Infectious Diseases Blog

Xinhua news reports that the Chinese government plans to relocate 77,000 people from the Tibetan region of Aba by 2013 in order to avoid Kaschin-Beck disease. The cause of the degenerative bone disease is a mystery, but it may be caused by a fungus found in a strain of barley grown in the region, highland barley, combined with a deficiency of selenium and iodine. The current rate of the disease in that region of Tibet is 20%. The government will provide housing, clean drinking water and a monthly rice allowance to replace their staple food of barley.

UK newspapers tend to report infectious disease news trends faster than US papers. The Times Online reports a "playground superbug" which turns out to be a strain of MRSA that produces a toxin Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL). Apparently this type of MRSA more easily infects the bone, where it's hard for drug to reach and kill the infection. It does not seem like this type of MRSA is very common, but watch for MRSA-PVL to be making headlines in the US soon.

AP news reports that Indonesia is wrapping up a bird flu epidemic drill. Indonesia is the most likely site of a human-to-human bird flu epidemic, so quashing an epidemic and prohibiting the travel of passengers who are ill will be especially important in Indonesia. I lived in Indonesia for a bit over a year and from what I saw, controlling bird flu on the ground will be an extremely difficult task. There is a chronic lack of enforcement of nearly every kind of regulation and the possibility to overstep the law in many cases. Nevertheless, the running of a drill in the case of a human bird flu epidemic shows that someone in government is making an honest attempt to curb an international disaster waiting to happen.

The Tanzanian Embassy in the United States has posted that a yellow fever vaccination is now required to enter Tanzania. Yellow fever epidemics occur in many African countries, so before travel to Africa, please consult with your doctor if you are a candidate for the yellow fever vaccination. The Tanzanian Embassy also recommends anti-malarial drugs and vaccination against cholera before traveling to Tanzania.

The CDC is recommending that people traveling to Israel for Passover get all childhood immunizations updated. Currently there is a measles outbreak in Israel, so please consult with your doctor if you or your children need a booster shot of the MMR vaccine. The CDC also recommends getting a Hepatitis A and B vaccination when traveling to Israel For more information, make sure to visit the CDC Web Site regarding Passover recommendations for traveling to Israel.

Yellow fever has been reported in Paraguay and Brazil in the past months so it's no wonder that a human case has been reported in Argentina. The CDC recommends that people visiting Argentina, especially the areas bordering Paraguay and Brazil, be vaccinated with the yellow fever shot. The yellow fever immunization is not recommended for children younger than 9 months old, older than 60, pregnant women and people who have weakened immune systems. Please consult with your doctor about the yellow fever vaccination before deciding to vaccinate.

The CDC has issued a malaria warning for Great Exuma in the Bahamas. Malaria prophylaxis with chloroquine is advised when visiting Great Exuma, but there are no malaria warnings for other islands in the Bahamas. When visiting Great Exuma, please sleep under a good mosquito net, wear mosquito repellent when outdoors and stay in an air-conditioned or well-screened house. Also, check out clothes and footwear to avoid mosquito bites.

Unsweetened puffed rice and puffed wheat made by the Malt-O-Meal company may be contaminated with salmonella, reports AP News. 21 people in 13 states are reported to have been infected with the same strain of salmonella that appears to be linked to the breakfast cereals. Though 3 people have been hospitalized, no deaths have been reported. Salmonella is a common food poisoning and most recently became infamous for poisoning the water for the town of Alamosa, Colorado.

China has gotten lots of flack in the past few years for refusing to share bird flu virus information readily. The Times Online reports that perhaps the most positive news on bird flu lately is the fact that China is not only sharing virus information, but allowing that information to be published in internationally-recognized peer-reviewed journals. The Lancet reported a case of human-to-human transmission of bird flu in China. The father and son case was apparently well-documented and researched, giving credit to the Chinese for sharing information. The son, 26, died while the father, 52, survived the virus. Younger people seem to be struck harder by the virus than older people. Some people blame this on a phenomena called a cytokine storm.

The CDC recently sent out a recommendation to travelers to get the MMR shot. Outbreaks in Switzerland and Israel have resulted in measles outbreaks in the US. If you are traveling to a developing country, measles outbreaks are not uncommon so an updated MMR is recommended. See the CDC recommendations for the MMR, including those for children as young as 6 months. Measles can be a very serious disease. 1 out of every 4 people who get measles in the US are hospitalized.