Outbreak News Today

By Robert Herriman @infectiousdiseasenews The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has reported seven confirmed human Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus infections to date. This is the same as the annual average seen in the US annually. And Massachusetts is not alone with cases and deaths reported in several states. What is this relatively rare […]The post Eastern Equine Encephalitis: Massachusetts see high number of cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The sixth ebolavirus, Bombali virus, has been detected in insect-eating bats in Guinea. In addition to findings reported by researchers earlier this month, scientists from the University of California, Davis, detected the virus in Angolan free-tailed bats roosting inside people’s houses in Guéckedou and Kissidougou. UC Davis One Health Institute also first discovered the Bombali virus in Angolan […]The post Ebola: Bombali virus detected in bats in Guinea appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In light of the increase in Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in Massachusetts this and recent years, US Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren sent a letter Friday to National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director, Anthony Fauci, MD to seek information on research efforts on eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus. […]The post Eastern equine encephalitis: Massachusetts Senators Markey and Warren send letter to Anthony Fauci appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up report, Philippines agriculture officials announced Monday that samples from pigs in small backyard farms in Rizal province near Manila tested positive for African Swine fever (ASF). Sample were sent to the World Reference Laboratory in Pirbright, England, which also happens to be the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Reference […]The post African Swine Fever confirmed in Rizal, Philippines pigs; DOH says not a risk to human health appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola Amador County health officials announced this week that they are currently investigating a Shigella outbreak in their county. According to the announcement, there is a “significant increase in acute frequent diarrhea is being reported in Amador County.” The county, however, did not state how many illnesses are involved or the medical status […]The post Shigella Outbreak in Amador County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials in the Eastern Visayas region (Region 8) of the Philippines are reporting a three-fold increase in dengue fever cases this year compared to 2018. For the first eight months of 2019, officials 17,670 cases and 53 deaths. This is 327.12 percent higher compared to the same period in 2018 when only […]The post Philippines: Eastern Visayas region reports three-fold increase in dengue, Leyte reports the most appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Senator Sue Serino and Assembly member Didi Barrett recently announced that a chapter amendment to their bill that would require the installation of Lyme and tick-borne disease (TBD) warning signs at state-managed parks has recently been signed into law. The amendment will allow the state department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to […]The post Tick-borne disease warning signs at state parks: Bill signed into law appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is investigating six mumps cases in Bernalillo County. The cases are in people ages ranging from seven to 41 years. “We are encouraging health care providers to be on the lookout for additional mumps cases,” said Department of Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel. “If people start experiencing mumps-like symptoms, […]The post Mumps cases reported in Bernalillo County, NM appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Kroger issued a recall Friday for Yellowfin Tuna Steaks OR Seasoned Yellowfin Tuna Steaks (sold from the service counter or tray pack, sold from a display case) due to scombroid toxin risk. The recall encompasses the following: The Ohio Department of Agriculture has issued a public health alert for Yellowfin Tuna after four […]The post Kroger recall: Yellowfin Tuna linked to scombroid poisoning appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on a report on Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in Michigan, the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services reports three confirmed human cases in Michigan: two in Kalamazoo County and one in Berrien County. One of the confirmed individuals from Kalamazoo County has died. In addition, there are two additional suspected […]The post Michigan: Eastern Equine Encephalitis fatality reported in Kalamazoo County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews On this weeks episode of Outbreak News Across the Globe, I look at some of the biggest outbreak and infectious disease news stories from six of the 7 continents. In Africa, I look at the latest numbers from the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I also look […]The post Outbreak News Across the Globe, Episode 3 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the syphilis situation in Alaska, state health officials report seeing higher percentages of cases in women and men who have sex with women (MSW), while reporting a lower percentage in men who have sex with men (MSM). In a comparison of 2018 and 2019 data from the Department of […]The post Alaska syphilis: Higher percentage seen in woman in 2019 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the human Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) situation in Massachusetts, state health officials reported three additional cases in recent days. On Thursday, an additional confirmed case was reported in a man in his 70s from