First case of MERS in Bangladesh

Nurul Islam Hasib,  bdnews24.com

Published: 2014-06-15 13:29:30.0 BdST Updated: 2014-06-15 15:53:16.0 BdST

Bangladesh has confirmed the first case of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) after a 53-year-old man returning from the US via Abu Dhabi was found afflicted with it.

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“We urge everyone to report to the hospital if they fall sick after returning from abroad,” IEDCR director says.

Prof Mahmudur Rahman, director of the national disease control agency, IEDCR, said the man was recuperating in a hospital.
“We have notified it to the WHO,” he told bdnews24.com on Sunday.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Viruses in this family also cause a number of animal diseases.

The strain of coronavirus that causes MERS was first identified in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and has remained a global concern since then.

It has spread to 22 countries, including Bangladesh, from the Middle-East.

So far, WHO recorded 699 cases of MERS with a mortality rate of 30 percent.

WHO says its understanding of the virus and the disease it causes is continuing to evolve.

Prof Rahman, also a WHO expert on the board reviewing MERS, warned against unnecessary panic .

He said the virus has not spread further within the country after it has come here from the Middle East...http://bdnews24.com/health/2014/06/15/first-case-of-mers-in-bangladesh

Genes found in nature yield 1918-like virus with pandemic potential

Published: Thursday, June 12, 2014 - 09:28 in Health & Medicine

An international team of researchers has shown that circulating avian influenza viruses contain all the genetic ingredients necessary to underpin the emergence of a virus similar to the deadly 1918 influenza virus. Searching public databases, the researchers, led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, identified eight genes from influenza viruses isolated from wild ducks that possessed remarkable genetic similarities to the genes that made up the 1918 pandemic flu virus.

The 1918 or "Spanish flu" pandemic was one of recorded history's most devastating outbreaks of disease, resulting in an estimated 40 million deaths worldwide.
The new work was published today (June 11, 2014) in the journal Cell Host and Microbe. It shows that "there are gene pools in nature that have the potential to cause a severe pandemic in the future," says Kawaoka, an international authority on influenza and the senior author of the new report.
To assess the risk posed by a virus that could acquire all eight of the 1918-like genes, the team used reverse genetics methods to generate a virus that differed from the 1918 virus by only 3 percent of the amino acids that make the virus proteins. The resulting virus was more pathogenic in mice and ferrets that an ordinary avian flu virus, but was not as pathogenic as the 1918 virus and it did not transmit in ferrets via respiratory droplets, the primary mode of flu transmission.

Since pandemic risk escalates when a virus become transmissible, Kawaoka's group then conducted additional experiments to determine how many changes would be required for the avian 1918-like virus to become transmissible in ferrets, a well accepted model for influenza transmission studies. The researchers identified seven mutations in three viral genes that enabled the pathogen to transmit as efficiently as the 1918 virus. The resulting virus, composed of genetic factors circulating in wild a..  http://esciencenews.com/articles/2014/06/12/genes.found.nature.yield.1918.virus.with.pandemic.potential

Hong Kong Alert activated in the wake of MERS threat

Alert activated in the wake of MERS threat

Friday, June 13, 2014

Hong Kong has activated an alert for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome as it launched a preparedness plan for the SARS-like virus for the first time.
Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man said that under the new MERS plan, the "Alert Response Level" is activated.
The three-tier response level - Alert, Serious and Emergency - is in line with the Influenza Plan of 2012.
The response plan comes two years after the first human case of MERS - caused by the same family of coronaviruses that mutated from civet cats into the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome that spread globally.
A total of 663 confirmed cases of MERS have been reported to the World Health Organization, including 570 in Saudi Arabia, where it first emerged.  http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=146364&sid=42436974&con_type=1&d_str=20140613&fc=8

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Allowed to leave the state of Corona uncertain of Luxor International Hospital

Observation

06/12/2014
19:37

Section: Local News

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Leave , hospital , allowing , Corona , uncertain

The management of the hospital to allow Luxor International confirmed cases Balchororna to leave the hospital and go to her home, in the act threatens the lives of the citizens of Luxor and allows the transfer of the province to a new focus for the spread of virus Coruna.

The Luxor International Hospital has received citizenship "flower Mohamed Ahmed," 60-year resident of al-Baghdadi area south of the province of Luxor, developed symptoms of infection during and Balchororna returning from Saudi Arabia last April, to perform Umrah.

And conducting medical tests tests proved her were booked for several days inside the special isolation room Luxor International Hospital, and days after the case to leave the hospital before the completion of a similar nature to heal .....

- See more at: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.rassd.com/15-98186_%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D8%25B3%25D9%2585%25D8%25A7%25D8%25AD_%25D8%25A8%25D9%2585%25D8%25BA%25D8%25A7%25D8%25AF%25D8%25B1%25D8%25A9_%25D8%25AD%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D8%25A9_%25D9%2583%25D9%2588%25D8%25B1%25D9%2588%25D9%2586%25D8%25A7_%25D9%2585%25D8%25A4%25D9%2583%25D8%25AF%25D8%25A9_%25D9%2585%25D9%2586_%25D9%2585%25D8%25B3%25D8%25AA%25D8%25B4%25D9%2581%25D9%258A_%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D8%25AF%25D9%2588%25D9%2584%25D9%258A_%25D8%25A8%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D8%25A3%25D9%2582%25D8%25B5%25D8%25B1&usg=ALkJrhgpwsMJr2B9-W88zWjkDQpJjV5KOg#sthash.JM0F7hmj.3sye3k0Q.dpuf

Sierra Leone News: Ebola hits Mambolo, Kambia as Kailahun Weeps from its Effects

By Correspondents in Kambia, Kailahun & Freetown Jun 9, 2014, 12:18

The much dreaded Ebola disease which has been ravaging the people of eastern Kailahun district is now confirmed to have moved up to the northern town of Mambolo in the Kambia district where there are two confirmed Ebola cases and ten other persons having blood samples collected from them as possibly infected with Ebola.

