Florida confirms 11th dengue case of the year; Pakistan outbreak swells
The Florida Department of Health confirmed the state's 11th locally transmitted dengue case of 2019, in Miami-Dade County, officials said yesterday. The case does not appear to be related to previously reported cases.
Ten of the 11 cases have been reported in Miami-Dade, with the other cas recorded in neighboring Broward County in September, the Miami Herald reported. Florida has also confirmed 342 travel-related dengue cases statewide this year.
Dengue is primarily spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same vector capable of transmitting Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses, as well as other pathogens.
In other dengue news, the World Health Organization (WHO) said a large dengue outbreak in Pakistan continues to grow. From Jul 8 to Nov 12, 47,120 confirmed cases of dengue fever, including 75 deaths, were reported in four provinces.
Dengue is endemic in Pakistan, the WHO said, but the country is ill-prepared to control the outbreak.
"Although initiatives for the dengue outbreak response were introduced in Pakistan during the 2017 outbreak in Peshawar, these were never brought into current practice. In the absence of a robust surveillance system for dengue in affected provinces, the evolution of outbreaks may be difficult to track," the WHO said.
Nov 19 Miami Herald story
Nov 19 WHO update
Polio outbreak in Philippines rises to 7 cases
The Philippines Department of Health (DOH) today confirmed three more polio cases on the island of Mindanao, raising the outbreak total in that country to seven. Six of the seven cases have been on Mindanao.
The DOH said the new case-patients include a 2-year-old girl and 1-year-old boy who were unvaccinated against the virus, and a 4-year-old girl who was only partially vaccinated. All three children were admitted to the hospital after experiencing symptom onset, including facial muscle weakness.
"It is unacceptable that more children are falling victim to this vaccine-preventable disease. We are more determined than ever to make sure that no child shall be missed during the next round of the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio in Metro Manila and Mindanao," said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
The DOH is set to conduct a round of catch-up polio vaccination in Mindanao through December. The polio outbreak is the Philippines first since 2000.
Nov 20 DOH press release
Malaria levels rising in some Americas countries, declining in others
In an update on malaria in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said so far this year some countries have reported increases in cases, though others have reported decreases.
Malaria levels declined in the region from 2005 to 2014, but since 2015 they have been rising, mainly due to activity over the last 3 years in Venezuela and increased transmission in endemic countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Nicaragua, and Panama. PAHO said there have also been outbreaks in countries such as Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador, that were making progress toward elimination.
In 2018, Guatemala and Honduras had significant case declines compared with 2017, a trend that has continued in 2019. Meanwhile, El Salvador hasn't reported a local case in nearly 3 years, and Paraguay and Argentina in 2018 and 2019, respectively, were certified as malaria-free.
PAHO said Brazil's Amazon region, however, experienced a 24% decrease in the first part of 2019 compared with the same time last year, with increases in three states: Amapa, Mato Grosso, and Rondonia. Colombia is experiencing an outbreak this year, with a 28.2% increase in cases compared to the same months of 2018.
Meanwhile, Venezuela is reporting a slight decrease compared with the same time last year.
PAHO said it alerted countries about malaria outbreaks risks in early 2017 and 2018, and though countries shored up their response efforts, the increase in cases in 2018 shows that challenges and gaps still exist. It adds that a drop in cases in some countries underscores the importance of steps that governments are taking.
Nov 18 PAHO malaria epidemiologic update
Michigan reports another Eastern equine encephalitis death
Michigan has reported its sixth death from Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), according to a Nov 18 report from the Associated Press (AP), which cites WNDU-TV in South Bend, Indiana.
The state has had 10 cases, part of a national surge, and the patient who died was one of two people sickened in Berrien County, located in the southwest part of the state on the Lake Michigan shore.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday that as of yesterday it has received reports of 36 confirmed cases, 14 of them fatal. EEE infections have been reported to the CDC from eight states, with Massachusetts (12 cases) and Michigan (10) the hardest hit. Others are Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Indiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee. In addition, Alabama on Oct 25 reported a fatal EEE case.
Typically, the CDC receives only 7 reports each year of EEE, which is spread by mosquitoes. The illnesses are rare, and when they occur, they are usually reported near hardwood swamps in Atlantic and Gulf Coast states and in the Great Lakes region.
Nov 18 AP story
Nov 19 CDC EEE background