Epidemiology Week 6, 2016

Weekly Spotlight Yellow fever outbreak in Angola: February Health News Key facts  Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. The “yellow” in the name refers to the jaundice that affects some patients.  Up to 50% of severely affected persons without treatment will die from yellow fever. … Read More

Epidemiology Week 5, 2016

Influenza Update Summary Globally, increasing levels of influenza activity continued to be reported in the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 as the most detected virus.  In North America, a slight increase of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was reported, but overall levels were still low.  In tropical countries of the Americas,… Read More

Epidemiology Week 4, 2016

Cardiovascular disease is caused by disorders of the heart and blood vessels, and includes coronary heart disease (heart attacks), cerebrovascular disease (stroke), raised blood pressure (hypertension), peripheral artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and heart failure. The major causes of cardiovascular disease are tobacco use, physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet and… Read More

Epidemiology Week 3, 2016

The Influenza Virus There are three types of influenza viruses: A, B and C. Human influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics. The emergence of a new and very different influenza virus to infect people can cause an influenza pandemic. Influenza type C infections cause a mild respiratory illness and are not… Read More

Epidemiology Week 2, 2016

Guillain-Barre Syndrome Barre Syndrome Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder in which a person’s own immune system damages their nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. It often follows infection with a virus or bacteria. Most people recover fully from GBS, but some people have permanent nerve damage…. Read More

Epidemiology Week 1, 2016

What is microcephaly? Microcephaly is condition where a baby’s head is much smaller than expected. During pregnancy, a baby’s head grows because the baby’s brain grows. Microcephaly can occur because a baby’s brain has not developed properly during pregnancy or has stopped growing after birth, which results in a smaller… Read More

Epidemiology Week 40, 2015

HIV – A Global Situation Update HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 34 million lives so far. In 2014, 1.2 [1.0–1.5] million people died from HIV-related causes globally. There were approximately 36.9 [34.3–41.4] million people living with HIV at the end of… Read More

Epidemiology Week 38, 2015

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) (Part 2) Hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common, usually self-limiting viral illness. It occurs mainly in children under 5 years, but occasionally can occur in adults. Transmission The viruses that cause HFMD are transmitted by direct contact with the fluids from… Read More

Epidemiology Week 37, 2015

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) (Part 1) Hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common, usually self-limiting viral illness. It occurs mainly in children under 5 years, but occasionally can occur in adults. Symptoms/Natural History The commonest symptoms of HFMD are fever, loss of appetite, sore throat, and… Read More

Epidemiology Week 36, 2015

Bird Flu Vaccine Conditionally Approved A vaccine to help protect chickens from avian influenza after more than 48 million birds died in the USA during an outbreak this year has cleared a first hurdle, with the Agriculture Department granting its maker a “conditional” license. Harrisvaccines announced on Monday that the… Read More

Epidemiology Week 35, 2015

Flooding and communicable diseases Risk assessment Floods can potentially increase the transmission of the following communicable diseases: Water-borne diseases, such as Typhoid Fever, Cholera, Leptospirosis and Hepatitis A Vector-borne diseases, such as Malaria, Dengue and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever, Yellow Fever, and West Nile Fever   Water-borne diseases Flooding is associated… Read More

Epidemiology Week 34

Swine Flu What is it? Swine flu is a type of influenza or flu that is caused by a virus that usually circulates in pigs. Influenza A(H3N2v) is a type of swine flu virus. The notation or how the name of the virus is written is similar to that used… Read More

Epidemiology Week 33

Flood Waters or Standing Waters Health Risks Flood waters and standing waters pose various risks, including infectious diseases, chemical hazards, and injuries.   Diarrheal Diseases Eating or drinking anything contaminated by flood water can cause diarrheal disease.   Chemical Hazards Be aware of potential chemical hazards during floods. Flood waters… Read More

Epidemiology Week 32

After a Hurricane Food Safety If your power is out, keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep in the cool air. Put a block of ice in your refrigerator if you expect the power will be out for more than 4 hours. It will… Read More

Epidemiology Week 31

Before a Hurricane Get Your Family Ready Go over your emergency plan with your family. Make sure you have the supplies you need. Keep checking for updates about the storm. Watch TV, listen to the radio, or check online. Pack important documents (like wills or passports) with you. Call the… Read More

Epidemiology Week 30

Drought Drought is a natural phenomenon in which rainfall is lower than average for an extended period of time, resulting in inadequate water supply. Drought can lead to public health problems. Some drought-related health effects are experienced in the short-term and can be directly observed and measured. However, the slow… Read More

Epidemiology Week 29

10 Facts on Antimicrobial Resistance (Part 2)   Animal husbandry is a source of resistance to antibiotics Sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics are used in animal-rearing for promoting growth or preventing diseases. This can result in resistant microorganisms, which can spread to humans.   Poor infection prevention and control amplifies drug… Read More

Epidemiology Week 28

10 Facts on Antimicrobial Resistance (Part 1)   What is antimicrobial resistance? Antimicrobial resistance is the ability of a microorganism (like bacteria, viruses, and some parasites) to stop an antimicrobial (such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials) from working against it. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and… Read More

Epidemiology Week 27

Climate change and infectious diseases (Contd.)   Predictive Modeling (continued) Statistical models require, first, the derivation of a statistical (empirical) relationship between the current geographic distribution of the disease and the current location-specific climatic conditions. By then applying this statistical equation to future climate scenarios, the actual distribution of the… Read More

Epidemiology Week 26

Climate change and infectious diseases (Contd.)   Observed and predicted climate/infectious disease links There are three categories of research into the linkages between climatic conditions and infectious disease transmission. The first examines evidence from the recent past of associations between climate variability and infectious disease occurrence. The second looks at… Read More