Global health organization mulls Ebola crisis

WHO to discuss raising the threat level in Congo; dozens dead over five-month stretch

Anthrax outbreak grips Siberia

State media reports emergency is contained; 40 people hospitalized, over 1,200 reindeer dead

Migrant crisis causing health scare in Europe

Influx of 'refugees' bringing diphtheria back to Denmark, after a nearly 20 year absence

Lassa fever grips Nigeria

Federal government blames local Authorities for lack of containment; virus has spread from ten to 17 states

Polio declared a global crisis

International health organization considers resurgence a worldwide emergency.

'Global threat' due to antibiotic resistance

Common infections developing resistance to available treatments; situation will become critical is not addressed.

Ebola outbreak in west Africa resurges

Deaths in Guinea, Liberia approach the 150 mark; previous thoughts of containment considered premature.

Mystery fever sweeps through Indian town

An outbreak of a still-unidentified fever swept through the town of Kakori, India this last week, putting doctors in the nation on high alert. According to local officials nearly a third of the entire population had been treated, though by the time State Authority arrived to assess the malady it had largely run its course; believed to be of a viral nature, samples have been sent to a State laboratory for identification.

National Authority put the official number of stricken at 200, though local officials claim doctors treated at least 25 times that many patients; fortunately, no fatalities were reported. While the tally remains in dispute all concerned agree that anytime there is an epidemic of a mystery illness it is potentially cataclysmic, be it 200 cases, 5,000, or somewhere between the two.

Kakori has a population of just over 16,000, and was once a thriving township noted for producing quality civil servants who served all across India. Conditions there have deteriorated sharply since those glory days, however, with part of that decline being reflected in poorly managed sewage and garbage disposal systems; researchers believe these conditions contributed to this latest epidemic.

Map Credit: Ssolbergj [via Wikipedia]; altered for this story.

Polio outbreak strikes Syria

Pro-government soldier in Syria

The World Health Organization [WHO] confirmed yesterday that an outbreak of polio has risen in Syria. 22 cases have been identified in the eastern part of the nation, with an additional 12 instances still being researched.

The neighboring country of Lebanon is working with various WHO agencies to vaccinate Syrian refugees whom have escaped the war-ravaged nation. They fear that, if not contained, it could escalate into a full-blown pandemic, afflicting millions of children across the Middle East.

Polio is a highly contagious virus which attacks the central nervous system, one which is especially dangerous to children. Paralysis can occur within a few hours of infection, and in the most dire cases death is possible.

While there is currently no cure available, vaccination efforts have been successful in dramatically curtailing its spread. Extremist elements in Islam, however, have made continuing those efforts in many Middle Eastern nations difficult at best, and in the most violent regions nearly impossible.

African nation faces 'black death' resurgence

The International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC] has issued a warning that Madagascar is facing a crisis, unless steps are taken to combat an onslaught of bubonic plague. The relief agency fears that if an epidemic were to occur it could possibly escape the island nation, leading to a global pandemic; in 2012 that threat was very real, with Madagascar reporting 256 plague cases resulting in 60 deaths.

Mass grave of 18th century plague victims

According to the ICRC the situation in Madagascar is due to some of the most vile, unsanitary prison conditions on the planet. Infested with flea-ridden rats, the jails have become breeding grounds for the lethal illness; these fleas not only spread the disease to prisoners, guards and visitors alike but also travel in and out of the prisons with their rodent hosts, expanding the potential of an epidemic.

Due to its virulent history bubonic plague - also known as 'black death' - is one of the most feared diseases on the planet, though modern knowledge makes it one of the more easily managed. Attention to sanitation combined with vigilant pest-control is vital to combating it, with early detection and treatment greatly enhancing an infected individual's survival chances; if left unchecked, however, it can kill someone in as little as four days.

Cases of severe illness rise on school campus

A number of faculty at a Malibu, California high school have experienced a rash of unexplained illnesses the past six months. Three members have been diagnosed with stage 1 thyroid cancer, three more are struggling with other thyroid issues, while seven teachers are suffering from chronic migraines.

Additional teachers claim they have been treated for a myriad of other concerns, from unexplained hair loss to skin rashes to a variety of respiratory illnesses. No official cause or link has been identified, though investigations are continuing.

Old transformers still contain PCBs

With that noted, the stricken school staff believes they know the source, pointing the finger at a 2011 construction project on the campus. They assert that polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs] were released when over 1,000 yards of dirt was removed from the site, resulting in their illnesses.

PCB's are highly toxic coolant fluids, once used in transformers, capacitors, and electric motors. Banned in the United States [US] in 1979, soil-sample tests have concluded that PCBs are rife at multiple locations, thus the claims made by the ill faculty members have merit even if they do lack hard evidence connected to this event.

The localized nature of these illnesses has raised alarms amongst parents of the students as well, which has prompted administrators to relocate 11 classrooms of students to different schools. Despite this move, Authority in the area remains confident the explanation for this odd convergence of sickness lies elsewhere.

