Outbreak News Today

By Robert Herriman @bactiman63 A recent case of botulism was reported in Howard County,Maryland, which led me to do this short news brief on botulism in the US. I look at the kinds of botulism and the latest data from the CDC from 2017 (just published in May 2019). Los Angeles: Typhoid and typhus and […]The post Botulism in the United States appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By Robert Herriman @bactiman63 The weather service in the Philippines, PAGASA says rainy season is will begin any day now and with the rain, storms and flooding comes the risk of increasing numbers of infectious diseases. These include typhoid, cholera, leptospirosis and dengue fever. In this news brief I look quickly at these waterborne and […]The post Philippines rainy season is here–with it comes dengue and other diseases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Zamboanga City Health Office (CHO) has expressed alarm over the increasing number of dengue fever cases during the first part of 2019. According to health officials, 1,597 dengue cases with 12 deaths have been recorded since January this year. In all of 2018, Zambo City saw 1,995 dengue cases. City Health […]The post Dengue fever increase sparks alarms in Zamboanga City appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in San Luis Obispo County report that three adult residents of the county have been diagnosed with hepatitis A following a private catered event on May 3. The cases appear to be linked to this single common source. The cases do not appear to be linked to recent state and national outbreaks of hepatitis A […]The post California: Hepatitis A cases in San Luis Obispo County linked to private catered event appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Arizona state health officials report 353 hepatitis A outbreak cases since November 2018. May 2019 was the hardest hit month to date with 86 cases. Eight out of 10 cases required hospital treatment and two died. About half the cases had the risk factors of homelessness and drug use, while 27 percent had drug use […]The post Arizona hepatitis A outbreak tops 350 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning Friday concerning hepatitis A virus (HAV) contamination of frozen blackberries under the Kroger grocery store “Private Selection” brand. The FDA is advising consumers not to eat and to throw away frozen fruit purchased from Kroger and other retail locations packaged under Kroger’s “Private Selection” brand. Here […]The post Kroger brand frozen blackberries contaminated with hepatitis A: FDA appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Health officials in Howard County, MD are reporting a botulism case. The preliminary investigation identified the possible source as an acupuncture and herbal practice in Ellicott City. The health department warns if food, teas, or other products that can be put in/on the body were purchased, or otherwise received from this practice, […]The post Maryland: Botulism case investigated, possibly linked to acupuncture and herbal practice in Ellicott City appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the mumps situation at the University of Florida (UF) in Gaineville, the student-owned newspaper, Alligator reports UF spokesperson Steve Orlando as saying 24 vaccinated students are confirmed with having mumps. The campus typically sees one or two cases each year. Some people who receive two doses of MMR can still get […]The post Mumps at University of Florida rises: 24 cases to date appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By News Desk @bactiman63 Iranian health authorities have reported twelve Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) since Mar. 21, according to a Tehran Times report. Of this total, two people have died. According to Mohammad Mahdi Guya, the Director of Communicable Diseases Department at the Ministry of Health, the disease was reported in the cities of Iranshahr, […]The post Iran: A dozen Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever cases reported since March appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Japan’s battle with the sexually transmitted infection (STI), syphilis continues after reporting more than 5,000 cases in each of the last two years, the first time that happened in more than 4 decades. Through May 26, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases report 2472 syphilis cases, with a quarter of cases being […]The post Syphilis in Japan: Case count nears 2500 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Three additional wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases have been reported in the past week in Pakistan (2) and Afghanistan (1), bringing the total to 29 in 2019, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. In Pakistan, both WPV1 cases were reported from Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan has seen 21 […]The post Polio: 3 new WPV1 cases reported in Pakistan and Afghanistan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 During the week of May 20, ARS Indian Ocean reported an additional 900 dengue fever cases on Reunion. After the epidemic peak in late April (more than 1,300 reported cases per week), the number of reported cases is currently declining. Nevertheless, the circulation of the virus persists at a high level and […]The post Reunion reports a slight decline in dengue cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Oklahoma state health officials are reporting reporting the first three human cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) for the season. The cases have been confirmed in residents of Canadian, Grant and Tulsa counties. WNV is spread through the bite of the Culex mosquito, which feeds on infected birds and transmits the virus when biting humans, horses […]The post Oklahoma reports 3 human West Nile virus cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 At the middle of May 2018, Philippines health officials reported 41,104 cases, including 220 deaths. During the same period this year, we see a significant increase in cases and fatalities. Officials report that as of 18 May 2019, the cumulative number of cases was 77,040 cases with 328 deaths. In some provinces, […]The post Dengue in the Philippines: 77K cases reported through mid-May appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The World Health Organization (WHO) announced recently that two countries have been added to the list of countries eliminating measles and rubella. The Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination said measles and rubella have been eliminated from both Bahrain and Oman, and that Islamic Republic of Iran has eliminated rubella […]The post Measles and rubella eliminated from Oman and Bahrain appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The gut microbiome is a complex, interconnected ecosystem of species. And, like any ecosystem, some organisms are predators and some are prey. A new study led by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Wyss Institute investigates the impact of bacteriophage, viruses that infect and kill bacteria. They find that phage can have a […]The post Bacteriophages: How they can shape the gut microbiome appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