This was disclosed on Sunday 8th June 2012 to Awareness Times in Kambia by Mr. Hassan Kanu of Kambia District Health Management Team (DHMT) of the Ministry of Health & Sanitation.

Mr. Hassan Kanu who is the Disease Surveillance Officer for Kambia district and the Ministry’s official spokesperson for Kambia told Awareness Times that a certain driver was recently doing assignment in Koindu, Kissi Teng chiefdom of Kailahun and upon his return to his residence in Mambolo town of Kambia, he later developed symptoms of Ebola. Shortly after, the wife of the driver also developed symptoms of Ebola and when their blood samples were sent to be checked by the Mambolo paramedics, they both proved positive as infected with Ebola. The two (driver and wife) are now isolated for treatment in Kenema.

According to competent Kambia sources, there are now concerns that the driver might have also transferred the infection to the fishing islands of Yeliboya and Kortimoh because he was known to have also been recently involved in transporting fish for people from those islands.

However, Hassan Kanu said ten contacts of the Ebola infected duo of Mambolo, have had blood samples drawn from them which have now been sent to Kenema Ebola laboratories for testing.

Kambia District Medical Officer has over this past weekend led a team from Kambia town into Mambolo town to raise awareness and sensitise the residents on the dangers of Ebola.

It can be recalled that a devastating outbreak of Ebola in Kailahun was poorly managed when the news first broke. Carelessness has now led to widespread infection of residents in the Kissi chiefdoms bordering neighbouring countries of Liberia and Guinea as well as another major Kailahun locality known as Jawei chiefdom whose headquarters of Daru town and its surrounding villages have been particularly hit by the illness.

Madam Miatta Kargbo poses with Kawusu-Konte, 1 of 3 State House staff whom, as Kailahun citizens lay dying, mocked around on Facebook about what was laughed and joked to be discussed as a so-called ‘Human Ebola’

The infection and widespread deaths in Kailahun have left traditional rulers, honourable parliamentarians and ordinary residents weeping and wailing. The wife and children of the Paramount Chief of Jawei, P.C. Musa Ngoumbuklah Kallon II have been admitted as they are very sick with the Ebola virus. The two wives of a key traditional ruler, the Section Chief of a section located just 6 miles from Daru, have also been infected as have many other residents of the chiefdom. In one village alone, an entire family has been wiped out.

The Honourable Parliamentarian for neighbouring Constituency 07 (Segbwema), Hon. Abu Jajua, has lost his sister who died from Ebola infection. The sister was a Maternal & Child Healthcare (MCH) nurse who had been amongst those treating late Nurse Messie Konneh, another MCH nurse from Koindu, Kissi Teng.

Nurse Konneh had been infected with Ebola in Koindu and in a glaring sign of failure of the Health Ministry, the poor nurse, with symptoms of Ebola, was not tested for Ebola but was left in the border town of Koindu until her condition totally deteriorated. At this point, her husband, Sheku Konneh was summoned from Daru to take her from Koindu and try to provide better medical check-up than what was available in Koindu.

Not knowing his wife was infected with Ebola, Mr. Sheku Konneh brought her for treatment to Bombohun in Jawei and then from Bombohun, on the way to Kenema from Daru, the poor nurse died. Innocently, still not informed it could be Ebola, her corpse was washed & prepared for burial by her mother, sisters & other women. All these women have since died from Ebola. The mother of Nurse Konneh, her sisters and the husband, Sheku Konneh have all died from Ebola.

Furthermore, Jawei health staff who treated late Messie Konneh, have all now died or are said to be in critical condition from Ebola.

According to Charles Mambu of the civil society organisation known as Health For All Coalition, up to 70% of those who have died from Ebola in recent days, have been frontline staff of Ministry of Health & Sanitation. Paramedics like  Aruna Kallon, the Community Health Officer in charge of Daru and Jawei Chiefdom of Constituency 06, has painfully died from the Ebola he contacted from Nurse Messie Konneh. Similarly, unconfirmed but highly credible reports indicate that some one dozen of Health Ministry’s nursing staff & birth attendants  in Kailahun, have to date, been infected with Ebola.

Awareness Times can confirm that despite the fact that Ebola was known to be raging in Guinea and also found in neighbouring Liberia, the Health Ministry did not send protective clothing to many of our hardworking MCH nurses and paramedics in Kailahun.

Furthermore, the Rapid Response Diagnostic Test Kits for Kailahun district which would have helped in differential diagnosis to eliminate non-Ebola conditions, had EXPIRED since March 2014.

It can be recalled that when the news first broke that Ebola had hit Sierra Leone, the Minister of Health & Sanitation, Madam Miatta Kargbo, in a callous show of insensitivity, had publicly blamed the dead victims as having caused their deaths by not listening to what she said were the orders she gave to citizens about how to avoid contacting Ebola. However, with the deaths from Ebola of so many innocent nursing and paramedic staff in Kailahun, dying for lack of protective gears, it is unclear right now as to whom Minister Miatta Kargbo will blame for the deaths of so many of her ministry’s innocent health care staff in Kailahun district.

This newspaper can also confirm that since the outbreak, the Ministry is yet to transform the Koindu Community Health Center into a Field Hospital. Rather, folks of Kissi Kingdom have been all but abandoned by Ministry of Health and Sanitation. The ministry is claiming they have not built the proposed MSF Isolation tents because Koindu folks are stoning their vehicle out of town. However, this newspaper can confirm that the place where the ministry’s vehicle got stoned, was Korosur village and not Koindu. The ministry’s insensitiveness to locals deaths plus glaring lack of proper sensitisation of those areas about Ebola, led to that singular incident. Truthfully, implications of this abandonment of the Kissi Kingdom chiefdoms, are enormous.

