Chikungunya cases in the Caribbean approach 40,000 The Caribbean chikungunya outbreak grew by 6,683 cases in the past week, reaching 39,943 suspected, probable, or confirmed cases, according to an update today from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The case count is up from 33,260 a week ago, and the surge was led by large increases in suspected cases in the Dominican Republic and on Martinique and Guadeloupe. Martinique continues to report the largest numbers by far, with 19,700 suspected (up from 17,630) and 1,515 confirmed or probable cases, the ECDC said. Guadeloupe is next, with 8,000 suspected (up from 6,000) and 1,328 confirmed or probable cases. The French side of St. Martin continues to report small but steady increases in cases, with 3,160 (up from 3,030) suspected and 793 confirmed or probable cases. The Dominican Republics suspected cases, in contrast, jumped from 767 to 3,015, while its confirmed cases held at 17. Also reporting cases are Dominica, 1,252 suspected and 105 confirmed cases; St. Barthelemy, 485 suspected and 135 confirmed or probable cases; the Dutch side of St. Martin, 301 confirmed cases; French Guiana, 43 confirmed locally acquired and 22 imported cases; St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 24 suspected and 3 confirmed cases; Anguilla, 33 locally acquired confirmed cases and 1 likely imported case; British Virgin Islands, 9 confirmed cases; and Aruba, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis, each with 1 confirmed case. The chikungunya outbreak is the first known in the Americas and began in December 2013 on the French side of St. Martin. Six outbreak deaths have been reported. May 5 ECDC update Study: Outbreak doesnt increase pertussis vaccine uptake A large outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough) in Washington state in late 2011 through 2012 did not increase vaccination rates, researchers reported today at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, according to the studys abstract. Washington researchers determined diphtheria–tetanus toxoid–acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccination rates in children 3 to 8 months old before and during a pertussis epidemic that lasted from Oct 1, 2011, through 2012 and included about 5,000 cases. They studied 39,500 children before the epidemic and 40,811 during. They found only a 2.1% absolute difference between the groups, which was not significant. Lead researcher Elizabeth R. Wolf, MD, a University of Washington pediatrician, said in a press release from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), We dont fully understand what improves vaccine acceptance. This study found no significant increase in vaccination coverage statewide during the 2011-2012 pertussis epidemic. This finding may challenge the assumption that vaccine acceptance uniformly increases when risk of disease is high. May 5 study abstract May 5 AAP press release Share this page: Share Tweet Email Print & PDF
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 13:37:49 +0000