20 July 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

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Contents

U.S. MILITARY

 Companies seek to dismiss suit on burn-pit risk

 Deaths by suicide while on active duty, active and reserve components, U.S. Armed Forces, 

1998-2011.

 Panel says Pentagon does not know if PTSD programs work

 Senate passes Lejeune water-contamination bill

 Sizing up today’s soldier

GLOBAL

 The couch potato goes global

 The ecology of disease

 U.S. Government expands population eligible to receive Bavarian Nordic's smallpox vaccine in 

an emergency

INFLUENZA

 Brazil boosts measures against swine flu after 13 die

 CDC: Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report

 Google.org: Flu Trends

 India: H1N1 cases rise to 119

 Naval Health Research Center: Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update

 PANDEMIC AND AVIAN INFLUENZA

 Study finds pandemic H1N1 deaths similar in both waves

 Swine flu vaccine mostly safe

 Taiwan finds H5N1 in smuggled pet birds

VETERINARY/FOOD SAFETY

 68 now ill with E. coli from Ohio picnic outbreak

 California-Canada romaine lettuce outbreak linked to Amazing Coachella, Inc.

 Case count from cantaloupe outbreak officially rises to 147

 Diamond Pet Foods human cases reach 49

 New Zealand: Company recalls meat products after listeria outbreak at hospital kills 2

 Oyster Bay shellfish harvest suspended after 8 fall ill
Condom Box

A condom cover with 

instructions on how to 

properly use condoms is 

now available from the 

Health Information 

Products eCatalog. This 

box holds a condom (not 

included) and can be used 

as a give-away to inform 

users of things such as the 

importance of using a 

condom every time you 

have sex, keeping it on the 

whole time, and using a 

new one each time. 

WELLNESS

 Community health centers sometimes top private practices

 FDA approves another weight-loss pill, Qsymia

 Public favors posthumous reproduction, with consent: survey

 Sunshine vitamin no aid for blues

USAFRICOM

 Angola: One million Angolans exposed to river blindness

 Cholera outbreak in the Sahel is only beginning

 Contraception innovations can 'save millions'

 In Tanzania, HIV at a crossroads

USCENTCOM

 Bahrain plans to tackle sickle cell disease effectively

 Omanis prefer India for medical tourism

 Threats, attacks hurt Pakistan's polio vaccination push

 United Arab Emirates: Hospital detects 72 people with blood mutation

USEUCOM

 ECDC reports more anthrax cases linked to drug injection

 Russia floods spur calls for emergency warnings

USNORTHCOM

 U.S.: FDA approves first pill to help prevent HIV

 U.S.: FDA makes it official - BPA can’t be used in baby bottles and cups

 U.S.: LaCrosse virus in children

 U.S.: NYC fast food chains cut trans fat under regulations

 U.S.: Pertussis epidemic — Washington, 2012

 U.S.: Rise in pill abuse forces new look at drug fight

 U.S.: Spike in whooping cough prompts call for vaccinations; Central New York sees four-fold 

increase in cases

 U.S.: Tornado-related fatalities — five states, southeastern United States, April 25–28, 2011

 U.S., Wisconsin: 200 ill with norovirus infections after swimming in lake

USPACOM

 Cambodia closes schools amid fear of virus spread

 China: Hand, foot and mouth disease kills 17

 Expert pushes for Myanmar inclusion in malaria-fighting efforts

 Holy month of fasting not so sweet for Muslim diabetics

 Japan: Rain death toll reaches 27

USSOUTHCOM

 Cuba says cholera outbreak contained
Revised DoD 

Deployment Health 

Assessment Forms

The Assistant Secretary of 

Defense for Health Affairs 

(ASD/HA) recently 

completed revisions to the 

Pre-Deployment Health 

Assessment (DD Form 

2795), the Post 

Deployment Health 

Assessment (DD Form 

2796) and the PostDeployment Health 

Reassessment (DD Form 

2900). 

The new DHA forms were 

revised to assist providers 

in completing the forms 

and ensuring positive 

responses in the selfassessment portions of the 

forms are addressed. 

ASD/HA has directed full 

utilization of revised forms 

and termination of 

previous versions use 

December 31, 2012. 

MODS will reflect the new 

content. 

Review updated forms

U.S. MILITARY

Companies seek to dismiss suit on burn-pit risk

13 July - A federal judge in Maryland will hear a motion Monday to dismiss a group of 

lawsuits filed against Kellogg, Brown and Root and Halliburton for operating open-air burn 

pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. The motion — the defendants’ second seeking dismissal —

calls for tossing out the consolidated lawsuits based on “derivative-sovereign immunity and 

preemption,” meaning the companies believe they are exempt from litigation because they 

were providing services to the government and thus enjoyed the same immunity afforded 

actual government entities and personnel. Army Times

Deaths by suicide while on active duty, active and reserve 

components, U.S. Armed Forces, 1998-2011.

