MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Oct 2008
Progress toward elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome--the Americas, 2003-2008.
In 2003, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) adopted a resolution calling for rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) elimination in the Americas by the year 2010. Elimination was defined as the interruption of endemic rubella virus transmission in all countries of North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean for more than 12 months and no occurrence of CRS cases attributed to endemic transmission. To accomplish this goal, PAHO developed a rubella and CRS elimination strategy (3) to 1) introduce rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) into routine vaccination programs of all countries for children aged 12 months and reach >/=95% coverage in all municipalities, 2) conduct a one-time mass campaign among adolescents and adults and periodic follow-up campaigns among children aged <5 years, and 3) integrate rubella surveillance with measles surveillance and initiate CRS surveillance. ⋯ However, in 2007, rubella outbreaks with a total of 13,014 cases occurred in three countries (Argentina, Brazil, and Chile), primarily in males not included in previous vaccination campaigns. This report summarizes overall progress toward reaching the 2010 goal of eliminating rubella and CRS. With completion of campaigns in Argentina, Brazil, and Haiti, all countries will have implemented the recommended PAHO strategy by the end of 2008, with the expectation of reaching the 2010 rubella and CRS elimination goal.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Oct 2008
Update: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease associated with cadaveric dura mater grafts--Japan, 1978-2008.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is the most common of the human prion diseases (also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies), which, according to the leading hypothesis, are caused by an abnormal protein (i.e., prion) that is able to induce abnormal folding of normal cellular prion proteins. Annual worldwide incidence of these always fatal neurodegenerative diseases is estimated at 0.5-2.0 cases per million population. CJD can occur sporadically, or as a genetic disease, or can be transmitted iatrogenically. ⋯ Since then, an additional 35 cases have been identified. This report updates previous reports and summarizes the investigation of all 132 cases to date linked to dural grafts. The results suggest that, because of the long incubation period between graft receipt and symptom onset (possibly >24.8 years), continued surveillance in Japan might identify additional CJD cases associated with dural grafts.