southwestern Middlesex County. Then on Friday, laboratory testing has confirmed two new cases of Eastern […]The post Massachusetts human Eastern Equine Encephalitis cases rise to 7 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Blastomycosis is a fungal infection usually acquired by breathing in the spores of the fungi, Blastomyces dermatitidis or Blastomyces gilchristii. In Minnesota from 1999-2018, 671 laboratory-confirmed cases of human blastomycosis were reported. Officials note that each year, a median of 34 cases of blastomycosis are reported in Minnesota. Recently these numbers have increased; in […]The post Minnesota reports most Blastomycosis cases in 20 years appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Back in February, Philippines health officials declared a measles outbreak in five of the country’s regions. Today, all 17 Philippine regions now have outbreaks of the contagious, vaccine preventable disease. During the first six months of 2019, the Department of Health reported 38,602 measles cases, including 522 deaths. The median age of people […]The post Philippines measles situation: 20 children dying each week appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Evidence from the lab of Raffi Aroian, PhD, shows that short-term human hookworm infection, even at low levels, can cause rapid, acute and measurable cognitive impairments in spatial memory among a mammalian animal model. These findings, published in Scientific Reports, highlight the global importance of hookworm elimination and suggest that additional, specific, spatial memory studies be carried […]The post Hookworm infection, changes in microbiome and cognitive development: Research suggests link appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has confirmed four cases of yellow fever in Bauchi State. Three of the confirmed cases are residents of Alkaleri Local Government Area (LGA) and the fourth case is a tourist who was visiting Kano State and also visited the Yankari Games Reserve in the same LGA in […]The post Nigeria: Yellow Fever in Bauchi State appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In the latest on the global polio situation this year, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) reports two additional wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases and ten more circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus cases from five countries. In Afghanistan, two WPV1 cases have been reported from Tirinkot and Chora districts, Uruzgan province. This brings Afghanistan’s […]The post Polio update: Two new cases from Uruzgan province, Afghanistan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Brazil Ministry of Health reported Tuesday that over the past 90 days, 2,753 confirmed measles cases in 13 Brazilian states. According to the new epidemiological bulletin of the disease, from June 9 to August 31, 2019, Brazil reported 20,292 cases, of which 15,430 were under investigation and 2,109 were discarded. The Ministry […]The post Brazil measles: 98 percent of cases reported in São Paulo appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the chikungunya outbreak in Ethiopia, health ministry officials now report the mosquito-borne disease outbreak has reached 20,000 cases. The Ethiopia Public Health Institute (EPHI) said although Ethiopia has conducted an extensive anti-Chikungunya spray campaign in the disease’s epicenter, the eastern city of Dire Dawa, there was still a spike […]The post Ethiopia: Chikungunya outbreak reaches 20,000 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Philadelphia health officials issued a health alert today over a Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC). In the past week, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health has received fourteen reports of STEC among persons ages 7 – 90 years. All affected persons presented with signs of acute gastroenteritis with bloody and non-bloody diarrhea. Health […]The post E. coli outbreak: Philadelphia officials issue an alert appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Scientists from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research joined a network of African scientists, the Plasmodium Diversity Network Africa, and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute to publish a groundbreaking study about the genetic diversity of the world’s most dangerous and prevalent species of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum across sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria, infecting approximately 219 million individuals in 2017, […]The post Plasmodium falciparum genetic diversity across Sub-Saharan Africa: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The drawn-out process for diagnosing Lyme disease could become a thing of the past – good news for the thousands of people each year who get the tick-borne illness. A new detection test created by Ionica Sciences – located at Cornell’s McGovern Center life sciences incubator – has been sparked by a FuzeHub grant to begin moving from the […]The post Lyme disease: Ionica Sciences test, IonLyme, expected to be available next year appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Thailand Department of Disease Control (DDC) has reported 265 Streptococcus suis cases this year through August 17, including 23 deaths. The disease were mostly found in the northern regions followed by the northeastern regions. Provinces with the highest cases were Uttaradit, Nakhonsawan, and Phrae respectively. Most of the cases were the elderly […]The post Thailand reports two dozen Streptococcus suis deaths to date appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials in Thailand reported in an update this week that through September 2, the country has seen 55,206 cases reported from all 77 provinces. Seven deaths have been reported. Provinces with the highest incidence include Ubon Ratchathani, Chanthaburi, Chiang Rai, Nakhon Ratchasima and Trat. In the capital city of Bangkok, Bangkok Metropolitan […]The post Thailand dengue cases top 55K, Bangkok reports 3 deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Measles is circulating in New Zealand, particularly in the Auckland region. From 1 January 2019 to 5 September 2019 there have been 1051 confirmed cases of measles notified across New Zealand. 