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The WHO Africa recently announced that the Republic of Rwanda had discharged the last Marburg virus disease (MVD) patient, kicking off the mandatory 42-day countdown to declare the outbreak's end.
As of November 9, 2024, a total of 66 MVD cases and 15 deaths have been recorded during the outbreak, which was declared on September 27, 2024. Health workers, who constitute almost 80% of the cases, primarily became infected while providing emergency care to their colleagues and patients.
"This outbreak demonstrates that with the best available treatment, recovery is possible, and contributions to science can be made," said Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda's Minister of Health, in a press release.
The World Health Organization published the Marburg vaccine development landscape on February 13, 2023. As of November 2024, no approved MVD vaccines exist.
Marburg is a highly virulent virus with a fatality ratio of up to 88%, and it was initially detected in Germany in 1967 following a lab incident. The virus belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus. Illness begins abruptly with high fever, severe headache, and malaise, and many patients develop severe hemorrhagic symptoms within seven days.
Currently, the U.S. CDC's Level 3—Reconsider Nonessential Travel Advisory remains active. The CDC recommends reconsidering nonessential travel to Rwanda, which is experiencing an outbreak of Marburg.
Novavax, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company to begin enrolling the planned Phase 3 clinical trial following the determination that Novavax satisfactorily addressed all clinical hold issues regarding its COVID-19-Influenza Combination and stand-alone influenza vaccine candidates.
"We thank the FDA for their partnership and thorough review of the additional information provided as part of our response package," said Robert Walker, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Novavax, in a November 11, 2024 press release.
"We plan to start our Phase 3 trial as soon as possible."
The Company did not estimate the availability of these innovative vaccine candidates.
Novavax is a global company advancing protein-based vaccines with its Matrix-M™ adjuvant, such as the R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine currently available in Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today published its 42nd situation report for the multi-country outbreak of mpox, which provides an update on the epidemiological situation of mpox in the WHO African Region and countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.
The number of mpox cases in Africa is generally rising, driven mainly by cases reported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
As of November 11, 2024, the WHO confirmed Clade Ib monkeypox virus (MPXV) had been detected in six provinces in the DRC: South Kivu, North Kivu, Kinshasa, Kasai, Tshopo, and Tanganyika. Additionally, 11 other African countries have also reported clade Ib MPXV cases.
Since the last WHO situation report, three countries outside of Africa have confirmed travel-related cases of clade Ib MPXV,
For the first time, local transmission of clade Ib MPXV in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, where three (all) household members of the initial case (who had traveled to affected East African countries with clade Ib) were confirmed to have mpox.
Most impacted countries offer access to Bavarian Nordic's JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN®) vaccine to prevent mpox infections. The first round of mpox vaccination has concluded in the DRC, with around 51 500 people vaccinated across six provinces.
Furthermore, the clade 2 outbreak that began in May 2022 continues in numerous countries, including the United States.
Over the past few days, announcements have indicated more people may visit the Republic of El Salvador next year.
On November 1, 2024, Volaris El Salvador and Miami International Airport officials celebrated the launch of four weekly nonstop flights between San Salvador and Miami, Florida. In 2025, additional U.S. cities will also offer direct flights to this Central American destination.
On November 8, 2024, the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador reported significantly reducing gang-related activity and associated crime in the last two years. Recognizing these positive changes, the U.S. Department of State reduced its travel advisory to Level 2.
To keep visitors informed of local issues, the State Department recommends using major highways and roads and minimizing travel outside metropolitan areas when visiting El Salvador. It also recommends that visitors enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts and make locating you in an emergency easier.
From a health perspective, the U.S. CDC says dengue outbreaks are a year-round risk in many parts of the world, including El Salvador. As of November 2024, over 7,200 dengue cases were reported, an increase from the 5,788 cases confirmed last year.
Additionally, chikungunya, another mosquito-transmitted disease, has been confirmed in 47 people this year.
"For U.S. travelers with plans to visit El Salvador, it's essential to receive the hepatitis A and typhoid fever vaccines before visiting because you'll want to sample many of the excellent Salvadorian foods while on vacation. Be sure you're up-to-date on all routine vaccines, like hepatitis B, flu, measles (MMR), and tetanus," Jeri Beales, MSN, R.N., informed Vax-Before-Travel.
"Mosquitos are also a problem throughout El Salvador, and cases of dengue fever are on the rise this year. Unfortunately, no vaccine is available in the U.S. to protect people against dengue, so be sure to use an insect repellant with at least 20% DEET."
"But, the good news for U.S. travelers is you can now vaccinate (IXCHIQ®) against the chikungunya illness and travelers no longer need to take malaria medication while in El Salvador because it has been eradicated from all parts of the country," added Beales, who leads Destination Health Clinic. This Boston-area travel health provider specializes in health education and vaccination for international travelers.
The CDC suggests visiting your healthcare provider at least a month before your trip to El Salvador to acquire necessary vaccines such as chikungunya or typhoid. Visit the CDC's page for the latest Travel Health Information.
In recent years, mosquito-transmitted Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) outbreaks have occurred in many parts of southern and eastern Asia.
According to health agencies, JEV has extended beyond its traditional boundaries to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Torres Strait and has been detected in Victoria, Australia, since 2022.
To help protect people from this disease, Victoria's Chief Health Officer announced on October 31, 2024, that more Victorians would have protection this mosquito season, with the Allan Labor Government expanding the eligibility of the free JEV vaccine program across the state.
This means people in Alpine, Macedon Ranges, Mansfield, and Mitchell, as well as local government areas, can access the JEV vaccine.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said in a media release, "Summer provides mosquitos with an ideal breeding ground. In addition to getting vaccinated against JEV, Victorians in high-risk areas should take simple actions, like wearing loose-fitting clothes and using mosquito repellent."
This announcement means ValnevaSE's IXIARO® (JESPECT®) vaccine is now available to about seven million people in 24 regional local government areas in southeast Australia at a higher risk of exposure to the virus.
Furthermore, over 110 million international visitors are expected to visit Victoria in 2024.
IXIARO is the only JEV vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The U.S. Department of Defense has relied on IXIARO since 2010 to protect personnel deployed to JEV-endemic areas.
Valneva recently announced that IXIARO/JESPECT sales increased by 31% in the first nine months of 2024 compared to 2023.
The global shift from a 2-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine regimen to a 1-dose schedule began in 2022 to address supply shortages that have historically left individuals from low- and middle-income countries unprotected.
According to a Medical News in Brief published today by The JAMA Network, this transition accelerated on October 4, 2024, when the World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified Cecolin®. This HPV vaccine, which protects people against HPV 16 and 18, is the fourth vaccine for single-dose use.
Estimates from the WHO indicate that the switch to a single-dose vaccine schedule resulted in an additional six million girls being vaccinated against HPV globally in 2023.
That year, 27% of girls aged 9 to 14 received a single dose of HPV vaccine, compared with 20% in 2022.
As of September, 57 countries, up from 37 last year, had adopted the new vaccination plan. However, the U.S. CDC recommends either a 2- or 4-dose schedule.
Currently, there are six HPV vaccines in use, and various candidates are conducting clinical studies.
