Outbreak News Today

Officials with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) report seeing an increase in hepatitis A cases in recent months. During the past three months, four cases have been reported. While this increase in cases is unusual for this length of time, the overall number of hepatitis A cases in Maine for 2017 […]The post Maine reports recent increase in hepatitis A appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Just a week after a World Health Organization (WHO) representative said the diphtheria situation among Rohingya refugees was “just the tip of the iceburg”, WHO reports that since the first suspected diphtheria case was reported on Nov. 10 by a clinic of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, a total of 804 suspected diphtheria cases […]The post Rohingya refugee diphtheria crisis: 804 suspected diphtheria cases, 15 deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Since our last report on the multidrug-resistant Campylobacter infections linked to contact with pet store puppies at the end of October, 30 more ill people have been reported from 11 states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of December 12, 2017, 97 people with laboratory-confirmed infections or symptoms consistent with Campylobacter infection have been […]The post Campylobacter outbreak linked to Petland puppies expands to 17 states, almost 100 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Meningitis is an inflammation or swelling of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Bacterial meningitis is very serious and potentially deadly. In recent weeks we’ve reported on cases on college campuses like Oregon State University and UMass Amherst. In addition, we’ve seen outbreaks in […]The post Bacterial meningitis and vaccinations: A discussion with Dr. Leonard Friedland appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the US, today announced results of two papers published in the peer-reviewed journals PLOS ONE and American Journal of Pathology, that seem to support claims of lingering symptoms reported by many patients who have already received antibiotic treatment for the disease. Based on a single, extensive […]The post Lyme disease: Borrelia burgdorferi survive 28-day course of antibiotics months after infection, according to study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with the Sunnyvale Independent School District in Dallas County announced the cancellation of classes for Tuesday and Wednesday after seeing increased numbers of students and staff members exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Sunnyvale Elementary has seen an increase in the number of confirmed cases of influenza, as has Sunnyvale Middle School and Sunnyvale High School. As the number of […]The post Flu prompts temporary closure of Dallas area school district appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Samoa health officials are reporting an outbreak of dengue fever, serotype 2 (DEN-2) that was first detected in October. A cumulative total of 1,522 clinical and confirmed cases with 339 hospital admissions were recorded as of December 3rd. There have been 4 dengue related deaths recorded. The most affected people are those among the age groups of […]The post Samoa reports dengue fever outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers at Cardiff University, in collaboration with the University of Dundee, have identified a drug molecule within a medicine used to treat tapeworm infections which could lead to new treatments for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that, according to the charity, Parkinson’s UK, affects […]The post Niclosamide, common tapeworm drug, could lead to new Parkinson’s disease treatments appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Director General of the Department of Disease Control is advising the public to avoid flood waters after eight people contracted the bacterial infection, leptospirosis, in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand, according to a Krob Krua Kao report (computer translated). In addition, the Director advises people to seek medical attention if they develop symptoms like fever […]The post Thailand: Leptospirosis sickens eight in Nakhon Si Thammarat appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

GeoVax Labs, Inc. announced a collaboration with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (USNRL) to develop high-quality antibodies useful for detection of Lassa virus (LASV), and potentially as a treatment for Lassa Fever (LF). Lassa Fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by LASV. The U.S. Department of Defense has an interest in the early detection […]The post Lassa virus: GeoVax collaborates with U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to develop high-quality antibodies appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NSW Health is urging people not to swim for two weeks after having diarrhoea to avoid contaminating pools with the nasty infection cryptosporidiosis, with cases expected to rise over summer. Dr Jeremy McAnulty, Director Health Protection NSW Health, said people of all ages, particularly parents and carers of young children, should take steps to prevent […]The post Cryptosporidium: NSW Health warns of swimming pool risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

New South Wales NSW Health is warning people to be wary of Salmonella poisoning as summer temperatures rise, with 201 cases already reported across the state last month. Dr Vicky Sheppeard, Director Communicable Diseases NSW Health, said careful preparation and storage of food is the best defence against salmonellosis – a type of gastroenteritis caused […]The post New South Wales: More than 200 Salmonella cases reported in November appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

