Outbreak News Today

In a follow-up on the meningococcal disease outbreak declared in northern Fiji last week, The Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) reports that the outbreak is caused by meningococcal C. In addition, laboratory analysis shows the strain is resistant to penicillin and ciprofloxacin. The Ministry, through the National Meningococcal Disease Taskforce, has coordinated the response […]The post Fiji meningococcal disease outbreak: Meningococcal C strain implicated appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Asymptomatic malaria occurs when parasites are present in an individual’s blood but do not cause fever or other symptoms. These “afebrile” infections can be detected either by classical diagnosis tests (if there are enough parasites in blood) or by molecular amplification techniques (if there are very few). Individuals that are infected but present no symptoms […]The post Asymptomatic malaria: Natural dynamics and risk posed for elimination appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Wyandotte County Health Department were notified of a case of measles in an out of state resident with international travel this week. Health officials say the case is not associated with the ongoing outbreak of measles in Johnson County. Measles update: Additional cases and locations […]The post Kansas City: Possible measles exposure at The University of Kansas Hospital, Not linked to E. Kansas outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Wyoming health officials reported Thursday that the state’s gonorrhea rates have increased dramatically in recent years. There were 415 gonorrhea cases reported across the state in 2017, which represents a 50 percent increase over 2016. “When we look back over the past five years, our gonorrhea case count has gone up a startling 529 percent,” said […]The post Wyoming: ‘Gonorrhea case count has gone up a startling 529 percent’ in past 5 years appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Donate Life Florida (DLF), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the public to save and enhance lives through organ, tissue and eye donation, announced a new record today. Ten million Floridians have signed up as donors through Florida’s Joshua Abbott Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, the third largest in the nation. “We definitely want to […]The post Florida’s Registry of Organ & Tissue Donors is Nation’s 3rd Largest appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Public Health England (PHE) is advising people planning to travel to Europe over the Easter holidays to ensure they are up to date with the MMR vaccine, due to ongoing measles outbreaks across the continent. Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can lead to serious complications and in rare cases can be fatal. The European […]The post Easter travel in Europe: PHE offers measles advice for travelers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In the observance of the Holy Week this year, the Philippines Department of Health posed this timely reminder to keep one’s self hydrated especially during, as what experts claim to be, the dry season, particularly on those who will do their annual rounds of Visita Iglesia. “Remember to always carry a water bottle, ready-to-eat meals […]The post Philippines Holy Week health tips: Staying hydrated, tetanus risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) Environmental Public Health in Edmonton is investigating to determine the source of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. While the investigation into the exact cause is ongoing, this week there have been five lab-confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection in the Edmonton Zone involving people who consumed food from Mama […]The post E. coli outbreak linked to Edmonton Filipino restaurant appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A team of researchers led by Brown University infectious disease experts and engineers has identified a new class of antibiotics that could one day help combat the alarming emergence of drug-resistant “superbugs.” Eleftherios Mylonakis, a professor of infectious diseases at Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School and chief of infectious diseases at Rhode Island Hospital and […]The post Brown scientists identify a new class of antibiotics with the potential to treat MRSA appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the mumps outbreak linked to a dance in Wilmington, The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is now confirming nine cases of the mumps as part of its ongoing investigation of an outbreak among attendees at a February dance festival in New Castle County. Seven of the nine confirmed cases either attended, […]The post Delaware: Mumps outbreak expands, 2nd dance linked appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Three additional measles cases are being investigated in Johnson County, Kansas, health officials report. This brings the total cases in eastern Kansas to 13 – 11 Johnson County residents, one Linn County resident and one Miami County resident since early March. State health officials advise the public that if a person has visited one or more […]The post Measles update: Additional cases and locations of possible exposure appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

