Pestilences - another sign of the last days

[GeordieGirl]

Covid was obviously a big deal because it affected the whole world, but there are other diseases out there that are less well known but are spreading in localised areas.

 

I read of Japanese Encephalitis for the first time just a few days ago. It is not a new disease and has been around in tropical regions with the first case documented in Japan in 1871. 

WHO released a fact sheet about it in 2019.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/japanese-encephalitis

It is related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile viruses and spread by one of the many species of mosquitos. It was a disease that affected mainly pigs and horses, although in the many countries of Asia there are about 68,000 cases a year.

 

However, it has now reached mainland Australia and seems to be spreading through the cooler Southern states quite rapidly. 

 

https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/japanese-encephalitis-virus-jev/about

We are monitoring the unfolding situation in Australia concerning the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). It has been declared a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/11/japanese-encephalitis-australia-to-buy-130000-vaccine-doses-as-outbreak-spreads

The Australian government has said it will buy 130,000 doses of a vaccine to protect against Japanese encephalitis as the outbreak spreads across four states.

Nearly $70m will be spent to combat the virus, which has been detected in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria and killed two people so far. There are 15 confirmed human cases of the mosquito-borne disease.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-12/victorian-baby-infected-with-japanese-encephalitis/100904440

A family holiday in north-east Victoria took an unexpected turn for the worst after four-month-old Sam Gilliland contracted Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)

Sam was initially treated for viral meningitis with a ten-day course of antiviral medication. Authorities were still weeks away from identifying the spread of JEV into Victoria.

Whilst on the mend, the road to recovery is far from over for the baby who suffered weight loss, has lost strength in his muscles, and will require ongoing physiotherapy.

 

[hatcheckgirl]

Yes, and now with flooding more mosquito born diseases like this one may spread. When the delicate natural world is mismanaged and the balance is upset, plagues can thrive.  Sad about the baby with JEV 😔

[GeordieGirl]

43 minutes ago, hatcheckgirl said:

Yes, and now with flooding more mosquito born diseases like this one may spread. When the delicate natural world is mismanaged and the balance is upset, plagues can thrive.

Thought I'd have a quick look for RRV and there is an updated govt warning for that and the related Barmah Forest virus in Victoria. These diseases are also spread by mosquitos. So pleas,e brothers in the prevalent areas, take care. 💗

https://www.health.vic.gov.au/health-advisories/health-warning-on-mosquitoes-and-ross-river-virus-in-central-victoria

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Luisabola]

Do you remember Zika as well? I worked in a lab dealing with testing blood at the time and a sample came in to test for Zika virus and I was pregnant at the time. It must have been 2016. Anyway, my colleagues told me to leave the room and go for a break while they handled it. 
 

That’s interesting about JED. I’d never heard of that. 

[GeordieGirl]

7 hours ago, Luisabola said:

Do you remember Zika as well? I worked in a lab dealing with testing blood at the time and a sample came in to test for Zika virus and I was pregnant at the time. It must have been 2016. Anyway, my colleagues told me to leave the room and go for a break while they handled it. 
 

That’s interesting about JED. I’d never heard of that. 

Now you mention it, I do recognise the name but we don't have it here.

[GeordieGirl]

Hepatitis cases detected in children in Europe and the US

 

Health officials say they are now investigating unexplained cases of hepatitis in children in four European countries and the US.

............ the detection of more cases in the coming days was likely.

The cause of the infections is not yet known.

 

Cases of hepatitis, or liver inflammation, have been reported in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and the US, health officials say.

Last week UK health authorities said they had detected higher than usual cases of the infection among children.

 

Last week the UK Health Security Agency said the usual viruses that cause infectious hepatitis (hepatitis A to E) have not been detected among the cases in the UK.

 

........ investigators are looking at other possible causes, and believe that the common adenovirus could be the cause.

Adenoviruses are a family of viruses that usually cause a range of mild illnesses such as colds, vomiting and diarrhoea.

It did however say that other possible causes of the infection are also being investigated, and it had not ruled out Covid-19. It added that there is no apparent link with Covid-19 vaccines.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61157909

[GeordieGirl]

 

Cases of suspected and confirmed Monkeypox are being investigated in a number of European countries, the US, Canada and the UK, according to health authorities and local media reports.

The latest new cases were reported in France, Italy and Sweden.

 

Monkeypox is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa

 

Monkeypox is a rare viral infection which is usually mild and from which most people recover in a few weeks, ........