SIGA Technologies, Inc. today announced the submission of its New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the oral formulation of TPOXX® (tecovirimat). TPOXX was developed to treat smallpox, as well as other orthopoxvirus infections. No cure or treatment for smallpox exists. The advanced development of TPOXX has been funded by the […]The post Smallpox drug: NDA submitted to FDA appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. Although the incidence of chickenpox has declined significantly since the development of the chickenpox vaccine, there are still children who develop chickenpox every year, say dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology. Fortunately, there is a lot parents can do at home to help ease […]The post How to Care for Children With Chickenpox appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The declining trend of salmonellosis cases in the European Union (EU) has levelled off according to the annual report on zoonotic diseases published today. Cases of Salmonella Enteritidis acquired in the EU have increased in humans by 3% since 2014 says the report, which is compiled by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the […]The post Europe reminded to ‘stay vigilant’ as surveillance data shows increase in Salmonella appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A dog that was being treated at Colorado State University (CSU) was diagnosed with plague and euthanized Friday. The CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital notified faculty, staff, and students Monday. Local media reports this was the seventh case of plague in a domestic animal in Colorado this year. Officials say they have taken all of the steps to […]The post Colorado: Dog with plague euthanized, CSU notifies faculty and students appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Twenty-one people in three Canadian provinces have been sickened with Escherichia coli O157, or E. coli O157, according to health officials and the culprit appears to be romaine lettuce. Currently, there are 21 cases of E. coli O157 illness under investigation in three provinces: Quebec (3), New Brunswick (5), and Newfoundland and Labrador (13). Individuals became sick […]The post Canada E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, 21 sickened appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Each year there are more than three million cases of cholera worldwide, a disease transmitted through contaminated food and water that hits developing countries particularly hard. While the standard regimen for protecting against cholera with existing non-living oral cholera vaccines includes administering two doses over a two-week period, research at the University of Maryland School […]The post High-dose cholera vaccine shows promise for controlling outbreaks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In late November, an outbreak of influenza A H1N1 was reported Kumasi Academy Senior High School in Kumasi City, Ashanti Region in central Ghana. At that time, 13 cases of severe acute respiratory illness was reported. The patients presented with fever, cough, headache, joint and body pains, and abnormal chest auscultation. Since that time, the Ghana Ministry of Health has reported 77 […]The post H1N1 influenza outbreak reported in Kumasi City, Ghana appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Epidemiological studies show that in utero fetal infection with the Zika virus (ZIKV) may lead to microcephaly, an irreversible congenital malformation of the brain characterized by an incomplete development of the cerebral cortex. However, the mechanism of Zika virus-associated microcephaly remains unclear. An international team of researchers within the European consortium ZIKAlliance (coordinated by Inserm […]The post Zika’s mechanism for inducing congenital microcephaly appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in England, national health officials report the number of cases are growing and the geography is expanding. According to Public Health England (PHE), as of 11 December 2017, there have been 28 confirmed cases in Leeds, 18 confirmed cases in Liverpool, 7 confirmed cases in Surrey, 4 confirmed […]The post Measles outbreak in England doubles, more cities reporting cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the dengue vaccine situation in the Philippines, the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) announced the creation of a Task Force for the management of concerns related to the school-based immunization initiative using the tetravalent dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia. This is part of the agency’s commitment to closely monitor and attend to the health […]The post Dengvaxia situation prompts creation of Task Force appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Following reports earlier this month of an unusual number of Salmonella Agona strains identified by the French National Reference Center (NRC) in young children under 6 months of age, investigations identified and confirmed the link between these infections and the consumption of infant nutrition products from the Lactalis Nutrition Santé (LNS) group’s production lines. According to French health […]The post France: Lactalis baby milk linked to Salmonella outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Four people from the town of Nyeri have been hospitalized with suspected anthrax after consuming tainted meat, according to a Daily Nation report. The four, two brothers and two neighbors, are admitted to an isolation ward at Mt Kenya Hospital Nyeri. Nyeri Central sub-county commissioner John Marete said public health officers have been mobilized and dispatched to […]The post Anthrax outbreak: 4 hospitalized in Nyeri, Kenya appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Stanislaus County, CA health officials have reported a human case of the mosquito-borne viral disease, St. Louis encephalitis. The male patient in his 70s is the first confirmed human St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) infection in Stanislaus County for 2017, according to Dr. Julie Vaishampayan, Stanislaus County Public Health Officer. “He had symptoms and was tested in […]The post St. Louis encephalitis case reported in Stanislaus County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Indonesian health officials have reported a substantial increase in diphtheria cases in 2017, calling it an “extraordinary event”. According to Director General of Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health Muhammad Subuh, 593 diphtheria cases have been reported from 95 cities in 20 provinces of the country, including 32 fatalities. This is a […]The post Indonesia reports 42 percent increase in diphtheria in 2017 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

