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ECDC - Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) - week 3 - 13 to 19 January 2013.

18/1/2013

Madeira Dengue Outbreak coming to an end with reduced mosquito activity

The last ECDC report of 18 January 2013 indicates that no more local cases have been reported since 6 January 2013 and no more cases have been reported by visitors after returning from Madeira as of 3 January.

We have extracted the key summary points from the last ECDC report below.

Local and the Portuguese national health authorities are only issuing monthly reports, but there is an ongoing monitoring program by the local health authorities.

Monitoring Programme
ZINO - Consultadoria, in partership with ITB are also proposing a monitoring program for private individuals and enterprises, which will not only allow monitoring of mosquito activity in participants "back yard", but also recommend actions in line with best international practises, including preventative measures (mosquito nets, cleaning of breading grounds, etc) as reactive measures (increase use of mosquito traps, chemical treatments, etc) - interested parties can visit this page and contact us directly for more information.

There is no new update this week on the number of autochthonous dengue cases in Madeira. As of 6 January 2013, 2.144 cases of dengue infection have been reported.

As of 17 January 2013, 74 patients have been diagnosed with dengue after returning from Madeira: 10 in Portugal, 23 in the UK, 19 in Germany, three in France, five in Sweden, four in Finland, two in Denmark, two in Austria, and two in Norway. Croatia, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland have all reported one case each. The last reported case was on 3 January 2013.

The updated figures indicate that the outbreak has peaked, with a decrease in the number of cases being reported since mid-November. Entomological surveillance has shown a decrease in mosquito activity as well.

The cases of dengue among returning travellers from the island highlight the need for travellers to Madeira to take measures in order to reduce mosquito bites. Travellers experiencing febrile symptoms with severe headache, retro-orbital pain, myalgia, arthralgia and maculo-papular rash within 21 days of visiting the island of Madeira are advised to seek medical advice.

The epidemiological situation does not imply the need for any trade or travel restriction beyond the disinfestation policies currently implemented.

Source: ECDC

2013-01-18_ecdc_communicable-disease-threats-report-19-jan-2013.pdf
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ECDC - Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) - week 2 - 11 January 2013.

13/1/2013

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There is an ongoing outbreak of dengue in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal, ... , with some imported cases reported from other EU Member States. Since the beginning of the outbreak, 2 144 cases of dengue infection have been reported from the public health sector in Madeira.
The vast majority of confirmed cases are from the city of Funchal, which is the main port on Madeira island. The island of Madeira has an established mosquito population of Aedes aegypti, the main vector of dengue in tropical and subtropical countries.
As of 9 January 2013, 74 patients have been diagnosed with dengue after returning from Madeira: 10 in Portugal, 23 in the UK,19 in Germany, three in France, five in Sweden, four in Finland, two in Denmark, two in Austria, and two in Norway. Croatia,Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland have all reported one case each. The latest case was reported on 3 January 2013.
No autochthonous cases were reported in other European countries in 2012 and at the start of 2013.

The epidemiological situation does not imply the need for any trade or travel restriction beyond the disinfestation policies currently implemented.

Sources: IASaúde, DGS, ECDC

At this time, CDC does not advise against travel to Madeira. However, travelers should protect themselves from mosquito bites.

Source: Travel Health Assist, 13 Jan 2013 and CDC - Outbreak Notice, 16 Jan 2013

2013-01-06_dgs_i018199.pdf
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2013-01-11_ecdc_communicable-disease-threats-report-11-jan-2013.pdf
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ECDC - Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) - week 1 - 4 January 2013.

4/1/2013

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As of 16 December, 2 103 cases of dengue infection have been reported in Madeira. The Portuguese health authorities are now publishing updates on the number of dengue cases in Madeira every month.

Between 20 December 2012 and 3 January 2013, there was an increase of 2 exported cases (patients diagnosed with dengue after returning from Madeira): one in the UK and one in Germany, bringing the total of exported cases to 74. The ECDC state that it is possible that there is an under-reporting of exported cases due to the holiday period.

The ECDC maintain their statement that there is no travel restriction to and form Madeira as well as the recommendation to take preventative measures to avoid mosquito bites.

The epidemiological situation does not imply the need for any trade or travel restriction beyond the disinfestation policies currently implemented.

Source: ECDC CDTR week 1, 4 Jan 2013

2013-01-04_ecdc_communicable-diseases-threats-report-4-jan-2013.pdf
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5 talks about mosquitos - and how to stop their buzzing

3/1/2013

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Hadyn Parry, CEO of Oxitec gives a great TED series talk "5 talks about mosquitos-and how to stop their buzzing" about the control of Aedes aegypti mosquito, vector of Dengue.

The world’s most dangerous animal isn’t the lion, tiger or bear. It’s actually the mosquito.

“Mosquitos have killed more humans than any other creature in human history,” says Haydn Parry in today’s talk. “The mosquito has killed more humans than wars and plague.”

Every year, about a million and a half people succumb to malaria — even with technologies to prevent and treat the disease — while 50 to 100 million people a year are infected with dengue fever, a disease sometimes called “breakbone fever” that has grown 30 fold in the last half century. Spread by a species of mosquito from northern Africa — Aedes aegypti — the disease has sky rocketed because this mosquito and its eggs are so good at hitch hiking as human beings travel the world.

Traditionally, there have been two ways to control mosquitos in addition to nets and wearing covering clothing — larvicides, which kill mosquito eggs, and a variety of products designed to kill mosquitos as they fly. Both options are, however, difficult to deploy and can damage the environment, not to mention harm humans. Meanwhile, a single female mosquito can lay 500 eggs in her lifetime.

Parry’s company, Oxitec, has an idea to stop the rapid spread of dengue fever: genetically engineering male mosquitos to make their offspring unviable.

“There are two features of mosquito biology that really help us. Firstly, males don’t bite,” explains Parry. “And second — males are very, very good at finding females. If there’s a male mosquito that you release and there is a female around, the male will find the female … If that male is carrying a gene that causes the death of the offspring, then the offspring don’t survive. Instead of having 500 mosquitos running around, you have none.”

Parry shares that small initial field trials of this method show that, in as short as four months, a mosquito population can be depleted by as much as 85%. If further research goes well, these altered mosquitos can be shipped, cheaply, around the world.

To hear more about this promising approach, watch Parry’s talk above. And after the jump, see four more talks on mosquito madness.

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Aedes aegypti mosquito update

ECDC - Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) - week 3 - 13 to 19 January 2013.

Madeira Dengue Outbreak coming to an end with reduced mosquito activity

ECDC - Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) - week 2 - 11 January 2013.

ECDC - Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) - week 1 - 4 January 2013.

5 talks about mosquitos - and how to stop their buzzing

Monitoring Programme

Mosquito traps
Mosquito Aedes aegypti

Andrew Zino

Sources

Archives

Categories

Aedes aegypti mosquito update

ECDC - Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) - week 3 - 13 to 19 January 2013.

Madeira Dengue Outbreak coming to an end with reduced mosquito activity

ECDC - Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) - week 2 - 11 January 2013.

ECDC - Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) - week 1 - 4 January 2013.

5 talks about mosquitos - and how to stop their buzzing

Monitoring Programme

Mosquito trapsMosquito Aedes aegypti

Andrew Zino

Sources

Archives

Categories

Mosquito traps
Mosquito Aedes aegypti