Archive for Global Disease Alerts
PRO/AH/EDR> Rift Valley fever – Mauritania (02): animal, human, spread, Sudan susp
Rift Valley Fever -- MauritaniaThe Mauritanian government announced the registration of 3 deaths due to a haemorrhagic fever known as "Rift Valley fever", out of 5 cases in the governorates of Tigant and Assaba, while several animal cases were recorded in 5 states, according to Mauritanian news. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Rural Development said that several cases in livestock were confirmed in some locations in Assaba, Tagant, Hodh El Gharbi, Brakna, and Tararza. The 2 ministries Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Cat Que virus – India, China
Other Human Disease -- IndiaThe presence of the Cat Que virus has been largely reported in _Culex_ mosquitoes in China and in pigs in Viet Nam. For the study, 1020 human serum samples that showed acute febrile illness during 2014-2017 were collected. All these samples, however, were found to be negative for CQV when subjected to the real-time RT-PCR test. Of these samples, the majority (806) were collected from Karnataka, followed by Maharashtra (116), Kerala (51), Madhya Pradesh (20), and Gujarat Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (421): safer indoors, Spain WHO, global
COVID-19 -- SpainVentilation is the introduction of fresh air into an indoor space while the stale air is pushed outside.Whether at home or in public buildings, such as schools and offices, ventilation can be improved by simply opening windows and doors whenever possible.Luca Fontana, a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) specialist consultant at the WHO, told Al Jazeera ventilation is "one part of the big package of infection prevention and control measures" along with physical distancing, hand Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Brucellosis – Libya: (MS) cattle, OIE
Brucellosis -- LibyaInformation received on [and dated] 27 Sep 2020 from Dr Zakaria Mohamed Mustafa Elkhatal, Director General, National Centre for Animal Health (NCAH), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal & Marine Wealth, Tripoli, LibyaSummaryReport type: immediate notificationDate of start of the event: 27 Jul 2020Date of confirmation of the event: 24 Sep 2020Reason for notification: reoccurrence of a listed diseaseDate of previous occurrence: 18 Sep 2018Manifestation of disease: clinical Read more [...]
PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed illness – Sudan (02): (NO) RFI
Undiagnosed -- SudanIn the localities of Merowe and Ed Debba in Northern State, "fevers accompanied by bleeding and a decrease in blood platelets" resulting in the death of 10 people and leaving hundreds in critical condition were reported yesterday [24 Sep 2020].As a result, the Northern State Ministry of Health announced a Medical State of Emergency in Merowe locality, and the federal Ministry of Health dispatched a specialized emergency and health intervention team to the locality.The Sudanese Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Foodborne illness – China (02): (HE) fatal, sodium nitrite, children
Foodborne Illness -- ChinaA kindergarten teacher in China has been sentenced to death for poisoning dozens of children in an act of revenge against a colleague that left one toddler dead.A court in the central Chinese province of Henan said on Monday [28 Sep 2020] that [WY] put sodium nitrite into porridge being prepared for her colleague's pupils, causing 25 of them to fall sick. The attack, which took place in March last year [2019], left one boy severely ill for months before he died in January Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> African swine fever – Europe (24): Germany (BB) wild boar, spread
African Swine Fever -- GermanyTwo more cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been confirmed in wild boars in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, with one found outside the area of the 1st discoveries, the federal agriculture ministry said on Wednesday [30 Sep 2020].One new discovery was confirmed in the Maerkisch-Oderland district in Brandenburg outside of the area close to the Polish border where the 1st cases were found, the ministry said. The 2nd case was inside the original area, it added."The Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Edema pathema – China: (Qinghai-Tibet Plateau) Hequ horse, selenium def. susp.
