Fijian officials call on citizens to take action following new HIV infections - Jul 29, 2010
Health Ministry officials in Fiji have called on citizens to take action and help prevent the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) after three newborn babies tested positive this year. The warning comes after figures were released this year at the first National Advisory Committee on AIDS (NACA) by the National Adviser for Family Health, Xinhua news agency reported. Dr. Josiaia Samuela, Fiji's National Advisor for Family Health, said that there were 21 new cases this year, which brings the total to 54 infections since 1989. According to Xinhua, there were 43 new cases last year alone and this was alarming for a population with some 850,000 people. "Fiji is not eligible to apply for Global Funding for HIV-STI activities for Round 10 because based on latest World Bank classification, Fiji is now a high middle income country," Xinhua quoted Samuela as saying. According to Xinhua, Samuela said that despite this, Fiji would continue to seek funding from other donors such as through funding from Australia and New Zealand. As a small nation, it is important that Fijian officials continue to urge all sectors of society to continue to learn about and take action against the disease before the disease spreads beyond control. Peni Namotu, Fiji's Health Ministry's Assistant Media Liaison Officer, said that the ministry would like everyone, including teachers, parents and religious groups, to take action to ensure that people take preventive measures. According to Fiji Village, the ministry also said that sex education at home may help to prevent an unwanted pregnancy and its associated burdens. It was also suggested that schools must take up education and awareness programs for younger children.
· Xinhua, Jul 29, 2010, http://news.xinhuanet.com
· Fiji Village, Jul 29, 2010, http://www.fijivillage.com

High number of hepatitis infections revealed in Indonesia - Jul 29, 2010
The first observance of World Hepatitis Day on Wednesday (July 28) highlighted the astounding number of people in Indonesia suffering from hepatitis, the Jakarta Post reported on Thursday (July 29). Indonesia's Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih was quoted as saying, "Even though we have carried out many programs, hepatitis remains a big problem," which raises the fair question of why these programs have not been ineffective. Currently, there are as many as 30 million people infected with the viral disease, the Ministry of Health estimates. According to Ali Sulaiman from the University of Indonesia's Hepatology Division, people suffering from viral hepatitis B and C may be over 20 million, and the Jakarta Post quoted Ali as saying, "The hepatitis virus in general and hepatitis B and C virus specifically have been a major health problem in Indonesia for a long time." The lingering problem highlights the dire need for effective response and plans to improve the situation. The World Health Assembly (WHA) in May adopted a resolution on viral hepatitis to be included in the World Health Organization's priority agenda. It is a clear call "for the WHO to develop a comprehensive approach to the prevention and control" of viral hepatitis, which includes hepatitis A,B,C,D and E, the Jakarta Post reported. An article from the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), a world class research university, attributed the prevalence of hepatitis in Indonesia to the expensive treatment the disease calls for.  Commenting on the pricey treatment needed, Dr. Putut Bayu Purnama of the Faculty of Medicine in Gastroenterology and Hepatology Section emphasized how critical prevention is saying, "So, it is better to prevent than to cure the disease, remembering the expensive treatment." Putut suggested that socialization about the hepatitis vaccine should continue especially for newborns since a mother with hepatitis can transmit the disease to her child during pregnancy or childbirth. According to Ali, at least 2 billion people globally have now or had once been infected by the hepatitis virus, while more than 400 million people have the disease now. The WHO estimates that one of 12 people in the world contract hepatitis, UGM said.  Previously, World Hepatitis Day was celebrated on May 19, but a suggestion to move the day to July 28 was approved, as the date is also the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg, the man who found hepatitis B in 1965.
· Xinhua news agency, Jul 29, 2010, http://big5.xinhuanet.com
· The Jakarta Post, Jul 29, 2010, http://www.thejakartapost.com
· Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jul 29, 2010, http://ugm.ac.id

