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According to local media Taarifa, the Rwanda Ministry of Health reported its first Marburg virus disease outbreak today.
As of September 27, 2024, Rwanda's communique stated a 'few' Marburg cases are being investigated. The Ministry added that the situation is closely monitored and that further updates will be provided regularly.
Like Ebolavirus, Marburg virus disease is highly virulent and causes hemorrhagic fever, with a fatality ratio exceeding 80%.
Marburg cases were first recognized in 1967 in West Germany and Serbia.
As of September 2024, Angola, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Serbia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda have previously confirmed Marburg cases.
The World Health Organization published the Marburg virus vaccine development landscape on February 13, 2023. While various vaccine candidates conduct clinical research, no approved vaccines prevent Marburg virus infections.
Unlike Marburg, approved vaccines that prevent and treat Zaire Ebola disease are available in 2024.
A recent survey revealed some cognitive dissonance among Americans. While 67% of those polled agreed that annual flu vaccination is the most effective way to prevent flu-related hospitalizations, many still refuse to get vaccinated.
Last flu season, about 48% of U.S. adults received an influenza vaccination.
"The single most important thing folks can do to protect themselves as we get into fall and winter is get vaccinated,” said Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during a news conference on September 25, 2024.
"I wouldn't recommend something to the American people that I wouldn't recommend for myself, family, and loved ones," added Dr. Cohen.
Results from this national survey of adults on vaccination attitudes and behaviors were highlighted at the 2024 National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Annual News Conference.
As of September 20, 2024, 78.12 million flu shots had been distributed to healthcare providers and pharmacies for the 2024-2025 season. Last season, over 158 million were distributed in the U.S.
Bavarian Nordic A/S announced an agreement with UNICEF to supply 500,000 MVA-BN® mpox vaccines for African countries impacted by the mpox clade 1 outbreak.
Under the agreement, UNICEF will procure 1 million doses of the vaccine, including the 500,000 doses recently committed by Gavi. Bavarian Nordics intends to make all doses available for supply before the end of 2024.
In the agreement, UNICEF has negotiated a price of up to $65 per vaccine dose, the lowest price in the market.
UNICEF says, 'The mpox virus does not discriminate. Anyone exposed to the virus can become infected, and children, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant women are at risk of severe disease.'
Paul Chaplin, President & CEO of Bavarian Nordic, said in a press release on September 26, 2024, “Combined with donations by various governments, institutions, and Bavarian Nordic, this agreement has helped to secure more than 2.5 million doses of MVA-BN, thus fulfilling the short-term requirement as expressed by the Africa CDC."
MVA-BN or Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic is the only non-replicating mpox - smallpox vaccine approved in the U.S., Switzerland, Singapore, Mexico (marketed as JYNNEOS®), Canada (IMVAMUNE®), and the EU/EAA and United Kingdom (IMVANEX®).
In the U.S., JYNNEOS vaccines are commercially offered at health clinics and pharmacies.
CSL Seqirus announced today that, through its public-private partnership with the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the company will expand its Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program for its proprietary MF59® adjuvant.
As of September 25, 2024, this is the fifth award CSL Seqirus has received from BARDA in response to sustained highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) activity.
MF59® from the VMI program can be used to manufacture vaccines to protect people against the threat of avian (bird flu) and other strains of influenza. When combined with influenza antigens in a vaccine, MF59® adjuvant is designed to enhance and broaden the body's immune response by creating a broad, cross-reactive antibody response.
Under the terms of the $121.4 million multi-year award, CSL Seqirus will deliver MF59® adjuvant to increase the inventory of the VMI program to 40 million equivalent doses.
"Once again, we're honored to partner with BARDA on pandemic preparedness," said Marc Lacey, CSL Seqirus, Global Executive Director for Pandemic, in a press release.
"This expanded program will increase outbreak resilience and help to protect against threats such as avian influenza."
MF59® will be manufactured at CSL Seqirus' Holly Springs, North Carolina facility.
In April 2024, Dr. Peter Marks, with the U.S. FDA, informed the media that the U.S. stockpile of avian flu-specific vaccines would work well if deployed. As of September 2024, FDA-approved avian influenza vaccines are not commercially available.
Furthermore, the FDA clarified annual flu shots are unlikely to protect people during bird flu pandemics.
When vacationing in Costa Rica this winter, it's best to avoid mountainous areas where mosquitos are transmitting diseases to people.
The Costa Rica Health Department's Boletín Epidemiológico N°36 was posted on September 20, 2024. It confirms that mosquito-transmitted Chikungunya, Dengue, Malaria, or Zika virus infections have occurred this year and vary by location.
For example, 30 chikungunya infections have been reported this year, led by the Central Norte, Pacifico Central, and Central Sur regions. Last year, 82 chikungunya cases were confirmed in Costa Rica.
As of 2024, Canada, the United Kingdom, the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), and the U.S. CDC have issued travel advisories and vaccine recommendations for Costa Rica.
The CDC recommends checking the recommended vaccine list and seeing a healthcare provider at least a month before visiting Costa Rica. In particular, the CDC now endorses Valneva SE's IXCHIQ® monovalent, single-dose vaccine when visiting Chikungunya endemic areas.
Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in San Jose publishes health topics and recommends visitors enroll in NEWSMART to make it easier to contact you during an emergency while in Costa Rica.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal health department today confirmed over 12,000 cases of dengue and six related deaths in 77 districts this year.
As of mid-September 2024, Nepal's health authorities have abandoned preventive measures such as mosquito search-and-destroy, leading to a rise in infections.
Public health experts warn that dengue outbreaks could escalate in the pending post-monsoon season, which is considered the primary dengue season.
"The coming days will be more challenging for us, as dengue cases could surge," said Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of the Clinical Research Unit at Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital at Teku in Kathmandu, as reported by The Kathmandu Post on September 25, 2024.
Nepal reported its first travel-related dengue case in 2004 in the Chitwan district. Since then, Nepal has confirmed an increasing number of outbreaks. In 2023, at least 20 persons died, and the mosquito-transmitted virus infected more than 52,000 people.
Current data suggests that dengue cases are expanding out of the lowland areas typically suitable for breeding Aedes mosquitoes to higher elevations.
Nepal is mainly situated in the Himalayas Mountains, including Mount Everest, at 23,600 feet above sea level. Its experience differs from that of the Region of the Americas, where dengue cases are generally reported below 6,500 feet in elevation.
According to media reporting, Nepal has not launched a dengue vaccination program.
The American Lung Association (ALA) today announced it is launching an educational campaign to help raise awareness about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and steps to help prevent RSV infection.
RSV is a highly contagious virus that spreads through close contact with infected individuals.
This campaign is essential since only 24% of older adults have received one of the three approved RSV vaccines.
“RSV poses a serious threat, particularly to older adults and those with certain chronic medical conditions. Raising awareness about protection through vaccination is critical to saving lives and reducing hospitalizations during the respiratory virus season,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the ALA, in a press release on September 25, 2024.
“We encourage individuals 60 and older to talk to their healthcare providers about whether RSV vaccination is recommended for them.”
Individuals who have already received an RSV vaccine do not need additional doses, and vaccination is not recommended annually.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends RSV vaccination for adults 75 years and older and for adults aged 60 to 74 who are at high risk for severe disease.
The CDC says the ideal time for vaccination is before the RSV virus spreads widely. It typically increases during the fall and peaks in winter.
The CDC recently reported that RSV levels remained low but were increasing. As of September 2024, the state of Florida had reported the most RSV cases in the United States.
