Outbreak News Today

The basketball game between James Madison University (JMU) and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington scheduled for last night and the upcoming game against Elon scheduled for tonight have been postponed due to confirmed cases of mumps affecting the JMU coaching staff. Within the JMU coaching staff, there is one confirmed case of mumps and one probable case in […]The post Mumps prompts James Madison University to postpone basketball games appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Federal health officials reported yesterday on a outbreak of gastrointestinal illness of yet unknown etiology on the recent voyage of Azamara Club Cruises vessel, Azamara Quest. The 15-day, 14-night, one-way cruise from Costa Rica to San Diego arrived Thursday. Twenty-two passengers and crew experienced symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. Azamara Club Cruises is a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean […]The post Azamara Quest: GI outbreak reported, Two dozen sickened appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Raws for Paws of Minneapolis, MN is recalling approximately 4,000 pounds of its 5 lb. and 1 lb. chubs of Ground Turkey Pet Food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed […]The post Raws for Paws Turkey Pet Food recalled: Salmonella potential appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Smokehouse Pet Products, Inc. of Sun Valley, CA is recalling 4-oz bags of dog treats labeled as “Beefy Munchies,” because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having […]The post Dog treats: Smokehouse ‘Beefy Munchies’ recalled due to Salmonella risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials from Bavarian Nordic yesterday announced the results of a successful Phase 3 clinical trial led by USAMRIID that demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the company’s investigational, non-replicating smallpox vaccine, IMVAMUNE®. The product is being developed as an alternative to the current U.S. licensed replicating smallpox vaccine, ACAM2000®, which cannot be used by certain […]The post Investigational smallpox vaccine, IMVAMUNE, has successful Phase 3 clinical trial appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A cholera outbreak was declared in South Sudan in June 2016 and resulted in 20,000 suspected cases and 436 deaths through Dec. 2017–the longest and largest cholera outbreak the country has seen. After not reporting any cholera cases in more than seven weeks, South Sudan declared the end of the outbreak this week. The fight against cholera […]The post After 18 months and more than 20,000 cholera cases: South Sudan declares end to outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Lyme disease was first described in the US in 1975– it’s a vector borne illness caused the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans primarily by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis and other species. Is the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum, also a vector of the Lyme bacteria? My guest today says it is not. Ellen […]The post Lone star ticks do not transmit the Lyme bacteria: Entomologist appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Ebola virus can infect the reproductive organs of male and female macaques, according to a study published in The American Journal of Pathology,suggesting that humans could be similarly infected. Prior studies of survivors of the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa have revealed sexual transmission of Ebola virus, and that viral RNA (Ebola virus genetic material) […]The post Ebola virus infects reproductive organs in monkeys: NIAID appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the largest documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experienced, the South African National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has put the death toll at 107 since Jan. 2017. The outbreak, which the source still remains elusive, grew by 32 cases since last reported one week ago–the total is now 852 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases through […]The post Listeriosis death toll tops 100 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

As the national conversation about marijuana legalization continues, an important question is how changing marijuana policy may influence use of other substances, such as alcohol. A new study, led by researchers at RTI International, surveyed more than 1,900 adults in Oregon prior to the legalization of marijuana in the state and found that more than […]The post Alcohol considered more harmful than marijuana: Survey appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Korean health officials reported an additional 42 confirmed norovirus cases today, bringing the outbreak total to 128 over the past week. Of the new cases, 34 are security staff at the Horeb Youth Centre and eight are from the Gangneung and PyeongChang areas. The norovirus outbreak has affected not only security personnel, but cases are reported in […]The post Korea: Confirmed norovirus cases now at 128 at Winter Olympics appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A new report from the National Center for Health Statistics of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published this week shows that rates of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) decreased over a sixteen year period. Prevalence of both HSV-1 (cold sores) and HSV-2 (genital herpes) decreased from 1999–2000 […]The post Herpes infections down in the US appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Limerick, in mid-west Ireland, health officials report six additional confirmed cases, bringing the total to 10 since the beginning of the year. Officials say this number may rise as a number of possible cases are still being investigated. There will be a free MMR clinic in the […]The post Limerick measles outbreak rise to 10, MMR clinic scheduled for Friday appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Grifols, a leading global producer of plasma-derived medicines and provider of a variety of postexposure prophylaxis and immune globulin products for patients, has received approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for a new higher potency formulation of its HyperRAB® rabies immune globulin [human] for rabies postexposure prophylaxis (treatment of a person immediately after […]The post HyperRAB, rabies immune globulin, receives FDA approval appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Lancet has published a new study led by Oriol Mitjà, first author and researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation, which concludes that yaws eradication will require more than a single round of mass drug treatment indicated in the current WHO strategy. Based on […]The post Yaws: The first report of the emergence of azithromycin-resistant Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The CDC Yellow Book says the number of people traveling internationally has continued to grow substantially in the past decade. According to the World Tourism Organization, there were 1.2 billion worldwide international tourist arrivals in 2015, an increase of 4% from 2013; 50 million more people spent a night at an international destination than in […]The post Travel health: Philippines appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Ministry of Health updated on Wednesday the information provided by the state health departments on the situation of yellow fever in the country. During the monitoring period (from July 1, 2017 to February 6, 2018), 353 cases of yellow fever were confirmed in the country, of which 98 died, according to a ministry press release […]The post Brazil yellow fever deaths near 100 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The most economical way to kill bacteria that cause common food-borne illnesses — mostly caused by Salmonella enterica — is heat, but, the mechanisms that kill Salmonella at lower temperatures were not fully understood until now, according to a team of researchers. Bacteria can develop ways to cope with heat shock, so it is important […]The post How Salmonella are killed at low temperatures: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the norovirus outbreak reported at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Korean health authorities are reporting 21 confirmed cases of norovirus infection according to a health department release Wednesday. According to the POCOG (Committee President Lee Hee Beom), Korean CDC, MFDA, and the PyeongChang County Health Center are currently conducting a joint epidemiological […]The post PyeongChang Winter Olympic update: 21 confirmed norovirus cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The XXIII Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will take place in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea from 9 to 25 February 2018 and from 9 to 18 March 2018, respectively. Nearby Gangneung will also host events such as curling, hockey and ice skating. The following recommendations are intended to advise national health authorities, health-care providers and […]The post Health advice for travelers to 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea: WHO appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

For the period between Jan. 2017 and Jan. 2018, 952 measles cases were reported in Venezuela (732 by laboratory and 220 by epidemiological link), according to UN officials. Most of the cases are from Bolívar state, accounting for 82% of the total confirmed cases, although there were cases reported in Apure, Anzoategui, Delta Amacuro, the Capital […]The post Measles in Venezuela: Nearly 1000 cases reported in past year appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Brazil health officials are saying that at this time, there is no confirmed record of urban yellow fever in the country. This comes as authorities investigate case of yellow fever in São Bernardo do Campo in Sao Paulo, according to a Ministry of Health release Tuesday (computer translated). The investigation of the case includes patient history and capture […]The post Brazil MOH: The probability of yellow fever urban transmission is very low appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Ants, like humans, deal with disease. To deal with the bacteria that cause some of these diseases, some ants produce their own antibiotics. A new comparative study identified some ant species that make use of powerful antimicrobial agents – but found that 40 percent of ant species tested didn’t appear to produce antibiotics. The study […]The post Ants could be a future source of new antibiotics to help fight human diseases: Researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to a report on the measles outbreak in Ukraine, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (computer translated) puts the outbreak case tally at 3,554 in January– 1,165 adults and 2,389 children. The majority of cases were registered in Ivano-Frankivsk (804), Odesa (640), Zakarpattia (549), Chernivtsi (444) and Lviv (242) regions. The UN Children’s Fund […]The post Ukraine: Measles outbreak tops 3500 cases in January, Vaccines on the way appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Last week it was reported in a number of media outlets that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would be dramatically downsizing its epidemic prevention activities in 39 out of 49 countries because money is running out–That money is slated to run out by September 2019. The program is called the Global Health […]The post CDC: Lack of funding threatens the Global Health Security Agenda, What are the implications? appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in England are advising parents to be aware of the signs and symptoms of scarlet fever upon reporting substantial increases of the bacterial illness across the country. The latest Health Protection Report showed 6,225 cases of scarlet fever had been reported since mid-September 2017, compared to 3,764 for the same period last season. There were 719 cases […]The post Scarlet fever: ‘Substantial increase in reported cases across England’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Vaccines have enormous impact not just on health, but on keeping people out of poverty, according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They estimated that increased investments in 10 vaccines administered in low- and middle-income countries over a 15-year period could avert up to 36 million […]The post Vaccines prevent not only diseases but also impoverishment: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers are paving the way toward a new therapeutic approach for gonorrhea by shedding light on the mechanism behind important proteins on the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria’s outer membrane. Future therapies could come in the form of new antibiotics or, even better, a vaccine. The findings are especially important as Neisseria gonorrhoeae is considered a “superbug” […]The post Opening the door to a possible gonorrhea vaccine appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The bug best known for cruise ship outbreaks has infiltrated the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, prompting the sidelining of some 1,200 private security staff, according to the Korea Times. Olympic organizers say 41 security guards had suffered a sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhea on Sunday and had been taken to hospital, forcing the replacement of the large security staff […]The post Norovirus sidelines more than 1,000 Olympic security staff appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A 48-year-old Swiss male farm worker tested positive for swine influenza A(H1N1)v virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports. On Dec. 20, 2017, he presented with mild acute respiratory symptoms 8 days before a nasal swab was collected. The virus isolated from this human case was partially sequenced and was closely related to the European avian-like swine […]The post Switzerland reports swine influenza A(H1N1)v virus case in farm worker appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

For the first 28 days of 2018, Nigeria has reported a total of 297 suspected cases and 22 deaths (case fatality rate 7.4%). Cases have been reported from 13 active states (Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau, and Taraba). Ten healthcare workers have been affected in four states – Ebonyi […]The post Nigeria: Upsurge in Lassa fever cases and deaths since the start of 2018 is of concern appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Zika virus may cause significant damage to the fetal brain even when the baby’s head size is normal, according to a new animal study led by researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. The damage, which can be difficult to detect even with sophisticated brain scans, may also occur in children […]The post Zika brain damage may go undetected in pregnancy appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the Lassa fever outbreak in Benin, health officials put the outbreak case tally at 21, plus eight deaths since Jan. 8. The cases are reported from four departments: Alibori (2 cases, 1 death) Atacora (8 cases, 4 deaths), Borgou (7 cases and 2 deaths) and Collines (4 cases and 1 death). Of […]The post Benin Lassa fever outbreak grows to 21 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on a report on the Uganda Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever and Rift Valley Fever situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the following: The Ministry of Health in Uganda confirmed an outbreak of the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever and Rift Valley Fever in Nakasseke and Luwero respectively. Earlier in December 2017, the Uganda Virus Research […]The post Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever and Rift Valley Fever in Uganda: WHO report appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Cambodia Ministry of Health has reported a spike in dengue fever cases in the first three weeks of the year, compared to the same period in 2017. During the first three weeks of January, there were 316 cases, compared to 138 during the same period in 2017, said Dr Ly Sovann, a health ministry spokesman […]The post Cambodia reports spike in dengue appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Millions of unapproved antibiotics are being sold in India, according to a new study by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and Newcastle University. The research, published today in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, found that multinational companies continued to manufacture many unapproved formulations, despite pledging to tackle rising antimicrobial resistance. These findings highlight […]The post Antimicrobial resistance: Multinational companies continued to manufacture many unapproved formulations in India appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

