Outbreak News Today

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to VT-1598, a novel oral agent for the treatment of coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, according to Viamet Pharmaceuticals last week. VT-1598 is an orally available inhibitor of fungal CYP51 that has demonstrated high potency against a broad range of fungal pathogens, including […]The post FDA ‘fast-tracks’ Valley fever treatment appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

H1N1, H7N9, H5N1–we hear this “alphanumeric” description of various influenza, or flu viruses all the time. In this short clip from an older interview, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Columbia University and founder of Virology Blog, Vincent Racaniello, PhD explains more about the Hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). […]The post Influenza: What is the H and what is the N? appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the Salmonella outbreak linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products, Canadian public health officials say the outbreak total is now 12. The outbreak has affected four provinces: British Columbia (1), Alberta (5), Ontario (5) and New Brunswick (1). Two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Based on the investigation findings […]The post Canada salmonella outbreak rises to 12 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Pennsylvania state health officials alerted the public Friday of a possible measles exposure in the State College area. According to Acting Secretary of Health and Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine, an individual has a confirmed case of measles and visited three local stores, potentially exposing others to the disease. “If you visited these locations in the late […]The post State College, PA: Measles exposure alert issued appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Dr Peter Hotez is concerned about measles in his state of Texas, so much that he is raising the alarm by predicting a measles outbreak could happen as early as the winter or spring of 2018. In an article published in PLoS Medicine last fall, Hotez […]The post Hotez measles prediction: ‘Something awful is happening in Texas’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Daily tomato consumption appeared to cut the development of skin cancer tumors by half in a mouse study at The Ohio State University. The new study of how nutritional interventions can alter the risk for skin cancers appeared online in the journal Scientific Reports. It found that male mice fed a diet of 10 percent tomato […]The post Diet rich in tomatoes cuts skin cancer in half in mice appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has confirmed a case of hepatitis A in an individual who served food and drinks at the St. Mary School graduation banquet at the Taber Community Centre (4720 50 Street) on June 30. Individuals who attended this banquet and consumed food or drink may have been exposed to hepatitis A. “While […]The post Hepatitis A warning issued in Alberta appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Plague infection was recently confirmed in a northeastern Wyoming prairie dog, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH). No human cases have been identified. The infected prairie dog was discovered in the Converse County area of the Thunder Basin National Grassland. The infection was confirmed by the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory. Local U.S. Forest […]The post Plague: Wyoming reports confirmed case in prairie dog appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Florida Department of Health has seen an average of 33 Vibrio vulnificus cases since 2008, including 10 fatalities. To date in 2017, health officials have reported 10 cases, including one death. Three cases have been seen in Sumter County, while the following counties have reported one case each: Charlotte, Citrus, Duval, Lee, Orange, Pasco and […]The post Florida reports 10 Vibrio vulnificus cases through Friday appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In Austin, Texas, health officials with Austin Public Health and the University of Texas Student Health Services have reported a mumps outbreak on campus this week. During the past week, seven new mumps infections were diagnosed. Mumps is a contagious disease caused by the mumps virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. […]The post University of Texas reports mumps outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Onondaga County Health Department issued a measles exposure warning Friday after a resident was diagnosed with the contagious viral disease. The patient was diagnosed with measles 13 days after an exposure to a measles case on a domestic flight. This individual was fully vaccinated against measles, has had mild symptoms, and is doing well. […]The post Measles exposure warning issued in Syracuse appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the locally-acquired Cyclospora outbreak in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada, The Public Health Agency of Canada reports 37 additional cases of the protozoan parasitic infection in the past two weeks. A total of 57 cases have been reported in two provinces: British Columbia (5) and Ontario (52). Individuals became sick between May and […]The post Cyclospora cases nearly triple in Canada outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the rabies outbreak in Serian district, Sarawak, Malaysia, a third rabies fatality has been reported, according to the health ministry Thursday. The 7-year-old girl had been admitted on June 28 after being treated at the Serian district hospital. Confirmation of rabies infection was made two days later. This follows the deaths […]The post Rabies in Sarawak: 3rd fatality reported, people with dog bite history sought appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

