Aktuelle smitsomme sygdomme

Statens Serum Institut i samarbejde med regionale afdelinger for klinisk mikrobiologi har offentliggjort en artikel i det videnskabelige tidsskrift Eurosurveillance, der beskriver de første ti tilfælde af coronavirusvarianten BA.2.86, der er påvist i Danmark.

We describe 10 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant BA.2.86 detected in Denmark, including molecular characteristics and results from wastewater surveillance that indicate that the variant is circulating in the country at a low level. This new variant with many spike gene mutations was classified as a variant under monitoring by the World Health Organization on 17 August 2023. Further global monitoring of COVID-19, BA.2.86 and other SARS-CoV-2 variants is highly warranted. …

This document provides an update on the safety of substances of human origin (SoHO) in relation to COVID-19. It reassesses the risk and proposes revised mitigation measures for preventing transmission through SoHO.

In 2023, after several months of very low rates of infection, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission has started to increase in some EU/EEA countries.

In 2023, after several months of very low rates of infection, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission has started to increase in some EU/EEA countries.

Certain streptococci common in the oral cavity but isolated from the gut tracked with coronary calcium scores and CT-imaged plaques in a cross-sectional cohort study. Medscape Medical News…

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 2-8 July 2023 and includes updates on avian influenza in domestic cats, pride celebrations, diphtheria, COVID-19, West Nile virus, mass gatherings, measles, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Mpox, and Ralstonia mannitolilytica in dialysis patients. …

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 2-8 July 2023 and includes updates on avian influenza in domestic cats, pride celebrations, diphtheria, COVID-19, West Nile virus, mass gatherings, measles, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Mpox, and Ralstonia mannitolilytica in dialysis patients. …

During the COVID-19 pandemic, open-access platforms that aggregate, link and analyse data were transformative for global public health surveillance. This perspective explores the work of three of these platforms: Our World In Data (OWID), Johns Hopkins University (JHU) COVID-19 Dashboard (later complemented by the Coronavirus Resource Center), and Global.Health, which were presented in the second World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence Innovation Forum. These platforms, operating mostly within academic institutions, added value to public health data that are collected by government agencies by providing additional real-time public health intelligence about the spread of the virus and the evolution of the public health emergency. Information from these platforms was used by health professionals, political decision-makers and members of the public alike. Further engagement between government and non-governmental surveillance efforts can accelerate the improvements needed in public health surveillance overall. Increasing the diversity of public health surveillance initiatives beyond the government sector comes with several benefits: technology innovation in data science, engagement of additional highly skilled professionals, greater transparency and accountability for government agencies, and new opportunities to engage with members of society. …

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 5-11 June 2023 and includes updates on Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), COVID-19, Mpox, Marburg virus disease and West Nile virus. …

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 5-11 June 2023 and includes updates on Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), COVID-19, Mpox, Marburg virus disease and West Nile virus. …

New human monoclonal antibodies that target the host, rather than the virus, effectively prevent infection and could provide a pathway toward protection against future coronaviruses. Medscape Medical News…

COVID-19 disease is caused by a virus of the coronavirus family, SARS-CoV-2, in the order of nidovirales.

COVID-19 disease is caused by a virus of the coronavirus family, SARS-CoV-2, in the order of nidovirales.

COVID-19 disease is caused by a virus of the coronavirus family, SARS-CoV-2, in the order of nidovirales.

COVID-19 -- The re-emergence of Marburg virus disease in West Africa: How prepared is the sub-region for preventing recurrent zoonotic outbreaks?Bockarie et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;130:28-30Coronavirus (COVID-19) collection---------------------------------Discharge disposition and clinical outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19Patel et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;130:1-5The effect of BCG vaccination on infection and antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 -- The results of…

Feline infectious peritonitis -- New ZealandA beloved household cat has made an \'astonishing\' recovery from a usually fatal illness, thanks to a drug made to treat COVID-19 in humans; and a quick-thinking vet.Anya, the 7-year-old birman cat, was suffering from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a \'100% fatal\' viral infection caused by feline coronavirus.That was, until Auckland vet Dr Habin Choi intervened, giving Anya an antiviral used to treat COVID-19 called molnupiravir.Twelve weeks later, Anya is \'back to normal\' both…

