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T oday's Headlines: February 14, 2019

Biological Agents & Infectious Diseases
 
Epidemiological Situation in The Provinces of North Kivu and Ituri  (DRC Ministry of Health) Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 823, of which 762 are confirmed and 61 are probable. In total, there were 517 deaths (456 confirmed and 61 probable) and 283 people cured. Go to article
           
See also: Ebola DRC - Evolution f The Response to the Ebola Epidemic in North Kivu and Ituri on Wednesday February 13 2019   (Crofsblogs) Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 823, of which 762 are confirmed and 61 are probable. In total, there were 517 deaths (456 confirmed and 61 probable) and 283 people cured. Go to article

Bulgaria Reports New Case of African Swine Fever in Wild Boar (Reuters) Bulgaria has confirmed a new case of African swine fever in a wild boar near in the northeastern town of Devnya, the national food safety authority said on Wednesday. African swine fever is a highly contagious disease that affects pigs and wild boar. It does not affect humans.
Go to article 

Highly Pathogenic Influenza A Viruses (Infection With) (Non-Poultry Including Wild Birds), Namibia (OIE) Information received on 12/02/2019 from Dr Adrianatus Florentius Maseke, Chief Veterinary Officer, Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Windhoek, Namibia . Go to article
 
What Happened to Bird Flu? How A Major Threat to Human Health Faded from View (STAT) J ust over a dozen years ago, a bird flu virus known as H5N1 was charting a destructive course through Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East, ravaging poultry in apocalyptic numbers and killing 6 in 10 humans known to have contracted it. Go to article
 
Frontiers in Microbiology: A Novel Reasortant H7N6 Is Transmissible in Guinea Pigs via Respiratory Droplets (Avian Flu Diary) For a full decade after it re-emerged in 2003, the Asian Highly Pathogenic H5N1 virus reigned as the top bird flu pandemic threat around the world. Other - mostly H7 - avian viruses had shown a limited ability to infect humans, but produced generally mild symptoms (see A Brief History of H7 Avian Flu Infections). Go to article


Government Affairs & National Security
 
New FDA Report Blames On-farm Water for Latest Romaine Contamination (Food Safety News) The new investigative report about romaine lettuce contamination drew comments Wednesday from both FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas. Go to article

 
Global Health Security
 
Infectious Dose of African Swine Fever Virus When Consumed Naturally in Liquid or Feed  (CDC) African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a contagious, rapidly spreading, transboundary animal disease and a major threat to pork production globally. Although plant-based feed has been identified as a potential route for virus introduction onto swine farms, little is known about the risks for ASFV transmission in feed. We aimed to determine the minimum and median infectious doses of the Georgia 2007 strain of ASFV through oral exposure during natural drinking and feeding behaviors. Go to article
 
UK to Host Gavi Pledging Conference In 2020 (gov.uk) The UK will host a major international conference in 2020 to raise funds for life-saving vaccinations for some of the world's poorest children, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt announced today. Go to article


Medicine & Public Health
 
Neutralizing Antibody against Enterovirus D68 in Children and Adults before 2014 Outbreak, Kansas City, Missouri, USA (CDC) We evaluated enterovirus D68 seroprevalence in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, from samples obtained during 2012-2013. Neutralizing antibodies against Fermon and the dominant 2014 Missouri isolate were universally detected. Titers increased with age. Widespread circulation of enterovirus D68 occurred before the 2014 outbreak. Research is needed to determine a surrogate of protection. Go to article

Congo-Kinshasa: MSF Starts Enrolling Patients in Clinical Trial of Potential Ebola Treatments (allAfrica) Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in collaboration with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health, has started enrolling patients in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of four potential Ebola-treatments in Katwa and Butembo in North Kivu. The treatments used in this randomized control trial are: Remdesivir, mAb114, REGN-EB3 and ZMapp. Go to article



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