An outbreak of the mosquito borne viral disease, chikungunya (CHIKV), has struck Bangladesh’s capital of Dhaka, according to officials at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). Since May, Dhaka has seen 2,700 CHIKV cases, which prompted IEDCR head, Professor Meerjady Sabrina Flora to say, “We’re currently facing a major outbreak of chikungunya”. “So far we […]The post Dhaka chikungunya outbreak nears 3,000 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

According to an American Cancer Society annual report, in 2017 there will be an estimated 1.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed and more than 600,000 cancer deaths in the US. Of this total, a quarter million breast cancer diagnoses and 40,000 deaths are estimated in US women in 2017–the most common cancer reported in women, […]The post Breast cancer Q & A with Dr J. Leonard Lichtenfeld appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials in the southern Russian region of Kuban are reporting 30 Lyme disease cases, in fact, 300 tick bite were recorded in the first week of July, according to a Kuban24.tv report (computer translated). Seven of the cases were children that required hospitalization. The Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human […]The post Russia: 30 Lyme disease cases reported in Kuban appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Individuals who are infected by Zika virus after having dengue fever do not appear to become more severely ill than people with Zika who have never had dengue. This is the conclusion of a study published on June 20 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The study involved 65 people who live in and around São […]The post Prior dengue infection does not increase Zika disease severity appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A case of H3N2 Swine Flu has been lab confirmed in one hog at the Clinton County Fair. There are no human cases at this time. The Clinton County Fair Board is working with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Clinton County Agricultural Society along with local and state health officials to stop further spread […]The post Ohio: H3N2 Swine Flu confirmed in pig at Clinton County Fair appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) released the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Annual Report (computer translated) earlier this week and it shows an increase in infectious diseases in the country. They say in the report that the increases have been influenced by the increase in incoming asylum seekers, as well as partly due to their increased disease screening. However, the change in […]The post Germany reports increase in infectious diseases: Robert Koch report appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A measles case has been confirmed in an unvaccinated, white adult who lives in Hennepin County and was likely exposed to measles at locations frequented by the last identified case, according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). This brings the outbreak total to 79 since April. Patients were residents of Hennepin, Ramsey, LeSueur, and Crow Wing […]The post Minnesota: New measles case confirmed, 79 total in outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Two experimental vaccines can restrict Zika virus transmission from pregnant mice to their fetuses and can prevent Zika virus-induced placental damage and fetal demise, according to new findings published July 13 in Cell. Scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); Washington University School of […]The post Experimental vaccines protect against Zika-related congenital damage appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), Plum Island Animal Disease Center scientists recently filed five patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and provided the funding for research performed by collaborating federal scientists to file five additional patent applications to provide powerful new tools to combat Foreign Animal Diseases (FADs), specifically […]The post Plum Island scientists develop new tools to battle Foreign Animal Diseases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Maine health authorities have reported a case of the relatively rare mosquito borne disease, Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) in a mature adult from Kennebec County who had symptom onset in early June. The case required hospitalization but the individual is recovering at home. The case prompted the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) remind […]The post Maine: Jamestown Canyon virus reported in Kennebec County resident appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of dengue fever cases in Sri Lanka continue to mount as some 10,000 additional cases have been reported in the past week. Through Wednesday, the country case count has climbed to 89,885, up from 80,000 last Thursday. In the capital city of Colombo, the cases have topped 20,000 as of today, by far […]The post Colombo dengue cases top 20,000, Vaccine requires more research appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

If there is anything scientists are certain of when it comes to bats and their supposed role in causing human disease, it is that they still have a lot to learn. Aside from well-established things like rabies virus, SARS coronavirus (the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome) and Marburg virus (an extremely dangerous but […]The post Bats and human disease: There is still a lot to learn appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The non-governmental organization, Praja says the following concerning the health situation in the city of Mumbai, India in a newly published “white paper”–Despite its claims of being a world-class metropolis, Mumbai is a decidedly unhealthy city. It is characterized by rising cases of dengue and tuberculosis, including drug-resistant strains of the latter. Child malnutrition is rampant. […]The post Mumbai state of health: Nearly 20 TB deaths a day, dengue cases way up appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the report of a multi-province Salmonella outbreak in Canada linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products, Loblaw Companies Limited has recalled President’s Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Recalled products Brand Name Common Name Size Code(s) on Product UPC President’s Choice Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets – Uncooked Breaded […]The post Loblaw recalls chicken nuggets over Salmonella concerns appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

