KAMPALA, Nov 30, 2023 (AFP) – At least 17 people have died in an anthrax outbreak in southern Uganda this month, a local official told AFP Thursday, saying the situation was “under control”. Anthrax is spread through a bacterium that is encased in a tough, rod-shaped shell. The spores exist naturally in the soil and commonly infect livestock which ingest or inhale them while grazing. Humans can become infected from contact through breathing in the […]
Tag: outbreak
WHO emergency committee decides on monkeypox outbreak: Over 3,200 confirmed cases reported worldwide
by Robin MILLARD Agence France Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — A World Health Organization committee of experts met Thursday to decide whether the monkeypox outbreak constitutes a global health emergency. The outcome of the in-private meeting will be issued on Friday at the earliest, the WHO said. A surge of monkeypox cases has been detected since May outside of the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic. Most of […]
The age of outbreaks: Experts warn of more animal disease threats
by Daniel Lawler and Isabelle Tourne Agence France Presse With the spread of monkeypox across the world coming hot on the heels of Covid-19, there are fears that increasing outbreaks of diseases that jump from animals to humans could spark another pandemic. While such diseases — called zoonoses — have been around for millennia, they have become more common in recent decades due to deforestation, mass livestock cultivation, climate change and other human-induced upheavals […]
WHO says monkeypox outbreak can still be contained
https://youtu.be/fGsCY5xwt2U The monkeypox outbreak that has been reported in 16 countries and several regions of the world can still be contained and the overall risk of transmission is low, the UN health agency said on Tuesday (24 May). “What we know from this virus and these modes of transmission, this outbreak can still be contained, it is the objective of the World Health Organization and Member States to contain this outbreak and to stop […]
21 more dead as North Korea battles Covid outbreak
North Korea on Saturday reported 21 additional deaths from ‘fever’, two days after the country announced its first-ever cases of Covid-19 and ordered nationwide lockdowns. State media said 174,440 new fever cases were discovered on Friday alone and that 21 people had died, as it moved into “maximum emergency quarantine system” in a bid to slow the spread of disease through its unvaccinated population. “On May 13, 174,440 new cases of fever were reported […]
Hong Kong to launch vaccine pass as Omicron outbreak rages
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong will launch a vaccine pass scheme this week, officials said Monday, as hospitals struggle under an Omicron-fuelled outbreak and the finance hub sees record-high departures. The densely populated metropolis is currently in the throes of its worst-ever coronavirus outbreak, registering thousands of confirmed cases every day as hospitals and isolation units run out of space. Starting Thursday, all residents aged 12 and above entering restaurants and clubhouses […]
Even fully vaccinated persons can get high viral load of Delta variant, infect others – US CDC
CDC cites study of COVID-19 outbreak in Massachusetts that found Delta variant infections among fully vaccinated individuals (Eagle News) – Even fully vaccinated people can transmit the Delta variant as significant high viral loads of this COVID-19 virus strain were found in fully vaccinated individuals who got infected with this variant, as well as those unvaccinated against COVID-19. This was according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, July 30, which […]
Two more parts of China report Covid outbreaks
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s worst coronavirus outbreak in months has spread to two more parts of the country, health authorities said Saturday, including a sprawling megacity of 31 million people. The National Health Commission reported 55 new cases in areas including Fujian province and Chongqing municipality, in addition to the four provinces and Beijing where outbreaks of the Delta variant had already been reported. More than 200 infections nationwide have been linked to […]
Sydney outbreak a ‘national emergency’ as cases spike
by Andrew BEATTY Agence France Presse SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Sydney’s fast-growing coronavirus outbreak has become a “national emergency,” state leaders said Friday, as Australia’s largest city reported another record number of new infections. Admitting a month-long lockdown had so far failed to stop a Delta-variant outbreak, the state of New South Wales pleaded for Canberra to urgently send more vaccines and resources. Declaring the outbreak a national emergency could pave the way for […]
Guinea health chief calls Ebola outbreak ‘epidemic’, 7 cases confirmed
CONAKRY, Guinea (AFP) — The head of Guinea’s health agency said Sunday that the country was in the midst of an Ebola “epidemic situation” with seven cases confirmed in the West African nation, including three deaths. “Very early this morning, the Conakry laboratory confirmed the presence of the Ebola virus,” Sakoba Keita said after an emergency meeting in the capital. Health Minister Remy Lamah had earlier spoken of four deaths. It was not immediately […]
Vietnam reports first virus outbreak in nearly two months
HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Vietnam recorded its first coronavirus outbreak in almost two months on Thursday, with more than 80 new cases reported as authorities began testing tens of thousands of people to contain the spread. The infections were detected in northern Vietnam, where one cluster has been linked to a case of the more contagious coronavirus variant first spotted in Britain. The figure was a new daily record for the communist nation of […]
COVID-19 special report: Learning from the 1918-1919 Flu Pandemic that killed 50 million worldwide
PHL history professor analyzes the similarities between the two pandemics set a century apart, and what lessons could be learned from the 1918-1919 flu pandemic (Eagle News) – A hundred years ago, from 1918 to 1919, a virus pandemic infected 500 million worldwide – a third of the world’s population at that time – killing as many as 50 million people, according to conservative estimates. In the Philippines, the so-called “Spanish flu” pandemic killed […]
