Outbreak News Today

Officials with Macon County Public Health (MCPH) in North Carolina have confirmed bacterial meningitis outbreak. As of Feb. 27, two deaths have occurred in the past three weeks–one confirmed caused by Neisseria meningitidis and the second death suspected to be linked to Neisseria meningitidis is under investigation. Prophylactic antibiotics have been provided to individuals in close contact […]The post Meningitis kills two in Macon County, NC appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with the Central District Health Department has reported an increase in hepatitis A in the Boise, ID area. Since the first of the year, six hepatitis A cases have been reported among Ada and Elmore County residents. Typically, 1-2 cases are reported in an entire calendar year. All reported cases have been men between […]The post Hepatitis A cases up in the Boise area appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in Tanzania are reporting an anthrax outbreak in Moshi District, Kilimanjaro Region in northern Tanzania. According to Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner, Anna Mghwira, eight additional people were hospitalized for their illness at two different hospitals. It is believed the patients had consumed anthrax tainted cow. Tanzania anthrax outbreak: Dozens sickened, 4 dead Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused […]The post Anthrax kills two, eight hospitalized in Tanzania appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Chinese agricultural officials are reporting (computer translated) a new African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in Shaanxi Province. The outbreak, which occurred on a Jingbian County, Yulin City farm of 11,334 pigs, resulted in the death of 62 swine. China is facing a major crisis for the pig production sector following the occurrence of African swine fever […]The post China: African swine fever reported on Shaanxi Province farm appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reporting an increase in clusters of pertussis cases among 11 to 18-year olds across the county. Health officials note that the overall number of pertussis cases has not yet increased in LA County compared to the prior five years, the number of reported clusters of pertussis cases has […]The post Los Angeles: Increase in whooping cough clusters reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in McHenry County, Il have reported eight cases of mumps have been identified at two locations in McHenry County. MCDH is actively investigating the cases; it has not yet been determined whether or not the two locations are related at this time. Six of the cases are from an outbreak at a Crystal Lake church, while […]The post Illinois: Mumps cases reported in McHenry County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Cook Islands Health Ministry declared a dengue fever outbreak this week following the confirmation of seven dengue cases in Rarotonga in the past month. Of these cases, one was a visitor from French Polynesia with dengue serotype 3 (DENV-3), while the others were dengue serotype 1 (DENV-1). There are no dengue cases in the Pa […]The post Cook Islands declare dengue outbreak in Rarotonga, 1st in a decade appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

New Jersey health officials issued a public health alert Tuesday due to a confirmed case of measles. The individual, who is a New Jersey resident, could have possibly exposed others to the infection while in Bergen County between February 17 and February 25, 2019. Apparently, the case contracted the virus outside New Jersey. The New Jersey Department of Health […]The post Possible measles exposure in Hillsdale, NJ prompts health alert appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

One year after Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts introduced the Flu Vaccine Act, he and a number of US Senators are reintroducing the bill to pay for comprehensive research for the creation of a universal influenza vaccine that could protect against multiple strains of the flu virus and offer longer lasting protection. The legislation is […]The post Universal flu vaccine: Senators reintroduce legislation to more than double investment appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Themis Bioscience, a biopharmaceutical company focused on immunomodulation therapies for infectious diseases and cancer, announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation to the Company’s lead vaccine candidate (MV-CHIK) for the prevention of Chikungunya, a debilitating disease with global outbreak potential. The program is the most advanced […]The post Chikungunya vaccine candidate fast tracked appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Brazil health officials are warning (computer translated) the public of a big increase in dengue fever in the country during the first month of 2019. Through Feb. 2, there was an increase of 149%, from 21,992 to 54,777 probable cases of the disease. The cases are at 26.3 per 100,000 inhabitants. The Southeast Region reported 60 percent […]The post Dengue cases up 149 percent in Brazil, most in the southeast appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By Jory Lange Two people in Waco have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease after using a local YMCA’s hot tub. The Waco-McClennan County Health District is investigating the Waco Family YMCA located at 6800 Harvey Rd., Waco, Texas. The hot tub is expected to be closed for the next few weeks, while the water undergoes […]The post YMCA Hot Tub in Waco, Texas Investigated In Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has reported 318 cases of acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreak infections since April 2018. Four deaths have