DRC Health Ministry: Children Dying of Ebola at Unprecedented Rate


GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO —

Children in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are dying from Ebola at an unprecedented rate due largely to poor sanitary practices at clinics run by traditional healers, the health ministry said on Sunday.

The impact on children has been felt acutely in the city of Beni, which has emerged as the outbreak's new epicenter. Of 120 confirmed Ebola cases in Beni, at least 30 are under 10-years-old, and 27 of them have died, according to health ministry data.


Ninth child dies in New Jersey facility suffering adenovirus outbreak

Very sick and tired for the children dying. :-)))))))

---

Spinal implant helps three paralysed men walk again

Three paralysed men, who were told they would spend the rest of their lives in a wheelchair, are able to walk again thanks to doctors in Switzerland.
An electrical device inserted around the men's spines boosted signals from their brains to their legs.
And it also helped damaged nerves in the spinal cord to regrow.
The researchers hope that this unexpected bonus will enable some paralysed people ultimately to regain independent movement.

Your Appendix Might Have a "Use" After All, as The Starting Place of Parkinson's Disease

An analysis of around 1.7 million people has revealed a curious link between the appendix and Parkinson's disease.

The study found that people who'd had the little nub of tissue removed were up to 25 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, depending on where they lived.


10th child dies amid adenovirus outbreak at New Jersey pediatric care center

WOODLAND PARK, N.J. — A 10th child died Wednesday night from adenovirus after an outbreak at a New Jersey long-term care center that has infected 27 medically fragile children, the state Health Department said.

:)))


Thanks Nick.

---

Certain lots of a blood pressure medication have been recalled because they may contain an impurity believed to cause cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday.

Some Irbesartan tablets manufactured by ScieGen Pharmaceuticals and labeled as Westminster Pharmaceuticals and Golden State Medical Supply, Inc (GSMS) are impacted by the voluntary recall.


Blood pressure drug recalled for possible cancer risk, FDA says

---

https://www.wxyz.com/news/case-of-tuberculosis-confirmed-at-metro-detroit-elementary-school

Case of tuberculosis confirmed at metro Detroit elementary school

TAYLOR, Mich. (WXYZ) - The Wayne County Health Department tells 7 Action News that they have confirmed a case of tuberculosis at a school in Taylor.
According to officials for the health department, the case of TB was confirmed at Clarence Randall Elementary School, which is off Pardee Rd. near Wick Rd.

---

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/janes-chicken-strips-1.4890718

A week after Janes brand chicken burgers were put on a food recall list by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the company's chicken strips have been added.

The agency issued the recall Friday because of a possible salmonella contamination. They say consumers should not eat the recalled product.

Pub Style Chicken Strips come in an 800-gram package with a best-before date of May 11, 2019.

(CNN)There have been 80 confirmed cases of the polio-like illness known as AFM in 25 states this year as of Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.
In addition, there are 219 cases under investigation.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/05/health/afm-polio-like-illness-bn/index.html


Thanks Gary.

---

https://ktla.com/2018/11/05/duncan-hines-recalls-some-cake-mixes-due-to-salmonella-concerns/

A recall was issued for four types of Duncan Hines cake mix due to possible salmonella contamination, the US Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

The voluntary recall was issued by Conagra Brands due to “a positive finding of Salmonella in a retail sample of Duncan Hines Classic White cake mix that may be linked to a Salmonella outbreak that is currently being investigated by CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and FDA,” Conagra said in a statement.

Uganda is vaccinating for fear of Ebola virus spread

Health workers started vaccinating people in Uganda against Ebola virus on Wednesday, the first time the vaccine has been given in a country before an outbreak even starts.

Officials are afraid the virus is going to spread across the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an outbreak is still worsening, fueled by armed conflict and frightened residents. At least 300 suspected cases of Ebola have been reported in the DRC, with 265 confirmed. Of those, 151 people have died, the World Health Organization says.

Thanks Gary.

---

Not sure if this incredible tool has been posted before, so here it is.

HealthMap
https://www.healthmap.org/en/

From the About page:

HealthMap, a team of researchers, epidemiologists and software developers at Boston Children's Hospital founded in 2006, is an established global leader in utilizing online informal sources for disease outbreak monitoring and real-time surveillance of emerging public health threats. The freely available Web site 'healthmap.org' and mobile app 'Outbreaks Near Me' deliver real-time intelligence on a broad range of emerging infectious diseases for a diverse audience including libraries, local health departments, governments, and international travelers. HealthMap brings together disparate data sources, including online news aggregators, eyewitness reports, expert-curated discussions and validated official reports, to achieve a unified and comprehensive view of the current global state of infectious diseases and their effect on human and animal health. Through an automated process, updating 24/7/365, the system monitors, organizes, integrates, filters, visualizes and disseminates online information about emerging diseases in nine languages, facilitating early detection of global public health threats.

The many alert sources and tools used by the Boston Children Hospital researchers are specified on the aforementioned page.

