Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2019/12/news-scan-dec-06-2019
News Scan for Dec 06, 2019
Polio in Afghanistan, Angola; Malaria vaccine funding; Measles progress in China
Filed Under:
Malaria; Measles; Polio; Childhood Vaccines
[h=3]Polio cases reported in Afghanistan, Angola[/h] Afghanistan has one new case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), and Angola recorded 16 new cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) according to the latest weekly report from the Global Polio Eradication Intuitive (GPEI).
The case from Afghanistan was detected in Kandahar district, with the patient experiencing paralysis onset on Nov 10. This case raises Afghanistan's 2019 total to 22 WPV1 cases, one more than the number reported in 2018.
In Angola, the 16 new cVDPV2 infections bring the 2019 total to 60 cases — part of seven separate outbreaks reported this year. Symptom onsets range between Aug 24 and Oct 16.
This year is outpacing 2018 in both wild and vaccine-derived cases; as of Dec 4, there were 113 reported cases of wild poliovirus, compared to 29 during the same period in 2018. And there have been 195 reports of vaccine-derived polio in 2019, compared to 2018's total of 104 cases.
Dec 4 GPEI report
In other polio news, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Romania and two neighboring countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine) remain at high risk of a sustained polio outbreak because of insufficient vaccine coverage, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned today.
"The EU/EEA has remained polio-free since 2002. However, the risk of reintroduction of the virus exists as long as there are non- or under-vaccinated population groups in European countries and poliomyelitis is not eradicated," the ECDC said.
Dec 6 ECDC news story
[h=3]Gavi approves more funding for malaria vaccine pilot program[/h] At its board meeting this week, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, approved $11.6 million more in funding to support the roll-out of the RTS,S malaria vaccine from 2021 to 2023.
Earlier this year, the vaccine was introduced as part of a pilot program in parts of three African countries: Ghana, Malawi, and Kenya. The program is testing the feasibility of delivering four doses of the vaccine through childhood vaccination clinics and its role in reducing childhood deaths. Gavi and two other global health groups provided nearly $50 million in funding for the first phase of the pilot.
The additional funding to complete the pilot program is designed to follow a similar plan, with other groups providing in-kind contributions, including a donation of up to 10 million vaccine doses by GlaxoSmithKline.
In its announcement yesterday, Gavi said its board is exploring other ways to ensure vaccine production, with an expected recommendation from the WHO for wider use of the vaccine. Gavi's board met in New Delhi, India, and also approved an Ebola vaccine stockpiling plan (see yesterday's CIDRAP News story).
Dec 5 Gavi press release
In other malaria developments, a research team based at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) has characterized three genes that are linked to insecticide resistance, based on experiments with mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite in Africa. They detailed their findings in the Dec 4 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Using genetically modified Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes from their earlier work to identify potential resistance-gene culprits, the researchers identified three genes that were associated with resistance by their overproduction in the insects. The investigators concluded that the genes can serve as markers for insecticide resistance, and the genetically modified mosquitoes can be used to test new insecticides for use in next-generation bed nets.
Dec 4 PNAS abstract
Dec 5 LSTM press release
[h=3]China makes progress toward measles elimination[/h] According to a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), China has made progress towards measles elimination in recent years, with incidence declining from 31 per million in 2015 to 2.8 in 2018. Only one measles-associated death was reported in 2018, with no deaths this year.
The significant decrease of measles incidence shows that vaccination strategies in China have been successful, including a 2005 national requirement that all students entering kindergarten have their vaccination status checked. Although vaccination isn't mandatory, unvaccinated children are referred to follow-up clinics.
China recorded 1,839 measles cases during the first half of 2019, with 52.5% of cases in children ages 8 months to 14 years.
"Measles cases, incidence, and outbreaks were all at historically low levels in 2017 and 2018 and have decreased further through June 2019," the authors said. "Measles deaths are now rare in this country of 1.4 billion persons, with just one measles-associated death reported in the last 18 months."
