Outbreak News Today

Early and accurate detection is critical for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and providing appropriate care for patients. Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, which require inserting a long shaft into the nasal cavity to collect a sample from the back of the nose and throat, are currently the gold standard for collecting a specimen for diagnosis. But […]The post COVID-19 testing: Sputum was more accurate, Provides higher rate of COVID-19 detection appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County reported an additional five locally acquired dengue fever cases over the weekend. There are now 22 locally acquired dengue fever cases statewide in 2020 and 21 for Monroe County (one in Miami-Dade County). Mosquito Control was promptly informed of the new cases. Dengue can present […]The post Florida: More local dengue fever, West Nile virus reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The World Health Organization (WHO) says the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is escalating, with increasing new confirmed cases along with geographical spread to new health areas– 23 health areas in seven health zones are affected. According to the latest situation report, two additional […]The post DRC Ebola outbreak is ‘escalating’: WHO appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In the past two weeks, human plague cases have been reported in Jefferson County, Colorado and Navajo County, Arizona. Today, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reports a Santa Fe County man in his 60s has been diagnosed with bubonic plague – the first human plague case in New Mexico in 2020. While […]The post Plague in New Mexico: 1st case of the year reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) previously stated “To date there has been no information nor evidence to suggest that the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes”. Now researchers from Kansas State University report confirming this in a new study published recently in Scientific Reports. Joining me today to discuss this is associate vice president […]The post SARS-CoV-2 is NOT transmitted by mosquitoes: A talk with Dr Stephen Higgs appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A 20-year-old man from Narowal, Punjab province, Pakistan died from rabies two months after getting a dog bite, according to a report in the news source, Dawn. According to the report, he sought medical treatment after the bite; however, the physician told him and the family that the rabies vaccine was not available at the […]The post Pakistan: Human rabies death attributed to vaccine being not available appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command approved the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as an authorized site to administer COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma, July 16. CCP is the liquid part of blood collected from patients who recovered from a COVID-19 infection. Antibodies present in convalescent plasma are proteins that help patients fight […]The post USS Nimitz aircraft carrier approved to administer COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers from Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, have found a practical way to induce a strong and broad immunity to the dengue virus based on proof-of-concept studies in mice. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease with an estimated 100 million symptomatic infections every year. It is endemic in over 100 […]The post Dengue vaccine: SMART researchers find a way to induce strong and broad immunity against all four dengue serotypes appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The number of dengue fever cases in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil has increased some 200 percent in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. In the first half of 2019, Manaus saw 173 confirmed dengue cases, while in the same period this year, 525 cases were reported. This is […]The post Dengue cases up 200% in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo reports the number of syphilis cases in the country has topped 3,000 cases, according to the latest Surveillance data table. Through July 15 this year, Japan has reported 3,027 syphilis cases with 781 being reported from Tokyo and 510 in Osaka. Japan reported more than 5,000 […]The post Japan syphilis cases top 3,000 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials in Banteay Meanchey province report starting a chikungunya virus (CHIKV) awareness campaign this weekend after reporting an outbreak in Poipet city. To date, 160 infections have been reported by authorities. The campaign is designed to better inform villagers about the dangers of CHIK and how to prevent it in 13 communes in several provinces. Banteay Meanchey […]The post Chikungunya in Cambodia: 160 cases in Poipet, Awareness campaign commences appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola, MakeFoodSafe The Public Health Agency of Canada announced this week that it also has cases in the mystery outbreak of Salmonella cases in the US. There are 59 confirmed cases of Salmonella Newport illness linked to this Salmonella outbreak in the following provinces: British Columbia (23), Alberta (31), Manitoba (3), Ontario (1), […]The post Canada Confirms Cases in the Mystery Salmonella Outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Philippines Department of Health (DOH) reports the COVID-19 case total is now 80,448 after reporting an additional 2,110 new cases Sunday. About tho-thirds of the new cases were reported in the Metro Manila area (1,345) and another 300 cases were reported in Cebu. 39 deaths reported today brings the country death toll […]The post Philippines coronavirus cases top 80,000, Pooled testing and