June - During January 1998-December 2011, 2,963 service members died by suicide while 

on active duty (Table 1); the average number per year during the period was 211. Annual 

numbers of suicides of military members on active duty ranged from 148 (in 2000) to 296 

(in 2009) among males and from 4 (in 2001) to 16 (in 2011) among females (data not 

shown). Most service members who died by suicide were males (95%), active component

members (89%), of white race/ethnicity (70%) and in their 20s (58%) (Table 1). The same 

subgroups of service members experienced the highest suicide mortality rates (calculated 

for the active component only). Suicide death rates were 24% higher among 

divorced/separated than married active component members. The Army and Marine Corps 

had much higher crude (unadjusted) suicide rates than the other Service branches; however, 

the differences in rates of suicides across the Services overall were largely attributable to

differences in the age distributions of the various Service branch members. Medical 

Surveillance Monthly Report

Panel says Pentagon does not know if PTSD programs 

work

15 July - The Department of Defense has a woeful lack of 

information on the effectiveness and related costs of its posttraumatic stress disorder treatment programs, despite having spent 

millions of dollars on various initiatives to address psychological 

health and traumatic brain injury, a panel of top scientists 

concluded in a report released Friday. In a review of Pentagon and Veterans Affairs 

Department PTSD treatments mandated by Congress in 2010, an Institute of Medicine 

(IOM) panel found fewer than half of all servicemembers and veterans who screen positive 

for the disorder's symptoms — 40 percent — have received referrals for care, and of those, 

just 65 percent actually go on to get help. The group also concluded that the Defense 

Department and VA should improve tracking of treatment and outcomes and institute 

research programs to evaluate the effectiveness of their programs. USA TODAY
Anabolic Steroids 

Magnet

A new magnet is now 

available from the Health 

Information Products 

eCatalog that warns 

against the effects of 

anabolic steroids on your 

body and your military 

career.

2012-13 Influenza 

ALARACT

The 2012-13 Influenza 

ALARACT has been 

completed, and is now 

published on the MILVAX 

website.

Senate passes Lejeune water-contamination bill

18 July - After an impasse with a South Carolina senator was broken, the Senate passed a 

historic bill Wednesday by unanimous consent that would help thousands of sick Marine 

veterans and their families who were exposed to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base 

Camp Lejeune, N.C. ... After an impasse with a South Carolina senator was broken, the 

Senate passed a historic bill Wednesday by unanimous consent that would help thousands 

of sick Marine veterans and their families who were exposed to contaminated water at 

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. ... [The bill] would provide health care to sick military 

personnel and their family members provided they’d lived or worked at least 30 days on the 

base from 1957 to 1987. They also must have a condition listed within the bill that’s 

associated with exposure to these chemicals... The measure is expected to help as many as 

750,000 veterans and their families who exposed to drinking water that was poisoned with 

trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, benzene and vinyl chloride. Miami Herald

Sizing up today’s soldier

11 July - ...[Dr. Claire Gordon and Cynthia Blackwell ] and others at the Natick Soldier 

Research, Development and Engineering Center have been working since October 2010 on 

ANSUR II, an anthropometric survey of 11,961 soldiers – including active duty, aviators, 

Army Reservists and National Guardsmen – over 18 months that is expected to improve the 

design and fit of clothing and individual equipment. The data will also help shape future 

combat vehicles, aircraft and weapon systems. When they finished collecting data in April, 

the NSRDEC researchers had 94 body measurements and three-dimensional surface scans 

for males and females gathered from numerous units across the country at 13 measuring 

locations... “All of the military are heavier, without being taller, than they were 20 years ago,” 

Gordon said. “That extra body fat changes the meaning of a lot of our dimensions. It’s the 

kind of thing you can’t forecast.” Armed with Science

top of page...

GLOBAL

The couch potato goes global

18 July – ... [A] a group of groundbreaking new reports, being published online as a series 

today in The Lancet, suggest that voluntary physical inactivity, a practice once confined 

mostly to North America and parts of Europe, is spreading rapidly to the rest of the world 

and likely contributing materially to global gains in tonnage and declines in health. Consider 

the findings of perhaps the most sobering of the new studies, which looked at the extent to 

which sedentary lifestyles are colonizing the world... The latest figures suggest that the 

world’s population has become disturbingly inactive. According to the researchers’ 

calculations, 31.1 percent of the world’s adults, or about 1.5 billion people, are almost 

completely sedentary, meaning that they do not meet the minimum recommendation of 
Treatment for 

Posttraumatic Stress 

Disorder in Military 

and Veteran 

Populations: Initial 

Assessment

As the U.S. reduces its 

military involvement in the 

Middle East, the 

Departments of Defense 

(DoD) and Veterans Affairs 

(VA) anticipate that 

increasing numbers of 

returning veterans will 

need PTSD services. As a 

result, Congress asked the 

DoD, in consultation with 

the VA, to sponsor an IOM 

study to assess both 

departments’ PTSD 

treatment programs and 

services. 