In my humble opinion, vaccination shouldn't be a choice left to individuals, as it endangers us all in cases of epidemics - especially whenever and wherever herd immunity can't be achieved thanks to disconnected ideological reasons.

---

Apr 3, 1999 - May 3, 2020

Thanks Pierre.

Utah man, 55, who used to encourage bats to land on his hands to feed becomes the state's first rabies death since 1944

Gary Giles, 55, has died from rabies in Utah - the first such death since 1944
Gary likely contracted the disease from bats that he and his widow handled
'The bats would lick our fingers, almost like they could taste the saltiness of our fingers, but they never bit us,' Juanita Giles said
Rabies can also be contracted through saliva of an infected animal, per the CDC
Now, Juanita and other family members are getting vaccinated out of caution
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for medical and funeral expenses

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6370619/Utah-man-55-bats-eat-hand-states-rabies-death-1944.html

Ebola disease comes from bats.



Officials urge vaccination after 15 Michigan measles cases

LANSING — Health officials are urging people to get vaccinated and take other precautions after confirming 15 cases of measles in Michigan this year.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services gave an update Friday, saying it's the highest level the state has seen since 1994 when 26 cases were reported.

---

This is strange.
Most of the virus and bacteria diseases that humans can be sick from comes from animals.
But I never heard that some virus and bacteria from humans could spread diseases to animals.

Oh dear.
I now googled Reverse Zoonoses.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316624.php
Actually having a flu right now...

KINSHASA (Reuters) - The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the most severe in the country's history with 319 confirmed and probable cases, the health ministry said late on Friday.

The hemorrhagic fever is believed to have killed 198 people in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, where attacks by armed groups and community resistance to health officials have complicated the response.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/current-ebola-outbreak-worst-congos-history-ministry-101427636.html

---

This is not good. :-(


164 sickened and one dead in ongoing turkey salmonella outbreak: CDC



Federal health officials on Thursday reported the first death in an ongoing salmonella outbreak linked to raw turkey.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the death was in California but didn't have any immediate details. Since last November, the agency said 164 people have fallen ill in 35 states, with the most recent case being reported on Oct. 20. No products have been recalled, and the agency hasn't recommended that people avoid turkey. But it said it believes the outbreak is widespread and ongoing, and it reminded people to properly cook and handle turkey with Thanksgiving approaching.

---

Recalled for Contamination
Losartan Latest BP Drug


Nov. 13, 2018 -- Yet another blood pressure drug has been recalled because of fears of impurities added by a lab in China.

Drug company Sandoz says it has recalled one lot of losartan potassium hydrochlorothiazide tablets. The impurity, known as NDEA, was found in the drug’s key ingredient made by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. in China.

People with questions may contact Sandoz Inc. at 800-525-8747, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, or email usdrugsafety.operations@novartis.com. Contact your doctor or pharmacist to discuss alternative treatments. Patients who are on losartan should continue taking their medication, as they may be more likely to be harmed if the treatment is stopped without an alternative.

---

The United States has no plans to redeploy personnel to fight the growing Ebola outbreak on the ground in Congo because of worsening security concerns, administration officials said Wednesday.

The outbreak in northeastern Congo is taking place in an active war zone and has now become the country’s largest in more than four decades.


As Ebola outbreak worsens in Congo, U.S. stays out of war zone

---

A viral outbreak at a New Jersey pediatric facility has killed another child, health officials confirmed Friday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 11. In a news release posted to the department’s website, officials said the child died Thursday night at an unidentified New Jersey hospital.


Adenovirus outbreak in New Jersey kills 11, officials order center to separate patients

---

Beijing issues rare public warning on 'serious' swine fever crisis

Beijing (CNN) Chinese authorities have announced strict new measures in an attempt to halt the country's fast-growing African swine fever crisis, which has spread to 18 provinces and led to the culling of more than 200,000 pigs.
Days after acknowledging the situation was "serious," the Chinese Agricultural Ministry on Friday reported the first outbreak of the disease in the southwestern province of Sichuan in a farm of 40 pigs.

(Viewer discretion advised)

---

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/jennie-o-recalling-ground-turkey-salmonella-outbreak-n937261

Jennie-O Turkey is recalling almost 92,000 pounds of ground turkey because of a nationwide salmonella outbreak, the company announced this week. Federal regulators say additional products from other companies could be named as their investigation continues.

Not counting pet food, the recall was the first linked to a widespread and ongoing outbreak that has resulted in one death and 164 reported illnesses in 35 states.

Jennie-O products have not been specifically linked to the death and illnesses, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture did not say how many of those affected had consumed the company's products.

The products being recalled are 1-pound packages of raw, ground Jennie-O turkey that were sold nationwide. The turkey had use-by dates of early October and shouldn't be in stores anymore, but could still be in freezers. Regulators say the turkey should be thrown away.

Jennie-O's parent company, Hormel Foods Corp. of Austin, Minnesota, said in a statement issued Thursday that government agencies have found the strain implicated in the outbreak in 29 manufacturing plants from 19 companies.