💉 The WHO wants to end antibiotic pollution; A new Covid-killer; Phones won't give you brain cancer, maybe

#533 | AMR is the new (old) buzzword; DRC gets mpox vaccines; The WHO has a busy week

Sep 06, 2024

Hello, and welcome back to The Kable for yet another week of mpox hogging the headlines, with a dash of climate-induced worries and a dollop of AMR on the side. But first, an obligatory video.

In continuing good news on the malaria front, the Central African Republic has become the newest country to introduce R21/Matrix-M vaccinations into their routine immunisation campaigns.

In Gaza, polio vaccination campaigns finally kicked off, even amid ongoing attacks. The WHO said the campaign exceeded targets and has kicked off the next round of immunisations too.

In India, the ongoing outbreak of the Chandipura virus has been deemed its worst yet with health authorities calling it the largest outbreak of the past 20 years. Elsewhere in India, the southern state of Karnataka has notified a dengue epidemic after over 25,000 cases this year alone.

In "surprising" news for Indian manufacturing, Dr. Reddy's has been blacklisted from China's nationalised drug procurement program till February 2026. This came after a remote inspection of one of the company's production facilities. Dr. Reddy's, alongwith Lupin, also came in for censure around the world, with the US FDA saying both companies are recalling products over manufacturing concerns.

And in the US, it is now official. Cows in California have bird flu. Moo.

In a conversation with Devex, the new head of Oxfam says the UN SDGs, especially around the elimination of poverty, were a non-starter to begin with. So much for trickle-down economics, eh?

And finally, in distressing news for many, kimchi might soon be off the menu everywhere because climate change.

Stories Of The Week

What's in the news? It's mpox again. Mpox continues to ravage Africa but, for a change, there is (some) positive movement when it comes to vaccines on the continent. In the epicentre of the current outbreak, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), cases in children have gone up 75 times with schools reopening. Even more worryingly, a new study on preprint server medRxiv says mpox cases caused by the rapidly spreading new clade 1b variant, along with at least one other strain, have been identified in Kinshasa, the densely populated capital of the DRC. Kenya's principal secretary for public health reported on Twitter about the fourth case of mpox in Kenya in a truck driver. And Jordan has also reported its first case of mpox this week.

Earlier in the week, UNICEF along with the Africa CDC, the WHO and Gavi launched an emergency tender to procure mpox vaccines. And in the most excellent news, the DRC received its first-ever batch of mpox vaccines - 99,000 doses - thanks to a donation from the EU. Elsewhere, South African drugmaker Aspen says it is willing to make mpox vaccines and is in talks with undisclosed partners to take this ahead. Unlike the fiasco that was Aspen's venture into Covid vaccines, though, this time around, the company says it will make vaccines only if it has confirmed orders and only if someone pays for the tech transfer.

And finally, some more good news. In a preclinical study, Moderna's mpox vaccine is reported to outperform Bavarian Nordic's currently approved vaccine with severe symptoms and viral load both being reduced.
(STC, medRxiv, Twitter, Petra, UNICEF, Africa CDC, Reuters, Cell)

Flushing out antibiotic pollution. The WHO has issued its first guidance on managing antibiotic pollution from manufacturing to mitigate the global risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The recommendations apply across various manufacturing stages, from active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to formulation and packaging. The guidance emphasises managing wastewater and solid waste, aiming to prevent the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. The report provides an impartial scientific basis for regulators, inspectors, and industry to include robust pollution controls in their standards, promoting transparency for buyers and investors.
(WHO)

Cholera strikes again. In a new report, the WHO says there has been a 13% rise in cholera casesand a staggering 71% increase in deaths in 2023 compared to 2022, with over 4,000 lives lost to this preventable disease. The spread of cholera affected 45 countries, with 38% of cases occurring in children under five, particularly in regions with poor sanitation. Africa saw a 125% surge in cases, and many deaths occurred outside health facilities, underscoring significant gaps in treatment access. This is for a disease for which we've had a cure for decades now.
(WHO

Blame it on the bat. Rounding off a busy week for it, the WHO, with support from the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), released a global framework to help countries investigate the origins of new and re-emerging pathogens. This marks the first unified approach to tracking down the origins of infectious outbreaks, filling a critical gap in global health strategy. The framework covers six key areas, from identifying the first cases to studying human-animal interactions and genomics.
(WHO)

When hunger strikes. The latest Global Report on Food Crises reveals that nearly two million people are now facing the most critical level of food insecurity (Phase 5), particularly in Gaza and Sudan, where conflict and limited humanitarian access have led to catastrophic hunger and malnutrition. In Gaza, agricultural destruction and the collapse of food and health systems have left over 50,000 children in urgent need of treatment for acute malnutrition. Meanwhile, Sudan’s ongoing conflict has pushed food insecurity to extreme levels, affecting millions and spilling over into neighbouring countries. Improved harvests in countries like Kenya and Guatemala have brought some relief, but overall, global hunger continues to rise, now affecting 99 million people.
(FSIN)

Breakthroughs

The antibody avengers. Researchers have identified an antibody, SC27, capable of neutralising all known SARS-CoV-2 variants and even distantly related SARS-like coronaviruses in animals. This breakthrough in hybrid immunity came from isolating the antibody from a single patient using advanced molecular sequencing. SC27 binds to the spike protein of the virus, blocking infection, and its discovery opens the door to future treatments and possibly a universal vaccine.
(Cell Reports Medicine)

Bottom line

Go ahead, take that call. Turns out, your phone isn't trying to fry your brain! A massive new review by the WHO, published in Environment International, shows no link between mobile phone use and brain cancer, putting those long-standing concerns to rest. This review, based on over 5,000 studies, says that despite wild claims from earlier studies and concerns about radio waves being classified as a possible carcinogen, there's no link between phone use and brain cancer, even after a decade of constant calls.
(Environment International)

Furreal. In a deep dive into the world of fur farming, scientists have discovered that raccoon dogs and mink are harbouring a host of viruses, including coronaviruses and influenza. After scouring the tissues of 461 dead fur animals across China, researchers found 125 different viruses, 36 of them brand new, and 39 with a high chance of jumping species (yep, even to humans). With fur animals like these acting as virus hubs, it turns out they might not just be supplying luxury pelts but also potential pandemics. Researchers are calling for more surveillance of these animals, particularly in China, which dominates the fur trade, to monitor any health risks coming our way.
(Nature)

Long reads

Superbugs on wings. Urban birds are turning into unlikely carriers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to new research from Oxford University. The study highlights how wild birds like ducks and crows, often found near humans, could spread these superbugs beyond hospitals.
(WEF Agenda)

The AMR party isn't going bust. Despite growing global concern about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), many countries are hesitant to commit to clear targets for reducing the overuse of antibiotics in animals as they negotiate a UN declaration on AMR. The proposed goal of cutting antimicrobial use in agriculture by 30% by 2030 is facing pushback, with some nations wanting to soften these commitments. Experts remain cautiously optimistic about the upcoming UN meeting, though expectations for bold actions are tempered.
(Health Policy Watch)

Oh, and Gopal Nair doesn't want you to see this.