5 October 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

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endorsed by the US Army Medical Department.

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Contents

U.S. MILITARY

 Alarming breast cancer rates among troops

 Army will purge soldiers who can’t pass PT test

 Injuries due to firearms and air guns among U.S. military members not participating in overseas 

combat operations, 2002-2011

 Navy urges better nutrition and less smoking

GLOBAL

 Bacterium targets HIV-positive people

 Black mamba venom is 'better painkiller' than morphine

 Epilepsy burdens developing countries

 Novel coronavirus infection, WHO update: Revised interim case definition

 Stumped by bed nets, mosquitoes turn midnight snack into breakfast

 UN warns over impact of rapidly ageing populations

 U.S.-acquired human rabies with symptom onset and diagnosis abroad, 2012

 When new diseases emerge, experts are faster on the uptake

INFLUENZA

 Americans urged to get vaccinated as flu season nears

 CDC: Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report

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

 Google.org: Flu Trends

 Naval Health Research Center: Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update

VETERINARY/FOOD SAFETY

 U.S. explores possible salmon role in Salmonella cases

 U.S.: FDA lists problems at cantaloupe farm tied to Salmonella outbreak
Contagion of 

Violence

Researchers have 

recognized the tendency 

for violent acts to cluster, 

to spread from place to 

place, and to mutate from 

one type to another –

similar to the infectious 

disease model.

The IOM Forum on Global 

Violence Prevention 

focused on the 

epidemiology of the 

contagion, possible 

processes and mechanisms 

by which violence is 

transmitted, how 

contextual factors mitigate 

or exacerbate the issue, 

and ways in which the 

contagion of violence 

might be interrupted. 

WELLNESS

 Addicted to painkillers, unready for help

 Diet, physical activity and clear communication key to reversing premature disease, death

 HPV vaccine found safe in large study

 New DNA test can spot gene diseases in babies

 Quick survey may pick up ovarian cancer warnings, study

USAFRICOM

 Africa: New virus looks like rabies, acts like Ebola

 Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola outbreak, WHO update

 Eritrea: Community hygiene playing role in combating diseases

 Kenya: Major measles vaccine campaign planned

 Nigeria: Reporting on lead poisoning

 Nigeria: Polio surges

 Sudan: Health conditions deteriorating in Darfur camps

 Uganda: End of Ebola outbreak

USCENTCOM

 Egypt: Mumps vaccine shortage

 Syrian conflict a public health disaster

 Yemen: Chikungunya

USEUCOM

 Germany resumes ritual circumcisions after bitter dispute

 United Kingdom ovarian cancer treatment 'lagging'

 United Kingdom: Overseas 'health tourists' costing NHS at least £40m

USNORTHCOM

 U.S.: Common pesticide linked to birth defect, study suggests

 U.S.: Meningitis cases are linked to steroid injections in spine

 U.S.: Teen drinking and driving rate cut in half in 20 years

USPACOM

 Cipla malaria drug aimed at Asia gets WHO nod

 Japan: Typhoon Jelawat slams Okinawa, and mainland Japan

 Philippines defies church to push family planning

 Scientific research benefits Cambodia

 South Korea tries new approach to reduce suicides

USSOUTHCOM

 Haiti takes on dreaded disease elephantiasis one mouth at a time
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U.S. MILITARY

Alarming breast cancer rates among troops

1 October - ...“Military people in general, and in some cases very specifically, are at a 

significantly greater risk for contracting breast cancer,” says Dr. Richard Clapp, a top cancer 

expert at Boston University. Clapp, who works for the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention on military breast cancer issues, says life in the military can mean exposure to a 

witch’s brew of risk factors directly linked to greater chances of getting breast cancer.

Indeed, in a 2009 study, doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center found that breast 

cancer rates among military women are “significantly higher” — that military women are 20 

percent to 40 percent more likely to get the disease than other women in the same age 

groups. Researchers point to a higher use of oral contraception — also linked to breast 

cancer — among military women as a possible culprit. “Military women are also more likely 

to be engaged in industrial jobs than females in the general population and hence 

potentially more likely to be exposed to chemicals that may be related to breast cancer,” 

researchers wrote in the study. Army Times

Army will purge soldiers who can’t pass PT test

3 October - The Army is trimming the fat. Beginning Nov. 1, soldiers attending Professional 

Military Education must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test and meet height/weight 

standards. Those who fail will be given a second chance within seven to 24 days... Army 

Times

Injuries due to firearms and air guns among U.S. military 

members not participating in overseas combat 

operations, 2002-2011

September 2012 - During 2002-2011, active component U.S. service members sustained 

4,657 firearm-related injuries in circumstances other than deployment to the wars in 