Researchers note that PCB's can be found anywhere, due to their rampant use pre-1979 and poor disposal procedures after the ban. They have been linked to a variety of ailments, including many of the conditions mentioned above. One expert flatly states that no matter where you are PCB's are unavoidable in the US, and when new ventures expose long-undisturbed soil the potential for cases similar to this will grow exponentially.

Photo Source: Sturmovik (Wikipedia)

Coronavirus resurfaces in Saudi Arabia

Six new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus [MERS-CoV] have been reported in Saudi Arabia, according to recent reports. The victims range in age from 35 to 87, four of which residing in the capitol of Riyadh. These new cases have health officials alarmed that a resurgence of the novel coronavirus could occur, especially with the 2013 flu season about to begin.

MERS under a microscope

Discovered in June 2012, MERS-CoV has proven to be a stubborn and highly mobile virus. While 87% of the victims have been Saudi-based, isolated cases have been reported across multiple nations in Europe and the Arabian region, causing the World Health Organization to list it as a 'threat to the entire world.'

Symptoms of a MERS-CoV infection include severe acute respiratory illness, fever, cough, renal failure and pneumonia. Its estimated incubation period of nearly two weeks makes it an extremely dangerous virus, for it is able to travel undetected for days at a time. There have now been 136 verified cases of this novel coronavirus; of these cases 58 deaths have resulted, which translates into an alarmingly high fatality rate of 45%.

Bird flu in Cambodia triggers alert

Authority in the Sisaket province of Thailand has issued an alert, warning of a potential outbreak of both the H7N9 and H5N1 avian flu strains in the region. Officials are notifying health care professionals across the province to be especially cautious about any flu-like symptoms discovered in patients, while confirming that those working in the field are fully versed on all procedures to address the situation.

Live bird markets considered a major concern.

There has yet to be any reported cases of either type of virus in Thailand, though the area of Cambodia which borders Sisaket has had several victims; five H5N1 cases have been reported in the last month alone, one of which resulting in death. This has caused Authority in Sisaket to take proactive measures, to prevent an epidemic before it has a chance to occur.

Researchers are also concerned that the number of cases could rise as winter approaches. H5N1 has already established seasonal patterns, and they fear if H7N9 does the same the entire continent could be adversely affected over the next few months.

Various strains of bird flu have been fostered and amplified in southeastern Asia, due largely to unsanitary conditions throughout the food preparation process. While H5N1 has been the most persistent (having remained a consistent threat since first reported in 1987), H7N9 is the most disconcerting for researchers. Discovered less than seven months ago, it is the first bird flu to accomplish human-to-human transmission; as of August 31st H7N9 has killed 45 people.

Photo source: Wikipedia

Epidemics, including 'black fever,' striking Darfur

Sudan

An epidemic of visceral leishmaniasis, also referred to as 'black fever,' is ravaging three of the five federal states in the Darfur region of Sudan, thus far killing at least 25 people. Estimates suggest that at minimum 5,000 others have been infected, causing grave concerns amoungst medical personnel.

A separate outbreak of a still-unidentified infection is hitting North Darfur as well, one which has killed an additional 4 people. Surges of scabies and ringworm have also been affecting the areas stricken, overwhelming hospital capacities since last year.

Agricultural officials are quietly alarmed over a potential food crisis stemming from these epidemics, fearful that the debilitating nature of the illness is preventing people from attending to crops. If the yield is hampered too greatly the potential for long-term food shortages is expanded, which could result in cataclysmic under-nourishment in the already impoverished region.

Black fever under microscope

Black fever is considered one of the deadliest parasitic diseases, only surpassed by malaria in scale and scope. An estimated 500,000 people are infected worldwide annually, and if left untreated in an individual it causes an extremely painful death by attacking the internal organs and bone-marrow of the patient.

The combination of these highly-infectious diseases has officials closing public areas and schools, though the destitute nature of the area - combined with years of malignant neglect - makes battling the epidemics a Herculean task.

Tularemia outbreak strikes Massachusetts

An outbreak of the infectious disease tularemia struck Nantucket Island last week, sending four people to hospital. Health officials issued a warning not only advising people to steer clear of dead rabbits, but to also avoid any animal which appears disoriented. No additional cases have been reported since the initial outbreak, though - due to the incubation period extending up through 14 days - Authority on the island remains on alert. The source of the outbreak remains undetermined.

Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, is a extremely virulent illness, though rarely deadly in humans if properly treated. Symptoms include fever, lethargy and anorexia, and are treated with a variety of antibiotics. The disease is spread from animal-to-human; while rabbits and ticks are the primary culprits, many mammals (including a several species of rodent) can be carriers.

It is also considered one of the six most deadly biological weapons, ranking alongside anthrax and smallpox as potentially catastrophic agents of war. The ease with which one can aerosolize the virus makes it an attractive option for bio-warfare, with both the United States [US] and the Soviet Union [USSR] having tested it as such during the cold-war era. A former Soviet scientist even reported that tularemia was weaponized and deployed by the USSR during World War II, but that report still remains unconfirmed.

