Outbreak News Today

The number of cholera cases reported in Yemen from Apr. 27 through May 27, 2017 has reached 51,832 in 19 of the country 23 governorates, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Officials put the death tally at 417, or just a little less than 1 percent of the total. In the last […]The post Cholera: Yemen reports more than 50,000 cases in a month appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

There were 3.5 million Guinea worm disease cases in 21 countries in Africa and Asia in 1986. According to the Carter Center, 25 human cases of Guinea worm disease in three countries were reported in 2016. The first three months of 2017 , only three cases have been reported, all from Chad. However, according to a World […]The post Guinea worm disease: 21 suspected cases in South Sudan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Dominican Republic Ministry of Health said Friday that conjunctivitis is affecting all regions of the country and a high number of cases have been reported in recent weeks, prompting health officials to call it an epidemic, according to a barrigaverde.net report (computer translated). Drs. Héctor Quezada, Deputy Minister of Epidemiology; José Manuel Puello, director general […]The post Pink eye becomes epidemic in the Dominican Republic appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The State Secretariat of Health (Sesau) has warned of the increase of leptospirosis cases in Alagoas state in northeastern Brazil, according to a Gazetaweb.com report (computer translated). Through the first five months of 2017, eight leptospirosis cases have been reported in the small state, nearly 3 times the total in all of 2016. The concern is centered […]The post Brazil: Leptospirosis cases up in Alagoas state appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In April, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government introduced legislation that would allow adults to possess, share and purchase marijuana, while also strengthening penalties for those who give or sell the products to youth. The Cannabis Act, Bill C-45, has received praise from several high level officials in the country to include Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister […]The post Legalizing marijuana in Canada will jeopardize the health of young people: CMAJ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia and snail fever is endemic in 12 regions and 28 provinces on the Philippines archipelago with a whopping 12 million Filipinos at risk for the parasitic infection, according to a Phil Star report. With some 6.8 million people already exposed to the blood fluke, Dr. Vicente Belizario, convener of Neglected Tropical Diseases […]The post Philippines: 12 million people at risk for schistosomiasis, a major neglected tropical disease appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Since April 27, Yemen has reported 42,207 suspected cholera cases and 420 deaths through May 24. The following is a statement from the Regional Director for Arab States on the Yemen situation (computer translated): I am deeply concerned by the confirmed news on the rise of cholera in Yemen, which comes as a possibly fatal addition to the […]The post Yemen reports some 2000 cholera cases daily in unprecedented outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Sri Lanka has reported 53234 suspected dengue cases through the first five months of 2017, approximately a 150 percent increase compared to the same period in 2016 and one international non-governmental organization says the numbers could rise even further. Approximately 42.45% of dengue cases were reported from the Western province. The highest numbers of dengue cases were […]The post Dengue cases rise in Sri Lanka and flooding could make it worse appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is continuing to see cases in Northeast Arkansas of Shigellosis, an infectious disease that commonly causes diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Shigellosis is caused by the Shigella bacteria and is very contagious. The ADH urges residents to wash their hands and take other protective measures to keep Shigella from […]The post Arkansas: Shigella cases up in the Northeast appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