been recorded. The individuals most affected in this outbreak include those with recent experience homelessness and unstable housing (50%), and/or substance use disorder (Injection drug use -75%/Any illicit drug use –89%). […]The post Massachusetts hepatitis A outbreak: Half of cases from Suffolk and Worcester counties appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Here is a look at some interesting infectious disease and health news, opinion and research reported across the globe: Study Traces Origins of Chikungunya in Brazil New evidence suggests that Chikungunya virus arrived in Brazil at least one year earlier than it was detected by public health surveillance systems. Scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at […]The post Infectious disease bric-a-bracs: Origins of Chikungunya in Brazil, India and China refuse rabies vaccine export to Pakistan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Japan continues to report more cases of three vaccine-preventable diseases–measles, rubella and pertussis. Measles The measles outbreak in Japan, the largest in a decade, continues as the Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo now reports 222 cases through Feb. 17. Osaka (77), Mie (49) and Aichi (20) prefectures reported the most. Tokyo has seen 14 cases […]The post Japan vaccine-preventable diseases: Measles, rubella and pertussis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with the Department of Health 8 (DOH-8), which covers the Eastern Visayas in the Philippines, have declared “white code alert” status due to the measles outbreak in the region, particularly in Leyte. The declaration would mean an incident command system (ICS) would be established and that hospitals and its manpower are ready to respond to any emergency […]The post Leyte measles outbreak prompts ‘white code alert’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Chinese agricultural officials reported (computer translated) on a African swine fever (ASF) outbreak on a farm in the Xushui district of Baoding city in Hebei province in northern China. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the farm had 5,600 pigs, of which, an unspecified number died. The pigs were culled and the farm has been […]The post African swine fever reported in two more China outbreaks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus situation in Alberta, Canada, Alberta Pork is reporting the second-ever reported case of PED in the province. A 600-head farrow-to-finish hog operation in Alberta has contracted the virus, a disease that causes diarrhea and vomiting in pigs. Strict biosecurity protocols are of utmost importance in limiting the […]The post Alberta: Second-ever reported case of PED appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with the Kansas wildlife department released new numbers of the monitoring of the prevalence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Kansas deer in an update and what they report is of the 360 deer tested this year to date, 37 were confirmed positive for the transmissible spongiform encephalopathie (TSE). The targeted region for sampling deer taken […]The post Kansas: 10% of deer tested were positive for Chronic Wasting Disease appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

According to the US Army Fort Benning Facebook page on Feb. 21: There have been four cases of complications with serious Strep infections within the basic training population at Fort Benning. These particular cases should be characterized as a cluster of cases and not as an epidemic. Soldiers who were in close contact with these […]The post Fort Benning reports several serious strep infections appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in Manitoba are reporting a syphilis outbreak. There is evidence of heterosexual transmission across the province, with highest rates occurring in the Northern Health Region and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. The number of pregnant women diagnosed with Syphilis is rising with more than 10 infants treated for congenital Syphilis in the last six […]The post Canada: 10 infants treated for congenital syphilis in the last six months in Manitoba appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles situation in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, health officials reported two additional cases, bringing the total to four. According to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD), the third case was in quarantine for the entire infectious period. The fourth case is pending genotyping results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All […]The post Illinois: More measles reported in Champaign-Urbana appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Arizona saw some 53 congenital syphilis cases in 2018, including 10 baby fatalities, a dramatic increase from recent years. Of the 53 cases, Maricopa County, in the south-central part of the state and the county where Phoenix is located accounted for 30 of these cases. According to the Maricopa County Health Department, the county is almost […]The post Congenital syphilis: Maricopa County reports 30 cases and five deaths in 2018 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in the Vancouver, British Columbia area, health officials are reporting two new cases. Both people acquired the infection while traveling abroad. One person lives in the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) region and the other was traveling through Richmond and YVR (Vancouver International Airport) en route to Edmonton, then […]The post Vancouver, BC reports more measles, possible exposure locations listed appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in the New York City area, NYC health officials along with Rockland County officials have reported an additional 20 cases since our last report on Feb. 14. 