June is Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Awareness Month. CMV is a common virus which, in healthy people, can cause mild illness or no symptoms at all. While most are unaware they’ve been infected, the virus increases the risk of certain birth defects for unborn babies when a woman is exposed during pregnancy. Since most women are unaware […]The post CMV: Oklahoma health officials promote awareness appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the Nipah virus situation in Kerala state, India, Union Minister of Health and Family, Dr Harsh Vardhan is closely monitoring the situation arising out of reported cases of Nipah Virus in Kerala. “I urge the people not to panic as the Government is leaving no stone unturned to remedy the situation. […]The post Nipah in India: No cause for panic; Situation under control says Union Minister of Health appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Idaho health officials are reporting the first measles case in the state in 18 years in Moscow. Public Health – Idaho North Central District (PH-INCD) made the announcement yesterday and are collaborating with Gritman Medical Center and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to respond. Potential exposure locations have been identified as follows: Date […]The post Measles in Idaho: 1st case since 2001 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) published a bulletin today that reveals the enormity of the sexually transmitted infection problem globally. The report notes that more than 376 million new cases annually of four infections – #chlamydia, #gonorrhea, #trichomoniasis, and #syphilis are reported annually across the planet. I look at the treatment regimens for these 4 […]The post 1 million STD cases daily across the globe appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Nearly 20,000 dengue fever cases have been reported in Sri Lanka during the first five months of 2019, according to data from the country’s Epidemiology Unit. From Jan.1 through May 31, 19,785 cases and 28 fatalities have been reported across the country. Colombo (4274), Gampaha (2536) and Jaffna (1906) have reported the […]The post Sri Lanka dengue cases near 20K in 5 months appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that newly published data reveals that daily, greater than one million new cases of four curable sexually transmitted infections (STI)–chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and syphilis are reported accounting for an annual total of some 376 million new cases. That’s 127 million new cases of chlamydia in 2016, […]The post Sexually transmitted infections globally: A persistent and endemic health threat appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

South Dakota cattle producers are encouraged to include anthrax vaccine in their vaccination program when they turn out cattle to summer pastures. Recent flooding may increase the risk of cattle encountering anthrax this season, according to Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, South Dakota State Veterinarian. Anthrax is caused by bacteria that can develop into an environmentally resistant […]The post South Dakota officials remind producers to vaccinate cattle against anthrax appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Influenza Since the beginning of the year, the Thailand Department of Disease Control (DDC) reports 159,845 influenza cases, including 11 deaths through May 23. The highest incidence has been reported in Bangkok, Rayong and Chiang Mai, respectively. DDC officials report the occurrence of influenza is likely to increase with the rainy season. […]The post Influenza and chikungunya situation in Thailand appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Today, it was announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the number of measles cases nationwide so far in 2019 was 1,001. This prompted the following statement from Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar: “The Department of Health and Human Services has been deeply engaged in promoting the safety and […]The post Measles surpass 1,000 cases in the US appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

