[Infectious Diseases News Brief]

Transfusion-Transmitted Babesiosis : Ontario
Babesiosis has only recently been reported in Canada, but a number of transfusion-transmitted cases of this infection have been reported from the United States. Researchers present a case of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis that occurred in Canada. Canadian physicians must consider babesiosis in the differential diagnosis of patients who experience fever or a hemolytic reaction after blood transfusion. Prompt recognition and treatment are important, because Babesia infections can be severe or fatal in certain risk groups.
Source: Canadian Medical Association Journal, Vol 164, No 12, June 12, 2001

Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infections: United States
Congenital CMV infections can occur in infants born to mothers with pre-existing immunity against CMV, but whether the infections are caused by intrauterine transmission of the same strain or of a different strain of CMV is not known. In a study of 46 women with preexisting immunity against CMV, 16 gave birth to infants with CMV infection. The majority of these 16 mothers had serum antibodies with specificity against different epitopes of the virus than were present during a previous pregnancy, and serum from several women had neutralizing activity against the CMV isolated from their infected infants. In contrast, few of the mothers whose infants were not infected had changes in the specificity of their serum antibodies against CMV. The study, an attempt to understand why preconceptual immunity against CMV in pregnant women provides incomplete protection against congenital CMV infection, suggests that the infections are caused by intrauterine transmission of newly acquired, different strains of the virus. Thus, efforts to prevent congenital CMV infection in infants born to women who have previously been infected need to focus on the prevention of new infection.
Source: New England Journal of Medicine, Vol 344, No 18, May 3, 2001

Meningococcal Disease: United States
CDC and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists have developed new guidelines for the management of meningococcal disease on aircraft. These recommendations are intended to provide uniformity to the procedures followed by the various federal, state, and local health agencies involved in contact investigation and management for meningococcal cases occurring in airline passengers. A case of air-travel-associated meningococcal disease is defined as a patient who meets the case definition of meningococcal disease within 14 days of travel on a flight of at least 8 hours duration. CDC employs a passive surveillance system by which local health departments report suspected cases of air-travel-associated meningococcal disease. During the period February 1999-May 2001, CDC received 21 reports, an average of one report every 6 weeks. The mean time between the completion of the flight and the onset of illness was 1.9 days (range: 0-10 days). Five cases had onset of illness before arrival. No cases of secondary disease among air travel contacts of persons with meningococcal disease have been reported. The assessment of risk to passengers and flight crew members should be based on the flight duration and seating proximity to the index case. For flights of >8 hours, including ground time, passengers who are seated immediately next to an index case-patient are more likely to be exposed directly to the patient's oral secretions and are probably at higher risk than those seated farther from the index case-patient. In the absence of data about increased risk to other passengers, antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis should be considered for those passengers seated in either seat next to an index case.
Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol 50, No 23, June 15, 2001

The details given are for information only and may be very provisional. Where incidents are considered of national importance and are ongoing, the initial report will be updated as new information becomes available.

[Infectious Diseases News Brief]