Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2019/08/news-scan-aug-30-2019
News Scan for Aug 30, 2019
Polio detections in 3 nations; Cyclospora case surge; More backyard poultry Salmonella; Salmonellosis tied to dog treats; Massive global vaccine effort
Filed Under:
Cyclospora; Polio; Foodborne Disease; Salmonella; Public Health; Childhood Vaccines
[h=3]Pakistan has 5 more polio cases; African countries report more positives[/h] In the latest global polio developments, Pakistan reported five more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases, while two African nations?Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)?reported more positive circulating vaccine-derived polio type 2 (cVDPV2) detections. The details appear today in the weekly update from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Pakistan's new cases include three from three different districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and two from Hyderabad district in Sindh province. Paralysis onsets ranged from Jul 20 to Aug 5. The new WPV1 cases push Pakistan's total so far this year to 58, a sharp increase from 12 for all of 2018.
In Africa, Nigeria reported one more cVDPV2 positive in a heathy contact of an earlier case; the sample was collected on Jul 24. And in the DRC, officials confirmed 6 cVDPV2 cases, including 4 in different districts of Sankuru state in the central part of the country, 1 in Katanga state in the far southeast, and 1 in neighboring Haut Lomami state. Paralysis onsets range from Jul 20 to Jul 29. The DRC, which is battling nine separate cVDPV2 outbreaks, has now recorded 23 cases for the year.
Aug 30 GPEI update
[h=3]CDC: Domestic Cyclospora cases spike to 1,696 with 1,100 new infections[/h] In a monthly update yesterday on domestic Cyclospora cases, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 1,116 more have been reported, raising the overall total to 1,696. Three more states have reported cases, lifting the number of those affected to 33. The District and Columbia and New York City have also reported cases.
Summer rises in domestic Cyclospora cayetanensis, a parasite that is spread by consuming food or water contaminated with feces, have been common in recent years, some of which were caused by imported produce such as raspberries, basil, and cilantro.
At least 205 of the cases from this year have been tied to an outbreak linked to imported Mexican basil, but the CDC said in yesterday's update that federal and state health officials are investigating multiple clusters linked to different restaurants or events. The agency added that it's not known yet if other cases in the country are linked to the outbreak tied to fresh basil.
So far, 92 people have been hospitalized for their infections, which can produce profuse diarrhea that can last weeks to months. No deaths have been reported. The latest illness onset was Aug 13.
Cases this year are still below the 2018 total of 2,299, about a third of which were connected to two large multistate outbreaks in the Midwest, one related to prepackaged vegetable trays and the other to salads sold at a fast food chain.
Aug 29 CDC update
Jul 26 CIDRAP News story "Multistate outbreak tied to basil part of Cyclospora surge"
[h=3]Backyard poultry Salmonella outbreak tops 1,000 cases[/h] Multistate Salmonella outbreaks linked to backyard poultry, first announced in the middle of May, have grown by 235 more cases since the middle of July, raising the overall total to 1,003 infections, the CDC said today in an update.
One more state reported cases, putting the number of affected states at 49. The number of deaths remained at two, and so far 175 people have been hospitalized. The latest illness onset was Aug 9. Of 850 people with available information, 23% were children younger than 5 years old.
Earlier reports said the outbreaks involved 11 different Salmonella serotypes. Today's CDC update said a 12th one is also involved, Salmonella Altona. Six have been identified in samples from backyard poultry environments at people's homes in California, Minnesota, and Ohio, and in poultry environments at retail stores in Michigan and Oregon.
So far whole-genome sequencing of 512 isolates from sick people has not shown any evidence of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic susceptibility tests on 30 of the samples by the CDC's National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) confirmed the findings.
Investigators have found that backyard poultry from multiple hatcheries are the likely source of the outbreaks. The CDC has warned that, regardless where poultry is bought, it can carry Salmonella that can make people sick. It also urges backyard poultry owners to follow recommended safety measures.
Aug 30 CDC update
Jul 22 CIDRAP News story "Two deaths noted in growing Salmonella outbreaks tied to poultry"
[h=3]Salmonella outbreak tied to pig ear pet treats grows to 143 cases[/h] In related news, the US multidrug-resistant Salmonella outbreak tied to pig ear dog treats has grown by 16 cases, to 143 human infections, and 2 more states have confirmed cases, raising the number of affected states to 35, the CDC said in an update this week.
Of 110 patients with available information, 33 (30%) required hospitalization, the CDC said, and 26 illnesses (20%) were in children younger than 5 years.
