere nations, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in an update.

WHO notes increased flu activity Down Under, in South America

Influenza activity is increasing in Australia, New Zealand, and South America, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in an update yesterday.

House committee continues questions on US flu season response

Bipartisan leaders of the US House oversight and investigations subcommittee yesterday continued to press federal health officials for answers about seasonal flu preparedness in the wake of a mismatch between the vaccine and the main circulating strain last season.

MERS hospitalizes another in Riyadh

In an ongoing trickle of MERS-CoV cases, especially from the Riyadh area, Saudi Arabia's health ministry today reported another infection. The latest case involves a 38-year-old Saudi man, and though he is from Riyadh, it's not clear whether his illness is part of recent transmission occurring in the city's hospitals or is from the community.

Three new MERS patients in Riyadh include health worker

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) today reported 3 new MERS-CoV cases in Riyadh including 1 in a healthcare worker, bringing to 10 the number of cases confirmed in the city in the past 5 days.

Canadian cyclosporiasis outbreak numbers 83 cases

A total of 83 Cyclospora infections have been reported from four Canadian provinces, according to an Aug 8 press release from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

H5N1 hits more farms in Ivory Coast, Nigeria

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza stuck two more commercial farms in Ivory Coast and Nigeria, according to separate reports from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Salmonella outbreak tied to pork grows to 152 cases as recall expands

A salmonellosis outbreak tied to pork products grew by 18 cases, to 152, as a slaughterhouse in Washington state expanded a prior recall to more than 500,000 pounds of pork products and whole hogs after environmental sampling revealed insufficient sanitary conditions.

Saudi Arabia reports 2 MERS cases, 1 fatal

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) today reported two new cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, one of which was fatal.

The first patient is a 58-year-old male citizen of Al-Ahsa, who has "various chronic diseases." He is receiving medical treatment, but the MOH didn't provide any details on his condition or whether he had contact with any animals or infected people.

1,500 chickens culled for H5N1 in Nepal

After about 300 chickens on a farm in Nepal died mysteriously, H5N1 avian flu was confirmed and 1,552 chickens on that and a neighboring farm as well as 30 crates of eggs were destroyed yesterday by a rapid response team, according to a story in Republica, a Nepalese newspaper.

FDA picks flu vaccine strains for 2014-15 flu season

A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel today made its recommendation on strains to include for the next flu season vaccine. The move is part of a process that the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) conducts to review the most current flu strains, surveillance, and updates on vaccine performance, uptake, and manufacturing.

Hong Kong detects sixth imported H7N9 case

Hong Kong health officials today announced another imported H7N9 influenza infection, in an 18-month-old girl who had recently traveled to mainland China's Guangdong province, one of the hot spots in the most recent wave of cases.

The girl's illness is the sixth imported H7N9 case detected in Hong Kong since December, according to a statement today from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP).

US flu activity declines, but virus still taking lives

Overall US influenza activity continues to decline, but the share of deaths attributed to flu and pneumonia is still on the high side, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its weekly update.

WHO adds H7N9 updates amid case lull

For the fourth day in a row, no new lab-confirmed H7N9 influenza infections were reported from China, but the World Health Organization (WHO) in two separate updates today provided more details about four case reports it received from China on Mar 7 and Mar 8.

CDC: Certain job groups had increased ILI rates during 2009 pandemic

A survey by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that workers in real estate, food services, and social services had higher rates of influenza-like illness (ILI) than other occupational groups during the 2009-10 flu season, when the pandemic 2009 H1N1 (pH1N1) virus was circulating widely.

H7N9 sickens Hunan province man

China reported one new H7N9 influenza case today, in a 78-year-old man from Hunan province. The man is hospitalized in the city of Changsha, according to a provincial health ministry report translated and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board.

The man is from Shaoyang city in southwestern Hunan province, according to a story today from Xinhua, China's state news agency.

Case report shows evidence of camel-to-human MERS

A Saudi man who contracted Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in November after tending sick camels had a virus nearly identical to that found in one of his camels, suggesting he contracted the disease from them, according to a letter yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

China reports H7N9 case, more findings in poultry

China today reported one new H7N9 influenza case, which was confirmed in a 58-year-old man who lives in Guangdong province, according to a health department statement translated and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board. The man is hospitalized in critical condition in a Guangzhou hospital.

H7N9 sickens one, kills another in China

China reported one new H7N9 infection today, as well as a death from the virus in a previously confirmed patient. Both are from Guangdong province, according to a health department statement translated and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease news message board.

More Ebola cases, deaths reported in Guinea

Guinea's health officials, during a press briefing today on the country's Ebola outbreak, reported that the number of viral hemorrhagic fever cases has reached 112, 70 of them fatal, up from 88 cases and 66 deaths reported yesterday. An account of the press briefing appeared in a French-language report in the Guinea-based Le Jour newspaper, which was translated and posted by H5N1 Blog, an infectious disease news site.

Decline in flu activity took a break last week

US influenza activity took a break last week from its recent pattern of steady decline, at least by some measures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today.