Listeriosis in South Africa
820 confirmed cases of listeriosis have been reported in South Africa since an outbreak was declared on Dec 5, 2017—the largest outbreak of the disease. As of Jan 29, 82 deaths have been reported. Most of the reported cases were from Gauteng province (59%), which includes Pretoria and Johannesburg, Western Cape province (13%), and KwaZulu-Natal province (7%). Infants are the most affected group with 40% of cases occurring in newborns; cases have been reported across all socioeconomic backgrounds. The 3-week incubation period of the bacteria has made identifying the source of the infection challenging. Genetic testing indicates that most infections have been caused by the same strain (type 6); however, this strain has not been found in samples tested from processing factories, food from patients' homes, or abattoirs.
Yellow fever virus in Brazil
Between July 1, 2017, and Jan 30, 2018, 233 cases of yellow fever were reported in Brazil, including 81 deaths. On Jan 25, Brazilian health authorities began a campaign with the aim of vaccinating 23·8 million people across the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paolo, and Bahia using a dose fractionation strategy.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in Saudi Arabia
From Dec 9, to Jan 17, 20 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection have been reported in Saudi Arabia, including nine deaths. These cases are from 11 areas of the country with ages ranging from 28 to 89 years. Five of the patients reported having contact with dromedary camels. Globally, 2143 cases of MERS-CoV infection have been reported to WHO, including 750 deaths.
Influenza H1N1 in North Korea
Between Dec 1, 2017, and Jan 16, 2018, 126 574 cases of suspected influenza have been reported by the Ministry of Public Health in North Korea. 81 640 have been confirmed as H1N1 and four deaths have been reported. The outbreak has spread across the country; 28·7% of the cases have been reported from Pyongyang. 25% of the suspected cases were among children aged 0–7 years, 23% were in those aged 8–16 years, and 53% were in people aged 17 years and older. The Ministry of Health has requested influenza vaccine for those at the highest risk of complications and oseltamivir for health-care workers.