Dec 7 MMWR report
News Scan for Dec 06, 2019
Polio in Afghanistan, Angola; Malaria vaccine funding; Measles progress in China
Filed Under:
Malaria; Measles; Polio; Childhood Vaccines
[h=3]Polio cases reported in Afghanistan, Angola[/h] Afghanistan has one new case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), and Angola recorded 16 new cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) according to the latest weekly report from the Global Polio Eradication Intuitive (GPEI).
The case from Afghanistan was detected in Kandahar district, with the patient experiencing paralysis onset on Nov 10. This case raises Afghanistan's 2019 total to 22 WPV1 cases, one more than the number reported in 2018.
In Angola, the 16 new cVDPV2 infections bring the 2019 total to 60 cases — part of seven separate outbreaks reported this year. Symptom onsets range between Aug 24 and Oct 16.
This year is outpacing 2018 in both wild and vaccine-derived cases; as of Dec 4, there were 113 reported cases of wild poliovirus, compared to 29 during the same period in 2018. And there have been 195 reports of vaccine-derived polio in 2019, compared to 2018's total of 104 cases.
Dec 4 GPEI report
In other polio news, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Romania and two neighboring countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine) remain at high risk of a sustained polio outbreak because of insufficient vaccine coverage, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned today.
"The EU/EEA has remained polio-free since 2002. However, the risk of reintroduction of the virus exists as long as there are non- or under-vaccinated population groups in European countries and poliomyelitis is not eradicated," the ECDC said.
Dec 6 ECDC news story
[h=3]Gavi approves more funding for malaria vaccine pilot program[/h] At its board meeting this week, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, approved $11.6 million more in funding to support the roll-out of the RTS,S malaria vaccine from 2021 to 2023.
Earlier this year, the vaccine was introduced as part of a pilot program in parts of three African countries: Ghana, Malawi, and Kenya. The program is testing the feasibility of delivering four doses of the vaccine through childhood vaccination clinics and its role in reducing childhood deaths. Gavi and two other global health groups provided nearly $50 million in funding for the first phase of the pilot.
The additional funding to complete the pilot program is designed to follow a similar plan, with other groups providing in-kind contributions, including a donation of up to 10 million vaccine doses by GlaxoSmithKline.
In its announcement yesterday, Gavi said its board is exploring other ways to ensure vaccine production, with an expected recommendation from the WHO for wider use of the vaccine. Gavi's board met in New Delhi, India, and also approved an Ebola vaccine stockpiling plan (see yesterday's CIDRAP News story).
Dec 5 Gavi press release
In other malaria developments, a research team based at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) has characterized three genes that are linked to insecticide resistance, based on experiments with mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite in Africa. They detailed their findings in the Dec 4 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Using genetically modified Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes from their earlier work to identify potential resistance-gene culprits, the researchers identified three genes that were associated with resistance by their overproduction in the insects. The investigators concluded that the genes can serve as markers for insecticide resistance, and the genetically modified mosquitoes can be used to test new insecticides for use in next-generation bed nets.
Dec 4 PNAS abstract
Dec 5 LSTM press release
[h=3]China makes progress toward measles elimination[/h] According to a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), China has made progress towards measles elimination in recent years, with incidence declining from 31 per million in 2015 to 2.8 in 2018. Only one measles-associated death was reported in 2018, with no deaths this year.
The significant decrease of measles incidence shows that vaccination strategies in China have been successful, including a 2005 national requirement that all students entering kindergarten have their vaccination status checked. Although vaccination isn't mandatory, unvaccinated children are referred to follow-up clinics.
China recorded 1,839 measles cases during the first half of 2019, with 52.5% of cases in children ages 8 months to 14 years.
"Measles cases, incidence, and outbreaks were all at historically low levels in 2017 and 2018 and have decreased further through June 2019," the authors said. "Measles deaths are now rare in this country of 1.4 billion persons, with just one measles-associated death reported in the last 18 months."
Dec 7 MMWR report