ProMED: MERS cases increase in Saudi Arabia

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Epidemics can occur anywhere, at any time.

We publish regular updates, produced by Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED), on outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases to keep you informed on the frequency and impact of our priority diseases.

ProMED is the largest publicly-available system conducting global reporting of infectious diseases outbreaks, with ProMED staff, moderators and team members scanning for, reviewing and posting information relating to global health security from official health reports and media articles.

The below post contains information from health reports, news articles, and academic papers relating to our priority diseases, compiled together by ProMED. Content below may be edited from original ProMED posts for style and length.

These posts provide an overview of disease outbreak activity over the past several weeks. For the latest information relating to outbreaks of infectious diseases, please visit the ProMED website.

MERS

Location

Saudi Arabia
 

Outbreak Update

EMRO MERS Situation Update, August 2019

At the end of August 2019, a total of 2468 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), including 850 associated deaths (case-fatality rate: 34.4%) were reported globally; the majority of these cases were reported from Saudi Arabia (2073 cases, including 772 related deaths with a case-fatality rate of 37.2%).

- In August, a total of 6 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS were reported globally. All the 6 cases were reported from Saudi Arabia with 1 associated death. Two of the cases reported had symptom onset in July 2019. One household cluster of 2 cases was reported this month. All the reported cases were between 49 and 71 years of age, and 4 them were male. No healthcare workers were affected this month.

- The demographic and epidemiological characteristics of reported cases, when compared during the same corresponding period of 2014 to 2019, do not show any significant difference or change. The number of cases reported in this period was similar to 2018, but significantly less than the 2014-2017 corresponding period. The age group 50-59 years continues to be at the highest risk for acquiring infection of primary cases. The age group 30-39 years is most at risk for secondary cases. The number of deaths is higher in the age group 50-59 years for primary cases and 70-79 years for secondary cases.

See the full ProMED post

 

Lassa fever

Location

Nigeria
 

Outbreak Update

Nigeria CDC Situation report, 15 September

In the reporting week 37 (9 - 15 Sep 2019) 7 new confirmed cases were reported from Edo (3), Ondo (2), Ebonyi (1) and Benue (1) states, 2 new deaths reported from Edo and Benue states.

From 1 Jan - 15 Sep 2019, a total of 3728 suspected cases have been reported from 23 states. Of these, 694 were confirmed positive, 18 probable and 3002 negative (not a case).

Since the onset of the 2019 outbreak, there have been 149 deaths in confirmed cases. Case fatality ratio in confirmed cases is 21.5%.

93% of all confirmed cases are from Edo (38%), Ondo (30%), Ebonyi (8%), Bauchi (7%), Taraba (6%) and Plateau (5%) states

The male to female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:1.

See the full ProMED post

 

Ebola

Location

North Kivu and Ituri provinces, DRC
 

Outbreak Update

CMRE Team, 23 September 2019

Since the beginning of the epidemic, the cumulative number of cases is 3168, of which 3057 are confirmed and 111 are probable. In total, there were 2118 deaths (2007 confirmed and 111 probable) and 975 people cured;

343 suspected cases under investigation;

4 new confirmed cases, including: 1 in North Kivu in Butembo; 3 in Ituri, including 2 in Mandima and 1 in Mambasa.

3 new deaths of confirmed cases, including: 2 community deaths, -- 1 in North Kivu in Butembo and 1 in Ituri in Mambasa; 1 confirmed death in Ituri in Mandima.

No health worker is among the new confirmed cases. The cumulative number of confirmed/probable cases among health workers is 160 (5% of all confirmed/probable cases), including 41 deaths.

See the full ProMED post