Health Protection Agency

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has recently agreed a non-exclusive Material Transfer, Patent and Know-How License Agreement with the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for the development and manufacture of a ‘next generation’ polio vaccine which could be a major step in the eradication of polio.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) can confirm that findings of an investigation into an outbreak of Cryptosporidium infection that affected around 300 people in England and Scotland in May 2012 showed strong evidence of an association with eating pre-cut bagged salad products which are likely to have been labelled as ‘ready-to-eat’. The outbreak was short lived and the numbers of cases returned to expected seasonal levels within a month of the first cases being reported. Most of those affected had a mild to moderate form of illness and there were no deaths associated with the outbreak.

A Health Protection Agency (HPA) report published today has found since 2000 the number of cases of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) has increased in England by an average of seven per cent each year. The findings of the paper suggest that further work is needed to re-assess the prevention strategies currently in place for dealing with this infection.

Evidence suggests that the risk of developing cancer or tissue damage after exposure to ionising radiation varies among people because of genetic and lifestyle factors, according the Health Protection Agency’s independent Advisory Group on Ionising Radiation (AGIR).

Research from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed that food, water, chopping boards, cleaning cloths and security wristbands sampled from mobile and outdoor food vendors were contaminated with a range of bacteria including E.coli. This bacteria, which originates from human or animal faeces indicates either poor hygiene, undercooking or cross-contamination in the kitchen.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) welcomes the move by England’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Professor Dame Sally Davies to add antibiotic resistance to the national risk register.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is aware that a person who injected heroin has been diagnosed with anthrax infection in Suffolk and has died.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has issued new guidance for owners of pet rodents following two recent UK cases of hantavirus which are described in a paper published in this week’s Eurosurveillance.

Figures published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) today show that confirmed cases of whooping cough in England and Wales have continued to decrease with 668 cases reported in January 2013, compared to 835 cases in December 2012.

The first Gonorrhoea Resistance Action Plan for England and Wales is published today, recommending a heightened national response to combat this serious threat. The Action Plan was developed by the Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme (GRASP), established by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to monitor the growing global problem of emerging resistance over the last decade in the absence of new therapeutic options.

Health Protection Agency (HPA) scientists have found evidence of an association between Pandemrix flu vaccination and narcolepsy in children in England, according to the findings of a study published in the British Medical Journal. These findings are consistent with previous studies from Finland and Sweden which identified a similar association.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) continues its investigations into a family cluster of novel coronavirus infections in the UK. Three members of the same family have all tested positive for novel coronavirus. Two of these had no history of recent travel suggesting that transmission has occurred in the UK.

New HIV infections rose in men who have sex with men (MSM) between 1990 and 2010 in the UK, driven by a 26 per cent increase in the proportion having condomless sex, according to new research by the Health Protection Agency and UCL.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) can confirm a third case of novel coronavirus infection in a family cluster, following the confirmed diagnosis of two cases announced earlier this week. The patient, who is a UK resident and does not have any recent travel history, is recovering from a mild respiratory illness and is currently well. This latest case brings the total number of confirmed cases globally to 12, of which four have been diagnosed in the UK.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) can confirm a further case of novel coronavirus infection in a family member of the case announced on Monday 11 February. The patient, who is a UK resident, does not have any recent travel history and is currently receiving intensive care treatment at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. It is understood that this patient has an existing medical condition that may make them more susceptible to respiratory infections. This latest case brings the total number of confirmed cases globally to 11, of which three have been diagnosed in the UK.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) can confirm the diagnosis of a further case of novel coronavirus infection in a UK resident, who had recently travelled to the Middle East and Pakistan. The patient is receiving intensive care treatment in a Manchester hospital. This latest case brings the total number of confirmed cases globally to 10, of which two have been diagnosed in the UK.

There were 2,016 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in 2012, which is the highest annual total since 1994.

There were 9,741* confirmed cases of whooping cough reported in England and Wales in 2012, according to figures published today by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). The total figure for 2012 is almost 10 times higher than the number of cases reported in 2011 (1,119) and in 2008 (902) – the last peak year before this current outbreak.

Latest figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) up to 31 January 2013 show that flu activity remains at a similar level compared to the previous week based on a number of indicators, including GP consultation rates in England and the proportion of calls to NHS direct.