17 additional confirmed cases were reported in Brooklyn since October, bringing the total to 90. Most of these cases have involved members […]The post Measles cases in Brooklyn, Rockland Co. up, 228 cases in NYC area appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles epidemic in the Philippines, government officials report a total of 12,736 cases through Feb. 24. In addition, the number of deaths in the current outbreak has risen to 203. The most affected age groups are in children– 1-4 years (3,981 or 31%) and <9 months (3,295 or 26%). The National Capital Region, […]The post Philippines measles death toll tops 200 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Department of Health in the region of CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces) has been one of the hardest hit regions in the Philippines this year when it comes to the measles epidemic. According to health department data, a total of 3,384 measles cases with 83 deaths in the region from January 1 to […]The post Measles: Calabarzon reports 3,835 percent increase in 2019 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) reported three additional wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in the past week–one in Afghanistan and two in Pakistan. In Afghanistan, one WPV1 case was reported in the past week from Ghorak district in Kandahar province. The onset of paralysis was on 12 January 2019. This the second […]The post Polio: 3 addition WPV1 cases reported in Pakistan, Afghanistan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Federal health officials reported another cruise ship outbreak this week. According to officials, 91 passengers and crew onboard the Princess Cruises February 8–18, 2019 Island Princess voyage were stricken with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. The etiology of the outbreak has yet to be determined. In response to the outbreak, Princess Cruises and the crew aboard […]The post Cruise ship outbreak: 91 sickened on Princess Cruises Island Princess; Samples sent for norovirus testing appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Panama Ministry of Health (MINSA) reports investigating (computer translated) a family outbreak of enteric febrile syndrome, which has resulted in four deaths to date. The outbreak occurred in the community of Quebrada Negra, Red Stone village, Kankintú district, Ngäbe Buglé district. This is the same area of the country that is also battling a pertussis outbreak. […]The post Four dead in family outbreak of ‘enteric febrile syndrome’ in Panama appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the pertussis, or whooping cough outbreak, especially in the areas of the Comarca Ngäbe Buglé, Panamanian health officials (computer translated) report the outbreak in the Comarca, which began at the end of last year has grown to 95 confirmed cases, of which 84 recovered and 11 died. In 2019, at the national level, there […]The post Panama update on pertussis: 11 deaths in current outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with New South Wales Health (NSW Health) are warning residents of Sydney to protect themselves against mosquito bites, as mosquito trapping at Deepwater Park, Bankstown and Sydney Olympic Park has identified mosquitoes carrying Ross River virus. It is particularly important for people enjoying outdoor activities, such as camping or fishing, in areas with high mosquito […]The post Sydney: Residents warned of Ross River virus risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Chad that was declared on 30 May 2018, the Ministry of Health of Chad is reporting a spike in cases since the beginning of the year. From 1 January to 15 February 2019, more than 2,000 cases and 11 deaths were registered in 73 out of 117 districts in the east, […]The post Measles update in Chad: Spike in cases, Vaccine shortages appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Costa Rica Ministry of Health is reporting (computer translated) a suspected reintroduction of measles into the country after an unvaccinated 5-year-old French boy on holidays with his parents had been put under quarantine at a hospital in Puntarenas. Costa Rica has been measles free since 2014. The Ministry of Health has taken all the necessary […]The post Costa Rica investigates imported measles case, 1st since 2014 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

While the debate of mandatory vaccinations has crept its way back into British Columbia politics in light of the ongoing measles outbreak in Vancouver, at least one-fifth of Canadians in a recent survey say say vaccinations should be a parent’s choice, and not mandatory. According to the public opinion survey by the Angus Reid Institute published this […]The post Canada survey: 70 percent for mandatory vaccinations, 29 percent say science isn’t ‘quite clear’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this week that Kenya has achieved maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination (MNTE) status. Speaking at the event before handing over the certificate, WHO representative in Kenya Dr Rudi Eggers said: “I applaud the Kenya Government for having attained elimination status of maternal and neonatal tetanus.” “Kenya among other countries that have […]The post Kenya: Maternal and neonatal tetanus eliminated appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the chikungunya outbreak , primarily in southern Thailand, health officials now report a total of 1841 cases from 18 provinces through Feb. 17. No deaths have been reported. The provinces hardest hit by this outbreak include Phuket, Pattani, Songkla, Narathiwat and Pangnga. In Phuket, Public Health Office Chief Tanit Sermkaew said 308 people in […]The post Thailand chikungunya