This first of two mandated 

reports examines some of 

the available programs to 

prevent, diagnose, treat, 

and rehabilitate those who 

have PTSD and encourages 

further research that can 

help to improve PTSD care.

150 minutes of walking or other moderate activity per week, or about 20 minutes a day. 

Teenagers are faring even worse. More than 80 percent of young people ages 13 to 15 

worldwide are not getting the hour a day of vigorous exercise recommended for their age 

group. New York Times

The ecology of disease

14 July - ... [A] developing model of infectious disease shows that most epidemics — AIDS, 

Ebola, West Nile, SARS, Lyme disease and hundreds more that have occurred over the last 

several decades — don’t just happen. They are a result of things people do to nature. 

Disease, it turns out, is largely an environmental issue. Sixty percent of emerging infectious 

diseases that affect humans are zoonotic — they originate in animals. And more than twothirds of those originate in wildlife. Teams of veterinarians and conservation biologists are in 

the midst of a global effort with medical doctors and epidemiologists to understand the 

“ecology of disease.” It is part of a project called Predict, which is financed by the United 

States Agency for International Development. Experts are trying to figure out, based on how 

people alter the landscape — with a new farm or road, for example — where the next 

diseases are likely to spill over into humans and how to spot them when they do emerge, 

before they can spread. They are gathering blood, saliva and other samples from high-risk 

wildlife species to create a library of viruses so that if one does infect humans, it can be 

more quickly identified. And they are studying ways of managing forests, wildlife and 

livestock to prevent diseases from leaving the woods and becoming the next pandemic. 

New York Times

U.S. Government expands population eligible to receive 

Bavarian Nordic's smallpox vaccine in an emergency

11 July - Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA) announced today that the U.S. government has 

expanded the population that is eligible to receive its attenuated smallpox vaccine, 

IMVAMUNER, during an emergency. In the event of a public health emergency involving 

smallpox, the government may now authorize the use of IMVAMUNER to protect individuals 

of all ages with HIV infection or atopic dermatitis (AD). Children, pregnant women, and 

nursing mothers with HIV or AD are eligible to receive IMVAMUNER, despite limited clinical 

data in these specific populations. Previously, only certain people with HIV were eligible. 

Reuters

top of page...

INFLUENZA

Brazil boosts measures against swine flu after 13 die

18 July - Brazilian health authorities announced Tuesday that they will strengthen measures 

against the AH1N1 strain of swine flu after a week in which 13 people died of the disease. 

Most of the cases occurred in the country’s southern region, where close to 1,800 people 
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have been infected by the illness since January. The Health Ministry confirmed that the 

incidence of the flu has increased over the past few weeks with the onset of winter in the 

Southern Hemisphere, which will continue until late September. In the last eight days, nine 

people died from the AH1N1 flu virus in the state of Parana and another four in Rio Grande 

do Sul, regions located in the triple-border area where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay 

converge. According to authorities, the nation’s southern region received over the last few 

days close to 2 million doses of vaccine for treating the virus, which will be distributed to 

groups considered “at risk”: pregnant women, patients with chronic illnesses and children 

up to the age of 2. EIN News

CDC: Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report

During week 27 (ending 7 July 2012), 6.1% 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 6.8% for week 27. FluView

Google.org: Flu Trends

19 July – Estimates of flu activity based on flu-related Internet search queries indicate that 

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

high in the southern hemisphere. High levels are indicated in Australia and New Zealand. 

Google.org Flu Trends

India: H1N1 cases rise to 119

19 July - The count of positive cases for H1N1 influenza in [Mumbai] jumped to 119 on 

Wednesday after eight people, including two children, tested positive. A two-year-old boy 

from Jogeshwari and an eight-year-old girl from Chandivali were the latest to test positive, 

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's epidemiologist Dr Mangala Gomare said., "Among 

adults, a 28-year-old female from Powai, a 35-year-old woman from Malad and another 73-

year-old woman from Goregaon had to be admitted. All are stable." A 58-year-old man 

from Powai, a 24-year-old woman from Powai and another 64-year-old woman from 

Ghatkopar tested positive and were treated on an OPD basis. Times of India

Naval Health Research Center: Febrile Respiratory 

Illness Surveillance Update 

For the week ending 14 July 2012:

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 
PANDEMIC AND AVIAN INFLUENZA

Study finds pandemic H1N1 deaths similar in both waves

16 July - Although death profiles can vary among pandemic waves, fatality patterns in the 

spring and fall waves of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic remained largely similar, according to a 

study today by researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 

Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses. From 4,053 deaths reported Sep 1 to Oct 31, 2009, 

researchers picked a group of 323 nationally representative deaths and analyzed the 

patients' demographic factors, underlying medical conditions, and medical care and 

sequelae. Investigators found that the age distribution was similar between the two 

pandemic waves. From April through July the median age was 43 years and during the early 

fall wave it was 45, similar to what some European countries have reported. During the 

spring wave 76% of all deaths occurred in people ages 18 to 64, compared with 74% in the 

fall. Most cases (72%) from the fall wave had at least one underlying risk factor, such as 

morbid obesity and chronic lung conditions. The researchers also found that 18% of the 

patients who died had a history of drug or substance abuse, which appears to be higher 

than the proportion for the general US population. CIDRAP

Swine flu vaccine mostly safe

11 July - The swine flu vaccine is safe for women in the late stages of pregnancy - but 

questions remain about side-effects in the early stages, according to a major new study.

