Latest news with #MiddleEastRespiratorySyndrome
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Sudan Refugees, Aid For Syrian Returnees, MERS Alert In Saudi Arabia, Venezuela Urged To End Secret Detentions
14 May 2025 The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported on Wednesday that most of the new arrivals are women and children. Many have come from Zamzam camp and the city of El Fasher, locations targeted by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, who've been fighting forces of the military government for more than two years. In Chad, the high numbers of those arriving are putting significant strain on overwhelmed resources. Exhausted and victimised Aid teams say that many refugees arrive exhausted after walking for days because they are unable to afford transport. They report being victims of targeted attacks, looting and sexual violence. Numerous children have been injured, families separated, and others remain missing, the refugee agency said. Immediate needs in Chad include shelter, food, medical care and psychological support but the $409 million refugee response appeal is only 20 per cent funded. Syria's returnees desperately need help to start over Syrians trying to rebuild their lives in their war-torn country urgently need the support of the rest of the world to help them start again, UN aid agencies said on Wednesday. Hopes rose this week in Damascus following Donald Trump's move to end punitive sanctions – but after more than 13 years of civil war that ended with the fall of the Assad regime last December, many communities today face a range of basic problems. These include unreliable access to electricity, clean water and healthcare. Records destroyed The destruction of public records is also preventing returnees from accessing essential services or claiming housing and land rights, according to the UN migration agency, IOM. Its Director-General, Amy Pope, insisted Syrians were resilient and innovative but that they needed help, now. 'Enabling (them) to return to a country that is on the path to stability and progress is critical for the country's future,' she insisted. A new IOM report from more than 1,100 communities across Syria found that work is scarce, partly because farming and markets are still struggling to recover. Shelter reconstruction is also needed urgently, while unresolved property issues continue to prevent people from rejoining their communities. Since January 2024, the UN agency has recorded more than 1.3 million returnees previously displaced within Syria, in addition to nearly 730,000 arrivals from abroad. WHO issues warning over deadly MERS outbreak in Saudi Arabia A recent outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia has raised concerns after two people died from the disease between March and April. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated guidelines to help contain the outbreak, which has seen nine confirmed cases – seven of them in the capital, Riyadh. Several of those infected were healthcare workers who caught the virus from a patient. MERS is caused by a zoonotic coronavirus, from the same family of viruses as COVID-19. While WHO estimates the fatality rate to be around 36 per cent, the true figure may be lower, as mild cases often go undiagnosed. Despite the recent cases, the risk of wider spread remains moderate at both the regional and global levels, according to WHO. MERS is primarily carried by dromedary camels and can be passed to humans through direct or indirect contact with infected animals. Human-to-human transmission usually happens in healthcare settings, through respiratory droplets or close contact. No vaccine, no cure Much like COVID-19, MERS can range from no symptoms at all to severe respiratory illness, including acute respiratory distress — and in some cases, death. There's currently no vaccine or specific treatment. To stop the virus from spreading, WHO urges hospitals and clinics to step up infection prevention and control measures, especially where suspected cases are being treated. Since MERS was first identified in 2012, it has caused 858 deaths across 27 countries in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Call for Venezuela to end secret detention of political opponents Top independent human rights experts have urged the Venezuelan authorities to stop the reported practice of holding political opponents incommunicado. In an alert on Wednesday, they insisted that these 'targeted detentions' were illegal and amounted to enforced disappearance, a major human rights violation if proved and potentially an international crime. They maintained that using secret detention was a deliberate strategy by the State 'to silence opposition figures…and to instill fear among the population'. Lack of legal protection The mission pointed to a widespread lack of 'effective judicial protection' for civil society in Venezuela and accused State security forces of colluding with the Public Prosecutor's Office. The services allegedly responsible for detentions include the national intelligence service, the national guard and military counterintelligence. The mission's independent rights experts also maintained that criminal courts and the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice were also 'complicit' by ensuring that the alleged crimes went unpunished. The Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela was created by the Human Rights Council in 2019; its members are not UN staff and they work in an independent capacity.
Saba Yemen
14-05-2025
- Health
- Saba Yemen
WHO recommends implementing measures to prevent middle east respiratory syndrome
Geneva - Saba: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended implementing targeted infection prevention and control measures to curb the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), following the emergence of nine new cases, including two fatalities. In a statement, the WHO clarified that reporting these cases does not alter its overall risk assessment, which remains moderate at both the global and regional levels. The organization emphasized that it does not advise special screening at entry points related to this event, nor does it currently recommend any travel or trade restrictions. The virus spreads from person to person through infectious respiratory droplets, particularly in close-contact settings, as well as through direct physical contact. The fatality rate among confirmed cases is approximately 36%. However, the WHO noted that this figure may be an overestimate, as mild infections often go undetected. Facebook Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What is ‘gain-of-function' research? Why is Trump restricting it?
