Archive for February, 2016
Canadian Blood Services is confirming that anyone who has travelled outside of Canada, the continental United States and Europe will now be temporarily ineligible to give blood for three weeks.
Friday, February 5th, 2016Zika in the Americas: PAHO requests $8.5 million from the international community to support its technical cooperation with member countries.
Friday, February 5th, 2016** A $65 million initiative to make alternative insecticides for indoor residual spraying (IRS) more readily available in countries with a high burden of malaria
Friday, February 5th, 2016WHO welcomes new initiative to combat insecticide resistance
UNITAID and the Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVVC) have announced a $65 million initiative to make alternative insecticides for indoor residual spraying (IRS) more readily available in countries with a high burden of malaria. The project aims to protect as many as 50 million people from malaria in 16 African countries.
WHO recommends protection for all people at risk of malaria with effective malaria vector control. Two forms of vector control – insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying – are effective in a wide range of circumstances.
Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs)
Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are the preferred form of ITNs for public health programmes. In most settings, WHO recommends LLIN coverage for all people at risk of malaria. The most cost-effective way to achieve this is by providing LLINs free of charge, to ensure equal access for all. In parallel, effective behaviour change communication strategies are required to ensure that all people at risk of malaria sleep under a LLIN every night, and that the net is properly maintained.
Indoor spraying with residual insecticides
Indoor residual spraying (IRS) with insecticides is a powerful way to rapidly reduce malaria transmission. Its full potential is realized when at least 80% of houses in targeted areas are sprayed. The residual efficacy of insecticides depends on the formulation used and the type of surface on which they are sprayed. In some settings, multiple spray rounds are needed to protect the population for the entire malaria season.
In recent years, mosquito resistance to insecticides has become a growing concern. According to the 2015 World Malaria Report, 60 of the 78 countries that monitor insecticide resistance have reported mosquito resistance to at least one insecticide used in nets and indoor spraying since 2010; of these countries, 49 reported resistance to two or more insecticide classes.
Related links
- UNITAID / IVVC press release
New initiative to boost malaria control and combat insecticide resistance - WHO Q&A on insecticide resistance
- WHO’s global insecticide resistance database
- WHO’s work on vector control
Feb. 4, 1976: A 7.5-magnitude earthquake levels much of Guatemala City, killing 23,000 people and leaving one million others homeless.
Thursday, February 4th, 2016
“….Most adobe type structures in the outlying areas of Guatemala City were completely destroyed, leaving thousands homeless. Transportation was impeded by the many landslides occurring in the area. Food and water supplies were severely reduced. Some of the areas were without electricity and communication for days. The main shock has been followed by thousands of aftershocks, some of the larger ones causing additional loss of life and damage. ….”
**** An international group of leading public health experts slams WHO’s ability to respond well to global health crises!
Thursday, February 4th, 2016Jan 28 BMJ commentary
The group lays out six examples of what is wrong with the WHO:
- Prioritizing political over technical considerations
- Failing to promote based on merit, and failing to emphasize crisis response competencies
- Being aloof from non-government groups
- Lacking internal and external accountability
- Undertaking restructure and reform with no observable leap in performance
- Not having sufficient flexible funding for crisis functions
Agree or disagree?
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health reported a new MERS-CoV case in a man who had contact with camels and agriculture officials said 85% of camels recently tested at a market in Jeddah harbored the virus.
Thursday, February 4th, 2016
The Red Cross will be working as quickly as possible to implement a self-deferral for blood donors who have traveled to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central or South America within 28 days prior to presenting to donate.
Thursday, February 4th, 2016Posted Feb 03,2016
The following statement regarding Zika virus may be attributed to Dr. Susan Stramer, vice president of Scientific Affairs at the American Red Cross:
“The American Red Cross is dedicated to providing the safest, most reliable blood products possible to patients in need.
We are closely monitoring the spread of Zika virus. As a precaution, the Red Cross will be working as quickly as possible to implement a self-deferral for blood donors who have traveled to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central or South America within 28 days prior to presenting to donate. We will also ask that if a donor does donate and subsequently develops symptoms consistent with Zika virus infection within 14 days of that donation, that he or she immediately notify the Red Cross so that we can quarantine the product. The Red Cross and other U.S. blood collection agencies continue to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments to track Zika and to update donor eligibility criteria as necessary.
The Red Cross continues to use safety measures to protect the blood supply from Zika and other mosquito-borne viruses. The risk of contracting Zika by blood transfusion in the continental U.S. is believed to be extremely low due to the absence of local mosquito transmission. As part of our current health screening process, we only collect blood from donors who are healthy and feeling well at the time of donation. We also provide a call back number if the donor develops any symptoms of disease within the next several days following donation. Donations from such donors are not used for transfusion.
Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood.”
The Wadsworth Center – 1 of only 3 state laboratories in the nation with the ability to conduct Zika Virus testing
Thursday, February 4th, 2016Governor Andrew M. Cuomo….announced the New York State Department of Health will offer advanced lab testing for individuals with symptoms who have traveled to areas where Zika virus infection is ongoing. This will be done by the Wadsworth Center – one of only three state laboratories in the nation with the ability to conduct this kind of advanced testing – and will also include screening and confirmatory tests for antibodies against Zika and other related viruses. Additionally, the state has launched a new information hotline (1-888-364-4723) for New Yorkers to call and learn more about the virus.
December 2013: During a Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in French Polynesia, a patient in Tahiti sought treatment for hematospermia, and ZIKV was isolated from his semen.
Thursday, February 4th, 2016Musso D, Roche C, Robin E, Nhan T, Teissier A, Cao-Lormeau VM. Potential sexual transmission of Zika virus. Emerg Infect Dis. 2015 Feb [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2102.141363
In December 2013, during a Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in French Polynesia, a patient in Tahiti sought treatment for hematospermia, and ZIKV was isolated from his semen. ZIKV transmission by sexual intercourse has been previously suspected. This observation supports the possibility that ZIKV could be transmitted sexually.
