EID Weekly Updates:

Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Region of the Americas

Vol. 1, No. 13—2 October 2003
Main Updates index

• Conjunctivitis in Latin America
• Update on West Nile Virus (WNV)

Conjunctivitis in Latin America

• Guatemala: To 29 September 2003, there have been 2,269 cases in 18 health districts. The national incidence rate is 18 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and the trend is still rising. The health districts with the greatest number of cases are Izabal (247), Petén Suroriente (200) Chiquimula (77), Santa Rosa (34), Petén Norte (30), San Marcos (23) and Escuintla (18). The illness is primarily affecting persons over the age of five.
• El Salvador: To 30 September 2003, the health districts most affected continue to be El Centro (84), Santa Ana (52) and Nueva Concepción (52). The age group most affected is from 20 to 59 years; and regarding gender, the cumulative number of cases reported among women is higher than among men.

 

Sources

Boletín epidemiológico de Guatemala (Epidemiological Bulletin of Guatemala) No. 38, 2003.

Boletín epidemiológico de El Salvador (Epidemiological Bulletin of El Salvador), 30 September 2003.

Mexico: The conjunctivitis outbreak has affected 32 states. To 26 September 2003, 67,513 cases of conjunctivitis were reported. The three states with the highest number of cases are Campeche (14,309), Quintana Roo (11,169), and Tabasco (11,092).

Source: Boletín epidemiológico de México (Epidemiological Bulletin of Mexico), No. 38, 2003.

Update on West Nile Virus (WNV)

United States: To 2 October 2003, 5,921 human cases and 119 deaths have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. Of the 50 states, 42 have reported human cases. Another three states, and the District of Columbia, have detected viral activity in birds, horses, and mosquitoes, although for the moment there have been no human cases. The state most affected continues to be Colorado, with 1,991 cases and 36 deaths. Cooler weather has reduced the mosquito population, but some states—like Colorado—still recommend the use of insect repellants. For more information, see the CDC West Nile Virus page.

Source: Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases: West Nile Virus, Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), USA.

Canada, 1 October 2003: To 30 September, a total of 1,000 suspected cases, 59 confirmed cases, and 9 deaths have been reported. Five provinces have reported autochthon cases and another three provinces (British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Yukon) have reported possible imported cases. The state with the greatest number of cases continues to be Saskatchewan (with 603 probable cases, 18 confirmed cases, and 9 deaths). To 1 October, viral activity has been detected in horses (with a total of 406 positive cases) and birds (1,418 positive cases) from the five states that have reported native human cases. For more information, see the Health Canada West Nile Virus Surveillance Information page.

Source: West Nile Virus Surveillance Information, Health Canada.

Mexico, 2 October 2003: To date, laboratory tests have been carried out on 452 persons from 20 states. All came out negative. Viral activity has been detected in horses in four states, among which Nuevo León has been the most affected. In the case of birds, viral activity has been detected in five states, Nuevo León again being the most affected.

For more information, see the WNV website of the Programa de Acción para la Prevención y Control de las Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vector de México (Action Program for the Prevention and Control of Vector-Borne Diseases in Mexico).

Source: Programa de Acción para la Prevención y Control de las Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vector de México (Action Program for the Prevention and Control of Vector-Borne Diseases in Mexico).