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Local media in Madagascar recently confirmed a third potential case of the Pneumonic Plague in Ambositra.
L'Express reported on March 23, 2023, a 24-year-old man died in the regional referral hospital. The deceased's 11-year-old sister is also suspected of being infected.
This farmer would be the third recent victim of the plague.
Large outbreaks of plague occurred in Madagascar in 2014 and 2017.
The U.S. CDC says the plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which is found in rodents and their fleas.
Pneumonic plague occurs when Y. pestis infects the lungs and can spread from person to person through the air.
Various types of plague vaccines have been used since the late 19th century.
A study published in 2022 indicates that immunization with a powder formulation of rF1-V10 vaccines may be a promising vaccination strategy for providing protective immunity against pneumonic plague.
Previously, the CDC updated its travel vaccine webpage for Madagascar, suggesting several pre-trip vaccinations, including for polio.
In 2020, about 17% of all people arriving in Madagascar were from France. Italy, Reunion, Germany, and Mauritius reports Statista.
As Spring Break 2023 became unruly in southern Florida, one city took action to reduce risks for everyone.
On March 22, 2023, Alina T. Hudak, the City Manager for the City of Miami Beach, determined that there is reason to believe that there exists a continuing clear and present danger of the general public disorder, widespread disobedience of the law, and substantial injury to persons or property, all of which constitute an imminent threat to public peace or order, and to the general welfare of the City of Miami Beach.
Accordingly, 'I hereby declare a State of Emergency in the City until March 27, 2023.'
Mayor Dan Gelber told the Guardian on March 25, 2023, that "enhanced safety measures" would be in effect, including sobriety checkpoints and mobile license plate readers in the Miami Beach area.
According to reporting by the Times of Israel, the Ben Gurion International Airport ceased flight departures on March 27, 2023.
The Ben Gurion Airport is located near the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and serves about 20 million international travelers annually. The Israel Airports Authority was founded in 1977 as a public corporation.
The state of New York recently encouraged visitors to Israel to ensure they are fully protected against polio in 2023.
This is a developing story, and updates will be published as soon as relevant.
BioNTech SE today reported financial results as of December 31, 2022, and provided an update on its corporate progress.
In December 2022, BioNTech and Pfizer announced that approximately 2 billion doses of COMIRNATY® were invoiced globally in 2022 between the two companies.
This includes approximately 550 million doses of the Original/Omicron BA.4-5-adapted bivalent COVID-19 vaccine as of mid-December 2022.
And as part of BioNTech's and Pfizer's 2-billion-doses-pledge to support equitable access to medicines, the companies have delivered approximately 1.7 billion doses of COMIRNATY to low- and middle-income countries in line with demand.
The deliveries include the Original/Omicron BA.4-5-adapted bivalent COVID-19 vaccine and the original COVID-19 vaccine.
"Our COVID-19 vaccine revenues, driven by the delivery of our Omicron-adapted bivalent vaccines, have ensured another strong financial performance in 2022," said Jens Holstein, CFO of BioNTech, in a press release on March 27, 2023.
"We believe that the Company's financial success in 2022 will provide a springboard to accelerate and build upon our diversified clinical pipeline and fuel our research and development in the coming years.
The complete press release is posted at this link.
HDT Bio Corp. announced the peer-reviewed publication of preclinical data demonstrating that its self-amplifying replicon mRNA (repRNA) vaccines, delivered via HDT Bio's proprietary LION nanoparticle formulation, provide robust maternal and neonatal immunogenicity against two pathogens with high mother-to-child transmission risk: HIV-1 and Zika virus.
The study, funded by NIAID and led by researchers at HDT Bio in collaboration with Duke University and the Seattle Children's Research Institute, investigated the potential for HDT Bio's repRNA/LION platform technology to elicit an immune response against infectious diseases transmitted from mother to child.
"The transmission of certain viruses from mother to developing fetus poses a significant risk to newborns," said Steven Reed, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of HDT Bio, in a press release on March 24, 2023.
"These data demonstrate that the vaccines derived from our repRNA/LION platform technology have the potential to offer protection not only to the vaccinated individual but also to their offspring."
"Moreover, our platform has several advantages, including cost-effectiveness, safety, and stability at refrigeration temperatures."
"This reduces barriers for distribution of our vaccines to developing nations where these diseases are endemic, making them accessible to those who need them most."
