Outbreak News Today

The Regional Health Administration of the North (ARS-Norte) announced yesterday that they are investigating a mumps outbreak at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), according to a Portuguese media report (computer translated). To date, four confirmed cases have been detected and about a dozen other suspected cases are being investigated. According to […]The post Portugal: Mumps outbreak at University of Porto appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On the Sunday, March 26 airing of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show on am 1380 The Biz in Tampa, the interviews were with great experts on the topics of mumps and avian influenza. During the first half, Visiting Scientist at the University of Guelph, Jason “The Germ Guy” Tetro, joined me to discuss mumps and the reasons it […]The post Outbreak News Radio: Mumps, bird flu and the Top Five Epidemic Risk Factors for 2017 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Lassa fever outbreaks have been confirmed across five West African countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Burkina Faso. Nigeria In Nigeria, the index case emerged on 16 December 2016 in Ogun state. Since then, the outbreak has remained active. During the week ending 19 March 2017), 15 suspected cases were reported, with two […]The post Lassa fever in West Africa: Outbreaks confirmed in 5 countries appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the situation with malaria in parts of South Africa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice certain areas of the country today. As of March 12, 2017, 53 cases have been reported, most of them in the cities of Thabazimbi and Lephalale in Limpopo Province. Two […]The post CDC issues travel notice for parts of South Africa due to malaria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Investigators have shown that certain screening methods that detect the genetic material of Zika virus can be used to ensure that donated blood supplies remain free of the virus. The methods, called Zika virus nucleic acid amplification technology assays, demonstrated similar excellent sensitivities to assays currently used for screening for transfusion-transmitted viruses. The methods were […]The post Zika threat to the US blood supply: Screening tests appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A flock of chickens at a commercial poultry breeding operation located in Chattooga County has tested positive for H7, presumptive low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI). This is the first confirmation of avian influenza in domestic poultry in Georgia. Avian influenza does not pose a risk to the food supply, and no affected animals entered the […]The post Georgia: Bird flu reported in Chattooga County poultry flock appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Where in the continental United States is Zika most likely to occur? An early online article in the American Journal of Public Health by Saint Louis University researchers puts the bulls-eye of Zika transmission on the Mississippi delta. Researchers also predicted the virus, which is spread sexually and by bites from the Aedes aegypti mosquito, […]The post Zika ‘hotspots’: Highest predicted risk in Mississippi counties appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Malawi health officials reported a new cholera outbreak in Nsanje district, located in the southern region of Malawi. The outbreak began on Mar. 11 and laboratory testing revealed that the agent was Vibrio cholerae Ogawa O1. As of 24 March 2017, a total of 14 cases with no deaths have been reported. Nsanje district shares borders […]The post New cholera outbreak flares up in Malawi appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A meningitis outbreak that began earlier this month at the Yaounde Central Prison in Kondengui has grown to about two dozen cases in a matter of about four weeks. As of 24 March 2017, a total of 23 suspected/confirmed cases including 9 deaths (case fatality rate of 39%) have been reported. While majority of the affected people […]The post Cameroon: Meningitis outbreak reported in Yaounde Central Prison appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have found patients who use gastric suppression medications are at a higher risk for recurrent Clostridium difficile (C-diff) infection. C-diff is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. The study is published in JAMA Internal Medicine. “In our study, we found that use […]The post Recurrent C. diff risk increases with use of gastric suppression medications: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of measles cases recorded in Italy since the beginning of this year has increased considerably, a phenomenon that worries health authorities because of parents’ resistance to the vaccine, according to Spanish language media (computer translated). According to the Ministry of Health, 700 cases were registered in the first three months of 2017, while […]The post Italy reports big rise in measles in 2017 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Six countries in South America have reported suspected and confirmed yellow fever cases and if citizens from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, and Suriname want to travel to the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, they will be required to present a proof of Yellow Fever vaccination via their International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, according […]The post Trinidad and Tobago: Travelers from 6 South American countries must show proof of yellow fever vaccination appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD) and Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) confirmed today an outbreak of more than 75 diagnosed syphilis cases in Oklahoma County connected to a specific social network between the ages of 14 and 47 years old. The most common risk factors associated with this increase include drug use, exchanging sex […]The post Syphilis outbreak reported in Oklahoma City, linked to ‘specific social network’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A measles outbreak in Romania has been ongoing since February 2016 and cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures that have been implemented at national level through reinforced vaccination activities, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). From September 2016 to 17 March 2017, Romania has reported 3,799 cases. […]The post Europe measles update: Romania outbreak now 3800 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

States with weaker non-medical exemption policies for vaccinations can reduce the likelihood of a measles outbreak 140 to 190 percent by strengthening them, a new study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus shows. Researchers said the magnitude of those outbreaks can also be cut in half by strengthening exemption policies for children. “In […]The post Vaccine exemptions: Measles outbreaks can be cut in half by strengthening exemption policies for children appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of mumps cases reported in Toronto has risen to 62 confirmed cases, according to city health officials. Most of the cases are among 18-35 year old individuals. Five of the cases are related to elementary and high schools in Toronto, either among staff or students. All of the cases related to Toronto school […]The post Mumps in Toronto, Measles in Nova Scotia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

April 1st marks federally sanctioned Donate Life Month. Throughout the month, LifeLink of Florida honors the spirit of those individuals who make transplants possible—organ, tissue and eye donors. We celebrate the lives of recipients fortunate enough to have received their second chance at life thanks to the generosity of an organ donor, remember the heroes […]The post April marks National Donate Life Month appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Since the onset of the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria in December 2016, 247 suspected cases have been reported with 73 confirmed cases. A total of 43 deaths have been recorded so far (37 in confirmed cases and 6 in probable cases). The case fatality rate for all cases is 21.5 percent and for all […]The post Nigerian Congress calls for investigation into Lassa outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Many international travelers to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, openly considered skipping the games to avoid the threat of Zika. Despite the fears, not a single case of Zika or its major neurological complication, microcephaly, was reported by foreign visitors. The near-paranoia — and the diversion of scarce resources to protect […]The post Zika continues to plague babies in the urban slums of Brazil appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The fact that men are overrepresented in psoriasis registers and consume more psoriasis care have long led researchers to believe that the common skin disease disproportionally affects men. A unique study with 5,438 Swedish psoriasis patients now reveals that women have a statistically significant lower incidence of severe psoriasis compared to men. The study, conducted […]The post Severe psoriasis: More common in men according to study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in Switzerland are reporting a measles fatality in a young man who had leukemia in February. This is the first measles death in the country since 2009, according to a Tages-Anzeiger report (computer translated). “A very tragic case, as it is rarely seen in Switzerland,” says Daniel Koch from the Federal Office of Public […]The post Switzerland reports 1st measles death since 2009 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

During the first three months of 2016, Sri Lanka reported less than 14,000 dengue fever case, and 2016 was one of the most active dengue years in a long time. According to the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health’s Epidemiology Unit, as of Mar. 24, the island country has seen 24,562 cases, and there is a […]The post Sri Lanka dengue fever tally at 24,500: ‘Part of a health crises looming in Asia’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A horse with neurologic signs was diagnosed with equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) in Marion County, Oregon, according to a Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) alert. The horse began showing acute neurologic signs on Saturday March 18 and was immediately referred to Oregon State University-College of Veterinary Medicine (OSU-CVM). The diagnosis was made on March 20 […]The post Equine Herpes reported in Marion County Oregon horse appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

As of 19 March 2017, a total of 1407 suspected cases of meningitis and 211 deaths (case fatality rate: 15%) have been reported from 40 local government areas (LGAs) in five states of Nigeria since December 2016, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) Disease outbreak news update Friday. Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto account for […]The post Nigeria: More than 200 deaths due to meningitis since December appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

One of the states hit hardest by mumps in the past six months is Washington. Since October 2016, state health officials have reported 664 confirmed and probable cases through this week. 473 of the cases have been reported since the beginning of the year. Fifteen counties in WA have had mumps cases with onset dates during […]The post University of Washington mumps outbreak now at 20 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced additional steps to keep the food supply safe for American families in light of the recent investigations of Brazil’s meat industry. While none of the slaughter or processing facilities implicated in the Brazilian scandal have shipped meat products to the United […]The post Brazil meat scandal: USDA institutes 100% re-inspection, R-CALF USA says that’s not enough appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Avian influenza is back in the United States with outbreaks reported in several states and hundreds of thousands of birds culled to date. How bad will avian influenza get in 2017? Joining me on the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show to answer that question and others was the Chief Scientific Officer for Metabiota, a California based provider […]The post Avian influenza and the Top Five Epidemic Risk Factors for 2017 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Mumps has seen a resurgence in Canada as well as here in the United States. Outbreak have been reported in Toronto, Manitoba and Alberta to date. Visiting Scientist at the University of Guelph, Jason “The Germ Guy” Tetro, joined me on the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show to discuss mumps and the reasons it has made a […]The post Mumps: Canada, the virus and the vaccine and why the comeback appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services received a report of a confirmed measles case in eastern Nebraska. The person spent time in both Douglas and Sarpy counties. Measles is a highly contagious disease spread through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing and it’s possible that other people who were in the same […]The post Nebraska reports measles case in Omaha area appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Public health officials and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are continuing to see an elevated number of hepatitis A cases in the city of Detroit, and counties of Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne. “Together with our local health partners, we are increasing outreach to vulnerable populations to raise awareness and promote vaccination […]The post Detroit: Hepatitis A cases up eight-fold in city, surrounding counties appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The China National Health and Family Planning Commission that 18 additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9), including two deaths, were recorded from March 17 to 23. The 11 male and seven female patients, aged from 37 to 86, had their onset from March 9 to 15. The cases were five cases from Guangxi, four […]The post China: 18 additional H7N9 avian influenza cases reported in past week appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) has been notified of a new case of measles and is asking people who may have come in contact with that person to watch out for symptoms. The infected person visited several public places before they were diagnosed. Medical Officer of Health Dr Michael Hale is asking members […]The post Auckland confirms measles case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