Overseas Filipinos appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers have shown that there is a low risk for healthy people to acquire Candida auris during travel. The research is presented at ASM Microbe Online, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Candida auris is an emerging, multidrug-resistant, fungus associated with high mortality rates. It can also survive for long periods of time on common […]The post Candida auris: Low risk for healthy people to acquire during travel, according to study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A new study of human olfactory cells has revealed that viral invasion of supportive cells in the nasal cavity might be driving the loss of smell seen in some patients with COVID-19. The findings show that non-neuronal cells in the brain and nose express genes critical for SARS-CoV-2 entry, while neurons do not; therefore, non-neuronal […]The post SARS-CoV-2 infection of non-neuronal cells, not neurons, may drive loss of smell in patients with COVID-19 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The South Dakota Department of Health reported the first human West Nile virus (WNV) case of the year in a McCook County resident. “Active transmission of West Nile virus is occurring in South Dakota and people need to protect themselves, especially during evening outdoor activities,” said Dr. Joshua Clayton, State Epidemiologist for the department. Clayton […]The post South Dakota reports 1st human West Nile virus case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Case count The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reports investigating 133 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases today. This brings the number of cases to 2506. Among the newly reported cases announced, seven had travel history during the incubation period. As for the local cases, as some cases involved residents and staff of Cornwall […]The post Hong Kong reports 133 more COVID-19 cases, SARS-CoV-2 positive cat appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Navajo County Public Health Services District has confirmed a case of human plague in the county, according to a release Friday. An investigation is ongoing and there are no known additional exposures. Health officials are urging the public to take precautions to reduce their risk. This includes keeping pets away from rodent […]The post Arizona: Human plague case reported in Navajo County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Research presented at ASM Microbe Online found that 43% of Staphylococcus bacteria found on exercise equipment in university gyms were ampicillin-resistant, with 73% of those isolates being resistant to multiple additional drugs. The late Xin Fan, Ph.D., and her student Chase A. Weikel of West Chester University (WCU) conducted the research in cooperation with WCU’s […]The post Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus found frequently on gym equipment: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Latest numbers The Florida Department of Health (DOH) reported that of the more than 106,000 COVID-19 tests performed Thursday, 12,444 new positive COVID-19 cases were recorded, or 13,3 percent. This pushes the state over the 400,000 case mark with 402,312 total cases, the third most in the country as of this report. 135 […]The post Florida COVID-19 cases top 400K, State partners with Target for 7 new testing sites appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola, MakeFoodSafe As of today, 212 people infected Salmonella Newport have been reported from 23 states. The source of the outbreak still remains a mystery. The CDC confirmed the additional 87 cases today, an update from its July 20 announcement. Of the 212 people sick, 31 have been hospitalized in this multi-state Salmonella […]The post Mystery Salmonella Outbreak Up to 212 Cases, Still No Source appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In the latest World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa situation report on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Equateur Province, western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), three more cases, along with two more deaths, have been confirmed, according to a organization tweet. This puts the total cases at 65 ( […]The post Ebola outbreak rises to 65 cases, Separated children as a result of the outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The South Africa National Institute of Communicable Diseases reported 13,951 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the outbreak total in the country to 421,996 confirmed cases. Community transmission is well-established, officials note. The South Africa COVID-19 outbreak is now ranked fifth in the world, with only the USA, Brazil, India and Russia ahead in […]The post South Africa COVID-19: Cases top 400,000, Community transmission is well-established appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola, MakeFoodSafe The CDC announced that the Cyclospora outbreak linked to Bagged Salads has expanded to 614 cases in 11 states. The case counts include: Georgia (1), Illinois (198), Iowa (195), Kansas (5), Minnesota (73), Missouri (57) Nebraska (55), North Dakota (6), Pennsylvania (2), South Dakota (13) and Wisconsin (36). According to an […]The post Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Bagged Salads Up to 614 Cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Since the beginning of the year through July 5, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported a total of 2,591 suspected monkeypox cases and 97 deaths. This includes 115 cases and four deaths recorded during the week ending July 5. In 2019, DRC saw 5,288 monkeypox cases, including 107 deaths (CFR: […]The post DRC monkeypox cases top 2500 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers have confirmed that Heartland virus, an emerging pathogen with potentially dire consequences for those infected, is present in Lone Star ticks in two Illinois counties hundreds of miles apart. Lone Star ticks were first detected in Illinois in 1999, but had not been found to be infected with Heartland virus in the state. The […]The post Heartland virus found in Lone Star ticks in Illinois appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Singapore environment officials recorded a record number of dengue fever cases last week as the city-state races for a record season. 