As has been displayed with the new emergence of Ebola infection in Mambolo, up Kambia, the fact is that no area of Sierra Leone is safe from an Ebola epidemic if  Kissi people continue to be left abandoned. http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200525533.shtml

Growing Ebola Outbreak Threatens to Overwhelm Volunteers

By Maggie Fox

When a team from Tulane University sent a batch of protective clothing and equipment to help workers fighting an outbreak of Ebola virus in Sierra Leone last month, they were fairly confident the 300 or so packs would be enough for a good start.

They couldn’t have predicted what they would be up against.

The World Health Organization says 22 new cases of Ebola virus were reported in Sierra Leone between May 29th and June 5. WHO counts 81 cases with 6 deaths but Sierra Leone’s health ministry says it has a total of 95 confirmed and suspected cases.

“This is worse than expected. I am fearful that it could get much worse,” said Robert Garry, a virologist and specialist in viral hemorrhagic fevers at Tulane University. Garry flew to Kenema Government Hospital last month with as much personal protective equipment (PPE) as he could carry, but he says they are running out fast.

"We have to ration them," he said.

Robert Garry/Tulane University / Robert Garry/Tulane University

Nurse Veronica Koroma stands in the doorway of the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) ward at Kenema Government Hospital in Sierra Leone.

Kenema Hospital is treating 11 patients with Ebola, all being kept in isolation. Six more have died. With each worker needing a complete change of gown, mask, gloves, goggle and other protective gear with each visit, that means supplies go fast.

At least 35 lab-confirmed Ebola cases have been traced to a traditional healer whose grieving patients apparently handled her body at her funeral and became infected themselves, Garry says.

The healer had treated patients just over the border in neighboring Guinea. This cross-border outbreak is worrying health officials because it's spreading in an area where people cross from one country into another casually, passing through large cities on their travels.

Ebola is one of the deadliest viruses known. It kills quickly, taking anywhere between 50 percent and 90 percent of victims, depending on the strain.

The good news is it doesn’t spread terribly easily — it requires direct contact with bodily fluids. But caregivers and health care workers can become infected while caring for patients, and funeral rituals such as washing a body can expose more people.

“Community resistance is hindering the identification and follow-up of contacts."

And if people don’t know they’ve been exposed, they can travel sometimes long distances to spreads the virus to others when they themselves become ill. WHO says experts are trying to track down 30 people now.

“Community resistance is hindering the identification and follow-up of contacts,” WHO says.

“They are just scattering,” Garry confirmed. “It’s very hard to track them down.” Garry's working with local and international experts to identify cases, distribute protective gear, train workers and test samples.

"Unfortunately, these numbers will rise dramatically as cases from the Koindu and Daru regions are tallied. Reports from the field for villages surrounding Koindu and Daru are grim."

The outbreak started in Guinea earlier this year, the first time Ebola had been seen in West Africa. WHO says at least 21 people died and 48 new cases of suspected Ebola were recorded in Guinea between May 29 and June 3, taking Guinea’s total to 344.

With more than 215 deaths so far, the West African outbreak is one of the worst on record.

Ebola first arose in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, in 1976. In that outbreak, 318 people were sickened and 280 died, with a mortality rate of 88 percent. The biggest outbreak affected 425 people in Uganda in 2000, killing 224 of them.

Education is the key to fighting it. Garry says many people in affected regions don’t understand it’s a virus and often don’t believe advisories about how it’s spread. His team is educating health care workers so they can protect themselves and teach others.

Robert Garry/Tulane University / Courtesy of Robert Garry

A poster used to educate health care workers in Sierra Leone about symptoms of Ebola virus. A team from Tulane University is working with at Kenema Government Hospital to help fight the outbreak.

“They pay attention once they hear how it’s spread,” Garry said. “The idea is to train these people here to go back and disseminate the main instructions about the disease.”

An Ebola infection often looks like malaria at first, so people may not suspect they have it. It later progresses to the classic symptoms of a hemorrhagic fever, with vomiting, diarrhea, high fever and both internal and external bleeding.

With so many bodily fluids pouring from a patient, it is easy to see how caregivers could become infected.

“They pay attention once they hear how it’s spread."

“Ebola is a disease that scares people and that is perceived as mysterious, but people can overcome it,” says Marie-Christine Ferir, emergency coordinator for the group Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors Without Borders. “Earning people’s trust is essential in efforts to fight the epidemic."

WHO says six experts and 5,000 sets of protective equipment have been sent to Sierra Leone by various groups.

Garry says his team is building on years of groundwork. He's been working with the Kenema hospital for a decade to build its capacity to fight another viral hemorrhagic fever, Lassa.

Lassa fever is a serious problem in West Africa, making between 100,000 to 300,000 people sick every year and causing 5,000 deaths. It can also cause hemorrhagic symptoms, although it is far less deadly than Ebola, killing 20 percent of patients sick enough to be hospitalized and 1 percent of patients overall.

Protective measures for health care workers treating patients with Lassa fever or Ebola are the same.

“We tell them to wear gloves and to protect their eyes,” Garry said, speaking by telephone from the hospital. “And we’ve shown people how to do a traditional burial, only wearing gloves. And you can allow the body to be washed briefly. Workers have been attentive to the traditions, allowing the body to be wrapped without exposing people to the virus.”

Genetic analysis of the virus causing the current outbreaks show it’s distinct from the virus seen in east Africa. This suggests it may be from a local source. No one’s sure just where Ebola cames from. It can affect great apes but fruit bats are a prime suspect.

Garry, who was only scheduled to stay for a couple of weeks, now says he is not sure when he can leave. "I don't think it's going to be soon," he said.

First published June 6th 2014, 6:08 pm http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/growing-ebola-outbreak-threatens-overwhelm-volunteers-n124961

MERS coronavirus threatens thousands of Afghan pilgrims

By Ghanizada - Fri Jun 06 2014, 10:35 pm

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The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus threatens thousands of Afghan pilgrims who are due to visit Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimage.