And other research has found a small risk to adults from the flu vaccine. Researchers said 

that in most cases the benefits from vaccine will far outweigh the risks. Writing in the 

Journal of the American Medical Association, Danish researchers report an analysis of 

53,000 babies born between 2009 and 2010. Nearly 7,000 were born to women who agreed 

to have the H1N1 swine flu vaccine while pregnant. The researchers found that rates of 

premature birth did not seem affected by vaccination among women who received it in the 

last six months of pregnancy. But there were small differences in rates of birth defects 

among children born to women vaccinated in the first three months. The researchers say 

these differences were not statistically significant. Englemed

Taiwan finds H5N1 in smuggled pet birds

17 July - Pet birds smuggled from southern China into Taiwan have tested positive for H5N1 

avian influenza, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported today. The region's animal health 

inspectors said in a report to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) today that 38 

smuggled birds were intercepted at Taiwan's international airport on Jul 7 from a passenger 

who was traveling from Macao. Officials euthanized the birds on the spot and sent them to 

the national animal health laboratory, where the H5N1 virus was identified. Authorities 

cleaned and disinfected the facilities on the same day, and health workers monitored for 10 

days staff who were in contact with the birds. All were found healthy, according to the OIE 

report. The AFP story said that Taiwan hasn't had any domestic H5N1 detections, but in 

2005 it found the virus in eight pet birds smuggled from China. CIDRAP

top of page...
VETERINARY/FOOD SAFETY

68 now ill with E. coli from Ohio picnic outbreak

17 July - The number ill in an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak from a picnic at a Germantown, Ohio 

business has now risen to 68, according to the Dayton & Montgomery County Health 

Department. Fourteen people have been hospitalized, with three now in serious condition. 

The health department is still investigating the cause of the illnesses. As many as 300 people 

may have attended the customer appreciation picnic at Neff's Lawn Care on July 3. Food 

Safety News

California-Canada romaine lettuce outbreak linked to 

Amazing Coachella, Inc.

19 July - Amazing Coachella, Inc. farms grew the romaine lettuce linked to E. coli O157:H7 

illnesses that struck California, New Brunswick and Quebec in late April, the California 

Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday to the Packer. The lettuce infected at 

least 9 in California, 18 in New Brunswick and 1 in Quebec. The New Brunswick cases all 

resulted from eating at Jungle Jim's restaurant in Miramichi, while the California cases are 

said to have come from a single restaurant and the origin of the Quebec illness has not 

been stated. Food Safety News

Case count from cantaloupe outbreak officially rises to

147

17 July - With the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linking the Listeria illness, 

but not yet the death, of a 75-year-old Montana man to last year's Listeria outbreak tied to 

Colorado cantaloupes, a CDC official has told Food Safety News that the case count has 

risen from 146 to 147. This is the first additional case the CDC has counted since its final 

outbreak update on December 8, 2011...The outbreak occurred in August and September of 

2011, sickening and killing victims in 28 states. Food Safety News

Diamond Pet Foods human cases reach 49

19 July - At least 49 people have fallen ill since October in a Salmonella Infantis outbreak 

linked to dog and cat food manufactured at a Diamond Pet Foods facility in Gaston, South 

Carolina, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its final 

outbreak update. That case count has risen from 22 since the CDC's previous update on 

June 13. Of those ill, 47 are from the U.S. and two are Canadian... The rate of new cases has 

declined since the peak in April and May, but more cases continue to surface as people 

come in contact with recalled dog food. Considering the expected shelf life of pet food is 

one year, the CDC anticipates more cases to occur in the coming months. Food Safety News
New Zealand: Company recalls meat products after 

listeria outbreak at hospital kills 2

18 July - A New Zealand meat company has recalled several of its products after tests 

showed a possible link to a listeria outbreak that left two patients dead at a hospital in the 

island nation. Bay Cuisine, which supplies the hospital, voluntarily recalled certain salami, 

pepperoni and ham products on Wednesday. New Zealand supermarkets that sell the 

Napier-based company’s products have pulled them from the shelves. The company does 

not sell its products abroad. Four patients at Hawke’s Bay Hospital in the central North 

Island town of Hastings have been diagnosed with the bacterial disease since May 9, 

spokeswoman Anna Kirk said. Washington Post

Oyster Bay shellfish harvest suspended after 8 fall ill

14 July - Shellfish harvesting in areas in Oyster Bay, New York has been suspended after 8 

people who ate shellfish from that area were sickened with Vibrio parahaemolyticus 

infections. Approximately 1,980 acres on the north shore of Oyster Bay have been closed 

until environmental samples reveal that the danger of Vibrio contamination has 

passed, announced the New York Department of Environmental Conservation Friday. The 

New York State Department of Health reported that 3 residents of Nassau County - where 

Oyster Bay is located - and 5 people from 3 other states became ill after eating raw or 

partially cooked shellfish from Oyster Bay Harbor. Food Safety News

top of page...

