Archive for editor
PRO/EDR> Cholera, diarrhea & dysentery update (13): Africa (Nigeria)
Cholera -- NigeriaWhile Nigeria is upbeat about the sharp decline in the cases of coronavirus infection, the country's center for disease control (NCDC) has said a total of 289 Nigerians have died from cholera disease between January and June 2021. NCDC, which disclosed this in a statement on Monday [21 Jun 2021], a copy of which PREMIUM TIMES obtained, noted that the disease is currently ravaging [7] states of the federation. The disease center listed the affected states as Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Echinococcus multilocularis – Canada: (AB) alveolar
Echinococcosis -- CanadaA parasitic tapeworm called _Echinococcus multilocularis_ that can cause fatal tumours in humans is now very common in wildlife in Western Canada, scientists say._E. multilocularis_ is passed from wild canines to humans, and many cases of the parasitic infection could be going undetected, warns an infectious disease specialist."Alberta is clearly the hot spot," said Stan Houston, a University of Alberta professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and lead author of Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Monkeypox – Africa (02): Nigeria, Congo DR
Monkeypox -- NigeriaSince September 2017, Nigeria has continued to report sporadic cases of monkeypox.From September 2017 to May 2021, a total of 446 suspected monkeypox cases have been reported from 30 states. Of the reported cases, 199 (44.6%) have been confirmed in 18 states -- Abia (3), Akwa Ibom (7), Anambra (2), Bayelsa (39), Benue (2), Cross River (13), Delta (22), Ebonyi (1), Edo (7), Ekiti (2), Enugu (4), FCT (5), Imo (8), Lagos (25), Nasarawa (2), Oyo (6), Plateau (3), and Rivers (48).A Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Hantavirus – Americas (06): Panama
Hantavirus -- PanamaSo far in 2021, 11 cases of hantavirus [infections] have been registered in Panama, of which 6 cases have been classified as hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and 5 cases as hantavirus fever (FH), reported the Department of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health.The regions that have [reported cases of HPS] have been the district of Tonosi, Los Santos province, which reports 3 cases, 1 case is registered in Parita, Herrera province, and 1 case in Chepo, Panama East region. Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Chronic wasting disease – North America (05): USA (PA) deer, alert
Chronic Wasting Disease -- United StatesThis week [week of 14 Jun 2021], the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issued an alert cautioning there have been confirmed cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a white-tailed deer in Warren County, just miles from the New York border.Pennsylvania has taken CWD very seriously, taking aggressive steps to contain the disease, using a scientific, fact-based approach," Pennsylvania State Veterinarian Dr Kevin Brightbill said.In New York, CWD was first Read more [...]
DG Digest: FMCSA Posts Revisions to NHMRR and OSHA Issues Emergency Protections for Health Workers from Exposure to COVID-19
It’s now meteorological summer; time to dust off those hot weather work plans and make sure our fellow employees are acting safely under them—plenty of water, breaks when needed, limit time in closed and stuffy spaces, and most importantly, everyone looks out for each other. Let’s have a safe working summer! The regulatory news for...
The post DG Digest: FMCSA Posts Revisions to NHMRR and OSHA Issues Emergency Protections for Health Workers from Exposure to COVID-19 Read more [...]
World Trade Center Health Program: First Decade of Research
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the 10th year of the World Trade Center Health Program. Background The September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City (NYC), the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the plane crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths and thousands of injuries. The devastation caused physical hazards as well as a massive dust cloud, consisting of pulverized building Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Adenovirus hemorrhagic disease – Canada: (BC) deer
Adenovirus -- CanadaA deadly disease that initially started to affect deer on Vancouver Island [British Columbia] in 2020 is still spreading in local populaces, the provincial government recently announced.A CTV News report said, according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Forests, Land, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, out of 36 dead deer examined by the ministry since the beginning of the year [2021], 22 have had adenovirus hemorrhagic disease or AHD.AHD was originally detected Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Foot & mouth disease – South Africa (02): (LP) cattle, serotype SAT 3, OIE
Foot and Mouth -- South AfricaGeneral informationReport type: Immediate notificationStarted: 3 Mar 2021Confirmed: 12 Mar 2021Reported: 15 Jun 2021Reason for notification: RecurrenceLast occurrence: 7 Oct 2020Causal agent: Foot-and-mouth disease virusSubtype: SAT 3Nature of diagnosis: Clinical, laboratoryThis event pertains to a defined zone within the country.New outbreaks (9)[Between 3 Mar to 2 Jun 2021, 9 outbreaks of foot and mouth disease, subtype SAT-3 occurred in the municipalities of Vhembe Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Ebola update (36): Guinea
Ebola -- GuineaThe Ebola outbreak that emerged in Guinea in mid-February 2021 was declared over today [19 Jun 2021]. It was the 1st time the disease resurfaced in the country since the deadly outbreak in West Africa that ended in 2016.Guinean health authorities declared the outbreak on 14 Feb 2021 after 3 cases were detected in Gouecke, a rural community in the southern N'zerekore prefecture, the same region where the 2014-2016 outbreak 1st emerged before spreading into neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (214): Brazil, canine CoV, South America, Israel, UK, WHO
