#17,022
Although it is still a bit early to see large outbreaks of influenza in the Northern Hemisphere, following two years of relatively little flu - and the nearly total abandonment of pandemic mitigation efforts - many experts are expecting the robust return influenza this winter.
Australia has just come off an Early and Impressive Flu Season, and we've seen out-of-season outbreaks this summer in Asia (see China NIC Report: Summer Influenza Surge In Southern China and Vietnam: Summer Flu Continues - Tamiflu In Short Supply, New Restrictions On Use).
Just last week South Korea Issued an Unusual Early Seasonal Flu Warning, and while flu activity remains low in the United States, it never really went away over the summer (see latest FluView map below).
Over the past year we've also seen a steep rise in RSV outbreaks around the world - particularly among very young children - and more recently, CDC HAN advisories on non-influenza respiratory disease outbreaks.
CDC HAN #00473: Severe Respiratory Illnesses Associated with Rhinoviruses and/or Enteroviruses Including EV-D68 – Multistate, 2022
CDC HAN Advisory: Recent Reports of Human Parechovirus (PeV) in the United States—2022
(translated)
Strengthening prevention and control of diseases caused by adenovirus
22/09/2022
According to a report by the National Children's Hospital, from the beginning of 2022 to now, 412 cases of adenovirus disease have been detected, of which 76% (324 cases) indicated hospitalization, the number of cases tends to increase. From August 2022 to now, 06 deaths have been recorded.
In the face of the increasing number of children infected with Adeno virus, in order to actively strengthen measures to prevent and control the epidemic, on September 21, 2022, the Department of Preventive Medicine - Ministry of Health sent an Official Letter to the Institute comrades. Director of Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute, Director of Health Departments of provinces and cities on strengthening prevention and control of diseases caused by adenovirus, including the following main contents:
1. Departments of Health of provinces and centrally run cities
- Directing medical units to strengthen surveillance and early detection of disease cases and outbreaks of Adeno virus, implement and thoroughly handle outbreaks, and limit the spread to a large area. Report timely and fully the epidemic situation according to regulations of the Ministry of Health.
- Direct medical examination and treatment establishments to well perform the work of collecting, isolating, treating and giving first aid to patients, minimizing the number of deaths; strictly implement infection control and prevention of cross-infection; instructing the patient's caregivers and the patient's family members about the risk of infection and compliance with measures to prevent infection; prevent the spread and outbreak of outbreaks at medical examination and treatment establishments.
- Strengthen communication of measures to prevent disease caused by adenovirus in the mass media and risk communication, with a focus on recommended contents for infection prevention (practice good environmental sanitation and hygiene). school, personal hygiene, wash hands with soap and clean water; cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing; do not share personal items with sick people, especially those with secretions of the sick person ...).
2. Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute
- The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has urgently coordinated with the National Children's Hospital to review, investigate and analyze the epidemiology of cases of adenovirus infection and death at the National Children's Hospital, and promptly report them. report and propose preventive solutions.
- The Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute strengthen close monitoring of epidemic situation of localities in charge to analyze, assess risks, identify and forecast the epidemic situation, promptly advise the Ministry of Health on appropriate and effective epidemic prevention measures for each locality in the area in charge; organize dissemination, training, guidance, direction, inspection and urging provinces and cities to well perform disease surveillance and promptly implement epidemic prevention and control measures.
Adenoviruses - of which there are more than 4 dozen serotypes - are a common cause of (generally mild) respiratory illnesses in both adults and children. We have, however, seen severe outbreaks in the past.
- a multi-state outbreak of virulent serotype Ad14 15 years ago (see 2007 MMWR Acute Respiratory Disease Associated with Adenovirus Serotype 14 --- Four States, 2006—2007)
- in 2012, China: Hebei Outbreak Identified As Adenovirus 55 an outbreak that was first thought to be SARS.
- In 2016, we looked at a report in the EID Journal: Human Adenovirus Associated with Severe Respiratory Infection, Oregon, USA, 2013–2014, that described a relatively large outbreak in the Pacific Northwest.
- In 2018 we saw several high profile adenovirus outbreaks (see DOH: 2nd NJ Facility Reporting Adenovirus Outbreak & 10th Fatality At Wanaque Center and Heath Dept. Reports A Cluster Of Severe Adenovirus Cases In Upper Michigan).