Malaria -- Saudi ArabiaAbstract--------Background: Malaria transmission was stopped on most of the vast area of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, the pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has negatively affected the efforts to control malaria. For instance, COVID-19 was reported to induce a relapse of malaria that is caused by _Plasmodium vivax_. Furthermore, physicians\' attention toward COVID-19 can only result in neglect and delayed diagnosis of complicated malaria cases. These factors, among others,…

The federal program has yet to be formally announced, but pandemic experts say it is a much needed boost to taming COVID and combating future coronavirus outbreaks. Medscape Medical News…

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 27 February - 5 March 2023 and includes updates on COVID-19, group A streptococcal infection, influenza and influenza A(H5N1) , Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Mpox, poliomyelitis, Marburg virus disease and the Earthquakes in Türkiye, Syria.

Feline infectious peritonitis -- CyprusThere is an alarming spread in Cyprus of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) which is a viral disease of cats caused by certain strains of a virus called the feline coronavirus.Vets on Wednesday [5 Apr 2023] called on the Health Ministry to provide them promptly with hospital-grade FIP vaccines [sic; should read medicaments - Mod.AS] since, they stressed, feline coronavirus is deadly if not treated right away. At the same time, the Veterinary Services are in consultation with the Health…

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever -- Abstract--------BackgroundCrimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is reported sporadically in Iraq. The lack of preventive veterinary activities during 2 years of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (2020 and 2021) led to the largest CCHF outbreak in Iraq since 1979.ObjectiveTo describe the epidemiological characteristics of CCHF cases that occurred during the 1st half of 2022 in Iraq in terms of age, sex, residence, history of contact with another case, and history of contact…

Avian Influenza -- Consequences and global risks of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in poultry in the United Kingdom.Haider et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;129:162-164Coronavirus (COVID-19) collection---------------------------------Epidemiological, clinical and household transmission characteristics of children and adolescents infected with SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant in Shanghai, China: a retrospective multicenter observational study.Liu et al.Int J Infect Dis.

The viral inhibitor also appears effective against all coronavirus variants of concern, neutralizing even the Omicron variants BA.5, XBB, and BQ.1.1 in laboratory and mice studies. WebMD Health News…

COVID-19 -- IranBackground----------Given the high circulation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the year 2022, characterised by predominance of the Omicron variant, hybrid immunity conferred by vaccination and infection has become a frequent immunological status in the population, requiring a careful evaluation to refine indications on timing for the administration of a booster dose. Our aim was to evaluate, among persons ≥ 60 years, the effectiveness against…

Syphilis -- JapanThe number of reports of syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, is increasing rapidly in Tokyo. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced that it will open a free inspection station next month [March 2023]. It is possible to be tested 'anonymously' without revealing your identity.Tokyo governor Koike's regular press conference was held from 2:00 pm on 17 Feb 2023. Usually, the new coronavirus countermeasures and calls for power saving continue, but this day was different: 'Recently,…

This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 27 February - 5 March 2023 and includes updates on COVID-19, group A streptococcal infection, influenza and influenza A(H5N1) , Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Mpox, poliomyelitis, Marburg virus disease and the Earthquakes in Türkiye, Syria.

Other Human Disease -- United StatesAbstract--------Heartland virus (HRTV) disease is an emerging tick-borne illness in the midwestern and southern United States. We describe a reported fatal case of HRTV infection in the Maryland and Virginia region, states not widely recognized to have human HRTV disease cases. The range of HRTV could be expanding in the United States.The study---------The patient was a man in his late 60s who had a medical history of splenectomy from remote trauma, coronary artery disease, and…

