20 April 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

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Contents

U.S. MILITARY

 Predictive value of surveillance case definitions of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in vaccine safety 

assessment

 Veterans Department to increase mental health staffing

GLOBAL

 'Aid helps more children reach five', says ODI report

 Live experiment shows that MRSA dies on antimicrobial copper surfaces

 Naturally drug-resistant cave bacteria possible key to new antibiotics

 Researchers say WHO multi-prong interventions work in improving hand hygiene compliance

 Using AIDS drugs to prevent infection: a bargain?

INFLUENZA

 Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center: DoD Influenza Surveillance Summary

 CDC: Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report

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

 USAPHC: U.S. Army Influenza Activity Report

 PANDEMIC AND AVIAN INFLUENZA

 China: H5N1 hits cluster of chicken farms

VETERINARY/FOOD SAFETY

 Dole recalls bagged salad for salmonella risk

 FDA wants drug firms to limit the use of antibiotics in farm animals

 Moon Marine USA Corp. recalls 30 tons of raw tuna

 Salmonella tuna sushi outbreak

 U.S.: Low water flows cause avian cholera outbreak
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WELLNESS

 Children's soft drink use linked to disease

 Gum disease doesn't cause heart attacks, experts say

 Insect bite medicine warning

 Opium study raises questions about painkillers

 Positive feelings may help protect cardiovascular health

 Social factors may affect lifespan more than race, location

 Study: Menthol smokers double stroke risk

 The guide to beating a heart attack

USAFRICOM

 Eritrea: Effective environmental hygiene program implemented in She'ib sub-zone

 Nigeria: Benue tops HIV/AIDS chart with 6 million cases

 South Africa: 'Technical glitch' sees clinics running out of chronic medication

USCENTCOM

 Saudi Arabia: Vaccination against cervical cancer stressed

 Yemen: Rising landmine death toll in Hajjah Governorate

USEUCOM

 Serbia: Q fever outbreak, January to February 2012

 United Kingdom: Drought may last until Christmas, environment agency

 United Kingdom: Vaccine call after increase in whooping cough cases

USNORTHCOM

 Farm group seeks U.S. halt on "dangerous" crop chemicals

 Fast food in the U.S. has way more salt than in other countries

 U.S.: Interpreters in ER may help limit medical errors

 U.S.: Measles, 2011

 U.S.: Test links strains of common parasite to severe illness in newborns

USPACOM

 Australia: Silent epidemic calls out for cure

 Burmese powder sparks arsenic warning

 China: Toxic plants and endangered animal traces found in traditional Chinese medicines

USSOUTHCOM

 Brazil health study shows growing weight problem

 Haiti health workers to give cholera vaccine
National 

Prescription Drug 

Take-Back Day 

The Drug Enforcement 

Administration (DEA) has 

scheduled another 

National Prescription Drug 

Take-Back Day for 

Saturday, April 28, 2012, 

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Americans who 

participated in the DEA’s 

third National Prescription 

Drug Take-Back Day on 

October 29, 2011, turned in 

more than 188.5 tons of 

unwanted or expired 

medications for safe and 

proper disposal at the 

5,327 take-back sites.

Collection Site Locator

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.

U.S. MILITARY

Predictive value of surveillance case definitions of 

Guillain-Barré Syndrome in vaccine safety assessment

March 2012 - ...Population-level surveillance for adverse events after vaccination oft en 

relies on administrative data bases for initial identification of possible cases through the use 

of ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes. However, the positive predictive value (PPV) of unverified 

diagnosis codes can vary greatly. For example, in a study evaluating seizure events after 

receipt of a pneumococcal vaccine, the PPV was 97 percent if the seizure related ICD-9-CM 

diagnostic code was assigned in an emergency department visit, but only 64 percent if the 

code was assigned during a hospitalization.6 Recently, Jones et al. reported on the poor 

specificity of hospital discharge diagnoses of GBS in a state health department hospital 

discharge dataset and reported that the PPV of a GBS diagnostic code (ICD-9-CM: 357.0) in 

a hospital record was only 30 percent.7 GBS was one of several outcomes that MILVAX 

monitored as part of its pandemic influenza A/H1N1 vaccine safety assessment. This report 

summarizes the results of the MILVAX chart confirmation of possible GBS cases (identified 

by AFHSC) and based on these findings, estimates the sensitivity, specificity, and PPV of 

different surveillance case definitions of GBS. Medical Surveillance Monthly Report

Veterans Department to increase mental health staffing

19 April - The Department of Veterans Affairs will announce on Thursday that it plans to hire 

about 1,600 additional psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other mental health

clinicians in an effort to reduce long wait times for services at many veterans medical 

centers. The hiring, which would be augmented by the addition of 300 clerical workers, 

would increase the department’s mental health staff by nearly 10 percent at a time when 

the veterans health system is being overwhelmed not just by veterans returning from Iraq 

and Afghanistan, but also by aging veterans from the Vietnam era. “History shows that the 

costs of war will continue to grow for a decade or more after the operational missions in 

Iraq and Afghanistan have ended,” Eric K. Shinseki, the secretary of veterans affairs, said in a 

statement to be released Thursday. “As more veterans return home, we must ensure that all 

veterans have access to quality mental health care.” New York Times

top of page...

