Outbreak News Today

South African health officials reported an additional 53 outbreak cases of Listeriosis since the last report putting the total to 820 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases that have been reported to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) since 01 January 2017. The number of fatalities has risen to 82. The source of the outbreak remains elusive. The outbreak, described […]The post Listeriosis: 50 additional outbreak cases reported in South Africa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Influenza activity remains widespread and at high levels, with some indicators starting to decrease, the Ireland Health Protection Surveillance Centre reported today. The sentinel GP influenza-like illness (ILI) consultation rate decreased to 90.5 per 100,000 population during week 4 2018 (week ending January 28th) from 103.2 per 100,000 in the previous week. Influenza-like illness GP […]The post Ireland: Influenza activity remains widespread and at high levels appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

New research led by scientists from The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne isolated, sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 154 strains of M. leprae from around the world. The study, published in Nature Communications, found several genes that are associated with resistance to antibiotics, including new genes that might point to previously unknown mechanisms of drug resistance. “This is an […]The post Leprosy: Several genes that are associated with resistance to antibiotics found appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The worldwide spread of a serious infectious disease could result in pandemic-related deaths of 700,000 and annual economic losses of $500 billion, according to a study in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization. Victoria Fan, an assistant professor in the Office of Public Health Studies in the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work at […]The post Pandemic projection: 700,000 deaths and annual economic losses of $500 billion appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Brazil Ministry of Health, in an update Tuesday (computer translated), reports 213 cases of yellow fever, 81 of whom died in the period from July 1, 2017 to January 30 of this year. Last year, from July 2016 to January 30, 2017, there were 468 confirmed cases and 147 confirmed deaths. The yellow fever […]The post Brazil: Yellow fever deaths rise to 81 since July appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials with South Central Public Health in Twin Falls, Idaho report are reporting multiple pertussis, or whooping cough cases involving multiple schools within the Kimberly, ID School District. KTVB reports that health officials say there have been a total of three confirmed cases of pertussis in Kimberly students. The health district has recorded a total of […]The post Pertussis outbreak reported in Idaho school district appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs reports one horse in St. Johns County, Florida was confirmed positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) on Jan. 12, the first case of the year. The 2 year old miniature horse gelding became clinical on Jan. 10 and was euthanized on Jan. 16 due to a poor prognosis. […]The post Eastern Equine Encephalitis reported in St. Johns County, Florida horse appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A measles warning has been issued by The Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health team Thursday after a man who attended Christchurch Hospital’s Emergency Department has since been confirmed as having the measles virus. The 30 year-old man was in the Emergency Department on Sunday 28 January 2018, and patients and visitors who are not […]The post New Zealand: Measles warning in Christchurch appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., was appointed as the 17th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) last July– and now just around 6 months later she has resigned. According to a statement from HHS Spokesman Matt Lloyd today: “This morning Secretary Azar accepted Dr. […]The post Dr Brenda Fitzgerald resigns as CDC Director appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In 2017, Brazil reported an increase in malaria. According to the Pan America Health Organization (PAHO), between January and November of 2017, there were 174,522 malaria cases reported in the Amazon region, representing an increase in comparison to the same period of 2016 when 117,832 malaria cases were reported. The states reporting the most cases were […]The post Brazil, Venezuela report increase in malaria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Not all ticks are alike–particularly when it comes to their role in spreading Lyme disease. The bacteria that cause Lyme disease, the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States, are transmitted to humans primarily by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis, also known as the deer tick), which is abundant in the eastern U.S. […]The post Lyme disease spread not due to Lone Star ticks: Researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported fifteen new confirmed cases and two deaths were recorded from five States Edo (6), Ondo (4), Delta (1) ,Imo(1) and Taraba (3) in the past week. From 1st – 25th January 2018, a total of 297 suspectedi cases, and […]The post Nigeria reports more Lassa fever in past week appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