In 2009, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) developed a competency framework to support European Union countries and the European Commission in ensuring a competent public health workforce for Europe. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic emphasised the importance of harmonised public health strategies and competencies across international boundaries, specifically for infectious diseases. This perspective presents the process to update the competency framework for applied infectious disease epidemiology, highlighting ECDC’s efforts to support countries with using the framework. ECDC commissioned the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) to update the framework through publication and dissemination of a technical report and a self-assessment tool linked to training resources. A mixed methods approach to gather input from experts in relevant specialities included qualitative interviews with 42 experts, workshops with ECDC Technical Advisory Group and an online survey of 212 public health professionals across Europe and beyond. Modifications resulted in 157 core competencies in 23 domains, each mapping to one of six subject areas of importance in applied infectious disease epidemiology. The framework serves as a basis to update the curriculum of the ECDC Fellowship programme with two alternative paths: intervention epidemiology or public health microbiology.…

MERS -- OmanSituation at glance-------------------On 5 Jan 2023, Oman IHR-NFP notified WHO of a case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), in a 60-year-old male, from North Batinah Governorate in Oman. The case had no history of physical contact with dromedaries, goats, sheep, or contact with camel products, milk, or urine. Based on the investigation conducted to identify potential exposure sources within the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms, camel racing exercises were…

COVID-19 -- Serum immunoglobulin G and mucosal immunoglobulin A antibodies from prepandemic samples collected in Kilifi, Kenya, neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in vitroNyagwange et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;127:11-16Age-related seroprevalence trajectories of seasonal coronaviruses in children including neonates in Guangzhou, ChinaLuo et al.Int J Infect Dis. 2023;127:26-32The application of a novel 5-in-1 multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay for rapid detection of…

High levels of community transmission and the co-circulation of respiratory viruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and others can increase pressure on healthcare systems.

Strep -- CroatiaThe Croatian health system is currently burdened by an epidemic of 3 winter infections that are spreading uncontrollably among the population, especially the younger population. Corona and flu were joined this winter by streptococcal bacterial infection, which has not been increasing for the last 15 years, and during the years of the pandemic, not a single death was recorded because there were no patients with invasive streptococcal infection.However, according to the data of the Croatian…

COVID-19 -- The World Health Organization has begun discussions on lowering the level of alert about the coronavirus.WHO sources said no decision would be announced before Monday [30 Jan 2023].The WHO's emergency committee on COVID-19 is holding its 14th meeting since the start of the pandemic. The panel meets every 3 months to discuss the crisis and then brief WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.The WHO currently classifies the coronavirus pandemic as a 'public health emergency of…

Influenza -- IndiaCases of H3N1 influenza are reported every year in winter. There is a need for care and precaution in such a situation. While people are scared due to the spread of the XBB.1.5 and BF.7 sub-variants of omicron (coronavirus), the cases of influenza virus reported in winter every year are also becoming a cause of trouble. The H3N1 influenza has already reached Delhi and its adjoining areas. In the last few days, nearly 100 such cases have been recorded in the Delhi National Capital Region…

COVID-19 -- Abstract--------Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is known to cause multi-organ dysfunction during acute infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with some patients experiencing prolonged symptoms, termed post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2.However, the burden of infection outside the respiratory tract and time to viral clearance are not well characterized, particularly in the brain. Here we carried out complete autopsies on 44 patients who died with…

Becerra issued a statement saying the decision was “a result of the continued consequences of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.” WebMD Health News…

In the autumn of 2022, Denmark witnessed the second out-of-season epidemic of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) following widespread societal preventive measures implemented against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic during 2020 and 2021. Admissions peaked at twice the level of pre-pandemic seasons. Especially infants below 6 months of age were affected, but also adults over 45 years of age. The current epidemic is dominated by RSV subtype B, unlike the major RSV summer epidemic in 2021 dominated by RSV subtype A.…

Melioidosis -- ChinaThe Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today [23 Dec 2022] said that 3 new confirmed melioidosis infection cases had been recorded in the past week [17 to 23 Dec 2022]. The patients live in Sham Shui Po and the CHP's epidemiological investigations reveal that the cases' onset dates were all between early September [2022] and early November [2022]. The first case involved a 62 year old man with multiple underlying illnesses including diabetes and coronary…

De variantopdaterede booster-vacciner, som er rettet mod nyere varianter af coronavirus og er blevet givet i løbet af efteråret 2022, giver god beskyttelse mod alvorlig sygdom, konkluderer Statens Serum Institut.