The data were published in the journal Molecular Therapy in the article "Evaluation of repRNA vaccine for induction and in utero transfer of maternal antibodies in a pregnant rabbit model."
According to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) latest checkpoint travel numbers, airport security screening activity has returned to the levels last seen in 2019.
As of March 23, 2023, the TSA is screening over 2.4 million people per day at airports in the U.S.
The TSA Strategy guides the agency through TSA's 25th anniversary and identifies three strategic priorities:
- Improve Security,
- Safeguard the Transportation System, and
- Accelerate Action, and Commit to Our People.
The Secretary of Homeland Security recently announced 1,341 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary's Awards winners, which honor employees from 43 states, countries, territories, and districts.
These individuals, the most significant number ever recognized, were selected for their extraordinary achievements and commitment to the DHS mission.
In 2022, DHS launched a hiring initiative recruiting hundreds of experts in digital user experience and design for the Customer Experience Program.
DHS is working to improve the overall experience for those accessing government services and benefits by accepting mobile driver's licenses, reducing processing times for immigration benefits, and simplifying FEMA policies when applying for assistance.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recently announced anyone eligible for Mpox vaccination is urged to come forward for the vaccine in the coming months to protect themselves before the summer of 2023.
People eligible but have not yet received two doses of Bavarian Nordic's JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN) vaccine are encouraged to book their first dose by June 16, 2023, and be booked in for their second dose by the end of July 2023.
In England, about 6,619 people have received their second dose since the program began in June 2022.
Mpox cases have fallen across the UK from a high of 350 per week in July 2022 to just six new cases in 2023. Three people acquired mpox while in the UK, and three were returning travelers.
Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director, Public Health Programmes at UKHSA, commented in a media release on March 22, 2023, "While mpox infection is mild for many, it can cause severe symptoms for some, so it's important people remain alert to the risks."
"Vaccination is key to reducing the severity of symptoms and preventing further transmission."
"Uptake of first doses has been strong, but only around a third of those who have received their first dose have had their second dose so far."
"I would urge everyone eligible to come forward for both doses so they have maximum long-lasting protection."
The "UKHSA will monitor cases of mpox very closely and will re-establish the vaccination program if we need to."
MpoxToday.com publishes updated news as of March 26, 2023.
According to media statements made by the Republic of Equatorial Guinea Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mitoha Ondo Ayecaba, Marburg virus disease (MVD) cases have reached the city of Bata as of March 23, 2023.
Bata is a coastal city in the Litoral province of Equatorial Guinea with an urban population exceeding 225,000 residents.
Two of the eight new confirmed Marburg cases were reported from the province of Kié-Ntem, four from the Litoral, and two from Centre- Sur provinces.
The areas reporting cases are about 150 kilometers apart, suggesting wider transmission of the deadly virus.
In total, 27 MVD fatalities have been reported in Equatorial Guinea in 2023.
The other MVD outbreak in central Africa is in Tanzania, which announced eight cases, including five related fatalities last week.
And more than 160 contacts have been identified and are being monitored.
The World Health Organization recently assessed the risk posed by the Marburg outbreaks as very high at the national level, moderate at the regional level, and low at the global level.
And the Europan CDC stated the most likely route of introducing MVD into the EU/EEA would be via infected travelers. While importation of the virus cannot be excluded, it is currently doubtful to occur.
Should an MVD case be imported, the likelihood of the spread within Europe is considered to be very low.
As of March 26, 2023, neither the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nor the European Medicines Agency had approved a Marburg vaccine.
As the third week of Spring Break 2023 begins, the Florida Health Department continues to confirm additional dengue fever cases.
During week #11, nine dengue cases were reported in persons with recent international travel.
In total, there have been 48 travel-associated dengue cases this year, mainly in the greater Miami, Florida, area.
Since Miami's beaches are highly ranked, many Spring Break visitors come from Central and South America, Mexico, and Caribbean countries, with 2.8 million dengue cases reported in 2022.
During 2022, the highest cumulative incidence of dengue cases was reported in Nicaragua, with 1,455 cases per 100,000 population, followed by Brazil and Belize.
To notify travelers of potential health risks, the U.S. CDC continues updating dengue outbreak alerts as of March 26, 2023.
While two dengue prevention vaccines are authorized in specific countries, their availability remains limited.
