Meningitis

WHA aims to cut malaria burden 40% by 2020

The World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva set ambitious goals of reducing the global malaria burden 40% by 2020 and at least 90% by 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.

The WHA, the annual meeting of the WHO's member countries, also established a goal of eliminating malaria in at least 35 more countries by 2030, the WHO said in a news release.

Sierra Leone confirms more Ebola cases, disease tops WHA agenda

After going 8 days without an Ebola case, Sierra Leone since May 14 has seen a trickle of newly confirmed cases, including 2 from Port Loko, 3 from Western Area Urban, and 1 from Kambia, the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) said today in an update.

USDA to require labeling of mechanically tenderized beef

Mechanically tenderized beef will need to be so labeled by May 2016, the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The new labeling requirements cover raw or partially cooked beef products, the FSIS said in a statement.

"This commonsense change will lead to safer meals and fewer foodborne illnesses," said USDA Deputy Undersecretary Al Almanza.

Nontoxic strain of C diff may help prevent recurrent infections

A potentially promising way to lower the risk of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections is to fight fire with fire, in the form of oral doses of a nontoxigenic strain of C diff, according to a report yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

WHO notes 4 previous Saudi MERS-CoV cases and 1 death

Four cases of MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia, one of them fatal, were officially reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) for the period Apr 14 to 20, according to an update today.

The new cases, all previously reported by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) and noted by CIDRAP News, are in adult men, and tracing of household and healthcare contacts is ongoing.

CDC says tough 2014-15 flu season is finally ending

Two straight weeks of low influenza activity signal that the long 2014-15 flu season, marked by its heavy impact on seniors and poor vaccine performance, is drawing to an end, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a short review of the season yesterday.

CDC reports two more cases in ice cream-linked Listeria outbreak

Through a review of DNA data from listeriosis cases, federal health officials have identified two more patients who were affected by a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Blue Bell Creameries products, increasing the case count to 10.

H5N2 virus found in Wyoming wild bird

An infected Canada goose has put Wyoming on the growing list of US states that have recently detected the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N2 virus, while Bulgaria reported today that the HPAI H5N1 virus has surfaced in pelicans.

H5N1 cases pile up in Egypt

Twelve more H5N1 avian influenza infections have been reported from Egypt over the past 5 days, according to translated governorate health department reports and a batch of notifications today from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

CDC notes safety lapses at melioidosis-linked Tulane lab

Federal officials noted several biosafety lapses at a Tulane University animal lab after animals were infected with Burkholderia pseudomallei, the bacterium that causes melioidosis, or Whitmore's disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today.