Search API
A new report describes recent global polio outbreaks using data from the World Health Organization's Polio Information System and the Global Polio Laboratory Network.
On October 17, 2024, the U.S. CDC stated (MMWR 73(41);909–916) that circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) can emerge and cause outbreaks of paralytic polio in communities where there is a high percentage of undervaccinated children.
From January 2023–June 2024, 74 cVDPV outbreaks were detected in 39 countries or areas.
These poliovirus outbreaks caused 672 confirmed polio cases.
Among these 74 cVDPV outbreaks, 47 (64%) were new outbreaks detected in 30 of the 39 countries.
Since 2021, novel oral poliovirus vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), a more genetically stable vaccine with reduced risk for reversion to neurovirulence than Sabin-strain OPV2, has been the recommended vaccine for cVDPV2 outbreak response.
Since then, over 1 billion doses have been administered.
During January 2023–June 2024, cVDPV2 outbreaks were linked to nOPV2 use in 19 countries. These findings highlight that cVDPVs can develop with nOPV2 use when the timing and quality of vaccination responses are suboptimal.
This means prolonged community circulation of the vaccine strain leads to reversion to neurovirulence, seeding new emergences.
The CDC says that despite a slight decline in reported cVDPV2 cases compared with those reported during 2022, the number of countries or areas reporting outbreaks remained high. Stopping all cVDPV transmission requires effectively increasing population immunity by overcoming barriers to reaching children.
The CDC says the IPV, offered in the U.S. since 2000, can reduce the amount of poliovirus people shed but can't stop all virus transmission.
The CDC recommends that international travelers speak with a healthcare provider about vaccine booster doses when visiting poliovirus-endemic countries in 2024.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New World screwworm (NWS) was documented in people in Panama (79), Costa Rica (33), Nicaragua, and Honduras in 2024, causing concern about continued northward spread.
In addition, in this Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) call, Rebecca Chancey, MD, will discuss travel-associated NWS cases occasionally identified in people returning to the United States in 2024.
For example, an infested traveler returned to Florida this year after vacationing in the Dominican Republic.
The COCA Webinar (ID: 160 646 0872) is at 2 p.m. ET today. Subject matter experts will present the biology and life cycle of C. hominivorax, explain the current epidemiology in Central America, review guidance on identifying infestations, and discuss how to appropriately manage and report cases of NWS in humans.
The CDC says New World screwworm larvae are screw-shaped and tapering toward the head. They are an obligate parasite that consumes and damages healthy tissue and can cause infestations of any mucus membrane or open body orifice, including the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, vagina, and rectum.
Symptoms will vary based on the infestation site, and death may occur due to secondary infection or tissue destruction.
In vitro lab studies and studies in livestock show that ivermectin is effective for killing New World screwworm eggs and larvae. However, the CDC says no such studies have been conducted in humans.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recently announced it is investigating a new local dengue virus outbreak in Baldwin Park. Two additional cases of non-travel, locally acquired dengue have been identified, bringing the total to five cases concentrated in this area of the County.
L.A. County previously reported Panorama City (1) and El Monte (2) reported local dengue cases in 2024.
"We are still investigating, but these new cases raise concern about the potential for continued local spread of dengue through the bite of infected mosquitoes in Baldwin Park. Many people infected may not show symptoms, making it challenging to detect and control the spread of the disease. However, with the community's help, we can make a difference," said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer, in a press release on October 15, 2024.
To the south of L.A., Escondido, CA, reported a local dengue patient on October 13, 2024.
Additionally, over 200 travel-related dengue cases have been confirmed in California this year.
Throughout 2024, the U.S. CDC has reported that 50 jurisdictions have reported 5,878 dengue cases. The state of Florida leads all other jurisdictions with 595 travel-associated dengue cases and 47 locally acquired cases, primarily in Miami-Dade County (29).
As of October 17, 2024, dengue prevention vaccines are not offered in the United States.
According to a report published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on October 14, 2024, various health authorities have confirmed the detection of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 (VDPV3) in an environmental wastewater sample in Leblond (Cayenne), French Guiana.
Additional sequencing results confirm that two samples collected at a Morne Coco plant and one from Saint Georges de l’Oyapock are genetically linked to the VDPV3 isolates detected in June 2024.
Further analysis showed that this sequence is not genetically related to any previously identified VDPV3 strains, including those circulated in other countries throughout 2021-2022.
This finding suggests it might not have spread from a known source and confirms the presence of circulating VDPV3 in French Guiana.
As of this PAHO update, there are no reports of any suspected polio outbreaks in French Guiana.
The U.S. CDC reissued a Global Polio Alert - Level 2, on August 20, 2024, regarding polio outbreaks and poliovirus detections in 37 countries.
And the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed during the 39th meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee for Polio held in August 2024 that the spread of the poliovirus remained a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Both the CDC and WHO recommend that international travelers be fully immunized against polio before visiting endemic countries, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.
While the Republic of Indonesia has been battling tuberculosis cases for years, its focus in 2024 has turned to testing various vaccine candidates to curtail future outbreaks.
Despite having the second-highest number of tuberculosis cases, Indonesia has not participated in all previous vaccine studies.
According to an ANTARA News report on September 26, 2024, Indonesia is conducting clinical trials for three tuberculosis vaccines, including the M72/AS01E vaccine developed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Indonesia's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin commented, 'the need for more discussions and conferences to eliminate tuberculosis by 2030, including by taking bold and aggressive action, especially in the vaccine development process.'
As of October 15, 2024, over ten tuberculosis vaccine candidates were being researched in various countries, including India, the unfortunate leader in TB cases.
In the United States, Merck's TICE BCG vaccine is FDA-approved for the prevention of tuberculosis; however, it has various access limitations, including those applicable when visiting Indonesia.
The U.S. CDC recommends pre-trip vaccinations for chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, measles, and polio, but not TB, when visiting Indonesia in 2024. These travel vaccines are typically available at clinics and pharmacies in the United States.
RedHill Biopharma today announced that it had received a contract with the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to advance the development of opaganib, a small-molecule treatment for Ebolavirus.
This novel, potentially broad-acting drug has shown mutation-resistant antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity, likely to counteract the vascular impacts of Ebola infection.
In a press release on October 14, 2024, the company stated that it is pursuing an animal-rule pathway for potential approval for this Ebola treatment candidate. This process is used when human clinical trials are not ethical or feasible.
Guy Goldberg, RedHill's Chief Business Officer, commented, "Currently, only Inmazeb™, a combination of three monoclonal antibodies, and Ebanga™, a single monoclonal antibody, are FDA-approved to treat Ebola infections. As such, there is an urgent need for additional effective and easy-to-distribute and administer therapies (during an outbreak)."
While there are approved Zaire Ebola vaccines and therapeutics available in 2024, previous outbreaks have highlighted significant logistical challenges that exist in managing Ebola outbreaks.
As of October 2024, more than 30 Ebola outbreaks have been reported in Africa. The initial Zaire Ebolavirus case was confirmed in 1976 in a village near the Ebola River in Africa, and the virus's origins remain enigmatic in 2024.
