Outbreak News Today

Through the end of August, European health officials have reported 710 human West Nile virus (WNV) cases, roughly three times the number of cases reported last year and Italy has seen nearly half that total. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Italy has reported 327 human cases, approximately five-times what […]The post West Nile virus in Europe: Nearly half the cases reported in Italy appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A San Diego State University (SDSU) student has been diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital, university officials report. SDSU’s Student Health Services is working with the San Diego County Public Health Services and also notifying individuals believed to have had prolonged contact with the student who has been diagnosed, […]The post Meningitis reported in San Diego State University student appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is providing much needed support in the fight against the bat-killing fungal disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) through an additional $1 million in grants to 39 states and the District of Columbia. WNS has killed millions of North American bats in recent years, decimating many populations and putting several […]The post White-nose syndrome: Combatting the ‘bat-killing’ fungal disease appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A Phase 1 clinical trial examining whether a topical cream can enhance the immune response conferred by a “pre-pandemic” influenza vaccine is underway at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Investigators are evaluating whether imiquimod cream, which is commonly used to treat genital warts and certain skin cancers, can boost the body’s immune response to […]The post Clinical trial testing topical cream plus influenza vaccine in progress appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says at least 432 Nigerians die of tuberculosis daily in a country with second highest disease incidence rate in Africa. WHO Acting Coordinator for Non-Communicable Disease Dr Linda Ozor said 47 Nigerians develop active TB per hour, which is why the country is ranked among the 14 high-burden countries for […]The post Over 400 Nigerians die of TB daily, says WHO appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported recently that the number of leptospirosis infections in the province in the Western Visayas in the Philippines is up a whopping 283 percent compared to the same period in 2017. According to provincial health officials, 88 leptospirosis cases, including nine fatalities have been reported during the first eight months […]The post Philippines: Leptospirosis cases up 283 percent in Iloilo appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The National Department of Health of Papua New Guinea announced this week that three additional polio cases have been confirmed in Morobe, Madang and Enga provinces. The case from Morobe is a four-year-old girl from Markham District. Her paralysis, including muscle pain and weakness in her right leg, started on 16 July 2018. The girl […]The post Papua New Guinea: Additional polio cases bring total to 9 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the West Nile virus (WNV) infection situation in Massachusetts, state health officials report four more human cases of WNV in the state this year, bringing the total to 9. The newest cases include a man in his 40s from Middlesex County who is hospitalized due to his illness; a man in his 60s […]The post West Nile virus: 4 more human cases reported in Massachusetts appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

According to the new sexually transmitted infections (STI) annual report from Public Health Wales, STI cases have increased, particularly syphilis and gonorrhea. In 2017, there were 6,920 diagnoses of chlamydia, 3,020 diagnoses of first episode genital warts, 1,422 diagnoses of first episode herpes, 1,190 diagnoses of gonorrhea, 214 of syphilis and 86 of HIV in sexual health […]The post Syphilis: Wales report 53 percent increase in cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that thirty additional Salmonella Mbandaka infections have been reported since mid-July linked to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. In addition, outbreak cases have been reported in three additional states–Delaware, Maine, and Minnesota. This brings the outbreak total to 130 cases in 36 states. Thirty-four of the people infected required hospitalization. […]The post Salmonella outbreak linked to Honey Smacks grows: Cases now reported in Delaware, Maine, and Minnesota appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Kerala state health officials issued a health advisory recently due to rising leptospirosis cases and deths in the southern state. Health minister KK Shailaja said there are 123 suspected leptospirosis (rat fever) cases and 71 confirmed cases, including 19 fatalities (seven confirmed). Despite the high numbers after recent floods, the health minister said that the […]The post India: Kerala battles leptospirosis outbreak post floods appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Dispelling stories on social media that a Lusaka man died from Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) contracted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Minister of Health Dr Chitalu Chilufya said the patient in question was being treated for septicemia and not Ebola. In a statement today, Dr Chilufya said, “There is no Ebola Virus Disease case in […]The post Zambia Minister of Health: ‘There is no Ebola Virus Disease case in Zambia’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In an update on the schistosomiasis situation in Myanmar, the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports reported (computer translated) over the weekend that there are now 828 suspected patients and 428 laboratory-confirmed patients diagnosed with the parasitic disease in the Rakhine state townships as of late August. Schistosomiasis: In terms of impact, it’s second only to […]The post Myanmar schistosomiasis update: Confirmed case count top 400 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Malawian government has banned the movement and slaughter of all cloven-hoofed animals following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the Lilongwe local government area. In a statement released on September 4, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Gray Phiri said 217 FMD cases have been confirmed in five districts around the […]The post Malawi confirms 217 cases in new FMD outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

For many years, FDA has used product sampling and testing as one tool to better characterize microbial risk. Beginning in 2014, the agency began developing a new, more robust approach to sampling assignments to assess microbial contamination in food commodities. Under this new approach, the FDA collects a statistically-valid number of samples of targeted foods over a […]The post Cyclospora in herbs: FDA identifies in sampling of domestic cilantro appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Zimbabwean government says the typhoid outbreak in the Midlands city of Gweru has spread to two neighbouring cities and triggered a surge in new cases. At least 10 people have died and 1,500 others have been infected since the outbreak hit Gweru early last month. Five new cases were this week confirmed – with […]The post Typhoid outbreak spreads to two other cities in Zimbabwe appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

New Hampshire health officials issued an order to the Sands Resort in Hampton this weekend after initial tests conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected the presence of the Legionella bacteria from multiple sources within the water system, including, but not limited to the hot tub spa. The order, signed by […]The post Legionella bacteria detected in Sands Resort water system, Order issued appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The outbreak of listeriosis that was declared in Dec. 2017 linked to ready-to-eat processed meat products has been declared over by the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi Monday. This was the world’s worst listeria outbreak sickening some 1,060 and killing 216 since December. No new cases of the outbreak strain has been recorded since the beginning […]The post South Africa Listeria outbreak declared over appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Fluoroquinolones are a type of antibiotic that is an important part of a physicians prescribing arsenal. However, they do carry with them some serious side effects and according to a new study published in the journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases, fluoroquinolones are commonly prescribed for conditions when antibiotics are not needed at all, or when they are […]The post Antibiotics: Fluoroquinolone prescribing in the US appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The cholera outbreak in Niger that started in early July has now topped 2,000 cases, according to the World Health Organization. Since the beginning of the outbreak on 5 July 2018, a total of 2,013 suspected cholera cases, including 37 deaths (case fatality ratio 1.8%), have been reported. Ninety-two percent (1,842) and 81% (30) of […]The post Niger cholera outbreak top 2,000 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Mauritius health officials stating reporting sporadic measles cases in late-March 2018 and by mid-May, the measles epidemic threshold was met. From March through late August, 808 confirmed measles cases, including three deaths (case fatality ratio 0.4%), have been reported in Mauritius. Two districts, Port Louis and Black River, have been the most affected. T The three […]The post Mauritius reports 800 measles cases since March appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials at Yangon General Hospital in Myanmar reported at least 18 human deaths due t rabies during the first eight months of the year, according to a Myanmar Times report today. This total is only for those treated at the Yangon hospital and does not include numbers from other hospitals across the country. A total of […]The post Myanmar rabies: 18 deaths recorded at Yangon hospital appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Taiwan health officials reported six additional locally acquired dengue fever cases — four in Taichung City and two in new Taipei. So far this year in Taiwan, 69 indigenous cases of dengue fever have been reported with the bilk of cases in Taichung City (36) and new Taipei (25). Additional cases have been seen in Kaohsiung City (3), two each in Taipei and Chiayi […]The post Taiwan local dengue cases rise to 69 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Hillsborough County FL health officials (DOH-Hillsborough) issued two rabies alerts last week after rabid cat attacks in two areas of the county on the west coast of Florida. The first situation involved an unprovoked attack by a rabid cat near the 4500 block of W Knollwood Street in Tampa where at least three people were exposed. They are all […]The post Rabies alert issued in Hillsborough County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Scientists have traditionally believed that combining more than two drugs to fight harmful bacteria would yield diminishing returns. The prevailing theory is that that the incremental benefits of combining three or more drugs would be too small to matter, or that the interactions among the drugs would cause their benefits to cancel one another out. […]The post Antibiotics: Grouping 4 or 5 existing medications could help slow antibiotic-resistant bacteria–UCLA researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A nationwide measles vaccination campaign was launched this weekend in Afghanistan to protect 13.8 million children aged 9 months to 10 years against measles. This is a collaborative effort of The Government of Afghanistan, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. At the launching ceremony, Afghan Minister of […]The post Measles vaccination campaign launched in Afghanistan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the outbreak of CPE (Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacteriaceae) at University Hospital Limerick, health officials are reminding the public that strict visitor restrictions remain in place at University Hospital Limerick as staff continue to manage an outbreak of the antibiotic resistant bug CPE (Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacterales). All necessary infection prevention and control measures are in place […]The post CPE outbreak at University Hospital Limerick update: Public urged to observe visiting hours appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Argentina Ministry of Health has reported (computer translated) eight confirmed measles cases this year with all the cases from the city and province of Buenos Aires. Nearly all of the cases were reported in young children. the measles strain has been identified as genotype D8 which is the same as that identified in Venezuela and also has […]The post Argentina reports 8 confirmed measles cases this year, all in Buenos Aires health region appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Rabies has been a topic several times on the radio show where I looked at a variety of topics related to this lethal virus. On the return to the airwaves of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show Sunday, I look at rabies with a different set of topics–some history, some mythology and public health and […]The post Rabies: History, myths and diagnosis on Outbreak News This Week appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Michigan state and local health officials, to include Delta & Menominee Counties and Marquette County are investigating a cluster of severe respiratory illnesses associated with adenovirus infection in individuals residing in Michigan’s central Upper Peninsula (UP). Currently, all six of the patients with confirmed adenovirus infection are adults who have been hospitalized, two of whom have received […]The post Michigan: Severe respiratory illness cluster investigated in Upper Peninsula appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with Fraser Health report investigating a cluster of cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the Guildford area of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Public Health is advising anyone who has developed pneumonia-like symptoms with a high-risk condition (e.g., chronic lung conditions, smokers, elderly, immunocompromised) to seek medical attention. If they have been in the Guildford area of Surrey in […]The post Canada: Legionnaires’ disease cluster investigated in Surrey appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Asian longhorned tick has been found for the first time in Connecticut during weekly tick monitoring in Fairfield County by researchers at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU). The invasive species can harm livestock and, where it originates in Asia, can carry deadly diseases. So far the tick is not known to be a danger to humans […]The post Longhorned tick found in Connecticut appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Here are the top five posts on Outbreak News Today for the week Aug. 25 through Aug. 31: 5. CDC reports four additional human infections with novel influenza A viruses This week we saw the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on four persons infected with influenza A(H1N2) variant (A(H1N2)v) viruses in California (2) and Ohio […]The post Infectious disease news: Top 5 posts for the week Aug. 25-31 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Thailand health officials report topping the 50,000 case mark with dengue fever in 2018. According to the Bureau of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, a total of 50,079 cases were reported from 77 provinces through Aug 27. Areas of the country with the highest rates include Nakornpathom, Phichit, Maehongsorn, Phuket and Krabi. In addition, 65 dengue-related fatalities were reported to […]The post Thailand dengue cases top 50,000 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Israel Ministry of Health has recorded 74 human West Nile virus cases as of this week, including three fatalities in individuals with underlying health conditions. Among the councils and the areas in which mosquitoes tested positive have been found in recent weeks: Emek HaMaayanot Regional Council, Gezer Regional Council, Megilot Regional Council, Mateh Yehuda […]The post Israel reports on West Nile virus situation, Points to climate change appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the Brazil measles outbreak, as of August 28, 1,553 cases have been confirmed and 6,975 remain under investigation. Currently, the country is facing two measles outbreaks: in Amazonas, which already computes 1,211 cases and 6,905 cases in research, and in Roraima, with 300 cases of the disease recorded, of which 70 […]The post Brazil measles outbreak: Case count update, Vaccination campaign appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Malaysia Ministry of Health (MOH) reported investigating an mumps outbreak among students of Izzuddin Shah Religious School, Ipoh, Perak. The outbreak involved 21 male students between 13 to 17 years old from a total of 660 students and school staff who were exposed (3.2%). All cases are stable and have been given outpatient treatment. Health […]The post Mumps outbreak reported at Perak school appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

DRC Update The latest data from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu province shows the total case count has risen to a total of 116 EVD cases (86 confirmed and 30 probable) including 77 deaths (47 confirmed and 30 probable). One new confirmed case has […]The post Ebola: DRC update, China and WHO sign new response agreement appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Laos Ministry of Health has launched the first ever cholera vaccination campaign in Lao PDR targeting flood-affected communities. UNICEF and the World Health Organization are supporting the effort. During the first phase of the cholera vaccination campaign from 23 to 30 August, about 5,000 doses were administered to flood-affected communities in Sanamxai district. An additional […]The post Laos launches first ever cholera vaccination campaign appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The National Department of Health of Papua New Guinea reported this week on two additional polio cases (circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1–cVDPV1), bringing the total to six polio cases since the announcement of the outbreak in June 2018. The new cases were reported in Madang and Eastern Highlands Provinces. The case in Madang is a four-year old […]The post Polio: Papua New Guinea reports two new cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Two additional cases of Legionnaire’s disease have been confirmed in the outbreak in Hampton, NH. There are now a total of 14 confirmed cases of Legionnaire’s disease associated with Ashworth Avenue between Island Path and M Street in Hampton. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and […]The post Hampton, New Hampshire Legionnaires’ outbreak update appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Publix Super Markets, in cooperation with regulatory agencies, has issued a voluntary recall related to ground chuck products that may be contaminated with E. coli O26 that was supplied by a yet-to-be determined source. According to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), there are 15 E. coli cases in Florida associated with the recalled ground beef product. On […]The post Publix recalls ground chuck products: Linked to E. coli O26 illnesses appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Quidel Corporation, a provider of rapid diagnostic testing solutions, cellular-based virology assays and molecular diagnostic systems, announced this week that it has received 510(k) clearance and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waiver from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its Sofia 2 Lyme FIA to be used with the Sofia 2 Fluorescent Immunoassay Analyzer for the rapid differential […]The post Sofia® 2 Lyme Fluorescent Immunoassay: Quidel Receives FDA Clearance, CLIA Waiver appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that occurs mainly in the rain forest countries of central and west Africa. The disease was first discovered in laboratory monkeys in 1958. In 1970, monkeypox was reported in humans for the first time. In June 2003, monkeypox was reported in prairie dogs and humans in the United States. […]The post Monkeypox: Q&A with Dr Warren Andiman appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first human West Nile virus-related death in Illinois for 2018. A LaSalle County resident over 65 years who became ill during the first part of August and tested positive for West Nile virus has died. “Although we’re moving toward the end of summer, West Nile […]The post Illinois: First human West Nile death reported in LaSalle County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Research published today by a team of Army scientists sheds light on the mechanism of sexual transmission of filoviruses, including Ebola and Marburg virus, which have been shown to persist in the testes and other immune privileged sites. Their work appears online in the journal Cell Host and Microbe. Sexual transmission of filoviruses was first reported […]The post Marburg virus: Army scientists shed light on the mechanism of sexual transmission appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the Legionnaires’ disease cluster in Hampton, NH, The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) now reports a total of 12 people have been identified with confirmed Legionnaire’s disease. These 12 people likely acquired their infections between early June and mid-August in the Hampton area, according to […]The post New Hampshire Legionnaires’ disease update: 12 confirmed cases, one death appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says Africa records an average of three public health threats per week, with viral haemorrhagic diseases, cholera and measles on top of the list, a senior official has revealed. Addressing delegates at the launch of the 3rd Edition of the Technical Guidelines for Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response in Zambia, […]The post Cholera, measles and viral haemorrhagic diseases top weekly health emergencies in Africa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Algerian Ministry of Health, Population and Hospital Reform says 59 out of the 172 patients hospitalized since August 7 have been confirmed positive, and 26 others were negative. In its latest epidemiological update report released on August 29, the ministry said the disease has been confirmed in the Algiers, Tipaza, Blida, Bouira and Medea […]The post Algeria confirms 59 new cases of cholera appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Minnesota state health officials have reported two imported measles cases in recent weeks, both linked to international travel. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported the first case in early August. The 5-year-old child became ill in early August shortly after returning from international travel to a region where measles is common. The child was unvaccinated. […]The post Minnesota: Two travel associated measles cases reported in Hennepin County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.