High doses of favipiravir extended survival in non-human primates infected with Ebola virus, according to a new study published this week in PLOS Medicine by Jeremie Guedj of INSERM, France, and colleagues. Despite repeated outbreaks in recent years, there is no effective treatment validated for patients with Ebola virus disease, which can kill about half of those […]The post Favipiravir in high doses may be effective against Ebola appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Scientists have identified potential biomarkers in nonhuman primates exposed to Ebola virus (EBOV) that appeared up to four days before the onset of fever, according to research published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The work, a collaboration between the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and Boston University (BU), could pave […]The post Ebola study: Potential biomarkers in animals could signal infection before symptoms appear appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in the US and testing and treatment, if necessary, is important to prevent the spread of disease. Making lab testing more accessible, reliable and affordable with no need to drive, schedule appointments or wait in line is what myLab Box is all about. myLab Box co-founder, Lora Ivanova […]The post STD testing with myLab Box co-founder, Lora Ivanova appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Since the beginning of 2017, South Africa has been experiencing a listeriosis outbreak. Between 1 January 2017 through 14 March 2018, 978 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases have been reported to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) from all provinces. The majority of cases have come from three provinces: 581 (59%) from Gauteng, 118 (12%) from Western Cape […]The post South Africa Listeriosis update appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

UK health officials are reporting a confirmed multi-drug-resistant isolate of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a heterosexual man recently. He reported one regular female partner in the UK, and a female sexual contact in south-east Asia a month prior to symptom onset. According to testing performed by the Public Health England (PHE) Reference Laboratory, the strain was resistant to the […]The post United Kingdom reports highly resistant gonorrhea case acquired abroad appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Despite the threat of a global health crisis in antibiotic resistance, worldwide use of antibiotics in humans soared 39 percent between 2000 and 2015, fueled by dramatic increases in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study, which analyzed human antibiotic consumption […]The post Antibiotic resistance: Low-income and middle-income countries report increases in antibiotic consumption, fueling the problem appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Vermont Department of Health is investigating an outbreak of norovirus at The Windjammer Restaurant and its affiliated Upper Deck Pub in South Burlington, following more than 50 reports of illness and nine lab-confirmed cases of norovirus infection. Health officials said the restaurant’s management has been cooperating in the investigation and has voluntarily closed for […]The post Vermont: Norovirus Outbreak at Windjammer Restaurant in S. Burlington appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with Metro North Public Health Unit (MNPHU) have confirmed a measles case in an adult male from Brisbane’s northside who was unknowingly infectious while using public transportation last week, prompting an alert. The individual took the following routes on the Ferny Grove train line while infectious: 8:31am train from Enoggera station to Roma Street station on Monday 19 March […]The post Brisbane: Health officials issue measles alert appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Trichomoniasis is the most common curable sexually transmitted infection. It is caused by the protozoan parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 3.7 million people have the infection. Joining me today to discuss this protozoa is Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites, Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome […]The post Trichomonas vaginalis: The sexually transmitted parasite appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is reporting that the latest data shows that the number of new confirmed and probable cases has been falling for five consecutive weeks; however, this should be interpreted with caution. The current epidemic is Nigeria’s largest on record, with the number of confirmed cases in January and February […]The post Lassa fever outbreak slowing, Not over yet appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Alaska Section of Epidemiology has confirmed a case of botulism in an adult patient who ate Native Salad at the Cama-i Dance Festival in Bethel, March 16-18, 2018. Bethel is a city located near the west coast of Alaska, approximately 400 miles west of Anchorage. The Alaska State Public Health Lab received a sample of […]The post Alaska confirms botulism case linked to Native Salad served at Bethel festival appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Darwin’s Natural Pet Products of Tukwila, Wash., a manufacturer of fresh raw meals for dogs, Monday announced it is voluntarily recalling a total of four lots of products after testing showed that some of the Chicken and Duck with Organic Vegetables Meals for Dogs may contain Salmonella, and the Turkey with Organic Vegetables Meals for Dogs […]The post Darwin’s raw dog food recall: Salmonella and E. coli O128 risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Salmonella Kentucky Officials with the Swedish Public Health Agency, or Folkhalsomyndigheten are reporting two situations of increased numbers of salmonella infections. Since October 2017, officials report (computer translated) 63 cases of Salmonella Kentucky infection. The majority of cases are found in Västra Götaland (37), but also Uppsala (9), Skåne (3), Stockholm (7), Kronoberg (4) and Värmland (3). Two […]The post Salmonella outbreaks in Sweden: Salmonella Kentucky; Cat infections appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published the National Botulism Surveillance Summary for 2016 and reported 29 confirmed foodborne botulism cases that year. Among the foodborne