This outbreak spans several years, with illness-onset dates ranging from Jun 10, 2015, to Jul 30, 2019. Patients range in age from less than a year to 90, with a median age of 39. No deaths have been reported.
Iowa is the hardest-hit state, with 23 cases, followed by New York (16), Michigan (14), and Illinois (10). Maryland and Virginia are the newly affected states.
"CDC and FDA [Food and Drug Administration] are advising people not to buy or feed any pig ear dog treats, including any that may already be in homes," the CDC said [emphasis in original].
Aug 27 CDC update
[h=3]Vaccine Alliance aims to immunize 300 million by 2025, seeks billions[/h] Today Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, launched an ambitious $7.4 billion fundraising drive, with the goal of immunizing 300 million unvaccinated children by 2025.
The effort will protect against 18 key diseases and save up to 8 million lives from 2021 through 2025, Gavi said in a news release. Of the total, $3.6 billion will be invested in developing countries' own vaccination programs.
In Gavi's first phase, which began in 2000, the nonprofit supported six basic vaccines. The goal is to increase this to 18 by 2025, with new support for inactivated polio vaccine, rabies, and multi-strain meningococcal vaccines, as well as funding for an Ebola vaccine stockpile once it is prequalified by the WHO. This second phase aims to protect children against childhood diseases, adolescents against cervical cancer, and the world against Ebola, cholera, yellow fever, and meningitis through support for vaccine stockpiles.
"Over the past two decades the Vaccine Alliance has helped to protect a generation against some of the world's deadliest diseases," said Seth Berkley, MD, Gavi CEO. "However, 1.5 million people are still dying every year from vaccine-preventable diseases, while climate change, conflict and urbanisation are combining to make it easier for outbreaks to spread. This calls for an urgent response to ensure people continue to be protected against disease, to prevent deadly outbreaks and to help the next generation prosper."
"Gavi has made an enormous contribution to the health of Ghana's children over the last two decades," said Nana Akufo-Addo, president of Ghana. "Much of this progress is due to the power of immunisation and the work of the Alliance, which has stood by us as we have brought lifesaving vaccines to every part of the country. Now is the time for all of us to step up and help the Vaccine Alliance to continue its mission."
Since Gavi's inception in 2000 it has helped immunize more than 760 million people against deadly diseases, saving 13 million lives, the organization said in the release.
Aug 30 Gavi news release
News Scan for Aug 30, 2019
Polio detections in 3 nations; Cyclospora case surge; More backyard poultry Salmonella; Salmonellosis tied to dog treats; Massive global vaccine effort
Filed Under:
Cyclospora; Polio; Foodborne Disease; Salmonella; Public Health; Childhood Vaccines
[h=3]Pakistan has 5 more polio cases; African countries report more positives[/h] In the latest global polio developments, Pakistan reported five more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases, while two African nations?Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)?reported more positive circulating vaccine-derived polio type 2 (cVDPV2) detections. The details appear today in the weekly update from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Pakistan's new cases include three from three different districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and two from Hyderabad district in Sindh province. Paralysis onsets ranged from Jul 20 to Aug 5. The new WPV1 cases push Pakistan's total so far this year to 58, a sharp increase from 12 for all of 2018.
In Africa, Nigeria reported one more cVDPV2 positive in a heathy contact of an earlier case; the sample was collected on Jul 24. And in the DRC, officials confirmed 6 cVDPV2 cases, including 4 in different districts of Sankuru state in the central part of the country, 1 in Katanga state in the far southeast, and 1 in neighboring Haut Lomami state. Paralysis onsets range from Jul 20 to Jul 29. The DRC, which is battling nine separate cVDPV2 outbreaks, has now recorded 23 cases for the year.
Aug 30 GPEI update
[h=3]CDC: Domestic Cyclospora cases spike to 1,696 with 1,100 new infections[/h] In a monthly update yesterday on domestic Cyclospora cases, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 1,116 more have been reported, raising the overall total to 1,696. Three more states have reported cases, lifting the number of those affected to 33. The District and Columbia and New York City have also reported cases.
Summer rises in domestic Cyclospora cayetanensis, a parasite that is spread by consuming food or water contaminated with feces, have been common in recent years, some of which were caused by imported produce such as raspberries, basil, and cilantro.
At least 205 of the cases from this year have been tied to an outbreak linked to imported Mexican basil, but the CDC said in yesterday's update that federal and state health officials are investigating multiple clusters linked to different restaurants or events. The agency added that it's not known yet if other cases in the country are linked to the outbreak tied to fresh basil.
