February 16, 2001

Meningococcal Immunization Program: Alberta
A meningococcal vaccine program similar to the one in Edmonton last year was launched in Calgary on February 6, 2001. As a precautionary measure, vaccine will also be offered to young people throughout the rest of the province beginning in April. In all, 700,000 Albertans will be eligible for immunization under the new campaign. The new program starts in the Calgary Regional Health Authority with immunizations for young people 16-20 years old. This group has experienced a clustering of 4 cases over the past few weeks and is at the highest risk of infection. Immunization will begin at all Calgary high schools followed by the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Mount Royal College, the University of Calgary and selected public health facilities. As a precaution, the program will be expanded in April to include immunization for all Albertans aged 2-24 in every health region. The Calgary and provincial campaigns are a continuation of the province's largest and most successful meningitis immunization program implemented in the Capital Health Authority (Edmonton) and surrounding regions last year. In that campaign, over 275,000 people between the ages of 2 and 24 were immunized.
Source: Alberta Health and Wellness News Releases, February 5, 2001

Measles: Washington State
As of Friday, February 9, the total number of confirmed measles cases (rubeola/red measles) in King County stands at 9. Extensive community exposures from these cases have occurred. People who have not had the measles or who have not been properly vaccinated against measles can contract measles if they are exposed to people who are in the contagious phase of their measles infection. King County Public Health recommends that all residents born in 1957 or later carefully review their measles immunization records. Adults who are uncertain whether they have been properly immunized against measles should consider getting a measles vaccination now. Children who are >= 1 year of age should consider getting a measles immunization now if they have not had the appropriate number of measles vaccination doses for their age.
Source: Public Health News Release, Public Health - Seattle and King County, February 9, 2001

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF): Uganda (Update)
An outbreak of an unusual severe febrile illness characterized by gastroenteritis, headache, conjunctivitis, and occasional hemorrhagic signs with significant mortality was reported to the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Kampala on October 8, 2000, in Gulu District, Uganda. The clinical suspicion of hemorrhagic fever was confirmed on October 15, when the National Institute of Virology (South Africa) identified Ebola virus infection among specimens from a cluster of cases, including student nurses at St. Mary's Hospital. As of January 23, 2001, 425 presumptive case-patients with 224 (53%) deaths attributed to EHF were recorded from 3 districts in Uganda: 393 (93%) from Gulu, 27 (6%) from Masindi, and five (1%) from Mbarara. Although the cluster of cases in early October triggered identification of the outbreak and response measures, investigations identified cases occurring in the community and patients hospitalized several weeks earlier. The onset of illness of the earliest presumptive case was August 30, 2000, and onset of last presumptive case was January 9, 2001. The ages of presumptive case-patients ranged from 3 days to 72 years (median: 28 years); 269 (63%) were women. Mean time from symptom onset to death was 8 days; 218 (51%) presumptive cases were laboratory confirmed. Epidemiologic investigations identified the 3 most important means of transmission: attending funerals of presumptive EHF case-patients where ritual contact with the deceased occurred, and intrafamilial or nosocomial transmission.
Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol 50, No 5, February 9, 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.