Tag: Surveillance
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Kenya Reports First Mpox Case in Garissa as Health Worker Tests Positive
Kenya confirms first Mpox case in Garissa, linked to a health worker Kenyan health authorities confirmed the country’s first case of monkeypox, or Mpox, in Garissa County on Monday, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s disease surveillance efforts. The case involves a health worker who tested positive for Mpox, underscoring the ongoing need for…
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Bridging Gaps in Dengue Surveillance: Addressing Sylvatic DENV-2 Misclassification in RT-qPCR Assays
Introduction: The surveillance blind spot in dengue diagnostics Dengue viruses are routinely monitored through molecular serotyping assays that identify circulating serotypes in patient samples. Recent work by Suppiah and colleagues highlights a significant blind spot: sylvatic dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) strains are increasingly misclassified as “Undetermined Serotype” when using common commercial RT-qPCR serotyping assays.…
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Systematic misclassification of sylvatic dengue virus 2 (DENV-2) infections as “undetermined serotype”: implications for RT-qPCR dengue surveillance
Overview: An emerging blind spot in dengue diagnostics Recent correspondence highlights a critical flaw in routine dengue molecular surveillance: sylvatic dengue virus 2 (DENV-2) infections are being misclassified as “Undetermined Serotype” by commercial serotyping assays. This misclassification mirrors prior reports of assay failure against sylvatic DENV-2 strains, notably in Senegal, West Africa, suggesting a broader,…
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Addressing Systematic Misclassification of Sylvatic DENV-2 in Dengue RT-qPCR Surveillance
Summary Recent findings highlight a critical flaw in routine dengue surveillance: sylvatic dengue virus 2 (DENV-2) infections are being misclassified as “Undetermined Serotype” by commercial molecular serotyping assays. This misclassification stems from the noninclusion of sylvatic DENV-2 strains in current diagnostic panels, masking the true viral diversity circulating in populations. The consequence is a blind…
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Adolescent Meningococcal Disease Prevention: Timely Vaccines
Why adolescence is a critical window for meningococcal disease prevention Meningococcal disease can affect people at any age, but adolescence is a pivotal period for prevention. Recent expert discussions highlight that while infants and younger children are traditionally prioritized, the risk rises again during adolescence due to behavioural and environmental factors. In the United States,…
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Timely Prevention of Adolescent Invasive Meningococcal Disease: A Critical Window for Vaccination
Understanding the Adolescent Risk Curve for Invasive Meningococcal Disease Meningococcal disease is a serious threat to adolescents, not just infants. Recent discussions with experts highlight that the 11–23 year age group, commonly living in close quarters and engaging in social behaviors such as sharing cigarettes or vaping, carries a heightened risk of carriage and transmission.…
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Timely Prevention of Adolescent Invasive Meningococcal Disease: Guarding a Critical Window in Paediatric Care
Introduction: Why Adolescents Are a Critical Window for IMD Prevention Meningococcal disease (IMD) can strike at any age, but adolescence presents a uniquely vulnerable window. Recent expert discussions highlight that in many regions, the most common IMD-causing serogroups shift across ages and settings, making timely vaccination during adolescence essential. In the US, MenB accounts for…
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Feeling sick and antibiotics not working? WHO warns of quickly spiraling antibiotic resistance and how to check
The global alarm: antibiotic resistance is rising fast Antibiotics, once hailed as miracle medicines, are losing some of their power. A recent World Health Organization (WHO) report shows that between 2018 and 2023, resistance rose in more than 40% of monitored bacteria-antibiotic combinations. In practical terms, infections that were easy to treat are becoming stubborn,…
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Warning as bacterial resistance to antibiotics soars on Australia’s doorstep
Global rise in antibiotic resistance and what it means Antibiotic resistance is accelerating faster than new drugs are being developed, a trend WHO observers warn could jeopardize billions of people worldwide. The latest Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report shows that in 2023, one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections caused common illnesses that were resistant to…
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World Grapples with Surge in Drug-Resistant Superbugs, WHO Warns
Global Alarm Over Drug-Resistant Infections The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning about a troubling surge in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, often referred to as superbugs. The agency says that resistance to standard treatments is on the rise worldwide, jeopardizing the effectiveness of life-saving medicines and turning everyday injuries and common infections into potential…