Authorities have issued health alert after 150 cases of pneumonia were recorded in a week, mainly in towns near the northern Italian city of Brescia.

Suspecting the presence of a pneumonia-causing virus in the water supply, they have taken samples from the distribution network for analysis. Results are expected in several days.

Autopsies will be conducted on a 69-year-old woman and an 85-year-old man who died this week to determine whether they died from pneumonia, according to local media reports.

Pneumonia is usually caused when bacteria, viruses or fungi infect the lungs. It can be life-threatening, especially among the elderly and those with serious health conditions.

Provincial health services have called on residents to take precautions, including disinfecting tap filters and shower hoses and to let hot water run for a period of time with the windows open before using it.

Hospital emergencies in several municipalities to the south and east of Brescia identified 121 cases of pneumonia, the health officer in the Lombardy region Giulio Galera said on television.

A survey of general practitioners found at least 30 other people had been affected. </s> Legionella is most deadly in the elderly

Grandmother Norma Bigi, 84, the latest victim of the illness, died after tests revealed the bacteria came from water from a fountain in Bresso, a town near Milan.

Those taken ill from the disease found themselves suffering its classic symptoms in the past 12-13 days and have all been admitted to hospital while authorities make attempts to control the outbreak.

Simone Cairo, mayor of Bresso, said: “The situation is under control, all the authorities that had to take action have been activated.

“This morning, the mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala called me to give us support, let's see how he can help us.”

He went on to say most of the patients battling the condition have been discharged from hospital. </s> Authorities are struggling to contain the infection with three areas already testing positive for the virus - Jesolo, Caorle and Ceggia. All three had already been decontaminated, meaning the outbreaks are moving faster than tests and disinfestations. A 77-year-old man died yesterday after he contracted an infected mosquito bite in Cento, near Bologna in northern Italy. He had originally been admitted to hospital for a fall on Tuesday, July 24, but his condition deteriorated and he was transferred to a specialist hospital 60 miles away in Cona, where he was diagnosed with West Nile meningoencephalitis.

The West Nile virus has no symptoms in 75 percent of cases. But those who do show signs suffer flu-like symptoms, with a fever, headache, vomiting and a rash. In the worst of cases, the virus can develop into meningitis or encephalitis causes seizures and confusion. If the infection reaches the nervous system, it can cause death in 10 percent of cases. The twelfth person to be infected by the virus, in the eastern Veneto region, saw small bubbles erupt all over her body, as well as a headache and joint pains, two days ago.

The mayor of Fossalta di Piave, in the Venice area, has ordered a “massive disinfestation” throughout the area, after the 53-year-old woman tested positive for the infection. The woman managed to stop the infection becoming any more dangerous by spotting symptoms early. Pier Giorgio Scotton said: "She went to the doctor and said, ‘Could it be the West Nile?’ And she was immediately tested. Their suspicion was founded.” She was taken to hospital immediately, where she is now out of danger and recovering. Mr Scotton said: “She was always lucid and present. She will still need a few days to say that the most difficult phase is over.” It is not known where the infected mosquito was as the woman had travelled in the Jesolo and Eraclea areas. It is also difficult to identify where infected mosquitos are as incubation periods can vary from person to person from two days to two weeks. And mosquitos travel between towns within just a few hours. </s> ABUJA: Nearly 270 people, most of them children, have died in the past five months during the latest meningitis outbreak to hit Nigeria, public health officials said on Wednesday.

“Presently we have 1,828 suspected cases… and we have 269 deaths in about 15 states,” Olubunmi Ojo of the National Centre for Disease Control told local television.

At least five northern states—Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger—and the Federal Capital Territory have been hit hard and have crossed the threshold for an epidemic, she added.

Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, director of disease control at the federal ministry of health in Abuja, said those six states accounted for 1,090 infected people and 154 deaths.

“Zamfara State alone recorded 590 cases, out of which 29 people have died,” he told Agence France-Presse.

Laboratory tests have confirmed that the disease was of a new Type C strain, he added.

The World Health Organization said on March 24 that children aged five to 14 were the most affected age group in this latest epidemic, accounting for about half of all reported cases.

Nigeria lies in the so-called “meningitis belt” of sub-Saharan Africa, stretching from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, where outbreaks of the disease are a regular occurrence.

The country and neighboring Niger were both badly hit by meningitis outbreaks in 2015, when over 13,700 people were infected in six months, with more than 1,100 deaths.

Meningitis is caused by different types of bacteria, six of which can cause epidemics. It is transmitted between people through coughs and sneezes, and facilitated by cramped living conditions and close contact.

The illness causes acute inflammation of the outer layers of the brain and spinal cord, with the most common symptoms being fever, headache and neck stiffness. AFP </s> The first case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus has been confirmed in South Korea since the outbreak that affected the country in 2015 leaving 187 infected and 38 dead.

‘The patient, a 61-year-old man, was diagnosed with the MERS virus on Saturday after returning from a business trip in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with transit in Kuwait, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.’

