Outbreak News Today

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Sri Lanka Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health is reporting 88,371 dengue fever cases as of Friday, up some 3,000 cases since our last report four days ago. Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy and Kalutara districts report the most cases, with 18237, 13758, 7856 and 7515 cases, respectively. In addition, the dengue related […]The post Dengue fever in Sri Lanka: 88K cases, 100 deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In this video, I take a look at the rare, viral infection in humans, and cows for that matter, cowpox. I look at the infection in cattle, in humans and in cats–the most common host of cowpox virus. I also look at that rare laboratory acquired case in the US in 2010 and […]The post A COWPOX primer appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Ministry of Health of the Government of La Rioja in northern Spain have reported four patients hospitalized with the bacterial infection, Q fever, according to a Moncloa report (computer translated). The four people admitted would have been infected by contact with infected animals during their stay in the Cameros area of ​​La […]The post Q fever cases hospitalized in Spain appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Here are the estimates: At least 2.6 million influenza cases, 23,000 hospitalizations and 1,300 flu related deaths since October 1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Federal health officials say seasonal influenza activity in the United States has been elevated for five weeks and continues to increase. Widespread flu […]The post Flu in the US: At least 1,300 deaths this season, according to CDC estimates appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued travel notices for Africa and Asia because of polio outbreaks in a number of countries on each continent. Polio outbreaks have been reported in the following African countries: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Niger, […]The post Polio prompts travel notices for Africa and Asia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials have reported a total of 85 confirmed cases of measles in Argentina through the first week of December. Of this total, 83 were detected in Argentina and 2 in Spain. Of the cases detected in Argentina, 7 were imported or import-related and 76 have no travel history or epidemiological link with […]The post Argentina measles: Most cases from Buenos Aires Province appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews With the report of two additional confirmed measles cases in a 13-year-old from Nakelo Rewa and a 27-year-old from Naitasiri, this brings the total measles cases in Fiji to 21. Both cases are contacts with previously reported cases in their respective villages. The 21 cases to date are from the following areas in […]The post Fiji measles case count now 21 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews As 2019 comes to a close, UN health officials say Brazil accounted for the vast majority of measles cases in the Americas region. Through December 12, Brazil reported 13,489 of the 15,802 confirmed cases of measles n the region, or 85 percent. The country also saw 15 measles related deaths in 2019. Officials […]The post Brazil accounts for 85 percent of measles in the Americas appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the first ever local transmission of dengue fever in Afghanistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) now reports that at least 14 cases total, half are autochthonous. The 14 cases were reported from six provinces: Faryab (1 case), Kabul (3 cases), and four provinces bordering Pakistan, where a large outbreak […]The post Dengue in Afghanistan: 1st autochthonous cases, Cause for concern appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Nearly one in three foodborne outbreaks in the EU in 2018 were caused by Salmonella. This is one of the main findings of the annual report on trends and sources of zoonoses published today by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). In 2018, EU Member States […]The post Europe: Salmonella the most common cause of foodborne outbreaks; Slovakia, Spain and Poland account for most appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Since the last report on the Cryptosporidium outbreak in Sweden about two weeks ago, health officials say the number of reported cases has decreased in recent weeks. While cases are declining, the number of cases reported per week remains slightly higher compared to the same period in previous years. To date, some 400 […]The post Sweden ‘crypto’ outbreak update: Nearly 400 cases, Cases declining appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported Thursday that Indonesia is the latest Asian country to report an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF). According to FAO: The Minister of Agriculture announced the confirmation of ASF outbreak in North Sumatra Province on 12 December 2019. Since late September, increased […]The post African Swine Fever in Asia: Indonesia is the latest country to report an outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials in Samoa released the latest numbers on the measles outbreak in the country today. The Ministry of Health confirms a total of 5,080 measles cases have been reported to the Disease Surveillance Team, since the outbreak started. There were 85 recorded in the last 24 hours. There are currently 169 measles […]The post Measles in Samoa: Outbreak tally tops 5,000 