ARCHIVED - Infectious Diseases News Brief - January 4, 2013

Officials Analyze West Nile And Meningitis For 2012 - United States

At the beginning of 2012, the flu season seemed mild, and as the year progressed, dangerous outbreaks of Hantavirus, fungal meningitis, and the West Nile virus made appearances.

The meningitis outbreak ended with the deaths of 39 people and was eventually linked to contaminated steroid medication. The steroid was administered for the treatment of pain and inflammation, injected into the spine. The types of fungi present in some of the affected patients included exserohilum and aspergillus. The weather encouraged the worst outbreak of West Nile virus since 2003, as well as an abnormal outbreak of Hantavirus in Yosemite National Park.

Hantavirus is a serious, sometimes deadly syndrome that affects the lungs. West Nile virus, on the other hand, can result in meningitis or encephalitis, or infection of the spinal cord and brain, or of the membrane that covers the brain. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), as of December 11, 5,387 cases of West Nile virus have been documented. The cases have been reported in 48 states and caused 243 deaths. The outbreak from 2003 resulted in 264 deaths among 10,000 registered cases. The majority of cases from 2012 were in Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana - states with large mosquito populations. Irregular weather exhibiting record high summer temperatures and frequent rainfall caused a rise in the number of mosquitoes, which spread the disease by biting animals and humans. Only a small proportion of West Nile cases are officially reported because many people experience no symptoms and others only have common symptoms, such as a fever or aches and pains. Approximately one out of 150 cases of West Nile virus will progress into other diseases like encephalitis or meningitis. This summer also brought with it the largest outbreak of Hantavirus in two decades. This illness is more common in dusty, dry environments, like Yosemite National Park. Hantavirus killed 10 infected visitors at this location. The park sent out warnings to 22,000 people who could have been exposed to the illness - 91 Curry Village cabins in the park were closed during August.

The New England Compounding Center, located in Framingham, Massachusetts closed after officials found that it had sent thousands of tainted vials of methylprednisolone acetate to medical offices nationwide. Over 14,000 people were alerted that they may have received a contaminated injection. Doctors are still seeing new cases of spinal infections caused by the steroid, as well as cases of achnoiditis, a swelling of nerve roots in the spine.

Source: Medical News Today 28 December 2012

CDC Reports HIV Infection Rates Steady

The number of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections nationwide has continued to remain stable, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

HIV is still a serious issue, with an estimated 47,500 new infections in the United States in 2010. Certain groups, including latinos, gay and bisexual men of all ethnicities, and African Americans, remain disproportionately affected. Two other significant trends were also noted: early signs of a reduction in new HIV infections among black women as well as a worrisome and consistent rise in new infections among bisexual and gay men. Homosexual men continue to be the group that is most affected. New infections for this group rose from 26,700 in 2008 to 29,800 in 2010. These men account for four percent of the U.S. population, however, they make up 63 percent of the total of new infections. Previous research suggests that individual risk behavior does not represent the disproportionate presence of HIV among men who have sex with men. Other factors that contribute include: a high incidence of HIV among men having sex with other men (MSM), causing a higher risk of HIV exposure with each sexual experience; the high proportion of MSM who do not know about their infection; stigma and homophobia; lack of insurance and worries about confidentiality; and high rates of some STDs. Also MSM typically underestimate their own personal risk. Women account for 66 percent of new HIV cases among heterosexuals, however, that portion has declined since 2007. Blacks account for 14 percent of the population and represent about 44 percent of new HIV infections, while hispanics account for 16 percent of the population and make up 21 percent of new infections. New infections continued to be steady among Hispanics and blacks between 2008 and 2010, according to the CDC. These numbers show that minorities are still disproportionately affected. Whites make up a third (31 percent) of all new HIV infections but had a much lower infection rate than Hispanics or African Americans. There was no significant change in total HIV incidence among whites from 2008 to 2010. The research indicates that the annual number of new infections has continued to be steady even though there has been a rise in the number of people living with HIV. This suggests that treatment, prevention programs, and testing are all having a significant impact. However, rates of new infections remain too high.

Source: Medical News Today 21 December 2012