Reported cases of the virus have been on the rise in the last decade-and-a-half (especially in the US), though each outbreak has been highly localized. Measures to prevent exposure include thoroughly cooking wild game, wearing protective gloves when handling any rodent (be it for disposal or meal preparation), only drinking purified water, and using insect repellent to avoid tick bites. No vaccine is currently available for the general public.

Malaria ravaging African nation

Researchers are expressing grave concerns over the recent rise of malaria cases in the nation of Chad. New cases rose 1,142% in the last month, from 1,228 reported cases in early August to 14,021 by the end of the same month. While the country is subject to spikes of the parasitic disease during the rainy season (July through November annually), these numbers are well beyond normal reports, raising alarms with scientists. 80% of all hospital visits are being attributed to malaria, which is double the normal percentages for this time of year.

Republic of Chad, Africa

Malaria is a blood-borne infectious disease, transmitted through the bites of female mosquitoes. While there is no vaccine available, short-term medications do exist which can help prevent infection in travelers. Initial symptoms resemble standard flu conditions, including head-aches, fever, joint pain, and vomiting. If the disease progresses violent shivering, convulsions, and seizures occur, with the most deadly cases ending in coma.

Recent reports from the World Health Organization estimate that 650,000 people die annually from malaria on a global scale, and researchers fear those numbers could rise with the discovery of a drug-resistant strain in April of this year. Of those who perish from the disease a vast majority are children on the African continent, though concerns over a mutated version of the virus spreading on a global scale have been magnified in recent years.

Chad is considered by multiple global organizations to be one the most nefarious nations on the planet. Poverty is relentless, and since a majority of its people are nomadic they often sleep out in the open, leaving them vulnerable to infected insects. The primary preventative measure is to avoid contact entirely through the use of inexpensive mosquito screens, which could help stem the tide of death in the African republic, but due to government corruption getting said-screens to the scattered population is nearly impossible. 40% of all deaths in Chad each year are malaria-based, with children being the most common victims.

Europe grapples with tuberculosis resurgence

A study by German health economists is raising alarms in Europe, over a potential economic cataclysm facing the continent. Cases of tuberculosis [TB] are on the rise in Europe, and the costs associated with fighting it are at crisis levels. Currently the treatments alone are estimated at €500 million ($655 million), with lost productivity rising to €5.2 billion ($7 billion). Researchers warn that these costs will continue to expand if no action to taken.

The price-tag for defending against this (once-considered 'eradicated') infectious disease has been growing due the emergence of drug-resistant versions of the virus. The current vaccines and medicines have no effect on the mutated strains of TB, causing scientists to implore both public and private-sector entities to expand development of new treatments.

According to the World Health Organization [WHO], TB killed 1.4 million people in 2011 alone, with total global cases estimated at 8.7 million. The WHO fears that by 2015 there will be at least 2 million cases of the mutated strains, which - if left unchecked - could eventually overwhelm the capabilities of health-care professionals on a global scale.

First known human-to-human bird-flu transmission recorded

For the first time there is a documented case of a bird flu - in this case, the novel virus H7N9 - being transmitted from human to human. In China a 32 year-old woman fell ill after caring for her infected 60 year-old father, despite her having no contact with live poultry; both died from the infection. Genetic testing of the virus in both individuals concluded with certainty that the two strains were near-identical, thus proving it moved between two human subjects.

While this new strain of H7N9 has researchers concerned, they note that it is still too early to conclude that it has the capability to transmit human-to-human on a large scale. They also cannot rule it out however, saying that it "possesses the potential for pandemic spread."

From early April through late June there have been 133 cases of H7N9 reported, killing 43 people; all cases were reported in eastern China. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), fever, cough, and shortness of breath are likely symptoms with infected individuals, and in severe cases immune-system overload, blood poisoning, and organ failure are all possible. While there is no vaccine available, it is treatable with normal prescription-based medications if discovered in its early stages.

Observation: I wrote brief blurbs about H7N9 on my Twitter page when it was first discovered in early April 2013, and at the time I voiced concerns about this particular virus; there was just something about the reporting of it that made me nervous. I stand by those concerns - SB

Cyclospora outbreak hammers multiple states

As of August 7th 504 cases of the virus Cyclospora have been reported across 16 states, with Texas and Iowa being the hardest hit. The bug, which adversely effects the stomach, causes abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, fever, and diarrhea, the latter of which health officials note can last up to 8 weeks. As of yet no deaths have been reported.

Initial research sourced the first wave of the illness to a farm in Mexico which supplies produce to various restaurant chains, including Olive Garden and Red Lobster. The origin of this second wave however, which just cropped up in the last week, remains a mystery to researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They are uncertain if the two waves are related, stating that the equipment they possess is too outdated to make a determination, crippling their prevention efforts.

People become infected with Cyclospora by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite. While healthy individuals normally recover from the illness without treatment, it is still wise to seek medical attention if you have the symptoms listed above. The other states affected thus far by the outbreak are Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin.