How the Philippines will battle ebola in the case of outbreak
October 23, 2014
PLoS One. 2013 Nov 21;8(11):e79665. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079665. eCollection 2013.
Foraging behaviour and landscape utilisation by the endangered golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), the Philippines.
de Jong C1, Field H, Tagtag A, Hughes T, Dechmann D, Jayme S, Epstein JH, Smith C, Santos I, Catbagan D, Lim M, Benigno C, Daszak P, Newman S.
PLoS One. 2013;8(12). doi:10.1371/annotation/67f7a1ef-d1bb-4752-a44e-beaca05a126b. Epstein, Jonathan [corrected to Epstein, Jonathan H].
Abstract
Species of Old World fruit-bats (family Pteropodidae) have been identified as the natural hosts of a number of novel and highly pathogenic viruses threatening livestock and human health. We used GPS data loggers to record the nocturnal foraging movements of Acerodon jubatus, the Golden-crowned flying fox in the Philippines to better understand the landscape utilisation of this iconic species, with the dual objectives of pre-empting disease emergence and supporting conservation management. Data loggers were deployed on eight of 54 A. jubatus (two males and six females) captured near Subic Bay on the Philippine island of Luzon between 22 November and 2 December 2010. Bodyweight ranged from 730 g to 1002 g, translating to a weight burden of 3-4% of bodyweight. Six of the eight loggers yielded useful data over 2-10 days, showing variability in the nature and range of individual bat movements. The majority of foraging locations were in closed forest and most were remote from evident human activity. Forty-six discrete foraging locations and five previously unrecorded roost locations were identified. Our findings indicate that foraging is not a random event, with the majority of bats exhibiting repetitious foraging movements night-to-night, that apparently intact forest provides the primary foraging resource, and that known roost locations substantially underestimate the true number (and location) of roosts. Our initial findings support policy and decision-making across perspectives including landscape management, species conservation, and potentially disease emergence.
PMID:
24278154
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID:
PMC3836874
Free PMC Article
CNN tells: 1989 – In Reston, Virginia, macaque monkeys imported from the Philippines are found to be infected with the Ebola virus (later named the Ebola-Reston virus).
JPost
October 21, 2014
Israel will not allow construction materials to enter the Gaza Strip if Hamas rebuilds infiltration tunnels destroyed by the IDF during Operation Protective Edge, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said on Monday.
During a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at his officein New York, Ya’alon expressed his concern over a Hamas claim that its members were continuing to dig underground passageways leading from the coastal enclave into Israel.
“We [Israel] want the resident of Gaza to live in dignity and prosperity, rebuild their homes and return to normal life. But, we are very worried. Just yesterday Hamas representatives said they intend to reconstruct the infiltration tunnels, instead of rebuilding the home of Gaza’s residents,” Ya’alon told Ban.
Ukraine
October 21, 2014
Donetsk chemical plant explosion rocks rebels’ meeting
4 hours ago
There has been a powerful explosion at a chemical plant in the rebel-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
Windows were shattered several kilometres away, including those in the rebel administration building where pro-Russian separatist leaders were meeting.
It is not yet known if there have been any injuries.(BBC)
WHO about Cholera
October 18, 2014
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It has a short incubation period, from less than one day to five days, and produces an enterotoxin that causes a copious, painless, watery diarrhoea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if treatment is not promptly given. Vomiting also occurs in most patients.
http://www.who.int/topics/cholera/en/
CHOLERA Country Profile
How bad is Cholera? Development of novel vaccine strains.
October 18, 2014
CHOLERA is the most severe of the bacterial diarrhoeal diseases and has affected human populations for centuries; since the beginning of the 19th century it has spread throughout the world. Today there are an estimated 1.4- 4.3 million cases of cholera annually world-wide with more than 140 000 deaths with case-fatality rate (CFR) up to 5% during 2013. These numbers however are likely to be heavily under-estimated due to limitations of surveillance systems, lack of laboratory diagnostics or fear of a negative impact on travel and trade. It is estimated that 2.5 billion people are living with the risk of cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases. CHOLERA is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and it is an acute, often severe diarrhoeal disease which can be fatal It is particularly dangerous for young children. ( Citate from the introduction of the thesis of Dr. Stephan Karlsson)
Thesis:
Stefan Karlsson. Development of novel vaccin strains of Vibrio cholerae and studies on the role of serotype in epidemic spread of cholera. Institute of Biomedicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, university of Gothenburg ISBN 978-91-628-9122-0
Disputation 17th Oct 2014
http://hdl.handle.net/2077/35959
International Humanitarian Partnership
October 16, 2014
BSL-4 , The highest Biosafety Level Needed in taking care of current Ebola outburst
October 14, 2014
Some features about Ebola treatment
October 14, 2014
Emerg Infect Dis. 2014 Oct;20(10). doi: 10.3201/eid2010.140430.
Biomarker correlates of survival in pediatric patients with ebola virus disease.
McElroy AK, Erickson BR, Flietstra TD, Rollin PE, Nichol ST, Towner JS, Spiropoulou CF.
Abstract
Outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD) occur sporadically in Africa and are associated with high case-fatality rates. Historically, children have been less affected than adults. The 2000-2001 Sudan virus-associated EVD outbreak in the Gulu district of Uganda resulted in 55 pediatric and 161 adult laboratory-confirmed cases.
We used a series of multiplex assays to measure the concentrations of 55 serum analytes in specimens from patients from that outbreak to identify biomarkers specific to pediatric disease.
- Pediatric patients who survived
- had higher levels of the chemokine regulated on activation,
- normal T-cell expressed and secreted marker
- and lower levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1),
- soluble intracellular adhesion molecule,
- and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule than did pediatric patients who died. Adult patients had similar levels of these analytes regardless of outcome. Our findings suggest that children with EVD may benefit from different treatment regimens than those for adults.
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