1,733 dengue cases were reported in the week ending 18 July 2020. This figure is the highest number of weekly dengue cases ever recorded in Singapore, and is nearly double the 891 […]The post Singapore reports one week dengue record, more deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Philippines Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,200 new COVID-19 infections today, raising the country’s total infections to 74,390. The bulk of the new cases continues to be from the National Capital Region (1,546), followed by Cebu (246) and Laguna (83). 28 deaths were also reported, bringing the tally to 1,871. One of […]The post Philippines report 2200 more COVID-19 cases, Pandemic affecting reporting of TB appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the plague situation in the health zone of Rethy in Ituri province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since the upsurge of cases began in early June 2020, a total of 45 cases including nine deaths (case fatality rate: 20%) have been reported. Of the 45 cases reported, two […]The post Plague update in the Democratic Republic of the Congo appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Cambodia Ministry of Health has reported an outbreak of chikungunya in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet city, A statement from the Ministry of Health states more than 100 people in Poipet commune have fallen ill with symptoms, including abnormal fever, sore throat, skin rashes, joint pains and in some cases, convulsions since earlier […]The post Cambodia reports dozens of chikungunya cases in Banteay Meanchey appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Access Genetics, LLC dba OralDNA® Labs announces that FDA has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for its OraRisk® COVID-19 RT-PCR test. This test is for qualitative detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swab and nasal swab specimens collected in universal transport media, and nasal swabs collected in oral saline rinse, from individuals suspected of COVID-19 […]The post FDA Issues EUA for OraRisk COVID-19 RT-PCR Test appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In Vietnam, Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tien said in a conference this week that in addition to the diphtheria outbreak in the Central Highland region, the region has reported an increase in human rabies. The region has recorded 14 human rabies cases, all fatal, in the first six months of the year. […]The post Rise in rabies cases in the Central Highland region of Vietnam appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola, MakeFoodSafe As Josephine County Public Health continues its investigation into a cluster of Salmonella illnesses linked to Si Casa Flores, the agency has come out and commented that the outbreak is growing. The Si Casa Flores Salmonella outbreak appears to be growing in number – and locale. According to Josephine County Public […]The post Si Casa Flores Oregon Outbreak Grows, Produce a Potential Source? appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A study by UCLA researchers shows that in people with mild cases of COVID-19, antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes the disease — drop sharply over the first three months after infection, decreasing by roughly half every 73 days. If sustained at that rate, the antibodies would disappear within about a year. BACKGROUND […]The post Mild cases of COVID-19: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies drop sharply in first 3 months appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LAC DPH) reports receiving recently multiple reports of healthcare associated Candida auris (C. auris) isolates and has also identified one outbreak of C. auris in a Los Angeles County healthcare facility. This has prompted the issuance of a health alert for healthcare practitioners discussing advice […]The post Candida auris: LA County reports resurgence of cases, Issue health alert appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews New York City health officials are advising healthcare providers to be alert tick-borne diseases (TBDs) as people may be spending more time outdoors than usual in tick habitats. Officials note recent travel to upstate NY, Long Island, and other parts of the northeast, mid-Atlantic and upper Midwest should prompt consideration of TBDs in […]The post NYC officials warn about tick-borne diseases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Los Angeles County health officials reported 3266 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total cases to 164,870. In addition, 64 deaths were reported yesterday bringing LA County’s death toll to 4213. LA County Director of Public Health, Barbara Ferrer, PhD said, “The tragedy of what we are witnessing is that many of […]The post Los Angeles COVID-19 update: 3266 new cases, Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Valneva SE, a specialty vaccine company focused on prevention of diseases with major unmet needs, today announced positive initial results for its first Phase 2 study (VLA15-201) of Lyme disease vaccine candidate VLA15. VLA15 was immunogenic across all dose groups tested. Compared to Phase 1, the higher doses used