Outbreak News Today

The Carter Center, along with South Sudan’s health minister, Dr. Riek Gai Kok announced today that South Sudan has succeeded in interrupting transmission of Guinea worm disease. As of the end of February 2018, South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has recorded zero cases of Guinea worm disease for 15 consecutive months. Because the […]The post Guinea worm disease transmission interrupted in South Sudan: Jimmy Carter calls it ‘a great milestone’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A vaccination campaign has been launched in northern Syria aimed at immunizing hundreds of thousands of children against polio, as WHO health partners simultaneously carry out measles vaccinations in the region’s displacement camps, where measles cases are rising. Coordinated out of Gaziantep, Turkey, nearly 1200 vaccination teams, supported and trained by WHO and the Syria […]The post Vaccination teams fan out in northern Syria, Campaign to vaccinate against polio, measles appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

UN health officials reported this week that during the week ending Mar. 4, three suspected cases of monkeypox were reported in Bria town in Haute-Kotto Prefecture, Central African Republic (CAR). Samples obtained from the first two cases tested positive for monkeypox at the Institut Pasteur Bangui. Further investigations are ongoing. An isolation unit has been set […]The post Monkeypox reported in Central African Republic, Three patients being treated appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Radagast Pet Food, Inc. of Portland, OR is recalling one lot of Free-Range Chicken and one lot of Free-Range Turkey Recipe because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed […]The post Rad Cat raw cat food recalled due to Listeria risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the mumps situation at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, VA, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Health Department reports mumps infections have been confirmed by lab testing in five staff members and 14 students as of Tuesday. In addition, lab results are currently pending for three additional students. Health officials are also investigating several additional cases […]The post Virginia: James Madison University mumps outbreak rises to 19 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with New South Wales (NSW) Health report today on an additional fatality linked to listeriosis. The most recent death is a NSW woman in her 90s with significant underlying health conditions. This brings the case count/death toll across Australia to 19 and six, respectively. Dr Vicky Sheppeard, Director Communicable Diseases NSW Health said the woman […]The post Australia: Listeria death toll linked to tainted cantaloupe now six appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization has reached out to 16 African nations–Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe to provide support for preparedness and response to a listeriosis outbreak that started in South Africa in 2017 but is now threatening other […]The post Listeriosis: WHO reaches out to African countries appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health has interrupted transmission of river blindness in two large states and as a result will stop mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin (Mectizan®) in 2018. About 2 million residents of Plateau and Nasarawa states will no longer be taking this medicine because the potentially blinding tropical disease, known in the […]The post Nigeria: River blindness transmission interrupted in Plateau and Nasarawa states appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Since the measles outbreak started in Oct. 2017, Serbian health authorities have reported 3,812 cases, including nearly 2,000 cases in just the past two months, of which 1972 were laboratory confirmed at the Torlak Institute, according Serbia’s Institute for Public Health (computer translated). Of this total, 13 people have died, with half of these reported from […]The post Serbia reports significant increase in measles appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Malaysia Ministry of Health (MOH) recently reported (computer translated) the death of a 2 1/2 year old child from Miri, Sarawak from suspected diphtheria. The child was never vaccinated as the parents said it was against their religious beliefs. In 2017, 32 cases of diphtheria were reported throughout Malaysia with 7 (22 percent) deaths. The majority (75percent) of […]The post Malaysia reports diphtheria death in unvaccinated Sarawak toddler appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The outbreak of hepatitis E that started in Sept. 2017 in Windhoek, Namibia continues, with a steady decline in trend. To date, a