From the story:

For the full story visit MLB here

For more information on Shingles visit Merck

Two-year-old suffers stroke after chickenpox

13/10/2008

A boy of two is recovering from a stroke which was caused by chickenpox.

Archie Preston was taken to hospital when his parents noticed he was having trouble walking and talking.

Doctors said he had suffered a stroke and blamed a recent bout of the virus which caused his arteries to shrink.

Mum Helen, 33, of Havant, Hants, said: “We thought it was just a trapped nerve. A stroke is something your grandparents have.”

Archie now faces a year of physiotherapy to help him walk and talk normally.

Strokes occur when blood supply to the brain is interrupted. About 300 children a year are affected.

One in 25,000 happens as a result of chickenpox.

For the story visit the Mirror UK

More cases likely in coming days’

Srinagar, Mar 23: Day after Greater Kashmir reported the outbreak of chickenpox in the National Institute of Technology here, the health authorities came out with a confirmation.
Doctors said there could be a few more cases in the coming week but there is “nothing to feel panicky because chickenpox is a self-resolving disease.”
“Some students are likely to have contracted the disease from the already infected students and are susceptible to develop the illness,” said Dr Salim Khan, who was part of a team of doctors from Social and Preventive Medicine department of Government Medical College (GMC) that visited the NIT today.
Dr Dildar Ahmad and Dr Khursheed Ahmad were other doctors in the team who assessed the situation in NIT.
Confirming the disease among three non-Kashmiri students the doctors said claimed that there was no threat to other students as the affected students have been isolated and will be non-infective in two to three days. The doctors urged the authorities concerned of the NIT to educate students about various aspects of the disease.
Four students of the Institute were infected by the chickenpox disease. While three outside students (names withheld) have been kept in a separate ward of the Medical Unit in the campus, the Kashmiri student was shifted to home by his family members.
The registrar of the NIT, A R Bhat on Saturday told Greater Kashmir that students were infected with smallpox.
“It (disease) is chickenpox. Small pox was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization in 1979 and since then no case has been reported,” Dr Salim said.
The authorities in the NIT told Greater Kashmir that the affected students were provided the “required” medical treatment. A team of doctors from Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science also visited the campus and provided the medical treatment to the ill students,” said Registrar, NIT, AR Bhat.

For the story visit

Srinagar, Mar 22: A contagious disease, chickenpox, has broken out in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) here while the health authorities expressed ignorance about the infection.
Four outside students of the Institute have been infected by the chickenpox disease, a medico told Greater Kashmir on Saturday.
While three outside students (names withheld) have been kept in a separate ward of the Medical Unit in the Institute campus to prevent other students from catching the disease, a Kashmiri student was taken home by his family members. “Don’t enter the ward, there are students infected by chickenpox,” the medico told this reporter.
He said the students were provided medical treatment and might recover in a week or 10 days. “We can’t shift them to any hospital as they are to be kept alone to prevent the disease from spreading,” the medico said.
A doctor wishing anonymity said the disease broke out a week ago. “An outside student who returned from winter vacation was infected by the disease. The nature of the disease was confirmed by a doctor of the medical unit in the campus,” the doctor said.
He said since the disease is highly infectious and the authorities failed to provide proper treatment to the student, it spread to his three other colleagues.
He said a Kashmiri student was also infected but was shifted to home by parents for proper treatment. “The immediate requirement is to shift the infected students to hospital for proper treatment and prevent the disease from spreading in the campus,” he said.
A team of doctors also arrived from the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) Soura to treat the students. The doctors suggested the authorities to keep the students in a separate ward.
According to the doctor, the medical unit of the campus lacks proper infrastructure for treating the disease. “The disease can take the shape of an epidemic and spread to other students and especially the children of many families residing in the campus if proper treatment isn’t given to the patients,” the doctor said.
Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral illness that is common in children and is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), also known as human herpes virus 3 (HHV-3), one of the eight herpes viruses known to affect humans. The infections is characterized by fever and itchy, red spots usually appearing on the chest and stomach first, then appearing in crops over the entire body.
When contacted, director health said they had no information about the spread of the disease. “There is a doctor in the campus of the institute. He should have informed us,” the director said.
Registrar of NIT, AR Bhat however said the students were infected by smallpox. “We are providing proper treatment to the students,” Bhat said.

