Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/news-scan-apr-24-2020
News Scan for Apr 24, 2020
Norovirus on cruise ships; Polio in 4 countries
Filed Under:
Norovirus; Foodborne Disease; Polio
Frozen raspberries linked to norovirus cruise ship outbreaks
Today researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, noted a link between frozen produce and outbreaks of norovirus on several cruise ships sailing in Europe and North America last summer and fall. The same cruise ship company was tied to all outbreaks.
More than 3% of the passengers (85 of 2,166) contracted the disease, which involved a rapid onset of vomiting and diarrhea followed by symptom resolution within 24 hours. Extensive food testing on the ships in September 2019 showed no obvious contamination.
Food questionnaires completed by ill passengers showed that nearly 80% of ill passengers implicated a smoothie made from frozen fruits and berries, the authors said.
Follow-up investigations in October revealed that frozen fruit and berries from the cruise line contained the same strain of norovirus as patients' stool specimens.
"Upon further review of food provisioning, cruise line X determined that its food vendor had purchased several containers (nearly 22,000 pounds) of frozen raspberries of the same lot from a supplier in China beginning the end of June 2019. These raspberries had been supplied to the entire fleet of cruise line X. Both the epidemiologic and laboratory data implicated the raspberries as the cause of the outbreaks," the authors concluded.
Apr 24 MMWR note from the field
Four nations note new polio cases; WHO prequalifies dose-sparing vaccine
Four countries—Afghanistan, Pakistan, Cameroon, and Chad—reported new polio cases this week, according to the latest weekly update from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Afghanistan reported one more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case, in a patient from Nimroz province, bringing the country's total for the year to four. Pakistan reported two more WPV1 cases, one from Balochistan province and the other from Sindh province. The country has now recorded 41 cases in 2020.
In Africa, Cameroon reported two more circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases, one each in Est and Littoral provinces, lifting its total for the year to three. And Chad reported six more cVDPV2 cases—two in Hadjer Lamis province and one each in Batha, Kanem, Lac, and Sila provinces. Chad has reported 20 cases so far this year from two different outbreaks, one of them linked to Nigeria's Jigawa state.
Apr 23 GPEI report
In other polio developments, the World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified a new vaccine called Picovax, a dose-sparing inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) made by Denmark-based AJ Vaccines. The vaccine was developed to provide an option for expanding the supply of vaccine.
In a statement, the company said Picovax has the potential to deliver up to 100 million doses over the next 5 years to help meet unmet demand for IPV. The vaccine was developed with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and is indicated for vaccination of infants age 6 weeks and older and for revaccination of infants, older children, and adolescents.
Apr 22 AJ Vaccines statement
News Scan for Apr 24, 2020
Norovirus on cruise ships; Polio in 4 countries
Filed Under:
Norovirus; Foodborne Disease; Polio
Frozen raspberries linked to norovirus cruise ship outbreaks
Today researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, noted a link between frozen produce and outbreaks of norovirus on several cruise ships sailing in Europe and North America last summer and fall. The same cruise ship company was tied to all outbreaks.
More than 3% of the passengers (85 of 2,166) contracted the disease, which involved a rapid onset of vomiting and diarrhea followed by symptom resolution within 24 hours. Extensive food testing on the ships in September 2019 showed no obvious contamination.
Food questionnaires completed by ill passengers showed that nearly 80% of ill passengers implicated a smoothie made from frozen fruits and berries, the authors said.
Follow-up investigations in October revealed that frozen fruit and berries from the cruise line contained the same strain of norovirus as patients' stool specimens.
"Upon further review of food provisioning, cruise line X determined that its food vendor had purchased several containers (nearly 22,000 pounds) of frozen raspberries of the same lot from a supplier in China beginning the end of June 2019. These raspberries had been supplied to the entire fleet of cruise line X. Both the epidemiologic and laboratory data implicated the raspberries as the cause of the outbreaks," the authors concluded.
Apr 24 MMWR note from the field
Four nations note new polio cases; WHO prequalifies dose-sparing vaccine
Four countries—Afghanistan, Pakistan, Cameroon, and Chad—reported new polio cases this week, according to the latest weekly update from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Afghanistan reported one more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case, in a patient from Nimroz province, bringing the country's total for the year to four. Pakistan reported two more WPV1 cases, one from Balochistan province and the other from Sindh province. The country has now recorded 41 cases in 2020.
In Africa, Cameroon reported two more circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) cases, one each in Est and Littoral provinces, lifting its total for the year to three. And Chad reported six more cVDPV2 cases—two in Hadjer Lamis province and one each in Batha, Kanem, Lac, and Sila provinces. Chad has reported 20 cases so far this year from two different outbreaks, one of them linked to Nigeria's Jigawa state.
Apr 23 GPEI report
In other polio developments, the World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified a new vaccine called Picovax, a dose-sparing inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) made by Denmark-based AJ Vaccines. The vaccine was developed to provide an option for expanding the supply of vaccine.
In a statement, the company said Picovax has the potential to deliver up to 100 million doses over the next 5 years to help meet unmet demand for IPV. The vaccine was developed with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and is indicated for vaccination of infants age 6 weeks and older and for revaccination of infants, older children, and adolescents.
Apr 22 AJ Vaccines statement