Many of the earlier trends continue with areas facing dengue, and areas facing cholera, in big numbers. And there is even a locally acquired cholera case in Italy (Sardinia) reported today.
Fiji has been on red alert as leptospirosis incidence has been rising – 29 confirmed cases as of 22 June, with just one fatality. Note that the actual number of cases is probably greater, with 42 admissions for suspected leptospirosis.
Florida chalked up six cases of local malaria.
Anthrax in Indonesia is approaching 100 cases.
COVID-19 cases and deaths in US and Europe low and continuing to fall.
On municipal wastewater (sewage) monitoring for SARS-CoV-2, this article by van Boven et al from the Netherlands finds that :
concludes that Estimated virus loads in sewage closely followed the daily number of hospitalisations and case notifications.
https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.25.2200700
Analysis of on-board spread of SARS-CoV-2 here, Luo et al:
but it is based on early pandemic data and doesn’t really add much in the way of new conclusions.
An interesting article in Nature analysing the effectiveness of contact-tracing apps during the pandemic is here: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02130-6
A pigeon amongst the cats? Large numbers of cases of avian flu in cats reported across in a number of cities in Poland
And meanwhile in China 13000 sea lions with avian flu have been culled. (Airfinity).
A media report of an air monitoring device able to detect SARS-CoV-2 here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2023/07/11/washington-university-scientists-develop-an-air-monitor-that-can-detect-covid-19-virus/?sh=2b67345d7be1
And changing the subject to managing substance use disorders in aircrew:
Here’s an interesting review recently published looking at the well-established “HIMS” and other programmes (including the flight attendant one in the USA). https://nap.nationalacademies.org/download/27025
Finally there’s another WHO EPI-WIN Webinar, this one on “PRET” which is a very practically-focused initiative at WHO on preparing for the next pandemic. It runs at 1300-1400 Central European Time on Wed 12 July but can be viewed here:
EPI-WIN YouTube channel
Great news for those of us mildly overweight according to body mass index – mortality (in a study of 500,000 people) may be slightly lower in those in the 25-30 range for BMI, compared with under 25 - increasing only above 30.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287218
David Powell
IATA Medical Advisor