The WHO has reported new details on Uganda’s Ebola Sudan outbreak, revealing a second cluster of cases linked to a deceased child. In Texas, CWD has been confirmed in a deer farm for the first time, while research suggests that sleep debt among nurses is associated with a higher infection risk from respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.
On March 8, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a significant update concerning Uganda’s Ebola Sudan outbreak. This update includes the emergence of a second cluster of cases, comprising three confirmed and two probable instances, highlighting concerns regarding undetected transmission and prompting enhanced surveillance measures. All cases are linked to a 4-year-old child, whose death from the virus was confirmed on February 25.
The WHO’s African regional office disclosed that the child’s mother succumbed to an acute illness after giving birth in a hospital. Tragically, the newborn also passed away; neither were tested for the virus, and their illnesses were deemed probable cases. Both fatalities occurred in Ntoroko district, fairly close to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Notably, unsupervised burials have been connected to three recent deaths. The WHO noted that the boy’s mother exhibited symptoms starting January 22 and died on January 6, shortly after which her child also died. Additionally, the eleventh and twelfth confirmed cases involve women who had contact with the child and his mother, respectively, and both are currently receiving treatment.
As of March 2, 192 new contacts have been identified and are being monitored across various regions, including Kampala and Wakiso district, in relation to this second cluster. This outbreak marks Uganda’s sixth Ebola Sudan occurrence, with a current case fatality rate of 29%, significantly lower than rates seen in earlier outbreaks, which ranged from 41% to 70%.
In a separate report, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) confirmed the first instance of chronic wasting disease (CWD) detected within a deer farm in Kaufman County, Texas. The cases involved two white-tailed deer—a 20-month-old male and an 8-month-old female, who tested positive during routine CWD surveillance.
CWD’s presence in Kaufman County, near Dallas, mandates stricter regulations, requiring permitted deer breeding facilities to conduct testing on mortalities and apply ante-mortem testing on deer prior to movement. Following this discovery, the facility has been quarantined to mitigate the potential spread of the disease.
Since its emergence in Colorado in 1967, CWD has been identified across 36 U.S. states, and various countries such as Canada, Finland, and Sweden. It is caused by prions—abnormal proteins that can survive harsh environmental conditions and can spread through body fluids.
Additionally, findings from a study involving Norwegian nurses highlight the risks associated with sleep debt and night work, revealing an increased vulnerability to respiratory infections and gastrointestinal issues. Conducted by researchers at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, the study analyzed data from 1,335 nurses, of which over 90% were women, examining the connection among sleep patterns and self-reported infections.
The results of this research were published in Chronobiology International, indicating that individuals experiencing severe sleep deprivation faced nearly four times the risk of pneumonia compared to those with sufficient sleep. The implications stress the need for better management of shift work in connection with health outcomes.
In summary, the WHO’s update highlights the serious nature of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, with enhanced surveillance being necessary due to the emergence of a second cluster linked to an infected child and mother. Furthermore, the detection of chronic wasting disease in Texas underscores ongoing wildlife health challenges. Finally, research indicates that sleep deprivation among nurses may significantly increase the risk of infections, calling for a thorough reassessment of work patterns to preserve health within critical workforce segments.
Original Source: www.cidrap.umn.edu