Iraq/Afghanistan; 35 percent of the injuries were fatal. The highest firearm-related injury 

rates affected service members in law enforcement/security and combat occupations. Of 

fatal injuries, 28 percent and 24 percent were suicides and homicides, respectively; among 

service members 30 and older, 84 percent of noncombat firearm-related deaths were 

suicides and 14 percent were homicides. In circumstances other than war, rates of both fatal 

and non-fatal firearm-related injuries are much lower among military members than civilian 

males aged 18-44. During the period, rates of nonfatal firearm-related injuries among nondeployed military members increased sharply, peaking in 2008. The trend reflects that 

among U.S. civilian males aged 18-44. However, firearm-related fatality rates were stable 

among civilians but increased among military members. The increase in rates of firearmrelated fatalities among non-deployed military members reflects the increase in rates of 

suicides by firearms. Rates of injuries due to BB, pellet or paintball guns also increased 

during the period. Medical Surveillance Monthly Report
Navy urges better nutrition and less smoking

3 October - Taking a cue from first lady Michelle Obama and her efforts to whip the nation's 

children into shape, the Navy has launched a campaign to get sailors to eat healthier, 

exercise more often and quit smoking. U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin and top Navy 

and Marine Corps leaders came to Norfolk Naval Station on Tuesday to announce the 

initiative, which promotes healthy life choices through educational videos, brochures and 

seminars. The program was modeled after the National Prevention Strategy, an educational 

campaign mandated under the federal health care overhaul and championed by the first 

lady and her husband. The program seeks to help Americans stay healthy at every stage of 

life. Pilot Online

top of page...

GLOBAL

Bacterium targets HIV-positive people

1 October - Researchers are warning of an emerging form 

of intestinal disease in sub-Saharan Africa. It’s targeting 

mostly HIV-infected people, who are not on treatment. The 

disease kills up to 45 percent of those infected. The disease 

can be found in all corners of sub-Saharan Africa, 

according to Chinyere Okoro of Britain’s Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. “It’s an invasive 

disease. It’s a disease that is found in the bloodstream and can invade other internal organs

of the patient. It’s caused by a bacterium known as Salmonella Typhimurium. Incidentally, 

Salmonella Typhimurium in healthy individuals usually results in gastroenteritis, which one 

of the symptoms will be diarrhea. So, most people would not need extensive treatment or 

hospitalization of any of that,” she said. But Salmonella Typhimurium, she said, causes an 

illness much less like gastroenteritis and more like typhoid in those with compromised 

immune systems. VOA

Black mamba venom is 'better painkiller' than morphine

3 October - A painkiller as powerful as morphine, but without most of the side-effects, has 

been found in the deadly venom of the black mamba, say French scientists. The predator, 

which uses neurotoxins to paralyse and kill small animals, is one of the fastest and most 

dangerous snakes in Africa. However, tests on mice, reported in the journal Nature, showed

its venom also contained a potent painkiller. They admit to being completely baffled about 

why the mamba would produce it. The researchers looked at venom from 50 species before 

they found the black mamba's pain-killing proteins - called mambalgins. Dr Eric Lingueglia, 

from the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology near Nice, told the BBC: "When it 

was tested in mice, the analgesia was as strong as morphine, but you don't have most of the 

side-effects." BBC News
Epilepsy burdens developing countries

2 October - Developing countries are seeing rising rates of noncommunicable diseases such 

as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. But researchers say those countries already 

have a disproportionate number of epilepsy cases compared to richer nations. Researchers 

say despite epilepsy being “one of the most cost-effective disorders to treat,” developing 

nations carry a “heavy burden.” Twice as many people with epilepsy live in low- and middleincome countries. The findings appear in The Lancet medical journal. The lead author, 

Oxford University Psychiatry Professor Charles Newton, spends much of his time in Kenya 

and Tanzania in the Wellcome Trust programs. VOA

Novel coronavirus infection, WHO update: Revised 

interim case definition

29 September - WHO has continued to monitor the situation. No additional confirmed 

cases have been reported and there is no evidence so far of person to person transmission 

of the novel coronavirus. In order to ensure an appropriate and effective identification and 

investigation of patients who may be infected with the virus, without overburdening health 

care systems with unnecessary testing, a revised interim case definition has been issued by 

WHO (see related links to right of this page). It should be noted that this case definition was 

developed based on data from two confirmed cases and as such some degree of clinical 

judgment is required where individual cases are concerned. WHO has been cooperating 

closely with the laboratories which were responsible for the confirmation of the presence of 

the novel coronavirus in the two confirmed cases. These laboratories have been working on 

the development of diagnostic reagents and protocols which can be provided to 

laboratories that are not in a position to develop their own, and these are now available. 