cumulative total of 957 cases and 10 deaths have been reported through Mar. 11. Seven deaths have been reported in the past month prompting health officials to urge pregnant women who display symptoms of […]The post Namibia: Health officials urge pregnant women with symptoms of hepatitis E to seek medical attention appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Namibia health officials are reporting a confirmed case of Listeriosis in a 41-year-old man from Tsumeb town in Oshikoto Region. The patient with a known chronic co-morbidity, was admitted to a private hospital in Windhoek on 5 March 2018. He had travelled from Tsumeb to Windhoek on 4 March 2018. On 12 March 2018, abdominal fluid bacterial culture […]The post Namibia reports Listeriosis case in man who consumed Viennas appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A third confirmed measles case has been reported in Melbourne this March, according to a health alert issued by Acting Deputy Chief Health Officer, Victoria, Dr Finn Romanes Monday. The most recent case was infectious on Saturday 10 March at a number of locations: Qantas flight QF44 from Denpasar to Sydney arriving at 06.25am on that day, […]The post Measles in Melbourne: 3rd case reported in March appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services has declared an outbreak of meningococcal disease, a potentially life threatening bacterial disease, on the island as 18 cases have been reported through mid-February this year. According to a Fiji Sun report, in recent years Fiji has had an increase in cases of meningococcal disease. Prior to 2016, there were […]The post Meningococcal disease outbreak declared in Fiji appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Doctors in Eastern Ghouta performed 15 caesarean sections out of a total of 30 births yesterday. The doctors complain that they are being forced to do caesareans as the intense besiegement makes it difficult for expecting mothers to predict when they can safely go to the hospital. The risk of complications for the mother and […]The post Eastern Ghouta: Pregnant women give birth when they can, Doctors forced to do emergency C-sections appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers at the University’s Institute of Infection and Global Health are developing a new commercial blood test to improve the diagnosis and management of patients with suspected meningitis. The £1.6m project, which is funded by the Medical Research Council and industrial partner Fast Track Diagnostics, could also help cut unnecessary antibiotic treatment – a practice that is indirectly […]The post Meningitis blood test being developed by University of Liverpool researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., a Lakewood, Colorado-based natural grocery chain, is recalling Natural Grocers brand 10-ounce Coconut Smiles Organic due to 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 […]The post Coconut Smiles Organic recalled due to Salmonella potential appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The measles cluster that began earlier this month in Johnson County has grown to 10 cases, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The breakdown of the cases is as follows: eight Johnson County residents, one Linn County resident associated with the daycare and one Miami County resident not associated with the daycare. To […]The post Kansas measles outbreak rises to double digits appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In the past week, the Oregon Food Bank of Portland has recalled three items for various reasons to include Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast. First they initiated a Class II recall of 22,201 pounds of chia seeds, which were donated to the food bank because the product may have been contaminated with rodent droppings. […]The post Oregon Food Bank recalls Chia and pumpkin seeds, Nutritional yeast: Rodent droppings and Listeria risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with the Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections in four provinces with cases of human illness linked to poultry, including frozen raw breaded chicken products. Currently, there are 30 cases of Salmonella […]The post Canadian officials investigate Salmonella outbreak linked to poultry in four provinces appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in the city of Camaçari in Bahia State, Brazil is reporting a nearly 500 percent increase in human Sporotrichosis cases, prompting calls to make the fungal mycosis a mandatory notifiable disease, according to a G1.Globo report (computer translated). For the period of 2015 to 2017, a 475 percent increase in cases have been reported. In 2017, […]The post Sporothrix infection increase reported in Bahia city appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

