10 August 2012

Army Public Health Weekly Update

The Army Public Health Update is a collection of articles taken verbatim

from public sources to offer awareness of current health issues and the

media coverage given to them. The articles do not necessarily represent

US Army Medical Department opinions, views, policy, or guidance, and

should not be construed or interpreted as being

endorsed by the US Army Medical Department.

U.S. Army Public Health Command

U.S. Military | Global | Influenza | Veterinary/Food Safety | Wellness | Contact Us

USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM

Subscription or 

Comments

If you wish to be added to 

the APH Weekly Update 

mailing list, removed from 

the mailing list, or if you 

have comments or 

questions about the 

update, please contact us. 

We welcome your 

comments. Please feel free 

to share this update with 

others who may be 

interested.

Follow us!

Facebook

Twitter

Contents

U.S. MILITARY

 Health of women after wartime deployments: Correlates of risk for selected medical 

conditions among females after initial and repeat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, 

Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces

 Military anthrax vaccination not linked to long-term disability

 Toxicology report on Fort Bliss soldier who died in custody pending

 U.S. starts landmark Agent Orange cleanup in Vietnam

GLOBAL

 Gonorrhea evades antibiotics, leaving only one drug to treat disease

 HIV prevention pill for heterosexuals at risk too

 The synthetic scare

INFLUENZA

 CDC reports cases 18-29 of H3N2v virus infection; continues to recommend interim 

precautions when interacting with pigs

 CDC: Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report

 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: Weekly Influenza Surveillance 

Overview

 Google.org: Flu Trends

 H3N2 found in most pigs tested following human cases

 Naval Health Research Center: Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update

 Two pharmacy chains begin offering vaccine for new flu season

 7 August -

 PANDEMIC AND AVIAN INFLUENZA

 Study: Sandy rice-field soil in Cambodia may inhibit H5N1 spread

VETERINARY/FOOD SAFETY

 Russia: Deripaska’s Agroholding kills 2,209 pigs in ASF outbreak

 U.S.: Multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to ground beef

 U.S.: Tiny turtle Salmonella outbreaks expand
For the Public's 

Health: Investing in 

a Healthier Future

This book assesses the 

financial challenges facing 

the governmental public 

health infra-structure. The 

book provides recommendations about what is 

needed for stable and 

sustainable funding, and 

for its optimal use by 

public health agencies.

WELLNESS

 CDC says graphic anti-smoking ads work, more on way

 Dieting vs. exercise for weight loss

 Few follow car safety guidelines for kids

 ICD shocks explain part of decline in VF cardiac arrests in Dutch study

 Sleeping less may dampen vaccine response

USAFRICOM

 Away from the famines, Africa confronts a new killer: obesity

 Mali: USAID official on humanitarian crisis

 Uganda: WHO says Ebola outbreak under control

 Zimbabwe: CSOs petition government over typhoid, cholera

USCENTCOM

 Pakistan has second highest rate of hepatitis: WHO

 Syria: Severe shortages of drugs, medicines

 Syria: Senator urges Russia, US to rid Syria of chemical arms

USEUCOM

 Bulgaria: State of emergency declared, people evacuated from village in S. Bulgaria due to 

fire

USNORTHCOM

 Mexico: Tropical storm Ernesto skirts Mexican Gulf coast, kills two

 U.S.: Kids' cholesterol down; fewer trans fats cited

 U.S.: Health risks from cell phones needs review, U.S. GAO says

 U.S.: Human trafficking - how US states fare

 U.S., Minnesota: Brain-eating amoeba eyed in death of child

 U.S.: Mixed views are found on stricter laws for guns

 U.S.: Six in 10 adults now get physically active by walking

 U.S.: Utah military camp wildfire burns near artillery

 U.S.: West Nile virus human infections reported to ArboNET, by state (as of August 7, 2012) 

CDC

USPACOM

 Burma, Thailand tackle malaria, dengue

 China: 2,000 arrested in counterfeit drug crackdown

 China: Typhoon Haikui wreaks havoc after landing in E China

 Philippines begins clean-up after monsoon rains kill scores

 Philippines: U.N. urges Philippines to pass reproductive health bill amid protests from 

Catholic Church

 Viet Nam: South VN faces threat of dengue

USSOUTHCOM

 Chile bans marketing of toys in children's food

 Venezuela, Argentina to provide joint aid for Haiti
National 

Immunization & 

Influenza 

Vaccination 

Awareness Month -

August 2012

The month of August has 

been designated as 

National Immunization & 

Influenza Vaccination 

Awareness Month. It is 

critically important that 

every Soldier, family 

member, Department of 

the Army civilian and 

health beneficiary receive 

all required immunizations 

and obtain their influenza 

vaccinations to ensure the 

Army is a healthy and 

mission ready force.

In the U.S., influenza results 

in over 25 million reported 

cases, over 150,000 

hospitalizations due to 

serious complications and 

over 30,000 deaths 

annually. Vaccination is the 

primary method for 

preventing influenza and 

its complications. 

STAND-TO!