WHO is now seeking to broaden the number of laboratories that will be able to assist 

Member States with the detection or confirmation of this novel virus. WHO

Stumped by bed nets, mosquitoes turn midnight snack 

into breakfast

3 October - One of the most effective methods for the control of spread of malaria is the 

use of bed nets infused with insecticides. Most species of mosquitoes (the Anopheles genus) 

that carry the malarial parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) are considered to be strictly 

nocturnal – they are active only during the night... A new study published in September 21 

in the Journal of Infectious Diseases documents a behavioral change in a local mosquito 

population that effectively works around the safety protection of bed nets. What do they do 

that’s new? They changed the time of day when they bite! Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are 

thought to all be strictly nocturnal. Recently, this dogma has started to be questioned, 

mainly because the rates of malaria did not significantly diminish in areas where bed nets 

have been implemented. Scientific American
UN warns over impact of rapidly ageing populations

1 October - The world needs to do more to prepare for the 

impact of a rapidly ageing population, the UN has warned -

particularly in developing countries. Within 10 years the

number of people aged over 60 will pass one billion, a 

report by the UN Population Fund said. The demographic 

shift will present huge challenges to countries' welfare, pension and healthcare systems. The 

UN agency also said more had to be done to tackle "abuse, neglect and violence against 

older persons". The number of older people worldwide is growing faster than any other age 

group. BBC News

U.S.-acquired human rabies with symptom onset and 

diagnosis abroad, 2012

5 October - On July 8, 2012, a U.S. resident was admitted to a hospital in Dubai, United Arab 

Emirates, for evaluation of right arm spasticity, anxiety, and malaise. By the next day, the 

patient had become comatose following a period of agitation. On July 31, he died. 

Investigators from CDC, state, and local health departments determined that the patient 

acquired rabies from contact in March with a bat in California. Morbidity and Mortality 

Weekly Report

When new diseases emerge, experts are faster on the 

uptake

3 October - Scientists have recently discovered three new human viruses. One, from the 

Arabian Peninsula, causes severe pneumonia and kidney failure. Another sent two Missouri 

farmers to the hospital with severe fatigue and low blood platelets. The third, in central 

Africa, causes a new kind of hemorrhagic fever. The most striking thing about all three new 

viruses is that they were found on the basis of just two or three human cases. That's a long 

way from where the world was 10 years ago, when another new virus popped up in Asia and 

quickly went global. The mysterious new disease would become known as SARS – Severe 

Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Before it was stopped, it would strike 8,000 people around the 

world and kill more than 900 (amazingly, none in the U.S.)... "Ten years after SARS, I think 

it's very difficult to imagine ... an important public health event where that information isn't 

getting out in some form – via text messages, tweets, Facebook posts, blogs, chat rooms," 

[Dr. John Brownstein of Children's Hospital in Boston] told Shots. "I think there's very few 

places on Earth where we're not able to get citizen reporting and information." NPR

top of page...
INFLUENZA

Americans urged to get vaccinated as flu season nears

1 October - U.S. health officials are urging more Americans to 

get vaccinated against influenza for the upcoming flu season, 

adding that there is plenty of vaccine on hand. More than 85 

million doses of the vaccine had been distributed as of Sept. 14, 

and a total of about 135 million doses will be available, the 

nonprofit National Foundation for Infectious Diseases said. The flu season can begin as early 

as October and last as late as May, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Howard Koh, assistant health secretary at the Department of Health and Human 

Services, said there was no guarantee that the 2012-13 flu season would be mild, as the last 

one was. “When it comes to flu, we can’t look to the past to predict the future,” Koh said at 

a news conference. Washington Post

CDC: Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report

During week 38 (week ending 22 September 2012), 6.2% of all deaths reported through the 

122-Cities Mortality Reporting System were due to P&I. This percentage was below the 

epidemic threshold of 6.5% for week 38. FluView

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control:

Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview

28 September - During weeks 37-38, all reporting countries experienced low-intensity 

influenza-like illness. Weekly Influenza Surveillance Overview

Google.org: Flu Trends

4 October – Estimates of flu activity based on flu-related Internet search queries indicate 

that the level of flu activity in the U.S. ranges from low to moderate. Google.org Flu Trends

Naval Health Research Center: Febrile Respiratory 

Illness Surveillance Update 

For the week ending 29 September 2012:

Adenovirus 

 Vaccination against types 4 and 7 adenovirus was instituted at all basic training centers 

by mid-November 2011 (week 45). 

 FRI rates and the proportion of FRI cases positive for adenovirus have decreased 

markedly since vaccine was reintroduced. 

 Type 14 adenovirus is present at MCRD Parris Island.
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 

top of page...