in this trial elicited higher antibody […]The post Lyme disease vaccine: Valneva announces positive initial Phase 2 study results appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola, MakeFoodSafe The CDC announced its investigation into 125 illnesses of Salmonella Newport in 15 states. The source is currently a mystery. According to the CDC’s notice, “this investigation is ongoing and a specific food item, grocery store, or restaurant chain has not been identified as the source of infections.” As the CDC […]The post Mystery Source Sickens 125 with Salmonella in 15 States appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the diphtheria outbreak in Vietnam, according to a report by the Department of Health, in the four Central Highlands provinces: Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai and Kom Tum, as of July 22, 2020, four provinces have recorded 114 cases of diphtheria in 34 communes, belonging to 14 districts. Three deaths […]The post Diphtheria outbreak in Vietnam update: 114 cases and three deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Scenarios for the spread of COVID-19 The Swedish Public Health Agency has developed scenarios for what the spread of COVID-19 in Sweden could look like in the coming year. The report presents three scenarios for the continued spread of COVID-19 in the coming year, until 1 September 2021. The simulated development is based […]The post Sweden COVID-19: Three scenarios for spread in coming year, Immunity guidance appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A commentary published in the journal Pediatrics, the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, concludes that children infrequently transmit Covid-19 to each other or to adults and that many schools, provided they follow appropriate social distancing guidelines and take into account rates of transmission in their community, can and should reopen in the […]The post Commentary: Children infrequently transmit COVID-19, Schools should reopen in fall appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A series of autopsies conducted by LSU Health New Orleans pathologists shows the damage to the hearts of COVID-19 patients is not the expected typical inflammation of the heart muscle associated with myocarditis, but rather a unique pattern of cell death in scattered individual heart muscle cells. They report the findings of a detailed study […]The post COVID-19: Autopsies reveal unique heart damage appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Hellenic National Public Health Organization (EODY) announced (computer translated) two human West Nile virus (WNV) cases–one each in the cities of Karditsa and Topeiros. West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause encephalitis, a brain inflammation. Human WNV disease has been reported in Greece since 2010. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and […]The post Greece reports two West Nile virus cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Department of Disease Control in Taiwan has reported 60 confirmed cases of tsutsugamushi disease, or scrub typhus in the country in the past 4 weeks. The cases were reported as mainly infected in Huadong and the outlying islands. During this period, Taitung County (23 cases) was the most infected area, followed by Hualien County […]The post Scrub typhus in Taiwan: 60 new cases reported in past month appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported three new confirmed cases of Japanese encephalitis. The new cases were reported in Taoyuan City, New Taipei City and Taichung City. At present, except for the case in Taichung City, which has been discharged from hospital, the remaining 2 people continue to be hospitalized. The health unit […]The post Japanese encephalitis cases rise in Taiwan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced the first domestic case of dengue fever in the country this year. The patient is a 30-year-old male living in Yushanli, Taoyuan District, Taoyuan City. He sought medical care on July 15 and 19 due to successive symptoms of fever and skin rash. On Monday, the result […]The post Taiwan reports 1st locally transmitted dengue case of 2020 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

South Carolina health officials report the confirmation of a rabies positive cat in Honea Path, Abbeville County. The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) say the cat exposed two people and some 10 pets. “To reduce the risk of getting rabies, always give wild and stray animals plenty of space,” said David Vaughan, Director of […]The post South Carolina rabies: Cat exposes two people in Honea Path appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Brazil’s Ministry of Health recorded 20,257 COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the total to 2,118,646 confirmed cases of the disease. Officials also report that more than 1.4 million people have recovered from the disease, or about two-thirds of the total cases. The death toll in the country has risen to 80,120 after recording 632 deaths in […]The post Brazil COVID-19 deaths top 80,000, Infections have ‘plateaued’ according to WHO appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

An international group of researchers have discovered that inhibiting AHR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor), a protein with roles in regulating immunity, stem cell maintenance and cellular differentiation, enables the immune system to combat replication of zika virus in the organism far more effectively. In experiments performed at the University of São Paulo’s Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICB-USP) […]The post Zika: Research team use experimental drug that reduces replication of the virus and prevents microcephaly in mice appeared first on Outbreak News Today.