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☆ Hepatitis A and Other Diseases Surge Among Gaza’s Displaced, U.N. Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Adam Sella | Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But living in a former minimart, sharing a toilet with 20 others and washing dishes with dirty seawater, no amount of hand sanitizer could help. One by one her girls fell sick with what doctors diagnosed as hepatitis A, a viral liver infection that is transmitted through person-to-person contact or contaminated food or water, and can spread quickly in unsanitary conditions. More than 100,000 people in Gaza have contracted acute jaundice syndrome, or suspected hepatitis A, since the war between Hamas and Israel began on Oct. 7, the World Health Organization said last week. There are also nearly one million cases of acute respiratory infections, half a million cases of diarrhea and 100,000 cases of lice and scabies, the W.H.O. On Friday, the agency’s chief, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that even polio, a disease that has been eradicated in much of the world, was present in Gaza.

Persons: Sally Thabet, Deir al, “ Amoon, ”, Israel, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, poliovirus Organizations: World Health Organization Locations: Gaza City, Deir, Deir al Balah, Kandi, Gaza

☆ Middle East Crisis Netanyahu Under Pressure to Address Cease-Fire Calls in His Speech to Congress
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Ephrat Livni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Children walking near stagnant wastewater on their way to a food distribution point in Deir al Balah, in central Gaza, last week. The large number of people treated for war injuries — almost 90,000, Gaza’s health ministry says — and the surge in illness have overwhelmed Gaza’s diminished medical system. The Israeli military has launched two operations at Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, fighting deadly battles with militants there. Before the war, Gaza’s health care system was “reasonably well functional,” said Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the W.H.O.’s representative to Gaza and the West Bank. Now, fewer than half of its facilities remain even partly operational, he said, and its health care work force is severely depleted.

Persons: Sally Thabet, Deir al, “ Amoon, ”, Israel, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, poliovirus, Dr, Hanan Balkhy, —, Balkhy, Rik Peeperkorn, ’ Organizations: World Health Organization, Hamas, The New York Times, West Bank Locations: Deir al Balah, Gaza, Gaza City, Deir, Kandi, Gaza’s, Al, Israel

CNN —The highly infectious polio virus has been found in sewage samples in Gaza, putting thousands of Palestinians at risk of contracting a disease that can cause paralysis. Gaza’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) both said they had carried out tests and found samples of the virus in sewage water. “Poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) had been identified at six locations in sewage samples collected on 23 June from Khan Younis and Deir al Balah,” WHO said Friday. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza called for practices to improve hygiene and safety. Meanwhile, hospitals in central Gaza said more than 20 people were killed after two Israeli air strikes on houses in the Nuseirat area.

Persons: Khan Younis, Deir al Balah, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ” Tedros Organizations: CNN, Ministry of Health, World Health Organization, WHO, United Nations, UNICEF, Hamas, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Gaza

☆ Opinion | The End of Polio Is in Sight. What Have We Learned?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Richard Conniff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The fight to eradicate polio has been long and difficult. But polio continues to this day disabling or killing children in some harder to reach parts of the world. The good news is that we are now on the cusp of eradicating this terrible disease everywhere and forever. Having used this strategy to stop polio, people in developing nations are already looking to apply those same tools against other diseases, both familiar and emerging. Because the communities are poor, and because families can lose patience with repeated visits focused only on polio, the workers also bring nutritional supplements, health information and other resources.