I was first exposed to Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) facility in a one-hour documentary entitled “Threading the NEIDL” , hosted by Columbia University Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, Vincent Racaniello, Ph.D, several years ago (see below). Now after more than a decade of regulatory hurdles, the final approval was finally achieved–approval from the Boston Public Health Commission, […]The post Boston University’s NEIDL gets final stamp of approval appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

While Europe has been seeing a measles outbreak during the past two years or so, affecting thousands, Greece has been largely unaffected until recent months. Since Aug. 2017, 364 measles cases have been reported with 167 reported in October alone. The Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) says the majority of the cases […]The post Greece reports measles outbreak, the south hardest hit appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Following the release of new information about Dengvaxia® by Sanofi Pasteur about an increased risk of severe dengue infection several years after vaccination among people who had not been exposed to dengue prior to vaccination, and the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) decision to suspend vaccinations, Brazil’s National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) recommends that people […]The post Brazil: Anvisa recommends if you never had dengue, don’t take Dengvaxia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of cases of the bacterial equine infection, strangles, has reached 40 to date in 2017, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, with five recent cases reported. As reported by the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC), the latest cases were reported from Manatee, Volusia and Indian River counties. Here are the details: […]The post Horse diseases: Recent strangles cases in Florida bring tally to 40 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting an overall slight increase in flu activity in the country. Several flu activity indicators were higher than is typically seen for this time of year. Seven states (Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Virginia) reported widespread flu activity, 18 states reported regional flu activity and […]The post Flu activity increasing slightly, H3N2 is the predominant strain appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare in India, Shri J P Nadda declared Friday that India is now free from ‘infective trachoma’, and termed this as a momentous achievement. Shri J P Nadda stated that the findings of the National Trachoma Survey Report shows that the active trachoma infection has been eliminated among children in all the survey […]The post India now free of infective trachoma: ‘A momentous achievement’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in Wake County, NC have confirmed norovirus as the cause of a number of gastrointestinal illnesses at North Carolina State University (NC State). According to Student Health Services (SHS), approximately 60 students have exhibited norovirus-like symptoms. Most of the affected students live in Alexander Hall, however additional cases of ill students have been received […]The post NC State reports norovirus: Dozens of students showing symptoms appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

WHO understands that many people in the Philippines are concerned about dengue vaccination, following the release of new information about Dengvaxia® by the vaccine manufacturer released last week. The new information indicates an increased risk of severe dengue infection several years after vaccination among people who had not been exposed to dengue prior to vaccination. […]The post Philippines: WHO supports decision to suspend the ongoing dengue vaccination program appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in Victoria are reporting a outbreak of invasive meningococcal C disease in men who have sex with men (MSM) and are urging vaccination for high risk people. Between May and November 2017, there have been eight confirmed cases of a closely related strain of Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) serogroup C infection notified across […]The post Melbourne: Meningitis C outbreak in gay men prompts calls for vaccination appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