Indonesia confirms 138th H5N1 bird flu fatality - Jul 22, 2010
The hardest hit country by the avian influenza, Indonesia, confirmed another bird flu fatality on Thursday (July 22), according to the country's Ministry of Health. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the ministry has confirmed the death of a 13-year-old female from Sukoharjo District in Central Java Province. According to the report, the young girl developed symptoms on June 16, was hospitalized on June 21, and died three days later on June 24. Xinhua news agency quoted Tri Tarayati, a spokesman for the Indonesian Health Ministry, as saying, "Laboratory tests showed that the girl was positively infected by avian flu," which brought the bird flu case count in the country to 167, including 138 deaths. An investigation was opened into the source of the girl's infection, but Tarayati said it was not clear whether the girl had had contact with poultry. However, the investigation revealed that one week before the girl began developing symptoms, her family's chickens had died and the bodies were disposed of in the back yard of her house, Xinhua reported. Because the cause of death of the chickens has not been specified suggests that the family's poultry may have been infected with H5N1 bird flu, which is the likely cause of the girl's illness and death. Xinhua reports that contact with infected poultry is the common cause of the deadly virus in the archipelago country. The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy notes that the number of reported human H5N1 infections in Indonesia have slowed down over the past year, however, illnesses, deaths and poultry outbreaks, continue to be reported.
· WHO, Jul 22, 2010, http://www.who.int
· Xinhua news agency, Jul 23, 2010, http://news.xinhuanet.com

Cholera and dengue fever cases rise in southern Philippine city - Jul 18, 2010
Health officials in the Philippines told United Press International (UPI) that dengue fever has killed at least 23 people, mostly children, since the beginning of the year, and has already reached alert levels in other states in the country. In southern Zamboanga City, the mosquito-borne illness has afflicted at least 1,052 others, alarming health officials to strengthen efforts against the disease.  The last outbreak Zamboanga City experienced occurred in 2007, when the case count grew over 3,000. Agbulos warned that if nothing is done to fight this year's outbreak, the situation could worsen to the level of the outbreak that occurred three years ago, Business Mirror reported. In response, the UPI reports that officials have commenced a cleanup drive because of the nearly 300 percent increases in dengue cases in some areas.  So far, community groups and residents have worked together to eliminate and clean up any possible mosquito breeding sites, the Inquirer reported. A "very high alert level" has been placed on the situation, stressing that the number of registered cases has not reached outbreak level yet. Simultaneously, the City Health Office has declared an outbreak of cholera in one of the barangays. Xinhua news agency reported on July 19 that at least two children in the city had died, while 30 others were hospitalized after developing cholera symptoms. According to Business Mirror, the source of the infection was reported and confirmed to be contaminated water from a deep well. Residents in the affected area have been advised not to get their water from a local well, but residents say they will have problems looking for water because the well is their only source, Xinhua noted. The inability of local health workers to provide potable water and prevent residents from obtaining contaminated water from the well will only exacerbate the growing cholera outbreak. Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. After exposure to the disease, an infected person will experience copious, painless, watery diarrhea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if not treated promptly.
· Business Mirror, Jul 18, 2010, http://www.businessmirror.com.ph
· Xinhua news agency, Jul 19, 2010, http://english.peopledaily.com.cn
· United Press International, Jul 26, 2010, http://www.upi.com

Thai officials report HFMD outbreak in Phuket - Jul 20, 2010
Local officials from the Phuket City Municipality, on Phuket Island in southern Thailand, have issued an advisory warning parents to be aware of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD). According to the Phuket Gazette, more than 70 children in Phuket have already contracted HFMD this year. "There is more chance of an outbreak in the rainy season as the virus can live longer when the weather is cool and humid," the newspaper quoted Nittaya Panchamedithee, an officer at the municipal health section as saying. She added that the onset of the rainy season coincides with the start of the 1st school semester, which makes it easy for the virus to spread. According to the Gazette, Nittaya urged parents to keep an eye on all children, especially those under three years old and infants. A press release from the municipality said that parents whose children exhibit symptoms of HFMD are urged to seek medical treatment as soon as possible and not allow their children to go to school. Additionally, the release said that school administrators should suspend any classes with two or more children found to have HFMD, and any schools with five or more children diagnosed with HFMD should be closed temporarily, according to the Phuket Gazette. It is important that administrators remain vigilant to ensure that the disease is not spread, particularly among students attending class. HFMD usually infects children and infants and is spread from person to person by direct contact through nasal discharge, saliva, feces and fluid from the rash of an infected person. Symptoms include fever, ulcers in the throat and rashes on the hands and feet.   
· Pro Med, Jul 20, 2010, http://www.promedmail.org
· Phuket Gazette, Jul 21, 2010, http://www.phuketgazette.net

