United States: A middle-aged man hailing from Chittenden County has become the first recorded instance of the rare eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in Vermont since 2012, according to a joint announcement made on Friday by the Vermont Department of Health and the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets.

“We regret to report that the EEE virus has now been found in mosquitoes capable of transmitting the virus to humans, posing a serious health threat,” stated Dr Mark Levine, the state’s health commissioner, in the release. “It is crucial that individuals take precautions against mosquito bites as we continue to monitor this evolving situation,” according to vtdigger.org.

This announcement follows just one week after state health officials issued a warning that mosquitoes in Grand Isle and Franklin counties had tested positive for the EEE virus. Additional mosquito samples collected from Colchester and Alburgh last week were also confirmed to carry the virus as of Thursday, according to the release.

“Residents in the affected counties of Chittenden, Grand Isle, and Franklin are strongly advised to take extra precautions to avoid mosquito bites,” the release emphasized.

Residents in these areas are urged to use insect repellents that are effective against mosquitoes, minimize outdoor activities during dawn and dusk when mosquito activity is highest, and wear protective clothing that covers the skin.

The majority of individuals infected with eastern equine encephalitis may experience mild symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, and joint or muscle pain, or may remain asymptomatic, according to the release.

“Although rare, EEE can cause severe illness, including encephalitis, which is an inflammation of the brain,” the release warned. The virus has a fatality rate of about one-third among those who develop severe symptoms, as per reports by vtdigger.org.

The two human cases of eastern equine encephalitis reported in Vermont in 2012 resulted in fatalities.

The identity of the man, who was hospitalized on July 16 and discharged a week later, has been withheld to protect his privacy. Laboratory testing initially identified the case, and a specimen sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the presence of the virus on Thursday, as per the release.

In response, the state is intensifying mosquito collection and testing efforts to “gain a better understanding” of the virus’s activity, assess public health risks, and explore additional measures, including “aerial or ground pesticide spraying in areas where infected mosquitoes have been found, should it be deemed necessary for public health protection,” the release noted.

The risk of contracting eastern equine encephalitis is highest from late summer into fall, the release added, as per reports by vtdigger.org.

The state health department also advises eliminating standing water in areas such as gutters, tires, children’s pools, flower pots, and bird baths, as mosquitoes breed in water that remains stagnant for more than four days.

Horse owners are encouraged to consult with their veterinarians to ensure their animals are current on vaccinations. Although horses cannot transmit eastern equine encephalitis or West Nile viruses to humans or other horses, they are susceptible to neurological disease and death if infected and unvaccinated. An unvaccinated horse in Vermont succumbed to the virus in 2023.

United States: To the residents of Des Moines’ surprise, they have found mosquitoes that are infected with the West Nile Virus as a communication from the municipality unveils.

Therefore, the city has enhanced its vector control measures and subsequently released enhanced insecticide applications to reign in the mosquito population.

The infected specimens were collected from the north-central region of Des Moines last week and subsequently confirmed positive on Monday. Currently, there are no reported cases of West Nile Virus in humans or animals within the city, according to weareiowa.com.

Nevertheless, should the virus permeate into the human population, the ramifications could be severe.

“West Nile Virus is a serious infection,” asserted Laura McGowan, a representative for Clarke Mosquito Control and Management. “It has the potential to be fatal and can induce prolonged illness, thus necessitating vigilant attention and proactive measures.”

Symptoms have an incubation period of between two and fourteen days, consistent with the data from CDC and Weareiowa; however, the most vulnerable populations are the elderly- especially those with underlying medical conditions. com.

Among the symptoms related to the virus are- fever, stiffness of the neck, muscle weakness and the rest.

Typically, the virus does not manifest until late August, but the abundant rainfall experienced in Iowa this year has precipitated its early appearance.

“It’s not entirely unforeseen at this juncture, though encountering it this early remains atypical,” commented Ryan Smith, Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology at Iowa State University.

Residents of Des Moines are encouraged to mitigate mosquito breeding by removing stagnant water from bird baths, swimming pools, and other containers, according to weareiowa.com.

Public health authorities also advise the populace to apply insect repellent and don long trousers and long-sleeved garments when outdoors, particularly during dawn and dusk when mosquito activity peaks.

United States: A nasally administered inoculation might deter recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) for a span of nine years, proffering a prospective substitute to antibacterial therapies. These insights stem from preliminary findings of the inaugural protracted scrutiny examining the safety and efficacy of the MV140 vaccine for recurring UTIs, disclosed at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress in early April.

UTIs stand as the prevalent bacterial affliction, afflicting fifty percent of all females and one in five males. Recurring infections, necessitating transient antibiotic interventions, manifest in approximately 20% to 30% of instances — and with the ascendancy of antibiotic-resistant UTIs, novel modalities for forestalling and addressing these maladies are imperative.

MV140 represents a fresh vaccine tailored for recurring UTIs, conceived by pharmaceutical entity Immunotek, which is dispensed through a duo of spritzes of a pineapple-infused solution beneath the lingual surface each day for a triadic month period. Medical practitioners at the United Kingdom’s Royal Berkshire Hospital scrutinized the vaccine’s safety and efficacy for recurring UTIs in eighty-nine patients, originally managed at The Urology Partnership Reading. Whereas antecedently, researchers had examined MV140’s near-term safety and efficacy, this marks the premier protracted follow-up study on a global scale.

In their inaugural trial, patients underwent preliminary surveillance for twelve months. For their nine-year follow-up scrutiny, the investigators scrutinized data culled from the electronic health dossier of their initial contingent. Additionally, they conducted interviews with participants concerning their UTI experiences subsequent to vaccine administration and queried them regarding any adverse effects. Forty-eight participants attested to remaining entirely free of infections over the nine-year follow-up duration, while the mean infection-free duration stood at 54.7 months (four-and-a-half years) — 56.7 months for females and 44.3 months for males. Forty percent of participants disclosed receiving repeat vaccine doses after one or two years.

“Antecedent to vaccination, all our participants grappled with recurrent UTIs, and for numerous females, these can be arduous to remedy. Nearly a decade post-initial inoculation with this innovative UTI vaccine, about fifty percent of the cohort remained free of infections,” articulated research co-lead Dr. Bob Yang, Consultant Urologist at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.

“On the whole, this inoculation exhibits long-term safety, and our subjects noted a diminished incidence of UTIs, which were also less severe. Several who did experience a UTI informed us that adequate hydration sufficed as treatment.

“This vaccine administration is exceedingly straightforward and could be administered by general practitioners as a three-month regimen. Many of our participants conveyed that the vaccine reinstated their quality of life. While we have yet to examine its efficacy across diverse patient demographics, this follow-up data intimates it could revolutionize UTI prophylaxis if widely accessible, mitigating reliance on antibiotic interventions.”

Professor Gernot Bonkat, Chairman of the EAU Guidelines on Urological Infections, heralded the findings as auspicious — especially considering the economic repercussions of recurrent UTIs and the looming specter of antibiotic resistance.

“Further exploration into more intricate UTI cases is warranted, as well as investigations encompassing different patient cohorts, to refine the optimal utilization of this vaccine,” Bonkat emphasized.

“While pragmatism is requisite, this inoculation heralds a potential breakthrough in UTI prevention and could furnish a safe and efficacious alternative to traditional therapies.”