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways (NewsNation) — President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order to restrict funding for gain-of-function research, which official documents deemed as 'dangerous' and a potential harbinger of 'catastrophic consequences.' The long-debated science, also called 'dual-use research,' consists of experiments on viruses and pathogens and extends into genetic modification. Typically, gain-of-function research aims to breed germs that are more viral or transmissible than previous strains in order to understand how it spreads, and what could counter such germs. More than 900 measles cases confirmed in US, with illnesses now reported in 29 states: CDC Proponents of the research say experiments allow scientists to get a clearer understanding of the genetic makeup of potential pandemic-causers, while opponents point to lab leaks as a deterrent. The debate is one Trump is familiar with. In 2014, federal funding was stopped for any research that could make influenza, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or severe acute respiratory syndrome more transmissible, NPR reported at the time. The first Trump administration lifted that ban in 2017, along with new panel approval guidelines to regulate which experiments got the green light. Biden further tightened the research rules in 2024 following an expert panel's vote. Now, the White House is asking the Office of Science and Technology Police to replace the Biden-era policy on the topic, which it claims had 'insufficient levels of oversight.' The order outlines the plan to restrict funding for the research both at home and abroad, including in 'countries of concern' like China. What is the Yuka app, and how does it rate products' health? It comes after a final congressional report on COVID-19 in December determined the virus likely emerged from a lab accident in China. But many scientists — including five governmental bodies who completed assessments in 2021 — favored COVID-19 as having natural origins, as research initially suggested. Samuel Scarpino, director of Northeastern University's Institute for Experiential AI, told the university's newsroom that risk analysis has morphed from a scientific question to one of policy. 'We know that we have learned things from these experiments. We know that they are potentially risky,' he says. 'The question is whether what we learn is valuable enough to offset the risks. That's a question the policymakers we elect have to answer.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.
Deccan Herald
06-05-2025
- Health
- Deccan Herald
Trump signs order restricting research that enhances pathogens
The ban on federal funding of gain-of-function research applies to China and Iran, among other countries, the White House said. Gain-of-function research studies enhancements to pathogens such as Avian influenza, SARS and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS viruses.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UKHSA unveils Britain's first priority pathogens list
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a list of the pathogens it believes pose the greatest risk to public health in Britain. The list identifies 24 viral, bacterial and fungal diseases, ranging from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) to measles, that currently lack adequate vaccines, diagnostics or treatments – leaving Britain vulnerable to future outbreaks. The new database of 'priority pathogens' was created to 'protect the UK against infectious diseases' and prioritise investment in vaccines and other solutions, said Prof Isabel Oliver, Chief Scientific Officer at UKHSA. Among the viruses of greatest concern are MERS, Nipah virus, and avian flu – which is currently spreading rapidly through global animal populations and has infected at least 70 people in America and one person in the UK in the last year. The list also classifies Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) – a rare, polio-like illness that attacks the spinal cord and causes paralysis in children – as having a 'high' pandemic and epidemic risk. First detected in 2014, AFM has since caused sporadic cluster outbreaks among school-aged children. The virus, a type of enterovirus, spreads through respiratory droplets, similar to Covid-19, and is highly infectious. In 2018, at least 40 confirmed cases of AFM were reported in the UK, mainly in children under 10. While some made a full recovery, others suffered permanent weakness or paralysis. No vaccines or treatments currently exist. Several viruses carried by mosquitoes and ticks are included in the priority pathogens list, as rising temperatures create more favourable conditions for the insects to survive and spread diseases that were previously confined to tropical regions. Among the key concerns are Zika virus, Oropouche virus, and dengue fever – the latter of which is predicted to become established in southern parts of England as soon as 2040. 'This list has been developed with the intention of strengthening resilience and biological security in the UK, and includes both global threats and threats that are already endemic in the UK,' Prof Oliver said. 'Infectious diseases don't respect borders,' she added. Some experts have praised the new initiative, which the UKHSA has committed to 'updating regularly.' A key criticism from the Covid Inquiry was that, before 2020, Britain's pandemic preparedness was too narrowly focused on the possibility of an influenza pandemic – leaving the country ill-equipped to handle other infectious threats capable of causing large-scale outbreaks. 'When Covid arrived, it took too long to adjust our response to a different threat, which was part of the reason we ended up in lockdown,' Mark Woolhouse, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at University of Edinburgh, said. 'Since the pandemic, there have been many initiatives to better understand the diversity of pandemic threats that the UK and the world may face in the coming years. The UKHSA's pathogen prioritisation exercise is a welcome contribution to this global effort,' Prof Woolhouse added. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
