outbreak

A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a luxury expedition cruise in the Atlantic has triggered a global health response, but the World Health Organization says the episode does not signal the start of a new Covid-style emergency. "This is not the start of an epidemic. This is not the start of a pandemic," WHO epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director Maria Van Kerkhove told reporters, insisting: "This is not Covid." The WHO said it expects the outbreak to remain "limited" provided countries enforce public…

Botswana’s struggle to contain foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is tightening the screws on the national economy and rural livelihoods, with beef exports taking a major hit and access to the European Union market lost, Agriculture Minister Edwin Dikoloti said. "In Botswana, many households depend on cattle for income and food; therefore, any disruption affects entire communities," the minister said. He added that the government is shifting its approach to deepen collaboration with partners, notably the private sector and…

An unfolding health emergency aboard a cruise ship off Cape Verde has drawn international concern, with two Irish passengers among 149 people on board after a case of hantavirus was confirmed. Oceanwide Expeditions, the vessel’s operator, said the MV Hondius is carrying 149 people from 23 nationalities and remains in what it described as “a serious medical situation”. The company said strict precautions are being enforced on board, including isolation procedures, hygiene measures and ongoing medical monitoring. A…

A deadly illness has struck a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic, leaving three people dead and prompting an international public health response after one passenger was confirmed to have hantavirus, a disease most often passed to humans by rodents. The cases emerged aboard the MV Hondius during a voyage from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde, off Africa’s west coast. "To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases," the World Health Organization (WHO)…

The meningitis outbreak centered in Kent in the UK has grown to 34 linked cases — up from 29 — as hundreds of students lined up for a third straight day to be vaccinated. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in an update this morning that 23 cases have been confirmed, with a further 11 cases that "remain under investigation". More than 400 people — students and others eligible — queued outside the University of Kent campus clinic for meningitis jabs at the start of the weekend. NHS Kent and Medway reported that 5,794…

A meningitis outbreak centered in Kent, England, has climbed to 29 cases—up from 27—according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which said the total includes both confirmed and suspected infections. In a statement, the agency said that as of 12.30pm yesterday it had been notified of 18 confirmed cases and 11 deemed probable, all linked to Kent. Thirteen of the 18 confirmed infections are meningitis B. Every patient has required hospital admission, the agency added. The surge follows the deaths of a school pupil and a…

A surge in meningitis cases tied to an outbreak in Kent, England, is expected, a senior health official warned, as investigators examine whether the bacteria has started spreading more readily. Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: "This is a very unusual outbreak." UKHSA announced five additional meningitis cases yesterday morning, lifting the number under investigation by health officials to 20. Fresh figures due this morning are anticipated to push the total higher.…

Kent students to get menB vaccine amid outbreak Students in university halls in Kent will be offered the meningitis B vaccine within days as officials move to contain an outbreak that has killed two young people, according to the UK Health Security Agency and Health Secretary Wes Streeting. By Abdiwahab AhmedAxadle Times international–Monitoring British Health Secretary Wes Streeting said most students would not already be vaccinated against menB and that jabs will begin in the next few days. He told MPs: This is an…

Two young people die as meningitis cases rise to 13 in Canterbury area, UKHSA says Two young people have died following a meningitis outbreak linked to a cluster in the Canterbury area of Kent, as health officials confirm 13 people with signs and symptoms since Friday. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it had been notified of 13 cases with signs and symptoms of meningitis between Friday and yesterday in and around Canterbury. Some students at the University of Kent have been given antibiotics as a precaution while…

The government declared a polio outbreak Friday after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the virus in sewage samples taken in Blantyre, the Health and Sanitation Ministry said, marking what officials described as a second wave of the disease in recent years. Health authorities said the detection followed World Health Organization guidelines and prompted immediate activation of emergency response systems, intensified disease surveillance and planning for nationwide vaccination campaigns. The ministry warned the virus…