About 40-70% of the infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus strains are due to methicillin resistant ones. These isolates are usually multi-drug resistant and harder to treat endangering hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide and costing billions in added health care costs. Accurate numbers describing the prevalence and characteristics of these infections and the added burden […]The post MRSA in Egypt: Summary of few published reports appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In recent months, there has been an increase in the number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease among European travelers returning from Dubai. As the source has not yet been identified, there could still be a risk for exposure to Legionella for persons visiting or living in Dubai. Between 1 October 2016 and 23 May 2017, […]The post Legionnaires’ disease cases up to 60 in Europe: Linked to Dubai travel appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Cambridge Public Health Department has issued an alert about a measles exposure in the MIT area of Cambridge. On Thursday, May 11, a person with a confirmed case of measles visited the MIT Museum (265 Massachusetts Ave.) from 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. and Café Spice on the MIT campus from 1:30 p.m.–5 p.m. Most people […]The post Measles alert issued in the MIT area of Cambridge appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Through May 22, Thailand health authorities have reported 11062 cases of dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), accounting for 19 deaths across the country. The breakdown of based on the types of infection is as follows: 5704 dengue fever cases were reported from 77 provinces with no deaths reported, 5194 DHF cases […]The post Thailand reports 19 dengue-related deaths to date appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Following reports of norovirus outbreaks in Yolo and Sacramento Counties, officials with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (PHD) are reporting a possible outbreak of norovirus in northern Santa Barbara County schools. To date, schools in the Orcutt School District (specifically Alice Shaw, Joe Nightingale, Patterson Road, Pine Grove, and Ralph Dunlap Schools) and the Manzanita […]The post California: Suspected norovirus outbreak in Santa Barbara County schools appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Bureau of Land Management is announcing the temporary suspension of wild horse and burro adoptions at the Boise BLM Wild Horse Corrals due to the presence of strangles, or equine distemper, in several horses. Strangles is an upper respiratory tract infection in horses and although usually not fatal, is highly contagious. While the symptomatic […]The post Idaho: Strangles in Boise prompts temporary suspension of adoptions appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

May is American Stroke Month. It’s on the calendar every year, and for good reason. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. with 133,000 people dying annually. In fact, every 40 seconds, someone in the US has a stroke. In a Q&A with Justin A. Sattin, Associate Professor and Residency Program Director […]The post May is American Stroke Month: The 5th leading cause of death in the U.S. appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Four out of 10 children that visit hospitals in Sierra Leone have malaria, according to Malaria Programme Manager of Ministry of Health, Dr. Samuel Smith at a recent press briefing in the country. In addition, Dr. Smith said Sierra Leone has one of the highest malaria mortality rates in the world with 156 deaths per 1000 people. […]The post Bednets to be distributed as 40% of children that go to Sierra Leone hospitals have malaria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Zika virus infection passes efficiently from a pregnant monkey to its fetus, spreading inflammatory damage throughout the tissues that support the fetus and the fetus’s developing nervous system, and suggesting a wider threat in human pregnancies than generally appreciated. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison infected four pregnant rhesus macaque monkeys at the Wisconsin National […]The post UW-Madison researchers: Zika infections could be factor in more pregnancies appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Hampton Farms is voluntarily recalling Ava’s brand Organic Cashews Roasted & Salted 8 oz. tubs distributed in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. We have been notified by our cashew supplier that the cashews used have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. No confirmed illnesses have been reported to public health authorities […]The post Organic Cashews recalled due to Listeria risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Indian health officials have reported the country’s first local Zika virus infections this month in the westernmost state of Gujarat, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) via the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare-Government of India. The three laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus disease were reported in Bapunagar area of Ahmedabad District in the […]The post India reports first Zika cases in Gujarat state appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) today confirmed three (3) additional cases of Oahu residents with mumps, bringing the total number of cases in 2017 to 58. The recently confirmed cases involve two (2) children and one (1) adult. All three of the new cases are linked to previously confirmed cases on Oahu. None […]The post More mumps reported on Oahu appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

