Outbreak News Today

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The National Food Administration and the Swedish Public Health Agency report jointly investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A. Since mid-July, nine cases with the same type of hepatitis A virus (genotype IA) have been reported from five different regions (Norrbotten, Västra Götaland, Stockholm, Uppsala, Södermanland). The cases are aged 2-78, six women and […]The post Sweden: Hepatitis A outbreak investigated, Frozen imported berries are suspected source appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Since the beginning of the year, 61 total Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases have been reported through October 6, mostly in Saudi Arabia. No new cases have been reported in several months. Of the 61 cases, 57 were reported from Saudi Arabia (nearly half of the cases are from Riyadh), while the […]The post MERS coronavirus 2020: 61 cases reported to date appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Oklahoma Department of Health has reported dramatic increases in primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis in women in recent years, as well as increases in congenital syphilis. From 2014 to 2018, Oklahoma experienced a 860% increase in the number of primary and secondary syphilis cases among women. Oklahoma also saw one of the […]The post Oklahoma reports big increases of syphilis in women, congenital syphilis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first human West Nile virus-related death in Illinois for 2020. A Chicago resident who became ill in mid-September and tested positive for West Nile virus has died. “Although we are already into fall, West Nile virus remains a risk until the first hard […]The post Illinois reports 1st West Nile virus death in Chicago resident appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

People who survive serious COVID-19 infections have long-lasting immune responses against the virus, according to a new study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The study, published in Science Immunology, offers hope that people infected with the virus will develop lasting protection against reinfection. The study also demonstrates that measuring antibodies can be an […]The post COVID-19 survivors have long-lasting immune responses against the virus: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Each year, the flu vaccine has to be redesigned to account for mutations that the virus accumulates, and even then, the vaccine is often not fully protective for everyone. Researchers at MIT and the Ragon Institute of MIT, MGH, and Harvard are now working on strategies for designing a universal flu vaccine that could work […]The post MIT researchers working on universal flu vaccine appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Genome sequencing has shed light on the re-emergence of the bacterium that causes yaws, a neglected tropical disease of the skin, bones and joints. The re-emergence followed a mass drug administration (MDA) campaign that aimed to eliminate the disease in Papua New Guinea. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the London School of Hygiene & […]The post Yaws: Re-emergence followed a mass drug administration in Papua New Guinea appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Meijer, in conjunction with Eagle Produce, LLC in Aguila, AZ., is announcing a voluntary recall of whole cantaloupe and select cut cantaloupe fruit trays and bowls. The recall is part of a sampling investigation by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and is due to the potential risk of Salmonella. Salmonella, an organism which […]The post Salmonella risk prompts cantaloupe recall appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on the dengue fever outbreak in Saint Lucia, The Ministry of Health and Wellness has recorded a total of 540 confirmed cases of dengue fever. There has also been one reported dengue-related death, the first of 2020. The individual is an adult male who was hospitalized after presenting with signs […]The post First dengue fever death reported in Saint Lucia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 COVID-19 The Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,363 new confirmed COVID-19 cases today, bringing the country’s outbreak total to 331,869. More than 4 million COVID-19 tests have been performed to date. Of the 2,300-plus new cases, the National Capital Region (NCR) reported the most with 858. The DOH also reported there are 144 […]The post Philippines COVID-19 deaths top 6,000, Malacañang urges measles vaccine appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 A parasitic disease normally just seen in Africa, Asia, and Latin America has been reported in a 25-year-old Melbourne, Australia woman with no history of travel, according to a case report in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a disease caused by infection of the central nervous system […]The post Pork tapeworm: 1st locally acquired neurocysticercosis case reported in Melbourne, Australia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The results of a recent study moved University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers one step closer to developing effective vaccinations against flaviviruses, which infect more than 400 million people a year with diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, West Nile, Zika and Japanese encephalitis. When a person is infected with a virus, antibodies are produced […]The post Flavivirus vaccines: Researchers one step closer to development appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Country Fresh is initiating a voluntary recall of a limited quantity of watermelon chunks from select stores as a precautionary measure due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes detected on equipment used in packing this product. FDA made these findings during a recent inspection. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal […]The post Watermelon chunks recalled due to Listeria risk, Distributed to Walmart and RaceTrac in 5 states appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Costa Rica’s Health Ministry reported an additional 1,001 new cases of COVID-19, of which 216 are by epidemiological link and 785 by laboratory, bringing the country total to 77,829 confirmed cases. Thirteen deaths, including the youngest death, an 18 year old woman with hypertension associated with pregnancy reported Friday brings the total to […]The post Costa Rica COVID-19 update, Agreement for vaccine supplies appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Chinese officials report a human H9N2 avian influenza case in a 4-year-old girl from Guangdong province. The child was hospitalized in August with mild symptoms and has fully recovered. The investigation into the case shows the girl had contact with domestic poultry. No further cases were confirmed among the contacts of this case. […]The post China: H9N2 avian influenza case reported in Guangdong province appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 New Hampshire health officials is reporting a Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV) case in an adult from Epsom. This is the fourth case reported in the state this year. The patient was hospitalized with a fever, abdominal and neck pain, and a headache. They have been discharged and are recovering at home. JCV is […]The post Jamestown Canyon Virus: 4th case reported in New Hampshire appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the diphtheria outbreak in Vietnam, National health authorities are now reporting 198 diphtheria cases since the beginning of this year. This compares to 41 cases during the same period in 2019. Of the 198 cases, 172 cases have been reported in the Central Highland region, 22 cases in central provinces and […]The post Diphtheria outbreak update in Vietnam, 80% unvaccinated appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) report two additional rabies deaths in children from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. One case involved a two-year-old child from Umlazi, Durban, who was admitted in hospital with muscle fatigue, hyper-salivation and paralysis. The child bitten on his face two or three months before his illness but never […]The post Rabies: Two additional deaths in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Muenster infections linked to pet bearded dragons. Health officials report 13 Salmonella Muenster infections in 8 states. Seven ill people, out of 11 people with information, have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Five ill people are children under […]The post Salmonella outbreak linked to pet bearded dragons appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

PATH announced today they received a grant from Japan’s Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund to develop a new oral treatment option for soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. PATH’s Vaccine and Pharmaceutical Formulation team, part of the Medical Devices and Health Technologies global program, will lead the international collaboration, which includes the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) […]The post Parasites: PATH receives grant to combat soil-transmitted helminth infections appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Alaska state health officials are reporting the second known novel orthopoxvirus case, aka “Alaskapox” in a resident of Fairbanks. In August, a woman presented with the following symptoms: A small grey lesion on her left upper arm, followed by erythema approximately 4 days later. She reported tender axillary adenopathy, shoulder pain, fatigue, and […]The post Novel Orthopoxvirus Infection reported in Fairbanks woman, 2nd known ‘Alaskapox’ case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 While the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported a decline in cases of diseases like measles this year, other infectious diseases are higher in 2020. One such disease is monkeypox. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a total of 4,594 suspected cases of monkeypox, including 171 deaths (case fatality ratio 3.7%), […]The post Monkeypox in DRC: Cases in 2020 higher than previous years appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 With flu season approaching, the American Medical Association (AMA) is urging everyone six months and older to get vaccinated against the flu. During the 2020-2021 flu season, getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community from the flu. Flu vaccination is part of […]The post AMA Urges Vaccinations as Flu Season Comes Clashing into the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A class of compounds used for malaria treatment also kill the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium, a leading cause of diarrheal disease and death in children that has no cure, a multi-institution collaboration of researchers found in a new study. The compounds, called bicyclic azetidines, specifically target an enzyme responsible for protein production within the parasite, the […]The post Cryptosporidium treatment: Repurposed anti-malarial compounds kill parasite, study finds appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Taiwan health officials reported two additional locally transmitted dengue fever cases today, bringing the total in the country this year to 41. The two new confirmed cases of local dengue fever were reported in the Three Gorges District of New Taipei City. They were a 50-year-old male in Zhongzhengli and a 60-year-old female […]The