News Scan for Feb 27, 2014

News brief

Bamboo bonfire sparked histoplasmosis outbreak in Arkansas

An outbreak of histoplasmosis was linked to a bonfire of bamboo at a family gathering in Arkansas in 2011, suggesting that heating of fungal spores that cause the disease may fuel their transmission, says a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Histoplasmosis is an infection with Histoplasma capsulatum, a fungus that is endemic in several states along the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers, the CDC said in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

The outbreak came to light after a boy and girl, ages 8 and 5, fell ill with abdominal pain and a cough 8 days after the family gathering. They were eventually diagnosed as having pneumonia and were hospitalized. Once the pathogen was identified, they were treated with itraconazole, which led to dramatic improvement.

At the gathering, 19 people, mostly children, had cut bamboo, made a fort, and built a bonfire in a small grove that had served as a red-winged blackbird roost. H capsulatum is known to be associated with bird and bat feces and disturbed ground, the article says.

Investigators learned that all 19 attendees at the gathering had gotten sick afterward; most had fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Of 14 who had chest x-rays, 11 showed abnormal results. Seven histoplasmosis cases were confirmed, and 11 were classified as probable.

The report cites one previous histoplasmosis outbreak associated with the burning of bamboo, in Louisiana in 1980. "Because all attendees in both outbreaks reported illness, this raises the possibility that heating of Histoplasma spores in conjunction with fire-related air currents might create an ideal mode of transmission," it states.
Feb 28 MMWR article
CDC background information on histoplasmosis

Family sues over 'rat-bite fever' death

The family of a 10-year-old San Diego boy who died from a Streptobacillus moniliformis infection, commonly known as "rat-bite fever," is suing the pet store that sold him a rat that his family says is the source of his illness, the Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday.

Attorney John Gomez said his firm filed a lawsuit Feb 24 seeking an unspecified amount from Petco for the suffering endured by the Pankey family, whose son, Aidan, died Jun 12, 2013. The San Diego County medical examiner's office ruled that the boy died from his S moniliformis infection.

Petco Animal Supplies Inc. expressed condolences to the family and said it is "in the process of investigating these claims and will respond appropriately when we have more information," the AP reported.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rat-bite fever can be caused by either S moniliformis in North America or Spirillum minus, which typically occurs in Asia.

People usually get the disease from the scratch or bite of infected rodents, by handling infected rodents even without getting bitten or scratched, or by consuming contaminated food or water. A pet or wild rodent can be a disease carrier and not show signs of illness, the agency said.

Only about 200 US cases of rat-bite fever had been documented as of 2004, the AP story said, citing data from the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa State University.
Feb 26 AP story
CDC background information on rat-bite fever

Avian Flu Scan for Feb 27, 2014

News brief

Study: 10% avian flu rate in Egyptian birds, H5N1-H9N2 co-infections

Active surveillance in Egypt found that 10% of all poultry samples from August 2010 through January 2013 tested positive for avian flu, and the H9N2 strain emerged in the country during that time and co-infected birds with H5N1, according to a report yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

A team of veterinarians collected cloacal (anus) and oropharyngeal (beak) swab samples from 11,452 birds from commercial farms, backyard flocks, live-bird markets, and abattoirs. The teams also collected samples from sick or dead birds at the sites.

Of the samples, 84.2% were from chickens, 10.3% from ducks, and 5.5% from other domestic bird species.

Polymerase chain reaction tests were positive for 1,144 birds (10%), with the percentage by governorate ranging from 3% in Menoufia to 18% in Dakahlia.

The authors, from Egypt and the United States, also noted their first detection of H9N2 virus in Egyptian poultry in December 2011 and the first H5N1-H9N2 co-infections in March 2012. They detected 151 such co-infections during the study period.

The authors advocate for continued avian flu surveillance and conclude, "Cocirculation of different subtypes poses concern for potential reassortment."
Feb 26 Emerg Infect Dis report

Cambodia, Nepal report H5N1 outbreaks in poultry

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu has struck small flocks in Cambodia and Nepal recently, affecting 2,700 poultry, according to separate reports posted yesterday by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

In Cambodia, H5N1 killed 210 birds in a village flock of 450 in Kampong Speu province, and the remaining 240 poultry were culled to prevent disease spread. And in adjoining Kandal province, the virus killed 200 of 250 birds, with the remainder of the village flock culled.

The provinces are in southern Cambodia, near the capital of Phnom Penh. Kandal abuts Vietnam on the province's southern border. The larger outbreak began Feb 18 and the other a day later. Both were resolved on Feb 25.
Feb 26 OIE report on Cambodia

In Nepal, H5N1 killed 570 of 2,000 poultry on a layer farm in Koshi province in the eastern part of the country, not far from its border with India. The remaining birds were culled to contain the outbreak.

Beginning Feb 13, the birds showed signs of depression, decreased egg production, respiratory distress, and paralysis before they died, the OIE report said. The farm is being disinfected, and officials have restricted movement of poultry in the area.

Both countries have experienced numerous recent H5N1 outbreaks in domestic birds, as has Vietnam.
Feb 26 OIE report on Nepal