U.S. MILITARY

Health of women after wartime deployments: Correlates 

of risk for selected medical conditions among females 

after initial and repeat deployments to Afghanistan and 

Iraq, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces

July 2012 - This report extends the findings of previous MSMR reports regarding threats to 

the health of women in relation to wartime military service. The report focuses on 

conditions that were identified as “relatively excessive” in previous analyses of the postdeployment experiences of recently deployed female service members. While the conditions 

considered here are a select few, they do affect diverse organ systems and physiologic 

functions and have various underlying causes, pathophysiologic mechanisms, exacerbating 

factors, clinical manifestations, clinical courses (e.g., acute, chronic, relapsing), and 

epidemiologic characteristics. As such, they are a broad and diverse representation of the 

clinical expressions of threats to the health of women who participate in warfighting. For 

each of the conditions considered here, the strongest independent predictor of diagnosis of 

the condition after deployment was diagnosis of the condition before deployment. The 

finding has been documented previously among both male and female participants in 

warfighting and peacekeeping operations. Medical Surveillance Monthly Report

Military anthrax vaccination not linked to long-term 

disability

6 August - No overall increase in the risk of subsequent disability status in US military 

personnel can be attributed to anthrax vaccination while on active duty, according to a 

study published online yesterday in Vaccine... The researchers carried out a case-control 

study of active-duty soldiers who separated from the US Army between Dec 1, 1997, and 

Feb 1, 2005, to determine whether exposure to AVA was associated with long-term 

disability status. Cases included those determined by the military to be disabled before 

separation (N=5,846) and those receiving disability compensation after separation 

(N=148,934); controls, who numbered 782,925, were those separated from the military 

without disability. The proportion of soldiers vaccinated against anthrax was comparable in 

the two case groups but was higher for controls. CIDRAP News Scan

Toxicology report on Fort Bliss soldier who died in 

custody pending

26 July - Commission told KFOX14 they're waiting for a toxicology report on a Fort Bliss 

soldier who died an hour after being sedated at the El Paso County Jail. Sgt. James Brown 

reported for a voluntary two-day sentence July 13 and died July 14. El Paso County Sheriff's 

officials said Brown became combative and was sedated by injection. They said within an 

hour of the injection, Brown's organs shut down and he started bleeding out of every 

orifice. KFOX
Classified Version of 

the Weekly Update

An Army Public Health

Weekly Update is available 

with articles classified up to 

the SECRET level from the 

USAPHC SIPRNet site: 

http://phc.army.smil.mil

Look under Hot Topics & 

Current Issues.

To access this version, you 

will need a SECRET

clearance and a SIPRNet 

account.

Links

A-Z Index 

About USAPHC

Army Public Health and 

Health Information 

Weekly Update Archives

Medical Surveillance 

Monthly Report 

Medical Threat Briefings

(AKO)

Request USAPHC Services 

USAPHC Library

USAPHC Homepage 

USAPHC Training 

Contact USAPHC

U.S. starts landmark Agent Orange cleanup in Vietnam

8 August - ... Dioxin, a persistent chemical linked to cancer, birth defects and other 

disabilities, has seeped into Vietnam's soils and watersheds, creating a lasting war legacy 

that remains a thorny issue between the former foes. Washington has been slow to 

respond, but on Thursday the U.S. for the first time will begin cleaning up dioxin from Agent 

Orange that was stored at the former military base, now part of Danang's airport... The $43 

million project begins as Vietnam and the U.S. forge closer ties to boost trade and counter 

China's rising influence in the disputed South China Sea. Although the countries' economic 

and military ties are blossoming, progress on addressing the dioxin legacy has been slow. 

Washington still disputes a claim by Hanoi that between 3 million to 4 million Vietnamese 

were affected by toxic chemicals sprayed by U.S. planes during the war to eliminate jungle 

cover for guerrilla fighters, arguing that the actual number is far lower and other 

environmental factors are to blame for the health issues. That position irks Vietnamese, who 

say the United States maintains a double standard in acknowledging the consequences of 

Agent Orange. Stars and Stripes

top of page...

GLOBAL

Gonorrhea evades antibiotics, leaving only one drug to 

treat disease

9 August - There's some disturbing news out today about a disease we don't hear about 

much these days: gonorrhea. Federal health officials announced that the sexually 

transmitted infection is getting dangerously close to being untreatable. As a result, the 

federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines for how doctors 

should treat gonorrhea. The guidelines are designed to keep one of the remaining effective 

antibiotics useful for as long as possible by restricting the use of the other drug that works 

against the disease... "Gonorrhea used to be susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline 

and doxycycline — very commonly used drugs," said Jonathan Zenilman, who studies 

infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins. But one by one, each of those antibiotics — and 

almost every new one that has come along since — eventually stopped working. NPR

HIV prevention pill for heterosexuals at risk too

9 August - U.S. health officials said Thursday that doctors should consider giving an AIDS 

prevention pill to women and heterosexual men who are at high risk for getting the virus. 

