Three infectious disease hot spots – Blank map credit www.free-world-maps.com
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Quick updates on three infectious disease stories we’ve been following this week.
First, from Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection, we get an update that indicates that while the investigation continues, no new cases beyond the two imported cases have been identified in Hong Kong.
13 December 2013
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (December 13) provided an update on the two confirmed human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Hong Kong.
"The epidemiological investigations, enhanced disease surveillance, port health measures and health education are proceeding," a spokesman for the DH remarked.
As of 2pm today, there were no newly located or symptomatic contacts for both cases.
Regarding the second confirmed case (a male patient aged 80), the number of close contacts remains at 19 while that of other contacts is 142. For the first confirmed case (a female patient aged 36), the number of close contacts remains at 17 while that of other contacts is 230.
Close contacts were put under quarantine for 10 days since their last contact with the patient and were prescribed with the antiviral Tamiflu for prophylaxis, followed by 10 more days of medical surveillance. Other contacts remain under medical surveillance and were offered Tamiflu prophylaxis.
Next stop, a Rapid Risk assessment from the ECDC on the first known outbreak of Chikungunya in the Americas, which I wrote about on Tuesday (see WHO: Chikungunya In Caribbean – French Part of St. Martins)
Chikungunya on Saint Martin, the Caribbean: risk for travel-related cases in EU
12 Dec 2013
Confirmed autochthonous transmission of chikungunya on Saint Martin, risk for travel-related cases in continental Europe and unlikely onward transmission from imported cases in EU are reported in ECDC rapid risk assessment issued today. The first locally-transmitted chikungunya cases have been found in the French part of Saint Martin, a small Caribbean island divided between France and the Netherlands.
Saint Martin is a popular travel destination for EU residents. Due to the increased travel during the Christmas holidays, vigilance must be maintained regarding imported cases of chikungunya in the EU, including awareness among clinicians and travel clinics and blood safety authorities. Further local transmission from imported cases in the EU is not expected, as the mosquitoes that transmit chikungunya are not active during the winter season.
The risk of spread of the disease from Saint Martin to other islands in the Caribbean region is high. The disease is new to the Caribbean, therefore the laboratory capacity to confirm suspected cases is limited and should be strengthened.
Prevention of chikungunya is currently based on protection against mosquito bites, as exposure to infected mosquitoes is the principal risk for infection. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease, transmitted by the bite of Aedes mosquitoes – mosquitoes that are present also in Europe.
This is the first documented autochthonous transmission of chikungunya virus in the Americas. Chikungunya is endemic in parts of Africa, South-east Asia and on the Indian subcontinent. In Europe, every year, imported cases among tourists are identified in several countries, with 475 imported chikungunya cases in EU/EEA countries for 2008–2012. The first autochthonous transmission within continental Europe was reported from Emilia Romagna, Italy in 2007 and in 2010 in Var, France.
And lastly, a follow up to a blog from Wednesday (see Bubonic Plague: Forgotten, But Not Gone) on the Bubonic/Pneumonic plague outbreak on the island of Madagascar.
While the death toll was reported as 20 two days ago, some reports now have it nearly double that (n=39), and suggest that the majority of cases are due to the far less common pneumonic version of plague – one that can be spread from person-to-person by coughs. The following AFP report appears in The Australian.
Pneumonic plague kills 39 in Madagascar
AFP December 13, 2013 7:01AM
AN outbreak of plague even more vicious than the bubonic strain dubbed the black death has killed 39 people in Madagascar, the government said.
A government doctor said 90 per cent of the cases were pneumonic plague, a strain much more vicious than the common bubonic plague that can kill within three days, leaving little time for antibiotics to work.
Authorities urged anyone suffering fever and headaches to consult a health practitioner, saying drugs to treat the plague were available free of charge.