An international team of researchers has analyzed human remains from 21 archaeological sites to learn more about the impact and evolution of the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis during the first plague pandemic (541-750 AD). In a study published in PNAS, the researchers reconstructed 8 plague genomes from Britain, Germany, France and Spain and uncovered a previously unknown level […]The post Justinianic Plague: New insights into the pandemic by old genomes appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

To kick off the busy summer travel season and Bed Bug Awareness Week, Terminix®, a leading provider of termite and pest control services and a ServiceMaster® company, today announced its 2019 ranking of the top 50 most bed bug-infested cities in the country. Philadelphia reclaimed the top title it last held in 2014, while Cleveland fell […]The post Bed bug infested cities: Philadelphia and New York top list appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Rabies is an acute viral infection that is transmitted to humans or other mammals usually through the saliva from a bite of an infected animal. It is also rarely contracted through breaks in the skin or contact with mucous membranes. All mammals are susceptible to rabies. Raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, dogs, coyotes and cats are […]The post Rabies in the US: Geography, wildlife, exposure and prevention appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Franklin County, OH health officials report working with Mount Carmel Grove City, the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate a Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak at the Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital. The source of the outbreak is unknown at this time. As of today, 13 confirmed cases […]The post Ohio: Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak reported at Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Intervention Focused on Removing Mosquito Breeding Sites Found to be Both Effective and Cost-Saving A public health, police, and military partnership to reduce the mosquito population in Sri Lanka resulted in a more than 50-percent reduction in dengue, as well as cost savings, finds a study from an international team of researchers led by NYU […]The post Mosquito Control Program Reduces Dengue, Costs in Sri Lanka appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola of MakeFoodSafe Local media outlets report that the Douglas County Health Department is investigating a Salmonella outbreak linked to the Omaha-based Elite Childcare Academy daycare facility. The daycare has closed its doors pending the investigation. The number of illnesses and exact source of the outbreak have not yet been released. The agency’s […]The post Elite Childcare Academy Closes Following Salmonella Outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Vaccitech Ltd. announced that it has administered its pandemic universal influenza A vaccine MVA-NP+M1 (VTP-100) to the first participants in a Flu 010 study – a Phase 2b, randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled, influenza challenge study being conducted in Antwerp, Belgium. In this trial, approved by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Belgium Regulatory […]The post Universal flu vaccine: Vaccitech initiates Phase 2b clinical studies for vaccine candidate appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Every year in Europe, some 23 million people are sickened by foodborne diseases, in which approximately 4700 people die, according to estimates published a review of the most recent available data entitled “The burden of foodborne diseases in the WHO European Region”. And this may be only scratching the surface as the true number of […]The post Norovirus the most common foodborne illness in Europe appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The circulation of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) continues in Mayotte. A total of 123 animal and 137 human cases have been reported since the first cases occurred in late November 2018. Samples taken by veterinarians on sick animals or during abortions during the past week, 2 new animal foci were identified, a […]The post Mayotte Rift Valley fever outbreak update appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By News Desk @bactiman63 1,310 people – 643 adults and 667 children- were reported infected with measles last week in Ukraine, according to Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health. This brings the total measles cases for the first five months of 2019 to 52,034, including 17 deaths. In all of 2018, Ukraine […]The post Ukraine measles update: 52K cases in first 5 months appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, and Mercy Springfield are working together to investigate two cases of Legionnaires’ Disease reported since late-April among individuals who visited Mercy’s outpatient cancer center in Springfield. A Legionella species—although not the species usually associated with Legionnaires’ Disease—was recovered in water samples reported […]The post Missouri: Legionnaires’ Disease cases reported in Springfield appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Ohio state health officials report the hepatitis A outbreak that started last year has grown to 2997 cases. This is the second most of any of the 24 states who battled or are currently battling an outbreak. Only Kentucky has reported more (4682). Six out of 10 cases required hospital case and […]The post Ohio hepatitis A outbreak nears 3,000 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health (MOH) says the bar of 2,000 cases was passed Sunday, June 2, 2019. In fact, as CIDRAP reports: This outbreak, in its 11th month, is the world’s second largest after West Africa’s 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, which involved more than 28,600 cases and […]The post Ebola outbreak tops 2,000 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Florida Department of Health reported an additional 63 hepatitis A cases during the past week bringing the outbreak total since the beginning of 2018 to 1,921, with nearly 1400 cases reported in 2019 alone. Of this total, 18 fatalities have been recorded through Apr. 30, according to the Centers for Disease […]The post Florida hepatitis A outbreak death toll now 18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By Robert Herriman @bactiman63 Dengue fever The Taiwan Department of Disease Control has reported three additional confirmed cases of locally acquired dengue fever today in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City. All of them were men living in Dingjinli, aged between 50 and 60. All three have no history of travel. This brings the total to 15 […]The post Taiwan reports more locally acquired dengue, Japanese encephalitis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