About 10,000 cholera cases and nearly 100 deaths have been reported in war-torn Yemen since our last report earlier this week. According to a press release Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that an aircraft carrying 67 tons of intravenous fluids and cholera kits has successfully landed at Sana’a airport, noting this is the largest planeload […]The post Yemen records more than 400 cholera deaths in less than a month appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Pennsylvania health officials issued an alert today over a possible measles exposure at a welcome center in the northeastern part of the state. Travelers they may have been exposed to measles at the Endless Mountains Welcome Center in Great Bend, along I-81 Southbound near the Pennsylvania/New York border, between 8:00 PM and midnight on Friday, […]The post Pennsylvania health officials warn of possible measles exposure appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In an update on the global polio situation in 2017, there were two separate outbreaks of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), two cases of cVDPV2 were reported in Haut Lomami province in the southern part of the country […]The post Polio update: Two cVDPV2 outbreaks reported in Democratic Republic of the Congo appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In the fight against super bacteria, University at Buffalo scientists are relying on strength in numbers to win the battle against drug resistance. A team of researchers found that combinations of three antibiotics – that are each ineffective against superbugs when used alone – are capable of eradicating two of the six ESKAPE pathogens when […]The post Antibiotics: Non-traditional combinations vs. ESKAPE pathogens appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In an update on the malaria situation in South Africa, health officials in Mpumalanga province have reported more than 1300 malaria cases and 14 deaths, according to a South African media report Thursday. The Bushbuckridge area recorded the highest number of malaria cases accounting for about half of the 1,330 reported cases were in the area. This […]The post Malaria outbreak: More than 1300 cases reported in Mpumalanga appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

While the cholera epidemic rages in Yemen with more than 32,000 cases reported since the beginning of the month, across the Gulf of Aden, the two largest countries on the Horn of Africa are also battling increases in the gastrointestinal bacterial infection. In Somalia during the first four months of the year, 36,066 suspected cholera cases, […]The post Cholera on the Horn of Africa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

California state health officials said they are working with local public health departments across the state to help control norovirus outbreaks that have increased in the past few weeks, and are occurring in schools and other institutional settings. “Norovirus outbreaks usually have an annual peak like we are seeing now. They can be particularly large […]The post Norovirus in California: State officials work with local to control outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

With mosquito season looming in the Northern Hemisphere, doctors and researchers are poised to take on a new round of Zika virus infections. Now a new study by a large group of international researchers led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) explains how Zika virus entered the United States via Florida in 2016 […]The post Florida: Zika virus local transmission likely started in the spring of 2016, several months before 1st detection appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of dengue fever cases in Sri Lanka has topped 50,000 before the end of May, according to Ministry of Health data. Through May 24, the Ministry’s Epidemiology Unit has reported 52,015 cases. During the first five months of 2016, Sri Lanka saw less just over 19,000 cases, a little more than a third […]The post Sri Lanka: Dengue fever cases top 50,000 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

It’s one of the most common immune-mediated diseases in the U.S., causing red, patchy and scaly marks on the skin. Yet the 1 to 2 percent of the population who have psoriasis are still left to wonder why. A new study builds on the genetic architecture of psoriasis, the next step toward answering what in […]The post Psoriasis: New genetic clues uncovered by University of Michigan researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Another nearly 400 norovirus cases have been reported in Yolo County, CA since our report yesterday, bringing the total case count to 3205, according to a KCRA.com report Tuesday. Six school districts and at least 2/3s of the schools have been affected by the gastrointestinal outbreak. In addition, cases are being reported in Sacramento County. […]The post Norovirus cases mount in Yolo County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with Palmerston North Hospital, located on the North Island of New Zealand have confirmed a case of typhoid in a child and there are links to the recent Auckland outbreak. Medical Officer of Health Dr Patrick O’Connor says: “We tested the patient last week after they were admitted with bacteremia (a blood infection), and have […]The post Typhoid: Cases confirmed in Palmerston North, linked to Auckland outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) Situation Report today, officials report six additional Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases in Likati Health Zone, bringing the total to 43. As of 21 May a total of two confirmed cases have been reported, three probable cases and 38 suspected cases. The reported cases are from five health areas, […]The post Six more Ebola cases reported in DRC appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Since our last report on the cholera epidemic in Yemen Sunday, an additional 3000 suspected cases were recorded, bringing the outbreak total to more than 32,300 cases in 25 days. The death toll has risen to 332. Health authorities in Yemen confirmed a cholera outbreak on 6 October 2016. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced yesterday that […]The post Yemen: Cholera cases grow by 3000 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) announced today that a tourist from India who has been confirmed to have measles visited a NYS Thruway Travel Plaza in Herkimer County, a Monroe County hotel, Niagara Falls State Park, and a Niagara Falls restaurant between May 11 and May 12, 2017, potentially exposing others to […]The post Measles: Potential exposures in Niagara Falls area appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers from UCLA have developed a laboratory test that helps physicians determine which people with gonorrhea may be more treatable with an antibiotic that has not been recommended since 2007 because of concerns that the resistance to the drug was growing. Gonorrhea has developed increasing resistance to all current antibiotics. Due to the spread of […]The post Gonorrhea drug-resistance: UCLA researchers develop test to identify best treatment appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the norovirus outbreak in Yolo County, California, Beth Gabor, County Public Information Officer told Outbreak News Today in an email that the case count is 2836, as of May 22. This is an increase in more than 700 cases since late last week. Two school districts have reported in excess of 900 cases each […]The post Yolo County norovirus outbreak tops 2800 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Cases of human infection with Powassan virus (POWV), which can cause fatal neuroinvasive disease and long-term neurological effects, appear to be increasing in the United States. POWV is transmitted by Ixodes tick species found in North America. A comprehensive review of this potential emerging public health threat, the most recent research on the virus and […]The post Powassan virus infection in North America: A comprehensive review appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