According to the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs of Afghanistan, around 24,000 Afghans will visit Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimage this year.

However, the Afghan pilgrims are concerned regarding the outspread of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus since they have not received any information from the ministry in this regard so far.

In the meantime, Qazir Faiz Mohammad Mukhtar, head of Hajj and Pilgrimage directorate in the Ministry of Hajj and Islamic Affairs of Afghanistan said they have taken necessary steps to provide better facilities for Afghan pilgrims and the minister himself has visited Saudi Arabia to meet the Saudi officials in this regard.

Mr. Mukhtar further added that they have not received any information from the ministry of public health regarding the issue of MERS coronavirus and they will take necessary steps for the safety of pilgrims if such information is received from public health ministry and Saudi Arabia.

He said the ministry of public health of Afghanistan should provide information regarding the MERS coronavirus to the pilgrims and provide vaccination.

In the meantime, public health ministry officials are saying that information are provided regarding exceptional cases like MERS coronavirus to pilgrims besides provide vaccination on three different illness including polio, Meningitis and seasonal flu.

But the Afghan pilgrims are saying that they have not received such information from the authorities so far.

MERS is a strain of coronavirus, the same type of virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome whose symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath. Gastrointestinal problems, renal failure and pneumonia has also been noted in some patients. http://www.khaama.com/mers-coronavirus-threatens-thousands-of-afghan-pilgrims-6191

Exempt hospital director dedicated to isolate Arthritis Corona city

17:43 - June 8, 2014

City - Harmony - Samir Lahibi:

Decided Director of Health Affairs in the city, d. Abdullah sectarian, Sunday, commissioned Dr. Sami Salim Rehaily director of a hospital, for a year, and Dr. Ali Krbja exemption from office; upon request.
Spokesman outlined for Health Affairs in the city, Hafiz Abdul Razak - for "harmony" - the director of the hospital exemption a "Krbja Ali" because of his health and his desire to exercise his medical consultant eyes.
It is worth mentioning that Dr. Ali Krbja, he worked as general manager of a hospital for more than 8 years, and it is devoted to isolate the Victims of the virus, "Corona", after the decision of the tripartite co-Taibah University. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alweeam.com.sa%2F274613%2F%25D8%25A5%25D8%25B9%25D9%2581%25D8%25A7%25D8%25A1-%25D9%2585%25D8%25AF%25D9%258A%25D8%25B1-%25D9%2585%25D8%25B3%25D8%25AA%25D8%25B4%25D9%2581%25D9%2589-%25D9%2585%25D8%25AE%25D8%25B5%25D8%25B5-%25D9%2584%25D8%25B9%25D8%25B2%25D9%2584-%25D9%2585%25D8%25B5%25D8%25A7%25D8%25A8%25D9%258A-%25D9%2583%25D9%2588%25D8%25B1%25D9%2588%2F

Sierra Leone Politics : As Suspected Cases Approach 100, SLPP Joins to Fight Ebola

By Awareness Times Jun 6, 2014, 17:16

According to our competent sources, “at least two dozen” residents of Kailahun are now confirmed to be Ebola positive with number of suspect cases rising to one hundred or more. This prompts main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) to issue a clarion call that Ebola is not a myth but a reality. In release signed by its scribe Sulaiman Tejan-Sie, the party calls on its membership to work with the Government and Health Ministry to combat Ebola scourge that is known to be killing Kailahun residents.

The release also follows a call made last week by the SLPP leader in Parliament, Hon. Dr. Bernadette Lahai, for a multi-party approach in combating the disease. Hon. Lahai's call had been followed by a similar call in a well-written release issued from UK by  defeated SLPP presidential candidate Julius Maada Bio.

Meanwhile, as of Wednesday June 4th 2014, Health Ministry Ebola Update informs that the total number of their suspected cases tested was 71 of which 24 Kailahun residents are all confirmed as sick from Ebola.

The Health Ministry describes a suspected case as one which has symptoms of Ebola disease and for which body samples are collected to be tested in a laboratory to ascertain if the  patient is positive or negative.

However, a confirmed case is one whose sample is confirmed through a laboratory test to be positive for the Ebola Virus.

Confirmed cases are isolated at treatment centers for better care while negative suspected cases are to be discharged and allowed to go back home. http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200525530.shtml

Ebola: the National Management Committee deplores "error" WHO

Sat, June 7th, 2014, 10:10 p.m.  

The latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) Ebola haemorrhagic fever have been contradicted Saturday    by the National Committee for management of the disease,    which speaks of a "mistake" on the part of the UN institution, state media reported.

 

According to the National Committee, the disease was 126 deaths instead of 208 developed by WHO. The Minister for Development Cooperation, Kutub Moustapha Sanoh, member of the Committee, said that advanced by WHO in Geneva figures do not come from his representation of Conakry.

 

Koutoub Moustapha Sanoh and the Minister of Health, Colonel Remy Lamah, say WHO made ​​a "mistake" on the numbers.    They indicate that there was 208 Ebola cases in general. Among them, there are 126 dead,    the cured and the sick. "The representative of WHO recontacted us to say that this figure was not correct," reported Koutoub Sanoh.

 

"Instead of coming to us to try to understand what the numbers represent, WHO issued directly that there has been 208 deaths of Ebola in Guinea. Initially we saw Doctors Without Borders speak of a unprecedented epidemic ... This is not normal. must try to find out exactly what we are talking ", has outraged Fode Sylla Tass, another member of the National Committee.  

 

This is the second time that the National Committee disapproves the WHO disease. On April 19, the Committee of national health crisis held to "grooming" numbers after WHO has reported 122 deaths out of 197 confirmed cases. After this correction, the technical coordinator of the WHO Ebola outbreak, Dr. J. Bosco Ndohokvzwayo had said he must follow the communications strategy and government figures.

