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WHO says Qatari MERS patient had contact with camels

The 61-year-old Qatari man who has Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) had contact with farm animals, including camels, before his illness, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in confirming his case.

Influenza B exerts muscle over receding US flu season

Markers for the US flu season showed some further declines last week, with the percentage of clinic visits for flulike illness falling below the national baseline for the first time after 19 weeks at or above baseline, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its weekly update.

Five regions, however, are still above their baselines for that indicator.

New H3N2 virus implicated in Chicago canine flu outbreak

A canine influenza outbreak affecting dogs in Chicago and other Midwest locations is being fueled by a virus closely related to Asian H3N2 strains and not H3N8 as originally thought, researchers from Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin announced yesterday.

Experts outline path forward in dual-use research conundrum

Two biosecurity experts who have called for civil debate and mutual understanding surrounding dual-use research of concern (DURC) issues yesterday proposed a framework for moving forward.

Study finds MERS-CoV common in live and dead Saudi camels

Researchers have found that 29% of live camels in Saudi Arabia harbor MERS-CoV in their noses, and 62% of dead ones harbor the virus in their lungs, according to a study in Emerging Infectious Diseases yesterday.

More botulism cases, food suspects found in Ohio outbreak

Health officials in Ohio have confirmed botulism as the illness that sickened several people and killed one who attended the same church lunch in Lancaster, Ohio, on Apr 19, the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette reported on Apr 25.

CDC says tough 2014-15 flu season is finally ending

Two straight weeks of low influenza activity signal that the long 2014-15 flu season, marked by its heavy impact on seniors and poor vaccine performance, is drawing to an end, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a short review of the season yesterday.

FDA launches effectiveness study of healthcare antiseptics

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued a proposed rule requesting additional scientific data to support the safety and effectiveness of certain ingredients used in over-the-counter healthcare antiseptics, the agency said in a news release.

WHO, other groups take steps to prevent diarrheal diseases in Nepal

The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that it and partner groups working on earthquake response in Nepal are deploying extra medications and equipment to prevent the spread of diarrheal diseases such as cholera, which can spread when disasters damage and contaminate the clean water supply.

Groups estimate that at least 2.8 million people have been displaced, with many living in 16 makeshift camps.

Cholera cases in Haiti rise dramatically as rainy season nears

The ongoing outbreak of cholera in Haiti that began in late 2010 has led to a dramatic rise in cases over the past 6 months, with nearly 12,000 reported already this year. The rate is only expected to soar further when the rainy season starts next month and as international aid dries up, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) story yesterday.

Burkina Faso, Turkey, and Taiwan report high-path avian flu

Veterinary officials in Burkina Faso and Turkey reported more highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu outbreaks, as their counterparts in Taiwan reported that highly pathogenic H5N2 has struck 10 more locations, according to separate reports to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Immunizing pregnant women rated as best pertussis defense for infants

UK group suggests $2 billion fund to develop antibiotics

To help address the growing problem of antibiotic resistance and the lack of new antibiotics in the pipeline, a new report commissioned by the UK government recommends establishing a $2 billion "global innovation fund" and separating drug companies' profits from drug sales, according to a news release from Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, which published the report, its third in a series.

Sierra Leone confirms more Ebola cases, disease tops WHA agenda

After going 8 days without an Ebola case, Sierra Leone since May 14 has seen a trickle of newly confirmed cases, including 2 from Port Loko, 3 from Western Area Urban, and 1 from Kambia, the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) said today in an update.

Study notes lower immune response after 2 straight flu vaccinations

Post-vaccine levels of antibodies to influenza hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) decline slowly over 18 months in adults, and individuals vaccinated 2 years in a row have significantly lower immune responses, according to a study yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

UN warns violence in Guinea could hamper next Ebola steps

The head of the United Nations Ebola response in Guinea yesterday raised concerns about recent violence and attacks aimed at response activities in three different districts.

UN head urges 5-year stamping out of world's deadliest IDs and cholera in Haiti

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told private sector representatives and philanthropists yesterday that they should "make a smart investment in the world's future" by joining the United Nations in helping wipe out the world's deadliest infectious diseases—malaria, polio, tetanus, measles, and HIV—in the next 5 years.

Multistate berry-linked hepatitis A outbreak grows to 99 cases

Twelve new cases have been reported in the past 2 days in an outbreak of acute hepatitis A linked to an organic frozen berry mix, bringing the total to 99, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.

WHO issues guidance on use of new TB agent in multidrug-resistant cases

The World Health Organization (WHO) today issued interim policy guidance on the use of bedaquiline, a new tuberculosis (TB) drug, for treating multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

Brazil reports first Latin American VRSA finding

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) yesterday urged its member countries to establish and maintain rapid detection and reporting systems for vancomycin resistance, based on the first isolation of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) in Latin America.

Berry-linked hepatitis A outbreak grows to 131

Four more people have been sickened with hepatitis A after eating a berry mix that contained contaminated pomegranate seeds from Turkey, raising the total the 131, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday in its latest update.

Four more patients have been hospitalized for their infections, raising that total to 59. The latest illness onset is Jun 24.

House farm bill could further delay FSMA

The subdivided farm bill that the US House of Representatives passed last week contains a little-known provision which could further delay implementation of the 2011 FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Food Safety News (FSN) reported.

Saudi Arabia reports 3 more MERS cases in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Health (MOH) today confirmed three new MERS-CoV cases in elderly Riyadh residents, which means the city has had seven cases in 5 days.

All three patients with MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) are in critical condition, the MOH said in an update. They are an 84-year-old woman and two men, 80 and 77. None are healthcare workers or had preexisting disease.

MERS-CoV case count in Saudi Arabia increases by 2

Two men have been stricken with MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia, bringing the total case count since June 2012 to 845, according to an update today from the country's ministry of health (MOH).

Duration of MRSA colonization might be shorter than thought

The median duration of colonization with community-based methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in ambulatory patients is 21 days, shorter than the previously thought duration of 6 to 9 months, and treatment with clindamycin is associated with more rapid clearance of the infection, say findings of a study published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases.