Outbreak News Today

Rockland County Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert inform residents that the Health Department will be holding a free measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine clinic on Tuesday, December 11, from 3 pm – 6 pm at the Palisades Center, 1000 Palisades Center Drive in West Nyack, New York […]The post Measles update: Vaccine clinic in Rockland County, Brooklyn reports more cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials have issued a health alert for Epuyén, Chubut province after five hantavirus cases were reported, including one fatality. According to a Filo.com report (computer translated), the patients were treated by the medical corps of the area; however, a 14-year-old died from the viral infection. The samples were sent to the Carlos Malbrán Institute […]The post Hantavirus alert issued in Chubut province, Argentina appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A suspected anthrax outbreak in one of Zimbabwe’s famous parks has resulted in the death of some 100 impala, according to a news24 report. Zimbabwe state wildlife authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo confirmed the outbreak at Mana Pools National Park. Up to 50% off New York City Christmas tours and activities “We’ve managed to contain the disease. […]The post Anthrax outbreak reported at Zimbabwe park, 100 impala dead appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers from the CNRS, the University of Orléans, and the company Artimmune, in collaboration with Turkish clinicians from Atatürk University, have identified a key mechanism of lung inflammation induced by silica exposure, which leads to silicosis, an incurable disease. Their study in mice and patients, published in Nature Communications (December 6th, 2018), shows that this inflammation can […]The post Silicosis is on the rise, but is there a therapeutic target? appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Istrouma Area Council of Boy Scouts of America in Baton Rouge, Louisiana announced this week that several campers at Avondale Scout Reservation have recently been treated for histoplasmosis, including two hospitalizations. According to Louisiana State Epidemiologist Raoult Ratard, at least 15 campers may have been exposed to the fungal disease. The situation has prompted involvement by the Centers for […]The post Histoplasmosis reported in Louisiana Boy Scouts appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Will County health officials announced that there is a mumps outbreak on the Romeoville campus of Lewis University due to one confirmed case and seven probable cases in students. The Illinois Department of Public Health is mandating that all students, faculty and staff submit evidence of immunity to the Lewis University Center for Health & […]The post Mumps outbreak at Lewis University’s Romeoville campus appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Cambodian health officials are reporting an increase in the number of dengue fever cases in 2018. According to the National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control (CNM), there have been 15,233 cases of dengue fever to date, which is about 50 percent higher compared to last year (11,000). In addition, 16 dengue related fatalities have […]The post Cambodia reports increase in dengue in 2018 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Connecticut state health officials are reporting a confirmed meningococcal meningitis case in a Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT student. “We are working with CCSU officials and local health departments to investigate what thus far is a single case of meningitis in a CCSU student and to ensure that people who have come into […]The post Meningococcal meningitis Type B confirmed in CCSU student appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has received confirmation of five hepatitis A cases in east-central Illinois during November. On average there are 70 cases of hepatitis A reported in Illinois each year. To date, 69 cases of hepatitis A have been confirmed statewide in 2018. “These recent cases are a reminder that states […]The post Illinois: Health officials encourage hepatitis A vaccination for high risk individuals appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on a human rabies case reported in late November in Sarawak, Malaysia, health officials say the 21-year-old man from Kuching died Tuesday from Rabies Encephalomyelitis at Sarawak General Hospital. The death of the new rabies case makes it 13 deaths out of 14 rabies cases among people in Sarawak since the declaration of the outbreak […]The post Malaysia rabies follow-up: 13th death in Sarawak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers at the University of Hawaii medical school have successfully developed a vaccine candidate for the Zika virus, showing that it is effective in protecting both mice and monkeys from the infection. Demonstrating the effectiveness of their vaccine candidate in monkeys (non-human primates) is an important milestone because it typically predicts the vaccine will work […]The post University of Hawaii researchers develop a Zika vaccine candidate appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Ebola and Lassa fever are among the deadly diseases to be tackled in a pioneering new UK vaccine centre, Business Secretary Greg Clark announced this weekend. Based in Oxford, the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre will help to tackle disease worldwide as well as further boosting the growth of the UK’s £70 billion life sciences industry. […]The post Oxford vaccine center to tackle Ebola and Lassa fever appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In an update on the Legionnaires’ Disease cases linked to the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, five cases of possible nosocomial Legionnaires’ disease are now being investigated. All five patients’ illnesses were confirmed by Legionella urinary antigen testing, and one patient was also culture positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. One patient died from the disease. University Hospital is taking measures […]The post UW Hospital Legionnaires’ disease update appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Chilean health officials have reported the first two measles cases of 2018. Both are confirmed, imported cases reported in November. According to the Chile Public Health Institute (ISP): The first case is a 42-year-old woman of Colombian nationality who had rash onset on 8 November 2018 and has been a resident of Chile for more […]The post Chile reports 1st measles cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Philippines Department of Health (DOH) reported recently that the suspected measles outbreak in the province of Sarangani affected 84 persons as of November 28, with 18 deaths. Age range of these suspect measles cases were from 4 months to 40 years old where majority are females. But only 18 (30%) of them were physically […]The post Measles outbreak in Sarangani: 18 deaths reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Oils from garlic and several other common herbs and medicinal plants show strong activity against the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. These oils may be especially useful in alleviating Lyme symptoms that persist despite standard antibiotic treatment, the study also suggests. […]The post Johns Hopkins researchers: Plant compounds may be better than current antibiotics at treating persistent Lyme bacteria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the polio outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2), UN health officials report the outbreak has been successfully stopped. The first cases of the cVDPV2 outbreak were confirmed in June 2017, in Deir Ez-Zor governorate in eastern Syria. It resulted in 74 cases, the most recent of which had onset of […]The post Syria: cVDPV2 (polio) outbreak stopped appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Chicago health officials are reporting a 15% decrease in residents newly diagnosed with HIV in 2017 compared to one year earlier, according to a Chicago Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) 2017 HIV/STI Surveillance Report. “This report shows that we can achieve our goal of eliminating HIV within one generation,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “We are working to ensure […]The post Chicago reports 15 percent decline in new HIV cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today that based on the number of reported cases of AFM in the United States through November 30, 2018, it appears that the number of persons under investigation (PUIs) for AFM has peaked and will continue to decline for the remainder of 2018. So far in 2018, […]The post CDC: U.S. AFM cases appear to have peaked appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the hepatitis E outbreak in Bocaranga-Koui Health District, Central African Republic, since late October, 67 new cases of acute jaundice syndrome were reported,of which 51 were confirmed with hepatitis E virus infection. As of 23 November 2018, a total of 119 cases of acute jaundice syndrome were recorded, including two deaths (case fatality […]The post Hepatitis E: Central African Republic outbreak continues, dozens more cases reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Oregon Zoo announced last week the death of a ix-year-old Asian elephant named Lily. The elephant succumbed to a sudden onset of endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), a rapidly progressing and often fatal disease to which calves are particularly susceptible. “I can’t imagine a more devastating loss for this zoo family and our community,” said Dr. Don […]The post Oregon Zoo loses elephant to herpes virus appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Finland health officials have issued a measles warning (computer translated) for the Luodo, Ostrobothnia area after a child tested positive for the contagious viral disease. The child reportedly contracted the disease abroad and may have exposed people at her school and the Kokkola hospital. Measles cases increased by more than 30 percent worldwide from 2016: WHO Measles is […]The post Finland issues measles warning for Ostrobothnia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Malawi officials are reporting an anthrax outbreak in hippopotami in Liwonde township in the southern part of the country. According to Dr Patrick Chikungwa, Director of Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development with the Malawi Ministry of Agriculture, 25 hippos died in the outbreak. The hippos live and feed along the Shire river, as reported by the World Organisation […]The post Anthrax responsible for the deaths of 25 hippos in Malawi appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Florida state health officials have issued a health advisory due to an significant increase of hepatitis A cases reported in 2018. Since January 2018, 385 cases of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection have been reported in Florida. This is more than three times the previous five-year average of 126 cases. The increase in hepatitis A […]The post Florida issues hepatitis A health advisory: Increases reported in Tampa and Orlando areas appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Swedish health officials have reported an unusual rise in campylobacter cases in the last two weeks. The increase coincides with reports of elevated occurrence of campylobacter in chicken flocks. An accumulation of cases linked to workers in chicken production has also been reported. It is not yet known whether there is any link between the different events, […]The post Campylobacter cases up in Sweden in past two weeks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Icelandic Food Administration reported that an outbreak of norovirus has been attributed to tainted oysters. Officials report 44 cases linked to a restaurant in early November. These are oysters imported from Spain as a juvenile and further grown for human consumption in the Skjálfandaflói by the company Víkurskel. This is the first time that norovirus was confirmed in […]The post Iceland reports norovirus outbreak linked to oysters appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Health Laboratory has confirmed that an adult buck mule deer from Grand Teton National Park has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The deer had been struck by a vehicle and tissue samples were collected by National Park Service personnel and submitted for testing. Wildlife managers say […]The post Chronic wasting disease reported in Grand Teton National Park deer appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Northern Kentucky Health Department (NKY Health) is continuing to see an increase in cases of hepatitis A in Northern Kentucky (Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton Counties) as part of the larger statewide outbreak. When NKY Health first announced the outbreak in August 2018, more than 50 cases of hepatitis A had been reported. As of […]The post Kentucky: Northern counties report hepatitis A increases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On today’s show I look at two topics that are big–one in Africa and one here in the United States–and that’s the Ebola outbreak in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the large hepatitis A outbreak in a number of states. The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and […]The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 12-2-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Lisbon, Portugal, the number of cases of measles this month in the region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley has increased to 32, with 22 of these cases being confirmed, according to the Directorate General of Health. This is an increase of eight confirmed cases in the past week. “Measles […]The post Lisbon reports more measles appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in the Dominican Republic are reporting an increase in malaria cases in 2018. According to a Diario Salud report (computer translated), 438 cases have been reported year to date compared to just 360 during the same period in 2017. Ninety-two percent of the malaria cases were due to Plasmodium falciparum and the remainder […]The post Dominican Republic reports increase in malaria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the chickenpox outbreak at the Asheville Waldorf School, Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) reports that the outbreak has spread into the community at large. As of this time, 37 students and 4 additional community members have become ill with chickenpox as part of this outbreak. “The role of public health is to […]The post Asheville: Chickenpox outbreak spreads into the community appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Here are the top five posts on Outbreak News Today for the week Nov. 24 through Nov. 30: 5. H5N6 avian influenza: Chinese girl hospitalized in serious condition China reports 23rd human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) since 2014. 4. Arizona reports 45 congenital syphilis cases through November This post described the syphilis outbreak in Arizona, particularly syphilis in women […]The post Infectious disease news: Top 5 posts for the week Nov. 24- Nov. 30 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a travel advisory for Madagascar due to a large measles outbreak on the island country. Since the first measles cases were reported in the urban health district of Antananarivo Renivohitra (in the heart of the capital city, Antanarivo), health officials have seen 3,239 laboratory confirmed or […]The post Madagascar: CDC issues travel notice due to measles outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Rockland County According to the Rockland County Health Department, 87 confirmed reported cases of measles have been reported in Rockland County as of Nov. 30. These cases are presently clustered in eastern Ramapo (New Square, Spring Valley, Monsey), however due to Rockland County’s small geographic size, exposure to the measles may occur anywhere in the county. New […]The post Measles update: Brooklyn and Rockland County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

With an increase in cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a debilitating, polio-like disease that has been affecting children in New York and across the country, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today called on Congress to immediately provide emergency funding for research, treatment, and prevention efforts against this disease. AFM is a rare condition that targets […]The post Acute Flaccid Myelitis: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand calls for emergency funding appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