WELLNESS

Community health centers sometimes top private 

practices

11 July - Federally funded community health centers perform equal to or better than private 

practices on a number of quality-care measures, according to a new study. The results 

demonstrate that community health centers are capable of providing high-quality care to 

an often complex patient population... On six of 18 measures, the federally funded centers 

performed better; those measures were clustered in the drug management and appropriate 

use of screening test categories. The centers performed worse only when it came to diet 

counseling in at-risk adolescents. The authors argue that federal programs designed to 

improve care at such centers probably contributes to their superior performance. 

Los Angeles Times

FDA approves another weight-loss pill, Qsymia

17 July - For the second time in a month, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a 

prescription weight-loss medication for the nation's 78 million obese adults after 
maintaining for years that the measly benefits of the pills did not outweigh their significant 

costs. Qsymia, a combination of two drugs already approved to treat other conditions, 

"provides another option for the chronic weight management of Americans" who are obese 

or who are overweight and suffer a related condition such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood 

pressure or worrisome cholesterol readings, said Dr. Janet Woodcock, the FDA's chief of 

drug evaluation, on Tuesday. She underscored that the new medication — whose name is 

pronounced "kyoo-sim-EE-uh" — is to be taken by adult patients who also have cut back on 

calories and increased their physical activity. Los Angeles Times

Public favors posthumous reproduction, with consent: 

survey

16 July - Many people in the United States think it is okay to retrieve sperm or eggs from a 

dead or dying spouse in order to have children in the future, but only if there is written 

consent, according to a survey. That poll of more than 1,000 U.S. adults appeared in the 

journal Fertility & Sterility and asked people about their views on "posthumous 

reproduction."... After reading a short explanation of "posthumous reproduction," close to 

half of the respondents said they thought a person should be able to request that sperm or 

eggs be taken from their dead or dying partner. About one-fifth said they didn't know while 

the rest were opposed. Most people felt it should only be done if there was written consent 

from the deceased. Of people who supported posthumous reproduction, 70 percent said 

written consent should be mandatory - which would in reality mean that most emergency 

requests could not be filled, Barton said. Reuters

Sunshine vitamin no aid for blues

16 July - Taking supplements of vitamin D do not reduce the symptoms of depression, a 

Norwegian study has concluded. Despite previous research claiming a link between low 

vitamin D levels and depression, scientists at the University Hospital of North Norway found 

that taking supplements made no difference, leading them to believe that low levels of 

vitamin D may occur as a result of depression, rather than cause the symptoms... They 

enrolled 334 participants, 230 of whom had low vitamin D levels, with the remaining 114 

having high vitamin D levels. They were all assessed to determine if they had symptoms of 

depression at the beginning of the study and it was found that participants with low vitamin 

D levels were more depressed than those with high levels. Englemed

top of page...

USAFRICOM

Angola: One million Angolans exposed to river blindness

16 July - At least one million Angolans live in endemic areas are at risk of contracting the 

onchocerciasis (river blindness) in the country, said Friday in Luanda, the director of the 
National Programme of Neglected Diseases, Pedro Van-Dunem. Speaking to the press on 

the situation of onchocerciasis in the country, Pedro Van-Dúnem said that were identified 

nine endemic provinces, namely Huila, Bengo, Moxico, Kwanza Norte, Benguela, Kuando 

Kubango, Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul. All Africa

Cholera outbreak in the Sahel is only beginning

13 July - UNICEF released a statement this week warning of the fast-growing cholera 

outbreak in the Sahel region of west and central Africa. So far this year, 29,000 people have 

been infected and 700 killed by cholera in this region alone. With the rainy season 

approaching, the rate of infection is expected to increase even faster in the next few 

months. Experts believe that poor sanitation and overcrowding are responsible for cholera 

build-up in rivers. Transmission then occurs through contact with fish contaminated with 

the bacteria, which accumulate under the scales. Because women and children in the region 

are often responsible for cleaning fish, they are at greater risk of infection. The Disease Daily

Contraception innovations can 'save millions'

13 July - The Summit on Family Planning drew policy makers, donors and health 

professionals to London on 11 July to discuss how to provide access to contraceptives to 

more of the world's poorest women who want them. The goal going forward is to enable an 

additional 120 million women in poor countries to use modern family methods. Organizers 

say this will save the lives of 200,000 women who will otherwise die from pregnancy or 

childbirth; prevent 110 million unwanted pregnancies; result in 50 million fewer abortions; 

and save the lives of three million babies. All Africa

In Tanzania, HIV at a crossroads

17 July - This ridge town is a stopping point for truckers headed to Malawi, Zambia and the 

Congo, and for migrant farmers on their way to harvest potatoes and tender tea leaves. 