Other Animal Disease -- ChinaZhao K, Chi Y, Shen X. Studies on edema pathema in Hequ horse in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2020. doi: 10.1007/s12011-020-02043-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 31965424; [Byline: Christine Barakat with Melinda Freckleton]--Communicated by:ProMED-mail[This is a great observation and detective work regarding the difference in the herds of horses. Selenium is regarded as an essential element for many animals.Photos of Hequ horses may be seen at and- Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Eastern equine encephalitis – North America (19): (USA) horse, human
Eastern Equine Encephalitis -- United StatesThe Oakland County Health Division and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are urging Oakland County residents to take precautions against mosquito bites, according to a press release issued by Oakland County on Friday [11 Sep 2020].This is because 2 horses were confirmed to have eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a mosquito-borne disease, on Friday in Holly and Ortonville.[Byline: Jessica McLean]--Communicated by:ProMED-mail from Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (420): ECMO, USA serosurvey, WHO, global
COVID-19 -- United StatesSummary-------"Background"Multiple major health organisations recommend the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for COVID-19-related acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure. However, initial reports of ECMO use in patients with COVID-19 described very high mortality and there have been no large, international cohort studies of ECMO for COVID-19 reported to date."Methods"We used data from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry to characterise Read more [...]
PRO/ALL> Announcement (04): ProMED anniversary award 2020
Not Yet Classified -- Worldwide/UnknownEach year, ProMED presents an award in honor of the anniversary of its founding in August 1994. We are pleased to announce the winner of this annual award.This year's award goes to one of our own, Deputy Editor Marjorie Pollack. Marjorie sounded an early warning of a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, China on 30 Dec 2019. Alerted by social media chatter (forwarded by a Chinese-speaking ProMED reader) Marjorie quickly recognized the importance of the cluster and its Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Potomac horse fever – Canada: (AB) horse
Other Animal Disease -- CanadaHorse owners and veterinarians in Alberta are on alert after an outbreak of Potomac horse fever, which causes death in up to 30 percent of cases.The disease causes diarrhea, depression and intestinal problems and can occur after horses ingest snails, slugs, and insects in their food.--Communicated by:ProMED-mail******[2]Date: Mon 28 Sep 2020Source: The Globe and Mail [edited]Sue McIntosh thought her horse, Finnegan, looked a bit off, so she rushed him to a Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed deaths, elephant – Zimbabwe: hemorrhagic septicemia susp.
Other Animal Disease -- ZimbabweParks authorities in Zimbabwe said Monday [28 Sep 2020] that the recent deaths of elephants have been caused by a bacterial disease that has previously affected elephants in Asia and other animals in southern Africa, although more tests will still be carried out.Fulton Mangwanya, the director-general of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, told a parliamentary committee that 34 elephants have died so far and "many" more could still die "in the short Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> West Nile virus (19): Europe (Spain) horse
West Nile Virus -- SpainInclusive dates: 10 Aug-25 Sep 2020Provinces / No. equine casesCadiz / 32Huelva / 16Jaen / 1Sevilla / 47[Total: 96 cases]--Communicated by:ProMED-mail[The previous ProMED-mail post reported 5 fatal and 25 confirmed human cases of West Nile virus infection in Sevilla province (see West Nile virus (18): Europe (Spain) http://promedmail.org/post/20200927.7817241). That report did not mention if there were any cases of West Nile virus infection in horses in that province. Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (419): intranasal treatment, USA hospital outbreak, WHO, global
COVID-19 -- Worldwide/UnknownProud PC, Tsitoura D, Watson RJ, et al. Prophylactic intranasal administration of a TLR2 agonist reduces upper respiratory tract viral shedding in a SARS-CoV-2 challenge ferret model. bioRxiv 2020.09.25.309914; [preprint not certified by peer review]; ]----[B]Date: Wed 19 Aug 2020Source: Cell [abridged, edited]ref: Hassan AO, Kafai NM, Dmitriev IP, et al. A single-dose intranasal ChAd vaccine protects upper and lower respiratory tracts against SARS-CoV-2. Cell. 2020; Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Plague – Mongolia (08): (HD) bubonic, marmot exposure
Plague -- MongoliaA suspected case of bubonic plague in western Mongolia's Khovd (or Hovd) province has been confirmed by lab test results, the country's National Center for Zoonotic Diseases (NCZD) said on Sun 27 Sep 2020.The 25-year-old female patient from the province and 19 people in close contact with her are now under isolation at a local hospital, the NCZD said in a statement. The center said the woman was found to have eaten marmot meat last week. While hunting marmots is illegal in Mongolia, Read more [...]
