Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/12/news-scan-dec-11-2020
News Scan for Dec 11, 2020
US pediatric flu death; Polio in 4 countries; More avian flu in Europe
Filed Under:
Influenza, General; Polio; Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
CDC reports first pediatric flu death of the new flu season
Though flu activity in the United States remains well below expected levels for this time of year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reported the first pediatric flu death of the 2020-21 season, a child who died from influenza B.
The percentage of respiratory specimens that were positive for flu last week was 0.2%, and the percentage of clinic visits for flulike illness stayed at 1.6% for the third week in a row. Deaths from flu, pneumonia, and COVID-19 were at 14.3%, well above the 6.5% epidemic threshold, but with the vast majority deaths due to COVID-19. The CDC cautioned that flu patterns should be interpreted with caution, due to impacts from COVID-19.
Of respiratory samples tested at clinical labs last week, 40 were positive for flu: 19 were influenza A and 21 were influenza B. Of 16 flu specimens detected last week at public health labs, 5 were influenza A and 11 were influenza B. Only one influenza A virus was subtyped, which revealed 2009 H1N1.
Dec 11 CDC FluView
Four countries report vaccine-derived polio cases
Four countries reported more polio cases over the past week, all involving vaccine-derived polio, according to the latest report from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Pakistan reported 6 cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPD2), including 3 in Sindh province, 2 in Balochistan, and 1 in Punjab, bringing the number of cVDPD2 cases reported in the country in 2020 to 110. There were also eight cVDPD2 environmental samples reported, along with five wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) environmental samples.
The other reported cVDPD2 cases were in Africa. Central African Republic (Region Sanitaire province) and Somalia (Baidoa province) each reported 1 cVDPD2 case, and Chad reported 9—1 each in N'Djamena, Logone Occidental, and Kanem provinces and 6 in Logone Oriental province. The GPEI report says further cVDPD2 spread across the Lake Chad subregion remains high.
Dec 9 GPEI weekly update
H5N8 avian flu hits more poultry and wild birds in Europe
More highly pathogenic avian flu outbreaks were reported across Europe, mainly in wild birds but with France reporting another H5N8 outbreak in poultry, according to the latest notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
In France, surveillance avian flu at a duck farm in Landes department turned up H5N8 on Dec 7, though no illnesses or deaths were reported. Authorities culled 12,043 birds at the facility as a precaution.
Meanwhile, three countries—Belgium, Ireland, and Poland—reported more H5N8 detections in wild birds.
Dec 10 OIE report on H5N8 in French poultry
Dec 11 OIE report on H5N8 in Belgian wild birds
Dec 10 OIE report on H5N8 in Irish wild birds
Dec 10 OIE report on H5N8 in Polish wild birds
In a related development, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) today posted a snapshot of avian flu on the continent since Aug 15, noting that 561 highly pathogenic detections have been reported in 15 countries, mostly in wild birds but also affecting poultry and captive birds.
The hardest-hit countries are Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Subtypes include mainly H5N8, but also H5N5 and a reassortant H5N1 that isn't related to the type that has been deadly in humans.
The risk of further spread to poultry is high to birds in other European countries, as autumn migration continues southward and westward. Though the risk of spread to humans is still very low, virus evolution and reassortment needs to be closely monitored for emerging threats, the ECDC said.
Dec 11 ECDC avian flu overview
News Scan for Dec 11, 2020
US pediatric flu death; Polio in 4 countries; More avian flu in Europe
Filed Under:
Influenza, General; Polio; Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
CDC reports first pediatric flu death of the new flu season
Though flu activity in the United States remains well below expected levels for this time of year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reported the first pediatric flu death of the 2020-21 season, a child who died from influenza B.
The percentage of respiratory specimens that were positive for flu last week was 0.2%, and the percentage of clinic visits for flulike illness stayed at 1.6% for the third week in a row. Deaths from flu, pneumonia, and COVID-19 were at 14.3%, well above the 6.5% epidemic threshold, but with the vast majority deaths due to COVID-19. The CDC cautioned that flu patterns should be interpreted with caution, due to impacts from COVID-19.
Of respiratory samples tested at clinical labs last week, 40 were positive for flu: 19 were influenza A and 21 were influenza B. Of 16 flu specimens detected last week at public health labs, 5 were influenza A and 11 were influenza B. Only one influenza A virus was subtyped, which revealed 2009 H1N1.
Dec 11 CDC FluView
Four countries report vaccine-derived polio cases
Four countries reported more polio cases over the past week, all involving vaccine-derived polio, according to the latest report from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Pakistan reported 6 cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPD2), including 3 in Sindh province, 2 in Balochistan, and 1 in Punjab, bringing the number of cVDPD2 cases reported in the country in 2020 to 110. There were also eight cVDPD2 environmental samples reported, along with five wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) environmental samples.
The other reported cVDPD2 cases were in Africa. Central African Republic (Region Sanitaire province) and Somalia (Baidoa province) each reported 1 cVDPD2 case, and Chad reported 9—1 each in N'Djamena, Logone Occidental, and Kanem provinces and 6 in Logone Oriental province. The GPEI report says further cVDPD2 spread across the Lake Chad subregion remains high.
Dec 9 GPEI weekly update
H5N8 avian flu hits more poultry and wild birds in Europe
More highly pathogenic avian flu outbreaks were reported across Europe, mainly in wild birds but with France reporting another H5N8 outbreak in poultry, according to the latest notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
In France, surveillance avian flu at a duck farm in Landes department turned up H5N8 on Dec 7, though no illnesses or deaths were reported. Authorities culled 12,043 birds at the facility as a precaution.
Meanwhile, three countries—Belgium, Ireland, and Poland—reported more H5N8 detections in wild birds.
Dec 10 OIE report on H5N8 in French poultry
Dec 11 OIE report on H5N8 in Belgian wild birds
Dec 10 OIE report on H5N8 in Irish wild birds
Dec 10 OIE report on H5N8 in Polish wild birds
In a related development, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) today posted a snapshot of avian flu on the continent since Aug 15, noting that 561 highly pathogenic detections have been reported in 15 countries, mostly in wild birds but also affecting poultry and captive birds.
The hardest-hit countries are Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Subtypes include mainly H5N8, but also H5N5 and a reassortant H5N1 that isn't related to the type that has been deadly in humans.
The risk of further spread to poultry is high to birds in other European countries, as autumn migration continues southward and westward. Though the risk of spread to humans is still very low, virus evolution and reassortment needs to be closely monitored for emerging threats, the ECDC said.
Dec 11 ECDC avian flu overview