The government previously advised doctors to give the once-a-day pill Truvada to high-risk 

gay and bisexual men only. However, more than a quarter of new HIV cases each year are 

heterosexuals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "That's not a 

portion of the epidemic we want to ignore," said Dr. Dawn Smith, the CDC physician who 

was lead author of the new guidance. Truvada has been on the market since 2004 to treat 
people who already have the AIDS virus. But after studies showed it could help prevent 

infection among gay and bisexual men, U.S. health officials last year said doctors could 

prescribe it as a preventive for men at high risk. Since then, studies have found it also can 

prevent the virus in women and heterosexual men. NPR

The synthetic scare

4 August – Few things command attention like a random act of 

cannibalism. In May, after police in Florida shot a man who was eating 

the face of an unconscious victim, people took notice. Much of the 

speculation centred on “bath salts”, a previously obscure synthetic drug 

that is thought to induce euphoria, excitement and, occasionally, 

psychotic episodes... In October 2011 the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) added 

several of the ingredients most commonly used in “bath salts” to the controlled-substances 

schedule. More than 40 states have done the same, and last month Barack Obama signed a 

law banning them at federal level. Those laws have given law-enforcement officers more 

room to operate. On July 26th the DEA announced that 90 people had been arrested after a 

nationwide bust. Agents also seized around 5m packets of synthetic drugs and the supplies 

to make about 14m more. Most of the drugs in that bust, in fact, were synthetic marijuana, 

another relatively new drug... Abuse of bath salts (of the non-bathing kind) is troubling, but 

apparently not rampant. The number of people calling poison-control centres about the 

drug has dropped slightly since last year, and in June authorities in Florida produced a 

surprise. An autopsy had found no traces of bath salts in the cannibalistic attacker. The only 

drug involved, apparently, was marijuana—the old-fashioned sort. Economist

top of page...

INFLUENZA

CDC reports cases 18-29 of H3N2v virus infection; 

continues to recommend interim precautions when 

interacting with pigs

3 August –This week CDC reports 12 additional human infections with influenza A (H3N2) 

variant* virus in 3 states: Hawaii (1 case), Ohio (10 cases) and Indiana (1 case). The 

H3N2v virus contains the M gene from the human influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (2009 H1N1) 

virus, as have the previous 17 cases detected since July 2011. All of this week’s reported 

cases occurred in people who had direct or indirect contact with swine prior to their illness. 

The 10 cases in Ohio were associated with attendance at a fair where reportedly ill swine 

were present. The H3N2v case reported by Indiana also occurred in a person who attended 

a fair where swine were present. CDC continues to recommend preventive actions people 

can take to make their fair experience a safe and healthy one. CDC
CDC: Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report

During week 30 (ending 28 July 2012), 5.6% of all deaths reported through the 122-Cities 

Mortality Reporting System were due to pneumonia and influenza. This percentage was 

below the epidemic threshold of 6.6% for week 30. FluView

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control:

Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview

During weeks 29-30 (16-29 July 2012):

• All countries reporting geographic spread were experiencing no activity of influenza-like 

illness/acute respiratory infection.

• Of 29 sentinel specimens, none tested positive for influenza virus. Since week 40/2011, 

89.3% of sentinel influenza viruses detected have been type A and 10.7% type B. The A(H3) 

subtype made up 98.5% of sentinel influenza type A viruses subtyped during the 2011/12 

season.

• Many of the A(H3) viruses reacted poorly with post-infection ferret antisera raised against 

the A/Perth/16/2009 H3N2 vaccine component, prompting the WHO’s decision to 

recommend a change to the A(H3N2) component for the northern hemisphere 2012/13 

influenza season. This is consistent with a low field vaccine effectiveness for the A(H3N2) 

component observed in observational studies. Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview

Google.org: Flu Trends

8 August – Estimates of flu activity based on flu-related Internet search queries indicate that 

the level of flu activity in the northern hemisphere is minimal to low and ranges from 

minimal to high in the southern hemisphere. High levels continue to be found in Australia 

and New Zealand. Google.org Flu Trends

H3N2 found in most pigs tested following human cases

7 August – A high proportion of pigs tested for H3N2 influenza in connection with recent 

human cases of variant H3N2 (H3N2v) in Indiana and Ohio have been found to carry the 

virus, according to figures from state officials. About 30 people in the two states have had 

confirmed H3N2v infection in the past few weeks, most of them in connection with county 

fairs, according to previous reports. The virus carries the M or matrix gene from the 2009 

H1N1 virus, which may increase the strain's ability to jump from pigs to humans, according 

to health officials. Denise Derrer, a spokeswoman for the Indiana State Board of Animal 

Health, said today that 29 of 30 pigs that were tested in connection with three recent 

county fairs had the virus. CIDRAP News

Naval Health Research Center: Febrile Respiratory 

Illness Surveillance Update 

For the week ending 4 August 2011, FRI surveillance at all eight U.S. military basic training 

centers indicated FRI rates were at or below expected values. NHRC Febrile Respiratory 

Illness Surveillance Update 
Two pharmacy chains begin offering vaccine for new flu 

season

7 August - Two pharmacy chains—RiteAid and Walgreens—yesterday announced that flu 

shots for the upcoming season are now available in their stores. The development follows 

recent announcements that four of five vaccine makers had begun shipping their first doses 

for the US market. Companies have said they expect to produce up to 149 million doses of 

flu vaccine for the 2012-13 flu season. RiteAid said in its press release that customers can 

receive flu vaccine at any of its 4,600 stores during pharmacy hours without an 

appointment. Walgreens said that the vaccine is available at its nearly 8,000 stores, 

including Duane Reade pharmacies in New York, as well as at more than 360 Take Care 