H5N1 bird flu claims another life in Egypt - Jul 24, 2010
Middle East North Africa (MENA), Egypt's news agency, confirmed the country's 110th bird flu case on Saturday (July 24) after a 20-year-old woman was hospitalized in the capital, Cairo. According to the Health Ministry, the woman, from Qalyubia governorate, located about 30 miles north of Cairo, was admitted into the hospital on July 21, suffering from a fever and breathing difficulties, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) reported. On Saturday, Egyptian officials were quoted as saying that the woman remained in critical condition being treated with oseltamivir (Tamiflu), the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported. Despite the administration of antiviral drugs, the Ministry of Health on Thursday (July 29) stated that the woman had died on Tuesday (July 27) after being placed on a ventilator, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported. The woman's death was confirmed by the Egyptian Central Public Health Laboratories, a National Influenza Center of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network. After an investigation was conducted, the source of infection indicated that her case had exposure to sick and dead poultry. Since H5N1 bird flu was detected in Egypt, the WHO now reports 110 confirmed cases, including 35 deaths.   According to Strengthening Avian Influenza Detection and Response (SAIDR), frequency of H5N1 cases in Egyptian poultry has slowed since the end of May, with only 11 reports since June 1. The lessening in cases can be attributed to the Egyptian government instituting a ban on the sale of all live poultry to help prevent the spread of the bird flu virus. 
·  Kuwait News Agency, Jul 24, 2010, http://www.flutrackers.com
·  CIDRAP, Jul 26, 2010, http://www.cidrap.umn.edu
·  WHO, Jul 29, 2010, http://www.who.int

H1N1 flu cases surge in India following monsoon - Jul 26, 2010
According to the Times of India (ToI), health ministry officials are concerned with the growing number of H1N1 flu cases in various parts of the country since the beginning of monsoons. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that 38 casualties were recorded during the past week with the states of Maharashtra and Kerala enduring the brunt of the infections. Between July 19 and Monday (July 26), 18 deaths were tallied in Maharashtra, while Kerala reported eight deaths, according to the PTI.  The Health Ministry reported that there were a total of 548 new cases counted last week, which is the highest this year, ToI said. So far, the ToI noted that Maharashtra state has reported the highest number of cases this week with 230, followed by 108 cases in Kerala and 86 in Karnataka. Additionally, a handful of cases have also been recorded in Haryana, Gujurat, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. A health ministry official told the Indo Asian News Service (IANS) that "The moisture due to monsoon is giving a good breeding ground to the virus, precautionary measures, such as washing of hands, covering the nose and avoiding crowded places must be followed." Because of the growing number of cases, health officials should also ramp up efforts to continue to educate the public, encouraging vigilance since the pandemic has not been declared over. So far, ToI reported that the Health Ministry recommended the use of H1N1 flu vaccines to avoid the threat. In other news, Gen-Probe Incorporated, a global leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of rapid, accurate and cost-effective molecular diagnostic products and services that can be used to diagnose human diseases, announced on Monday  that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared for marketing Prodesse's ProFAST + assay that is able to detect and differentiate between three common influenza A virus subtypes: seasonal A/H1, seasonal A/H3 and 2009 pandemic H1N1, Medical News Today reported. The assay is not only important for public health, but it is the only FDA-cleared detection test for these viruses that enables physicians to accurately distinguish between influenza A subtypes that have different antiviral susceptibilities. Meanwhile, the latest UN World Health Organization (WHO) update on Friday (July 30) reported over 18,398 deaths worldwide in over 214 countries and overseas territories or communities reporting laboratory-confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009. Generally, overall pandemic and seasonal influenza activity remains low, the WHO reported. However, in the southern hemisphere, where the winter season is in progress, influenza activity is variable. The most active area in Asia is in parts of India as mentioned above. The WHO is close to ending the pandemic, which was declared in June 2009, but continue to monitor the progress through frequent consultations with the WHO Regional Offices and member states and through monitoring of multiple sources of information.
·  Medical News today, Jul 26, 2010, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
·  Press Trust of India, Jul 27, 2010, http://ibnlive.in.com
·  Times of India, Jul 27, 2010, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
·  WHO, Jul 30, 2010, http://www.who.int