cases, 23 were associated with three outbreaks in three states; the remaining six cases were sporadic. Sixty-two percent of the cases (18) were from a Mississippi outbreak […]The post Botulism: 29 confirmed foodborne cases in the US in 2016, most linked to Mississippi outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Indiana health officials, state and local, are responding to an increase in hepatitis A cases in southern counties, many of which are tied to a large outbreak in Kentucky. In the last month, 17 cases of hepatitis A have been confirmed statewide, including 11 in Clark and Floyd counties. The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) reports […]The post Indiana reports increase in hepatitis A cases, many linked to Kentucky outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released a new report on tuberculosis (TB) cases in New York City in 2017. The new report indicates that TB cases have increased 10 percent from the previous year, with 613 cases in 2017, up from 556 in 2016. The number of people diagnosed with multidrug-resistant […]The post TB: 86 percent of New York City tuberculosis patients born outside US appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Every year nearly 30,000 Americans die from an aggressive, gut-infecting bacteria called Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), which is resistant to many common antibiotics and can flourish when antibiotic treatment kills off beneficial bacteria that normally keep it at bay. Investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the University of Michigan (U-M) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) now have developed investigational “machine learning” models, […]The post Investigational ‘machine learning’ models developed to predict a patient’s risk of developing C. difficile appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

An Institut Pasteur-CNRS research team has characterized a Staphylococcus aureus gene involved in virulence, biofilm formation and resistance to certain antibiotics. These results open up new avenues for understanding the control of S. aureus virulence mechanisms. This work was recently published in the journal PLoS Pathogens. Staphylococcus aureus is part of the natural skin flora, preferentially colonizing external mucosa in 30 […]The post Staphylococcus aureus gene involved in virulence, biofilm formation and resistance to certain antibiotics: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

King Arthur Flour Company is voluntarily recalling a limited quantity (6,300 cases) of Organic Coconut Flour (16 oz.), after testing revealed the presence of Salmonella in 1 pouch of Organic Coconut Flour (16 oz.). Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune […]The post Salmonella risk prompts recall of King Arthur Flour Company Organic Coconut Flour appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Poppies International, Inc. of Battleboro, NC is issuing a voluntary recall of selected Delizza Belgian Custard Cream Mini Eclairs 30 Count products that were made during March 5-9, 2018 because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and […]The post Mini Eclairs recalled over Listeria risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Tamarack Inc. of Roy, Utah is voluntarily recalling Eclipse Kratom-containing powder products because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), […]The post Kratom recall: Eclipse brand powder tests positive for Salmonella appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Emergex Vaccines Holding Limited (Emergex), a private biotechnology company pioneering a new approach to vaccine development in the field of infectious diseases, today provides an update on its vaccine development pipeline and business. Emergex was established in January 2016 with the primary focus of developing 100% synthetic vaccines, designed to elicit a cytotoxic T-cell response […]The post Vaccine development: Emergex updates on progress on Flavivirus, Filovirus vaccines appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles situation in Melbourne, Australia, in a health alert issued by Deputy Chief Health Officer, Victoria, Dr Brett Sutton today he states there have been a further six cases of measles in Melbourne which are linked to a previously reported case who was infectious on flight D7214 from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne […]The post Victoria Health warns of more measles in Melbourne appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The FY2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which passed the Senate and the House last week and was signed into law by President Trump includes approximately $1.3 trillion in overall spending. There are a number of infectious disease, health and outbreak programs as part of the appropriations and here are several that may be of interest to readers (the […]The post Infectious diseases in the FY2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of confirmed measles cases reported in northern Portugal has grown to 70 cases, according to a the Directorate General of Health (DGS) update (computer translated). An additional 29 cases remain under investigation. Directorate-General for Health and National Institute of Health, Dr. Ricardo Jorge reports the majority of the cases (87 percent) were registered in health professionals, […]The post More measles in North Portugal appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Covenant Health have confirmed a case of hepatitis A in a food handler working in the cafeteria of the Grey Nuns Community Hospital (1100 Youville Dr N.W.). Patients, visitors and staff who consumed food from the cafeteria between Feb. 26 and March 10, 2018 and March 13 to 18, 2018 […]The post Edmonton: Hepatitis A confirmed in Grey Nuns Community Hospital food handler appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A