 

In announcing this Saturday, April 7,   the latest figures on the disease, the health minister reiterated that the spread of the disease is due to the abandonment of hygiene. Once more he asked the media to continue their support in raising awareness of the population.http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sandbox=0&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://guineenews.org/2014/06/fievre-ebola-le-comite-national-de-gestion-deplore-lerreur-de-loms/&usg=ALkJrhiThuGjQijSuG-uOYHDewuEk7rIJA

Guinea: Doctors Without Borders Worried About Spread of Ebola Outbreak

By Anne Look, 4 June 2014 The ongoing Ebola outbreak is "resurging" in Guinea, where the virus has killed about 200 people since it appeared in February, and in neighboring Sierra Leone, said Doctors Without Borders on Wednesday.
Health workers appeared to be making progress against the outbreak, but Guinea and Sierra Leone are now reporting fresh cases, some in areas previously unaffected by the disease, said the doctors group, known by its French acronym, MSF.
MSF said it has seen more than 20 new cases of Ebola at its treatment centers in Guinea in the past week.
MSF said areas like the capital, Conakry, and the towns of Gueckedou and Macenta, near the border with Liberia, have seen a spike in the number of new patients.
But Ebola is also cropping up in previously unaffected towns, such as Telimele, north of the capital, and the coastal town of Boffa.
Between May 29 and June 1, at least 21 people died and 37 new cases of suspected Ebola were recorded in Guinea, the World Health Organization said, undermining the government's claims that the disease was coming under control, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
The new figures take to 328 the number of cases linked to the disease in the West African country, of which 193 have been confirmed by laboratory tests. In total, 208 deaths have been linked to Ebola, making the outbreak one of the deadliest in recent years, according to WHO, as reported by Reuters.
Spread of disease
Bart Janssens, director of operations for MSF, said the geographical spread of the disease in Guinea is a problem.
"It clearly indicates that the epidemic is not at all under control as we might have hoped one or two weeks ago, when we really saw cases continually going down over time," Janssens said.
He said people should seek treatment as soon as they show symptoms or if they believe they have been exposed.
The Ebola virus is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, and the virus can be transmitted even after that person dies. Health workers said families moving bodies for funerals have been a factor in the spread of the disease.
It can take up to three weeks for symptoms, including fever, vomiting, body aches and uncontrollable bleeding, to appear. There is no cure.
Health workers try to isolate suspected cases.
Fatality rate
Janssens said some people do recover with medical care.
"People are afraid to come out. It's difficult to identify all cases and also to track the contact of these cases," he said.
"These people travel to new sites either because they do not know they are sick or because they want to get away from places where they can be identified."
The ongoing outbreak in West Africa has had a fatality rate of about 70 percent.
Those who have survived, as well as relatives of those who have died, reported being stigmatized by their communities.
Border areas
The outbreak spread into border areas of Liberia and Sierra Leone in April.
Liberia has not reported any new cases in a month.
That is not the case for Sierra Leone, which recorded three confirmed and 10 suspected new cases of Ebola in the May 29 - June 1 period, WHO reported, according to Reuters.
MSF said it is setting up a new clinic in Koindu, Sierra Leone, near the border with Guinea.
One person confirmed to have Ebola and three others suspected of having the disease died in Koindu this week. Sierra Leone's health ministry had reported 18 possible new cases there at the end of May.
Some information for this report provided by Reuters.http://allafrica.com/stories/201406050257.html?viewall=1

WHO concludes a MERS-CoV risk assessment mission in the United Arab Emirates

Date :  6/7/2014 2:17:15 PM

Geneva, June 7, IRNA -- A team from the WHO and technical partners from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network has concluded a five-day mission in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The team assessed the risk posed by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV in the country. The team consisted of 6 experts in coordination, epidemiology, infection prevention and control, food safety and the human-animal interface, and risk communication.
Health authorities in the UAE had invited WHO to review the current situation after an upsurge in MERS-CoV infections in April. Upon arrival, the WHO team met with H.E Mr Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, the Minister of Health, in Dubai to discuss the mission.
Investigation and evaluation
During the mission, the team had extensive meetings with experts from Health Authority Abu Dhabi, Dubai Health Authority and the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority. The team visited the hospital to which two-thirds of the country’s cases can be traced, in order to review the epidemiological investigation and assess the infection prevention and control measures that have been applied. The WHO team evaluated the work done on investigating possible exposure routes, transmission patterns, and the clinical situation.
We are impressed by the amount of data and information generated during the investigation of MERS cases by UAE to help better understand MERS- CoV. This knowledge is of utmost importance to the rest of the world to better discover the source of the virus and the routes of transmissions from animals to humans, said Peter Ben Embarek, WHO team leader.
“The UAE health authorities have been following up diligently on the MERS-CoV cases, including repeated laboratory testing to check when cases have been cleared of the virus. This data will make an important contribution to the risk assessment and to guide the health response internationally, Ben Embarek concluded.
Need to share experience and knowledge
The preliminary result of the mission indicates that the cases in UAE do not show evidence of sustained human to human infection. The recent upsurge of cases in Abu Dhabi appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including a breach in infection prevention and control measures in health care settings, active surveillance and increase in community acquired cases.
WHO recommends that the UAE health authorities to continue to investigate MERS, including the source of infection, and share new information as it becomes available. There is an ongoing need to share experiences and knowledge from all countries that have cases of MERS-CoV to better understand this emerging disease, including the role of animals in the spread of the MERS-CoV.
WHO stressed the importance of participating in multi-country case control studies from both the human health and animal health perspective. There are opportunities to do joint analysis of samples from infected camels and the infected humans around them. These studies will help understand the role of camels in the disease - particularly how human infection happens. This information will help inform people who are in close contact with camels to gain a realistic picture of the risk, and the level of precaution needed.
Globally, as of 4 June, 681 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV have officially been reported to WHO, including 204 deaths.
2222**1416 http://en.irna.ir/News.aspx?Nid=2717357

Hospital breaches 'worsened Mers outbreak in UAE'

Abu Dhabi, 5 hours, 5 minutes ago

Lapses in hospital infection control measures exacerbated an outbreak of a deadly new viral disease which has infected more than 60 people and killed at least 10 in the UAE, health investigators said.