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials with the municipality of Serra in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil are reporting a 17 times increase in dengue fever cases in 2019 compared to last year, according to a Folha Vitoria report (computer translated). According to government data, there were 17,052 cases among the population of Serra, During the same period in […]The post Dengue cases up 17x in Serra, Espírito Santo, Brazil appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Lancaster University researchers have shed light on how the parasite which causes sleeping sickness multiples inside its host. Human African Trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness, only occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa where an estimated 60 million people in 36 countries are at risk. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 95 percent of reported cases […]The post Sleeping sickness: Researchers offer new insight into the parasite appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Pakistan Pakistan reported three additional wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases this past week–one from Sindh province and two from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This brings the total WPV1 cases in the country to 94, about eight times the cases reported in all of 2018 (12). In addition, nine WPV1 positive environmental samples and […]The post Polio cases mount globally: Pakistan, the Philippines and Angola appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Officials with the National Center for Microbiology (CNM) have confirmed a man admitted to the Cruces hospital (Bizkaia, or Biscay) suffers from rabies. It is believed that he contracted the serious infection from a cat bite while in Morocco, according to a La Vanguardia report (computer translated). The patient was admitted to the […]The post Rabies: Human case reported in Spain, Contracted in Morocco appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials in Rusk County, Wisconsin are reporting a chickenpox outbreak at Ladysmith Elementary School. According to Rusk County Health Officer, Dawn Brost, RN, “Five cases of the virus have been confirmed”. Four of the cases were classified as “Breakthrough Chickenpox”, in which the disease is seen in people that have been vaccinated. […]The post Chickenpox: Outbreak reported at Ladysmith Elementary School in Rusk County, WI appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Since late 2018, there has been a dramatic increase in localized measles outbreaks across the country. On 6 February 2019, the Department of Health (DOH) declared a measles outbreak in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region 3 (Central Luzon). On the 7 February 2019, DOH announced that the measles outbreak had spread […]The post Philippines measles outbreak 2019: 44K cases, 576 deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Emergex Vaccines Holding Limited, a biotechnology company developing population-based synthetic disease prophylaxis set-point vaccines in the field of infectious diseases, today announced it has successfully completed the first step in the development of a candidate vaccine for the Gram-negative intracellular coccobacillus, Francisella tularensis. Specifically, Emergex has successfully generated a 1st generation human specific MHC-Class I […]The post Tularemia vaccine candidate: Emergex announces 1st step in development appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Democratic Republic of the Congo is not the only African country battling a measles outbreak. Others are dealing with this contagious vaccine preventable disease–the Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Liberia…you get the point, a lot of countries on the continent. Cameroon is among the countries with a measles outbreak. According to the […]The post Cameroon measles outbreak: Vaccination teams attacked appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Officials with the Public Health Agency of Canada reported this week that their investigation into a Salmonella outbreak, that has affected six provinces, is linked to exposure to both snakes and rodents. Many of the individuals who became sick reported having direct or indirect contact with snakes, pet rats and feeder rodents (used […]The post Snakes and rodents identified as the likely source of Canada salmonella outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials in Pakistan have reported more than 50,000 dengue fever cases in 2019 to date. The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (MNHSR&C) of Pakistan says their has been 52,485 dengue cases through Dec.1, including 91 dengue related deaths. Cases reported from Islamabad and Rawalpindi now stand at 20,980 – […]The post Pakistan: Dengue cases top 50,000 through November appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Over the weekend, we reported on dozens of brucellosis cases in people at the Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute in Gansu Province. Today, we see an additional report of a brucellosis outbreak at a second veterinary research facility in China. According to the Heilongjiang Bulletin (computer translated), the Heilongjiang Provincial Health and Health Commission […]The post Brucellosis in China: Students test positive at 2nd veterinary research facility appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Here are the short updates on the measles outbreak in the islands of the Pacific: Samoa The measles outbreak in Samoa has grown to 4,898 cases since the outbreak started, with 83 recorded in the last 24 hours. To date, 71 measles related deaths have been recorded. As of Tuesday, 91% of population […]The post Measles in the Pacific update: Samoa, Tonga, American Samoa and Fiji appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

