Outbreak News Today

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Health officials in Coconino County, AZ are reporting that fleas collected in the Baderville area, northwest of Flagstaff, have tested positive for plague (Yersinia pestis). Collecting and testing of fleas for the presence of plague was conducted by the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute at Northern Arizona University. Coconino County Health and Human […]The post Arizona: Fleas test positive for plague near Flagstaff appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

UC San Diego Health has launched a Phase III clinical trial, part of a global effort, to assess whether a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders might also have therapeutic value for COVID-19 patients who have developed or at high risk of developing serious lung damage from SARS-CoV-2 infections. Tocilizumab, marketed […]The post Arthritis drug, Actemra, shows promising therapeutic value for COVID-19 patients appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Massachusetts Department of Health reported an additional 1,963 COVID-19 cases and 252 deaths today, bringing the state totals to 60,265 confirmed cases and 3,405 deaths. According to the Boston Public Health Commission, the states’s largest city has seen 9284 cases and more than 300 deaths. In Holyoke, Massachusetts, WCVB 5 reports […]The post Massachusetts COVID-19 outbreak tops 60K, More than 70 dead at Holyoke Soldiers Home appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The number of coronavirus cases in Ecuador continues its rise. According to the National Institute for Public Health Research (INSPI), of the 64,558 samples taken, 24,258 are positive for COVID-19. This is the third most cases reported in South America, behind Brazil and Peru. Ecuador has reported 871 deaths to date. The […]The post Ecuador COVID-19 outbreak tops 24,000 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exploded across the globe, leaving healthcare staff, policy makers and ordinary people struggling. We still don’t completely understand why some people are more severely affected by the virus than others. So far, the elderly and those with certain pre-existing conditions appear to be at greater risk. A new study in open-access […]The post COVID-19 and gender study: Men have more severe disease and are over twice as likely to die appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In one of the first reported cases of its kind, a 3-week-old infant in critical condition recovered from COVID-19 due to rapid recognition and treatment by physicians from McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The case was published April 22 in the New England Journal of Medicine. As […]The post COVID-19 in pediatric patients: Successful treatment of severe case in infant appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The coronavirus crisis has introduced a lot of new words into daily vocabulary — words such as pandemic and asymptomatic and acronyms like PPE. All can be found in the dictionary or on websites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the American Red Cross. But what […]The post Coronavirus terminology with UAB expert appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On today’s podcast, I want to take a look at a couple of much talked about issues when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic at this point in time–the diagnostic testing (both PCR and antibody, or serology testing) and the death rates associated with the viral illness. I am joined today with friend of the […]The post Dr. Mike Osterholm on COVID-19 testing, death rates and more appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews For the third consecutive day, Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that no additional cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were confirmed. To date, Taiwan has reported 429 confirmed COVID-19 cases–of this, 343 are imported and 55 are indigenous while 31 are Navy members aboard the Panshi fast combat support ship. Of […]The post Taiwan: No additional COVID-19 cases reported for 3rd day in a row appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews On Tuesday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has declared the emergency phase of the 2020 Lassa fever outbreak over. This is following successive decline in cases below the emergency threshold, and an epidemiological review carried out by NCDC and the World Health Organisation (WHO). On the 24th of January 2020, NCDC […]The post Nigeria Lassa fever: NCDC declares end of emergency phase of outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Starting Tuesday, Quest Diagnostics announced individuals can purchase COVID-19 antibody testing for themselves online, without visiting a doctor’s office, through QuestDirect, the consumer-initiated testing business of Quest Diagnostics. The COVID-19 Immune Response test broadens access to COVID-19 antibody testing in the United States. On April 21, Quest announced the launch of its COVID-19 antibody test service for healthcare providers to order on behalf […]The post COVID-19 antibody testing: Quest Diagnostics launches consumer-initiated testing appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a Biologics License Application for MenQuadfiTM Meningococcal (Groups A, C, Y, W) Conjugate Vaccine for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease in persons 2 years of age and older. “Meningococcal meningitis remains a major global health challenge because it can strike quickly and with devastating effect, taking […]The post Sanofi’s MenQuadfi Meningococcal vaccine receives FDA approval appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Country statistics The Russia Ministry of Health reported an additional 6,411 coronavirus disease, or COVID-19 cases today, bringing the country total to 93,558 recorded in 85 regions of the Russian Federation, currently the 8th most of any country. 