VETERINARY/FOOD SAFETY

U.S. explores possible salmon role in Salmonella cases

3 October - US federal and state public health officials are exploring a possible link between 

recalled smoked salmon imported from the Netherlands and as many as 85 Salmonella

Thompson infections that have been reported in the United States. Yesterday Dutch 

authorities warned consumers not to eat Foppen salmon, which sickened at least 200 

people in the Netherlands and 100 in the United States, according to media reports. Reports 

also said the product is sold in the United States through Costco stores. Lola Russell, a 

spokeswoman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told CIDRAP News 

that federal and state health officials have been investigating a Salmonella Thompson 

outbreak that began in early September, but so far no food source has been identified. The 

CDC has identified 85 cases in 27 states that have the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis 

(PFGE) pattern since July 1, Russell said. CIDRAP

U.S.: FDA lists problems at cantaloupe farm tied to 

Salmonella outbreak

3 October - US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors found widespread 

contamination at Chamberlain Farms Inc., the Indiana farm implicated in the recent 

outbreak of Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Typhimurium from contaminated 

cantaloupe, according to an FDA report. The report, covering inspections from Aug 14 

through Aug 31, states that Salmonella was found in cantaloupes collected in fields and in a 

cardboard bin and in environmental swabs collected from various locations and surfaces in 

the farm's packing shed. The inspector described "a buildup of black, green, and brown 

buildup" on rollers and belts of the conveyor system used during processing as well as 

debris and standing water with what appeared to be algae beneath the conveyer belt. In 

addition, the water used for washing the fruit was coming from nozzles that looked rusty, 

and there was no monitoring of levels of chlorine in the sanitizer tank. Finally, garbage 

receptacles were overflowing, potentially providing a setting for pests to congregate and 

breed. The inspection form states that the findings were observations and do not constitute 

a final agency determination regarding compliance with food safety regulations. The latest 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update on the outbreak, issued Sep 13, 

shows 270 cases from 26 states, with 101 hospitalizations and three deaths. CIDRAP News 

Scan

top of page...
WELLNESS

Addicted to painkillers, unready for help

1 October - ...Prescription drug abuse is America’s fastestgrowing drug problem. Every 19 minutes, someone dies 

from a prescription drug overdose in the United States, triple 

the rate in 1990. And according to the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention, prescription painkillers (like 

oxycodone) are largely to blame. More people die from ingesting these drugs than from 

cocaine and heroin combined... The requirements for involuntary substance treatment vary 

widely across the nation, from posing a serious danger to oneself, others or property, to 

impaired decision-making or even something as vague as losing control of oneself. States 

approach compulsory treatment for mental illness with far greater uniformity. All allow it, 

and almost all restrict it to instances in which a patient poses an immediate danger to 

himself or another. This common standard stems from a series of federal court cases that 

set procedural and substantive requirements for mental health commitments. But 

involuntary commitment for addiction treatment, while certainly not new, has received 

considerably less judicial attention. New York Times

Diet, physical activity and clear communication key to 

reversing premature disease, death

3 October - ...Since seminal research published in 1993 by Mike McGinnis and Bill Foege on 

causes of death — that turned conventional thinking on its head about disease as a health 

effect, not the actual cause of death — the evidence has continued to mount showing that 

our behavior and the environment in which we live are primarily responsible for premature 

death. “What we have in essence is a repetitive drum beat — over 20 years — of a short list 

of factors that all of us can control, “ Katz said, referring to our choices of what we eat and 

whether we exercise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if trends 

continue, 42 percent of Americans could be obese by 2030 and one in three U.S. adults will 

have diabetes by 2050. While these statistics are critical to understanding the magnitude of 

the challenge, the stark numbers neither put a face on nor create an emotional connection 

to the problem. And that’s where health communicators and others in the field come in...

Public Health Newswire

HPV vaccine found safe in large study

1 October - A study of nearly 190,000 young women injected with Merck & Co's human 

papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil found no new safety concerns. Researchers said the only 

side effects they observed - rare cases of skin infections and fainting - were benign and 

expected. "This analysis was very reassuring," said lead researcher Dr. Nicola Klein of the 

Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center in Oakland, California, whose work was funded by 

Merck. HPV vaccination is recommended for both boys and girls to shield them from the 

sexually transmitted infection, which may cause various types of cancer. Reuters
New DNA test can spot gene diseases in babies

4 October - Scientists have discovered a way to decode 

DNA in babies in just days instead of weeks, preventing 

unknown genetic diseases that could cause death. The idea 

is to combine faster gene-analyzing machinery with new 

computer software that uses a baby’s symptoms to narrow 

down suspicious mutations with just a push of a few buttons. The hope is to start treatment 

earlier or avoid futile care for lethal illnesses. Researchers at Children’s Mercy Hospital in 

