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The Minnesota Department of Health today announced it is investigating a human rabies death in a person who had exposure to a bat in western Minnesota in July 2024. This is Minnesota’s fourth case of human rabies since 2000.
This new rabies case is an essential reminder that bats can spread the virus and that the public should avoid contact with them. Bats with rabies are found in all U.S. states except Hawaii.
Recently, a resident of Brantford-Brant, Ontario, Canada, was also confirmed with bat-bite transmitted rabies.
And in Texas, numerous bats have been confirmed with rabies in 2024.
Globally, rabies continues to claim about 59,000 lives annually, with Africa shouldering over 60% of these fatalities. Dogs, not bats, cause most rabies infections worldwide.
According to the U.S. CDC, rabies treatment (vaccines) has proven to be nearly 100% effective at preventing the disease after exposure, but it must be started before symptoms of rabies appear.
Left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal.
The CDC establishes recommendations for international travelers by evaluating the risk of rabies exposure and access to high-quality postexposure prophylaxis (PEP, including rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine) in each destination country.
Bavarian Nordic's RabAvert® vaccine is offered at many travel vaccine clinics and pharmacies in 2024.
Leaders from Africa convened during the 79th United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2024, calling for a concerted effort against a “Perfect Storm” threatening to derail decades of progress in the fight against Malaria in Africa.
The leaders identified vital challenges contributing to this perfect storm, including significant financial shortfalls and the growing resistance to insecticides and antimalarials.
"To secure $6.3 billion annually (is needed) to achieve malaria elimination, accelerated action is necessary," stated His Excellency Abderaman Koulamallah, Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, Republic of Chad, in a press release.
These leaders stated that if malaria resources stagnate between 2027 and 2029, there could be an additional 112 million malaria cases and up to 280,700 related fatalities.
While the United States reports very few locally acquired malaria cases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says millions of residents travel to countries (Africa) where Malaria is present.
During 2024, most malaria cases in the U.S. were related to international travelers in Miami, Florida, and Los Angeles, California.
Of imported malaria cases in the U.S., 59% were among persons who had traveled from Africa.
From a prevention option, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends both the Mosquirix™ (RTS,S/AS01) and R21 / Matrix-M™ malaria vaccines.
These malaria vaccines were added to the WHO list of prequalified vaccines and are available in Africa but not the U.S.
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.