The patient was admitted to a hospital in Kuwait when he began to show some symptoms of the disease and upon arrival to South Korea was transferred to the Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul.The hospital alerted the authorities that it could be a possible case of MERS as symptoms included high fever and pneumonia and moved the patient to the Seoul National University Hospital where he tested positive for the potentially deadly virus.Around 20 people who were in close contact with the patient, including passengers and crew members of his flight and immigration officers, have been quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus.This is the first case of MERS in South Korea since its outbreak recorded between May and December 2015, after this virus was first detected in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and subsequently expanded to other countries.The mortality rate of MERS in South Korea reached 20 per cent during the outbreak, below the figures between 30 and 40 per cent that were recorded in other areas.Most of the 38 deaths that occurred due to the virus in South Korea were elderly people or patients affected by other illnesses.Source: IANS </s> Pneumonia: Five things to know

US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has cancelled campaign engagements after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

The 68-year-old fell ill at a ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and appeared to lose her footing as she was helped into her vehicle.

Here are five things to know about the disease.

Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi that target the lungs.

When it strikes, the tiny air sacs inside the lungs fill up with pus and fluid, limiting oxygen intake and making it painful for the patient to breathe.

All types of pneumonia share similar symptoms including cough and fever, with wheezing being more common in viral cases.

Doctors usually diagnose pneumonia by conducting a physical exam, checking symptoms and carrying out a chest X-ray to ensure that the patient is not suffering from bronchitis or other respiratory infections.

Fungal pneumonia tends to be relatively rare, affecting people with weakened immune systems, such as AIDS patients, who become sick either when they inhale wind-borne spores or when a fungus already present in their bodies triggers symptoms.

Who is at risk?

Pneumonia can affect people of all ages but it can be particularly serious, even life-threatening, for the very old or the very young.

Smokers, as well as people with underlying medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease, are particularly vulnerable, according to the US Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC).

The infection is spread via air-borne droplets from coughs or sneezes.

Doctors say hand-washing is an effective way to reduce the risk of picking up pneumonia.

How dangerous is it?

When an otherwise healthy adult under 65 years of age gets pneumonia, his or her body can usually fight off the infection.

But patients with a weak immune system -- those who are very young or old, or those who have a pre-existing condition -- can struggle to cope and will sometimes develop complications.

As the infection sets in, it can cause oxygen levels in the body to fall. In extreme cases, this can lead to organ failure and death.

The World Health Organization calls pneumonia the single biggest killer of children under five worldwide, responsible for 15 percent of deaths in this age group every year.

What is the recommended treatment?

It depends on what kind of pneumonia it is.

Doctors advise patients to take rest and consume plenty of fluids.

The normal treatment includes antibiotics for bacterial cases, while viral pneumonia is treated with antiviral drugs and the occasional prescription of corticosteroid medicines.

Fungal pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics or antifungal medication.

What is the usual recovery time?

Recovery time depends on the severity of the symptoms before treatment but in most cases, patients feel better after a course of medicines and a week of rest. </s> South Korean authorities Sunday confirmed the first case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus diagnosed in a man since the outbreak that affected the country in 2015, leaving 187 infected and 38 dead.

The patient, a 61-year-old man, was diagnosed with the virus Saturday after returning from a business trip in the United Arab Emirates with transit in Kuwait, reported the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC) Sunday. </s> At least 140 people have died in several states in Nigeria due to an outbreak of meningitis, officials have said. The current outbreak is the worst recorded in the country since 2009, when at least 156 people died.

More than 80 of the deaths occurred in north-western Zamfara State. At least 23 people died in Sokoto State, where a state of high alert was declared by the ministry of health on 20 March.

More than 1,000 people have been infected, amid fears the death toll could increase if the epidemic reaches crowded areas such as refugee camps.

It is believed the new strain of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) is not common in Nigeria and was imported from Niger Republic, Minister of Health Isaac Adewole told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Thus new vaccines are required to immunise people.

Earlier in March, Adewole said a team of epidemiologists had been deployed to address the issue, stressing that the ministry was working hard to tackle the epidemic.

The minister appealed to Nigerians to report all cases of unusual fevers to health facilities and to avoid overcrowding.

"When people are coughing let them be referred to facilities, open windows and ensure that we do not get infected easily, Adewole said earlier in March, according to local media.

"Children are more susceptible and when they have unusual fever they should also be referred to the hospital."

Meningitis is an inflammation of the layers of the brain and spinal cord. Infection is the most common cause of meningitis, with viral or bacterial pathogens transmitted via saliva.

Bacterial meningitis is deadly in about one case out of ten, and life-long sequelae occur in one in five survivors. More on meningitis here. </s> MADRID (Reuters) - A 90-year-old Spanish woman died on Tuesday, 56 people have been hospitalized and dozens more taken ill in what is believed to be the biggest outbreak of listeriosis recorded in Spain, the health minister said.

A nationwide alert was sent out after listeria, the bacteria behind the infection, was suspected in a brand of packaged pork manufactured by Seville-based Magrudis, acting Health Minister Maria Luisa Carcedo told Cadena Ser radio.

“We are monitoring this, the alerts have been sent out and we’ve ordered that all products (that have come) from this factory since May be pulled from shelves,” she said.

Most of the 114 cases have occurred in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, but other potential cases have turned up across the country, from Madrid to the island of Tenerife.

Of those affected in Andalusia, 53 remain in hospital, including 18 pregnant women and two newborn babies, regional health authorities said.

The company behind the packaged pork brand linked to the outbreak did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
A pneumonia outbreak in Brescia and Mantova, Italy, infects at least 150 people. The deaths of two other people are suspected connected to the disease. The cause is a suspected bacterium in the water.