Reporting the findings of a five-day mission to the UAE, experts from the World Health Organisation said, however, that they found no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of new Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (Mers-CoV).

"The recent upsurge of cases in Abu Dhabi appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including a breach in infection prevention and control measures in health care settings, active surveillance and increase in community acquired cases," they said in a statement.

First reported in humans in 2012, Mers causes severe and often fatal respiratory illness, with symptoms similar to those seen during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) in 2003.

Its around 40 per cent death rate and reports of clusters of human-to-human transmission have raised concerns it may blow up into a pandemic.

So far, it has infected more than 800 people around the world, killing at least 310 of them. The vast majority of cases have been in Saudi Arabia, but there have also been sporadic cases and clusters across the Middle East and in Europe, Asia and the United States.

At the heart of the outbreak, Saudi Arabia has been criticised for its handling of Mers, which public health experts say could have been under control by now if officials and scientists there had collaborated more on studies into how the virus operates and where it is coming from..

In response, the Saudi health ministry says it has put in place new measures for better data gathering, reporting and transparency, including standardisation of testing and improved guidelines for labelling and storing samples.

Reporting on the UAE's handling of the problem, the WHO praised authorities there, saying they had been "following up diligently" on Mers cases, including conducting repeated tests to check when cases have been cleared of the virus.

"This data will make an important contribution to the risk assessment and to guide the health response internationally," said Peter Ben Embarek, who led the WHO delegation.

A six-strong team from the WHO and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network were invited by the UAE to investigate Mers after an upsurge in cases there in April.

The team met experts from Health Authority Abu Dhabi, Dubai Health Authority and the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, and visited the hospital to which two-thirds of the country's cases had been be traced, it said, without giving its name or location.

"We are impressed by the amount of data and information generated during the investigation of Mers cases by UAE to help better understand Mers- CoV," Ben Embarek said.

"This knowledge is of utmost importance to the rest of the world to better discover the source of the virus and the routes of transmissions from animals to humans."

The Geneva-based UN health agency urged UAE health authorities to continue investigating Mers, including the source of infection, and to share new information as it is available.

"There is an ongoing need to share experiences and knowledge from all countries that have cases of Mers-CoV to better understand this emerging disease, including the role of animals in the spread of the Mers-CoV," it said.-Reuters

Abu Dhabi, 5 hours, 5 minutes ago

Lapses in hospital infection control measures exacerbated an outbreak of a deadly new viral disease which has infected more than 60 people and killed at least 10 in the UAE, health investigators said.

Reporting the findings of a five-day mission to the UAE, experts from the World Health Organisation said, however, that they found no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of new Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (Mers-CoV).

"The recent upsurge of cases in Abu Dhabi appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including a breach in infection prevention and control measures in health care settings, active surveillance and increase in community acquired cases," they said in a statement.

First reported in humans in 2012, Mers causes severe and often fatal respiratory illness, with symptoms similar to those seen during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) in 2003.

Its around 40 per cent death rate and reports of clusters of human-to-human transmission have raised concerns it may blow up into a pandemic.

So far, it has infected more than 800 people around the world, killing at least 310 of them. The vast majority of cases have been in Saudi Arabia, but there have also been sporadic cases and clusters across the Middle East and in Europe, Asia and the United States.

At the heart of the outbreak, Saudi Arabia has been criticised for its handling of Mers, which public health experts say could have been under control by now if officials and scientists there had collaborated more on studies into how the virus operates and where it is coming from..

In response, the Saudi health ministry says it has put in place new measures for better data gathering, reporting and transparency, including standardisation of testing and improved guidelines for labelling and storing samples.

Reporting on the UAE's handling of the problem, the WHO praised authorities there, saying they had been "following up diligently" on Mers cases, including conducting repeated tests to check when cases have been cleared of the virus.

"This data will make an important contribution to the risk assessment and to guide the health response internationally," said Peter Ben Embarek, who led the WHO delegation.

A six-strong team from the WHO and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network were invited by the UAE to investigate Mers after an upsurge in cases there in April.

The team met experts from Health Authority Abu Dhabi, Dubai Health Authority and the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, and visited the hospital to which two-thirds of the country's cases had been be traced, it said, without giving its name or location.

"We are impressed by the amount of data and information generated during the investigation of Mers cases by UAE to help better understand Mers- CoV," Ben Embarek said.

"This knowledge is of utmost importance to the rest of the world to better discover the source of the virus and the routes of transmissions from animals to humans."

The Geneva-based UN health agency urged UAE health authorities to continue investigating Mers, including the source of infection, and to share new information as it is available.

"There is an ongoing need to share experiences and knowledge from all countries that have cases of Mers-CoV to better understand this emerging disease, including the role of animals in the spread of the Mers-CoV," it said.-Reuters http://www.tradearabia.com/news/HEAL_259626.html

World Health Organization travel advice on MERS-CoV for pilgrimages

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hat tip Helen Branswell and Flutrackers

World - travel advice on MERS-CoV for pilgrimages

World Health Organization travel advice on MERS-CoV for pilgrimages

3 June 2014
I. Introduction

As of May 2014, more than 635 cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been reported to WHO.
The virus appears to be circulating widely throughout the Arabian Peninsula and most MERS cases have been reported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While most cases have occurred among residents, some cases have occurred among visitors. Based on currently available information, the overall risk for visitors to acquire MERS infection appears to be low.
The currently known epidemiological patterns indicate some infections occur in communities.