New York State health officials confirmed a case of Powassan virus (POWV) in a Saratoga County resident, according to a Spectrum News report Wednesday. The individual that contracted the tickborne virus has died; however, health officials say it not certain if this was the cause of death, “but it’s likely that Powassan helped contribute.” This is […]The post Powassan virus case confirmed in Saratoga County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the hepatitis A outbreak in San Diego, the case tally has grown to 228, including five fatalities, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency today. During the local outbreak, 161 people have been hospitalized. People who are either homeless or using illicit drugs account for at least seven […]The post San Diego reports 5th hepatitis A death, 70 percent of outbreak cases in homeless or illicit drug users appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with Public Health — Seattle & King County are investigating an outbreak of gastroenteritis with watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and vomiting associated with consumption of raw oysters at Salted Sea located at 4915 Rainier Ave S #101, Seattle, WA 98118. One person has laboratory-confirmed Vibrio parahaemolyticus and two others have symptoms suggestive of vibriosis. Two people from one […]The post Seattle: Vibrio parahaemolyticus outbreak being investigated, linked to raw oysters appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The DeKalb County Board of Health received its first report of a human case of West Nile virus infection in the county earlier today. The patient, a 72-year-old male who lives in Brookhaven, is currently hospitalized. “It is unfortunate that one of our residents has contracted West Nile virus. However, this serves as a constant […]The post West Nile virus reported in Atlanta area man appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, especially among a type of bacteria that are classified as “Gram-negative.” These bacteria have two cell membranes, making it more difficult for drugs to penetrate and kill the cells. Researchers from MIT and other institutions are hoping to use nanotechnology to develop more targeted treatments for these drug-resistant bugs. […]The post Using nanotechnology to develop more targeted treatments for drug-resistant bacteria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is among the largest mass gatherings in the world draws about 2 to 4 million Muslim pilgrims every year; at least 1.5 to 2 million pilgrims are foreign visitors. In 2017, Hajj will take place from approximately August 30 to September 4. Every year, at the request […]The post Hajj pilgrimage: Vaccine requirements and other health advisories appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Yemen Through Tuesday, 320,199 suspected cholera cases and 1,742 deaths (CFR: 0.5%) have been reported in 91.3% (21/23) of Yemen governorates, and 87.7% (292/333) of the districts since Apr. 27, according to the World Health Organization. The International Committee of the Red Cross says the country’s health care system has been decimated by two years of war […]The post Cholera update: Yemen and Nigeria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved the Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) treatment, ORENCIA (abatacept) by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. ORENCIA is approved and available in both intravenous and subcutaneous (SC) injection formulations for the treatment of adults with active PsA. This approval marks the third autoimmune disease indication for ORENCIA. “This approval underscores the efficacy of ORENCIA in adult patients […]The post ORENCIA approved for the treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

There is likely no bigger accomplishment in medicine and public health that has saved so many lives and prevented so much misery over the decades as the introduction of vaccines. In the U.S. alone, between 1963 and 2015 nearly 200 million cases of polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, adenovirus, rabies and hepatitis A — and […]The post Vaccines: How they work and some common misconceptions appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on a report on the E.coli ( Escherichia coli) in the Hildale/Colorado City area on the Utah/Arizona border, officials with the Southwest Utah Public Health Department (SWUPHD) said Tuesday that the number of confirmed cases has swelled to 11. The most serious cases involve children, and include two deaths. This is up by two cases […]The post Utah E. coli outbreak update: 11 confirmed cases, investigation ongoing appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