White Castle has initiated a voluntary recall of a limited number of frozen 6 pack cheeseburgers, frozen 6 pack hamburgers, frozen 6 pack jalapeno cheeseburgers, and 16 pack hamburgers, 16 pack cheeseburgers for the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail […]The post Listeria prompts recall of White Castle frozen hamburgers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Officials with the Middlesex-London Health Unit have declared a community-wide syphilis outbreak due to a recent increase in the number of cases. For only the second time since 2005, the local rate of syphilis cases exceeds the provincial rate. When compared to the number of local cases reported in 2014, the number of […]The post Canada: Syphilis outbreak declared in Middlesex-London region appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

During a press briefing at United Nations Information Service in Geneva, the following was commemorated: Dr. Rosamund Lewis, Head of the Smallpox Secretariat at the World Health Organization (WHO), said that 9 December had marked the fortieth anniversary of the signing of the certificate of the eradication of smallpox. The certificate had been signed by the Global […]The post Smallpox eradication: December 9 was the 40th anniversary appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the measles outbreak on Tonga, the number of measles cases in the outbreak has risen to 485 confirmed or suspected cases as of Dec. 9. No deaths have been recorded and currently no one is hospitalized. 11 people have required hospitalization since the beginning of the outbreak on October […]The post Measles on Tonga: Outbreak nears 500 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reported an additional 12 human plague cases during the week ending Nov. 16, bringing the total to 50 bubonic plague cases this year in Ituri province. The cases have been reported in Aru and Aungba health zones in the province. Of the total […]The post Plague: A dozen additional cases reported in Ituri province, DRC appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Co-Diagnostics, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company with a unique, patented platform for the development of diagnostic tests, announced today the launch of their Vector Smart™ NAM-e (North American Mosquito-East) multiplex test, which detects the eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus among mosquito populations, along with West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis (SLE). EEE is […]The post Eastern equine encephalitis and other mosquitoborne viruses multiplex test launched appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Taiwan health officials reported today (computer translated) on two human H9N2 avian influenza on Mainland China. The cases, from November 12th and 22nd, are the first reported in China this season. The two unrelated cases include–A 4-year-old girl from Sanming City, Fujian Province. She developed symptoms on October 26 this year, and […]The post China reports two human H9N2 avian flu cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Federal and state public health and regulatory officials in the US and Canada report investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp chopped salad kit. The outbreak consists of eight E. coli O157:H7 infections in three states: Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Three people have been […]The post E. coli O157:H7: Multistate outbreak investigated, Linked to Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp chopped salad appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

From 2007 to 2018, claim lines with diagnoses of Lyme disease increased nationally 117 percent, according to a new white paper from FAIR Health, a national, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information. Comparing Lyme disease to other tick-borne diseases, the study draws on data from FAIR Health’s comprehensive repository […]The post Lyme disease diagnosis claims increase 117 percent: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Victoria health issued an update to their measles advisory with the most recent cases being infectious while attending public sites across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. The table below is a summary of all public exposure sites for all current measles cases in Victoria. Date Time Location Onset of symptoms up to […]The post Measles alert updated for Melbourne area appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Emergex Vaccines Holding Limited, a biotechnology company developing population-based synthetic disease prophylaxis ‘set-point’ vaccines in the field of infectious diseases, today announced the successful completion of preclinical testing of its lead vaccine candidate for Dengue Fever. The vaccine construct, which comprises Nature’s gene-chip peptides bound to a quantum cluster gold nanoparticle delivery […]The post Dengue vaccine candidate: Preclinical testing completed appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a six-year, $226 million contract today to increase capacity to produce recombinant influenza vaccine in the United States. The contract is in accordance with the Sept. 19 presidential executive order to enhance national security