Here at this crossroads lies the epicenter of AIDS in Tanzania, an intersection where 

scientists hope to unlock the secrets of stopping AIDS. In Iringa and in three other sites in 

Africa, the United States and its African partners will be launching a combination of 

coordinated HIV prevention tools and strategies in the coming months that will test what 

President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have been telling the world: An 

AIDS-free generation is now possible because the tools to prevent HIV infection are at 

hand. Global Post

top of page...
USCENTCOM

Bahrain plans to tackle sickle cell disease effectively

15 July - Health Minister Sadaq Al Shehabi will submit a report to the cabinet on Sunday the 

Health Ministry’s visions to confront the dangers of the sickle cell disease after the death 

toll has gone up with three victims passing away in one day last week, according to Bahrain 

News Agency (BNA). Zawya

Omanis prefer India for medical tourism

17 July - India is fast turning into a favourite destination for Omani tourists, especially for 

those seeking advanced medicare. There has been a steep rise in the number of visas being 

issued to India-bound Omanis in the recent past. From January 1 to June 30 this year, the 

number of medical visas issued to Omanis has jumped three times and that of other kinds 

of visas went up 30 per cent when compared to the same period last year, the official data 

shows. "There was a tremendous increase in the number of all kinds of visas issued to 

Omanis during the first half 2012. The statistics reveal that India is turning into a prime 

destination for Omanis who opt for advanced treatment and also want to have a glimpse of 

the rich Indian cultural heritage, a senior official from the Indian embassy told Times of 

Oman. Zawya

Threats, attacks hurt Pakistan's polio vaccination push

17 July - Gunmen in Karachi, Pakistan, today opened fire on a doctor from Ghana working 

on a polio vaccination campaign and his Pakistani driver, putting both in the hospital, 

according to an Al Jazeera report. The shooting occurred in a low-income neighborhood 

that houses many Afghan refugees and migrants, and police said the shooters were two 

Afghan men. Local police official Mohammed Sultan told the news service that the shooting 

could be related to the polio vaccination campaign, which he said has faced some resistance 

among local residents. He said the doctor had been working in the area for about 3 months. 

Taliban leaders in northwestern Pakistan have banned polio vaccination campaigns to 

protest US drone strikes and condemned the vaccination efforts after a Pakistani doctor 

helped the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) find Osama bin Laden by using a hepatitis 

vaccination program as a cover, according to the report. Some global health officials have 

said the vaccine ruse damaged the credibility and future impact of polio and other vital 

vaccine and public health campaigns, particularly in politically sensitive areas. CIDRAP

United Arab Emirates: Hospital detects 72 people with 

blood mutation

13 July - The UAE's Mafraq Hospital today revealed that it has detected 72 individuals with 

an abnormal version of a blood protein, a condition that could lead to their death. In a 

media statement, the hospital which is owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi Health 

Services Company, said it had detected the genetic protein mutation known as Factor V 

Leiden in nearly one in five patients with blood clots at the facility over the past two-and-a-
half years. "Those testing positive for Factor V Leiden are at a higher risk for embolism 

(dislodged blood clots) and resulting complications, including stroke, heart attack, and even 

death," said Dr. Mohamed Yaman, Mafraq Hospital's Chief Medical Officer. Zawya

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USEUCOM

ECDC reports more anthrax cases linked to drug 

injection

17 July - The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) yesterday 

reported two new cases of anthrax in injecting drug users (IDUs) in Denmark and France, 

bringing the total of such cases in June and July in Europe to five. The previous three cases 

were all in Germany. The first two of those, in Bavaria, were linked through exposure to 

heroin contaminated by a "most likely identical" strain of Bacillus anthracis, which causes 

anthrax, the ECDC said in a risk assessment... "As anthrax cannot normally be transmitted 

from person to person, the risk to the general population following these five cases is 

negligible," the ECDC said. CIDRAP

Russia floods spur calls for emergency warnings

19 July - Russia's government faces growing pressure to install a new emergency warning 

system and improve weather forecasting after survivors complained that little was done to 

prevent scores of people being killed in floods in the south of the country. Survivors said no 

flood warning had been issued before a huge wave through Krymsk, the worst-hit town in 

the Krasnodar region near the Black Sea, early on July 7. The death toll in the region was 

171 and many homes were destroyed. "In fact, we should start from scratch a new system of 

collecting information and data which is not based on outdated methods and systems," Igor 

Chistyakov, a hydraulics professor, told reporters. "We must make sure the local authorities 

have all the data and can really act on the basis of them." The Russian government has 

accused district officials of making mistakes in their handling of the region's worst flooding 

for decades, including failing to warn people properly. Reuters

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USNORTHCOM

U.S.: FDA approves first pill to help prevent HIV 

13 July - The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the first drug shown to 

reduce the risk of HIV infection, a milestone in the 30-year battle against the virus that 
causes AIDS. The agency approved Gilead Sciences' pill Truvada as a preventive measure for 

people who are at high risk of acquiring HIV through sexual activity, such as those who have 

HIV-infected partners. Public health advocates say the approval could help slow the spread 

of HIV, which has held steady at about 50,000 new infections per year for the last 15 years. 