Missouri mapped the DNA of five children, but the study wasn’t completed in time to help 

most of them. However, the hospital finds the results promising enough that by the year’s 

end, it will begin routine gene-mapping in its neonatal intensive care unit. In addition, the 

hospital may offer testing elsewhere while further studies continue. Fox News Latino

Quick survey may pick up ovarian cancer warnings, study

28 September - A simple three-question survey might identify women who have symptoms 

that may indicate ovarian cancer, according to a new study. The two-minute paper-andpencil questionnaire can be given in a doctor's office and checks for six warning signs that 

may improve early detection of ovarian cancer, according to researchers at the Fred 

Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. The survey asks women if they are 

experiencing one or more of the following symptoms: abdominal and/or pelvic pain; feeling 

full quickly and/or unable to eat normally; abdominal bloating and/or increased abdomen 

size. It also asks about the frequency and duration of these symptoms. The study included 

1,200 women, ages 40 to 87, who completed the questionnaire. Five percent had a positive 

symptom score that indicated the need for further tests. Of this group of about 60 women, 

one was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Of the 95 percent of women who had a negative 

symptom score, none developed ovarian cancer during one year of follow-up. The study 

was published online in the September issue of the Open Journal of Obstetrics and 

Gynecology. Medline Plus

top of page...

USAFRICOM

Africa: New virus looks like rabies, acts like Ebola

28 September - A virus that killed two teenagers in Congo in 2009 

is a completely new type, related to rabies but causing the 

bleeding and rapid death that makes Ebola infection so terrifying, 

scientists reported on Thursday. They’re searching for the source 

of the virus, which may be transmitted by insects or bats. The new 

virus is being named Bas-Congo virus, for the area where it was found. Researchers are 

finding more and more of these new viruses, in part because new tests make it possible, but 

also in the hope of better understanding them so they can prevent pandemics of deadly 

disease. NBC News
Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola outbreak, WHO 

update

27 September - As of 24 September 2012, 51 cases (19 laboratory confirmed, 32 probable) 

with Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) have been reported in the Democratic Republic of 

Congo (DRC). Of these, 20 have been fatal (7 confirmed, 13 probable). The cases reported 

are from Isiro and Viadana health zones in Haut-Uélé district in Province Orientale. To date, 

28 suspected cases have been reported and are being investigated. The Ministry of Health 

(MoH) continues to work with partners, under the National Task Force which includes: WHO; 

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF); the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent 

Societies (IFRC); US Agency for International Development (USAID); US Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC); and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to identify 

all possible chains of transmission of the illness and ensure that appropriate measures are 

taken to interrupt transmission and stop the outbreak. WHO

Eritrea: Community hygiene playing role in combating 

diseases

3 October - The Ministry of Health said that community-based environmental hygiene is 

playing vital role in the prevention of communicable diseases. Dr. Kesete Araya, head of 

environmental health department, explained that impressive accomplishments have been 

registered to this end over the past 3 years, and that use of latrines has visibly grown in 

remote areas. Accordingly, 480 villages are currently engaged in promoting construction of 

latrines at household level, while 200 other are fully resorting to such practice. Pointing out 

that the sustainability of such popular initiative in an integrated manner can lead to 

attaining 80% control on communicable diseases, Dr. Kesete indicated that the Ministry 

would step up endeavors as regards promoting use of latrines and waste disposal. He also 

lauded the community participation being demonstrated in endeavors towards ensuring 

environmental hygiene. All Africa

Kenya: Major measles vaccine campaign planned

4 October - The Kenyan government is set to conduct a "mop-up" 

vaccination campaign against measles following an outbreak of the disease 

in several areas of the country. Director of Public Health and Sanitation 

Shahnaaz Sharif said the number of confirmed cases of measles in the 

country had grown from 665 in 2011 to 767 by 25 September 2012. At least 

32 children under age five have died of the disease since the outbreak began in January of 

last year. The first case was reported at a refugee camp in northern Kenya; the disease soon 

spread to the country's Eastern Province, where it has been reported in 45 out of 47 

counties. IRIN
Nigeria: Reporting on lead poisoning

30 September - If you want to witness the health consequences of unsafe gold mining in 

northwestern Nigeria, the first thing you have to do is get to the mines. There's a crisis of 

severe lead poisoning near the mines that's killed hundreds of children and made 

thousands more sick. The gold deposits are in a remote part of the country, near the border 

with Niger... In this part of Nigeria, the gold ore under the ground is mixed with lead. When 

the ore is dug up, crushed and processed, the lead escapes into the air. "The problem is that 

children eat dirt," says Ivan Gayton, the head of mission for Doctors Without Borders in 

Nigeria. "And when they have dirt that's contaminated with lead from mine tailings, they eat 

that and absorb it." The group has been trying to treat the kids who are most affected by 

lead. The lead also is absorbed by adults, but it has more of an effect on growing children... 