With almost 19 million reliant on aid, Yemen is the world’s single largest humanitarian crisis, which includes a deadly cholera outbreak, according to The International Committee of the Red Cross. On 5 May, the Ministry of Health and Population in Sana’a declared a state of emergency. Less than three months later, over 313,000 people are suspected […]The post Yemen is the world’s single largest humanitarian crisis: Red Cross appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Bay Area Lyme Foundation, the leading national nonprofit funder of innovative Lyme disease research, today announced that the winners of its 2017 Emerging Leader Award, are James J. Collins, PhD, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yuko Nakajima, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Brandeis University. Dr. Collins was awarded a $250,000 grant to research an RNA direct detection […]The post Lyme disease research grants awarded to MIT, Brandeis researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in Europe, 35 deaths have been reported to include 31 in Romania, two in Italy, one in Portugal and one in Germany. “Every death or disability caused by this vaccine-preventable disease is an unacceptable tragedy,” says Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “We are very concerned […]The post Measles in Europe: ‘Every death or disability is an unacceptable tragedy’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of gonorrhea cases reported in Mexico to date is up 162 percent compared to the same period in 2016. According to a Puebla Online report (computer translated), 2,364 cases have been reported through the end of June this year. This compares to 902 cases last year. Approximately half the cases have been reported […]The post Mexico reports 162 percent increase in gonorrhea appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The incidence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been steadily increasing across the countries of the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) with 21 081 cases reported in the EU/EEA over the last decade. According to data published by ECDC, the number of confirmed HEV cases has been increasing each year from 514 […]The post Hepatitis E in Europe: 10-fold increase reported from 2005-2015 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

There have been 4 documented cases of Vibrio vulnificus infection in Mobile County, AL in 2017 to date, according to the Mobile County Health Department. Officials note that three of the four cases occurred in Mobile County waters. The first case involved a Mobile County resident who consumed raw oysters in another state in March. […]The post Vibrio vulnificus: Mobile County reports 4th confirmed case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Arkansas has identified its first case of Heartland virus, a relatively new tickborne disease, in an individual living in the northwest part of the state. People become infected with Heartland virus through the bite of the Lone Star tick. Patients are most likely to be diagnosed with Heartland virus from May to September. Heartland virus […]The post Arkansas reports 1st Heartland virus case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), group B strep is the leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in a newborn’s first week of life. July is International Group B strep awareness month and retired obstetrician and infectious disease specialist, Dr James A McGregor joined me to discuss a variety of topics related to […]The post July is International Group B Strep Awareness Month appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Hydroxychloroquine, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat malaria and certain autoimmune diseases in pregnant women, appears to reduce transmission of Zika virus from pregnant mice to their fetuses, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. The drug works by inhibiting autophagy, a process by […]The post Hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug, protects fetal mice from Zika virus: Study finds appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Since the beginning of the year, Kenya has reported 277 visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar cases, including seven deaths from two counties–Marsabit County in the mid-north of the country and Wajir County in the east of Kenya, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Marsabit County has reported a total of 162 cases and three deaths, coming […]The post Kenya reports nearly 300 kala-azar this year in two counties appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the malaria outbreak in the east African country of Burundi, 4,376,804 cases including 1,996 deaths (case fatality rate 0.05%) have been reported this year through the end of June. It’s been increasing persistently despite ongoing response interventions. During the most recent weekly data available (ending June 25), 173,355 clinical cases of malaria including 102 […]The post Burundi: Malaria outbreak continues unabated appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of dengue fever cases reported in Vietnam has increased by 11.3 percent during the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2016, according to the General Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, Viet Nam. Through June 18, Vietnam has seen 45,074 cases of dengue reported, including thirteen deaths. […]The post Vietnam: Dengue fever cases up 11 percent in 2017 to date appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is urging horse owners to remain vigilant, following confirmation of Hendra virus infection in an unvaccinated horse near Lismore. NSW Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Christine Middlemiss, said the property near Lismore has been placed under movement restrictions by Local Land Services. “This is the first case […]The post Australia: NSW reports 1st Hendra virus of 2017 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.