Aktuelle smitsomme sygdomme

Chronic Wasting Disease -- United StatesWildlife managers have documented chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a new swath of the Green River basin.The Wyoming Game and Fish Department sent out a news release Wednesday [20 Jan 2021] announcing a positive hit for the prion disease in a mule deer buck found dead in deer hunt area 138. That 1628-square-mile zone stretches from the headwaters of Boulder Creek at the Continental Divide, down to the sagebrush-steppe landscape that terminates at Fontenelle Reservoir.The arrival of the…

African Swine Fever -- GermanyA further outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (Federal Research Institute for Animal Health; FLI) when a wild boar carcass was found in the district of Gorlitz. The location is in the existing buffer zone and is about 2 km (1.2 mi) west of the Rothenburg/Gorlitz airfield and about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) from the Neisse. Since this is south, i.e., outside of the previously endangered area, the restriction zones…

African Swine Fever -- South AfricaInformation received on 21 Jan 2021 from Dr. Bothle Michael Modisane, Chief Director, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Animal Production and Health, Pretoria, South AfricaSummaryReport type: Immediate notificationDate of start of the event: 12 Jan 2021Date of confirmation of the event: 19 Jan 2021Report date: 20 Jan 2021Date submitted to OIE: 21 Jan 2021Reason for notification: Recurrence of a listed diseaseDate of previous occurrence: 10 Jun…

Rabies -- United StatesA dog in Onondaga County tested positive for rabies following an encounter with a raccoon, the Onondaga County Health Department said.Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta said the dog, a household pet, tested positive for the virus after interacting with the raccoon while on a walk with its owner. [The only way the dog will test positive is to euthanize the dog and test the brain. - Mod.TG]Due to contact with the dog, 4 people were exposed to rabies, and each were given…

Poisoning -- IndiaAt least 7 people fell ill from hydrogen sulphide [sulfide] gas poisoning at a plant in Raigad, news agency ANI reported on Friday [22 Jan 2021].All the affected people have been sent to a hospital for treatment.[Byline: Shubhangi Gupta]--Communicated by:ProMED from HealthMap Alerts["Hydrogen sulfide has many synonyms, including dihydrogen sulfide, sulfur hydride, sulfurated hydrogen, hydrosulfuric acid, 'sewer gas,' 'swamp gas,' hepatic acid, sour gas, and 'stink…

COVID-19 -- Worldwide/UnknownVaccinated people in Israel are less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2, but a population-wide effect will take time to become clear.Nature Briefing commentary: All eyes are on Israel, which has vaccinated roughly one-quarter of its population, for the 1st real-world evidence of a COVID vaccine's efficacy. A preliminary analysis of people older than 60 who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine found that it cut the chances of testing positive for the virus by a 3rd at 2 weeks after the…

Other Animal Disease -- United KingdomDog owners have been warned after claims of a case of deadly Alabama rot was diagnosed in Christchurch.Support group Dog Friendly Dorset has issued an alert for the St Catherine's Hill area. Posters put up in the area warn: "A case of Alabama rot has been diagnosed. Please be vigilant for symptoms in any animal you care for, and contact your vet if concerned."The posters said symptoms to look out for include skin lacerations, ulcers, and sores. Affected dogs may be lethargic with a…

Tuberculosis -- GermanyAt the end of December 2020, a child from the northern district was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The child is symptom-free but receiving medical treatment. The diagnosis was made after a cattle herd tested positive for the bacterium and the veterinary office passed on this information to the Health Department. Because of the large number of infected animals, all cattle in the herd were killed as a precaution and disposed of.The farm has officially been put under restrictions following the…

COVID-19 -- Worldwide/UnknownAbstract--------Wild animals have been implicated as the origin of SARS-CoV-2, but it is largely unknown how the virus affects most wildlife species and if wildlife could ultimately serve as a reservoir for maintaining the virus outside the human population. Here we show that several common peridomestic species, including deer mice, bushy-tailed woodrats, and striped skunks, are susceptible to infection and can shed the virus in respiratory secretions. In contrast, we demonstrate that…

African Swine Fever -- China1. Vuono E, Ramirez-Medina E, Pruitt S, et al. Evaluation in swine of a recombinant Georgia 2010 African swine fever virus lacking the I8L gene. Viruses. 2020 Dec 29; 13(1): E39. doi: 10.3390/v13010039. PMID: 33383814; .2. Guo Z, Li K, Qiao S, et al. Development and evaluation of duplex TaqMan real-time PCR assay for detection and differentiation of wide-type and MGF505-2R gene-deleted African swine fever viruses. BMC Vet Res. 2020 Nov 9; 16(1): 428. doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02639-2. PMID:…

