In Equatorial Guinea an haemorrhagic fever now confirmed to be Marburg virus has caused at least nine deaths.
Two suspected cases in neighbouring Cameroon proved in fact to be malaria (GPHiN).
Bangladesh has reported 11 cases of Nipah virus and eight associated deaths. This is the largest number of cases since 2015 when 15 cases were reported. The outbreak risk is considered high locally.
COVID-19 Cases and deaths continue falling in China; it is estimated that there are currently ~1.64 million cases per day, ~61% lower than the peak, and ~12,600 deaths per day, 64% lower than peak deaths. The EU has announced the end to its recommendation for pre-departure testing of travellers from China (Airfinity).
COVID-19 cases are increasing across Europe as well as in North America, Russia, and Indonesia.
In terms of variants, it is suggested that XBB.1.9.1 is one to watch, growing more rapidly than even XBB.1.5, and circulating widely in Southern Asia and Europe - but still a very low percentage of sequences globally. (Airfinity).
A study into reinfection risk for COVID-19, showing that early infection provides poor protection against more recent variants, is here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)02465-5/fulltext
And linked here: https://journals.lww.com/joem/Fulltext/2023/01000/SARS_CoV_2_Seroprevalence_in_Employees_of_Four.2.aspx is a useful study by Belloni et al on COVID-19 risks amongst different occupations during the early phase of the pandemic: “no significant difference in seroprevalence between our sample of essential workers and local working-age population during the first lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having a seropositive housemate was the strongest predictor of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity.”
Eight countries eliminated a neglected tropical disease last year, bringing the number of nations that have done so since the late 1990s to almost 50. In 2022:
The Democratic Republic of Congo eliminated the parasitic guinea worm disease.
Togo, Malawi, Saudi Arabia and Vanuatu got rid of the bacterial infection trachoma.
Rwanda, Uganda and Equatorial Guinea eliminated a type of sleeping sickness.
WHO announced the assessment of the relevant emergency committee, and the Director-General, that mpox remains a public health emergency of international concern, despite the decline in cases and a very total number of deaths globally. https://www.who.int/news/item/15-02-2023-fourth-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-(ihr)-emergency-committee-on-the-multi-country-outbreak-of-monkeypox-(mpox)
There is a WHO EPI-WIN Webinar on “Changing perspectives of the mpox outbreak” which may provide some background to this apparent disparity - 12:00–13:00 CET, 22 February - the webinar can also be viewed live and post-event on the EPI-WIN YouTube channel
An article on the failures of the IHR during COVID-19 and the need for these to be addressed in the new pandemic treaty, here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p357
An outbreak of Listeria infections has been reported across multiple states. The food source of the illness has not yet been identified. Listeria can cause severe illness or can be fatal among people in high risk groups. People contract listeriosis by consuming foods contaminated with bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes. High risk groups are advised to be aware of symptoms and to seek medical care if illness develops. (International SOS)
Norovirus levels in England remain “significantly higher” than last year with hundreds of hospital beds filled by people with symptoms. An average of 706 adult hospital beds were occupied last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, according to NHS data (Airfinity).
David Powell
IATA Medical Advisor