GLOBAL

'Aid helps more children reach five', says ODI report

16 April - Four million more children a year are living 

beyond their fifth birthday than in 1990, a new report for 

Save the Children and Unicef has found. Research by the 

Overseas Development Institute shows that aid is a key 

factor in improving children's well-being around the world.

It says economic growth and good government policies also help improve their life-
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chances. Children in Brazil, Bangladesh and Vietnam have made great improvements. BBC 

News

Live experiment shows that MRSA dies on antimicrobial 

copper surfaces

12 April - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has met its match 

against antimicrobial copper. A live webcast experiment 

(http://www.antimicrobialtouchsurface.com/) demonstrated that antimicrobial copper 

effectively kills MRSA within two hours while it readily survives on stainless steel. 

"Antimicrobial copper is part of the solution in the fight against healthcare-acquired 

infections – it kills 99.9 percent of bacteria* within two hours of exposure," says Harold 

Michels, senior vice president of technology and technical services for the Copper 

Development Association (CDA). The experiment was sponsored by the International

Copper Association and the European Copper Institute. Professor William Keevil, 

microbiological researcher and head of Environmental Research at the University of 

Southampton (UK), who conducted the experiment notes, "We know that 80 percent of all 

infections are spread by touch and a contaminated hand will contaminate at least another 

seven touch surfaces," Keevil said during the webcast. MRSA is a type of staph bacteria that 

is resistant to certain antibiotics called beta-lactams, according to the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC). Between 2005 and 2008, 17,508 cases of invasive MRSA 

infections contracted in healthcare facilities were recorded in the U.S. alone. Infection 

Control Today

Naturally drug-resistant cave bacteria possible key to 

new antibiotics

14 April - New research findings suggest the key to finding a whole new 

variety of antibiotics to treat drug-resistant infections may lie with the 

resident bacteria in one of the most isolated caves in the world. The U.S. 

scientists who conducted the study say bacteria collected from Lechuguilla 

Cave in the state of New Mexico appear to possess an innate resistance to 

antibiotics, despite never having been exposed to any human sources. Some of the bacteria 

had a pre-existing defense against as many as 14 different antibiotics. In all, the scientists 

say the cave-dwelling organisms showed a naturally-developed resistance to virtually every 

antibiotic currently used to treat bacterial infections. VOA News

Researchers say WHO multi-prong interventions work in 

improving hand hygiene compliance

13 April - During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, high compliance 

in healthcare workers with hand hygiene was primarily driven by fear. However, the postSARS period confirmed that this practice was not sustainable. At the Singapore General 

Hospital, a 1,600-bedded acute tertiary care hospital, the hand hygiene program was 

revised in early 2007 following Singapore's signing of the pledge to the World Health 

Organization (WHO) "Clean Care is Safer Care" program. A multi-prong approach was used 
in designing the hand hygiene program. This included system change; training and 

education; evaluation and feedback; reminders in the workplace; and institutional safety

climate. Hand hygiene compliance rate improved from 20 percent (in January 2007) to 61 

percent (2010). Improvement was also seen annually in the compliance to each of the 5 

moments as well as in all staff categories. Healthcare-associated MRSA infections were 

reduced from 0.6 (2007) to 0.3 (2010) per 1000 patient-days. The researchers say that 

leadership's support of the program evidenced through visible leadership presence, 

messaging and release of resources is the key factor in helping to make the program a true 

success. Infection Control Today

Using AIDS drugs to prevent infection: a bargain?

16 April - Giving an AIDS-fighting drug to men who are at 

high risk of HIV infection would cost billions, but it might be 

worth it terms of reducing infection rates, U.S. researchers 

said on Monday. Since 2010, when a landmark study in the 

New England Journal of Medicine found that giving a daily 

dose of Gilead Sciences' Truvada to men who have sex with men can reduce HIV infection 

rates by 44 percent, researchers have been trying to work out how to make this treatment 

approach financially feasible. Reuters

top of page...

INFLUENZA

Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center: DoD Influenza 

Surveillance Summary

18 April:

Influenza activity remains low to moderate in overseas DoD laboratory surveillance 

networks and the influenza activity continues to decrease within the MHS from 

previous weeks. 