post Taiwan: Additional local transmission of dengue fever appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Wednesday the extension of a No Sail Order for cruise ships through October 31, 2020. This order continues to suspend passenger operations on cruise ships with the capacity to carry at least 250 passengers in waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Cumulative surveillance data reported to […]The post CDC: COVID-19 cruise ship no-sail order extended appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Health officials in Spain are reporting an increase in COVID-19 cases, prompting the government to reinstitute lockdowns in cities like Madrid. During the past two weeks, Spain has recorded nearly 130,000 new cases, bringing the country total to 778,607 cases, making it one of the hardest hit countries in the world and the […]The post Spain: COVID-19 cases rise, Lockdown restrictions return appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Health officials in Fiji have reported an outbreak of leptospirosis; most cases have been recorded in the Central and Northern divisions. In response to the outbreak, the Fiji Ministry of Health is working to manage the situation, increasing disease surveillance and conducting clean-up and awareness campaigns. This has prompted the Centers for Disease […]The post Leptospirosis outbreak in Fiji prompts CDC travel warning appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Mongolia’s National Center for Zoonotic Diseases (NCZD) reported a suspected case of bubonic plague in western Mongolia’s Khovd province has been confirmed by lab test results Sunday. The patient is a 25-year-old female who was found to have eaten marmot meat last week. While hunting marmots is illegal in Mongolia, many Mongolians regard […]The post Plague: Bubonic case reported in Khovd province, Mongolia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Officials in the Volgograd region in Southern Russia have reported 60 botulism cases in the first half of 2020, according to Russian media (computer translated). Of the sixty cases, six fatalities were reported. About 200 people suffer from this severe disease affecting the central nervous system in the region every year. Now the inhabitants of the […]The post Russia: Six botulism deaths in Volgograd in first half of 2020 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Philippines Department of Health reported 2,995 newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases Sunday, bringing the outbreak total to 304,226. The majority of the newly reported cases are from the National Capital Region (NCR) with 1,065, the provinces of Cavite with 297, Bulacan with 180, Batangas with 157, and Laguna with 143 infections. The death toll […]The post COVID-19 in the Philippines: Cases top 300,000; Taguig COVID-19 complex inaugurated appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In recent days, Taiwan health officials reported 11 additional domestic cases of dengue fever, bringing the total to 32 this year. On Saturday, the Taiwan Department of Disease Control (CDC) announced that there were 9 new confirmed cases of dengue fever in New Taipei City, 6 males and 3 females, aged in their […]The post Taiwan local dengue cases rise to 32, Recent cases reported in New Taipei City appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Local authorities in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province are reporting a suspected case of bubonic plague, according to a Global Times report. The patient is a 3-year-old child in Menghai county, who is currently in a stable condition after receiving treatment. The case was found during a countywide screening for the disease, after three […]The post China: Suspect bubonic plague case reported in Yunnan Province appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

There is wide variation in the performance of commercial kits for detecting antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), according to a study published September 24 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Jonathan Edgeworth and Blair Merrick of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Suzanne Pickering and Katie Doores of King’s College London, […]The post SARS-CoV-2 commercial antibody kits: Accuracy varies widely according to researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) spoke of the success rabies elimination in the Americas days before World Rabies Day 2020 on September 28. “On our continent, the incidence of dog-mediated human rabies has been reduced by almost 98%, from a record of 300 cases in 1983 to just 3 cases in 2019,” said Dr […]The post Rabies in the Americas: Dog-mediated human rabies has been reduced by almost 98% appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

While some people who contract SARS-CoV-2 infections never experience any symptoms, there remains disagreement about what proportion of total infections these cases represent. A new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Diana Buitrago-Garcia at the University of Bern, Switzerland and colleagues suggests that true asymptomatic cases of SARS-CoV-2 comprise a minority of infections. The […]The post Study suggests asymptomatic COVID-19 cases may account for about 20% of infections appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County has reported an additional confirmed case of locally transmitted dengue fever in a Miami-Dade resident. There has been a total of two locally acquired dengue cases in 2020. Dengue is a virus spread through mosquito bites through the Aedes mosquitoes which also spread chikungunya and Zika virus. […]The post Miami: 2nd locally acquired dengue case reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Real Pet Food Company is voluntarily recalling Billy+Margot Wild Kangaroo and