Outbreak News Today

The Tonga Ministry of Health has reported eleven typhoid cases since January, including five cases from the village of Veitongo, according to a Radio New Zealand report today. This has prompted health officials to temporarily ban kava drinking in public halls in an effort to get the outbreak under control. In addition, the health ministry also imposed a […]The post Tonga reports 11 typhoid cases since January appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The University of Wyoming Student Health Service is offering free sexually transmitted disease (chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV) testing for UW students Thursday, April 13, from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Center Ballroom. Free pizza will be available to students. Student Health Service, in partnership with the Wyoming Department of Health, Albany County Public […]The post University of Wyoming offers students free STD testing Thursday appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Victoria Department of Health and Human Services has recently identified five cases of Legionnaires’ disease (Legionella pneumophila, serogroup 1) involving individuals who have spent time in the eastern half of Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD) and/or Southbank. All five required treatment in hospital. All had onset of symptoms within a similar timeframe between late […]The post Melbourne: Five people hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease in past two weeks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the typhoid outbreak in Auckland, the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) reported today that the number of confirmed cases of typhoid has increased to 20. The two newly confirmed cases are asymptomatic contacts who were identified as part of the on-going ARPHS investigation into the outbreak. Following testing they have now […]The post Auckland health officials report two additional typhoid cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) reported Monday that the rate of gonorrhea infections has increased six fold from 2012 to 2016. Health officials note that it is not just gonorrhea and it’s not just a Wyoming problem. “This kind of growth is not something to unique to our state,” said Courtney Smith, Communicable Disease Surveillance Program […]The post Wyoming reports six-fold increase in gonorrhea appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A new report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reveals that Americans spent more than ever before – $16 billion – on cosmetic plastic surgery and minimally-invasive procedures in 2016. The new report also breaks down the national average cost of surgical and minimally-invasive procedures. Among the more popular cosmetic surgical procedures and […]The post Plastic surgery: Americans spent more than $16 billion on boob and nose jobs, tummy tucks in 2016 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Since the beginning of the yellow fever outbreak in Brazil in December 2016, health officials have reported 2,210 cases of yellow fever, with 604 being laboratory confirmed. Of this number, 302 deaths were recorded of which 202 were confirmed. The case fatality rate (CFR) is 33 percent among confirmed cases. The cases were reported in 342 […]The post Confirmed yellow fever cases in Brazil tops 600 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the Angiostrongyliasis, or rat lungworm situation in Hawaii, state health officials say for the past three months they have been investigating a cluster on the island of Maui. According to Janice Okubo, Communications Director for the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) in an email to Outbreak News Today, in 2017 the Department has confirmed four (4) Maui […]The post Hawaii rat lungworm cluster update: Maui and Big Island appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Hospital officials at the Santo Tomas Hospital in Panama have reported three patients who have tested positive for Candida auris, according to a TVN-2 report (computer translated). Health Minister Miguel Mayo clarified that these three people have not presented any other afflictions or more severe complications, but they are being kept under observation by medical staff. People who may have […]The post Panama reports three people Candida auris positive appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department, the New Mexico Department of Health and the Bernalillo County Health Protection Section announced today that a stray cat found in North Albuquerque Acres was confirmed to have died of plague. A recent case of plague in a dog in the same vicinity could indicate re-emergence of plague […]The post Albuquerque: Stray cat dies from plague appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Safe disposal of liquid waste guidelines Research from Drexel University and the University of Pittsburgh suggests that guidelines for safe disposal of liquid waste from patients being treated for the Ebola virus might not go far enough to protect water treatment workers from being exposed. In a study recently published in the journal Water Environment […]The post Ebola research: Safe disposal of liquid waste, ‘Spillover’ models appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Monday, Dr Loic Evain, Directeur Général adjoint, CVO, Direction générale de l’alimentation, Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Agroalimentaire et de la Forêt, Paris, France reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an anthrax outbreak on a Germainvilliers, Haute-Marne farm in northeastern France. Anthrax