Over the last two years at least 400 kids here have died from lead poisoning and thousands 

more have been sickened. NPR

Nigeria: Polio surges

28 September - Polio is again on the rise in Nigeria and doctors said the 

entire region should be on alert. An alarming number of new cases have 

been found in the north, where authorities are already dealing with the 

unrest caused by the militant group Boko Haram. Health officials warn that 

even a few cases of polio can lead to a devastating outbreak. “I believe that 

getting polio eradication is one of the smartest allocations of resources that the world can 

make," said billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates. "The world is coming together to do 

something truly amazing -- protect every single child everywhere from this crippling virus.”

VOA

Sudan: Health conditions deteriorating in Darfur camps

3 October - Displaced persons from camps in Central and West Darfur have complained to 

Radio Dabanga about diseases, such as malaria, diarrhea and abdominal pain spreading 

rapidly. In addition, they complained about the lack of available medication as well as the 

rising prices of medicines. A number of displaced from El-Geneina, Mornei and Bindessey 

camps told Radio Dabanga that the rapidly spreading diseases caused the death of several 

children and elderly so far. Camp Bindessey leadership disclosed the death of six children 

between Sunday September 23 and Monday October 1. In addition, a number of camp 

residents reported there is hardly any house without a malaria patient. The residents 

pointed out that the price of malaria treatment ranges between 50 and 60 Sudanese 

Pounds (SDG). The displaced appealed to the health authorities to intervene and act 

accordingly to stop the diseases from spreading further. All Africa

Uganda: End of Ebola outbreak

4 October - The Ministry of Health (MoH), Uganda has declared today, the end of the Ebola 

haemorrhagic fever (EHF) outbreak in Kibaale district. The last case was confirmed on 3 

August 2012 and was discharged from the hospital on 24 August 2012. This is double the 

maximum incubation period (21 days) for Ebola as recommended by WHO. In the outbreak, 
a total of 24 probable and confirmed cases were recorded, of which 11 were laboratory 

confirmed by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe. A total of 17 deaths 

were reported in this outbreak. WHO

top of page...

USCENTCOM

Egypt: Mumps vaccine shortage

2 October - More than 100 children have been affected by a mumps outbreak in Marashda 

[official name Al Marāshidah located in Qina governorate], Egypt, with 43 cases and 70 

infections reported. Officials at the Ministry of Health insist that this is not a serious 

outbreak. However, many children are not attending school out of fear of infection. Mumps 

is caused by mumps virus and is spread when a person comes into contact with infected 

droplets of saliva or mucus, usually through coughing, sneezing, or sharing dishes. 

Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, and fatigue, along with serious 

complications such as inflammation of the brain and deafness. Egyptian officials are working 

to provide treatment for infected youth. However, vaccination is considered the best 

strategy for avoiding mumps infection. The vaccination for mumps is a combination vaccine 

for measles, mumps, and rubella, (MMR). It is recommended that children receive 2 doses: 

one at age 12-15 months and another at age 4-6 years. The 1st MMR vaccine became 

available in 1967 and has reduced mumps prevalence by 99 percent. This outbreak has 

occurred alongside news that Egypt is facing a nationwide vaccine shortage. ProMED-mail

Syrian conflict a public health disaster

28 September - The United Nations estimates the civil war 

raging in Syria has left more than 2.5 million people in dire 

need of food, water, drugs and medical supplies. After 18 

months of fighting, thousands are dead and thousands 

more wounded. If past wars are any indication, the health 

and well-being of Syrians will likely be affected long after the last guns are fired. Before the 

uprising started, Syria boasted nearly 500 hospitals and 70 licensed pharmaceutical 

manufacturers that supplied 90 percent of the nation’s drugs. All that has changed. Tarik 

Jasarevic is a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO), which recently sent a 

team of observers into the embattled city of Homs. He says many hospitals and health 

centers in Homs have been badly damaged by shelling. Only six of 12 public hospitals 

remain open, and eight out of 32 private hospitals are still in operation-- at greatly reduced 

capacity. VOA

Yemen: Chikungunya

2 October - The Governor has directed the implementation of a joint campaign of the Office 

of Health and Optimization and localities to combat (dengue/chikungunya) in the Villages 

of Sharhab, Alrona, Taiz (Governorate) who have complained of the disease "almkrvs" said 
the Director of Health: recorded 36 cases were recorded up to Thursday [27 Sep 2012]. [In 