The influenza vaccination rate for the DoD (Active Duty component only) was 97% 

(final update of the season). AFHSC DoD Influenza Surveillance Summary

CDC: Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report

During week 14 (1-7 April 2012), influenza activity was elevated in some areas of the United 

States, but declined nationally and in most regions. FluView
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control:

Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview

During week 14 (2-8 April 2012), low intensity was reported by 22 countries and medium 

intensity by four countries, while none reported high intensity. Weekly Influenza Surveillance 

Overview

USAPHC: U.S. Army Influenza Activity Report

14 April – Influenza activity appears to be decreasing and overall activity remains lower than 

last year. USAPHC U.S. Army Influenza Activity Report

PANDEMIC AND AVIAN INFLUENZA

China: H5N1 hits cluster of chicken farms

18 April - An outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza has hit several farms in China's Ningxia Hui 

autonomous region, Chinese officials said in a report filed with the World Organization for 

Animal Health (OIE). It said 10,468 of 23,880 affected chickens died, and another 84,532 

were destroyed to arrest the outbreak, for a total of 95,000 chickens lost in the Yuanzhou 

district of the city of Guyan. The virus's presence was confirmed by the Harbin Veterinary 

Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Officials said the source of the 

infection was unknown. The Ministry of Agriculture said the outbreak was under control, 

according to a China Daily report today. CIDRAP News Scan

top of page...

VETERINARY/FOOD SAFETY

Dole recalls bagged salad for salmonella risk

16 April - Dole Food Co.'s fresh vegetables division is recalling 756 cases of bagged salad, 

because they could be contaminated with salmonella. The bags of Seven Lettuces salads 

were distributed in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, 

Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and 

Wisconsin. The company said the bags are being recalled, because a random sample tested 

by the State of New York came back positive for Salmonella. No other Dole salads are 

included in the recall. The recalled salads are stamped with a use-by date of April 11, 2012, 

UPC code 71430 01057 and product codes 0577N089112A and 0577N089112B, the 

company said. The product code and use-by date are located in the upper right-hand 

corner of the package, while the UPC code is on the back of the package, below the 
barcode. Dole said that it's coordinating with regulatory officials and that no illnesses have 

been reported. Consumers should throw out the recalled salads. Dole said it's also 

contacting retailers to make sure the bags in question are not available for sale. The most 

common symptoms of salmonella are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight to 

72 hours of eating the contaminated food. ABC News

FDA wants drug firms to limit the use of antibiotics in 

farm animals

13 April - Joel Petrus is a farmer who loves his beef cattle enough to see that they get 

medical attention -- but only when they are sick. Petrus, president of Petrus Feed & Seed in 

Alexandria, said giving antibiotics to cattle when not needed does nothing to help the 

animals. He wasn't shocked to learn that the Food and Drug Administration called on drug 

companies Wednesday to help limit the use of antibiotics in farm animals, a decades-old 

practice that scientists say has contributed to a surge in dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria.

"There needs to be some limitations, but I don't think getting rid of antibiotics for cattle and 

farm animals is the answer," he said. "This all started because people have been misusing 

the antibiotics. I only give my cattle antibiotics, like a penicillin shot, when they are sick." An 

estimated 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. wind up on animal farms. Neither the 

livestock industry nor the government tracks what percentage of those drugs are used to 

boost animal weight, but many experts believe the vast majority go toward non-medical 

uses. The Town Talk

Moon Marine USA Corp. recalls 30 tons of raw tuna

18 April - A Cupertino seafood importer is recalling nearly 60,000 pounds of raw ground 

yellowfin tuna linked to 116 salmonella infections in February and March. Moon Marine USA 

Corp., also known as MMI, sold the "Nakaochi Scrape," a frozen back-meat product scraped 

from the fish bones, to retailers and distributors across the country. The product probably 

passed through several distributors before arriving at restaurants and grocery stores, and 

each package may not have been marked with the company's name or lot information, the 

Food and Drug Administration said. People in 20 states and the District of Columbia were 

infected with the bacteria, most after eating spicy tuna sushi made with MMI's tuna. Most 

people recovered after a few days of suffering from diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. 

Twelve people were hospitalized, and no one has died, the FDA said. San Francisco 

Chronicle

Salmonella tuna sushi outbreak

16 April - In the wake of an April, 2012 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

announcement that at least 116 people have become ill in a Salmonella outbreak linked to 

Sushi, the attorneys at Marler Clark are distributing a FAQ list for consumers who may have 

been exposed in the outbreak. A total of 116 persons infected with the outbreak strain of 

Salmonella Bareilly have been reported from 20 states and the District of Columbia. The 

number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2), Arkansas (1), 

Connecticut (5), District of Columbia (2), Florida (1), Georgia (5), Illinois (10), Louisiana (2), 

Maryland (11), Massachusetts (8), Mississippi (1), Missouri (2), New Jersey (7), New York (24), 
North Carolina (2), Pennsylvania (5), Rhode Island (5), South Carolina (3), Texas (3), Virginia 