So far, 92 people have been hospitalized for their infections, which can produce profuse diarrhea that can last weeks to months. No deaths have been reported. The latest illness onset was Aug 13.
Cases this year are still below the 2018 total of 2,299, about a third of which were connected to two large multistate outbreaks in the Midwest, one related to prepackaged vegetable trays and the other to salads sold at a fast food chain.
Aug 29 CDC update
Jul 26 CIDRAP News story "Multistate outbreak tied to basil part of Cyclospora surge"
[h=3]Backyard poultry Salmonella outbreak tops 1,000 cases[/h] Multistate Salmonella outbreaks linked to backyard poultry, first announced in the middle of May, have grown by 235 more cases since the middle of July, raising the overall total to 1,003 infections, the CDC said today in an update.
One more state reported cases, putting the number of affected states at 49. The number of deaths remained at two, and so far 175 people have been hospitalized. The latest illness onset was Aug 9. Of 850 people with available information, 23% were children younger than 5 years old.
Earlier reports said the outbreaks involved 11 different Salmonella serotypes. Today's CDC update said a 12th one is also involved, Salmonella Altona. Six have been identified in samples from backyard poultry environments at people's homes in California, Minnesota, and Ohio, and in poultry environments at retail stores in Michigan and Oregon.
So far whole-genome sequencing of 512 isolates from sick people has not shown any evidence of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic susceptibility tests on 30 of the samples by the CDC's National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) confirmed the findings.
Investigators have found that backyard poultry from multiple hatcheries are the likely source of the outbreaks. The CDC has warned that, regardless where poultry is bought, it can carry Salmonella that can make people sick. It also urges backyard poultry owners to follow recommended safety measures.
Aug 30 CDC update
Jul 22 CIDRAP News story "Two deaths noted in growing Salmonella outbreaks tied to poultry"
[h=3]Salmonella outbreak tied to pig ear pet treats grows to 143 cases[/h] In related news, the US multidrug-resistant Salmonella outbreak tied to pig ear dog treats has grown by 16 cases, to 143 human infections, and 2 more states have confirmed cases, raising the number of affected states to 35, the CDC said in an update this week.
Of 110 patients with available information, 33 (30%) required hospitalization, the CDC said, and 26 illnesses (20%) were in children younger than 5 years.
This outbreak spans several years, with illness-onset dates ranging from Jun 10, 2015, to Jul 30, 2019. Patients range in age from less than a year to 90, with a median age of 39. No deaths have been reported.
Iowa is the hardest-hit state, with 23 cases, followed by New York (16), Michigan (14), and Illinois (10). Maryland and Virginia are the newly affected states.
"CDC and FDA [Food and Drug Administration] are advising people not to buy or feed any pig ear dog treats, including any that may already be in homes," the CDC said [emphasis in original].
Aug 27 CDC update
[h=3]Vaccine Alliance aims to immunize 300 million by 2025, seeks billions[/h] Today Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, launched an ambitious $7.4 billion fundraising drive, with the goal of immunizing 300 million unvaccinated children by 2025.
The effort will protect against 18 key diseases and save up to 8 million lives from 2021 through 2025, Gavi said in a news release. Of the total, $3.6 billion will be invested in developing countries' own vaccination programs.
In Gavi's first phase, which began in 2000, the nonprofit supported six basic vaccines. The goal is to increase this to 18 by 2025, with new support for inactivated polio vaccine, rabies, and multi-strain meningococcal vaccines, as well as funding for an Ebola vaccine stockpile once it is prequalified by the WHO. This second phase aims to protect children against childhood diseases, adolescents against cervical cancer, and the world against Ebola, cholera, yellow fever, and meningitis through support for vaccine stockpiles.
"Over the past two decades the Vaccine Alliance has helped to protect a generation against some of the world's deadliest diseases," said Seth Berkley, MD, Gavi CEO. "However, 1.5 million people are still dying every year from vaccine-preventable diseases, while climate change, conflict and urbanisation are combining to make it easier for outbreaks to spread. This calls for an urgent response to ensure people continue to be protected against disease, to prevent deadly outbreaks and to help the next generation prosper."
"Gavi has made an enormous contribution to the health of Ghana's children over the last two decades," said Nana Akufo-Addo, president of Ghana. "Much of this progress is due to the power of immunisation and the work of the Alliance, which has stood by us as we have brought lifesaving vaccines to every part of the country. Now is the time for all of us to step up and help the Vaccine Alliance to continue its mission."
Since Gavi's inception in 2000 it has helped immunize more than 760 million people against deadly diseases, saving 13 million lives, the organization said in the release.
Aug 30 Gavi news release