Cases detected in the community may arise from contact with infected animals or unprocessed products from infected animals, from person-to-person spread in the community, or from acquisition in the healthcare setting by individuals who remained living in the community.



Studies are underway to determine the relative contribution of all of these, but the studies are not yet complete. Other infections have occurred in hospitals, primarily when hospitalization of an infected patient, coupled with suboptimal infection control and prevention practices, has led to hospital transmission and outbreaks. Finally, infection among families has been seen and may reflect either person to person transmission or possibly exposure to a common source. At this time, the understanding of how MERS is transmitted is not complete, and we await the results of the studies in progress. There is no information at this time to suggest that widespread transmission is occurring in communities.
Since April 2014, there was an increased number of cases, notably in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in the United Arab Emirates in both communities and health care setting. The latest information on MERS-CoV can be found here:

• http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/en/

II. Effective communication of risk information

It is important for countries to use all practical and effective means possible to communicate information on a range of issues before, during and after Umra and Hajj to all key groups, including the following:

• travellers to Umra and Hajj, particularly vulnerable groups within this population;
• public health officials;
• health care staff responsible for the care of ill pilgrims;
• transportation and tourism industries; and
• the general public.

2.1. Actions for countries to take in preparation for Umra and Hajj

• Countries should advise travellers that persons with pre-existing major medical conditions (e.g. chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic lung disease, immunodeficiency) are more likely to develop severe infection for MERS if they are exposed to the virus. Pilgrims should be advised to consult a health care provider before travelling to review the risk and assess whether making the pilgrimage is advisable.
• Countries should advise travellers and travel organizations on general travel health precautions¹, which will lower the risk of infection in general, including influenza and traveller’s diarrhoea. Specific emphasis should be placed on:
  • hand hygiene² and respiratory hygiene (covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, washing hands after contact with respiratory secretions, and keeping a distance of one metre with other persons when having acute febrile respiratory symptoms);
  • adhering to good food-safety practices, such as avoiding undercooked meat or food prepared under unsanitary conditions, and properly washing fruits and vegetables before eating them;
  • maintaining good personal hygiene;
• Countries should make health related advice available to all travellers departing for Umra or Hajj by working with the travel and tourism sectors and placing such materials at strategic locations (eg. travel agent offices or points of departure in airports). Different kinds of communication, such as health alerts on board of planes and ships, and banners, pamphlets and radio announcements at international points of entry, can also be used to reach travellers. Travel advice should include current information on MERS-CoV and guidance on how to avoid illness while travelling.
• Countries should distribute current WHO guidelines, or their national equivalents, on surveillance³, infection prevention and control measures⁴ and clinical management⁵ of MERS-CoV to health care practitioners and health care facilities.
• Countries should ensure that they have access to adequate laboratory services for testing for MERS-CoV and that information on how to obtain laboratory services and clinical referral is known to health care providers and facilities.
• Countries should advise travellers to delay their travel if they develop a significant acute respiratory illness with fever and cough.
• Countries should provide medical staff accompanying pilgrims with up to date information and guidance on MERS-CoV, ensuring that:
  • they are alert to the early signs of a developing respiratory infection and pneumonia:
  • they know who is considered to be in a high-risk group;
  • they know what to do when a suspected case is identified;
  • they are aware of simple health measures to reduce transmission.

2.2. Actions to take during Umra or Hajj

• Countries should advise travellers that if they develop a significant acute respiratory illness with fever and cough (severe enough to interfere with usual daily activities) during Umra or Hajj,they should:
  • report to the medical staff accompanying the group or to the local health services;
  • cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, wash hands afterwards, or if this is not possible, cough or sneeze into upper sleeves of their clothing;
  • avoid attending crowded places and preferably isolate themselves until the end of the respiratory symptoms and, if isolation is not possible, use a tissue for covering nose and mouth or a surgical mask when in crowded places⁶.
• Countries should advise travellers to avoid close contact with camels, visit farms and consume unpasteurized camel milk, urine or improperly cooked meat.

2.3. Actions to take after Umra or Hajj

• Countries should advise returning travellers that if they develop a significant acute respiratory illness with fever and cough (severe enough to interfere with usual daily activities) during the two weeks after their return, they should:
  • seek medical attention, informing health attendants of their recent travel for Umra or Hajj;
  • immediately notify their local health authority;
  • take precautions when coughing or sneezing (see 2.2. above);
  • minimize their contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Countries should alert health practitioners and facilities to test returning travellers with a clinical presentation that suggests the diagnosis of MERS-CoV to be tested for MERS-CoV and to implement infection prevention and control measures. Confirmed cases of MERS-CoV must be reported to WHO. Clinicians should also be alerted to the possibility of atypical presentations in patients who are immunocompromised.

III. Measures at borders and for conveyances

• WHO does not recommend the application of any travel or trade restrictions or entry screening.
• WHO encourages countries to provide information on MERS and this travel advice to transport operators and ground staff, and about self-reporting of illness by travellers.
• As provided by the IHR, countries should ensure that;
  • routine measures are in place at point of entry for assessing ill travellers detected on board conveyances (such as planes and ships) and at entry;
  • procedures and means are in place for communicating information on ill travellers between conveyance and points of entry as well as between points of entry and national health authorities;
  • safe transportation of symptomatic travellers to hospitals or designated facilities for clinical assessment and treatment is organized.
• If a sick traveller is on board a plane, a passenger locator form⁷ can be used. This form is useful for collecting contact information for passengers, which can be used for follow-up if necessary.

Pentagon monitors the spread of "Corona" in Jordan

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ammonnews.net%2Farticle.aspx%3Farticleno%3D195129

Pentagon monitors the spread of "Corona" in Jordan

[6/7/2014 9:57:14 AM]

Ammon - at a time when it has become "the story of the corona virus" worry the Arab region, revealed the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) about it monitors the spread of the virus "in a number of countries in the Middle East, including Jordan."