People who believe Princess Diana was murdered or that John F. Kennedy’s assassination was an elaborate plot are more likely to think that vaccines are unsafe, despite scientific evidence to the contrary, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. “Vaccinations are one of society’s greatest achievements and one of the main reasons that […]The post People with strong beliefs in conspiracies were most likely to hold antivaccination attitudes: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A hepatitis A outbreak has been recorded in the Karaganda region of central Kazakhstan. According to the chairman of the Public Health Protection Committee of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhandarbek Bekshin, 51 cases of hepatitis A have been registered, according to a NUR.KZ report (computer translated). Thirty-four of the patients, or 70 percent […]The post Kazakhstan: Hepatitis A sickens dozens in Karaganda region appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Friday, Philippines health officials released the results of the investigation of the initial 14 deaths of children given Dengvaxia. Since December 2017, under the new Department of Health (DOH) administration, we have started to address the issues surrounding Dengvaxia – a new vaccine which was given to more than 830,000 children from March 2016 to […]The post Philippines Dengvaxia investigation: 3 children died due to dengue despite being vaccinated appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The current yellow fever outbreak in Nigeria, which began in Sept. 2017, has seen seven States recording confirmed cases (Kwara, Kogi, Kano, Zamfara, Kebbi, Nasarawa and Niger) in twelve Local Government Areas (LGAs). In addition, a total of 16 states have reported suspected cases. By early January 2018, a total of 358 suspected cases had been […]The post Traveling to Nigeria: CDC recommends travelers be vaccinated against yellow fever appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Friday that influenza activity increased again this past week. All U.S. states but Hawaii and Oregon continue to report widespread flu activity and the number of states experiencing high influenza-like illness (ILI) activity increased from 39 states plus New York City and Puerto Rico to 42 […]The post Los Angeles County reports doubling of flu deaths this year appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In this June 2016 interview, I talk to the author of Lyme Madness: Rescuing My Son Down The Rabbit Hole of Chronic Lyme Disease, Lori Dennis about the book, chronic Lyme disease and the multi-layers of issues surrounding it. In addition to being a writer, Lori is a Registered Psychotherapist and the mother of an adult son who […]The post Lyme Madness: An interview with Lori Dennis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are saying that chronic Lyme is real after releasing the results of a recent study published in Frontiers in Medicine in December. In the study, sixty-one participants who met the proposed case definition for Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) were either self- or physician-referred to the Lyme Disease […]The post Johns Hopkins researchers: ‘Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) is a real disorder’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Feeding dogs raw chicken meat, particularly chicken necks, has been linked to a rare but potentially fatal type of canine paralysis. A study led by the University of Melbourne’s U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital found the consumption of raw chicken meat increased the risk of developing the paralyzing condition acute polyradiculoneuritis (APN) by more than 70 […]The post Dogs: Raw chicken meat linked to paralysis, according to study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) reported receiving advance notification this week of two additional cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Kandahar province. This brings the total cases this year to three. One case occurred in Shawalikot district, with onset on 5 January 2018, and one occurred in Boldak district, with onset on 6 […]The post Polio: Two new cases reported in Kandahar province appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

As millions of Americans prepare for Super Bowl celebrations on Sunday, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) and the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourage the public to take a few simple food safety precautions to prevent food poisoning. “While the Super Bowl is a time for families and friends to gather, watch […]The post Super Bowl food safety tips appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

According to the Uruguay Ministry of Public Health (MSP), Vibrio vulnificus infections are “extremely rare” with less than 10 cases reported annually. However, since the beginning of the year, four serious cases have been reported, including three deaths prompting MSP to issue an alert, according to a LaRed 21 report (computer translated). All the patients has an […]The post Uruguay officials issue alert over Vibrio vulnificus infections appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A new and more effective herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine, Shingrix®, is now available in all Albertsons Companies pharmacies across the United States. Shingrix® was recently approved by the FDA and released to the public as a more effective vaccine for shingles, which is a reactivation of the chicken pox that shows up as a painful […]The post Shingrix vaccine now offered at Albertsons pharmacies appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Hundreds of additional measles cases have been reported in Greece during the past month, according to Greek health officials data. As of Feb. 1, The Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) put the case tally at 1362 (775 confirmed, 475 probable and 112 possible) since last year. This is up from 922 cases reported […]The post Greece measles outbreak tops 1300 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In this podcast, that was actually recorded in early November 2014, I started by giving some thoughts on Ebola in the US. This segwayed into a discussion with Associate Professor with the Department of Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, and Epidemiology at Kent State University’s College of Public Health, Tara Smith, PhD. Dr. Smith addressed topics of how […]The post Flashback: Discussing the West Africa Ebola outbreak (Circa 2014) appeared first on Outbreak News Today.