NanoViricides Inc. (NNVC)

[BonelessCat]

ProMED DENGUE/DHF UPDATE 2010
***************************

[Forwarded to me from a buddy. IMO the announcement today couldn't be more timely. Notice that 4 of the 6 are right here in the Americas. --Doc FG]

A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>;
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>;

In this update:
[1] Colombia
[2] Bolivia
[3] Brazil (Minas Gerais)
[4] Argentina (Misiones)
[5] French Guiana
[6] Sri Lanka

******
[1] Colombia
Date: Fri 12 Feb 2010
Source: EPA (European Pressphoto Agency), Agencia EFE report [in
Spanish, trans. Mod.TY, edited]
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/epa/article/ALeqM5i0BowfCu5sZ3ePUqnUFTl9cwUvaw>;


According to and information release, today [12 Feb 2010] the
Colombian government issued a "green alert" which obligates public and
private hospitals to implement prevention and mitigation plans for
vector-borne diseases such as dengue, which has 11 179 cases in
Colombia [so far in 2010].

The Ministry of Social Protection released a circular, which indicates
that "with the objective of guaranteeing adequate health services, a
"green alert" is declared in public and private hospitals of the
country beginning at 12:00 hours on 12 Feb [2010]. The message was
sent to governors, mayors, sectional and local health directors, the
institutions that provide services, and the companies that promote
health.

The document revealed that "up to the 11th of February [2010], the
Surveillance System reported 11 179 dengue cases, of which 9899 were
serious dengue [infection cases].

The director of the National Institute of Health, Juan Gonzalo Lopez,
said that there are 785 Colombian municipalities which are located
under 1800 meters [5905 ft] of altitude and that are susceptible to
the presentation of this disease.

The victims of serious dengue [infections] are in the departments
[state or province equivalent] Valle del Cauca (southwest), Santander
(northeast), Norte de Santander (northeast), Huila (southwest),
Cundinamarca (center), and Risaralda (center).

The Ministry of Social Protection reported up to now, a total of 30
deaths in the country possibly caused by dengue, of which 14 have been
confirmed and 16 are under study.

The increase in dengue cases, [the virus of] which the mosquito _Aedes
aegypti_ transmits , is another of the consequences of the El Nino
phenominon, [the effect of] which is present in Colombia since the end
of 2009.

To prevent the propagation of this insect, and thus of the disease,
the authorities recommend avoiding trash pileups, control of puddles,
eliminating water catchments in houses and fumigating in high risk
places.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-ESP
<[e-mail]>

A map showing the departments mentioned in Colombia can be accessed at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/txu-oclc-256488229-colombia_pol_2008.jpg>;.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Colombia can be
accessed
at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00*s>;. - Mod.TY]

******
[2] Bolivia
Date: Mon 8 Feb 2010
Source: EPA (European Pressphoto Agency), Agencia EFE report [in
Portuguese, trans. Mod.TY, edited]
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/epa/article/ALeqM5jUDzVGzeMX7m9E2oKu2ooe7mUnyg>;


Bolivia reported this Saturday [6 Feb 2010] the deaths due to dengue
of 2 children in the city of San Matias (Santa Cruz [department]) at
the border with Mato Grosso [Brazil]. According to the daily newspaper
El Deber, the 2 children of ages still unknown, were the 1st victims
of dengue in Bolivia [in 2010?]. The 1st death occurred on Wednesday
[3 Feb 2010] and the 2nd on Thursday [4 Feb 2010].

The Ministry of Health reported that so far [there are] about 532
suspected cases of dengue in the country [in 2010], which in early
2009 had the largest epidemic of the disease in its history, with 500
000 [individuals] infected and 22 deaths. [500 000 is not a correct
number of dengue cases. The 30 Apr 2009 report from the UN Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), ReliefWeb, Int Fed of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(<http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MUMA-7RM3P3?OpenDocument>;)
stated that there were 56 167 suspected dengue cases up to that date
in 2009. - Mod.TY]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-PORT
<[e-mail]>

[One hopes that this is not the beginning of another massive dengue
epidemic in Santa Cruz department similar to the one that occurred in
2009.

A map showing the administrative divisions of Bolivia can be accessed at
<http://lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/bolivia_admin_2006.jpg>;.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Bolivia can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/008L>;. - Mod.TY]

******
[3] Brazil (Minas Gerais)
Date: Tue 9 Feb 2010
Source: O Globo [in Portuguese, trans, Mod.TY, edited]
<http://oglobo.globo.com/cidades/mat/2010/02/09/registrada-primeira-morte-do-ano-por-dengue-hemorragica-em-minas-gerais-915826342.asp>;


The state Secretariat of Health (SES) registered the 1st death from
DHF this year [2010] in Minas Gerais. The victim was a 26-year-old man
from Arcos, in the east-central region of the state, who was admitted
to the Eduardo de Menezes Hospital in Belo Horizonte, with a clinical
picture of dengue and pneumonia. He died this Tuesday [9 Feb 2010].

According to SES, another 3 cases are under investigation, one also
from Arcos, one in Dores do Indaia, and the last in Martinho Campos;
all these cities are in the same region.

In 2009, 104 DHF cases were registered in Minas Gerais, with 11
deaths. There were 42 880 [cases] of classical dengue registered [in
the state].