COVID-19 -- BrazilBackground"During the validation of a highly sensitive pan-species coronavirus (CoV) semi-nested RT-PCR assay, we found canine CoV (CCoV) RNA in nasopharyngeal swabs from 8 (2.5%) of 301 patients hospitalized with pneumonia during 2017-18 in Sarawak, Malaysia. Most patients were children living in rural areas with frequent exposure to domesticated animals and wildlife.Methods"Specimens were further studied with universal and species-specific CoV and CCoV one-step RT-PCR assays, Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (86): China (SX) wild bird, HPAI H5N8, OIE
Avian Influenza H5N8 -- ChinaSummaryReport type: Immediate notificationStarted: 28 May 2021Confirmed: 9 Jun 2021Reported: 15 Jun 2021Reason for notification: 1st occurrence in a zone or a compartmentCausal agent: Highly pathogenic avian influenza virusSerotype: H5N8Nature of diagnosis: Clinical, laboratoryThis event pertains to a defined zone within the country.New outbreaks (1)Summary of outbreaksTotal outbreaks (1)Outbreak location 1: Hongjiannao National Nature Reserve, Erlintu Town, Shenmu, Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (85): Europe (Albania) poultry, HPAI H5N8, OIE
Avian Influenza H5N8 -- AlbaniaSummaryReport type: immediate notificationStarted: 21 May 2021Confirmed: 8 Jun 2021Reported: 14 Jun 2021Reason for notification: recurrenceLast occurrence: 30 Jun 2006Causal agent: Highly pathogenic avian influenza virusSerotype: H5N8Nature of diagnosis: clinical, laboratoryThis event pertains to the whole country.New outbreaksOutbreak location 1: Bujan, Tropojes, KukesStarted: 21 May 2021Epidemiological unit: backyardTotal animals affected:Species / Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (84): China (GX) H9N2, dog, zoonotic potential susp, RFI
Avian Influenza -- ChinaAbstract--------To analyze the whole genome sequence and pathogenicity of H9N2 subtype influenza virus carried by pet dogs in Guangxi, we amplified and sequenced the whole genome by RT-PCR. The amino acid homology and evolutionary tree were analyzed in DNA-Star and MEGA 6.0 software, and pathogenicity was studied through mouse infection experiments. 8 gene segments of 13 H9N2 strains were derived from 5 different lineages, which belonged to the new genotype. The amino acid Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Angiostrongylus vasorum, dog – UK: (England) spread
Other Animal Disease -- United KingdomHundreds of cases of a potentially fatal dog infection have been reported across Surrey.Lungworm, known as _Angiostrongylus vasorum_, is a parasite which can cause serious health problems in dogs and can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated.According to Blue Cross, a registered animal welfare charity in the UK, the parasite has been a common problem in southern areas of England for some time.An interactive map, created by My Pet and I, provides a breakdown of Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (213): Japan, endemic, Afghanistan, cardiac, Lambda variant, WHO
COVID-19 -- JapanTokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has cancelled all public viewing sites for the summer Olympics, diverting some venues to be COVID-19 vaccinations centres instead.Foreign spectators are banned from attending the games, delayed by a year due to the pandemic, but the government and Tokyo 2020 organisers have for months held off on deciding whether to allow Japanese spectators into the stadiums.The ban on public viewing, announced on Sat [19 Jun 2021], follows the metropolitan government's Read more [...]
Hazardous waste violations cost UPS and former subsidiary $3.8 million – Atlanta Journal Constitution
Hazardous waste violations cost UPS and former subsidiary $3.8 million Atlanta Journal Constitution
PRO/AH/EDR> Leishmaniasis – Brazil: cutaneous, national review
Leishmaniasis -- BrazilBackgroundCutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne disease classified by the World Health Organization as one of the most neglected tropical diseases. Brazil has the highest incidence of CL in America and is one of the 10 countries in the world with the highest number of cases. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of CL is essential to provide guidelines for public health policies in Brazil. In the present study we used a spatial and temporal statistical approach Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Salmonellosis, st Braenderup – Europe (04): imported melon, Canadian case
Salmonella -- DenmarkThe number of people sick in the UK in an outbreak linked to melons has almost doubled. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Public Health England (PHE) are investigating the incident with 99 people sick since April [2021]. It was previously known that 52 people were ill in the UK. Those more than 70 and less than 9 years old are the age groups mostly affected. Investigations are focusing on the supply chain of Galia, cantaloupe, and honeydew melons from Honduras and Costa Rica.FSA Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Rabies (18): Asia, Pakistan (SD) dog, human exp
Rabies -- PakistanA 60-year-old man who declined to get inoculated for rabies after being bitten by a stray dog in Karachi's Korangi district about 45 days ago died of the disease (rabies encephalitis) at the Indus Hospital early on Thursday [17 Jun 2021] morning, officials said."A 60-year-old male patient was brought to the Indus Hospital last night with full-blown rabies, having hydrophobia and aerophobia. Bitten on the leg about 1.5 months back in Korangi, he didn't visit any hospital and just Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Potentially zoonotic novel viruses – Switzerland: bats
Not Yet Classified -- SwitzerlandCitation: Hardmeier I, Aeberhard N, Qi W, et al. Metagenomic analysis of fecal and tissue samples from 18 endemic bat species in Switzerland revealed a diverse virus composition including potentially zoonotic viruses. PLoS One. 2021; 16 (6): e0252534. Many recent disease outbreaks in humans had a zoonotic virus etiology. Bats in particular have been recognized as reservoirs to a large variety of viruses with the potential to cross-species transmission. In order to Read more [...]