Clinics at select Walgreens stores. CIDRAP News Scan

PANDEMIC AND AVIAN INFLUENZA

Study: Sandy rice-field soil in Cambodia may inhibit 

H5N1 spread

7 August - Certain soil types contaminated with H5N1 avian flu viruses led to chicken 

deaths when added to their houses, but sandy topsoil collected from area rice fields seemed 

to resist that pathogen, a Cambodian study in Emerging Infectious Diseases yesterday 

revealed. Investigators studied sandy topsoil collected from around rice fields in Phnom 

Penh province, as well as building sand and soil-based compost from a local tree nursery... 

High-dose building sand and compost both led to a 100% fatality rate after 2 days, whereas 

high-dose sandy topsoil led to no deaths... The authors hypothesize that the sandy soil's 

acidity inhibits H5N1 spread. CIDRAP News Scan

top of page...

VETERINARY/FOOD SAFETY

Russia: Deripaska’s Agroholding kills 2,209 pigs in ASF 

outbreak

8 August - Kuban Agroholding, an agricultural company controlled by billionaire Oleg 

Deripaska’s Basic Element, killed a herd of 2,209 pigs after its second African Swine Fever 

outbreak in 12 days, the company said. A veterinary commission is investigating the farm in 

the town of Ust-Labinsk in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. In the first outbreak at 

another farm in the same town on July 26, all 5,600 pigs were slaughtered, according to 

company data. There have been more than 20 outbreaks to date this year in the country, 

according to Rosselkhoznadzor, the nation’s food safety watchdog. Bloomberg
U.S.: Multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis 

infections linked to ground beef

6 August - Case Count Update: A total of 40 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of 

Salmonella Enteritidis have been reported from 8 states. The 7 new cases are from 4 states: 

New York (4), Rhode Island (1), Vermont (1), and West Virginia (1). Among 40 persons for 

whom information is available, illness onset dates range from June 6, 2012 to July 9, 2012. Ill 

persons range in age from 3 years to 101 years, with a median age of 50 years; 53% are 

female. Among 33 persons with available information, 11 (33%) reported being hospitalized. 

No deaths have been reported. Illnesses that occurred after July 10, 2012 might not yet be 

reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is 

reported. CDC

U.S.: Tiny turtle Salmonella outbreaks expand

9 August - A series of 6 Salmonella outbreaks linked to 

contact with small turtles is now affecting 168 people from 30 

states. That's up from the 149 illnesses reported by the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its last update 

July 3. The 19 new cases have been connected with 4 of the 6 

outbreak strains tied to these reptiles, including Salmonella Sandiego, strain A; Salmonella 

Pomona; Salmonella Poona, strain A and Salmonella Pomona, strain B. No new cases of 

Salmonella Sandiego, strain B or Salmonella Poona, strain B have been detected according 

to the CDC update issued Wednesday. A total of 34 people have been hospitalized. Food 

Safety News

top of page...

WELLNESS

CDC says graphic anti-smoking ads work, more on way

7 August - The ads, which ran for 12 weeks in spring and early summer, aimed to get 

500,000 people to try to quit and 50,000 to kick the habit long-term. "The initial results 

suggest the impact will be even greater than that," says Thomas Frieden, director of the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which spearheaded the $54 million campaign. 

The ads showed real Americans talking about how smoking caused their paralysis, lung 

removal and amputations. He says it's the first time the U.S. government has paid for antismoking ads, although some media ran them free. The CDC doesn't have a tally yet on how 

many people actually tried to quit, but it says the ads generated 192,000 extra calls — more 

than double the usual volume — to its national toll-free quit line, 800-QUIT-NOW, and 

417,000 new visitors to smokefree.gov, its website offering cessation tips. That's triple the 

site's previous traffic. USA Today
Dieting vs. exercise for weight loss

1 August - Two groundbreaking new studies address the irksome 

question of why so many of us who work out remain so heavy, a 

concern that carries special resonance at the moment, as lean 

Olympians slip through the air and water, inspiring countless 

viewers to want to become similarly sleek. And in a just world, 

frequent physical activity should make us slim. But repeated studies have shown that many 

people who begin an exercise program lose little or no weight. Some gain. To better 

understand why, anthropologists leading one of the new studies began with a research trip 

to Tanzania. There, they recruited volunteers from the Hadza tribe, whose members still live 

by hunting and gathering... It’s long been believed that a hunter-gatherer lifestyle involves 

considerable physical activity and therefore burns many calories, far more than are 

incinerated by your average American office worker each day. And it was true, the scientists 

determined, that the Hadza people in general moved more than many Americans do, with 

the men walking about seven miles a day and the women about three. The implication, the 

scientists concluded, is that “active, ‘traditional’ lifestyles may not protect against obesity if 

diets change to promote increased caloric consumption.” That is, even active people will 

pack on pounds if they eat like most of us in the West. New York Times

Few follow car safety guidelines for kids

7 August - Many American children are not meeting recommended car passenger safety 

guidelines for their age group, a new study finds. Too many of these youngsters are also 

riding in the front seat before they're ready, putting them at greater risk on the road, 

according to research published in the September issue of the American Journal of 

Preventive Medicine... The AAP advised that children be placed in rear-facing car seats until 

they are at least 2 years old. Next, children should use forward-facing car seats with a fivepoint harness until they reach the maximum height and weight requirement recommended 

by the seat's manufacturer. Children should continue to use a booster seat until they are 

about 57 inches tall (the average height of an 11-year-old child) and an adult seat belt fits 

them properly. Children under 13 years old should ride in the back seat, the AAP said. WBRC

ICD shocks explain part of decline in VF cardiac arrests 

in Dutch study 

7 August - Cardiac arrests from ventricular fibrillation (VF) in northern Holland decreased 

from 63% of all arrests to 47% of all arrests over the past decade, and a third of this decline 

can be attributed to successful shocks from implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), 

researchers report [1]... This novel study used robust methodology, he added, and showed 

that "appropriate use of ICDs contributes to a decline in the frequency of [out-of-hospital 

cardiac arrests] from VF and thereby saves lives." The team also found an increase in nonVF-related out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, and "the reasons for this increase... are unknown 

but merit investigation," Estes noted. The Heart.org
Sleeping less may dampen vaccine response

6 August - An observational study has found evidence that people who sleep less may be 

less likely to benefit from a vaccine. Scientists gave 125 generally healthy men and women 

the hepatitis B vaccination — two doses one month apart and then a booster six months 

later. For the seven days surrounding each of the shots, they equipped the participants with 

sleep-monitoring devices and had them keep diaries describing their sleep subjectively. 

They drew blood after the second and third shots to determine the subjects’ immune 

response to the vaccine by measuring blood levels of hepatitis B antibodies. After 

adjustment for other factors that affect antibody response, the researchers found that 

duration of sleep as measured by the monitors predicted the blood level of hepatitis B 

antibodies after the second shot and the likelihood of having high enough levels to be 

clinically protected after the six-month booster. New York Times

top of page...

USAFRICOM

Away from the famines, Africa confronts a new killer: 

obesity 

9 August - In the public mind, sub-Saharan Africa is a region plagued by war, famine and 

disease. Now it faces a new threat – obesity. It is not a problem widely associated with a 

continent where millions live on less than a dollar a day. But growing rates of obesity are 

posing a significant risk to the health of the next generation. With a population that has 

passed one billion, Africa is starting to experience the ills of the developed world, driven by 

changing diets, urbanisation and increasingly sedentary lives, according to research 

published in The Lancet. The reasons for the steep rise in obesity among some of the 

world's poorest nations is hotly debated. One theory is that the global increase is a legacy 

of evolution. People from Africa, Asia and Polynesia are particularly prone to obesity 

because they are more likely to have inherited the genes that encourage fat storage. 

Independent

Mali: USAID official on humanitarian crisis

5 August - The United States is gravely concerned by the multiple crises that are affecting 

the people of Mali: a political crisis following the military coup d'état of March 21, a security 

crisis as a result of conflict in the North and the actions of several armed groups, a food 

security crisis affecting populations across the country, all resulting in a complex 

humanitarian crisis that is affecting the people of Mali as well as its neighbors in the Sahel. 

4.6 million Malians face severe hunger; 175,000 Malian children are at risk of severe acute 

malnutrition; and more than 450,000 have fled their homes because of ongoing violence 

coupled with food insecurity... Coupled with the hundreds of thousands of people now 

seeking refuge in neighboring countries, we are deeply concerned that ongoing instability 
and humanitarian crisis here in Mali could further exacerbate an already dire regional food 

crisis. allAfrica

Uganda: WHO says Ebola outbreak under control 

7 August - Officials say Uganda’s Ebola outbreak, which has so far killed 16 people, is now 

under control. It has now been almost one week since the last reported death from the 

virus, though teams continue to search for unreported infections. Though the Ebola 

outbreak in western Uganda’s Kibaale District is not yet fully contained, Dr. Joaquim Saweka 

of the World Health Organization says it is under control. “It is under control in the sense 

that we have isolated and we are treating all suspected and confirmed cases. We are tracing 

all the possible contacts,” Saweka said. One patient was diagnosed with the virus yesterday, 

bringing the total to 60 since the outbreak was confirmed on July 28. Of those patients, 30 

remain in isolation. A team from Uganda’s ministry of health, the U.S. Centers for Disease 

Control and the WHO have also tracked nearly 400 people who came into contact with 

patients diagnosed with Ebola. About 250 are still being monitored for signs of the virus. 

They will not be declared clear until 21 days after they last came into contact with one of 

the patients. Voice of America

Zimbabwe: CSOs petition government over typhoid, 

cholera

8 August - Civil Society Organisations in Zimbabwe on Wednesday petitioned the Inclusive 

Government to immediately address the outbreak of typhoid fever and cholera which have 

broken out in Harare and Chitungwiza... The CSOs demanded that government immediately 

set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the occurrence of the outbreaks throughout 

the country and recommend solutions that would bring an end to the problem. The 

government, the CSOs said, should come up with long term strategies that include a clear 

plan for the provision of clean water and the mobilization of funds and technical resources. 