PRO/EDR> Poisoning – USA: (FL) rohypnol, suspected
Poisoning -- United StatesPolice are investigating whether 3 off-duty officers were poisoned after they fell ill during a night out in Florida.The group started [suddenly] sweating and vomiting after visiting 4 downtown bars and restaurants in the city of Sanford for dinner and drinks on 16 Sep 2020, according to a police report quoted by the Orlando Sentinel.Two of the officers were taken to hospital, with one officer being put on a ventilator to assist with breathing.All 3 are members of the Orlando Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Leptospirosis – Fiji: (CE, NO) USA travel alert
Leptospirosis -- FijiHealth officials from the Republic of Fiji have reported an outbreak of leptospirosis in the Central and Northern divisions. In response to this bacterial disease outbreak, the Fiji Ministry of Health recently announced it 'is working to manage the situation, increasing disease surveillance, conducting clean-up and awareness campaigns.' Fiji's last leptospirosis outbreak was reported in 2016. To notify international travelers, the US CDC issued a level 1 travel alert for Fiji Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Scrub typhus – Nepal (04): (CH)
Scrub Typhus -- NepalThe number of people suffering from scrub typhus and dengue is increased amidst the coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic. In the past 2 months, 69 people were diagnosed with scrub typhus and 24 with dengue fever, according to Bharatpur hospital [Chitwan district, Bagmati Pradesh province]. Of the sample collected for test from 345 people in the months of Saun and Bhadau, 69 were found carrying the scrub typhus virus. [Saun, aka Shrawan is the 4th month in the Nepali calendar, corresponding Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Rabies (26): Americas (USA) bat, human exp
Rabies -- United StatesThe Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department has announced a 2nd bat captured in Northeast Nebraska has tested positive for rabies.Emergency Response Coordinator Melanie Thompson says the 1st bat in the area was captured in August [2020] in Norfolk, and both of these bats bit humans.Thompson says bats are a beneficial species, but can cause some concern as well."Particularly when you wake up in the morning and there's a bat in your bed -- that's disconcerting for one thing, Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Classical swine fever – Japan (02): (GM) domestic, spread
Classical Swine Fever -- JapanThe agriculture ministry said Saturday [26 Sep 2020] that classical swine fever (CSF) infections have been confirmed at a pig farm in the city of Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, marking the 1st outbreak of the infectious disease among farmed pigs in the country in about half a year.It is the 1st classical swine fever case at a pig farm in Gunma since the 1st outbreak in Japan in 26 years was confirmed in 2018. The Gunma Prefectural Government will slaughter all of the roughly Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (418): Covidengue, countries, WHO, global
COVID-19, Dengue -- Mexico1. Verduyn M, Allou N, Gazaille V, et al. Co-infection of dengue and COVID-19: A case report. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020; 14(8):e0008476. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008476. PMID: 32745101; PMCID: PMC7398491; .2. Miah MA, Husna A. Coinfection, coepidemics of COVID-19, and dengue in dengue-endemic countries: A serious health concern. J Med Virol. 2020. doi: 10.1002/jmv.26269. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32633829; PMCID: PMC7361212. Coinfection, coepidemics of COVID-19, and dengue Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (417): Japan (TK) animal, dog, OIE
COVID-19 -- JapanInformation received on 25 Sep 2020 from Dr Norio Kumagai, Director, Chief Veterinary Officer, Animal Health Division, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tokyo, JapanSummaryReport type: immediate notificationDate of start of the event: 26 Jul 2020Date of confirmation of the event: 3 Aug 2020Report date: 25 Sep 2020Date submitted to OIE: 25 Sep 2020Reason for notification: emerging diseaseMorbidity: 1 (scale 0 to Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> West Nile virus (18): Europe (Spain)
West Nile Virus -- SpainWest Nile virus fever has taken the life of a new person in Sevilla. The woman is the 5th fatal victim since the 1st week of August [2020] when the 1st hospitalizations occurred.The 77-year-old woman is a resident of Cora del Rio who had been for several weeks in the intensive care unit of the Virgin del Rocio Hospital and who at the end could not overcome the disease that was caused by the bite of a mosquito that had become infected from feeding on an ill bird.During the Read more [...]
PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed cerebral disease – South Sudan: nodding disease
River Blindness -- South SudanElimination of "river epilepsy" has started in South Sudan.In November 2013, I [Robert Colebunders] visited Mvolo, in South Sudan, in an effort to identify the cause of nodding syndrome, at that time a mysterious form of epilepsy of unknown aetiology. The situation in Mvolo was catastrophic. A rapid assessment showed that one in 6 children had epilepsy, and one in 2 families had at least one child with epilepsy. I felt very uncomfortable, because I had nothing to offer Read more [...]
PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed illness – Sudan: (NO) fatal
Undiagnosed -- SudanDoctors of Sudan expect the cause of an unknown fever to be found in contaminated floodwater, as the country continues to fight against the coronavirus. Now, 8 people have lost their lives in Sudan's Northern state due to an unknown fever, the Ministry of Health of Sudan has revealed."The ministry received a report on Sat 19 Sep 2020 concerning 41 cases of fever in Northern state, including 8 deaths," the official statement read. It also added that a medical team has been sent Read more [...]
PRO/EDR> Amebic meningoencephalitis, primary – USA: (TX) drinking water
Amoeba -- United StatesResidents of Lake Jackson, Texas have been warned about using tap water after a deadly brain-eating microbe was found in the city's public water supply.Tests confirmed the presence of _Naegleria fowleri_ in the system. The amoeba can cause an infection of the brain, which is usually fatal.Infections are rare in the US, with 34 reported between 2009 and 2018.Officials in Lake Jackson said they were disinfecting the water supply but did not know how long this would take.Eight Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (416): gastrointestinal complications, antibodies, 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): 598 060 (3518) / 13 031 (93)European Region (61): 5 608 280 (78 707) / 234 134 (842)South East Asia Region (10): 6 624 441 (93 568) / 109 429 (1248)Eastern Mediterranean Region (22): 2 322 175 (18 054) / 59 953 (421)Region of the Americas (54): 16 106 844 (118 938) / 543 883 (3109)African Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (63): Kazakhstan (AM) poultry, HPAI H5, spread susp
Avian Influenza -- KazakhstanFive more districts in Akmola [Aqmola] region confirmed bird flu cases, namely in Astrakhan, Bulandy, Atbasar, Egendykol, and Zerendy districts. They will impose mandatory quarantine.So far, 1104 chickens have died in 11 districts.--Communicated by:ProMED-mail[Aqmola region borders, on its north, the region of north Kazakhstan where highly pathogenic avian influenza [HPAI] H5 has been identified in poultry and wild birds, reported to the OIE on 19 Sep 2020. Though the Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Crimean-Congo hem. fever – Asia (08): India (GJ)
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever -- IndiaGujarat reported 4 cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) this year [2020]. Of them, 3 cases have been reported to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) as part of the "weekly outbreak" reports; however, the state health department claimed there had been "no outbreak of CCHF this year [2020]".The 1st case was reported on 4 Mar 2020: a 70-year-old patient from the Paliyad village in Bota. The patient's sample was sent to the National Institute Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Rift Valley fever – Mauritania: (BR, TG, HG) camelids, OIE
Rift Valley Fever -- MauritaniaInformation received on [and dated] 24 Sep 2020 from Dr. Baba Doumbia, Director, Veterinary Services, Ministry of Rural Development, Nouakchott, MauritaniaSummaryReport type: Immediate notificationDate of start of the event: 17 Sep 2020Date of confirmation of the event: 23 Sep 2020Report date: 24 Sep 2020Date submitted to OIE: 24 Sep 2020Reason for notification: Recurrence of a listed diseaseDate of previous occurrence: December 2018Manifestation of disease: Clinical Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (415): vertical transmission, Fido, WHO, global
COVID-19 -- Worldwide/UnknownBackground: The occurrence of transplacental transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains highly debated. Placental positivity for SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in selected cases, but infection or virus-associated disease of fetal tissues or newborns remains to be demonstrated.Methods: We screened for SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein expression [in] placentas from 101 women who delivered between 7 Feb 2020 and 15 May 2020, Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Rodenticide poisoning – South Africa: (WC) caracal