Persons: It’s, Osama bin Laden Organizations: Initiative, Gates Foundation, World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, Central Intelligence Agency Locations: United States, Afghanistan, Pakistan

Most of the exemptions, which come at a time of heightened public vaccine skepticism in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, were listed as nonmedical. Ten states reported an exemption from at least one vaccine for more than 5% of kindergartners. The pair of developments raises concerns about potential disease outbreaks among undervaccinated children. Regular vaccinations took a hit during the pandemic when many were avoiding going to the doctor unless absolutely necessary. Globally, however, some improvements have been made, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

Persons: “ Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, CDC, World Health Organization, UNICEF Locations: U.S

☆ Opinion | We Have Unfinished Business With These Three Killer Diseases
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Richard Conniff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

As with so many infectious diseases, lack of determination is the real stumbling block. The United States and other donor nations could argue that we already do more than our share, contributing billions annually to the fight against TB and other infectious diseases. The realities of modern travel mean that none of us is protected from a TB resurgence until we have protected people everywhere. That ought to serve as a reminder that an estimated 247 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide in 2021, and 619,000 people died. They have eliminated wild poliovirus from major cities and Taliban-dominated regions where it was still circulating just a few years ago.

Persons: specter Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, Malawi — Locations: United States, Great, Texas, Florida, Saharan Africa, South Asia, El Salvador, China, Africa — Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, Afghanistan

☆ Vaccine-derived poliovirus detected in Burundi, Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JOHANNESBURG/LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Health officials in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have detected cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus, the World Health Organization and Global Polio Eradication Initiative said. Five other samples from environmental surveillance of waste water confirmed the presence of circulating poliovirus type 2 in Burundi, the WHO added in a statement. Circulating poliovirus type 2 is different to wild poliovirus, with infections occurring when a weakened strain of poliovirus contained in the oral polio vaccine circulates among under-immunized populations for long periods. The detections are significant as they are the first linked with the use of a new vaccine, the novel oral poliomyelitis vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), which was developed specifically to reduce this risk. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said in a statement that circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 was found in six children in the DRC's eastern Tanganyika and South Kivu provinces.

☆ U.S. childhood vaccinations dip again in 2021-'22 school year -study
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Overall, those receiving state-required vaccinations declined to about 93% last year, down from 94% in the previous school year and 95% in the 2019-2020 school year, according to the CDC report. All U.S. states require the vaccine against measles and rubella and all but Iowa require a shots against mumps. All states also require the combined diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis shot and the vaccine against poliovirus, while 49 states require inoculations against varicella, or chickenpox. Exemptions for vaccinations, which may be granted by states in cases where parents request them for their children remained low at 2.6%. O'Leary said the data points to U.S. needs for a focus on addressing access and poverty in order to increase vaccination rates.

☆ CDC Will Test Sewage for Polio in Some U.S. Communities
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Joseph Pisani | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Health officials in the U.S. are expanding wastewater testing for poliovirus, to track if the paralyzing virus is spreading in the country. The information can help target vaccination efforts in certain communities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

☆ CDC will test sewage for polio outside New York to see if it's circulating elsewhere in nation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Public health officials subsequently confirmed the virus was in fact spreading widely after sewage samples from five other New York counties tested positive. The virus spreading in the New York area is related to a strain used in the oral polio vaccine. Other countries do still use the oral polio vaccine because it is cheap, effective, easy to administer and generally safe. The U.S. uses an inactivated polio vaccine administered as a series of shots. The oral vaccine is very effective at blocking transmission and is typically used to crush outbreaks.

☆ CDC is discussing using oral polio vaccine for first time in 20 years to stop New York outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"There will be lots of thought and discussion about the reintroduction of an oral polio vaccine into the United States," she said. The oral polio vaccine is much more effective at stopping transmission of the virus and is normally used to quash outbreaks. The novel oral polio vaccine was developed to stop poliovirus outbreaks caused by the less stable older version of the vaccine, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Any decision to use the novel oral polio vaccine would require either an approval or emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. The World Health Organization recommends that countries using the inactivated vaccine, such as the U.S., consider deploying the novel oral polio vaccine if the inactivated shots don't stop the outbreak.