was confirmed by the ANSES National laboratory for Animal health, Maisons-Alfort. […]The post France reports anthrax outbreak on Haute-Marne farm appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Student Health Services at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton announced a confirmed measles case in the university community. This is the first confirmed measles case in the eastern Canadian province since 2013. The school listed potential locations of exposure in a notice to staff and students: March 22: Head Hall C10, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. […]The post Measles confirmed at University of New Brunswick, Fredericton appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The first live-attenuated Zika vaccine still in the development stage completely protected mice against the virus after a single vaccination dose, according to new research from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Instituto Evandro Chagas at the Ministry of Health in Brazil. The findings are currently available in Nature Medicine. While a […]The post The first live-attenuated vaccine candidate completely protects against Zika infection appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The precise mechanism used by Legionella bacteria to escape the body’s defenses has been unpicked in intricate detail and is described for the first time in the journal eLife. The study reveals a potential new therapeutic approach to tackle infection by Legionella pneumophila, which is a common cause of community and hospital-acquired pneumonia and causes […]The post Legionella’s mechanism to escape the body’s defenses detailed appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Tokyo Metropolitan health officials reported the death of a 6-month-old Adachi child from infant botulism after he was fed honey, according to a Japan Times report. According to the report: The Adachi boy died March 30. He developed a cough on Feb. 16, and was taken to a hospital by ambulance on Feb. 20 after going […]The post Japan reports 1st infant botulism death in decades appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the measles outbreaks among several countries in Europe, European health officials say outbreaks continue to occur in EU/EEA countries, and there is the risk of spread and sustained transmission in areas with susceptible populations. The countries hardest hit are Romania and Italy. Poor vaccination coverage is huge problem. Romania Between 1 January […]The post Measles in Europe: Romania and Italy hit hardest appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The malaria outbreak continues at a breakneck speed in the East African country of Burundi, according to the latest data. Between 01 January 2017 and 26 March 2017, a total of 2,600,409 clinical malaria cases and 1,170 deaths were reported in the country. In absolute terms, this reflects a 55% and 22% increase in caseload […]The post Burundi malaria outbreak up 55 percent compared to 2016 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to the hepatitis A outbreak in Portugal, the Director General of Health reported the case tally has grown to 138 since the beginning of the year, according to an MSN Notocias report (computer translated). And the outbreak is considered from from being under control. Health officials report a great number of cases have been […]The post Portugal hepatitis A outbreak: ‘Far from controlled’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

San Diego County health officials have reported forty-two hepatitis A cases since November 2016. This is more than four times the monthly average typically reported. Thirty-six people were hospitalized and two died from the disease. Twenty-three cases are men, and the cases range in age from 26 to 72 years, with an average age of 42 years. […]The post San Diego reports big increase in hepatitis A appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Holy Week is upon us and in the predominately Catholic country, the Philippines, health officials are advising those who practice self-flagellation and crucifixion to take precautions against infections, including tetanus (computer translated). Each year, the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) warn of the risk of tetanus from the instruments used in the ritual; contaminated blades, whips and […]The post Tetanus: Philippines DOH gives Holy Week advice appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Friday, Appalachian District Health Department and Appalachian State University confirmed one case of mumps in an Appalachian State University student. The individual diagnosed with the virus is being treated, and actions are in effect to minimize contact with this person, per guidelines established by the State of North Carolina and the Centers for Disease Control. […]The post Appalachian State University student confirmed with mumps appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of cases of typhoid in Auckland remains unchanged for the third consecutive day, according to the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) Sunday, suggesting the outbreak may have plateaued. There are 18 confirmed cases, one probable case and one further case under investigation connected with this outbreak. Of these, there are two people currently […]The post Typhoid outbreak plateaus? Family, church releases statement appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working with the Florida Department of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support an investigation of a dead bat that was found in a packaged salad purchased from a grocery store in