Tweet
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-pers...an-jul-29-2020
News Scan for Jul 29, 2020
New DRC Ebola case; Pneumococcal vaccine and heart attacks; H5N6 avian flu in the Philippines
Filed Under:
Ebola; VHF; Pneumonia; Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
Ebola sickens one more in the DRC, 68 total, with 31 deaths
One more Ebola case has been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Equateur province outbreak, raising the total to 68 cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said today on Twitter.
The patient is apparently from Mbandaka, the provincial capital, which is a concern, given its travel connections to Kinshasa and neighboring countries. The number of deaths held steady at 31.
The outbreak has been under way since early June, and the continued increase in cases is a grave concern, given the rising incidence and geographic spread, the WHO's regional office said yesterday in its weekly outbreaks and health emergencies update.
The event is complicated by COVID-19, measles outbreaks, and other challenges, as well as confirmed cases that remain in the community or are lost to follow-up. Three healthcare workers are among the confirmed cases.
Jul 29 WHO Africa regional office tweet
Jul 28 WHO Africa regional office weekly report
In other Ebola developments, the US Biodefense Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has signed an agreement with Regeneron to buy supplies of its Ebola triple antibody cocktail, REGN-EB3, as part of building national preparedness, the company said today in a press release. The drug is currently under priority review by the Food and Drug Administration.
The company said it expects to deliver an established number of treatment doses over a 6-year period and receive about $10 million in 2021 and $67 million per year for each of the next 5 years.
REGN-EB3 is one of two drugs that stood out as more effective than other options in studies conducted in the DRC.
Jul 29 Regeneron press release
Meta-analysis: Pneumococcal vaccine protects against heart attacks
The 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (PPV23) protects against adverse cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and congestive heart failure, according to a meta-analysis of 18 studies published yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.
The 18 controlled trials included in the analysis included a total of 716,108 participants. Vaccination with PPV23 was associated with decreased risk of any cardiovascular event (relative risk [RR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84 to 0.99) and heart attack (RR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.79-0.98) in all age-groups, with a significant effect in those 65 years and older, the authors said.
The vaccine was also associated with a significant risk reduction in all-cause mortality for all ages (RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68-0.88), even more so for adults 65 years and older (RR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.60-0.84).
"Newer evidence has shown coronary artery disease to be inflammatory in nature and since respiratory pathogens, such as influenza and S. pneumoniae, also activate macrophages, lymphocytes and cytokines, it is plausible that they could trigger myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke," the authors concluded. They added that adults 65 and older should be encouraged to receive PPV23.
Jul 28 Int J Infect Dis study
H5N6 avian flu strikes chickens in the Philippines
Animal health officials in the Philippines reported a highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza at a layer farm, the first appearance of the virus since 2018, according to a notification today from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The outbreak occurred in Pampanga province in the Central Luzon region at a commercial farm, where workers noticed clinical signs, including a drop in egg production, nasal discharge, and death, in two buildings. The outbreak began on Jul 6, killing 460 of 39,161 birds. Culling of the rest of the birds was completed on Jul 17.
The source of the outbreak is thought to be contact with wild birds, which investigators found in rice fields next to the layer farm.
Jul 29 OIE report on H5N6 in the Philippines
News Scan for Jul 29, 2020
New DRC Ebola case; Pneumococcal vaccine and heart attacks; H5N6 avian flu in the Philippines
Filed Under:
Ebola; VHF; Pneumonia; Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
Ebola sickens one more in the DRC, 68 total, with 31 deaths
One more Ebola case has been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Equateur province outbreak, raising the total to 68 cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said today on Twitter.
The patient is apparently from Mbandaka, the provincial capital, which is a concern, given its travel connections to Kinshasa and neighboring countries. The number of deaths held steady at 31.
The outbreak has been under way since early June, and the continued increase in cases is a grave concern, given the rising incidence and geographic spread, the WHO's regional office said yesterday in its weekly outbreaks and health emergencies update.
The event is complicated by COVID-19, measles outbreaks, and other challenges, as well as confirmed cases that remain in the community or are lost to follow-up. Three healthcare workers are among the confirmed cases.
Jul 29 WHO Africa regional office tweet
Jul 28 WHO Africa regional office weekly report
In other Ebola developments, the US Biodefense Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has signed an agreement with Regeneron to buy supplies of its Ebola triple antibody cocktail, REGN-EB3, as part of building national preparedness, the company said today in a press release. The drug is currently under priority review by the Food and Drug Administration.
The company said it expects to deliver an established number of treatment doses over a 6-year period and receive about $10 million in 2021 and $67 million per year for each of the next 5 years.
REGN-EB3 is one of two drugs that stood out as more effective than other options in studies conducted in the DRC.
Jul 29 Regeneron press release
Meta-analysis: Pneumococcal vaccine protects against heart attacks
The 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (PPV23) protects against adverse cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and congestive heart failure, according to a meta-analysis of 18 studies published yesterday in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.
The 18 controlled trials included in the analysis included a total of 716,108 participants. Vaccination with PPV23 was associated with decreased risk of any cardiovascular event (relative risk [RR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84 to 0.99) and heart attack (RR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.79-0.98) in all age-groups, with a significant effect in those 65 years and older, the authors said.
The vaccine was also associated with a significant risk reduction in all-cause mortality for all ages (RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68-0.88), even more so for adults 65 years and older (RR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.60-0.84).
"Newer evidence has shown coronary artery disease to be inflammatory in nature and since respiratory pathogens, such as influenza and S. pneumoniae, also activate macrophages, lymphocytes and cytokines, it is plausible that they could trigger myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke," the authors concluded. They added that adults 65 and older should be encouraged to receive PPV23.
Jul 28 Int J Infect Dis study
H5N6 avian flu strikes chickens in the Philippines
Animal health officials in the Philippines reported a highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza at a layer farm, the first appearance of the virus since 2018, according to a notification today from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The outbreak occurred in Pampanga province in the Central Luzon region at a commercial farm, where workers noticed clinical signs, including a drop in egg production, nasal discharge, and death, in two buildings. The outbreak began on Jul 6, killing 460 of 39,161 birds. Culling of the rest of the birds was completed on Jul 17.
The source of the outbreak is thought to be contact with wild birds, which investigators found in rice fields next to the layer farm.
Jul 29 OIE report on H5N6 in the Philippines