An estimated 1.2 million Americans have HIV, which develops into AIDS unless treated with 

antiviral drugs. With an estimated 240,000 HIV carriers unaware of their status, doctors and 

patients say new methods are needed to fight the spread of the virus. NBC News

U.S.: FDA makes it official - BPA can’t be used in baby 

bottles and cups

17 July - The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that baby bottles and children’s 

drinking cups could no longer contain bisphenol A, or BPA, an estrogen-mimicking 

industrial chemical used in some plastic bottles and food packaging. Manufacturers have 

already stopped using the chemical in baby bottles and sippy cups, and the F.D.A. said that 

its decision was a response to a request by the American Chemistry Council, the chemical 

industry’s main trade association, that rules allowing BPA in those products be phased out, 

in part to boost consumer confidence. But the new prohibition does not apply more broadly 

to the use of BPA in other containers, said an F.D.A. spokesman, Steven Immergut. He said 

the decision did not amount to a reversal of the agency’s position on the chemical. The 

F.D.A. declared BPA safe in 2008, but began expressing concerns about possible health risks 

in 2010. New York Times

U.S.: LaCrosse virus in children

18 July - In last week’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC revealed, in 2011, La 

Crosse Virus (LACV) surpassed West Nile Virus (WNV) as the leading cause of tick–borne 

disease among children. In 2011, only 12 out of 712 confirmed WNV infections occurred in 

children and teens. In contrast, LACV infections were responsible for 123 out of 130 cases in 

young Americans. The data for LACV also shows a 73 percent increase in neuroinvasive 

infections since 2010. However, LACV resulted in only one fatality, as compared to 43 for 

WNV. The Disease Daily

U.S.: NYC fast food chains cut trans fat under regulations

17 July - Fast-food patrons in New York City are eating far less unhealthy fat since 

restrictions on its use by restaurants were imposed four years ago, a report sponsored by 

the city said. Trans fats, especially common in hydrogenated vegetable oils, have been 

linked to long-term heart disease risk. The study, released on Monday, found the average 

meal went from containing nearly three grams of trans fat to just half a gram... To test the 

policy's result, researchers briefly surveyed customers leaving 168 different fast-food 

restaurants, belonging to 11 popular chains, the year before and the year after the 

restrictions were first enforced. Reuters
U.S.: Pertussis epidemic — Washington, 2012

20 July - Since mid-2011, a substantial rise in pertussis cases has been reported in the state 

of Washington. In response to this increase, the Washington State Secretary of Health 

declared a pertussis epidemic on April 3, 2012. By June 16, the reported number of cases in 

Washington in 2012 had reached 2,520 (37.5 cases per 100,000 residents), a 1,300% increase 

compared with the same period in 2011 and the highest number of cases reported in any 

year since 1942. To assess clinical, epidemiologic, and laboratory factors associated with this 

increase, all pertussis cases reported during January 1–June 16, 2012, were reviewed. 

Consistent with national trends, high rates of pertussis were observed among infants aged 

<1 year and children aged 10 years. However, the incidence in adolescents aged 13–14 

years also was increased, despite high rates of vaccination with tetanus toxoid, reduced 

diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, suggesting early waning of 

immunity. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

U.S.: Rise in pill abuse forces new look at drug fight

16 July - America’s drug problem is shifting from illicit substances like cocaine to abuse of 

prescription painkillers, a change that is forcing policy makers to re-examine the long and 

expensive strategy of trying to stop illegal drugs from entering the United States. This 

rethinking extends beyond the United States, where policy makers are debating how to 

better reduce demand for painkillers. The effects would also be felt here and in Central 

America: With the drug wars in Mexico inflaming violence, some argue that the money now 

used for interdiction could be better spent building up the institutions — especially courts 

and prosecutors’ offices — that would lead to long-term stability in Mexico and elsewhere. 

New York Times

U.S.: Spike in whooping cough prompts call for 

vaccinations; Central New York sees four-fold increase in 

cases

18 July - The state Health Department is urging New Yorkers to get vaccinated against 

pertussis, also known as whooping cough, in light of an elevated number of cases this year 

in New York and nationwide... Through June 4, 2012, the federal Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (CDC) reported that the number of cases in the United States was nearly 44 

percent higher than the number reported in the same period the prior year. Syracuse.com

U.S.: Tornado-related fatalities — five states, 

southeastern United States, April 25–28, 2011

20 July - During April 25–28, 2011, a massive storm system generated 351 tornadoes 

(including 15 registering 4 or 5 on the Enhanced Fujita [EF] scale*), killing 338 persons in 