UK health officials are reporting an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STI) diagnosed in 2018, with gonorrhea cases showing the largest increase. Overall, new STI diagnoses in 2018 increased by 5% in comparison to 2017 (from 424,724 to 447,694). Officials report in 2018, gonorrhea diagnoses rose by 26% from 2017 (from 44,812 in to 56,259). Gay, […]The post England: Gonorrhea cases up 26 percent in 2018 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new indication for the previously FDA-approved drug, Zerbaxa (ceftolozane and tazobactam) for the treatment of hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP) in patients 18 years and older. The FDA initially approved Zerbaxa in 2014 to treat complicated intra-abdominal infections and for complicated urinary tract infections. “A […]The post Antibiotic, Zerbaxa, receives FDA approval for treating hospital-acquired pneumonia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

India health officials have confirmed a Nipah virus case in Kerala state, almost exactly a year after an outbreak sickened 18 and killed 17 in 2018. Reports note that the 23-year-old college student is the patient and some 80 contacts are under surveillance. Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan announced that […]The post Nipah virus confirmed in Kerala, India appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The New York City Department of Health issued an tick-borne disease (TBD) advisory today, alerting physicians to be on the alert for patients with TBD. Locally acquired cases of Lyme disease and babesiosis continue to be reported from Staten Island, and smaller numbers have been reported from the Bronx. Isolated cases of locally acquired anaplasmosis […]The post New York City issues Tick-borne Disease Advisory appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Los Angeles’ Skid row area is overrun with trash and rats and feces and it is going to, if not already, cause a public health problem. LAPD employees contracting typhoid, flea-borne typhus increasing and celebrity physician, Dr Drew Pinsky predicting we’ll soon see bubonic plague! Typhus and plague are already endemic in California…so could Dr. […]The post Los Angeles: Typhoid and typhus and plague??, Oh my!! appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

About 1.5 million people died of tuberculosis (TB) in 2017, making it the most lethal infectious disease worldwide. A growing rise in drug-resistant TB is a major obstacle to successfully treating the illness. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Umea University in Sweden have found a compound that prevents […]The post TB: Researchers find compound that reverses isoniazid resistance appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In Brazil, the Agricultural Defense Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply reports (computer translated) the confirmation of an atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or Mad Cow disease, in Mato Grosso. This disease occurs spontaneously and sporadically, and is not related to the ingestion of contaminated food. It […]The post Mad Cow disease detected in Mato Grosso beef cow appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Fourteen people, 13 students and one teacher, from the School of the Arts (SOTA) in Singapore contracted the mosquito-borne viral infection, chikungunya, while in Thailand, according to a Straits Times report. They were on an overseas service learning trip to Thailand’s Ratchaburi province. After being treated at the provincial hospital, some students […]The post Singapore: School of the Arts students contract chikungunya on Thailand trip appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In today’s news brief, I follow-up on yesterday’s show with more on sexually transmitted infections. In a research letter published online in JAMA Pediatrics, we find that fewer than 60% of young women diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the emergency department fill prescriptions for antimicrobial therapy to treat these conditions. STIs are rising […]The post STD issues: Not filling prescriptions and condom use appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Müller UK is recalling Cadbury Dairy Milk Cheesecake and Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Cheesecake dessert products as a precaution due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the products. Product details Cadbury Dairy Milk Cheesecakes Pack size 2 x 85g Use by 5 June, 6 June, […]The post UK: Cadbury Dairy Milk desserts recalled due to Listeria risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.