MERS-CoV: another emerging virus that just...stopped emerging?

Click on image to enlarge.Data are plotted using sites of acquisition of MERS-CoVinfection. Dates are of illness onset when reported, otherwise the date the case was announcedTwo charts by way of an update on cases of infection by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus...

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Zhejiang live bird market closures and enhanced monitoring of farms, wild bird habitats and parks...

Crawford Kilian is always on top of the market closure announcements, and Xinhua in general. His recent blog post is particularly welcome; halting of live bird trading in Hangzhou's markets (on Friday 24th). Markets in 6 districts will be closed and disinfected and some/more monitoring of birds (hopefully not just for H7N9) will be launched on supplying...

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Influenza in Queensland, Australia...

Image adapted from Geoscience Australia,The Australian Government.http://www-a.ga.gov.au/web_temp/1531782/61756.pdfHot, humid and sunny are the conditions here just now. Although some rain around too-stormy rain with big dumps of water an flash flooding. Must be summer.In the previous week's Queensland...

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Pre-existing antibody reactive to avian influenza A(H7N9) virus did not predict better survival

Freeman and Cowling comment in the Journal of Infectious Diseases on a paper last year by Yang and colleagues (I made a note about that one here). They also re-analysed one of the conclusion and found that, for this dataset at least, having H7N9 antibodies did not afford a reduced risk of death. Freeman and Cowling conclude that this doesn't negate using convalescent sera (the bit of blood, minus...

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Market sampling: H7N9, sensitive testing, market closures and small numbers

A World Health Organization Western Pacific Region update on influenza A (H7N9) virus has a few interesting bits of information that pulls together a recent flurry of reports. This is the situation as of 22-Jan...18/200 (9.0%) "pathological samples" from markets (listed below) in Zhejiang province, presumably using PCR-based methods, were H7N9 positive  Sanliting Agriculture Products Market (6...

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H7N9 snapdate: cases per week and cumulative cases

Click on image to enlarge.This "snap update" is about the H7N9 epidemic curve. It reveals that the second wave of H7N9 human cases are really piling up this winter. As I sit here at 9:30pm (7:30pm in Shenzen), I've just added another 7 from Zhejiang (n=5), Shanghai (n=1) and Guangdong province (n=1)...

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H7N9 infection of women is not on the rise....

Click on image to enlarge.A bit over a week ago I posted a chart showing that the proportion of females with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus may be rising.We've had a lot of cases since then so is that trend still holding? [By the way, you are forgiven for  thinking this is the "H7N9 Down Under"...

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Zhejiang province: then and now in H7N9 town

Click on image to enlarge. The data are plotted as number of cases (y-axis)vs. week of illness onset (or date reported ifonset data was not reported). The time span is the same for both graphs (2-months) and the number of cases is fixed at a 50-cases on the y-axis of both so that the slopes...

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H7N9 snapdate: cumulative case chart by region

Click on image to enlarge.In this update - a mere 2 or 3 days after the last, Zhejiang province continues to stand-out as the place to acquire a severe H7N9 infection. Shanghai and Guangdong province have slowed. Apart from most recent cases being in severe or critical condition, most have contact with...

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H7N9 snapdate: cumulative case chart

Click on image to enlarge.This is a new idea for VDU's blog: the snapdate or "snap update". It covers those times when I have little more to say beyond what a chart conveys yet still more words than a Tweet can cover.This is a snapdate of 205 avian influenza A(H7N9) virus cases.That Zhejiang slope looks...

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