The Zimbabwean

top of page...

USCENTCOM

Pakistan has second highest rate of hepatitis: WHO

9 August - World Health Organization (WHO) has rated Pakistan as 2nd Country in the 

world having high rates of chronic infections. About 8.6 Million Pakistanis are affected with 

Hepatitis C, the WHO report said. Hepatitis C is found worldwide and countries with high 

rates of chronic infection are Egypt (22% of population), Pakistan (4.8% of population) and 

China (3.2 % of population). The main mode of transmission in these countries is attributed 

to unsafe injection using contaminated equipment. Pakistan is among the top syringe 

consuming countries where 2.4 billion syringes are used every year. The use / reuse of 
suspect quality syringes is posing a serious threat to the life, safety and health of our 

masses / patients by spreading the menace of lethal infectious diseases like Hepatitis B & C 

in the country. More than 15 Million Pakistanis have already been affected by Hepatitis B & 

C mainly attributed to re-use / suspect quality syringes. Pakistan Observer

Syria: Severe shortages of drugs, medicines

7 August - Many of the main drugmakers in conflict-torn Syria have closed down, causing 

severe shortages of medicines for treating chronic diseases and a rising number of 

casualties, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. Hospitals or health 

centers have stopped functioning due to a lack of staff or supplies, while others have been 

damaged or taken over by fighters, the U.N. agency said. Before the 17-month-old revolt 

against President Bashar al-Assad, Syria produced 90 percent of its medicines and drugs. 

But production has been hit by the fighting, lack of raw materials, impact of sanctions and 

higher fuel costs, it said. Reuters

Syria: Senator urges Russia, US to rid Syria of chemical 

arms

8 August - U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, a veteran disarmament campaigner, has urged Russia 

and the United States to put aside their differences over Syria and work together to remove 

its stockpile of chemical weapons. In Moscow for talks with foreign and defence ministry 

officials, he said the proposal was his own, had not been officially sanctioned and the initial 

response from Russia had been cool... Moscow, which has a naval maintenance facility in 

Syria, sells it arms and wants to keep a foothold in the Middle East, has repeatedly opposed 

efforts backed by Washington to tighten sanctions on Damascus and remove Assad from 

power. Reuters

top of page...

USEUCOM

Bulgaria: State of emergency declared, people evacuated 

from village in S. Bulgaria due to fire

8 August - Elderly people and people who find it hard to walk have been evacuated from a 

neighborhood in the southern village of Gorna Kula, municipality of Krumovgrad, 

announced the press center of the Bulgarian Interior Ministry. A fire broke out on 

Wednesday at 2:41 p.m. local time. It engulfed dry grass and bushes and damaged six 

barns. Krumovgrad Mayor Abidin Hadzhimehmed declared a state of emergency and some 

of the people living in Zlatolist neighborhood were evacuated. About 30 people live in the 

neighborhood. Only the elderly people, those who find it hard to walk and farm animals 
were taken to a safe place. Three teams of firefighters were sent to the site immediately 

after the signal. Three more teams were sent from the towns of Krumovgrad and Kardzhali. 

Volunteers also joined the firefighting. Focus Information Agency

top of page...

USNORTHCOM

Mexico: Tropical storm Ernesto skirts Mexican Gulf 

coast, kills two

9 August - Tropical Storm Ernesto skirted the coast of the Gulf 

of Mexico on Thursday, sending wind gusts and showers across 

the state of Veracruz, home to some of Mexico's busiest ports 

and oil installations. The storm had maximum sustained winds 

of 60 mph and was drifting slowly just off the coast in the 

southern Gulf of Mexico, about 5 miles north of Coatzacoalcos, the U.S. National Hurricane 

Center in Miami said in its 2 p.m. EDT advisory. Mexico's government downgraded a 

hurricane warning for the coast of Veracruz to a tropical storm warning and the NHC said 

further weakening was expected as Ernesto moved over mountainous terrain on the 

mainland. However, torrential rain and flooding was expected in Veracruz and authorities 

reported two deaths. Officials from state-run oil company Pemex said there were no reports 

of disruptions to facilities in the region, which include the Minatitlan refinery, producing 

185,000 barrels of crude per day. Reuters

U.S.: Kids' cholesterol down; fewer trans fats cited

7 August - Finally some good news about cholesterol and kids: A big government study 

shows that in the past decade, the proportion of children who have high cholesterol has 

fallen. The results are surprising, given that the childhood obesity rate didn't budge. How 

can that be? Some experts think that while most kids may not be eating less or exercising 

more, they may be getting fewer trans fats. That's because the artery-clogging ingredient 

has been removed or reduced in many processed or fried foods such as doughnuts, cookies 

and french fries. ABC News

U.S.: Health risks from cell phones needs review, U.S. 

