Posted 11 May 2012

The Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) release on 10 May 2012 with data through 5 May 2012, places New York again in the number three spot nationally for reported whooping cough cases. Fifty new cases were added to the total. New York City has reported 153 pertussis cases in 2012 and New York outside of the city has reported 730. The total number of pertussis cases reported in the state through 5 May 2012 is 883 while there were only 144 cases reported for the same period in 2011.full story...

Posted 27 April 2012

The virulent strain of the childhood disease, hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) caused by EV-71 (Enterovirus-71) continues to spread in Viet Nam and fears of record childhood fatalities are concerning public health officials. According to a senior official from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on 18 April 2012, the disease has already infected over 28,000 children in the Southeast Asian country in 2012, killing 18. This is up from the 21,000 cases and 16 deaths reported the week of 9 April 2012. The IFRC reports 80% of the children who died from HFMD are under three years of age; 16 of the children are from the south of the country.full story...

Posted 13 April 2012

A dangerous strain of the typically non-lethal hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) virus has affected more than 21,000 persons -- mostly children younger than five -- killing 16 thus far in Viet Nam, according to the Ministry of Health.

"Despite being a benign viral infection in developed countries, the strain Human enterovirus 71 (EV71) of HFMD is causing multiple deaths of children under five here in Asia. We are especially worried about South Viet Nam, where lots of children are in informal hygienically unregulated crèches while their parents work," Bhupinder Tomar, representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Viet Nam said. full story...

Posted 30 March 2012

Serious illness and death from tuberculosis (TB) could be prevented in many of the half million children who become ill from the disease each year if better access to health services were available and health workers were better trained to recognize it, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on 21 March 2012. The disease often goes undiagnosed and untreated in babies and children simply because it isn't looked for; most youngsters with TB catch it from infected parents, but such simple steps as evaluating the children of TB patients are too often not taken, the agency said. The WHO's Stop TB Partnership suggests three low-cost actions to improve TB care in this age-group: Examine children from households where TB is present and begin treatment immediately if they are very ill or have HIV, provide isoniazid to all children who are at risk for TB but have no symptoms, and train health workers who care for pregnant women, babies, and children to check for TB and refer suspected patients as necessary.full story...

Posted 16 March 2012

The number of suspected typhoid fever cases in Tuburan town, north west Cebu Province has risen to more than 800 patients, said a Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas official. The province's count is even higher: chief of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) Dr. Cristina Giango said on 6 March 2012, that there were 999 suspected typhoid cases, including outpatients.full story...

Posted 02 March 2012

Canadian health officials have issued a warning over whooping cough as the disease continues to sweep through parts of British Columbia. There have been more than 140 suspected or confirmed cases of the illness since early December 2011, according to the Fraser Health Authority.

Hotspots for the outbreak include the Hope, Chilliwack and Agassiz areas, but officials said it has also spread to other communities.
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