Search

MERS cases rise by 2, deaths by 5, as Saudi uptick continues

The recent rise in MERS-CoV activity continues in Saudi Arabia, with two new cases reported by the country's Ministry of Health (MOH) today, along with five deaths and two recoveries in previously reported cases.

Saudi Arabia reports 3 MERS cases, 3 deaths

The ongoing string of MERS-CoV cases in Saudi Arabia continued with a report of three more late yesterday, along with three more deaths, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Today the MOH reported no new cases but noted two more deaths in previous cases. The latest reports raise the total cases this month to 71, with 30 deaths.

Saudi Arabia reports 3 new MERS cases, 1 fatal

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) today reported three new MERS-CoV cases in separate cities, one of which was fatal.

The newly reported fatality involved a 73-year-old Saudi man in Riyadh. Potential exposure to MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) in a healthcare setting is under investigation. He had no recent contact with animals or with MERS cases in the community.

Saudi Arabia reports fatal MERS cases as more experts respond

A 72-year-old Saudi woman has died of MERS-CoV in Buraydah, and a previously reported MERS patient has also died, the country's Ministry of Health (MOH) said today as a top official noted more international help with the outbreak.

CDC notes safety lapses at melioidosis-linked Tulane lab

Federal officials noted several biosafety lapses at a Tulane University animal lab after animals were infected with Burkholderia pseudomallei, the bacterium that causes melioidosis, or Whitmore's disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today.

Transatlantic task force tackles antibiotic resistance

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the European Commission (EC) today released the first progress report of the Transatlantic Taskforce on Antimicrobial Resistance (TATFAR) and extended the US/EC partnership 2 additional years, HHS announced in a news release.

Frozen rodents linked to 18-state Salmonella outbreak

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its state health partners are investigating a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to frozen rodents used to feed pet snakes and other reptiles. So far 37 illnesses in 18 states have been reported since Jan 11, the CDC said in its outbreak announcement today

Oklahoma reports fatal Heartland virus case

Oklahoma health officials today reported the state's first Heartland virus infection, in a Delaware County resident who died from complications from the illness.

WHA again delays decision on smallpox lab stock

The World Health Assembly (WHA) again did not decide on when the last laboratory stocks of variola virus, the pathogen that causes smallpox, should be destroyed, Nature reported today on its news blog.

Study: Community-onset MRSA levels vary across US

A 4-year survey of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at five medical centers across the United States found that the incidence of community-onset (CO) MRSA cases varied considerably, with trends in New York City and Los Angeles going in opposite directions, according to a report in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

CDC warns of more imported chikungunya cases

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today warned health providers that the number of imported chikungunya cases is likely to increase, given ongoing outbreaks in Caribbean countries and territories and some parts of South America, according an update in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

FDA approves another antibacterial for skin infections

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved tedizolid phosphate (Sivextro), a new antibacterial drug to treat adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), the agency announced on Jun 20.

FDA issues warning over GSK’s flu vaccine plant in Quebec

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) over cleanliness shortcomings at its plant in Ste. Foy, Quebec, which makes Canada's seasonal flu vaccine, the Canadian Press reported today.

Health and ag ministers issue joint antibiotic resistance statement

Health and agriculture ministers from more than 20 countries issued a joint statement calling for stepped-up political efforts to battle antibiotic resistance, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe said today. The call for action came out of a meeting at The Hague on Jun 25 and Jun 26.

US imported chikungunya cases climb to 114

The number of chikungunya cases imported into the United States rose by 41 in the past week, to 114, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an update yesterday. The number of states reporting imported cases climbed from 22 to 27, plus the US Virgin Islands.

Experts underscore effect of climate change on public health

An international research group today warned that climate change could erode 50 years' of public health gains, but addressing the problem now presents a global health opportunity, according to a report today in The Lancet.

CDC study maps relentless spread of Lyme disease in US

The number of US counties with a high incidence of Lyme disease grew more than threefold over the 20 years from 1993 through 2012 as the illness spread across the Northeast and Upper Midwest, according to a new report in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Saudi Arabia reports new MERS case

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) today announced one new MERS-CoV illness, involving a 93-year-old man from Hofuf, a town in the eastern part of the country that has reported family and hospital outbreaks over the past few months. His illness is the first to be reported in the town since Jun 25.

Study finds individual prescribing habits key to antibiotic overuse

The top 10% of healthcare workers in terms of antibiotic use prescribe the drugs for 95% or more of patients they see for colds, bronchitis, or other acute respiratory infections (ARI), according to an Annals of Internal Medicine study yesterday.

The lowest 10%, in contrast, prescribe antibiotics at 40% or less of patient visits for ARI.

WHO: Sierra Leone down to single Ebola transmission chain

Sierra Leone is down to its last known Ebola transmission chain, a sign of continuing progress in the battle against the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today. It added that the country has now gone a full epidemiologic week without a new case for the first time since the outbreak began last year.

WHO takes on vaccine hesitancy

Those who refuse or delay vaccines constitute a growing, urgent challenge around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement today.

PAHO urges vigilance for NDM resistance mechanism

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently urged countries to strengthen surveillance and control of the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase–producing (NDM) antibiotic resistance, based on continued spread and detection in several countries.

Study finds avian flu mixing pot in Iceland's wild birds

Wild birds in Iceland harbor avian influenza viruses (AIVs) of entirely American lineage, entirely Eurasian lineage, and mixes of the two, providing compelling evidence of the importance of the North Atlantic as a corridor of virus movement and mixing, according to a study yesterday in PLoS One.

CDC reports 6 more cases of Heartland virus infection

Six more cases of Heartland virus infection have been identified since the world's first two cases were detected in the summer of 2012, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and two states reported today.

GAO finds National Biosurveillance Integration Center lacking

The National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) is falling short in its mission in several ways, such as lack of timely information to its partners, poor partner participation, and difficulty prioritizing some activities, and might even need to be discontinued, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report yesterday.