COVID-19 -- Worldwide/UnknownThroughout the coronavirus pandemic, public attention has mainly focused on the number of people who become severely ill and die from COVID-19. But what's become clear in recent months is the large and growing group of people who continue to deal with prolonged symptoms long after their original illness.In a recent study posted on the preprint server medRxiv [preprint doi: ], analysis of an international survey of more than 3700 respondents with COVID-19 found that over 2/3 were still…

Meningitis - Neisseria -- AustraliaThe Department of Health today [21 Jan 2021] reported that an adult and a child are currently recovering after being diagnosed with meningococcal serogroup B disease. The 2 cases are not linked. These are the 1st reported cases of invasive meningococcal disease in 2021.In 2020, 11 meningococcal cases were reported in WA; 5 were serogroup W, 3 were serogroup Y, 2 were serogroup B, and 1 was a serogroup C. There was also one death related to meningococcal disease in 2020.Meningococcal…

Chronic Wasting Disease -- United StatesThe Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirms a wild deer has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD).The DNR says the deer was an adult buck harvested in the Town of Port Edwards [Wood County] during the 2020 gun-deer season and tested as part of the department's disease surveillance efforts."Unfortunately, I wasn't necessarily surprised by the announcement we found the 1st in Wood County, we've seen it pop up in surrounding counties Marathon, Adams, Juneau,…

This report describes cases of anaphylaxis after administration of first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during December 21, 2020-January 10, 2021.

The benefit, along with a trend to lower mortality, was reported in the subgroup of moderately ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19 taking part in three linked trials. …

Dr John Bartlett, a leader in infectious disease medicine, will be remembered for his personal demeanor and professional achievements. …

The polio-like disease primarily affects children and often causes residual disability. In the absence of proven therapies, management focuses on supportive care and rehabilitation, a new review concludes. …

The CDC has updated its guidance on how long people can wait between the first and second doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to up to 6 weeks. …

The AMA's CPT panel readies for potential introduction of a third COVID-19 vaccine for the US, with J&J awaiting phase 3 results for its product. …

The new CDC director gave an overview of the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccination strategy on Thursday. …

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday the new English variant of COVID-19 may be associated with a higher level of mortality although he said evidence showed that both vaccines being used in the country are effective against it. …

Statens Serum Institut beskriver i et nyt notat, hvilke mål og begreber der bruges til at beskrive smitsomheden af de nye virusvarianter. Estimaterne viser fortsat, at cluster B.1.1.7 er mere smitsom, og der er således ingen ændringer i den aktuelle risikovurdering.

COVID-19 -- ChinaThe United States called on China on Monday [18 Jan 2021] to allow an expert team from the World Health Organization (WHO) to interview "care givers, former patients, and lab workers" in the central city of Wuhan and ensure its access to medical data and samples.The team of WHO-led independent experts trying to determine the origins of the new coronavirus arrived on 14 Jan [2021] in Wuhan, where they are holding teleconferences with Chinese counterparts during a 2-week quarantine before…

In October and November 2020, we conducted a survey of 2,678 healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in general population immunisation in France, French-speaking Belgium and Quebec, Canada to assess acceptance of future COVID-19 vaccines (i.e. willingness to receive or recommend these) and its determinants. Of the HCWs, 48.6% (n = 1,302) showed high acceptance, 23.0% (n = 616) moderate acceptance and 28.4% (n = 760) hesitancy/reluctance. Hesitancy was mostly driven by vaccine safety concerns. These must be addressed before/during upcoming vaccination campaigns.…

We report the strategy leading to the first detection of variant of concern 202012/01 (VOC) in France (21 December 2020). First, the spike (S) deletion H69–V70 (ΔH69/ΔV70), identified in certain SARS-CoV-2 variants including VOC, is screened for. This deletion is associated with a S-gene target failure (SGTF) in the three-target RT-PCR assay (TaqPath kit). Subsequently, SGTF samples are whole genome sequenced. This approach revealed mutations co-occurring with ΔH69/ΔV70 including S:N501Y in the VOC.…

When facing an emerging virus outbreak such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a quick reaction time is key to control the spread. It takes time to develop antivirals and vaccines, and implement vaccination campaigns. Therefore, preventive measures such as rapid isolation of cases and identification and early quarantine of cases’ close contacts—as well as masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene, surface disinfection and air control—are crucial to reduce the risk of transmission. In this context, disinfectants and antiseptics with proven efficacy against the outbreak virus should be used. However, biocidal formulations are quite complex and may include auxiliary substances such as surfactants or emollients in addition to active substances. In order to evaluate disinfectants’ efficacy objectively, meaningful efficacy data are needed. Therefore, the European Committee for Standardisation technical committee 216 ‘Chemical disinfectants and antiseptics’ Working Group 1 (medical area) has developed standards for efficacy testing. The European tiered approach grades the virucidal efficacy in three levels, with corresponding marker test viruses. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, disinfectants with proven activity against vaccinia virus, the marker virus for the European claim ‘active against enveloped viruses’, should be used to ensure effective hygiene procedures to control the pandemic.…