Poisoning -- South AfricaThe Urban Caracal Project was saddened to announce the death of Orion, one of the 1st caracals the organisation collared. Collars are used to monitor movements and foraging behaviours. Orion was first captured in August 2016 near Cape Point and weighed 12.2 kg (26.8 lb).He died in the same month in which he was tagged and is the 1st cat to form part of the Urban Caracal Project's "Meet the Cats" feature, which allows the organisation to introduce the cats to all those who Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (414): animal, Netherlands (LI), Denmark (ND), farm mink, spread
COVID-19 -- NetherlandsAt a mink farm in Meijel (municipality of Peel en Maas) an infection with SARS-CoV-2 has been established. The company has approximately 10 000 parent animals. The contamination came to light from the "early warning", the monitoring system in which animals are tested for the virus every week. The company will be cleared as soon as possible.A total of 57 mink farms in the Netherlands have now been declared infected.For more information, see the last letter to the House of Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Salmonellosis, st Stanley – USA: wood ear mushrooms, alert, recall
Salmonella -- United StatesThe CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and FDA are investigating a multistate outbreak of _Salmonella [enterica_ serotype] Stanley infections.Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. PulseNet is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by the CDC. DNA fingerprinting is performed on _Salmonella_ bacteria isolated Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> COVID-19 update (413): interferon type I, Saudi Arabia Umrah, WHO, global
COVID-19 -- United StatesNew findings by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators help explain why some people with COVID-19 develop severe disease. The findings also may provide the 1st molecular explanation for why more men than women die from COVID-19.The researchers found that more than 10% of people who develop severe COVID-19 have misguided antibodies -- autoantibodies -- that attack the immune system rather than the virus that causes the disease. Another 3.5% Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Equine grass sickness – UK: (Scotland) horse
Other Animal Disease -- United KingdomThe diagnosis of EGS can be complex and is normally confirmed by a clinical examination of the horse by the vet. Further tests may be used to support the diagnosis of EGS, or help rule out other conditions, such as taking blood samples or an ultrasound of the abdomen.Treatment---------Due to the hopeless prognosis for survival, horses diagnosed with acute, sub-acute, or severe chronic EGS usually have to be euthanised to prevent further suffering. Around 50% Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> Invasive mosquito – USA (07): (CA)
Pests -- United StatesFor the 1st time in Butte County, the mosquito commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito has been found. The invasive species was discovered 17 Sep [2020] in northeast Chico in the area of East Avenue and Mariposa Avenue.The _Aedes aegypti_ mosquito has been detected previously in other areas of California, but never in Butte County. _Ae. aegypti_ have the potential to transmit viruses such as chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, and Zika, which are not known to be transmitted Read more [...]
PRO/AH/EDR> African swine fever – Europe (23): Germany (BB) wild boar, spread
African Swine Fever -- GermanyThe National Reference Laboratory FLI has officially confirmed today [24 Sep 2020] African swine fever [ASF] in 3 additional wild boars. All 3 have been found in the core zone, near Neuzelle, district Oder-Spree. Total number of ASF cases now is 32.--Communicated by:Sabine ZentisCastleview English LonghornsGut Laach, D-52385 Nideggen, Germany[African swine fever [ASF] in wild boars took Belgium (Luxembourg province) by surprise in September 2018; the disease had not Read more [...]
PRO/PL> Circular leaf spot, persimmon – Spain: (VC)
Other Plant Disease -- SpainIt was recently announced that this year's [2020] Spanish kaki [persimmon] harvest will be significantly reduced compared to last year [2019] (by around 30%), both due to the lower yields and the impact of pests. In recent days, Valencian producers have been surprised by the abundant presence of the _Mycosphaerella_ fungus, which is causing a huge amount of fruit to fall from the trees. Therefore, the drop in this season's kaki production could actually be much greater."It Read more [...]