(5), and Wisconsin (12). 12 ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been 

reported. Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health 

agencies indicate that a frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, known as Nakaochi Scrape, from 

Moon Marine USA Corporation is the likely source of this outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly 

infections. Food Poison Journal

U.S.: Low water flows cause avian cholera outbreak

17 April - More than 10,000 migrating birds have died from an avian cholera outbreak 

blamed on reduced water flows through vast marshlands of southern Oregon and northern 

California known as Western Everglades, federal wildlife officials said. Avian cholera, which 

poses virtually no risk to human health, surfaces in the region nearly every year in wetlands 

of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, but the recent waterfowl die-off there is the 

worst in over a decade, said Matt Baun, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"We estimate 10,000 to 15,000 birds will die, after everything is said and done," he said, 

adding that snow geese, American coots, American wigeon ducks, white-fronted geese and 

Northern pintail ducks have been the hardest hit. Reuters

top of page...

WELLNESS

Children's soft drink use linked to disease

10 April – Precursory signs of cardiovascular disease can be seen in children as young as 12 

who have a high intake of sugary drinks, Sydney researchers have found, which could have 

implications for the rates of the disease in the future. While narrowed blood vessels inside 

the eye are a known precursor to cardiovascular disease in adults, researchers from the 

Westmead Millennium Institute for medical research have for the first time looked at the 

link between carbohydrates, which includes sugars, and the retinal health of children. Nearly 

2000 12-year-olds had retinal images taken at the Centre for Vision Research at the 

University of Sydney. Narrowing of the retinal arteries was seen in those children with an 

intake of more than 274 grams of carbohydrate a day. A major source of those 

carbohydrates was soft drinks or cordial, found the study published in this month's 

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, with high-risk children consuming one or more 

glasses a day. The study leader, Bamini Gopinath, said the health of retinal blood vessels 

gave a ''very accurate'' indication of blood vessel health throughout the entire body. The 

Sydney Morning Herald

Gum disease doesn't cause heart attacks, experts say

19 April - Preventing heart disease is not as easy as 

brushing your teeth. While numerous studies have 

linked gum disease with an increased risk of heart 

disease and stroke, there is no proof that bad gums 

actually cause heart disease or strokes, an American Heart 

Association committee said after reviewing 500 journal articles and studies. Moreover, 
claims that dental treatment may prevent heart attack or stroke are unwarranted, the 

committee of doctors, dentists and infectious-disease researchers said in a statement. "The 

message sent out by some in health care professions – that heart attack and stroke are 

directly linked to gum disease – can distort the facts, alarm patients and perhaps shift the 

focus of prevention away from well-known risk factors for these diseases," said committee 

member Dr. Peter Lockhart, a professor of oral medicine at the Carolinas Medical Center in 

Charlotte, N.C. It is biologically plausible, the committee acknowledged, that oral bacteria 

infections could cause heart disease. Mouth bacteria can enter the bloodstream during 

dental procedures and tooth brushing. However, gum disease and heart disease share many 

common risk factors, including cigarette smoking, age and diabetes, and these factors are 

more likely to explain why diseases of the blood vessels and mouth occur in tandem. Fox 

News

Insect bite medicine warning

12 April - Over-the-counter medicines for insect bites may be ineffective - despite being 

packed with powerful pharmaceuticals, experts say today. Creams include substances such 

as anti-histamines, steroids and anaesthetics. About 3,000 people a week are thought to 

consult GPs abut insect bites, from creatures such as midges, fleas and bedbugs. According 

to the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, there is little evidence to support their claimed 

benefits. Some products have been studied in clinical trials - but none of these are licensed 

for use in the UK, the bulletin says. Even worse steroid creams are sold for itching and 

inflammation - but they should not be used on the face or broken skin, it says. Meanwhile 

pain-killing creams are only "marginally effective" and may be counterproductive by causing 

sensitisation - meaning the patient becomes more sensitive to future bites or to the 

chemicals used in the cream. Antiseptic creams are also backed by little evidence - but a 

counter-irritant made from dilute ammonium may help relieve itching, according to journal 

deputy editor David Phizackerley. Englemed

Opium study raises questions about painkillers

17 April - About 20 million people are using the drug 

opium or one of its derivatives. A new study suggests new 

reasons for viewing this as problematic. Research in the 

British Medical Journal finds strong connections between 

people using opium and conditions such as cancer, 

circulatory diseases and respiratory conditions. "Long term recreational opioid use, even at 

relatively modest levels, causes important increases in death from multiple different causes," 

said study co-author Paul Brennan, head of the Section of Genetics at the International 

Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France. Although this study focused on opium for 

recreational purposes, the research also has significant implications for medicinal uses of 

opium-derived painkillers - such as morphine and codeine, Irfan Dhalla, assistant professor 

at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, wrote in an accompanying editorial. CNN
Positive feelings may help protect cardiovascular health

17 April - Over the last few decades numerous studies have shown negative states, such as 

depression, anger, anxiety, and hostility, to be detrimental to cardiovascular health. Less is 

known about how positive psychological characteristics are related to heart health. In the 

first and largest systematic review on this topic to date, Harvard School of Public Health 

(HSPH) researchers found that positive psychological well-being appears to reduce the risk 

of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events. The study was published online 

April 17, 2012 in Psychological Bulletin. Science Daily

Social factors may affect lifespan more than race, 

location

17 April - A group of socioeconomic factors such as education, income and work are better 

indicators of your chances of living to age 70 than race or geography, a new study shows.