The American interest in this matter, the presence of thousands of U.S. military personnel in the region, but many of them crossing it daily, according to the Pentagon.

The Pentagon said yesterday in a statement obtained by "tomorrow", a copy of it, that "the risk that infected individuals from the U.S. Army with the virus are relatively few.

But the statement showed the Pentagon's fear when he said, "in our time a person can travel around the world within 24 hours, so there will always be at risk."

Prior to the U.S. health authorities, the discovery of new confirmed two cases of the virus in the United States, Altqtah during their presence in Saudi Arabia.

The statement showed according to the Center for Disease Control American "hot spots of the disease", namely: the Arabian Peninsula, and neighboring countries such as Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen and Lebanon.

He added that there are other areas also "worrying" in this regard, namely: Iran, Iraq, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and Israel.

The statement said that "there are thousands of elements of the U.S. Army in this region, and many others passing through daily, and what he does best to protect them from the virus, is to wash your hands frequently using soap and water or alcohol-sterile."

The statement that there is "a growing medical evidence to indicate that the virus came from the beauty," so advised "Pentagon" elements in the region to "get away from the animals, especially sick of them."

And that transition Corona may be a human being to human being, "especially among patients," including that the symptoms do not appear immediately, he advised, "the Pentagon" elements that, if they feel flu-like symptoms, they should inform the physician about the places you have traveled to, and examination your virus.

It is noteworthy that the first case of the disease was discovered with the virus occurred in the year 2012, and are similar to the symptoms of "Corona virus" with symptoms of influenza, in terms of high temperature, coughing and shortness of breath.

The statement said that the virus is the cause of disease, "Respiratory Syndrome in the Middle East", has infected more than 800 people around the world.

In the same vein, Jordan has about 1,500 U.S. troops, the White House announced late last year for their stay in the Kingdom in full coordination with the Jordanian government.

The presence of these forces on the territory of Jordan's "help the Jordanian government to contain the tension caused by the civil war in Syria."

And continue to exist until the security situation improves in Syria, and there was no need her, according to the announcement by the White House in December (December) last year.

There are also in Jordan battalion fighters "F-16" and a Patriot missile battery "one" only, and came to Jordan as part of the exercise, "Assad Almtahb" last year.

It was announced then that the Pentagon "to extend the publication in the UK, beyond the end of the exercise," depends on the request of the Jordanian government that. "

It is noteworthy in this regard to the presence of other elements of the U.S. is currently engaged in an exercise Almtahb Assad, who conducts his training in Jordan, with the participation of the armies of more than 20 countries. (Tomorrow - Middle twitter)

- See more at: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.ammonnews.net/article.aspx%3Farticleno%3D195129&usg=ALkJrhgWr5PVZVdLmEIYb-5TkdGoWq3fzg#sthash.QAOtkozN.dpuf

Pentagon monitors the spread of "Corona" in Jordan

[6/7/2014 9:57:14 AM]

Ammon - at a time when it has become "the story of the corona virus" worry the Arab region, revealed the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) about it monitors the spread of the virus "in a number of countries in the Middle East, including Jordan."

The American interest in this matter, the presence of thousands of U.S. military personnel in the region, but many of them crossing it daily, according to the Pentagon.

The Pentagon said yesterday in a statement obtained by "tomorrow", a copy of it, that "the risk that infected individuals from the U.S. Army with the virus are relatively few.

But the statement showed the Pentagon's fear when he said, "in our time a person can travel around the world within 24 hours, so there will always be at risk."

Prior to the U.S. health authorities, the discovery of new confirmed two cases of the virus in the United States, Altqtah during their presence in Saudi Arabia.

The statement showed according to the Center for Disease Control American "hot spots of the disease", namely: the Arabian Peninsula, and neighboring countries such as Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen and Lebanon.

He added that there are other areas also "worrying" in this regard, namely: Iran, Iraq, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and Israel.

The statement said that "there are thousands of elements of the U.S. Army in this region, and many others passing through daily, and what he does best to protect them from the virus, is to wash your hands frequently using soap and water or alcohol-sterile."

The statement that there is "a growing medical evidence to indicate that the virus came from the beauty," so advised "Pentagon" elements in the region to "get away from the animals, especially sick of them."

And that transition Corona may be a human being to human being, "especially among patients," including that the symptoms do not appear immediately, he advised, "the Pentagon" elements that, if they feel flu-like symptoms, they should inform the physician about the places you have traveled to, and examination your virus.

It is noteworthy that the first case of the disease was discovered with the virus occurred in the year 2012, and are similar to the symptoms of "Corona virus" with symptoms of influenza, in terms of high temperature, coughing and shortness of breath.

The statement said that the virus is the cause of disease, "Respiratory Syndrome in the Middle East", has infected more than 800 people around the world.

In the same vein, Jordan has about 1,500 U.S. troops, the White House announced late last year for their stay in the Kingdom in full coordination with the Jordanian government.

The presence of these forces on the territory of Jordan's "help the Jordanian government to contain the tension caused by the civil war in Syria."

And continue to exist until the security situation improves in Syria, and there was no need her, according to the announcement by the White House in December (December) last year.

There are also in Jordan battalion fighters "F-16" and a Patriot missile battery "one" only, and came to Jordan as part of the exercise, "Assad Almtahb" last year.

It was announced then that the Pentagon "to extend the publication in the UK, beyond the end of the exercise," depends on the request of the Jordanian government that. "

It is noteworthy in this regard to the presence of other elements of the U.S. is currently engaged in an exercise Almtahb Assad, who conducts his training in Jordan, with the participation of the armies of more than 20 countries. (Tomorrow - Middle twitter)

- See more at: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.ammonnews.net/article.aspx%3Farticleno%3D195129&usg=ALkJrhgWr5PVZVdLmEIYb-5TkdGoWq3fzg#sthash.QAOtkozN.dpuf