 

(What is concerning about this last statement is that viruses never die - they just mutate in the body, so I'm wondering what the long term problem of this virus will ve) Thoughts in brackets are my personal thoughts.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-61506562

 

 

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms very similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.

 

Various animal species have been identified as susceptible to monkeypox virus.. This includes rope squirrels, tree squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice, non-human primates and other species.

 

Monkeypox is a disease of global public health importance as it not only affects countries in West and Central Africa, but the rest of the world.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox

[BLEmom]

47 minutes ago, GeordieGirl said:

 

Cases of suspected and confirmed Monkeypox are being investigated in a number of European countries, the US, Canada and the UK, according to health authorities and local media reports.

The latest new cases were reported in France, Italy and Sweden.

 

Monkeypox is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa

 

Monkeypox is a rare viral infection which is usually mild and from which most people recover in a few weeks, ........

 

(What is concerning about this last statement is that viruses never die - they just mutate in the body, so I'm wondering what the long term problem of this virus will ve) Thoughts in brackets are my personal thoughts.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-61506562

 

 

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms very similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.

 

Various animal species have been identified as susceptible to monkeypox virus.. This includes rope squirrels, tree squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice, non-human primates and other species.

 

Monkeypox is a disease of global public health importance as it not only affects countries in West and Central Africa, but the rest of the world.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox

I started a topic for Monkeypox. Forgot about this general one. 
I have a feeling cases will rise with this one. The npr article on my thread mentions sexual transmission. They are putting the word out to gay and bisexual men. 

[GeordieGirl]

5 hours ago, BLEmom said:

The npr article on my thread mentions sexual transmission. They are putting the word out to gay and bisexual men. 

I saw that bit.  I think it was on the BBC link. WHO also mentions sexual transmission but it doesn't target any specific group. Probably got to keep it PC. 🙄

[Dages]

Let's hope it doesn't turn like in this paper

https://www.nti.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/NTI_Paper_BIO-TTX_Final.pdf 

[BLEmom]

2 hours ago, Dages said:

Let's hope it doesn't turn like in this paper

https://www.nti.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/NTI_Paper_BIO-TTX_Final.pdf 

[GeordieGirl]

It's also in Australia already. One in Melbourne and one in Sydney. 

[GeordieGirl]

WHO admits it is ‘DEEPLY CONCERNED‘ about Monkeypox

 

Monkeypox is not yet a global health emergency, the World Health Organisation has ruled, although director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says he is deeply concerned about the outbreak.

 

There have been more than 3200 confirmed cases of monkeypox and one death reported in the past six weeks from 48 countries where it does not usually spread, according to WHO.

 

WHO also said that although there were differing views within the committee, it ultimately agreed that at this stage the outbreak was not a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

 

Some global health experts said WHO may be have been hesitant to make a declaration because its January 2020 declaration that the new coronavirus represented a public health emergency was largely met with scepticism.

 

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/coronavirus/monkeypox-not-yet-a-health-emergency-who-c-7302308?utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=perthnow_update_2022-6-26&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sendgrid+wan_newsletter

[GeordieGirl]

Monkeypox is increasing.  And Polio seems to be on the increase again.

 

The monkeypox outbreak has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization.

 

More than 16,000 cases have now been reported from 75 countries, said WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

There had been five deaths so far as a result of the outbreak, he added.

There are only two other such health emergencies at present - the coronavirus pandemic and the continuing effort to eradicate polio.

 

...... the outbreak had spread around the world rapidly and he had decided that it was indeed of international concern.. 

 

"The WHO's assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region, where we assess the risk as high," he added.

There was also a clear risk of further international spread, although the risk of interference with international traffic remained low for the moment, he said.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-62279436

 

 

[zoebarry]

More fear mongering......

[BLEmom]

20 hours ago, zoebarry said:

More fear mongering......

Actually it’s more about prophecy being fulfilled. 

[GeordieGirl]

WHO supports Equatorial Guinea in combatting country’s first-ever deadly Marburg virus outbreak.

 

The rare yet severe viral haemorrhagic fever is similar to Ebola and has a fatality rate of up to 88 per cent.  

So far, there have been nine deaths and 16 suspected cases with symptoms including fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomit and diarrhoea, WHO reported on Monday. 

 

Marburg virus is in the same virus family that causes Ebola. 

It is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials. 

The disease was first detected in 1967 after simultaneous outbreaks in the German cities of Marburg and Frankfurt, and in Belgrade, Serbia. 

 

https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/02/1133487