University of Kentucky officials were informed this week that a student has been hospitalized with a probable case of bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is a serious, and potentially fatal disease. In the interest of safety and to ensure everyone’s health and well-being – which is always our first and most important priority — the University is […]The post UK student hospitalized with probable bacterial meningitis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Iowa health officials say that norovirus is behind several outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness in recent weeks across the state prompted officials to advise the public to stay home if ill, not prepare food and wash hands. “Anyone with diarrhea or vomiting should not be handling any food items, regardless of how well they wash their […]The post Norovirus behind GI outbreaks in Iowa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to the multidrug-resistant Campylobacter outbreak linked to contact with puppies sold through Petland stores, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday that the investigation is over. The last illness began on January 7, 2018. A total of 113 people with laboratory-confirmed infections or symptoms consistent with Campylobacter infection from 17 state were the […]The post Campylobacter outbreak investigation is over, More than 100 people affected appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Taenia solium is a tapeworm that people get from eating raw or undercooked “measly pork”. The pork meat has cysticerci (the larval stage) which in the human intestine mature to an adult tapeworm. Here the tapeworm attaches to the intestine and produces thousands of eggs. Human cysticercosis occurs either by the direct transfer of Taenia […]The post Pork tapeworm and cysticercosis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Just months after the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at São Francisco Xavier Hospital in Lisbon ended, another Lisbon area hospital is reporting an outbreak of the bacterial infection. Health authorities of Portugal confirmed today that there are seven cases of Legionella reported at the CUF Descobertas Hospital in east Lisbon, according to a La Vanguardia report (computer translated). The […]The post Portugal: Another Legionnaires disease outbreak at a Lisbon hospital appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced Monday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to TAK-426, Takeda’s purified, inactivated, alum-adjuvanted, whole Zika virus vaccine candidate. The FDA’s Fast Track designation is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs and vaccines for serious conditions and […]The post Zika vaccine candidate receives FDA Fast Track designation: Takeda announces appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

My guest on today’s podcast says that while there were many successes in human development in 2017, arguably, the most significant achievements of the last 12 months were in global health. Public health physician and a vaccinologist, Dr Melvin Sanicas wrote in an article in Project Syndicate that he counted at least 18 unique successes in […]The post India eliminating trachoma and other global health successes in 2017 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Chikungunya virus is a virus of the Togaviridae family, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, that causes acute febrile illness in infected humans. The virus was first isolated during an epidemic, originally suspected to be dengue, in Tanzania, Africa, in 1953. The acute phase of the disease, called chikungunya fever (CHIKF), is characterized by high fever, rash, […]The post Chikungunya: Methotrexate may be the best option for chronic arthritis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

While there have been no reported illnesses, out of an abundance of caution, Panera Bread is conducting a nationwide preemptive, voluntary recall of all 2 oz. and 8 oz. cream cheese products sold in its U.S. bakery-cafes. This recall was initiated after samples of one variety of 2 oz. cream cheese from a single production […]The post Panera Bread recalls cream cheese due to Listeria risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

With New York facing a historic outbreak of influenza this season, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to designate a special ‘domestic flu surveillance team’ for New York State. Already, more than 5,000 New Yorkers have become bedridden as a result of this year’s serious […]The post Sen. Schumer calls for CDC ‘Flu Team’ for New York appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

This podcast is from a February 2015 radio interview with Sybil Meister. Sybil is the mother of Koral Reef Meister Pier, a young lady from California who contracted the rarely encountered parasite, Balamuthia mandrillaris in March 2013. Unfortunately, Koral lost her battle against the 95% fatal amoeba in Oct. 2014. I had the opportunity and honor to talk to Sybil and […]The post Balamuthia mandrillaris: Koral Reef’s story appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Public awareness campaigns on spotting the signs and symptoms of infectious diseases and how to prevent them, play a key role in helping to stop the spread of such infections, a new study in the journal Epidemiology and Infection reports. Researchers from the University of Surrey working alongside an international team including scientists from the Animal and […]The post Public awareness campaigns are key in the fight against rabies: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Wilmington, MA pharmaceutical company, CutisPharma announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved FIRVANQ™ (vancomycin hydrochloride) for oral solution, for the treatment of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea and enterocolitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains. “We are pleased to announce the FDA approval of FIRVANQ,” said Neal I. Muni, MD, MSPH, Chief Executive Officer of […]The post FDA approves Firvanq for treatment of C. difficile associated diarrhea appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Vice Minister of Public Health (MoPH) in North Korea officially informed the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Pyongyang of an outbreak of Influenza A (H1N1) stating that between 1 December 2017 and 16 January 2018 there was a total of 126,574 suspected influenza […]The post North Korea reports H1N1 influenza outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Last week, we reported on the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria where more than 100 cases have been reported since the beginning of the year. Of note in the report was ten health care workers have been infected in four States (Ebonyi – 7, Nasarawa – 1, Kogi – 1 and Benue – 1) with […]The post NCDC issues Lassa advisory for health workers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Melinta Therapeutics, Inc. , a commercial-stage company developing and commercializing novel antibiotics to treat serious bacterial infections, today announced the U.S. launch of intravenous and oral formulations of Baxdela™ (delafloxacin) for the treatment of adult patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by designated susceptible bacteria. With Baxdela, no dosage adjustments are […]The post MRSA: Antibiotic, Baxdela launched in the US appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

