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Tuberculosis, Antimicrobial resistance, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis E, Mycobacteria, non-TB, HIV/AIDS, Schistosomiasis, Meningitis, Diphtheria, MERS, Sexually Transmitted Infection, Other Human Disease, Diarrhea, Scrub Typhus, Tularemia -- EthiopiaEditorialThe preventable tragedy of diphtheria in the 21st centuryInt J Infect Dis. 2018 (June); 71: 122-123.LH Blumberg, MA Prieto, JV Diaz, MJ Blanco, B Valle, C Pla, et alPerspectiveHealthcare worker exposure to Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV): Revision of screening strategies urgently neededInt J Infect Dis. 2018 (June); 71: 113-116.Hala Amer, Abdulrahman S Alqahtani, Faisal Alaklobi, Juhaina Altayeb, Ziad A Memish.Original…

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Meningitis - Neisseria -- KazakhstanEpidemiological situation on meningococcal infection:Since the beginning of 2018, 59 cases of meningococcal infection have been registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan, including 21 cases among children under 14 years of age. 13 of them have died: Almaty -- 6 cases; in Almaty region -- 4 cases; in South Kazakhstan -- 2 cases; and in Kyzylorda region -- 1 case.The situation is under the control of the Ministry of Health.--communicated by:Irene Lai, MDInternational SOSGlobal…

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Meningitis - Neisseria -- NetherlandsThe Netherlands is heading for a record number of infections with the meningococcal bacterium type [serogroup] W, also known as meningitis. So far this year [2018], 57 people ended up in intensive care, and 11 people died because of this bacterium, according to figures AD [Algemeen Dagblad, a Dutch daily newspaper based in Rotterdam] received from the national institute for public health RIVM [Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment].The number of meningitis deaths…

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Meningitis - Neisseria -- KazakhstanEight people have died of meningococcal disease in Kazakhstan since the start of 2018, chief sanitary doctor Jandarbek Bekshin said.62 meningococcal disease cases were registered in total, including 29 cases in Almaty, 4 cases in East Kazakhstan, South Kazakhstan regions and Astana each, and 3 cases in Almaty region, he said."Of the 8 lethal cases registered since start of the year [2018], 4 cases were registered in Almaty and 2 cases in Almaty region and South Kazakhstan region each,"…

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Meningitis -- AustraliaOfficials with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District have reported several viral meningitis cases, prompting an alert to the public to be alert to the symptoms. Up to 12 people were diagnosed with viral meningitis, relatively common illness, all caused by an enterovirus, and were hospitalized as a result.Director Public Health, Curtis Gregory, said the 1st person became unwell in late March [2018] and the others in early April [2018]."There have been no indications of common…

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Meningitis - Neisseria -- FijiFiji has recorded 4 deaths caused by the meningococcal disease so far this year [2018]. This was revealed by the Minister for Health and Medical Services Rosy Akbar in Parliament yesterday [Tue 17 Apr 2018].Ms. Akbar said the ministry declared a national outbreak of meningococcal C on [20 Mar 2018], after a review was made on the evidence and recommendations by health experts on the National Meningococcal Taskforce.She added that there have been 46 cases from [1 Jan to 12 Apr 2018]; 22…

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Meningitis - Neisseria -- ChinaHsueh-Mei Chiang, Chien-Shun Chiou, Chuen-Sheue Chiang, Shu-Man Yao,Hao-Hsin Wu, Yu-Ning Fan, Hsin-Yi Wei On 23 Jul 2017, a hospital in Taoyuan reported a suspected case of meningococcal disease, who was a soldier in a military base, to Taoyuan Department of Health. After investigation, another 2 soldiers who served in the same base with the index case developed symptoms of meningitis and were reported subsequently. Blood cultures from all 3 cases yielded serogroup B _Neisseria …

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Meningitis - Neisseria -- FijiOverview--------The Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) declared an outbreak of meningococcal [serogroup] C on [Tue 20 Mar 2018]. The Ministry, through the National Meningococcal Disease Taskforce, continues to coordinate the response to the outbreak, including strengthening surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, clinical management, public health interventions, and risk communications.Surveillance------------National surveillance is coordinated by the Fiji Centre …

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Meningitis -- NigeriaThere were 166 suspected cases of cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) reported from 59 LGAs in 16 states (Adamawa - 2, Borno - 6, Cross River - 2, Ebonyi - 2, Gombe - 4, Jigawa - 5, Kaduna - 2, Kano - 4, Katsina - 58, Kebbi - 13, Niger - 1, Oyo - 2, Sokoto - 11, Taraba - 1, Yobe - 5 & Zamfara - 48). Of these, 7 were laboratory confirmed, and 13 deaths were recorded.Ongoing surveillance for CSM has been intensified in all the 26 states in the Nigeria meningitis belt, and case-based surveillance …

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Meningitis -- SudanTests have confirmed 14 cases of meningitis in Central Darfur, with reports of other cases in South, North, and East Darfur. Medical sources told Radio Dabanga that 14 meningitis (cerebro-spinal fever) cases have been confirmed through lab tests in Central Darfur.The sources pointed to the presence of cases in South Darfur, denied by the Ministry of Health and the state government.On Wednesday [28 Mar 2018], Nyala witnessed the overcrowding of large numbers of patients in the private …