For the original story visit

03/18/2008 12:41 AM | By Dina El Shammaa, Staff Reporter

Abu Dhabi: Even though chickenpox is common these days, it is not an outbreak throughout the UAE; but simply a seasonal illness, said doctors.

Chickenpox is a contagious disease caused by a virus Varicella/herpes zoster. It is spread from child to child, and sometimes to adults, by sneezing, coughing, contaminated clothing and direct contact with open blisters. Children exposed to the virus get chickenpox from 7 to 21 days.

“There is no outbreak of chickenpox in the UAE. It spreads in certain months, and in other months it is non-existent. It’s a seasonal illness and it’s time to spread is these days,” confirmed Dr Zainab Khazaal, Acting Director of Preventive Medicine, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA).

According to Dr Aigaz Lone, General Practitioner, National Hospital, Chickenpox in the UAE is growing at an alarming rate, especially among labourers.

Sick leave

Lone feels there is a kind of outbreak of chickenpox in the UAE from the increasing number of patients he has recently encountered. “Out of 30 patients, two are usually diagnosed with chickenpox. Almost every day we come across patients with chickenpox. It is mostly common among labourers. People should be very careful. We usually give those who catch the disease a ten-day sick leave,” said Lone.

In the past month, Lone has seen roughly 10 cases of people with chickenpox, mostly among adult labourers between the ages of 25 to 35 years old.

According to medical specialists, a chickenpox vaccine is the best way to prevent the illness. Vaccination not only protects the person, it also reduces the risk of exposure for persons unable to be vaccinated because of illness or other conditions, including those who may be at greater risk.

While no vaccine is 100 per cent effective in preventing the disease, the chickenpox vaccine is very effective: about eight to nine of every ten people who are vaccinated are completely protected from chickenpox. In addition, the vaccine almost always prevents against severe disease.

If a vaccinated person does get chickenpox, it is usually a very mild case lasting only a few days and involves fewer skin lesions, usually less than 50, mild fever, and few other symptoms.

For the rest of the story and more helpful tips visit

March 12th, 2008, 9 a.m.

Prove-it Herpes™ offers considerable cost savings for healthcare industry by identifying eight herpesviruses simultaneously

Helsinki, Finland 12 March – the Finland-based biotechnology company Mobidiag today announced the new Prove-it™ Herpes test for the fast and reliable identification of herpesviruses. The microarray-based test takes less than three hours to complete and enables simultaneous identification of eight different human herpesviruses. Herpesviruses cause life-threatening central nervous system infections (CNSI), and rapid diagnosis improves likelihood of recovery. The new test is initially intended for research purposes, and Mobidiag plans to acquire European approval for use in clinical diagnostics later this year.

”Market potential for the product is enormous. In Europe alone, over 100 million euros are spent annually on herpesvirus diagnostics. We believe that Prove-it™ Herpes will gain a considerable slice of that market,” says Jaakko Pellosniemi, CEO of Mobidiag. ”What makes Prove-it™ Herpes unique is that it combines different technologies and integrates them into a single easy-to-use and capable products,” Pellosniemi continues.

In addition to illnesses such as labial herpes, chickenpox and roseola, herpesviruses can also cause serious central nervous system infections such as encephalitis. Without appropriate treatment, mortality rate from these infections can be as high as 50%. The sooner the pathogen is detected, the higher the likelihood of recovery. However, virus detection may be slow with current methods, and in severe suspected virus infection cases, medication is often started merely as a precaution. There are roughly four million of these suspected cases annually in the Industrial World, making testing and treating potential infections very expensive.

The Mobidiag test can detect and identify the viruses many times faster than conventional methods. Appropriate antiviral treatment can be administered sooner, and the level of potential permanent damage to the patient is decreased. Additionally, Mobidiag’s test reveals multi-infections caused by several herpesviruses. The detection is also exceptionally sensitive to low viral loads, which are typical in the early stages of a central nervous system infection.

”We believe that in the future, microarray-based tests will quickly become common in diagnostics due to their simplicity, speed, and reliability. A clinician can instantly check hundreds of viral and bacterial-based illnesses, offering a huge saving potential for the healthcare industry. Mobidiag will play a vital role in this development,” says Pellosniemi.

Founded in 2001, Mobidiag develops rapid diagnostic tests for hospital laboratories. The Prove-it™ Herpes test is developed in co-operation with Hospital Districts of Helsinki and Uusimaa and the University of Helsinki.

Additional information:

CEO Jaakko Pellosniemi, Mobidiag Ltd, tel. + 358 40 501 1004

Mobidiag Ltd is a Finnish biotechnology company developing, producing and marketing rapid diagnostic tests to hospital laboratories. The company focuses on detection of serious infections with DNA-tests. More information on www.mobidiag.com

School Immunization Law
Fact Sheet for Parents

Parents:
The Wisconsin Student Immunization law was recently changed. Two different vaccine requirements were added which may affect your child’s compliance with the law. The change will go into effect this fall with the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. Parents are required to have their children vaccinated or claim a waiver by indicating their choice on the attached Student Immunization Record and returning it to their child’s school. The following fact sheet should help to answer your questions about the new requirements:
New Tdap and Varicella Immunization Requirements for Students

1. Why are these requirements being made?

From 1986 through 2004, Wisconsin had the 5th highest rate of pertussis (whooping cough) in the nation with almost 5,000 cases being reported in 2004 alone. Pertussis outbreaks occur because protection declines 5-10 years after completion of childhood DTP/DTaP vaccinations. Tdap is a new vaccine that is recommended for adolescents and is anticipated to help prevent pertussis from occurring including pertussis outbreaks in schools. Pertussis can place a significant burden on children and parents as a person with pertussis must be isolated for a minimum of 5 days of antibiotic treatment.
Two doses of varicella vaccine have been shown to be more effective than one dose in preventing “breakthrough disease” cases of chickenpox in children of all age groups.
Recommendations for both Tdap and varicella vaccines are made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

2. What are the new requirements, what grades are affected and when will they begin?

The Wisconsin Student Immunization Law will require:
• 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) for students entering 6th , 9th and 12th grades, and
• 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine for students entering Kindergarten, 6th and 12th grades beginning in the 2008-09 school year (this coming fall).

3. What do parents need to do?

Have your child vaccinated with Tdap and/or varicella vaccine if he or she has not already received the vaccine(s). Record the date(s) of the immunization in the bold outlined box(s) on the enclosed Student Immunization Record, sign it and return it to
your child’s school. To claim a waiver for health, religious or personal conviction reasons follow the instructions on the Student Immunization Record and return the signed form to your child’s school.
Also, be sure to add the Tdap and varicella vaccine dates to the permanent immunization record you keep for your child at home. In the future, s/he may need to give these dates to other schools, colleges or employers.

4. Are there exceptions to the Tdap and varicella vaccine requirements?

Yes, The first is with Tdap vaccine. If your child will be entering 6th, 9th or 12th grade and already received a tetanus-containing vaccine (eg. Td vaccine) within the last 5 years, your child is compliant and Tdap vaccine is not required. Check the box marked “Td”, enter the date it was received on the Student Immunization Record and return it to school. The second exception is for varicella vaccine. If your child had chickenpox disease, even after the 1st dose of varicella vaccine, further doses of the vaccine are not required. Check the “Yes” box to the chickenpox disease question on the Student Immunization Record and return it to school.

5. If my child already had pertussis disease, should he or she still get the Tdap vaccine?

Children who have had pertussis disease should receive Tdap according to the routine recommendations because the length of protection provided by disease is unknown and because the diagnosis can be difficult to confirm. This is not an exception to the Tdap requirement.

6. Where can I get Tdap and/or varicella vaccine for my child?

These vaccines are available from your child’s doctor or local health department. Please have your child immunized well in advance of school opening to avoid the late summer rush at doctor’s offices and immunization clinics

Here is a link to the document by the state. and here is a link to the Wisconsin Health Department for more information.

From the AP

By MIKE STOBBE – 8 hours ago

ATLANTA (AP) — Children suffered higher rates of fever-related convulsions when they got a Merck & Co. combination vaccine instead of two separate shots, according to a new study presented Wednesday.

The results prompted a federal advisory panel on vaccines to water down their preference for the combo vaccine ProQuad, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella as well as chickenpox.

In the study of children ages 12 months through 23 months, the rate of seizures was twice as high in toddlers who got ProQuad, compared with those who got one shot for chickenpox and one for the three other diseases.

The risk translates to about one extra case of convulsion for every 2,000 doses of ProQuad given said Dr. Nicola Klein, who lead the federally funded study. She presented the data at a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The study focused on children who develop fevers and then go into convulsions — an occurrence that frightens parents but usually has no lingering consequences. There were no deaths in the new study.

ProQuad was licensed in 2005. It’s been in extremely short supply since last year, when Merck suspended production because of manufacturing problems. The company expects to resume ProQuad production next year.

The panel had previously taken a position that they preferred doctors give children as few needlesticks as possible, and that ProQuad is preferable to giving separate shots.

It voted Wednesday to amend that, to say they’re no longer voicing a preference for ProQuad over the separate shots.

“Safety, shortages, delivery issues — lots of reasons not to state such a strong preference,” said member panel Patsy Stinchfield, an infectious disease expert at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

Merck officials said their own research, though preliminary, also showed a doubling of the risk in children within five to 12 days of vaccination. However, the occurrence was low — about 5 cases in 10,000, Merck officials said.

They said there was five times more chickenpox antigen, the key ingredient, in the ProQuad shot than in the stand-alone chickenpox shot. But they said it’s not clear that would explain the difference in seizure rates.

For some reason, the difference disappears when comparing rates for 30 days, Merck officials added.

Klein’s research checked seizure rates only at seven to 10 days after vaccination, and looked at about 43,000 kids who got ProQuad and 315,000 who got the two other shots together. It found fever-related seizures occurred at a rate of 9 per 10,000 children vaccinated with ProQuad, compared with 4 per 10,000 for those who got separate shots.

Klein is co-director of Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center in Oakland, Calif., one of seven sites in the study. Her work was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ProQuad costs $124 per dose, about the same as the two other shots combined.

The CDC has put together some good information on travel and the risks of disease and illness. Here is an excerpt from their site on travel and Chickenpox. For the full article you can visit the link at the end of the story.

Description

Varicella (chickenpox) is the primary infection with the varicella zoster virus (VZV). It is a highly contagious rash illness transmitted by airborne or droplet pathways. The usual incubation period is 14-16 days (range 10-21 days). Second cases of varicella have been reported in immunocompetent persons but are rare. Following varicella, VZV establishes latency in sensory nerve ganglia. The virus can reactivate later in life, causing herpes zoster (shingles), usually localized to one to three dermatomes. Transmission of VZV to a susceptible person occurs through contact with either a person with varicella or, less commonly, a person with herpes zoster.

Occurrence

Before introduction of varicella vaccine in the United States in 1995, varicella was endemic, with virtually all persons being infected by adulthood. Since implementation of the varicella vaccination program, incidence has declined in all age groups, with the greatest decline among children aged 1-4 years. Data from passive and active surveillance have indicated a decline in varicella cases of 70%-84% from 1995 through 2001 (1-3). The downward trend in varicella has continued in the United States through 2005 with an approximately 90% decline in incidence from 1995 in active surveillance sites with high vaccine coverage (CDC, unpublished data).

Risk for Travelers

Varicella and herpes zoster occur worldwide, but varicella vaccine is routinely used for vaccination of children in only some countries, including the United States, Uruguay, Qatar, Australia, Canada, Germany and South Korea. The risk of varicella infection for travelers coming to the United States is lower than for travel anywhere else in the world. However, VZV is still widely circulating in the United States. Additionally, exposure to herpes zoster, while less common than varicella, poses a risk for varicella infection. In temperate climates, in the absence of vaccination, most varicella cases are reported among preschool- and school-aged children during winter and spring. Studies suggest that in tropical areas VZV infection occurs later during childhood and adolescence resulting in higher susceptibility among adults compared with temperate climates (2). Reasons for this difference in disease epidemiology are unclear. They may relate to the agent’s heat lability and/or to factors such as the tendency for less indoor crowding in tropical regions.

For more on International travel from the CDC