Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/08/news-scan-aug-12-2020
News Scan for Aug 12, 2020
More Ebola in the DRC; EPA nod for new insect repellent
Filed Under:
Ebola; VHF; Dengue
Ebola sickens 5 more in the DRC; cases now total 84, with 36 deaths
Tests in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have confirmed five more Ebola cases in the Equateur province outbreak, lifting the total to 84, the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said on Twitter today.
Also, three more people died from their infections, raising the fatality count to 36.
The outbreak has been underway since early June and is occurring in the same area where a short-lived outbreak in 2018 resulted in 54 cases, 33 of them fatal. The current outbreak, the DRC's 11[SUP]th[/SUP], has raised concerns due to the wide geographic distribution, the presence of confirmed and suspected cases still in the community, and the incidence of infections in Mbandaka, the provincial capital, which has travel connections to Kinshasa and neighboring countries.
Aug 12 WHO African regional office tweet
EPA clears grapefruit-based insect repellent ingredient
A new insect repellent ingredient developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Nootkatone is the chemical responsible for grapefruit taste and smell and is already used in perfumes and colognes. In a statement, the EPA said nootkatone is found in minute quantities in Alaska yellow cedar trees and grapefruit skin. Studies have shown that the ingredient may repel and kill ticks, mosquitoes, and a wide range of other biting insects.
The EPA's action means nootkatone can be used to develop new insect repellents and insecticides to protect humans and pets. The CDC's licensed partner, Evolva, is in talks with pest control companies to explore commercial products, and products could be available by 2022.
In its statement, the EPA said having a new effective ingredient will help address growing levels of insect resistance to other products that are in use. The CDC has partnered with Evolva since 2014, and in 2017 the company was awarded a Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) contract to develop nootkatone and products that contain it for protection against mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue and Zika viruses.
Aug 10 EPA press release
In another mosquito-borne illness development, 5 more dengue cases have been reported in Florida's Key Largo outbreak, raising the total to 42, CBS Miami reported, based on information from Florida Health. All five of the new cases were identified in antibody testing and involved people who were sick in June.
Aug 11 CBS Miami report
News Scan for Aug 12, 2020
More Ebola in the DRC; EPA nod for new insect repellent
Filed Under:
Ebola; VHF; Dengue
Ebola sickens 5 more in the DRC; cases now total 84, with 36 deaths
Tests in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have confirmed five more Ebola cases in the Equateur province outbreak, lifting the total to 84, the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said on Twitter today.
Also, three more people died from their infections, raising the fatality count to 36.
The outbreak has been underway since early June and is occurring in the same area where a short-lived outbreak in 2018 resulted in 54 cases, 33 of them fatal. The current outbreak, the DRC's 11[SUP]th[/SUP], has raised concerns due to the wide geographic distribution, the presence of confirmed and suspected cases still in the community, and the incidence of infections in Mbandaka, the provincial capital, which has travel connections to Kinshasa and neighboring countries.
Aug 12 WHO African regional office tweet
EPA clears grapefruit-based insect repellent ingredient
A new insect repellent ingredient developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Nootkatone is the chemical responsible for grapefruit taste and smell and is already used in perfumes and colognes. In a statement, the EPA said nootkatone is found in minute quantities in Alaska yellow cedar trees and grapefruit skin. Studies have shown that the ingredient may repel and kill ticks, mosquitoes, and a wide range of other biting insects.
The EPA's action means nootkatone can be used to develop new insect repellents and insecticides to protect humans and pets. The CDC's licensed partner, Evolva, is in talks with pest control companies to explore commercial products, and products could be available by 2022.
In its statement, the EPA said having a new effective ingredient will help address growing levels of insect resistance to other products that are in use. The CDC has partnered with Evolva since 2014, and in 2017 the company was awarded a Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) contract to develop nootkatone and products that contain it for protection against mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue and Zika viruses.
Aug 10 EPA press release
In another mosquito-borne illness development, 5 more dengue cases have been reported in Florida's Key Largo outbreak, raising the total to 42, CBS Miami reported, based on information from Florida Health. All five of the new cases were identified in antibody testing and involved people who were sick in June.
Aug 11 CBS Miami report