“We have decoded how the parasite takes control of immune cells, converting them into moving “zombies” which spread the parasite in the body,” said Antonio Barragan, professor at Stockholm University and one of the authors of the new study. The infection toxoplasmosis is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii and is widely spread. It’s estimated that 30-50 […]The post Toxoplasma: Researchers show how it takes control of immune cells and spreads to the brain appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported today that the Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak in Uganda has been declared over. “Uganda has led an exemplary response. Health authorities and partners, with the support of WHO, were able to detect and control the spread of Marburg virus disease within a matter of weeks,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, […]The post Marburg outbreak over: ‘Uganda has led an exemplary response’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A species of fungus that lives in the gut of some Aedes aegypti mosquitoes increases the ability of dengue virus to survive in the insects, according to a study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The fungus exerts this effect by reducing the production and activity of digestive enzymes in the mosquitoes. The […]The post Dengue virus can thrive in mosquitoes thanks to Talaromyces fungi appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in Sudan are reporting an increase in dengue fever cases during the past two months. According to the Federal Ministry of Health in Sudan, a total of 90 suspected cases including 2 deaths (CFR: 2.2%) were reported across the states of Khartoum, Kassala, East Darfur, West Darfur, South Kordofan and Red Sea, with Kassala reporting […]The post Sudan reports increase in dengue fever appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The mosquito-borne parasitic infection, lymphatic filariasis, and the chronic stage of filariasis with lymphedema, is a major concern in Maharashtra state, India, as more than 100 cases were reported, according to a NYOOOZ report. In 2016, 2245 newly diagnosed cases of lymphatic filariasis were recorded in 2016, including 132 cases of chronic filariasis with lymphedema. This is evidence […]The post India: 132 chronic lymphatic filariasis cases reported in Maharashtra appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Large populations of potentially deadly cryptococcal fungi have been found on woody debris collected from old trees in two public areas in the centre of Cape Town and the Northern Cape, South Africa. After tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis is the leading cause of death in HIV/AIDS patients in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2016, South Africa launched the […]The post South Africa: Deadly Cryptococcus fungi found in public spaces of Cape Town and the Northern Cape appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

New tests to detect early Lyme disease – which is increasing beyond the summer months -could replace existing tests that often do not clearly identify the infection before health problems occur. In an analysis published on December 7 in Clinical Infectious Diseases, scientists from Rutgers University, Harvard University, Yale University, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious […]The post Lyme disease testing: New tests could offer more accurate and less ambiguous results appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Last month we reported on vaccination drives for cholera, measles and polio at Cox’s Bazar for Rohingya children. Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that diphtheria is rapidly spreading among Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh with suspected cases up to 110, including six deaths. “These cases could be just the tip of the iceberg. This […]The post Diphtheria among Rohingya refugees: ‘Could be just the tip of the iceberg’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to a report last month, the measles situation on Venezuela, particularly Bolivar state has grown to more than 400 confirmed cases. According to recent data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has reported 431 confirmed (by laboratory or by epidemiological link) measles cases from the beginning of September […]The post Venezuela measles (sarampión) update: More than 400 cases in Bolívar state appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Missouri state health officials have reported a four-fold increase in influenza, or flu cases to start out the 2017-2018 flu season. As of November 25, 2017, there were 1,545 cases of the flu reported to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, compared to 379 cases reported at the same time last year. These numbers could indicate […]The post Missouri reports a significant increase in flu early on appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported last week of a Legionnaires’ disease case in a resident of the Illinois Veteran’s Home in Quincy (IVHQ). The patient has since been treated and released from the hospital. In 2015, a large Legionnaires’ disease outbreak was reported at IVHQ where dozens were sickened and a number of deaths were reported. Health […]The post Quincy: Legionnaires’ disease case reported in Veteran’s Home resident appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a chemical that suppresses the lethal form of a parasitic infection caused by roundworms that affects up to 100 million people and usually causes only mild symptoms. “The approach we used could be applied generally to any nematode parasite, not just this one type,” said Dr. David Mangelsdorf, […]The post Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection: Researchers identify chemical that suppresses parasite appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to a report last month of a gastrointestinal outbreak of unknown etiology on board the Princess Cruises vessel, Crown Princess, Vessel Sanitation Program officials are now reporting the causative agent of the outbreak that sickened nearly 200 passengers and crew was Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin. Clostridium perfringens is a type of bacteria that can be found in a […]The post Crown Princess outbreak update: Clostridium perfringens food poisoning implicated appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Three Phase 1 human clinical trials evaluating an Army-developed Zika purified inactivated virus (ZPIV) vaccine have shown it was safe and well-tolerated in healthy adults and induced a robust immune response. Initial findings from the trials were published today in The Lancet. Each of the three studies included in the paper was designed to address a […]The post Walter Reed-developed Zika vaccine induces strong immune response in three phase 1 studies appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Dracunculus medinensis. The “fiery serpent”. Guinea worm. It is set to become the second human disease in history, after smallpox, to be eradicated. It will be the first parasitic disease to be eradicated and the first disease to be eradicated without the use of a vaccine or medicine. Joining me to discuss this parasite is Parasitology […]The post Guinea worm disease: A discussion about the ‘fiery serpent’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.