An outbreak of acute gastrointestinal infection that has sickened some 252 hospital employees at the Hospital of Bellvitge is likely due to norovirus, according to The Public Health Agency of Catalonia via an El Espanol report (computer translated). Health officials report all of the cases were considered mild and despite the high number of cases, it didn’t […]The post Spain: Norovirus outbreak at Bellvitge Hospital linked to cafeteria snacks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

For some hospital patients, going on a ventilator is often the difference between life and death. About 800,000 hospital patients undergo mechanical ventilation each year in the United States due to a variety of illnesses or conditions, such as a brain injury, stroke or pneumonia. A ventilator can provide much-needed assistance to patients with their […]The post Hospital-acquired infections: Ventilator-associated events are preventable, according to Johns Hopkins study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A spokesperson from the Riga Eastern Hospital said two people in Latvia are suspected to have tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), according to the Latvian Information Agency (LETA) (computer translated). These are the first cases of the year reported to The Latvian Infectology Center. Transmission season has begun in the region as officials say that of the 343 ticks that […]The post Latvia reports two suspect tick-borne encephalitis cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) today confirmed four (4) additional cases of Oahu residents with mumps bringing the total number of cases in 2017 to 51. The recently confirmed cases include children and adults. Two of the cases are linked to other cases on Oahu. None of the cases required hospitalization. The department […]The post Hawaii mumps tally tops 50 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the botulism outbreak in Sacramento County, California, The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) tested and confirmed that nacho cheese sauce that was sold at the Valley Oak Food and Fuel gas station in Walnut Grove, Sacramento County has tested positive for the toxin that causes botulism. The toxin found in the […]The post Botulism: Nacho cheese sauce confirmed as source of 10 cases in Sacramento County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the dengue fever situation in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi, the Hanoi Department of Health has reported more than 700 dengue fever cases since the beginning of the year, double the number of cases during the same period in 2016. Dong Da, Hoang Mai, Hai Ba Trung and Thanh Xuan are the districts […]The post Vietnam: Hanoi dengue tally passes 700, 1st fatality reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, modified an experimental malaria vaccine and showed that it completely protected four of eight monkeys who received it against challenge with the virulent Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite. In three of the remaining four monkeys, the vaccine delayed […]The post Modified experimental vaccine protects monkeys from deadly malaria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Since the beginning of the year through May 7, Niger has reported 3,037 meningococcal meningitis cases, including 179 fatalities. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has deployed several emergency teams in Niger in order to contain the meningitis C outbreak that has been affecting many regions of the country since March. More than 358,800 people between two and […]The post Niger meningitis outbreak: MSF teams have vaccinated more than 358,800 people appeared first on Outbreak News Today.