and the public health by modernizing influenza vaccines and technologies. The work will […]The post Pandemic Influenza Vaccine: HHS awards Sanofi Pasteur $226 million contract appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Government of American Samoa issued a public health emergency declaration due to a measles outbreak. According to the declaration by Governor Lolo Moliga, nine measles cases, three locally acquired, have been reported. The declaration activates the Emergency Operations Center. In addition, all schools, public and private, and daycare’s will be closed […]The post American Samoa measles: Public Health Emergency declared appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The World Health Organization (WHO) reports being notified of three yellow fever cases in Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa. According to the WHO report, two of the cases are from Wogouna and Keregoura villages, Bougoni district, Sikasso region in the South of Mali and one from Nanakenieba village, Kati district, Koulikoro […]The post Yellow fever in Mali: 3 confirmed cases, 1 death appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the mumps outbreak at Elon University, Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley confirmed in an email that there are two additional cases of mumps in Elon students, bringing the total to 13 since September. According to the email, The Alamance County Health Department has administered 2,261 vaccinations this […]The post Mumps cases up to 13 at Elon University appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on the world’s largest measles outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) measles outbreak continues to grow and expand. Since the beginning of the year through Dec. 2, a total of 269,079 suspected measles cases, including 5,430 deaths (CFR 2%) have […]The post Measles epidemic in DRC continues to expand appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials with the Cayman Islands Public Health Department continue to report locally transmitted dengue fever cases, according to local media. Three additional autochthonous dengue cases have been reported during the last two weeks, bringing the total number of confirmed dengue cases since in October that were contracted locally to seventeen, with nine […]The post Dengue fever in the Cayman Islands: More local cases reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Officials with the Holy Child College of Davao have suspended classes for the week, Dec. 9- 13 for the Jacinto campus due to a possible chickenpox outbreak, according to a letter from the Head of Operations at the school, Ma. Chrystella Suzette Velasco. She notes that confirmed chickenpox cases in children have been […]The post Philippines: Davao school closed due to chickenpox outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Nigerian health officials have reported 785 confirmed Lassa fever cases in 23 states through November 24, including 160 deaths among the confirmed cases, giving it a 20 percent fatality rate. This prompted officials to issue an Lassa Fever Public Health Advisory as more cases are reported during the dry season, which began […]The post Nigeria issues Lassa Fever Public Health Advisory appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Sri Lankan health officials have reportedly taken steps to introduce Wolbachia bacteria into the environment starting in February. The pilot project is to be carried out in Colombo and Nugegoda. Bacteria are to be released in 25 Grama Niladhari Divisions around Colombo, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health Dr. Paba […]The post Sri Lanka to use Wolbachia bacteria to control Aedes mosquitoes appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The measles outbreak in Samoa continues with an additional 112 cases reported in the past 24 hours. The outbreak total has reached 4,693 since September, or slightly more than 2 percent of the population. In addition, the death toll due to the outbreak has reached 70. Got Smallpox? The vaccination status of […]The post Measles: Samoa death toll rises to 70 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The CDC says the United States saw an average of 7 human Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) over the past decade; however, in 2019 that number was at least five times higher. EEE virus encephalitis infection results in death in at least 30 percent of cases and in survivors, the manifestations can be […]The post Eastern Equine Encephalitis 2019: The outbreak and the select agent dilemma appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Malaysia health officials are reporting a confirmed polio case in a three-month-old boy from Tuaran, Sabah who had a fever followed by a weak limb and was admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital. He was confirmed to be infected with the vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (VDPV1) on December 6, […]The post Polio in Malaysia: 1st case reported in 27 years appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Wisconsin state health officials report investigating multiple cases of adenovirus infection on college campuses around the state. “Adenovirus infection is easily spread, which is why we tend to see it in places where large groups gather, like college dormitories and classrooms,” said State Health Officer Jeanne Ayers. “While symptoms vary, the virus […]The post Wisconsin: Health officials investigate multiple adenovirus cases on college campuses appeared first on Outbreak News Today.