Yemen, they use the word "almkrvs," bone-breaker, as the local expression for chikungunya 

virus infections. The term for dengue is actually "damal Dank." - Corr.SB]. Local residents 

said that dozens of families have been hit by chikungunya disease "almkrvs," (bone-breaker) 

in the Directorate Sharhab Alrona in Taiz, demanding the governor of Taiz give guidance to 

the Office of Health and Epidemiological Surveillance and to rapidly disembark field and 

medical teams to treat the injured. The population call chikungunya virus infections 

"almkrvs," which spread 2 weeks ago in a lot of villages which lack government health 

centers. ProMED-mail

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USEUCOM

Germany resumes ritual circumcisions after bitter 

dispute

1 October - Shopkeeper Nevzat Cavan is rushing to meet orders for the white, fur-trimmed 

costumes worn by Muslim boys for their circumcision, relieved that Berlin's city government 

has allowed the operations to resume. For three months, the elaborate suits, capes and 

oriental slippers languished unsold due to a shock court ruling that raised the possibility of 

criminal charges being brought against families who had their sons circumcised. "There 

were days when we didn't even open the till, but now the phone never stops ringing," 

Turkish-born Cavan said. The Cologne court ruling in June outraged Germany's Muslims and 

Jews, and triggered an anguished national debate, by stating that ritual circumcision of 

under-aged boys amounted to "bodily harm" and parents should wait for their son to make 

his own decision. The ruling applied only to the Cologne area but Jews and Muslims across 

Germany feared it would create a legal precedent, and doctors fearing prosecution stopped 

performing operations. Reuters

United Kingdom ovarian cancer treatment 'lagging'

3 October - Women in the UK are dying unnecessarily of 

ovarian cancer because of a lack of access to the best 

treatment, say experts. The fifth most common cancer in 

UK women affects more than 6,500 a year. Researchers 

funded by the Department of Health compared the survival 

rates of 20,000 patients in five countries - Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and the UK. 

The UK ranked worst. Its record of managing advanced stages of the disease was 

particularly poor. BBC News

United Kingdom: Overseas 'health tourists' costing NHS 

at least £40m

3 October - The NHS has lost at least £40m in four years by failing to identify so-called 

"health tourists" accessing hospital care, a BBC investigation has found. Health Minister 
Anna Soubry admitted the system for identifying people who are not entitled to free care is 

complex and at times "flawed". Hospitals in England and Wales are obliged to ensure NHS 

patients have lived in the UK for the past 12 months. “It seems very strange...to open the 

door...to the citizens of the world to walk in and have free medical care.” But 45 out of 133 

hospital trusts which gave details said they do not check. In responding to Freedom of 

Information requests from the BBC's Panorama programme, those hospitals that had 

identified overseas visitors who had received treatment on the NHS had written off more 

than £40m in losses. That is a figure that one MP described as "the tip of the iceberg" of 

overall costs of treating visitors who should not be given free access to the health care 

system. BBC News

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USNORTHCOM

U.S.: Common pesticide linked to birth defect, study 

suggests

28 September - A common herbicide called atrazine may be 

associated with a rare birth defect of the nasal cavity, a new study 

suggests. Atrazine -- the most widely used herbicide in the United 

States, particularly in corn crops -- is believed to be an endocrine 

disruptor, which means that it may interfere with the hormone 

system in humans. The new study looked at the link between atrazine and choanal atresia, a 

birth defect in which tissue formed during fetal development blocks the back of the nasal 

passage. The condition affects a baby's ability to breathe. Surgery is the typical treatment.

Although few risk factors for choanal atresia have been identified, it's believed that 

chemicals that disrupt a mother's hormone system may be associated with the risk, 

according to study author Philip Lupo, an assistant professor of pediatrics --

hematology/oncology at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Cancer Center.

Medline Plus

U.S.: Meningitis cases are linked to steroid injections in 

spine

2 October - ...[Dr. April Pettit, an infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University] is 

now credited with being the clinician who recognized the “index case” in what has become 

a frightening outbreak of meningitis that has killed two people and sickened 12 others who 

also received steroid injections in their spines for pain. Doctors suspect that the steroid 

medicine was contaminated with the fungus. The meningitis does not spread from person 

to person. Officials said it was not possible to predict the extent of the outbreak yet. 