Avian Influenza H5N1, Avian Influenza -- GermanyInformation received on [and dated] 18 Jan 2021 from Dr. Dietrich Rassow, director for animal health and animal welfare, chief veterinary officer, Directorate of Animal Health and Animal Welfare, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Berlin, GermanySummaryReport type: immediate notificationDate of start of the event: 27 Dec 2020Date of confirmation of the event: 30 Dec 2020Reason for notification: recurrence of a listed diseaseDate of previous occurrence: 26 May…

African Swine Fever -- GermanyAnother 30 cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been found in wild boars in eastern Germany in a continuing outbreak among wild animals which has halted German pork exports to Asia.The new cases were in the eastern state of Brandenburg and bring the number of confirmed instances of the disease in wild boar to 527 in the state, Brandenburg's health ministry said. Along with 17 cases in the eastern region of Saxony, this brings Germany's total reported cases to 544.All were in wild…

COVID-19 -- IsraelKhamsi R. Rogue antibodies could be driving severe COVID-19. Nature. 2021 Jan 19. doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-00149-1. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33469204.Evidence is growing that self-attacking 'autoantibodies' could be the key to understanding some of the worst cases of COVID-19. More than a year after COVID-19 emerged, many mysteries persist about the disease: why do some people get so much sicker than others? Why does lung damage sometimes continue to worsen well after the body seems…

This report describes emergency department visit rates for motor vehicle crashes in the United States.

This report describes COVID-19 contact tracing efforts from health departments in the United States.

This report describes vaccination and exemption rates among children in kindergarten.

This report describes fruit and vegetable intake among adolescents in the United States.

Leaders in infectious disease medicine address concerns about SARS-CoV-2 variants emerging in the US and globally, and assess the evidence. …

The orders establish a COVID-19 response office and mask requirement in airports, federal buildings. AAFP applauds action, most of which will need legislative approval. …

Vaccine hesitancy remains a major problem. Fortunately, patients trust their doctors to give them the best information. Here are answers to some patient FAQs about the new COVID vaccines. …

Myocarditis has an 'extremely low frequency' in the setting of COVID-19 and biopsy is not recommended, concludes a review of published cases to date. …

Bamlanivimab and etesevimab together were associated with a statistically significant reduction in SARS-CoV-2. Bamlanivimab alone, however, showed no significant reduction in a phase 2/3 study. …

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be effective against the contagious variant strain of the virus that was discovered in the UK, according to a study conducted by the two companies. …

After more than 70 deaths were reported across Europe following COVID-19 vaccination, Medscape French Edition asked an expert if the deaths are a cause for concern or are to be expected in older patients. …

As states ramp up their vaccination efforts, some say they're running out of COVID-19 vaccine, causing the cancellation of thousands of appointments for people expecting their first shot, the AP reported. …

At a time when there aren't enough shots to meet demand, significant numbers may be going in the trash. …

California said it's safe to immediately begin using a batch of coronavirus vaccine doses after health officials urged a halt to injections and held a review because several people fell ill. …

Studies show the new variant became more common in California as cases there surged. The coincidence has researchers wondering whether it might be responsible for the recent rise in cases. …

In the fast-moving states, strategic planning, communication, local partnerships and state ownership of the process have been critical components, according to CNN. …

Undiagnosed -- GermanyThere is hope for the "lemon of the north." A 3-year research project will look for causes of the massive dieback of sea buckthorn in Germany. Collaborators include state and regional plant protection authorities, as well as the federal Julius-Kuhn-Institut for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture (JKI-OW).The dieback is particularly severe in northern areas, where up to half of the shrubs have died in some plantations. The problem decreases towards the south of the country.

Other Plant Disease -- IndiaYellow rust has been reported on wheat in Kurukshetra district. "Farmers have been advised to keep a close watch on the crop. The weather is favourable for the disease, and farmers should approach the department in case of any doubt," said [the] assistant plant protection officer.He said certain varieties were susceptible to yellow rust and should be monitored properly. He said regular monitoring and timely prevention could curb the disease.--Communicated by:ProMED[Stripe rust…

Brucellosis -- ItalyItalian police on Tuesday [19 Jan 2021] shut down a dog breeding farm near Ancona in [the region] Marche.Around 850 small dogs were sequestered at Trecastelli near the Marche port city. Five people were placed under investigation.As well as being packed into tight, poorly aired pens, around half the dogs were found to be infected with _Brucella canis_, a very infectious dog bug transmissible to man.Although it held almost 900 animals, the facility was only authorised for a maximum…