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee (1). This was the third-deadliest 

tornado event in the United States, surpassing an April 1974 event that resulted in 315 

fatalities (1,2). This event also was historic because of the record number of fatalities that 

occurred despite modern advances in tornado forecasting, advanced warning times, and 
media coverage (1–3). Risk factors for death and injury from tornadoes are sheltering in 

mobile homes, proximity to an EF-4 or EF-5 tornado, being an older adult (aged ≥65 years), 

lack of accessibility to safe rooms (e.g., basements or reinforced shelters), and a night-time 

tornado impact (4–6)... Among the 338 decedents, median age was 55.0 years (range: 4 

days–97 years); approximately one third were older adults. On tornado impact, 46.7% of 

decedents were in single-family homes, and 26.6% were in mobile homes. The leading 

cause of death was traumatic injury, including 21.9% with head injuries. Half of the deadly 

tornadoes were rated EF-4 or EF-5 and were responsible for 89.5% of the deaths. Morbidity 

and Mortality Weekly Report

U.S., Wisconsin: 200 ill with norovirus infections after 

swimming in lake

13 July - At least 200 people contracted Norovirus infections after swimming in a Wisconsin 

lake on the Fourth of July. One child who also swam in the lake was hospitalized. The 

Jackson County Health Department, along with the county's Forestry and Parks division, 

began an investigation into the outbreak on Monday July 9 after being notified that many 

people who had been swimming in Lake Wazee the previous week were experiencing 

vomiting, diarrhea, headache, nausea, fever and body aches, all symptoms of a Norovirus 

infection. Food Safety News

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USPACOM

Cambodia closes schools amid fear of virus spread

18 July - Cambodia closed all its kindergartens and primary schools on Wednesday to 

prevent the spread of a deadly virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease and has 

killed at least 55 children since April, a senior government official said. Sixty-one cases had 

been identified as the Enterovirus 71 (EV-71), which has affected children between the ages 

of three months and 11 years. The outbreak has raised concern in other parts of the region, 

such as Thailand and the Philippines. Children have tested positive in both countries for 

strains of hand, foot and mouth disease, although no deaths have been reported. Reuters

China: Hand, foot and mouth disease kills 17

15 July - Hand, foot and mouth disease killed 17 people and infected nearly 35,000 others in 

China's central Hunan province in June, according to the official Xinhua news agency, 

quoting information supplied by local authorities on Sunday. Officials at the provincial 

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) blamed high temperatures for the surge in 

the disease incidence rate compared with June last year. It did not disclose how many cases 

were recorded in June 2011. Reuters
Expert pushes for Myanmar inclusion in malaria-fighting 

efforts

13 July - A health official familiar with malaria in Myanmar recently warned global donors to 

include the country in efforts to battle the disease, due to the discovery earlier this year of 

artemisinin resistance at the border with Thailand, AlertNet reported. Frank Smithuis, who 

formerly led Doctors Without Borders efforts in Myanmar, said an additional 100,000 to 

200,000 children could die from malaria each year if the artemisinin-resistant parasite isn't 

curbed and is allowed to spread to India and Africa. He said Myanmar has been left out of 

coordinated international efforts to fight malaria, because officials have feared the funds 

could be used to support Myanmar's military regime. CIDRAP

Holy month of fasting not so sweet for Muslim diabetics

20 July - ... For most of Australia's 496,000 Muslims, the start of Ramadan today is a holy 

month of fasting by day and feasting by night. But for the estimated 22,000 Australian 

Muslims with diabetes, it can be a time of fluctuations in blood sugar levels that can be 

dangerous, even deadly. ''I've seen people die one or two minutes before the fast is 

ending,'' said a visiting endocrinologist from Saudi Arabia, Dr Al Saeed. ''They developed 

hypoglycemia but refused to break their fast. They became unconscious and died.'' The 

Koran specifically exempts those who are sick or suffer from a chronic condition such as 

diabetes from fasting. Yet 43 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes and 79 per cent of 

patients with type 2 diabetes fasted through Ramadan, reported the Diabetes Journal. The 

Sydney Morning Herald

Japan: Rain death toll reaches 27

17 July - The waterfall-like rain has eased in Japan but 27 

people are dead and officials are warning there may be 

more rain on the way. Thousands of homes and hundreds 

of roads were damaged, and hundreds of landslides were 

reported. The military airlifted food by helicopter to 

stranded districts... In Yame, a city of 69,000 in Fukuoka prefecture, 74 people in three 

separate areas were stranded by the flooding. Sky News Australia

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USSOUTHCOM

Cuba says cholera outbreak contained

14 July - Cuba's Health Ministry on Saturday reported 158 cases of cholera, nearly three 

times as many as previously disclosed, but said there were no new deaths and the outbreak 

appears to have been contained. The ministry said intensive efforts to quarantine those 
infected, hand out chlorine tablets and educate the population has meant a drop in cases 

transmitted by water, and there is no evidence of the disease spreading through the food

supply. Virtually all of the cases have come from the city of Manzanillo, in eastern Granma 

province, 430 miles east of the capital of Havana, or from people who recently traveled from 

the area. San Francisco Chronicle

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