For the past two years, California workplace regulators have tried to slow the spread of the coronavirus by requiring infected workers to stay home while also guaranteeing them they would still be paid. Associated Press…

This Reporting Protocol provides guidelines for data managers in reporting countries on how to prepare data for submission to TESSy, deadlines for reporting, subject-specific information (e.g. new changes to metadata), and links to further information.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) presented a unique opportunity for the World Health Organization (WHO) to utilise public health intelligence (PHI) for pandemic response. WHO systematically captured mainly unstructured information (e.g. media articles, listservs, community-based reporting) for public health intelligence purposes. WHO used the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system as one of the information sources for PHI. The processes and scope for PHI were adapted as the pandemic evolved and tailored to regional response needs. During the early months of the pandemic, media monitoring complemented official case and death reporting through the International Health Regulations mechanism and triggered alerts. As the pandemic evolved, PHI activities prioritised identifying epidemiological trends to supplement the information available through indicator-based surveillance reported to WHO. The PHI scope evolved over time to include vaccine introduction, emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, unusual clinical manifestations and upsurges in cases, hospitalisation and death incidences at subnational levels. Triaging the unprecedented high volume of information challenged surveillance activities but was managed by collaborative information sharing. The evolution of PHI activities using multiple sources in WHO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic illustrates the future directions in which PHI methodologies could be developed and used.…

The number of medications available to treat COVID-19 continues to get smaller as the coronavirus changes to outsmart treatments. WebMD Health News…

BackgroundEpidemics are a constant threat in the 21st century, particularly disease outbreaks following spillover of an animal virus to humans. Timeliness, a key metric in epidemic response, can be examined to identify critical steps and delays in public health action.AimTo examine timeliness, we analysed the response to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) epidemic, with a focus on the international and One Health response efforts.MethodsWe performed a historical review of the MERS epidemic between September 2012 and January 2019 in three steps: (i) the construction of a timeline identifying critical events in the global response, (ii) the performance of a critical path analysis to define outbreak milestones and (iii) a time gap analysis to measure timeliness in the execution of these milestones.ResultsWe proposed 14 MERS-specific milestones at different phases of the epidemic, assessing timeliness of the public health response as well as at the animal–human interface, where we identified the most significant delays.ConclusionsWhen comparing timeliness across three coronavirus epidemics, i.e. MERS (2012), SARS (2002) and COVID-19 (2019), we identified clear improvements over time for certain milestones including laboratory confirmation and diagnostics development, while this was not as apparent for others, as the identification of zoonotic hosts. To more efficiently respond to emerging threats, the global health community should widely assess and tackle specific delays in implementing response interventions by addressing challenges in the sharing of information, data and resources, as well as efficiency, quality, transparency and reliability of reporting events.…

COVID-19 -- ChinaSummary-------'What is already known about this topic?Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) omicron subvariant has a stronger transmission capacity and faster transmission speed than the previous strain.'What is added by this report?The 1st coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case infected with the SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariant BA.2.76 who caused local transmission was reported in Chongqing Municipality on [16 Aug 2022]. For 35 minutes, Patient Zero jogged…

A history of coronary disease predicted reduced left ventricular myocardial strain 3 months after a COVID hospitalization in what may be the first such study to explore the issue. First Look…

A new coronavirus variant called XBB is marching up the CDC's watchlist and has become a variant of concern. WebMD Health News…

MERS -- Saudi ArabiaOutbreak at a glance From 29 Dec 2021 to 31 Oct 2022, 4 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) were reported to WHO by the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. No deaths were reported. Household contacts for the 4 cases were followed-up by the Ministry of Health, and no secondary cases were identified. The notification of these cases reiterates the need for global awareness of MERS-CoV but does not change the overall risk…

COVID-19 -- Researchers in Britain say they have used genetic sequencing to help cure a man who was infected with the coronavirus for more than 411 days.The 59-year-old patient, who had a weakened immune system due to a kidney transplant and the use of an immunosuppressant drug, initially tested positive in December 2020.After further tests in February 2021 and January 2022 came back positive, the team in London carried out a genetic analysis of the virus, which showed that the same strain was…