No 3 - 2019

HPV catch-up vaccination programmes for boys and young men are expected to start on 1 February or 1 March 2020

As previously announced, EPI-NEWS 49/19, a temporary offer of HPV catch-up vaccination will be made to the following two groups of boys/men:

1. Boys who turned 12 years old in the period from 1 January 2018 to 30 June 2019 (born in the period from the beginning of 2006 to end of June 2007).
2. Young men who feel attracted to men and who turned 18 years old on 1 January 2020 or later, but not 26 years old before 1 January 2020 (born in the period from 1 January 1994 to 31 December 2003).

The vaccination programmes are expected to become operational as per 1 February or 1 March 2020 and to conclude on 31 December 2021. In a later issue of EPI-NEWS, we will provide further information about how to order HPV vaccines (Gardasil 9) and about registering and settling HPV vaccinations for these two groups.

(P.H. Andersen, Department of Infectious Epidemiology and Prevention)

Pneumonia outbreak with a new corona virus in China

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a new outbreak counting 41 cases of pneumonia caused by a new corona virus. The majority of the cases have been in contact with a market in Wuhan City in the province of Hubei in Eastern China. The infected patients have presented with symptoms of pneumonia including fever, in some cases difficulty in breathing and radiological changes. One fatality was observed; a 61-year-old man who had several severe underlying conditions. The cases were detected in the period from 8 December 2019 to 2 January 2020. Close contacts to the infected persons have remained under observation, and no new cases have been detected in this group. Furthermore, no healthcare staff have become infected, and there are no signs of significant human-to-human transmission. Even so, a limited number of clustered cases are still being investigated.

A novel type of coronavirus, nCoV, was detected from the infected people on 7 January 2020, and the genetic sequence of the new virus has been freely available since 12 January 2020. Other respiratory viruses such as influenza, avian influenza, adenovirus, SARS and MERS have not been detected among those infected. Human corona viruses may both cause mild coryzal illness and serious conditions like SARS and MERS.

The source of the outbreak has yet to be established. The majority of the cases have been in contact with the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan. The market was closed in late December to facilitate disinfection. Wild and domesticated animals were also sold at the market, and the Chinese health authorities are investigating if some of these animals may have been infected with nCoV.

Wuhan is a transport hub with a major airport offering direct flights to the European countries of England, France and Italy.

The first case of nCoV detected beyond Wuhan was reported by Thailand on 13 January 2020. The affected patient is a Wuhan citizen. The patient fell ill on 5 January, travelled by plane to Thailand on 8 January and was admitted to hospital due to fever shortly after arriving there. X-rays showed signs of pneumonia and nCoV was detected on 12 January 2020. The patient has not visited the Huanan Market, but has been to other Wuhan markets where live animals are being sold.

For guidance on examination of persons suspected of nCoV, please see the SSI website.

Commentary

The recently detected nCoV case in Thailand affecting a person from Wuhan in China indicates that infection may have spread to other locations beyond the Huanan market in Wuhan.

Investigations are underway to establish possible nCoV routes of infection and reservoirs and to determine if asymptomatic or mild infections are occurring. In late January 2020, the Chinese new year is celebrated. This means considerable travel activity both locally in China and to and from China. Therefore, cases of infection may be identified outside of China and within China in other places than Wuhan. Even so, the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) assesses that the risk is low that we will see nCoV cases among travellers to Europe and that the risk of the infection spreading within Europe is very low.

(P. Valentiner-Branth, P.H. Andersen, Department of Infectious Epidemiology and Prevention)