Alerts
The State of Tocantins confirmed on May 10, 2023, the first case of West Nile fever infection in humans in the municipality of Caseara, Tocantins, Brazil. The case corresponds to a 16-year-old young man who started symptoms on April 1, 2023, residing in a rural area of the municipality of Caseara, Tocantins. The patient presented with acute viral encephalitis with symptoms of fever, headache, seizure and odynophagia. The case was discharged with serious consequences. The RT-PCR analysis of the collected CSF was positive for West Nile Fever (WNF).
There is an outbreak of diphtheria in several provinces in Vietnam. All travelers 2 months and older traveling to outbreak areas should receive an age-appropriate dose of a diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine if they are not fully vaccinated or if they have not received a booster dose within 5 years prior to departure
There´s been a sharp increase in the number of reported cases of tick-borne encephalitis in Sweden this year. According to the Public Health Agency, 170 cases were confirmed in the month of August 2023 alone -- a new record. The western Västra Götaland region has already had more cases so far this year than over the whole of 2022.
A 39-year-old man in Kerala has tested positive for the Nipah virus, bringing the total number of infections to 6. The man contracted the virus after coming into contact with a previously infected patient who later died. The Nipah virus is highly pathogenic and often fatal, causing brain swelling and respiratory distress. There is currently no cure or vaccine for the virus. The Indian government is working to evaluate preventive measures to tackle the outbreak. Of the 6 cases, 2 patients died on 30 Aug and 11 Sep 2023, and the remaining 4 are undergoing treatment, officials aware of the matter said.
Since January 2023, a total of 8455 cases (2507 confirmed; 5948 suspected) and 230 deaths (CFR: 9.2%) of diphtheria have been reported in [4] African Union member states (MS): Algeria: (80 cases, 10 deaths), Guinea (90; 22), Niger (272; 8), and Nigeria (8013; 190). This week, 279 new cases (272 confirmed; 7 suspected) and 11 new deaths of diphtheria were reported from Guinea and Niger.