GAO says

7 August - The U.S. should reassess standards for radiation exposure from mobile phones, 

the Government Accountability Office said in a report that found federal guidelines lagging 

behind international standards. Limits set in 1996 by the Federal Communications 

Commission may not reflect recent research on radio-frequency energy from phones, and 

testing requirements may not identify maximum exposure in all usage conditions, the 
agency said in a July 24 study released today. The FCC doesn’t test for devices carried 

against the body, a practice that may lead to exposure that exceeds the FCC’s limit, the GAO 

said. Bloomberg

U.S.: Human trafficking - how US states fare

7 August - Human 

trafficking is often called 

modern-day slavery. 

Women and men are 

exploited and degraded 

while their traffickers 

become rich. In the US, sex 

trafficking and domestic 

servitude are not 

uncommon, but often 

hidden from view: women 

smuggled across borders 

and coerced into 

prostitution; people who don't speak English working round the clock as domestic staff, 

unaware of their legal rights; young people out of school and looking for work lured into 

travelling sales jobs that turn into forced labour. The Polaris Project, a US-based antitrafficking organisation, has identified 10 types of statues they deem critical to fighting 

human trafficking... In their most recent report, they ranked states according to their 

legislative record on trafficking. BBC News

U.S., Minnesota: Brain-eating amoeba eyed in death of 

child

8 August - Minnesota State Department of Health officials have been eyeing a rare parasitic 

amoeba in the death of child. The child, whose name, age and sex have not been released, 

is believed to have died from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis caused by Naegleria 

fowleri, an amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater. "Through swimming or diving, it can 

enter through the nose and gain access to the brain," said Dr. William Schaffner, president 

of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and chairman of preventive medicine at 

Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Health officials investigating the death said the child 

had been swimming at Lily Lake in Stillwater Minn., which has been closed until further 

notice. While exceedingly rare, Naegleria fowleri infections are almost always fatal. Only one 

person out of 123 infected in the United States between 1962 and 2011 has survived, 

according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ABC News

U.S.: Mixed views are found on stricter laws for guns

8 August - Most voters in Colorado, Virginia and Wisconsin are not clamoring for stricter 

state laws covering the sale of guns, with majorities in each state saying more restrictions 

would not prevent violent attacks like last month’s killings in Aurora, Colo. Still, roughly 4 in 
10 likely voters say gun laws in their individual states should be made more strict, new 

Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News polls find. But as many voters in Virginia 

say the laws should stay the way they are, as do about half of voters in Colorado and 

Wisconsin. (Most interviews in Wisconsin were conducted before Sunday’s shooting at a 

Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis.) The polls found that 6 percent in Wisconsin, 8 percent in 

Colorado and 9 percent in Virginia want their gun laws made less strict. Many voters seem 

to lack confidence in the effectiveness of more stringent laws. About 6 in 10 voters in 

Virginia and Wisconsin and two-thirds in Colorado say stricter laws would not deter 

gunmen intent on mass shootings. New York Times

U.S.: Six in 10 adults now get physically active by walking

7 August - Sixty-two percent of adults say they walked for at least once for 10 minutes or 

more in the previous week in 2010, compared to 56 percent in 2005, according to a new 

Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, less than 

half (48 percent) of all adults get enough physical activity to improve their health, according 

to data from the National Health Interview Survey. For substantial health benefits, the 2008 

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends at least 2 1⁄2 hours per week of 

moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, such as brisk walking. This activity should be 

done for at least 10 minutes at a time. CDC

U.S.: Utah military camp wildfire burns near artillery

8 August - A wildfire burning on a Utah military installation has officials concerned about 

the potential it could spread to an area littered with thousands of unexploded shells, which 

could still detonate. Utah National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Hank McIntire said Wednesday 

the wildfire was moving away from an artillery practice area, but it has previously gotten as 

close as a few hundred yards. Officials worry about what could happen if it marches back. 

"We can't actively fight the fire in that area because of the threat to personal safety," 

McIntire said. McIntire said the practice area covers hundreds of acres and has collected 

shells for nearly a century, since 1914. The unexploded shells could still ignite in a wildfire, 

sending shrapnel flying. The Pinyon Fire on Utah National Guard's Camp Williams about 40 

miles southwest of Salt Lake City has scorched 4.7 square miles since it was started by 

lightning on Sunday. It was 40 percent contained Wednesday morning. ABC News
U.S.: West Nile virus human infections reported to 

ArboNET, by state (as of August 7, 2012) CDC

top of page...

USPACOM

Burma, Thailand tackle malaria, dengue

6 August - Health authorities in Burma and Thailand are cooperating to contain the spread 

of malaria and dengue fever along the two countries’ border after noticing severe outbreaks 

of the two diseases, the Thai News Agency has reported. Last year, Thai health officials 

reported that a total of 1,344 people were infected by the mosquito-borne diseases in 

border areas, around 70 percent of them in the Kra Buri border district in Thailand’s Ranong 

Province. Irrawaddy

China: 2,000 arrested in counterfeit drug crackdown

5 August - Chinese government authorities have detained nearly 2,000 people as part of a 

nationwide crackdown on the sale of fake or counterfeit drugs and health care products, 

according to a report on Sunday from Xinhua, the official news agency. The government 

said that it had mobilized more than 18,000 officers in recent weeks to break up drug 

counterfeiting rings and that officials had seized about $182 million in fake medicine, 

including fraudulent drugs for the treatment of cancer, hypertension and diabetes. The 

crackdown comes amid growing concerns about the prevalence of counterfeit drugs and 

tainted food supplies in China, and increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting operations. 

