“What to Know About XEC, the New SARS-CoV-2 Variant Expected to Dominate Winter’s COVID-19 Wave”.
Published: JAMA (Nov 22nd, 2024): 10.1001/jama.2024.24481.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2827145
Note: What to Know About XEC, the New SARS-CoV-2 Variant Expected to Dominate Winter’s COVID-19 Wave XEC, the up-and-comer among circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses, arose from the recombination of 2 other variants. Fortunately, all 3 are descendants of the original Omicron virus and are closely related to the variants targeted by the latest COVID-19 vaccines, which are JN.1 and KP.2. Fortunately, XEC is similar enough to other circulating variants that it’s not expected to cause worse symptoms or undermine the latest COVID-19 vaccines’ ability to prevent severe disease. There’s no evidence that it’s making people sicker.
“California confirms first clade I mpox case”.
Published: November 16th, 2024. CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/s1116-california-first-clade.html
“WHO Global Health Emergency Corps sets out actions to save lives during health emergencies”.
Published: November 14th, 2024.
Note: Since the launch of the Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) in May 2023, WHO, ministries of health and partners have worked to consolidate a vision of an interoperable and globally connected health emergency workforce that can work together on health emergencies. GHEC will enable countries to strengthen their emergency workforce capacities, streamline coordination mechanisms during response efforts and ultimately save lives. To foster broadened ownership of GHEC, WHO is now rolling out implementation guidance that can be adapted and used at national, regional and global levels. WHO gathered country representatives and partners, from 30 October–1 November 2024, to test the design of the Global Health Emergency Corps through a scenario-based exercise and to discuss concrete steps for implementation.
“Register: Virtual Update on Polio Eradication, 13 November”.
Published: November 12th, 2024.
https://polioeradication.org/news/register-virtual-update-on-polio-eradication-13-november/
Note: An update on polio eradication achievements, including vaccination in Gaza, sponsored by the Polio Global Eradication Initiative.
“Weekly Special Press Briefing on the Mpox Outbreak and other Health Emergencies in Africa”.
Published: November 11th, 2024.
European CDC “Communicable disease threats report, 2-8 November 2024, week 45”.
“Situation Report No 42 – Dengue Epidemiological Situation in the Region of the Americas – Epidemiological Week 42, 2024.”
Published: November 7th, 2024.
Note: Between epidemiological weeks (EW) 1 and 42 of 2024, a total of 12,261,165 suspected cases of dengue were reported, resulting in a cumulative incidence of 1,284 per 100,000 population. This represents an increase of 209% compared to the same period in 2023 and 387% compared to the average of the last 5 years. Figure 1 shows the trend of suspected dengue cases as of EW 42.
“Pertussis Surveillance and Trends”
Published: November 7th, 2024.
Note: In 2024, reported cases of pertussis increased across the United States, indicating a return to more typical trends. Preliminary data show that more than five times as many cases have been reported as of week 44, reported on November 2, 2024, compared to the same time in 2023. The number of reported cases this year is higher than what was seen at the same time in 2019, prior to the pandemic.
“Marburg virus disease – Rwanda” – WHO.
Published: November 1, 2024.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2024-DON543
Note: It has been over a month since the declaration of the Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak in Rwanda on 27 September 2024. As of 31 October 2024, 66 confirmed cases, including 15 deaths (CFR: 23%), have been reported including two new confirmed cases since the previous Disease Outbreak News report.
“Oropouche virus disease update”
Published: October 22nd, 2024.
“WHO Approves Another HPV Vaccine for Single-Dose Use”
Published: October 4th, 2024.
https://www.who.int/news/item/04-10-2024-who-adds-an-hpv-vaccine-for-single-dose-use
Note: In early October, the World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified a fourth human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Cecolin, for single-dose use. The shift from a 2-dose HPV vaccine regimen to an alternative, off-label 1-dose injection schedule, recommended by the WHO in 2022, will help address the global supply shortages that have historically left individuals from low- and middle-income countries unprotected, the organization said.
“WHO South-East Asia Region Epidemiological Bulletin, 21st edition (2024), 16 October 2024. Reporting period: 30 September to 13 October 2024”
First pediatric flu death of the season reported | AAP News | American Academy of Pediatrics
https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/30721?autologincheck=redirected
Note: The CDC reported the first pediatric flu death of the season. The child was infected with influenza A and died in mid-October. Last flu season, 204 children died of flu. Flu activity is still low nationally, but there have been slight increases among children and teens. CDC and AAP recommend everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated against flu and COVID.
Hidden in plain sight: the threat of mpox to children and adolescents – The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(24)00298-0/abstract
Note: Of the 7851 individuals with mpox notified to WHO by the Democratic Republic of the Congo Ministry of Health from January to May, 2024, 5254 (70%) were younger than 15 years, including 321 people who died (83% of total fatalities due to mpox).2 Young children are at particular risk of severe outcomes from mpox due to malnutrition and co-infections, underscoring the urgent need for a targeted response in children
Latest update on cases of Clade Ib mpox – GOV.UK
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-detects-first-case-of-clade-ib-mpox
Note: The first detection of mpox Clade Ib in the UK has occurred. It is different from mpox Clade II that has been circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022.
Clades Ia and Ib are causing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African nations. Recently, clade Ib has been detected outside of Africa.
“It is thanks to our surveillance that we have been able to detect this virus. This is the first time we have detected this Clade of mpox in the UK, though other cases have been confirmed abroad.” – Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA
Emergency operations are intact. However, this calls for different countries to strengthen surveillance and contact tracing where necessary.
“Second round of polio campaign in Gaza completed amid ongoing conflict and attacks: UNICEF and WHO”