☆ Fact Check-Guillain-Barré syndrome, Bell’s palsy, acute flaccid myelitis and transverse myelitis are not polio ‘renamed’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Guillain-Barré syndrome, Bell’s palsy, acute flaccid myelitis and transverse myelitis are not polio “renamed”, despite claims posted online. It was NEVER eradicated, it's been renamed several times, Guillian Barre, Bells Palsy, Acute Flaccid Myelitis, Transverse Myelitis... Any neurological disorder has been renamed polio.”A similar post can be found here. Though primarily seen following an acute infection, GBS can also be a rare side effect of vaccination (here). Four medical syndromes with symptoms that can include muscle weakness and paralysis are not “polio renamed”, as claimed on social media. Poliovirus infection, while extremely rare, can lead to some of these syndromes, but the syndromes themselves also have other, more common causes and distinct symptoms.

☆ Fact Check-Monkeypox, polio and new COVID variants are not ‘planned’ as ‘scare tactics’ to affect the U.S. midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Monkeypox and polio outbreaks, or new COVID-19 variants, have not been “planned” or orchestrated as “scare tactics” to manipulate the Nov. 8 midterm elections in the United States. As laid out in a Reuters explainer (here), experts agree that the major driver behind both vaccine-derived and wild polio outbreaks remains an under-vaccinated population. “Monkeypox is nothing more than a scare tactic to make you stay home and not vote in the November elections. Experts contacted by Reuters dismissed claims that these disease outbreaks are connected to election cycles and said they would not disrupt the upcoming electoral process. There is no evidence that monkeypox and polio outbreaks or new COVID-19 variants have been orchestrated as “scare tactics” to manipulate the U.S. midterm elections.

☆ Poliovirus found in Brooklyn and Queens sewage, New York health officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Kathy Hochul has extended the state of emergency declared in response to the spread of poliovirus after sewage tested positive in Brooklyn and Queens. The New York State Department of Health, in a statement Tuesday, said the sewage sample that tested positive in Brooklyn and Queens is genetically linked to the virus that paralyzed an unvaccinated adult in Rockland County over the summer. A total of 70 sewage samples have tested positive for poliovirus in the New York City metropolitan area so far, according to New York state health officials. More than 28,000 doses of polio vaccine have been administered since July in Rockland, Orange, Sullivan and Nassau countries, according to state health officials. State, national, and global health authorities believe the poliovirus found in New York originated from a country that still uses the oral polio vaccine.

☆ US sees increase in respiratory infections that can lead to acute flaccid myelitis in children, CDC data shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Carma Hassan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

There was an increase in acute respiratory illnesses and emergency department visits driven by rhinovirus and enterovirus in children and adolescents this summer, new CDC data shows. The rise might be more specifically attributed to enterovirus D68, which, in rare cases, can lead to acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM. The CDC has detected increases in enterovirus D68 every two years or so, and this month, the agency warned doctors to be on the lookout for infections. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team. Enterovirus D68 causes symptoms that mirror those of common colds, with cough, shortness of breath, wheezing and sometimes fever.

☆ 20-26 aprilie – Săptămâna Europeană a Imunizării
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-24 | by ( ) www.zdg.md time to read: +8 min

Pentru a salva oamenii care mureau de sufocare din cauza poliomielitei, la începutul secolului XX a fost creată prima versiune a unui dispozitiv special – „plămânii de fier”. Până în 1979, poliomielita – o boală care a afectat și a ucis sute de mii de copii – a fost complet eradicată în Statele Unite. În 1959, Institutul de Cercetare a Poliomielitei a trecut la producția în masă a vaccinurilor vii. Vaccinarea a fost efectuată în fiecare casă, în fiecare cort și astfel a fost realizată eradicarea completă. În 2021, în Tadjikistan a fost confirmat un focar, apărut din cauza încălcării programului de vaccinare.

Persons: - lea, Jonas Salk, Albert Sabin, Salk, doctorului Paul Offit, Dimes, Paul Offit, Sabin, Chumakov, Saken, OMS, englez Edward Jenner Organizations: March, Ministerul Sănătății, URSS, OMS Locations: URSS, picurat, eradicată, Statele Unite, Uniunea Sovietică, Europa, Africa, Asia de Sud - Est, Kazahstan, englez, Afganistan, Pakistan, Tadjikistan

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