The findings challenge the long-held belief that race or the region of the country where you 

reside are the best markers of how long you may live, according to researchers from 

Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, Calif. Previous research has found large 

differences in life expectancy in various regions of the United States. For example, people 

tend to die younger in large urban areas and in the South. A study published last year found 

that men in five counties in Mississippi lived an average of 66.5 years, several years less than 

the national average of 75.4 years for men. Medline Plus

Study: Menthol smokers double stroke risk 

16 April - People who smoke menthol cigarettes have a much higher 

risk of stroke than those who smoke regular cigarettes, according to a 

new study. "Current mentholated cigarette smokers have an over two 

times greater risk of having stroke," says Nicholas Vozoris, a Canadian 

scientist who conducted the research. "And particularly driving this 

association were women and non-African Americans." Vozoris is a clinical associate at Saint 

Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and his study used data from more than 5,000 smokers in a 

U.S. government survey. VOA News

The guide to beating a heart attack

16 April - Here's the good news: Heart disease and its consequences are largely 

preventable. The bad news is that nearly one million Americans will suffer a heart attack this 

year. Deaths from coronary heart disease in the U.S. have been cut by 75% during the past 

40 years. Hospital admissions for heart attack among the elderly fell by nearly 25% in a fiveyear period during the last decade, a remarkable feat when many experts had expected the 

aging population to cause an increase in the problem. Still, cardiovascular disease remains 

the leading killer of both men and women. Doctors worry that the steady progress from an 

intense public-health campaign beginning in the 1960s is in jeopardy thanks to the obesity 

epidemic and rising prevalence of diabetes. Only a relative handful of people are fully 

compliant with recommendations for diet, exercise and other personal habits well proven to 
help keep hearts healthy. Particularly troubling are increasingly common reports of heart 

attacks among younger people, even those in their 20s and 30s, says Donald M. LloydJones, a cardiologist and chief of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg 

School of Medicine in Chicago. There is a lot a person can do to help prevent a heart attack. 

One international study found that about 90% of the risk associated with such factors as 

high cholesterol and blood pressure, physical activity, smoking and diet, are within a 

person's ability to control. The Wall Street Journal

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USAFRICOM

Eritrea: Effective environmental hygiene program 

implemented in She'ib sub-zone

16 April - The inhabitants of 10 Administrative areas of She'ib sub-zone explained that the 

environmental hygiene activities carried out in the locality have been effective with the 

morbidity of communicable diseases caused by lack of hygiene showing significant drop. 

Ms. Amna Idris Salm and Mr. Ibrahim Omer expressed conviction that earlier the awareness 

of the community as regards the use of latrines was limited and that various sensitization 

programs implemented in the locality have altered the weak aspects effectively. Mr. Girmai 

Mebrahtu, Administrator of She'ib sub-zone, commended the impressive community 

participation and receptiveness. Dr. Yohannes Tekeste, head of the Health Ministry's branch 

in Southern Red Sea sub-zone, indicated that endeavors to eradicate diseases caused by 

lack of hygiene began in 2009, and that the program has now been extended to 10 villages. 

The head of environmental health department in the Ministry, Dr. Tekeste Araya, on his part 

asserted that the achievement scored in safeguarding public health can be correlated with 

the nation's development stride and commended the nationals' growing awareness 

regarding prevention of diseases through environmental hygiene. All Africa

Nigeria: Benue tops HIV/AIDS chart with 6 million cases

16 April - Benue State tops HIV/AIDS chart with 600,000 cases in the country, Executive 

Secretary, Benue State AIDS Control Agency (BENSACA), Mrs. Ashi Wende, has disclosed. 