Florida. Two people in Florida reported eating some […]The post Florida: Dead bat found in packaged salad prompts investigation, recall appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to the hantavirus situation in King County, Washington, public health officials announced today they are investigating a new suspected case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in an Issaquah woman in her 50’s. She is currently hospitalized with symptoms consistent with HPS. Confirmatory testing results are expected to be available Thursday. This follows […]The post King County investigates another suspect hantavirus case in Issaquah resident appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Leprosy is still found in the United States where a couple hundred cases are reported annually mostly from Florida, Texas, Louisiana and California. It is not an infectious disease you see everyday in Woodbury County, Iowa, or in Iowa generally (<10 cases in two decades); however, according to the Iowa Department of Health, a case […]The post Leprosy: Rare case reported in Iowa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Rabies and yellow fever claim ten thousands of lives each year. Vaccines already exist but various drawbacks that hinder their efficient distribution. One of them is the need to transport and store these vaccines at cool temperatures. The RABYD-VAX consortium, led by KU Leuven (University of Leuven, Belgium), has now started developing a cheap, temperature-stable, […]The post Yellow fever and rabies combo vaccine being developed by KU Leuven appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A team of researchers in the United States and Uganda has identified a novel coronavirus in a bat from Uganda that is similar to the one causing Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in people, giving further credence to the theory that such viruses originate in bats. The work, part of the United States Agency for […]The post Novel coronavirus identified in Ugandan bat, similar to MERS appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

You might be thinking: “Syphilis? That problem was solved a long time ago.” Well, not exactly. At one point syphilis was almost eliminated, but that is not the case anymore. This persistent sexually transmitted disease (STD) is now on the rise again and it has reached a critical high: the current number and rate of […]The post April is STD Awareness Month: ‘Syphilis Strikes Back’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) of Cameroon reported in mid-February cases of acute fever and rash syndrome of unknown etiology being reported from the Far North and North regions of the country. The major clinical manifestations of the illness included skin rash, persistent fever, malnutrition, anemia, hepato-splenomegaly and adenopathy. Laboratory results by the Centre Pasteur […]The post Leishmaniasis outbreak reported in Cameroon appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to the typhoid outbreak in Auckland, New Zealand, which has sickened at least 11 people, health officials have reported a fatality in a Mt Roskill woman. She died in hospital on Tuesday 28 March in Auckland Hospital. Auckland Regional Public Health Service Clinical Director Dr Julia Peters says the person was hospitalized with some […]The post Typhoid death reported in Auckland, Church identified as center of outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The cholera outbreak in Mozambique has now reached 1400 cases since January. The bulk of the cases have been reported from Maputo city and province (398), Nampula (296) and 537 in Tete province. Three deaths have been reported in this current outbreak. Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated […]The post Mozambique cholera outbreak: 1400 cases and 3 deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The monkeypox outbreak declared by the Government of Congo on 13 March 2017 remains active. During reporting week 13 (week ending 31 March 2017), 6 new cases were reported from three districts, distributed equally (2 cases each) among Betou, Dongou and Impfondo. As of 28 March 2017, a cumulative of 26 suspected cases including 4 […]The post Congo monkeypox continues: 6 additional cases reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. has initiated a voluntary recall of Wegmans Original Killer Brownies with Pecans, because the product may contain peanuts, not declared on the label. People who have an allergy to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. Wegmans Original Killer Brownies with Pecans (best-by […]The post New York: Wegmans recalls Killer Brownies with Pecans due to undeclared peanuts appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

During this week’s airing of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, I interviewed two interesting guests on the topics of Chagas disease and hantavirus. In the first segment, Hutchinson Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences at Loyola University New Orleans, Patricia Dorn, PhD joined me to talk about Chagas disease, her parasitology classes trip to Guatemala and research […]The post Outbreak News Radio: Chagas disease, Hantavirus transmission appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Antibiotics save lives every day, but there is a downside to their ubiquity. High doses can kill healthy cells along with infection-causing bacteria, while also spurring the creation of “superbugs” that no longer respond to known antibiotics. Now, researchers may have found a natural way to cut down on antibiotic use without sacrificing health: a […]The post Maple syrup extract makes