UN health officials are reporting the 20th wild poliovirus case in Afghanistan, making it the most cases seen in the country since 2015. The latest case reported is from Shaheed-e-Hassas district of Urozgan province– a 3-year-old boy who is now permanently paralyzed by the poliovirus. Fourteen cases have been reported in the south of the country […]The post Afghanistan reports most polio cases in years appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today permitted marketing of a new diagnostic test to aid in detecting a type of herpes virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV) in newborns less than 21 days of age. “Although most people who become infected with cytomegalovirus face little to no risk of serious illness, the virus has the potential […]The post CMV test for newborns receives FDA nod appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Ministry of Health of Somalia has announced 27 new suspected cases of cholera, with one death, reported in Banadir region for epidemiological week 46 (12 to 18 November) of 2018. Of these new cases, 44% (12) are female while 44% (12) are children below five years of age. During this reporting period, of the […]The post Somalia cholera outbreak one year later appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Dallas County health officials are reporting the second case of imported Dengue virus in Dallas County for 2018. The 37-year-old resident of Dallas was infected during recent travel to Haiti. “Dallas County residents traveling to countries where these viruses are endemic should take precaution when traveling,” said Ganesh Shivaramaiyer, Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) Interim […]The post Second imported dengue case reported in Dallas appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Reported measles cases spiked in 2017, as multiple countries experienced severe and protracted outbreaks of the disease. This is according to a new report published today by leading health organizations. Because of gaps in vaccination coverage, measles outbreaks occurred in all regions, while there were an estimated 110 000 deaths related to the disease. Using updated […]The post Measles cases increased by more than 30 percent worldwide from 2016: WHO appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Southern District Health Board in New Zealand is reporting a second confirmed case of measles in Marlborough, which is believed linked to the case reported last week in Milford Sound. The woman in her 20s has been in isolation in Marlborough since Tuesday 20 November and public health officials say it’s unlikely she would have infected anyone. “The […]The post New Zealand: Second case of measles confirmed on South Island appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The South Sudan Ministry of Health on Thursday declared a Yellow Fever (YF) outbreak in Sakure, Nzara County, Gbudue state. Addressing a press conference in Juba, Hon. Ms Awut Deng Acuil, the Acting Minister of Health, urged the general public to be vaccinated against yellow fever to protect themselves from the risk of yellow fever […]The post Yellow fever outbreak declared in South Sudan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison report taking action after four patients had developed symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease. Those affected include three formerly hospitalized patients and one inpatient . When hospital officials learned that four patients had developed symptoms of Legionnaires’, the patients were tested and all four tested positive on a urine test. All […]The post Legionnaires’ disease cases linked to University of Wisconsin hospital appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Ocean County, New Jersey, county health officials have reported three additional cases, bringing the total cases to 18. In addition, there are also 14 potential cases under investigation. Vaccination is encouraged and those children involved with exposure to a confirmed case may be subject to an order […]The post New Jersey: More measles in Ocean County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers have generated six Zika virus antibodies that could be used to test for and possibly treat a mosquito-borne disease that has infected more than 1.5 million people worldwide. The antibodies “may have the dual utility as diagnostics capable of recognizing Zika virus subtypes and may be further developed to treat Zika virus infection,” corresponding […]The post Zika virus: 6 antibodies produced, Could be used for diagnostics and treatment appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) health officials are reporting that since the beginning of the current Ebola outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri in July, the cumulative number of cases is 426, of which 379 are confirmed and 47 are probable. This put the total cases over the 2000 Uganda outbreak (425) to become […]The post Ebola outbreak: DRC cases reach 426, 2nd largest outbreak on record appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with public health, agricultural, and academic experts to understand the possible threat posed by the spread of the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) in several U.S. states since its discovery in 2017, according to today’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. “The full public health and agricultural impact […]The post Longhorned tick spread in the US: ‘The full public health and agricultural impact of this tick discovery and spread is unknown’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Forget MRSA and E. coli, there’s another bacterium that is becoming increasingly dangerous due to antibiotic resistance – and it’s present on the skin of every person on the planet. A close relative of MRSA, Staphylococcus epidermidis, is a major cause of life-threatening infections after surgery, but it is often overlooked by clinicians and scientists because it […]The post Antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis threat should be taken more seriously: Researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the increases in syphilis in Japan, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases has put the case tally for the year over 6,000, the first time that has happened in decades. According to their most recent data ending Nov. 18, Japan has recorded 6,096, the highest number since 1970. Tokyo and Osaka accounted for more than […]The post Japan syphilis cases top 6,000, More rubella cases reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.