The executive secretary was speaking at a 3-day workshop on "Stigma Reduction and 

Discrimination for Producers, Reporters and Duty Continuity Announcers' organized by the 

state Ministry of Information in conjunction with BENSACA. She attributed the menace to 

inability of the people to change their behaviours, saying that a situation in the past where 

attention was given to treatment and care at the expense of prevention was not giving the 

desired result. "Let me appeal to the Benue State government to key properly into its 

development plans as it is a major underlining factor of the reckless sexual behaviours 

especially among the youth of the state," she said. Mrs. Wende, who called for publicprivate partnership for enhanced funding, also urged civil society involvement especially in 

the rural areas where, she said, recent studies found higher prevalence rates of the disease 

than the urban centres. All Africa
South Africa: 'Technical glitch' sees clinics running out of 

chronic medication

16 April - Some chronically ill patients in the Western Cape have had to go for days without 

taking their prescribed medication at some state hospitals as a new contractor appointed to 

provide prepackaged chronic medication has been experiencing "technical glitches". At the 

beginning of the month the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health appointed UTi 

Pharma to take over the management of the Chronic Dispensing Unit (CDU) from 

Institutional Pharmacy Management (IPM) whose five year contract had come to an end. On 

Friday, two weeks later, Western Cape Minister of Health Theuns Botha said there had been 

"some operational problems" in transferring the details of about 200 000 patients from the 

old CDU system to the new operator which resulted in problems in the dispensing of 

chronic medication to patients. However, he said on Friday that the situation had just been 

resolved. But the technical glitches created a "huge" backlog in the dispensing of chronic 

medication at some state hospitals. At Retreat Community Hospital, a senior health official 

who spoke on condition of anonymity said because UTi Pharma was unable to provide prepackaged chronic medication, they had a week-long backlog. "We have asked patients who 

have a supply of medicines to come back next week. Those (patients) who have nothing, we 

are trying to assist them," he said. All Africa

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USCENTCOM

Saudi Arabia: Vaccination against cervical cancer 

stressed

12 April - Currently around 2.2 percent of the female population in Saudi Arabia suffers 

from cervical cancer, according to an oncology expert in Riyadh yesterday. Dr. Ismail AlBadawi, section head of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Oncology at the 

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, was speaking at a media 

roundtable conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Riyadh to discuss the importance of 

vaccinations and how they work. The event organized by MSD was arranged ahead of the 

EMRO Vaccination Week, which will take place throughout the region from April 24 to 30. 

The week is dedicated to celebrating and promoting immunization for people of all ages 

through advocacy, education and communication activities. The gynecologist said cervical 

cancer is the 11th most common cancer in Saudi Arabia amongst women in general and the 

eighth most common amongst women aged between 15 and 44. "Whilst the actual 

prevalence of cervical cancer in comparison to other countries in the region is relatively low, 

the rates of mortality are extremely high," Al-Badawi said. In the Kingdom, some 3.4 percent 

were proven positive for every 100,000 cases. Zawya
Yemen: Rising landmine death toll in Hajjah 

Governorate

18 April – Mines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) 

have killed 27 people and injured at least 36 in the last two 

months in Hajjah Governorate, northwestern Yemen, according 

to a 14 April Interior Ministry report. Many of the injured will be 

left permanently disabled. Children are particularly at risk and 

the situation is hampering the return of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs), 

according to Hajjah Deputy Governor Ismail Mahim. “Given the lack of mine-maps and 

experts, more children will be at high risk if displaced families return home,” Mohammed 

Rashid, a child protection specialist at Hajjah Social Affairs and Labour Office, told IRIN. “We 

fear the tragic stories of landmine-hit children in Sa’dah [Governorate] may be repeated in 

Hajjah.” Mansour al-Azi, director of Yemen’s National Mine Action Programme (NMAP), said 

there were plans to deploy teams this week to carry out mine risk education campaigns in 

two badly affected districts, Kusher and Mestaba, but no decision had been taken because 

“the situation is still fluid.” IRIN

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USEUCOM

Serbia: Q fever outbreak, January to February 2012

12 April - From 27 January to 10 February 2012, a total of 43 cases of Q fever were notified 

in the village of Noćaj, Srem county, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia. 

Q fever was laboratory confirmed in 37 notified cases. Although, the outbreak is considered 

over, the outbreak investigation is still ongoing in order to identify aetiologic factors 

relevant for this outbreak. Eurosurveillance

United Kingdom: Drought may last until Christmas, 

environment agency

16 April - Official drought zones have been declared in a further 17 English counties, as a 

warning came that water shortages could last until Christmas. The Environment Agency said 

dry weather over the past few months had left some rivers in England exceptionally low. It 

has now extended its "drought map" into the Midlands and the South West. Officials say 

public water supplies are unlikely to be affected by the continuing drought, but are 

reiterating calls for water to be used wisely. England's South West and the Midlands have 

moved into official drought status after two dry winters "left rivers and ground waters 

depleted", the agency said. The Midlands region covers Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, 

Derbyshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, 

Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. The South West region covers Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, 
Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, parts of Hampshire and most of Wiltshire. Drought 

restrictions were already in place in south-east England, East Anglia, parts of the South and 

Yorkshire. The Environment Agency said the dry weather was taking its toll on the 

environment and farmers. BBC News

United Kingdom: Vaccine call after increase in whooping 

cough cases

13 April - Parents have been urged to have their children vaccinated against whooping 

cough after 665 laboratory confirmed cases were recorded in England and Wales in the first 

three months of 2012, it was revealed today (April 13). The Health Protection Agency (HPA) 

in England and Wales said the number of cases between January and March compared to 

total of 1,040 incidences recorded in 2011. The increase has been reported across all 

regions, with some areas reporting clusters in schools, universities and healthcare settings, 

and there has been a rise in the number of very young children being affected by it.