According to the operational data of the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (computer translated), for the first 10 weeks of 2018, 7069 people have been infected by measles– 2,434 adults and 4635 children. Fortunately, health officials the number of new cases of measles in Ukraine has decreased by another 10% since last week. Most […]The post Ukraine: More than 7,000 measles cases reported in first 10 weeks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

French health officials, Sante Publique France, report measles is currently affecting several French regions and the rapid increase in the number of cases since the beginning of the year giving rise to fears of another major epidemic throughout the country. After having decreased between 2012 and 2016, the number of measles cases has increased significantly since November […]The post France reports significant increase in measles appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Colombia Ministry of Health and Social Protection confirmed an imported case of measles in a 14-month-old boy from Caracas, Venezuela, according to a news release (computer translated). The Caracas boy arrived in Medellín on March 3 and presented with symptoms of the disease on March 8 and was treated every day in a hospital in that city. […]The post Colombia reports imported measles case from Venezuela appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) reported Thursday on a meningococcal meningitis death in an one-year-old girl who resides in northern Taiwan. Taiwan CDC reports the timeline: On March 2, she developed symptoms, including cold and fever, and sought medical attention at a clinic. Her conditions improved after taking the medication. On March, 11, […]The post Taiwan reports meningococcal meningitis death in young child appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with Seattle-King County Public Health report they are investigating increases in cases of several infectious diseases, particularly among the homeless population. The diseases include group A streptococcus, Shigella and Bartonella quintana infections. According to the Health Officer and Chief of Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Dr. Jeff Duchin, homeless people are at increased risk for a wide range of health problems, including infectious […]The post Seattle area: Bartonella, Group A strep infections on the rise among the homeless appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Spurred on by climate change, international travel and international trade, disease-bearing insects are spreading to ever-wider parts of the world. This means that more humans are exposed to viral infections such as Dengue fever, Chikungunya, Zika, West Nile fever, Yellow fever and Tick-borne encephalitis. For many of these diseases, there are as yet no specific […]The post Global warming and the spread of vectors carrying viral infection appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Thousands of Refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo have continued to infiltrate the country despite the already ongoing influx, and the recent cholera outbreak in refugee settlements. Uganda Red Cross society has been on ground to respond to both, the growing numbers of refugees and the continued spread of cholera especially in Kyangwali and […]The post Uganda Red Cross responds to ongoing DRC refugee influx, cholera outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Government of Nigeria is reported more than 600 cholera cases in Kukawa Local Government Area (LGA) in Borno State over the past month. Since Feb. 13, 608 cases including 3 deaths have been reported. The bulk of the cases have been reported from two wards–Doro and Baga. Cholera is a disease spread by drinking water or […]The post Borno State: Cholera outbreak in Kukawa LGA appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is urging countries to vaccinate against measles to maintain its elimination in the Americas. Measles was declared eliminated from the Americas in 2016, following the declaration of rubella and CRS elimination in 2015. The Region was the first in the world to have eliminated all three diseases, culminating […]The post PAHO urge vaccinations in the face of ongoing measles outbreaks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

River Valley Sprouts is voluntarily recalling its 5 ounce Alfalfa Sprouts, 4 ounce Alfalfa Sprouts, 5 ounce Garlic/Alfalfa and 5 ounce Variety sprouts because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy […]The post Alfalfa Sprouts recalled over Salmonella risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this week that Egypt eliminated lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem. This is a first in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Egypt’s success comes after almost two decades (2000) of implementing sustained control and prevention measures (including mass treatment of populations) and surveillance in affected/at-risk localities. Egypt joins ten others […]The post Egypt eliminates lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a speech delivered March 12 by British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, in which a good portion was related with the recent nerve agent attack by Russia, the Secretary discussed as part of the readiness–vaccinating military members against anthrax. A gov.uk pres release said: the Defence Secretary also announced that thousands of troops held at high […]The post UK Defence Secretary: Anthrax vaccine for troops appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Exposing the gut to chlamydia protects against subsequent infection in the genital tract and other tissues, researchers from UT Health San Antonio discovered. Chlamydia is the nation’s most common sexually transmitted disease and causes infertility, ectopic pregnancy and pelvic inflammatory disease if left untreated. “This research emphasizes the pre-exposure of chlamydia to the gastrointestinal (GI) […]The post Site of 1st chlamydia exposure makes big difference: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Interactions between Chlamydia trachomatisproteins and host cell proteins help determine whether the bacterium leaves an infected cell via breakdown of the cellular membrane (lysis) or in a membrane-bound package, according to new research published in PLOS Pathogens by Phu Hai Nguyen of the National Institutes of Health, U.S., and colleagues. C. trachomatis exists in different variants that can cause […]The post Bacterial and host cell proteins interact to regulate Chlamydia’s ‘exit strategy’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to a February Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel notice concerning Listeriosis in South Africa, in light of the new information of the outbreak being linked to ready-to-eat processed meat products, including “polony”, federal health officials updated their advice. Public health officials in South Africa have reported an ongoing outbreak of listeriosis that began in […]The post CDC: Travelers to South Africa should avoid all ready-to-eat processed meat products to reduce their risk of listeriosis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Following the anthrax outbreak that killed 80 animals in St George in Queensland, Australia one year ago, recent cases near St George is prompting calls for livestock producers to ensure their animals are vaccinated. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner said there had been a recent anthrax case near St George, which resulted in a small […]The post Anthrax: St George case prompts call to vaccinate livestock appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Bayer is voluntarily recalling Alka-Seltzer Plus® packages that: Were sold only in the U.S. at Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and Kroger (including Dillons Food Stores, Fred Meyer, Fry’s Food Stores, Ralphs, King Soopers and Smith’s Food and Drug) after February 9, 2018. Can be identified by checking the Bayer logo located on the lower left corner […]The post Alka-Seltzer Plus® recalled: Sold at Walmart, CVS, Kroger, more appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Johnson County, Kansas, health officials put the case count at seven as of Friday. Six of the cases are associated with a child care facility and one case from Miami County is not associated with the child care facility. To date, Kansas Department of Health and Environment […]The post Measles: More cases reported in Johnson County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