867 deaths have been reported nationwide. The number of cases in the city of Moscow (48426) […]The post Russia COVID-19: Cases top 93K, Half in Moscow; Coronavirus guidelines updated appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa reports a surge in malaria cases in Zimbabwe. According to officials, the increase in malaria cases began in early March 2020. The week ending April 12, Zimbabwe saw more than 35,000 cases and 25 deaths. Since the beginning of the year through last week, Zimbabwe […]The post Zimbabwe reports surge of malaria cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Mexico (HERE and HERE), the World Health Organization published a news release on the situation adding some more detail. Between 1 January and 2 April 2020, 1,364 probable cases of measles were reported, of which 124 were laboratory confirmed, 991 were discarded and 328 remain […]The post Mexico measles outbreak: More details appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews After reporting a dramatic increase in dengue fever in 2019, Philippines health officials are seeing a decrease in cases during the first months of 2020. From the beginning of the year through April 4, officials reported 45,771 total dengue fever cases, including 112 deaths. This is 36 percent lower as compared to the […]The post Philippines: Dengue cases down 36 percent so far in 2020 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Zika virus is capable of replicating and spreading infectious particles within the outermost cells lining the vaginal tract, according to new research. The findings provide the first molecular-level insights into how the virus can move from person to person through sexual contact. While Zika is primarily spread by mosquitoes, researchers have been aware of its […]The post Zika virus: How the virus spreads through sexual contact appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews On Monday, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern said at least at the present time, the country has defeated the coronavirus. “There is no widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle,” Ardern said Monday. “But we must remain vigilant if we are to keep it that way.” […]The post New Zealand COVID-19: ‘No widespread undetected community transmission, We have won that battle’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (also known as chickenpox) are infectious diseases caused by viruses. They are most common in children and young adults, and can lead to potentially fatal illnesses, disabilities and death. Measles remains one of the leading causes of childhood death around the globe. Rubella is also dangerous for pregnant women, as […]The post MMR vaccines are effective, Not associated with increased risk of autism: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials in Pakistan reported 783 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 12,723 through April 26. Of this total, 281 deaths have been recorded. Minister for Health Dr Zafar Mirza said this weekend that 79 percent of the coronavirus cases in the country now were locally transmitted. […]The post Pakistan reports 783 new COVID-19 cases, Testing to ramp up next week appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Testing for the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19 is the main topic of many newscasts, opinion shows, States and their Governors and the daily briefing by the White House Coronavirus Task Force. In this video, I look at the early errors made by the Centers for Disease Control […]The post COVID-19 Testing: From the early blunders to looking forward appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Florida state health officials reported 306 new positive COVID-19 cases and nine deaths related to COVID-19 Saturday, bringing the state totals to 30,839 cases and 1,055 deaths. To date, more than 333,000 tests have been performed. Dade County has reported more than 11,000 cases, followed by Broward (4659), Palm Beach (2614), Orange (1304) […]The post Florida COVID-19 cases top 30,000, 356 nursing homes affected appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews According to the latest data from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), of the more than 46,000 COVID-19 tests performed in the country, 5,416 were positive. With the addition of five deaths in the last 24 hours, the death toll in Bangladesh is now 145. In the capital city of Dhaka, […]The post Bangladesh COVID-19: 2,500 cases in Dhaka City, Infected doctors appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews On April 26, 15 new cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were announced by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, bringing the total number of cases to 2,922. Of this total, approximately 88 percent have recovered and 11 percent are receiving treatment. The death toll remains unchanged at 51. To date, 68 of the […]The post Thailand COVID-19 update: Death toll remains at 51 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In Bolivia, the director of Epidemiology, Virgilio Prieto reported this Thursday that an atypical case of measles was reported in the city of Santa Cruz. The patient is a 29-year-old pediatrician with no travel history, no contact with tourists and she was vaccinated as a child. “We say it is an atypical case […]The post Bolivia: Measles case reported after 19 years in Santa Cruz appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the COVID-19 positive tiger at the Bronx Zoo reported earlier this month, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Bronx Zoo reported earlier this week that the three other tigers in Tiger Mountain and the three African lions that exhibited a cough have also tested positive for COVID-19. Samples for testing […]The post Bronx Zoo: More big cats test positive for COVID-19 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

OU Medicine, the OU Health Sciences Center and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation collaborated to create a new test for COVID-19 using technology and reagents from Fluidigm Corporation, an innovative biotechnology tools provider. The test is intended for large-scale testing of patients across the OU Medicine healthcare system, with the capacity to test 180,000 samples […]The post Oklahoma: Rapid large-scale testing of COVID-19 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.