Although whooping cough in older people can be unpleasant, it does not usually lead to 

serious complications. However, there is a risk of severe complications and death among 

very young children. Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the HPA, said: “Whooping 

cough can spread easily to close contacts such as household members. Vaccination is the 

most effective way to protect people from this infection and uptake of the vaccine is very 

good. Englemed

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USNORTHCOM

Farm group seeks U.S. halt on "dangerous" crop 

chemicals

18 April - A coalition of more than 2,000 U.S. farmers and food companies said Wednesday 

it is taking legal action to force government regulators to analyze potential problems with 

proposed biotech crops and the weed-killing chemicals to be sprayed over them. "These are 

the most dangerous chemicals out there," said John Bode, a Washington lawyer and 

lobbyist hired by the Save Our Crops Coalition. Unlike past protests of new biotech crops, 

the coalition comprises many grower groups that use and support biotechnology. This is 

not a biotech complaint, they say, but one focused on the danger of the chemicals to be 

used with the biocrops. Reuters

Fast food in the U.S. has way more salt than in other 

countries

16 April - Want extra salt with that fast-food meal? Then buy it in 

the United States, where chicken dishes, pizzas, and even salads 

are loaded with far more salt than in Europe and Australia, 

according to new research. The McDonald's Chicken McNuggets 

in the United States have more than twice as much salt as their 

sister nuggets in the United Kingdom. That's 1.6 grams of salt for every 100 grams of 
American nugget, compared to 0.6 grams in the U.K. You could say Americans are getting 

more for their money. You could also say they're getting more high blood pressure and 

premature death. McNuggets sold in Canada were about as salty as those in the U.S., while 

Australian, French, and Kiwi nuggets had significantly less salt, but not as little as in the U.K.

That may be because the United Kingdom has set voluntary limits on salt in processed food, 

according to Elizabeth Dunford. She's the lead author of this study, which was published

today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and global database manager for the 

Australian arm of World Action on Salt and Health. NPR

U.S.: Interpreters in ER may help limit medical errors

17 April - Having professional translators in the emergency room for non-English-speaking 

patients might help limit potentially dangerous miscommunication, a new study suggests.

The study, done at two pediatric ERs, found that when Spanish-speaking families had access 

to a professional interpreter, 12 percent of translation slips -- such as adding or omitting 

certain words and phrases -- could have had "clinical consequences," like giving a wrong 

medication dose. But mistakes like that were about twice as likely if there was no interpreter 

or if the translator was an amateur, like a family member or a bilingual member of the 

hospital staff. Twenty to 22 percent of all of their translation errors had potential health risks 

to the child. "The findings document that interpreter errors of potential clinical consequence 

are significantly more likely to occur when there is an ‘ad hoc' or no interpreter, compared 

with a professional interpreter," lead researcher Dr. Glenn Flores, of the University of Texas 

Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said in an email. Medline Plus

U.S.: Measles, 2011

20 April - ...During 2011, a total of 222 measles cases (incidence rate: 0.7 per 1 million 

population) and 17 measles outbreaks (defined as three or more cases linked in time or

place) were reported to CDC, compared with a median of 60 (range: 37–140) cases and four 

(range: 2–10) outbreaks reported annually during 2001–2010. This report updates an earlier 

report on measles in the United States during the first 5 months of 2011 (2). Morbidity and 

Mortality Weekly Report

U.S.: Test links strains of common parasite to severe 

illness in newborns

12 April - Scientists have identified which strains of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, the 

cause of toxoplasmosis, are most strongly associated with premature births and severe birth 

defects in the United States. The researchers used a new blood test developed by scientists 

at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National 

Institutes of Health, to pinpoint T. gondii strains that children acquire from their acutely 

infected mothers while in the womb. Pregnant women can become infected with T. gondii 

through contact with cat feces that contain infectious forms of the parasite or by eating 

undercooked meat. Women who become infected while pregnant may miscarry, give birth 

prematurely, or have babies with eye or brain damage. “If undetected or untreated, 

congenital toxoplasmosis can have serious consequences for a child’s quality of life,” noted 

NIAID director Anthony S. Fauci, MD. “The findings from this study support the value of 
screening for toxoplasmosis to identify patients who could benefit from treatment.” 