877 of these confirmed cases are in the Auckland region. Immunization Advisory Centre director Dr Nikki Turner told local media it is […]The post Measles outbreak in New Zealand: Cases top 1,000, Auckland clinics running out of vaccines appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the tularemia, or harpest situation in Sweden, a little over 120 people have become ill with tularemia over the past week, bringing the total to around 690 this year. Compared to the previous weeks, there is a slight slowdown in the number of new cases, while compared to previous […]The post Sweden tularemia count nears 700 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the dengue outbreak in Palau, the Palau Ministry of Health reported 26 new cases during the past week, bringing the outbreak total to 570 cases since Dec. 2018. There have been two deaths attributed to dengue infection during this outbreak. There have been 160 serotyped cases of DENV-3. The […]The post Palau dengue outbreak update appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In mid-August, the local government of Manila conducted a mass immunization campaign against polio, targeting about 197,000 children under 5 years old. This was for several reasons–in recent years, vaccination coverage for the third dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) has fallen below 95%, the target required to ensure population protection against […]The post Philippines: Polio detected in Manila sewage, Mass immunization campaign in August appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews A parasite, largely thought to be asexual, has been shown to reproduce sexually after scientists uncover clues hidden in its genomic code. Trypanosoma cruzi is the parasite responsible for Chagas Disease, found in Latin America. Around eight million people are currently infected by the disease, which can cause irreversible damage to the heart and […]The post Trypanosoma cruzi found to reproduce sexually: Research appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The protozoan disease visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has recently expanded to places where it had not previously been reported and has expanded its geographic distribution within countries where it was already endemic. Now, researchers writing in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases describe three dispersion routes that have moved Leishmania infantum into and through central-Southern Brazil, helping shed light on the overall […]The post Leishmaniasis dispersion routes in central-Southern Brazil appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews New York City health officials announced today that community transmission of measles has ended and the outbreak in Brooklyn is over. A total of 654 cases were confirmed, with rash onsets between September 30, 2018 and July 15, 2019. This is the largest outbreak of measles in the United States since 1992. Serious complications […]The post Brooklyn: Community measles transmission has ended appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the Leishmaniasis outbreak in Kenya, health officials reported an additional 65 cases of the parasitic infection during the week ending August 25. This brings the outbreak total to 2,314 cases since the beginning of the year. Cases of leishmaniasis have been reported from Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir and Garissa counties. […]The post Kenya: Leishmaniasis cases continue to rise appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Center for Public Health of Ukraine announced a measles fatality last week in a 5-year-old boy who has not been vaccinated due to contraindications. The boy’s brother, who was also unvaccinated but did not have contraindications, also contracted measles. This is the 40th measles death in Ukraine since the outbreak started in […]The post Ukraine reports 40th measles death appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Immunity against mumps virus appears insufficient in a fraction of college-aged people who were vaccinated in childhood, research from Emory Vaccine Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates. The findings highlight the need to better understand the immune response to mumps and mumps vaccines. The results of the study are scheduled for […]The post Mumps: Emory study shows immunity gaps among vaccinated people appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Up to 25 medical students at the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Kalaburagi district in Karnataka have contracted the vaccine-preventable disease, diphtheria, All the cases have been reported at GIMS Girl Hostel in recent days. While five of the students were given treatment on an outpatient basis as their condition was […]The post Diphtheria: Two dozen medical students in Karnataka, India contract disease appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Officials with the Department of Health (DOH)-Davao are reporting the first confirmed case of meningococcemia this year in a four-year-old boy, who died at the Brokenshire Hospital Integrated Health Ministries. DOH-Davao regional director Annabelle Yumang said that so far, none of those people who had contact with him have manifested any sign or […]The post Philippines: Meningococcemia case confirmed in Davao City appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Pennsylvania health officials are alerting residents who visited several locations throughout York County and Hershey between August 22 and August 29, they may have been exposed to measles. “A patient in WellSpan York Hospital has a confirmed case of measles, which can be highly contagious,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “WellSpan […]The post Pennsylvania: Possible measles exposures at locations throughout York County and Hershey appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews New Zealand health officials reported an additional 159 confirmed measles cases the week ending Aug. 30, bringing the country total for 2019 to 938. The bulk of the cases have been reported in the Auckland area–Waitemata (139), Auckland (100) and Counties Manukau (540). 