Thirteen of the patients have been in Tennessee, and one in North Carolina. Two of the 

cases were new as of Tuesday, and health officials have said that there could be more cases 

and that other states could be affected. New York Times
U.S.: Teen drinking and driving rate cut in half in 20 

years

2 October - The percentage of U.S. high school students who drink and drive has dropped 

by more than half in two decades, in part due to tougher laws against driving under the 

influence of alcohol, federal health officials said on Tuesday. In 2011, 10.3 percent of high 

school students 16 and older reported drinking and driving in the previous 30 days, 

compared to 22.3 percent in 1991, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention study. The CDC credited the nearly 54 percent decline to stricter laws against 

drunken driving and restrictions on teen driving privileges, such as limits on the hours 

teenagers may legally drive at night. Reuters

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USPACOM

Cipla malaria drug aimed at Asia gets WHO nod

3 October - A malaria drug made by India's Cipla has been pre-qualified by the World 

Health Organization (WHO), an important step towards its roll-out across Asia, where 

millions of people are infected with the mosquito-borne disease every year. The drug, which 

has already been used to treat 18,000 adults in India, is intended as the first-line treatment 

in a number of South East Asian countries, Cipla and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases 

Initiative said in a joint statement on Wednesday. Reuters

Japan: Typhoon Jelawat slams Okinawa, and mainland 

Japan

1 October - With sustained winds to 87 mph and gusts to 137 

mph, typhoon Jelawat raked Okinawa Saturday. It knocked out 

power to about half the island (331,500 homes), injured more 

than 50 people and killed a man according to the Pacific Storm 

Tracker blog. On Sunday night, it then struck mainland Japan

causing tens of thousands of additional power outages and another 145 injuries the 

Associated Press reported. Jelawat was the third typhoon to strike Okinawa in a month. A 

CNN iReporter said Jelawat seemed like “the worst of the three.” Washington Post

Philippines defies church to push family planning

2 October - Philippine President Benigno Aquino is squaring off against his country's 

powerful Catholic church in a bid to give people free access to the means to limit the size of 

their families. The predominately Catholic country has one of Asia's fastest-growing 

populations together with significant levels of chronic poverty. While neighbors have 
accelerated towards prosperity, the Philippines has lagged. Economists say high population 

growth is a primary factor for that, but the church disagrees. It says population growth is 

not a cause of poverty and that people need jobs, not contraception. Aquino, a Catholic like 

80 percent of the population, has thrown his support behind a reproductive health bill that 

will, if passed by the two houses of Congress, guarantee access to free birth control and 

promote sex education. Reuters

Scientific research benefits Cambodia

1 October - Just recently [the U.S. Navy Medicine’s Naval Medical 

Research Unit-2 (NAMRU-2)] began enrolling new participants in a 

study that will help identify the reasons for serious respiratory and 

diarrheal diseases in areas surrounding cities and in rural parts of 

Cambodia. Once we better understand the cause of such diseases, we 

can develop better methods of prevention and treatment... The 

enrollment process for the new study involves going door-to-door in 

the villages in the study areas. The field volunteers explain to the 

residents of each house how the study will work and ask the villagers if they are interested 

in participating. Given that NAMRU-2 hopes to have four villages and a total of 5,000 

people participating in the study, the enrollment process takes a lot of person-to-person 

contact, but it is important that the participants understand the study and are comfortable 

with taking part in it. DoD Live

South Korea tries new approach to reduce suicides

2 October - South Korea has one of the highest rates of suicide in the developed world.

Now the government is trying a new approach to prevent people from taking their own 

lives. It only took a single generation for the country to go from an impoverished nation to 

one of the world’s top economies. It is a fast-paced society, where people have a hard time 

slowing down. Some observers say this rapid development is leaving many South Koreans 

feeling isolated and depressed. Kim Hyun-chung, a psychiatrist at the National Medical 

Center in Seoul, says more than half of her patients have suicidal thoughts. “We’re just 

growing just too fast and people don’t have time to adjust to it," she explains. "We are an 

Asian cultural society but now we are more globalized. It’s westernized and I don’t think 

people have had the time to adjust to the big changes.” VOA

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USSOUTHCOM

Haiti takes on dreaded disease elephantiasis one mouth 

at a time

30 September - ...That is the goal Haiti set this year in its 

campaign against a parasitic infection called lymphatic filariasis 

that is present in 80 percent of the country. Spread by 

mosquitoes, in severe cases it leads to permanent swelling of 

an arm or leg. That condition, called “elephantiasis,” can be 

grotesque and life-changing. In men, the worms can cause a swelling of the scrotum that is 

even more stigmatizing. Lymphatic filariasis is a “neglected tropical disease,” the name for a 

group of maladies that have disappeared from industrialized countries or never existed 

there. Others include onchocerciasis (“river blindness”), schistosomiasis (“snail fever”), soilbased intestinal worms, and the eye infection trachoma. For 1.9 billion people, most of them 

poor, they are still threats. Eliminating the diseases has been an object of intense effort and 

research over the past decade. The work is largely unknown outside the global health 

community, overshadowed by higher-profile campaigns against AIDS, malaria and 

tuberculosis. Washington Post

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