outbreak: Phuket remains the top spot appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Norway health officials are reporting (computer translated) investigating a Salmonella Agbeni outbreak affected nine people in five counties. The cases were reported in January and February and affect five men and four women from Oslo, Akershus, Buskerud, Rogaland and Vest-Agder. Bacteria with similar DNA profile have been detected in all nine persons. To date, the source of the […]The post Norway reports Salmonella Agbeni outbreak, 9 people infected appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Malaysian health officials are reporting the first diphtheria case on 2019 in the 2-year-old child from Johor Bahru. The child presented with fever, cough and swelling tonsils on February 16, 2019. The child was taken to the hospital emergency unit on 18 February 2019 in poor condition and was admitted to the pediatric neurologic treatment unit for respiratory […]The post Diphtheria death report in unvaccinated child in Johor Bahru, Malaysia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published some data on the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) surge in the Middle East and a summary on human H9N2 cases since the first case in 1998 in their weekly Communicable disease threats report. MERS in the Middle East Since the beginning of the year, 77 MERS-CoV cases […]The post MERS in the Middle East in 2019, More than 50 human H9N2 cases since 1998 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In an update on the measles outbreak in Ukraine, the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reports an additional 3,264 cases in the past week. This includes 1,545 adults and 1,719 children. This brings the total measles cases to 21,355 through Feb. 15, health officials state. Lviv continues to report the most cases with 3,446, […]The post Measles outbreak in Ukraine: 21,000+ cases in 2019 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Here are the top five posts on Outbreak News Today for the week Feb. 16 through Feb. 22: 5. Chagas disease: Two dozen cases reported in Yucatan state, Mexico in one week In Yucatan state, Mexico, health officials reported 24 Chagas disease cases in a one week period. 4. Philippines measles outbreak: Cases and deaths double in one week One […]The post Infectious disease news: Top 5 posts for the week Feb. 16- Feb. 22 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with the Philippines Department of Education are looking into a ‘no vaccination, no enrollment’ policy as the country is currently experiencing a large measles epidemic. Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said Friday, “While DepEd is looking into different ways to regain the confidence of parents in immunization, the agency has made commitments with DOH in ensuring […]The post Philippines: Dept of Education looking at vaccination policy amid measles epidemic appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona-Mendola of MakeFoodSafe.com The North Dakota Department of Health announced today that it is actively investigating three cases of Legionnaires’ disease. The cases are believed to be linked to the indoor water park of the Days Inn located in Casselton, ND. Those who became ill confirmed they spent time at the water park, but […]The post Legionnaires’ Outbreak Linked to Hotel Water Park in Casselton, North Dakota appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Vancouver, BC, Vancouver Coastal Health has identified two additional cases of measles infection in the Lower Mainland. One infection is linked to a previously known case of measles. The source of the second infection has not been identified and is under investigation. There have now been 10 cases […]The post Vancouver: Measles outbreak now up to 10 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Knowing how to prepare for overseas travel becomes more important day-by-day–what vaccines do you need and how to avoid mosquito borne illness are just two critical components to safe travel. My guest today is Christopher Sanford, MD. Dr Sanford is an associate professor of global health and of family medicine at the University of Washington, […]The post Staying Healthy Abroad with Dr Christopher Sanford appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

I recently saw an Open letter to Vermont legislators several years ago who were considering vaccine legislation from an immunologist named Dr Tetyana Obukhanych. The letter was resurrected and published on the website called Health Impact News. Basically her goal in the letter is to say that its unwarranted the parents should be forced to get […]The post Looking at more anti-vaccine rhetoric with Paul Offit, MD appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Sunday’s Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, I take a look at the new review in the Lancet Infectious Diseases concerning the resurgence of vector-borne diseases and the implications for spillover in the region, particularly looking at the topic of the malaria epidemic in the country. I also look at the recent statement by FDA Commissioner Dr. […]The post Resurgence of vector-borne diseases in Venezuela, Gottlieb says states will ‘ force the hand of the federal health agencies’ to enforce vaccines appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles epidemic in the Philippines, health officials are now reporting 11,459 measles cases, including 189 fatalities since the beginning of the year though Feb. 20 , an increase of 3,000 cases and 50 deaths in four days. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said, “We are hoping and praying for the measles outbreak […]The post Philippines measles outbreak tops 11,000, Cavite declares state of calamity appeared first on Outbreak News Today.