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Undiagnosed -- NigeriaThe Jigawa state commissioner of health, Dr Abba Zakari Umar, confirmed the deaths of 14 people as a result of the outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis in the state.Speaking about the reports of the deaths of 42 people in Majiya village of Taura local government in the state: "The figures are totally incorrect," the doctor said. "[According to] our records, 51 cases were recorded in 14 Local Government Areas; 14 of them died."--Communicated by:EpiCore Global Surveillance Project …

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Meningitis - Neisseria -- NigeriaThe Kano state government says the outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis was responsible for the deaths of 8 persons in Dungurawa village of Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of [Kano] state.The state commissioner for health, Kabiru Getso, made the disclosure at a news conference in Kano on Wednesday [28 Mar 2018]. He said that the ministry received the information about the outbreak of a strange disease and dispatched its Rapid Response Team to the area. "The team reported that the 1st …

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Meningitis - Neisseria -- NigeriaAt a news conference held in Kano on [Wed 28 Mar 2018], the Commissioner of Health, Kabiru Gesto, revealed that the unknown disease responsible for the death of 8 persons is an outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis.The government had initially dispatched a rapid response team to carry out an investigation. "The team reported that the 1st case was reported on [Thu 15 Mar 2018] in the area and the victims died instantly before reaching a health facility," he said. Getso gave further details …

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Meningitis - Neisseria -- FijiThe Health Ministry has declared an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Fiji. Over recent years Fiji has had an increase in cases of meningococcal disease. Prior to 2016, there were 1 to 10 cases per year reported. In 2016 there were 29 cases, and in 2017 there were 48 cases. In 2018, there have been 18 cases as of [21 Feb 2018].Even with the recent increase in cases, meningococcal disease remains uncommon in Fiji; however, this disease has a high death rate. According to WHO, without …

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Other Human Disease -- ChinaThe Centers for Disease Control (CDC Taipei) said [on Fri 16 Mar 2018] that 5 Thai migrant workers have been found to be suffering from parasites that can cause meningitis or even blindness after eating raw snails. According to a CDC statement, 9 Thai migrant workers ate raw snails on [26 Feb 2018], and 6 of them started experiencing fevers, headaches, and stiffness. They then sought medical treatment on [4 and 5 Mar 2018], and 5 of them were found to have parasites known as _Angiostrongylus …

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H. influenzae -- CanadaFederal researchers have collaborated to develop a preventative vaccine for a potentially deadly bacterium that causes pneumonia, blood poisoning, and meningitis in children and affecting predominantly children in northern and Indigenous communities.Scientists with the Public Health Agency of Canada first identified _Haemophilus influenza_ [serogroup] A (Hia) infections in the mid-2000s in Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Montreal hospitals. Hia is not the common flu -- which is caused by a virus, …

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Meningitis -- NigeriaNine children between the ages of 3 and 13 years [of age] have died as a result of an outbreak of cerebral spinal meningitis (CSM) in Majia town of Taura local government area [LGA] in Jigawa State.Sources had indicated by last night [6 Mar 2018] that the death toll had hit over 20 as the outbreak was said to have been recorded in other LGAs of the state.A father of a 3-year-old who died 3 days ago as result of the outbreak told newsmen in Majia that most of the deceased started by …

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Listeriosis -- SpainOn [5 Feb 2018] the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition, through the Coordinated System of Rapid Information Exchange (SCIRI), learned of the existence of [a 39-year-old man; see http://promedmail.org/post/20180209.5618781] in the Community of Madrid affected by meningitis as a result of food intoxication by _Listeria monocytogenes_, presumably associated with the consumption of soft milk sheep cheese made by the company Ohian Txiki Koop located in the Basque …

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Foodborne Illness -- SpainRates of listeriosis in Spain have been increasing since 2000, and are currently more than 15-fold those reported in the United States. [1] Regarding the recent case posted on ProMED, Listeria is identified in 12.1 percent to 16.5 percent of community-acquired bacterial meningitis cases among Spanish adults. [2] The following chart was produced using a multi-graph tool in Gideon. [3] (See graphs at .)References:1. Berger S. Listeriosis: Global Status, 2018. 122 pages, 107 graphs, 1,039 …

Reuters Health Information…

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Meningitis, Cryptococcosis -- United States1. Shapiro BB, Hedrick R, Vanle BC, et al. Cryptococcal meningitis in a daily cannabis smoker without evidence of immunodeficiency. BMJ Case Rep 2018; pii: bcr-2017-221435. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2017-221435; available at: .2. Thompson GR 3rd, Tuscano JM, Dennis M, et al. A microbiome assessment of medical marijuana. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2017; 23(4): 269-70. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.12.001; available at: . - Mod.ML]--Communicated by:ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts[Cryptococcosis is …

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Meningitis - Neisseria -- United StatesA student at Linus Pauling Middle School in Corvallis [Oregon] has been hospitalized with meningococcal disease, public health officials announced on [Wed 17 Jan 2018]. The student was admitted to the hospital on [Sun 14 Jan 2018], health officials said, and testing is being done to determine which strain of the potentially deadly disease is involved.Up to 6 undergraduates at Oregon State University [OSU] have been infected with meningococcus [serogroup] B since the fall of 2016, but so …