Disease Outbreak News

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Turkey

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 11:15:00 GMT

On 17 October 2014, WHO Regional Office for Europe (EURO) was notified by the National IHR Focal Point for Turkey of a laboratory-confirmed case of infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). On 11 October 2014, the patient died. This is the first MERS-CoV case in Turkey.

The case is a 42-year-old male, Turkish citizen known to be working in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). On 25 September 2014, the patient developed symptoms in Jeddah. Initially, he sought medical care in KSA; however, on 6 October 2014, as symptoms worsened, he travelled with a direct flight from Jeddah to Hatay, Turkey. Upon his arrival, he was admitted to a local hospital. On 8 October, he was transferred to the University Hospital in Hatay.

Chikungunya – France

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 16:18:00 GMT

On 21 October 2014, WHO was notified by the National IHR Focal Point for France of 4 cases of chikungunya locally-acquired infection in Montpellier, France. The cases were confirmed by tests conducted by the French National Reference Laboratory for arboviruses on 20 October 2014. This is the first time that locally-acquired transmission of chikungunya has been detected in France since 2010.

The 4 cases of chikungunya infection occurred within the same family, with symptoms onset between 20 September and 12 October. The cases live in Montpellier in the vicinity of a chikungunya case imported from Cameroon. The cases have no history of travel out of their district of residence in the 15 days prior to the onset of symptoms.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 00:15:00 GMT

The National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia (SAU) has reported additional laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) to WHO.

Between 29 September and 11 October 2014, 7 additional cases of MERS-CoV infection were reported, including 1 death, with details as follows:

Marburg virus disease - Uganda

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 10:00:00 GMT

On 5 October 2014, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Uganda notified WHO of a confirmed case of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Kampala, Uganda.

The confirmed case was a healthcare worker who had onset of disease on 11 September 2014 while working at Mengo Hospital, Kampala. The case presented to Mpigi District Health Center on 17 September 2014, and transferred to Mengo Hospital, Kampala, on 23 September 2014. On admission the case presented with symptoms including fever, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea and died on 28 September 2014.

Ebola virus disease – Spain

Thu, 09 Oct 2014 13:45:00 GMT

On 6 October 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed of the first confirmed autochthonous case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Spain. This case represents the first human-to-human transmission of EVD outside Africa.

The case is a female healthcare worker with no travel history to West Africa but who participated in the medical care of an EVD case in a Spanish citizen, who had been infected in Sierra Leone and evacuated to Madrid, Spain on 22 September 2014 and who died on 25 September 2014. She was in contact with the repatriated EVD case twice; on 24 and 25 September 2014. On both occasions she is reported to have worn appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE).