All articles tagged with #zoonotic infection
A 37-year-old man in Hong Kong is in critical condition after being attacked by monkeys and testing positive for the B virus, marking the first human case in the city. Authorities are urging the public to avoid contact with wild monkeys and seek medical attention if injured, while investigating the situation.
Doctors in Australia have made a world-first discovery by removing a live 3-inch parasitic roundworm from a woman's brain during surgery. The worm, identified as Ophidascaris robertsi, is typically found in pythons and is believed to have been transmitted to the patient through contaminated greens she had foraged near a lake area inhabited by carpet pythons. The case highlights the increasing risk of zoonotic infections as humans encroach on animal habitats. While this particular infection does not transmit between people, it serves as a reminder for foragers to wash their hands thoroughly after handling foraged products.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its report on the human infection caused by avian influenza A(H5N1) in Chile. The genomic sequencing had 99.9% identity with H5 hemagglutinin sequences from Chilean birds, and complete neuraminidase (NA) had 100% identity with N1 sequences from Chilean birds. A total of 12 contacts were identified, all tested negative for influenza and have completed the monitoring period. No further cases in Chile have been identified so far. WHO assesses the risk to the general population posed by this virus to be low.
China reported the third case of human infection with avian influenza A(H3N8) virus, which was detected through the severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) surveillance system. The virus does not have the ability to spread easily from person to person, and the risk of it spreading among humans at the national, regional, and international levels is considered to be low. The Chinese government has taken monitoring, prevention, and control measures, and WHO advises countries to increase public awareness of avoiding contact with high-risk environments such as live animal markets/farms, live poultry, or surfaces that may be contaminated by poultry or bird faeces.