One additional case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has been confirmed in Oman, the first such case in 2018, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The patient was a 74-year-old male Omani national, living in Batinah, who had symptom onset on 23 February 2018. The patient had neither recently travelled nor had […]The post Oman: 1st MERS case of 2018 confirmed appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Brazil is in the midst of a yellow fever outbreak, with the mosquito-borne virus reaching popular tourist destinations that do not normally see the disease. Since January 2018, 10 cases of yellow fever have been confirmed in international travelers visiting Brazil, including four deaths. As a result, travelers should plan ahead and get vaccinated against […]The post Brazil yellow fever outbreak necessitates vaccines appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The diphtheria vaccination campaign in Yemen has concluded with some 2.7 million children aged 6 weeks to 15 years in 11 governorates vaccinated. First reported in October 2017, the outbreak has spread rapidly across the country, infecting more than 1300 people and killing over 70. Almost 80% of the caseload is children and young adults […]The post Nearly 3 million children vaccinated against diphtheria in Yemen appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with Sante Publique France are reporting a dengue fever epidemic on in the Indian Ocean, according to a recent news release (computer translated). Since the beginning of the year, 193 indigenous dengue cases have been reported, with the number doubling every week since the end of January. The majority of the cases have been reported from Saint […]The post Dengue epidemic reported on Réunion Island appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture and Tri-County Health Department have confirmed that an alpaca in Douglas County has died due to a rabies infection. Pet owners are urged to check records to ensure rabies vaccinations are up-to-date. Livestock can also be infected with rabies and owners are encouraged to discuss the risk of rabies exposure […]The post Colorado: Alpaca dies from rabies, 32 animals test positive so far in 2018, mostly skunks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Alaska health officials issued a Public Health Advisory Wednesday due to an increase in syphilis cases reported during the first quarter of the year. To date, there have been 20 confirmed cases and 2 probable cases of infectious syphilis reported in 2018. By comparison, annual case counts were 20, 20, and 21 for 2015, 2016, […]The post Alaska reports increase in syphilis: Uptick is part of a national trend appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has reported a number of equine diseases in several counties across the state recently. Several cases of Strangles have been confirmed. One premise in Levy County, Florida was placed under quarantine on 3/8/18 for clinical signs of Strangles. Two of the eight horses on the premise are showing […]The post Florida reports Strangles and Eastern Equine Encephalitis in several horses/counties appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to kratom, federal health officials are reporting dozens of additional cases, more states and three more strains of Salmonella making people sick have been included in this outbreak. Forty-seven more ill people have been reported and 8 more states (Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas, and West Virginia) are included […]The post Salmonella outbreak linked to kratom: More strains included in investigation appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

ABRAcon 2018 Bally’s Atlantic City August 14th-17th Come learn with us! The American Bio Recovery Association is the worlds only educational and certifying organization dedicated to the abatement of biohazard, trauma scene cleaning and clandestine drug labs. Our member companies contain the most experienced professionals in the industry and often team together to respond to […]The post ABRA Conference 2018 scheduled for August in Atlantic City appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Two new clinical trials testing an experimental vaccine to prevent influenza caused by an H7N9 influenza virus are now enrolling volunteers at sites across the United States. The Phase 2 studies, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will test different dosages of […]The post H7N9 influenza: Clinical trials testing an experimental vaccine commences appeared first on Outbreak News Today.