antibiotics work better: Researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium usually associated with meningitis and sepsis, is the cause of a recent cluster of sexually transmitted infections in Columbus, Ohio and in other US cities. The bacterium appears to be adapting to a urogenital environment, an analysis of the organism’s DNA shows. The DNA analysis helps doctors track the spread of […]The post Neisseria meningitidis adapts to genital tract, resembling gonorrhea: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Colorado health officials have reported 60 mumps cases as of Mar. 31, a significant increase as compared to recent years. In fact, the 60 cases reported during the first three months of 2017 is more than the total cases reported in the past eight years combined. In late January, the Colorado Department of Public Health and […]The post Colorado sees significant spike in mumps appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination has prompted Central Smith Creamery in Ontario to recall Wholesome Farms brand Vanilla Sundae Cup. The following products are affected by the recall: Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were […]The post Canada: Listeria prompts ice cream recall appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) announced today that since the beginning of the year, they have received 39 notifications of mumps, with most arising in West Auckland. The age range of affected persons is 5 months to 51 years with over half occurring among students aged 10 to 19 years. In a letter to […]The post Auckland reports dozens of mumps cases in 2017 to date appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on an 11th suspect typhoid case in Auckland, News Zealand, health officials confirmed today that that case is indeed typhoid fever. That person has also been hospitalized. Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) Clinical Director Dr Julia Peters says the cases are all linked and are members of a Pacific church community […]The post Typhoid outbreak: ‘We do not know how or when it got into Auckland’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Among infants of women who received the Tdap pertussis booster vaccine during pregnancy, the risk of contracting pertussis was reduced by an estimated 91 percent during the first two months of life, the critical period before they can receive their first childhood acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccination. The findings from the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center […]The post Pertussis booster shot in pregnant women reduces risk for newborns by more than 90 percent appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A seven-year-old boy from Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines died from the lethal virus, rabies, two weeks after being bit by his neighbors dog on the head, according to an Abante-Tonite reporte (computer translated). The child received three rabies post exposure prophylaxis shots, the report notes. The neighbor admits his dog had not been vaccinated against rabies […]The post Cebu: Human rabies death reported in Mandaue City appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Zimbabwean health ministry says at least 10 people have died and more than 1,800 have been infected with typhoid fever since the outbreak began in October last year, according to an Eyewitness News report Thursday. Just in the past week, 86 cases have been documented, including one fatality. Most of these suspected infections were in […]The post Zimbabwe typhoid outbreak: 1800 cases since October appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Mar. 21, health officials in Iceland (computer translated) reported a confirmed measles case in a nine-month-old child. The child had stayed with his family in Thailand and arrived on March 2 but fell ill on March 14 this year. fever, rash and respiratory symptoms. The child is unvaccinated because of his young age. On Mar. 31, the […]The post Measles infection in Iceland, first time in 25 years appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Each year, there are approximately 700,000 varicella cases (more than 90% are under 10 years old), approximately 3,000 hospitalizations (25% are over 10 years old) and 20 deaths (70% are over 10 years old), according to Santé publique France (computer translated). This data reflects the frequent and unusually severe nature of the disease in childhood but […]The post Chickenpox sends 3,000 to the hospital each year in France appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Technological Institute in Immunobiologicals (Bio-Manguinhos / Fiocruz), an organ linked to the Ministry of Health, is the world’s largest producer of the vaccine against yellow fever. Bio-Manguinhos is also the main supplier of vaccines of the Ministry of Health and its production is made from the annual forecast of the National Immunization Program (PNI). […]The post Yellow fever vaccine: Brazilian manufacturer producing 6 million doses per month appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Slovakia State Veterinary and Food Administration announced Friday that veterinary inspectors discovered 21,000 kg of salmonella-tainted chicken breast imported from Brazil in Bratislava, according to a Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ministerstvo pôdohospodárstva a rozvoja vidieka SR) news release (computer translated). The frozen chicken breast infected with salmonella have been found in warehouses in Bratislava. Veterinary […]The post Salmonella tainted meat from Brazil found in Slovakia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.