An outbreak of typhoid fever was confirmed last October in the Zimbabwe capital of Harare and since that time some 2,444 suspect and confirmed cases have been reported. The outbreak is mainly in the western and southern districts of Harare, with Mbare and Kuwadzana being the areas most affected. No deaths have been reported. Health […]The post Typhoid outbreak in Harare sickens more than 2400 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

With the addition of seven suspected Rift Valley fever (RVF) cases reported from Yirol East County, South Sudan, 20 suspect cases have been reported in the past month. Three of the cases are confirmed and three probable cases who died and had epidemiological links to the confirmed cases. On 28 December 2017, the Ministry of Health of South […]The post South Sudan: Suspected Rift Valley fever cases rise to 20 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Giardia parasites – responsible for one of the world’s most common gastric diseases – are able to mimic human cell functions to break apart cells in the gut and feed off them, new research has shown. A team at the University of East Anglia (UEA) has been investigating the secret behind the success of giardia, […]The post Giardia research: Parasite mimics human proteins to provide ‘ready meals’ from the gut appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to a report on the measles outbreak in Davao City in the southern Philippines, Assistant Secretary of Health for Mindanao and Regional Director, Abdullah B. Dumama, Jr. MD wrote the following concerning the outbreak response in the region: A total of 317 suspected cases of measles were recorded by Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU) […]The post Davao measles outbreak response: House-to-house measles immunization being conducted appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The National IHR Focal Point of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reported 20 additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), including eight deaths for the period of 9 December 2017 to 17 January 2018. The 20 cases of MERS-CoV infection reported during this time period are from 11 areas of the country. The reported cases range […]The post Saudi Arabia reports 20 additional MERS cases in past month appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

After reporting just under 70,000 cases of the viral infection, hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in 2016, cases increased several time in 2017, according to data from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan via the World Health Organization (WHO). Last year, officials reported 358,764 HFMD cases, the most since 2015 when more than 380,000 cases were […]The post Japan reports more than 350,000 hand, foot and mouth disease cases in 2017 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

After all the headlines that came across my desk the past week or more concerning a “Japanese broad tapeworm” case in California in a daily raw sushi eater, I figured that would be the end of it, but it’s not. And that’s ok, that while these stories are often sensationalized, as someone who loves the […]The post Yet another tapeworm story appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Enterococci are hardy microbes that thrive in the gastrointestinal tracts of nearly all land animals, including our own, and generally cause no harm. But their ruggedness has lately made them leading causes of multi-drug-resistant infections, especially in settings like hospitals where antibiotic use disrupts the natural balance of intestinal microbes. So the discovery of a […]The post Botulinum toxin discovered in Enterococcus strain appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Today, at the 30th African Union Heads of State Summit, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) added neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) to its annual scorecard on disease progress. The scorecard is personally reviewed by African heads of state every year, putting NTDs alongside malaria and maternal and child health as top health priorities for the continent. Developed by […]The post Neglected tropical diseases added to ALMA Scorecard appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