Currently available blood tests can determine whether a person has ever been infected with 

any strain of Toxoplasma parasite. The experimental test developed at NIAID improves upon 

the older tests because it can detect the presence of strain-specific antibodies that 

distinguish infecting strains from one another. Infection Control Today

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USPACOM

Australia: Silent epidemic calls out for cure

15 April - When healthcare worker Kerri-Anne Smith started feeling constantly exhausted, 

she put it down to being a single mother raising four children while working and studying. It 

was only during a course on blood-borne viruses that Ms Smith, from Toongabbie, west of 

Sydney, suspected she might have contracted an infection from a blood transfusion many 

years earlier. She saw her doctor and her suspicions were proved correct: she had 

contracted hepatitis C, a slow-acting virus that can cause severe liver damage. Two new 

treatments, approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration this year and described as a 

medical breakthrough will give hope to patients such as Ms Smith, who was devastated by 

her diagnosis in 1994, 10 years after her blood transfusion. ''I was really shocked. I went to 

pieces, actually, and I felt I couldn't tell anyone,'' she said. The stigma of having a condition 

closely associated with intravenous drug use was almost as bad as the symptoms, Ms Smith 

said, which included extreme fatigue and aches and pains. The Sydney Morning Herald

Burmese powder sparks arsenic warning

15 April - A traditional Burmese medicine being sold in Sydney may contain dangerously 

high levels of arsenic, NSW Health has warned. Tests were carried out on the powder, which 

is said to aid digestion and boost strength in babies, after health experts in America found 

high levels of lead in some Burmese children. NSW Health and the NSW Food Authority 

discovered the powder, which is sold under a number of brand names, in Burmese grocery 

shops across Sydney and believe it may be widely used by the local Burmese community. 

The two NSW authorities carried out their own testing and found dangerously high levels of 

arsenic. "Further toxicology testing of the product is required, however in the meantime the 

NSW Food Authority is requesting Burmese grocery shops withdraw the product from sale," 

NSW Health's Dr Wayne Smith said in a statement. So far there have been no cases of 

illness identified in NSW as a result of the powder being ingested, NSW Health said. The 

Sydney Morning Herald
China: Toxic plants and endangered animal traces found 

in traditional Chinese medicines

13 April - DNA sequencing technology has revealed that some traditional Chinese 

medicines contain potentially toxic plant ingredients, allergens, and traces of endangered 

animals. Researchers at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, discovered that some therapies 

contained plants of the genus Ephedra and Asarum, which contain chemicals that can be 

toxic if the wrong dosage is taken. They also found traces from animals that are classified as 

vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, including the Asiatic black bear and Saiga

antelope. The 15 samples they analysed had been seized by Australian border officials and 

comprised powders, tablets, capsules, flakes, and herbal teas. “TCMs [traditional Chinese 

medicines] have a long cultural history, but today consumers need to be aware of the legal 

and health safety issues before adopting them as a treatment option,” said Dr Mike Bunce, 

research leader and Murdoch University Australian Research Council Future Fellow.

Englemed

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USSOUTHCOM

Brazil health study shows growing weight problem

10 April - Almost half of Brazil's population is now overweight or obese, a government 

study has found. From 2006 to 2011, the proportion of Brazilians who were overweight went 

up from 42.7% to 48.5%. The health ministry described the trend as "worrying", but said it 

was not a direct result of rising prosperity. It highlighted major programmes to promote 

healthier eating and increased physical exercise, saying now was the time to confront the 

problem. The study was based on 54,000 telephone interviews in all the country's state 

capitals as well as Brasilia. It found that 52.6% of men and 44.7% of women were 

overweight. The proportion of people with obesity increased from 11% in 2006 to 15.8% in 

2011. The health ministry said the consumption of high-fat food was a major cause, 

particularly among men. But Health Minister Alexandre Padilha rejected the idea that the 

increase in the proportion of overweight people was linked to Brazil's rising prosperity.

"Eating habits have not changed much over the last six years, it wasn't in this period that 

people started consuming full-fat milk and fatty meat," he said. BBC News

Haiti health workers to give cholera vaccine

13 April - A manager for the Boston-based Partners in Health says the humanitarian group 

will launch a vaccination campaign for cholera in Haiti this weekend. Jonathan Lascher said 

Friday that health workers from the organization will distribute the Shanchol oral vaccine to 

about 50,000 people outside Saint Marc, a port city in western Haiti. The vaccination 

program is also being carried out by Gheskio Center, a Haitian group funded by the U.S. 

International Agency for International Development. Critics say the $1.3 million being used 
for the project would be better spent on developing Haiti's infrastructure. Haitian officials 

say cholera has killed more than 7,000 people and sickened 530,000 since it emerged after 

the 2010 earthquake. Scientific studies have blamed United Nations peacekeepers from 

Nepal for inadvertently bringing the disease. Official Wire

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