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-PORT
<[e-mail]>

[A map showing the location of the states in Brazil can be accessed at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/brazil.jpg>;.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00Xu>;. - Mod.TY]

******
[4] Argentina (Misiones)
Date: Sun 7 Feb 2010
Source: La Republica [In Spanish, trans. Mod.TY, edited]
<http://www.diariolarepublica.com.ar/notix/noticia.php?i=165799>;


Human dengue virus transmission is expanding rapidly in [Corrientes's]
neighboring Misiones province. Up to Friday [5 Feb 2010], the national
Ministry of Health totaled some 247 [dengue] cases, 67 of which were
detected during the past week [1-7 Feb 2010].

Municipalities in Corrientes province are strengthening preventive
measures and detection of febrile cases. The Corrientes subsecretary
of Health, Ricardo Cardozo, announced yesterday [6 Feb 2010] that no
new cases have been registered in the province after the 4 detected so
far this year [2010], all of which were imported from Misiones
[province]. However, he indicated that all the communities are working
hard with trash cleanup, public education, and detection of febrile
individuals to avoid propagation of the [mosquito] vector, especially
in view of the situation in Misiones. In relation to the detected
[dengue] cases, Cardozo indicated that fumigation was done within 90
manzanas [approx. 0.9 sq km/0.35 sq mi] around the places where the
infected individuals live and surveillance of their companions was
carried out. He recognized that [Misiones] province is currently
facing "an important outbreak of the condition [dengue] that in
previous years had an important [number] of victims in Corrientes
province.

At the moment, things are going well in Corrientes since until now
very few cases have been detected, but we must not lower our guard,"
the official said.

So, Misiones is the only [province] in the country with so many cases
in the 1st part of 2010. The national health office issued on Friday
[5 Feb 2010] an epidemiological communication indicating that, "from
December 2009 up to now, the National Reference Laboratory INVEH
"Julio I Maiztegui", has confirmed the circulation of dengue virus
serotype 1 in Argentina, in the locale of Puerto Iguazu, Misiones,"
where according to the report, during the course of 2010 up to now 247
cases have been registered. Of these, 50 were reported to the National
Laboratory Surveillance System and the rest were confirmed through
presentation of symptoms compatible with the disease. "They are people
who reside in the area of confirmed [dengue] virus circulation, that
is to say they are confirmed by epidemiological connections."

In other jurisdictions, on [Thu 4 Feb 2010], 2 patients were reported
to have a diagnosis of dengue [virus] 2, one in Buenos Aires City and
the other in Rosario (Santa Fe province), both without previous travel
to areas or countries with [dengue] virus circulation.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-PORT
<[e-mail]>

[A map showing the provinces of Argentina can be accessed at
<http://www.the-allure-of-argentina.com/mapofargentina.html>;.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of Argentina can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/017f>;. - Mod.TY]

******
[5] French Guiana
Date: 31 Jan 2010
Source: Le point epidemiologique ? No.3/semaine 2010-04
[in French, summary trans. JW, edited]
<http://www.invs.sante.fr/surveillance/dengue/points_guyane/2010/pep_guyane_2010_03_dengue.pdf>;

Pour la 5ème semaine consécutive, le nombre hebdomadaire de
cas cliniquement évocateurs de dengue et le nombre hebdomadaire
de cas biologiquement confirmés de dengue se situent audelà
des valeurs maximales attendues.
Depuis le début de l?épidémie (S2009-53), plus de 1200 cas cliniquement
évocateurs de dengue ont été recensés.
Les sérotypes

For the 5th consecutive week, the weekly number of cases clinically
compatible with dengue and the weekly number of lab confirmed cases
have been more than the maximum expected.

Since the beginning of the [current] epidemic (in the last week of
2009), more than 1200 clinical cases of dengue have been recorded.
Serotypes DEN-1, DEN-2 & DEN-4 are co-circulating, with the
predominance of DEN-1 & DEN-4 viruses.

--
Communicated by:
Sr Tech.Ed.MJ
<[e-mail]>

[This is the summary of the Source article full of colorful maps,
graphs & charts showing the evolution of dengue epidemics in French
Guiana since January 2009. - Mod.JW]

[An interactive HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of northeastern
South America, showing the location of French Guiana, can be accessed at
<http://healthmap.org/r/017g>;. - Mod.TY]

******
[6] Sri Lanka
Date: Wed 10 Feb 2010
Source: Daily Mirror [edited]
<http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/news/3344.html>;


North Western Province health director, RMSK Ratnayake yesterday [9
Feb 2010] warned that there may be a dengue epidemic next month [March
2010] in the country and that people must be prepared for it.

Mr Ratnayake said that although the disease had been under control to
some extent, there was a risk of yet another epidemic. "The main
reason for this is the monsoon rains which we will soon experience.
With the heavy rain the spread of the dengue disease may also increase
rapidly," he said and added that the Health Ministry had launched a
prevention campaign in order to create more awareness among people.

"People should be alert and get necessary medical attention if they
have the disease," he said.

He said that in the last 2 weeks there had been 4 dengue cases in the
North Western Province. The Ministry of Health recently reported that
a total of 3336 cases of dengue with 20 deaths were reported in
January this year [2010].
[Byline: Olindhi Jayasundere]

--
Communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<[e-mail]>

[A significant dengue outbreak is going on in Sri Lanka, with over
3000 cases just in January 2010, nearly as many as in all of 2009;
from January-December 2009 there were 3872 dengue cases with 345 deaths.

Maps of Sri Lanka are available at
<http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/sri_lanka_pol01.jpg>;
and the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00uQ>;. - Mod.TY]