World Leprosy Day is observed on the last Sunday of January every year and 18 years after being declared “eliminated as a public health problem”1, The World Health Organization (WHO) says national programs should boost active case-finding, strengthen surveillance, improve contact-tracing and focus more on early detection of leprosy cases among children to ensure achievement of […]The post World Leprosy Day 2018: ‘It is a harsh reality that nine out of every 100 new cases diagnosed today are children’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Sarawak state health lab reported Friday that a Kuching man bitten by a dog in November tested positive for rabies, making him the seventh case in the Malaysian state sine June 2017. The 59-year-old man from Jalan Batu Kawa-Matang, Kuching showed symptoms of the disease such as hydrophobia, hallucinations, aggressiveness,” said the Sarawak Natural Disaster Management […]The post Rabies: Kuching man is 7th human case in Sarawak since last June appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NASTAD (National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors), Harm Reduction Coalition, and The AIDS Institute today called upon Congress to include $100 million in new funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Viral Hepatitis programs to confront the looming threat of infectious diseases linked to the opioid crisis. “The CDC has documented 30 states […]The post Opioid crisis: Leading national groups call on Congress for $100 million to fight HIV, hepatitis C appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

During the last five years, Italian health officials reported slightly more than 10,000 measles cases (10,065) and 2017 accounted for about half of this total. According to the Ministero della Salute (computer translated), there were 4,991 cases of measles from 21 regions, including four deaths. Most of the cases were reported by eight Regions: Lazio (n = […]The post Italy reports nearly 5000 measles cases in 2017, Nine out of 10 unvaccinated appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Nova Scotia health authorities are investigating a case of measles in the Halifax/Dartmouth area. It has not yet been determined how the individual contracted measles. As part of the routine investigation and follow up of a measles case, Public Health is directly contacting people who may have been exposed, including at workplaces and where someone socializes. […]The post Nova Scotia: Measles case reported in Halifax appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Ministry of Health & the Environment of Antigua and Barbuda is advising the general public that it is currently investigating a suspected case of measles that was imported into Antigua & Barbuda, according to a notice on their official Facebook page. Local media reports that the measles case was imported by a visitor from the […]The post Antigua and Barbuda reports imported measles case from UK appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Brazilian health authorities announced the beginning of a large yellow fever vaccination campaign on Thursday in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, according to a ministry news release (computer translated). In all, 23.8 million people should be vaccinated in the 77 municipalities that will adopt the fractionation strategy. In the state of São […]The post Yellow fever vaccination campaigns commence in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

CDC Update During the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update on flu activity in the United States Friday, director of CDC’s Influenza Division, Dr. Daniel Jernigan said while flu activity is beginning to go down in parts of the country, it remains high for most the U.S., with some areas still rising. Most people with influenza […]The post CDC flu update: ‘Remains high for most the US’, ‘Spot’ shortages of antivirals reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The internet has been flooded by every possible news source covering a story about a man, who claimed he ate sushi daily, who presented to his doctor a 5 ½ ft long tapeworm. This is from a podcast called “This won’t hurt a bit” where a Fresno California physician told the story. What was this parasite […]The post Raw sushi’s microbial risks: The worms and germs appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In both cell cultures and mouse models, a drug used to treat Hepatitis C effectively protected and rescued neural cells infected by the Zika virus — and blocked transmission of the virus to mouse fetuses. Writing in the current online issue of the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, […]The post Repurposed Hep C drug found to be effective against Zika virus appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Birth defects most strongly linked to Zika virus infection during pregnancy have increased in parts of the United States that have had local Zika virus transmission, according to a report in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Areas with local transmission of Zika – southern Florida, a portion of south Texas, and Puerto Rico […]The post More birth defects seen in parts of U.S. with local Zika spread: CDC appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Chances of a heart attack are increased six-fold during the first seven days after detection of laboratory-confirmed influenza infection according to a new study by researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and Public Health Ontario (PHO). “Our findings are important because an association between influenza and acute myocardial infarction reinforces the importance of vaccination,” […]The post Flu infection may increase risk of heart attack: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Today, Nigeria will launch a yellow fever vaccination campaign where more than 25 million people will be vaccinated throughout 2018, in the largest yellow fever vaccination drive in the country’s history. The immunization plan is part of efforts to eliminate yellow fever epidemics globally by 2026. The preventive campaign will use vaccines funded by Gavi, […]The post Nigeria launches largest yellow fever vaccination campaign in their history appeared first on Outbreak News Today.