Texas DSHS: Probable Local Zika Infection in South Texas ( Avian Flu Diary) Last October--although no local cases had been reported at the time--Texas health officials warned of a heightened risk of locally acquired Zika infection in 6 specific south Texas counties. Go to article

Infection Update--294 ( WHO) In the temperate zone of the southern hemisphere, high levels of influenza activity continued to be reported. A few countries in Central America, the Caribbean and South East Asia also reported increased influenza activity. Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere was reported at low levels. Worldwide, influenza A(H3N2) and B viruses co-circulated. Go to article

Valley Fever: LA County Reports 37 Percent Increase in Infections ( Outbreak News Today) Health officials in Los Angeles County announced Friday that the number of reported Valley Fever infections continues to increase. In 2016, a total of 714 cases were reported across Los Angeles County, compared with 521 in 2015, a 37% increase. Go to article

WHO EMRO: 402, 484 Cholera Cases in Yemen as of July 25 ( H5N1) From 27 April to 25 July 2017, 402,484 suspected cholera cases and 1,880 deaths (CFR: 0.5%) have been reported in 91.3% (21/23) of Yemen governorates, and 88.9% (296/333) of the districts. Go to article

'Neglected Tropical Disease' is Striking in Sri Lanka ( goats and soda) Sri Lanka celebrated its eradication of malaria last year. But now the country faces another mosquito-borne illness: dengue fever. It's also sometimes known as "breakbone fever" because of the severe pain it can cause. Go to article

Global Health Security

Statement by UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, WFP Executive Director, David Beasley and WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Following Their Joint Visit to Yemen ( WHO) "As the heads of 3 United Nations agencies-- UNICEF, the World Food Programme and WHO--we have travelled together to Yemen to see for ourselves the scale of this humanitarian crisis and to step up our combined efforts to help the people of Yemen." Go to article

WHO: Hospital Outbreaks Underscore MERS Challenges ( CIDRAP) Though surveillance for MERS-CoV and response to suspected clusters have improved, especially in hard-hit Saudi Arabia, early identification in the community and in healthcare facilities and compliance with infection prevention and control protocols still pose major challenges, WHO said in its latest risk assessment. Go to article

See also: WHO MERS-CoV Global Summary and Assessment of Risk ( WHO) Between 2012 and 21 July 2017, 2040 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infection were reported to WHO, 82% of whom were reported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Go to article

New Report Shows 64 of 195 Countries Aren't Meeting a Basic Vaccination Target ( goats and soda) Vaccine progress is stalling. That's the message from a new report issued by the WHO and UNICEF. The report focuses on the DTP vaccine--the essential vaccine that protects kids against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) and that was first licensed in 1949. Go to article

Helping the Heroines of Polio Eradication ( Project Syndicate) Last month, world governments and other donors pledged $1.2 billion to help carry the 30-year fight to eradicate polio over the finish line. At its height, the polio epidemic caused 350,000 cases of paralysis in children every year. Last year, only 37 cases were reported. So far this year, the number stands at 6.  Go to article

Chikungunya Vaccine Trials Begin ( JAMA) A phase 1 and 2 clinical trial of an experimental vaccine against the viral disease chikungunya has begun enrolling a planned 180 healthy adult volunteers aged 18 to 45 years with funding by NIAID. Go to article

Survey of Distribution of Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Doses in 201 Countries (2004-2015): The 2003 World Health Assembly Resolution on Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Coverage and the 2009 Influenza Pandemic Have Had Very Little Impact on Improving Influenza Control and Pandemic Preparedness ( Vaccine) There is no global monitoring system for influenza vaccination coverage, making it difficult to assess progress towards the 2003 WHA vaccination coverage target. In 2008, the IFPMA Influenza Vaccine Supply International Task Force developed a survey method to assess the global distribution of influenza vaccine doses as a proxy for vaccination coverage rates. The latest dose distribution data for 2014 and 2015 was used to update previous analyses. Go to article

Microbiologist Highlights Diagnostics, Engagement to Fight AMR ( CIDRAP) Hosam Zowawi, PhD, is a bit of an evangelist for antimicrobial resistance, and he'll enlist anyone in his cause to get the message out. Go to article

Science & Technology

The Internet of Living Things ( Scientific American) Volunteers around the world and pocket-size genomic sequencers could play an increasing role in protecting global health and ecosystems. Go to article

A Peptide-Based Viral Inactivator Inhibits Zika Virus Infection in Pregnant Mice and Fetuses ( Nature Communications) ZIKV, a re-emerging flavivirus associated with neurological disorders, has spread rapidly to more than 70 countries and territories. However, no specific vaccines or antiviral drugs are currently available to prevent or treat ZIKV infection. Here we report that a synthetic peptide derived from the stem region of ZIKV envelope protein, designated Z2, potently inhibits infection of ZIKV and other flaviviruses in vitro. Go to article

There's a Promising New HIV Vaccine Candidate in the Pipeline ( Vox) Developing a vaccine to stop HIV is thought to be among the most daunting challenges in medicine for 1 big reason: The virus is extraordinarily genetically diverse, even more so than the flu. So it's difficult to think about how a single shot might work against all the different HIV subtypes circulating around the world. Go to article

Other 21st Century Threats

Cyber Attacks on Critical Infrastructure: Insights from War Gaming (War on the Rocks) An April 2017 issue of The Economist headlined with the dire warning: "Computers will never be safe." The headline seems especially prescient given the last few months, as reports of major cyber attacks have flooded international media. Go to article