Communicable Diseases

GHealth News - Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, announced on Monday the confirmation of a Marburg virus outbreak in the country’s northwest, with one case confirmed so far. “Laboratory tests conducted at Kabaile Mobile Laboratory in Kagera, later confirmed in Dar es Salaam, identified one patient as infected with the Marburg virus,” she stated during a press conference in Dodoma, where World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was also present. Last week, Tanzania’s health minister denied any outbreak, asserting that no one had tested positive for the virus. However, the denial followed reports from the WHO indicating that eight suspected deaths from the virus had occurred in the same region on January 10. Victims reportedly exhibited cl...

GHealth News - France has confirmed its first case of a new variant of mpox, as reported by the AFP news agency on Monday, citing a statement from the French Ministry of Health. The patient, who had not traveled to Central Africa—the origin of the new virus strain—had been in contact with two individuals who had recently returned from the region. Authorities are currently investigating the source of the infection and tracing all potential contacts. The patient, a woman, was diagnosed in Rennes, located in the northwestern Brittany region, as reported by the French regional newspaper Ouest France. The new variant, known as the clade 1b variant, is associated with the global health emergency declared by the World Health Organization in August. Germany and Britain also reported their first...

GHealth News - Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is not a cause for panic, according to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization. In a post on X, Dr. Swaminathan stated, "It's a known virus that causes respiratory infections, mostly mild." She emphasized the importance of following standard precautions for cold symptoms, such as wearing a mask, washing hands, and avoiding crowded places. "Rather than reacting to the detection of every pathogen, we should all take basic precautions when we have a cold: wear a mask, wash hands, avoid crowds, and consult a doctor if symptoms are severe," she advised. #HMPvirus is nothing to panic about. It’s a known virus that causes respiratory infections, mostly mild. Rather than jump at detection of every pathogen...

GHealth News - Since mid-December 2024, China has experienced a rise in human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infections, sparking public concern about the emergence of a novel virus. However, health experts and officials have assured the public that HMPV is a well-established respiratory illness, often under-recognized but not new. Domestic media have highlighted the increase in HMPV cases, with some patients reporting "flu-like" symptoms, including dizziness, which has fueled speculation about an unfamiliar pathogen. This trend follows a similar surge in HMPV cases in the U.S. around April 2024, when the virus was described as "little-known" in media coverage. HMPV: A Familiar Virus Chinese experts emphasize that HMPV is not a new threat. Zheng Lishu, a virologist at the Chinese Cente...

GHealth News - France has reported bird flu outbreaks on two poultry farms in Normandy on December 27 and 28, shortly after regaining HPAI-free status on December 15. This status, which requires no outbreaks for at least a month, has now been lost, potentially affecting trade restrictions. The outbreaks led to the culling of entire flocks, totaling 25,540 birds. While France credits its year-old vaccination program, particularly for farm ducks, for reducing the virus's spread compared to past seasons, the country remains vigilant due to risks from migrating birds. Meanwhile, Germany also reported a bird flu outbreak on a Bavarian farm with 16,000 birds culled. (Reuters)

GHealth News - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that the bird flu virus mutated inside a Louisiana patient, who represents the nation’s first severe case of the illness. These mutations may enhance the virus's ability to bind to receptors in human upper airways, a development that scientists find concerning but not immediately alarming. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert, likened the mutation to a "key" that fits a "lock" on human cells but emphasized that it doesn’t yet “open the door” for human-to-human transmission. The patient, over 65 and with underlying health conditions, was hospitalized in critical condition after exposure to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. The CDC confirmed no evidence of virus transmission to other...

Devastating flooding in South Sudan is affecting around 1.4 million people, with more than 379,000 displaced, according to a United Nations update that warned about an upsurge in malaria. Aid agencies have said that the world's youngest country, highly vulnerable to climate change, is in the grip of its worst flooding in decades, mainly in the north. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said about 1.4 million people were affected by floods in 43 counties and the disputed Abyei region, which is claimed by both South Sudan and Sudan. "Over 379,000 individuals are displaced in 22 counties and Abyei," it added in a statement issued late on Friday. A surge in malaria has been reported in several states, it said, "overwhelming the health syste...

Egypt has been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) - an achievement hailed by the UN public health agency as "truly historic". “Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Egyptian authorities launched their first efforts to stamp out the deadly mosquito-borne infectious disease nearly 100 years. Certification is granted when a country proves that the transmission chain is interrupted for at least the previous three consecutive years. Malaria kills at least 600,000 people every year, nearly all of them in Africa. In a statement on Sunday, the WHO praised "the Egyptian government and people" for their efforts to "end a disease that has be...

By Melissa Rudy Amid reports of a deadly viral outbreak in Central Africa, researchers are reportedly scrambling to develop treatments and vaccines to combat the Marburg Virus. As of Sept. 30, 2024, the country of Rwanda — which is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — has reported 27 cases of the virus and nine subsequent deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most of the cases have affected health care workers at two health facilities in the city of Kigali, the same source stated. The patients are being cared for in hospitals, as noted by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sept. 29.  "Contact tracing is underway, with 300 contacts under follow-up," WHO stated. This is the first time the M...

The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the first diagnostic test for mpox where the results can be immediately known, saying it could prove pivotal in helping to stop the rising global cases of the deadly virus. The new PCR test enables the detection of the mpox DNA taken from skin lesion swabs. Currently, samples have to be sent to a laboratory for testing and the patient and medics have to wait days for the result. Limited testing capacity and delays in confirming cases continue to be a challenge in Africa - worsening the spread of mpox that was previously known as monkeypox. Of the more than 30,000 suspected cases reported in Africa this year, barely 40% had been confirmed through a test, the WHO said. Yukiko Nakatani, the WHO's assistant director-general, descr...