New York Times
China: Typhoon Haikui wreaks havoc after landing in E 

China

8 August - Typhoon Haikui, the 11th typhoon of the year, has 

brought downpours and floods to east China after landing in 

Zhejiang Province early Wednesday morning, the provincial 

observatory said. Haikui landed in Hepu Township, Xiangshan 

County near the Sanmenwan Gulf in central Zhejiang at 3:20 

a.m. with a maximum wind speed of 150 km per hour, the observatory said. Provincial 

authorities have evacuated 1.5 million people in preparation for the storm, as it is expected 

to remain in the province for 24 hours before moving to neighboring Anhui Province, said Li 

Jian, head of the provincial meteorological bureau. Rain-triggered flooding stranded about 

130 people in three hotels in the city of Lin'an, local rescuers said, adding that 123 people 

have been rescued thus far. Roads to the hotels were flooded, forcing the rescuers to walk 

the last two kilometers on foot. Another 300 tourists were stranded in a scenic area in Anji 

County after a bridge linking the scenic spot and the foot of a nearby mountain was 

destroyed Tuesday, county officials said. Xinhua

Philippines begins clean-up after monsoon rains kill 

scores

9 August - The Philippines began a massive clean-up on Thursday after floods swept the 

capital and nearby provinces, forcing residents to wade through shoulder-deep waters in 

some places after nearly two weeks of monsoon rains killed 91 people. Power, water and 

communications services were restored as floodwaters started to recede, allowing many to 

return home to fix their houses. Nearly 300,000 people remained in temporary shelters, 

disaster officials said. "It's getting better in the capital region," Susana Cruz, regional head of 

the civil defense office, told reporters. "We're still distributing food and potable water to the 

affected communities, but we're also helping local government units in their clean-up 

efforts. "Schools remained shut for the third day to house displaced families. Public and 

private offices reopened. Chicago Tribune

Philippines: U.N. urges Philippines to pass reproductive 

health bill amid protests from Catholic Church

6 August - The United Nations has urged the Philippines to pass a bill that will allow the 

government to provide free contraceptives," BBC News reports (8/5). "UNFPA country 

coordinator Ugochi Florence Daniels said the [reproductive health (RH)] bill is important for 

the Philippines to achieve its health-related targets in the Millennium Development Goals 

(MDGs)," including maternal health, HIV/AIDS and infant mortality. Kaiser Daily Global 

Health Policy Report
Viet Nam: South VN faces threat of dengue 

7 August - People in southern parts of the country have been warned to take precautions 

against the spread of dengue fever, as the risk of getting the disease rises next month... 

According to department reports, dengue is rapidly spreading over southern cities and 

provinces, with more than 1,000 fever cases recorded per week, infecting nearly 15,000 

people and killing 11 during the first seven months of this year. The number of people to 

catch dengue fever during this period is 4.4 per cent higher than the same period last year. 

The area at greatest dengue fever cases is HCM City, followed by Dong Nai and Khanh Hoa 

provinces and Can Tho city. Although many other areas in the south and central regions 

also face high threats of outbreaks. Viet Nam News

top of page...

USSOUTHCOM

Chile bans marketing of toys in children's food

1 August - A new law in Chile aims to take some of the fun out of 

fast-food by forcing McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and other 

restaurants to stop including toys and other goodies with 

children's meals. The companies are still using toys to draw in 

Chile's increasingly chubby children more than a month after the 

ban took effect on June 7, Sen. Giudo Girardi said as he filed a formal complaint Wednesday 

with the health ministry. "These businesses know that this food damages the health of 

children and they know that the law is in effect. They're using fraudulent and abusive 

means," Girardi said. The complaint also targets makers of cereal, popsicles and other 

products that attract children with toys, crayons or stickers, as well as markets that sell the 

food. If Chile's health ministry upholds his allegations, the companies could be forced to 

remove the goodies or face nominal fines. CBS News

Venezuela, Argentina to provide joint aid for Haiti

9 August – Venezuela’s National Assemby has approved for the first time a joint 

cooperation programme with Argentina aimed at supporting Haiti after the damage caused 

by natural disasters this year. The programme, called Development of the Agricultural and 

Health Sectors in Haiti, shows Venezuela and Argentina’s commitment to the Caribbean 

nation and will allow for the development of family agriculture, with which the Haitian 

economy is expected to recover. Bernama

top of page...
U.S. Military | Global | Influenza | Veterinary/Food Safety | Wellness | Contact Us

USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM

The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical 

intelligence product. Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence.

External Links: The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Army of this Web site or the information, products, 

or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites, the U.S. Army does not exercise any 

editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product.

Although Health Information Operations avoids links to sites that may be blocked, all sites may not be accessible from all locations. While we verify the 

links at the time of publication, we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future.

Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Department opinions/views, policy, or guidance, and should not be 

construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Department.

The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Health Information Operations Program, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communication, United 

States Army Public Health Command.