An outbreak of chikungunya in the Caribbean region was reported from the French part of the island of Saint Martin on 6 December 2013. It is the first time that autochthonous transmission of the virus has been documented in the Americas.
An outbreak of chikungunya in the Caribbean region was reported from the French part of the island of Saint Martin on 6 December 2013. It is the first time that autochthonous transmission of the virus has been documented in the Americas.
It is the first time that autochthonous transmission of the virus has been documented in the Americas. Clinicians and travel medicine clinics should remain vigilant regarding imported dengue and chikungunya cases from the Caribbean.
As of 19 December 2013, the local health authorities of the French Caribbean Islands reported 26 confirmed and 12 probable autochthonous cases of chikungunya on the island of Saint Martin.
World AIDS Day was introduced by the World Health Organization in 1988 and is observed on 1 December each year to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by HIV infection.
According to new data published today by ECDC and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, more than 131 000 new HIV infections were reported in the WHO European Region in 2012, 10 000 (8%) more than in 2011. Of these new HIV infections, the countries of the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) accounted for more than 29 000 new HIV infections.
From 22 to 29 November 2013, the first European HIV testing week will take place with more than 400 organisations across Europe hosting activities to increase awareness of the benefits of HIV testing.
On 13 November, WHO reported 4 additional cases of cholera in Mexico. Since the beginning of the outbreak in September 2013, Mexico has reported 180 confirmed cases of cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae O:1 Ogawa, including one death.
On 1 October, 46 confirmed cases of cholera, including one death, were reported by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Mexico. Of those, two were identified in the Federal District and 44 in the state of Hidalgo.