328 patients required hospitalization for their illness. 496 cases were […]The post New Zealand: More than 900 measles cases reported through August appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Maine officials reported a positive test for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in a horse in York County. The horse, which was not vaccinated against the disease, was euthanized. Subscribe to Outbreak News TV EEE causes inflammation of the brain tissue and has a significantly higher risk of death in horses than West Nile […]The post Maine reports 1st Eastern Equine Encephalitis horse case since 2013 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Officials with the Kane County (IL) health department received reports of four cases of Legionnaires’ disease. Four residents at Covenant Living at the Holmstad in Batavia have been confirmed to have Legionnaires’ disease. “Public health officials are testing for Legionella bacteria and continue to investigate to identify potential sources and additional individuals who […]The post Legionnaires’ disease confirmed in Batavia, Illinois Retirement Community appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In an update on the dengue fever epidemic in the Philippines this year, health officials reported an additional 13,327 cases and 40 deaths during the week ending August 17. This brings the outbreak total since the beginning of the year to 229,736 dengue cases, including 958 deaths with a 0.42% case fatality rate. […]The post Philippines dengue epidemic: 11 out of 17 regions exceed the alert or the epidemic threshold appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews As of August 27, 2019, 215 possible cases have been reported from 25 states, and additional reports of pulmonary illness are under investigation. One death has been recorded. Although the etiology of e-cigarette-associated pulmonary disease is undetermined, epidemiologic investigations in affected states are ongoing to better characterize the exposures, demographic, clinical, and laboratory […]The post Vaping lung illness outbreak: What’s known, much still unknown appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice for Asia and the Pacific Islands due to an ongoing risk of dengue. Dengue is an ongoing risk in many parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Travelers to areas of risk should protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites. In addition, […]The post Dengue fever: CDC issues travel warning for Asian countries appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews On Friday, Ohio Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Forshey confirmed one case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in a horse in Ashtabula County and is urging horse owners to contact their veterinarian to ensure the animal’s EEE vaccine and boosters are up to date. “This is a serious disease and the […]The post Ohio: Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) reported in a Ashtabula County horse appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews From September 2018 through August 2019, a total of 898 confirmed and probable mumps cases in adult migrants detained in 57 facilities (18% of 315 U.S. facilities that house ICE detainees) were reported in 19 states, according to information published Friday in the CDC’s MMWR. More than four out of 10 cases were […]The post CDC: 900 mumps cases reported in ICE facilities in past year appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on a report on the chikungunya outbreak in Ethiopia, the number of cases has risen to 15,192 in the eastern city of Dire Dawa, according to French-China report. The Ethiopian Institute of Public Health (PHI) has so far reported 15,192 reports of Chikungunya patients, said Mesfin Wossen, interim director of […]The post Chikungunya epidemic strikes 15,000 in Ethiopia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Bangladesh Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) is reporting more than 70,000 dengue cases through the first eight months of 2019. According to the latest numbers, 70,195 dengue cases were reported through Aug. 31– with the bulk of the cases seen in three months–51,734 in August, 16,253 in July and 1,884 in […]The post Dengue epidemic: More than 70K cases in Bangladesh appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the listeriosis outbreak in Spain associated with the consumption of roasted pork meat, Spanish health officials report (computer translated) an additional 29 cases, bringing the total to 204. Andalusia, in southern Spain has reported the bulk of the cases with 197, with most of the cases in this community […]The post Spain Listeria outbreak: More than 200 cases, 3 deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Montana state and local public health officials are reporting the season’s first human West Nile Virus (WNV) cases. The cases, reported in Custer and Lewis and Clark counties, both occurred in individuals over the age of 60, who are often at greater risk for severe disease. Both individuals required hospitalization. Most people who become […]The post West Nile virus: 1st cases reported in Montana this year appeared first on Outbreak News Today.