Superfoods Recipe 4lb bags because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. While no illnesses have been reported, healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for […]The post Billy+Margot dog food recalled due to possible Salmonella risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is reporting 6 cases of West Nile virus infection this year among Chicago residents, following CDC confirmatory testing performed for the first case. All patients developed symptoms between August 15-September 5 and were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The age range is 43-75 years (median […]The post Chicago reports 1st human West Nile virus cases of 2020 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Infants born to women with COVID-19 showed few adverse outcomes, according to the first report in the country of infant outcomes through eight weeks of age. The study, led by researchers at UC San Francisco, suggests that babies born to mothers infected with the virus generally do well six to eight weeks after birth, however […]The post COVID-19: Babies born to mothers infected with the virus generally do well appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Dallas County health officials reported three additional human West Nile virus (WNV) cases Friday, all in residents of the city of Dallas, bringing the county total to 15 for 2020. Of the three new cases, two are over the age of 60 and were diagnosed with neuroinvasive disease. The death count in the […]The post West Nile virus in Dallas County: 15 cases, 4 deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Florida state health officials report the number of locally-transmitted dengue fever cases reported this year is up to 65, with the addition of nine reported in Monroe County last week. These cases were identified through retrospective case finding efforts to better characterize activity early in the outbreak. Of the 65 local transmission cases, […]The post Dengue fever: 65 confirmed local cases reported in South Florida appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials in Ukraine are reporting a tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) case in a 39-year-old woman from Volyn Oblast in the northwestern part of the country. In early August, the woman was bitten by a tick after a walk in the woods, which she removed on her own. In a few weeks she developed […]The post Ukraine: Tick-borne encephalitis case reported in Volyn appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A study appearing next week in the journal Nature Communications offers some good news in the search for antiviral drugs for hard-to-treat diseases. Researchers have identified a potential new drug candidate against enterovirus 71, a common cause of hand, foot and mouth disease in infants and young children. The compound of interest is a small molecule that […]The post Potential hand, foot and mouth disease drug candidate identified appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials recorded an additional Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Equateur province, bringing the total in the 11th Ebola outbreak in the country to 124 (118 confirmed and 6 probable). The death toll remains at 50 (44 confirmed and 6 probable). The case fatality ratio […]The post Ebola: DRC’s 11th outbreak rises to 124 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The World Health Organization (WHO) reported today that the ongoing measles outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is showing a sustained decline in new cases and deaths–reporting 245 suspected cases and one death during the week ending Sept. 6. WHO reminds while the declining trend in this long-standing measles outbreak is […]The post DRC measles in sustained decline, ‘Dependent on continuing vaccine program efforts’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

New research suggests that the impact of natural and vaccine-induced immunity will be key factors in shaping the future trajectory of the global coronavirus pandemic, known as COVID-19. In particular, a vaccine capable of eliciting a strong immune response could substantially reduce the future burden of infection, according to a study by Princeton researchers published […]The post Long-term COVID-19 containment will be shaped by strength, duration of immunity appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By Glenn Laverack, PhD There is not a clear top-down solution to the COVID-19 pandemic. A vaccine may not be available for another 12 months, national lock-downs threaten to damage economies and time has been lost through misjudged interventions. A resurgence of the virus coincides with winter in the northern hemisphere, and in many countries, […]The post Living with COVID-19: Harnessing the potential of communities appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Just about a month after Africa was declared free of wild poliovirus, global wild poliovirus and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) continue to rise, according to the latest numbers from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). In Pakistan, two wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were reported; one each in Balochistan and Sindh province, […]The post Global polio: Four additional wild poliovirus cases, 28 cVDPV2 cases reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Hamilton Public Health is responding to an E. coli outbreak at Valens Lake Conservation Area. There have been seven confirmed cases of E. coli related to Valens Lake Conservation area, with one of the cases being a Hamilton resident. The confirmed cases are predominantly in individuals under the age of 12. E. coli is transmitted […]The post Ontario: E. coli outbreak at Valens Lake Conservation Area appeared first on Outbreak News Today.