Tanker hauling milk overturns in Ottawa County, spilling load – mlive.com
Tanker hauling milk overturns in Ottawa County, spilling load mlive.comEastbound I-196 reopens after crews clean up spilled milk from semi crash Fox17Overturned tanker leads to spilt milk on highway HollandSentinel.comDon’t cry over spilled milk: Semi truck overturned on I-196 carrying milk WZZM13.comView Full Coverage on Google News Read more [...]
PRO/EDR> Poliomyelitis update (11): global (cVDPV2), vaccinator violence
Polio -- Worldwide/UnknownHealth workers in 5 locations in Nangarhar province were attacked today [Tue 15 Jun 2021] during the course of their life-saving work; 5 were killed, and 4 were injured in 5 separate incidents.I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives and wish those who are injured a full and swift recovery.I am appalled by the brutality of these killings. This is not the 1st time health workers have come under attack. We witnessed Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (211): delta variant UK, Indonesia, antiviral pill, WHO, global
COVID-19 -- Worldwide/UnknownWHO region (no. countries/territories):Total confirmed cases (new cases in last 24 hours) / Total deaths (new deaths in last 24 hours)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Western Pacific Region (19): 3 330 125 (16 754) / 51 106 (348)European Region (61): 55 174 558 (46 464) / 1 170 510 (1035)South East Asia Region (10): 33 774 368 (88 985) / 464 940 (2739)Eastern Mediterranean Region (22): 10 585 505 (32 017) / 210 472 (538)Region Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Rabies (17): Americas (USA) bat
Rabies -- United StatesThe Nevada Department of Agriculture Animal Disease Laboratory has confirmed 3 cases of rabies in bats -- one in Washoe County and 2 in Clark County, according to a release from the NDA.Bats are common throughout Nevada, with their activity increasing between May and October. While other species of wildlife can carry rabies, bats are the most common source of human and domestic animal transmission, making it important to keep pets vaccinated and ensure no contact is made with Read more [...]
Safely Discard Hazardous Materials on Saturday – East Hampton Star
Safely Discard Hazardous Materials on Saturday East Hampton Star
PRO/AH/EDR> Toxic algae – USA: (FL) dog, fatal
Algae -- United StatesFoss, the chemist with Green Water Laboratories, said the 1st sign a dog has ingested toxic algae is typically an upset stomach and vomiting. The microcystin then heads to the liver followed by kidney failure, shock, and internal bleeding."It can be a pretty gruesome death," she said.Because veterinarians so rarely deal with cyanobacteria toxins, it's probably not a top suspect when a sick animal comes in, said El Cid Animal Clinic Medical Director Xavier Garcia. But even if Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Rift Valley fever – Madagascar (03): animal, human
Rift Valley Fever -- MadagascarFrom [26 Apr to 20 May 2021] 109 total, confirmed and suspected human Rift Valley fever (RVF) cases were reported in 4 regions of Madagascar (Vatovavy Fitovinany, Haute Matsiatra, Alaotra Mangoro, and Analamanga), according to the World Health Organization (WHO).A total of 10 cases were laboratory confirmed and 2 deaths were recorded. This followed reports from the Institut Pasteur in Madagascar which confirmed RVF by PCR in animals following alerts of abortion cases Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Powassan virus encephalitis – USA: (CT)
Encephalitis -- United StatesThe Department of Public Health [DPH] said 2 Connecticut residents have tested positive for a tick infection known as the Powassan virus.Officials said these are the 1st 2 cases identified this year [2021]. DPH officials said the 2 individuals are between the ages of 50 and 79 and are from Fairfield and New Haven counties. They became infected during the 3rd week of April [2021]. Lab testing in Colorado [CDC] confirmed the presence of virus antibodies.From 2016 to 2020, Read more [...]