resurgence of mumps in the U.S. among vaccinated young adults appears to be due to waning of vaccine-induced immunity, according to a new analysis from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Researchers found that vaccine-derived immune protection against mumps persists an average of about 27 years after the last dose. The findings suggest that, in addition […]The post Waning vaccine-derived immunity linked to mumps re-emergence: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Vaccinations have significantly decreased the number of diseases caused by pneumococcus among young children. This is mainly due to the decreased number of middle-ear infections among children. However, invasive pneumococcal diseases, such as meningitis and sepsis, have decreased as well, along with pneumonia and suspected cases of invasive pneumococcal diseases, Finnish health authorities report (computer […]The post Finland vaccine trial: Vaccinations have significantly decreased the number of diseases caused by pneumococcus among young children appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Measles is currently affecting several French regions and the rapid increase in the number of cases since the beginning of the year may give rise to fears of another major epidemic throughout the country, French health officials report this week (computer translated). Since our last report one week ago, the number of measles cases in […]The post Measles in France: more than 1,000 cases and 64 affected departments appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A “game changing” new antibiotic which is capable of killing superbugs has been successfully synthesized and used to treat an infection for the first time — and could lead to the first new class of antibiotic drug in 30 years. The breakthrough is another major step forward on the journey to develop a commercially viable […]The post Antibiotics: Synthesized teixobactin used to treat a bacterial infection in mice appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in Victoria, Australia have issued a health alert following a confirmed case of hepatitis A in a food handler who worked while infectious at Cumulus Inc. restaurant, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Any person who ate food – especially uncooked food – at Cumulus Inc. between 26 February and 19 March 2018 may be at risk of […]The post Hepatitis A alert in Melbourne: Confirmed case in Cumulus restaurant food handler appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The following statement about World Tuberculosis Day 2018 was released Friday by Christine F. Sizemore, Ph.D., Richard Hafner, M.D., and Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.: In the 130 years since the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) — the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) — at least 1 billion people have died from TB. That death toll is greater than the […]The post World Tuberculosis Day 2018: NIH Statement appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization published the following in a Friday Disease outbreak news: On 20 March 2018, the National International Health Regulations focal point for the Netherlands notified WHO about a human infected with a new reassortant A(H1N2) of seasonal influenza viruses that was detected in the routine sentinel influenza surveillance for influenza-like illness and other […]The post Netherlands reports human infection with a seasonal reassortant A(H1N2) influenza virus appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Genesee County Health Department has confirmed a case of hepatitis A associated with the Flint City Lock-up. Individuals who were in the Flint City Lock-up between February 27 to March 22 may have been exposed to hepatitis A. Vaccination can prevent the disease if given within 14 days after exposure. Anyone who was in […]The post Hepatitis A at Flint City Lock-up: Genesee County to hold special hepatitis A vaccination clinic today appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Two new confirmed cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been reported this week, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). One case occurred in Gaziabad district, Kunar province, with onset of paralysis on 14 February, and the other case occurred in Shawalikot district, Kandahar province, with onset of paralysis on 19 February. […]The post Afghanistan reports two additional polio cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in northern Portugal, the country’s Directorate-General of Health (DGS) reported Thursday (computer translated) that the outbreak total has risen to 66 confirmed cases and another 32 cases under investigation. Most of the cases have links to the Santo António Hospital in Porto. The Deputy Secretary of State for Health, Fernando […]The post Update: Northern Portugal measles outbreak rise to 66 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The First Nations Health Authority and Island Health are warning the public following confirmed cases of Vibrio cholerae infection associated with eating herring eggs. The bacteria can be found in the aquatic environment and can cause intestinal illness after eating contaminated foods. Illness may include mild to severe nausea, vomiting, and very severe watery diarrhea. […]The post Vancouver Island cholera warning: Cases linked to eating herring eggs appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

While most of the world has seen a decline in HIV cases in recent years, the Philippines is one of the few countries on the planet reporting an increase in cases. Between 2010 and 2016, the number of new infections has increased by 140% – representing the highest increase of any country in this period. […]The post HIV in the Philippines: Increase in cases, new strain and drug resistance appeared first on Outbreak News Today.