ChloroFields of Lawrence, KS is recalling 20 cases of Asian Microgreens, because they have potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and […]The post Asian Microgreens recalled over Salmonella risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NSW Health is urging people to watch for measles symptoms after two children and a young adult who contracted the disease spent time in the western Sydney suburbs of Auburn and Chester Hill while infectious. The latest three confirmed cases bring the total of measles infections reported in NSW to 11 for 2017, eight of […]The post Australia: 3 measles cases reported in unvaccinated people in Western Sydney appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

More than 190 000 polio vaccinators in 13 countries across west and central Africa will immunize more than 116 million children over the next week, to tackle the last remaining stronghold of polio on the continent. The synchronized vaccination campaign, one of the largest of its kind ever implemented in Africa, is part of urgent […]The post Mass polio vaccination campaign in Africa: 116 million children in 13 countries appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A team spanning Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, Texas Children’s Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has developed a new way to sequence genomes, which can assemble the genome of an organism, entirely from scratch, dramatically cheaper and faster. While there is much excitement about the so-called “$1000 genome” in medicine, […]The post Scientists assemble Zika virus mosquito genome from scratch appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The majority of dengue virus infections appear to happen very close to home and are transmitted from the same family of mosquitoes, suggests new research led by the University of Florida and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The findings, published in the March 24 issue of Science, offer new insights into the […]The post Most dengue infections transmitted in or near home appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Brazil Ministry of Health (computer translated) puts the confirmed yellow fever cases in the current outbreak at 448, with 144 deaths as of late last week. The outbreak began in December 2016. The State Health Department of Rio de Janeiro confirmed the third yellow fever case in the state this year, all three patients […]The post CDC updates Brazil travel notice with new yellow fever information appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted accelerated approval to Bavencio (avelumab) for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), including those who have not received prior chemotherapy. This is the first FDA-approved treatment for metastatic MCC, a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer. […]The post Merkel cell carcinoma drug, Bavencio, receives FDA approval appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The fungus known to cause White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease that has decimated hibernating bat populations in the United States and Canada, has been discovered for the first time in Texas. The fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) was detected on three species of hibernating bats in northern Texas: the cave myotis, Townsend’s big-eared bat, and the tri-colored bat. This […]The post White-nose Syndrome discovered for 1st time in Texas appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

World TB Day is recognized on March 24 to commemorate the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes tuberculosis (TB). The theme of World TB Day 2017 is “Unite to End TB.” TB, the world’s top infectious disease killer, claims 5,000 lives each day, according to the World […]The post World TB Day 2017: Responsible for 5000 deaths daily appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada woman named Cari Kirkness, a 28-year-old mother of two had a sore throat that Canadian media describes, “quickly spiraled out of control”. The GoFundMe page set up on her behalf says the following: Cari was diagnosed with strep throat… which later escalated voilently, she is currently at the Health Science Centre in the […]The post The dark side of strep throat: What is necrotizing faciitis? appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157:H7) infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports an additional seven cases from four states, bringing the total to 23 from nine states. Ten ill people have been hospitalized. Seven people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure, […]The post E. coli outbreak linked to I.M. Healthy products rises by seven appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Monday, Idaho Governor Butch Otter signed Senate bill No. 1060 that would require the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to make available information about Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, to the public, particularly pregnant women and women who may become pregnant. Annually, $15,000 will be allocated to provide this new service. CMV causes an estimated […]The post Idaho: CMV education bill signed by Governor Otter appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A new, heat-stable vaccine is safe and effective against rotavirus, according to results of a recent Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontiéres vaccine trial in Niger, published in the New England Journal of Medicine Thursday. The new vaccine—known as BRV-PV—is cheaper than existing vaccines, specifically adapted to the rotavirus strains found in Sub-Saharan Africa, and does […]The post Rotavirus vaccine: Heat-stabile and cheaper, Safe and effective according to MSF appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Burundi government declared a malaria outbreak earlier this month after reporting a total of 1,784,965 cases of malaria through mid-March this year. While the entire country is reporting high burden of malaria, the northern, central and eastern regions are most affected. The 10 most affected provinces include Karusi, Gitega, Muyinga, Kirundo, Kayanza, Ngozi, Bubanza, Cankuzo, […]The post Burundi declares malaria outbreak: 1.8 million cases reported to date appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the report on the monkeypox outbreak in the Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) released some updated information last Friday. As of 9 March 2017, a total of 20 suspected cases including 3 deaths (CFR 15%) have been reported across four out of seven districts in f Likouala province. […]The post Monkeypox outbreak info update appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to the case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) reported in Namibia last month, a second CCHF case was confirmed last week in the southwest African country. The second case is a 19 year old male residing in a communal farm in Okongoua village, 250 km away from Gobabis, where the first case originated. The […]The post Namibia reports 2nd Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials with Public Health – Seattle & King County said Tuesday that they have seen two cases of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) since December, including one fatality. Health officials describe the cases as follows: The person who died was a man in his 30s who lived in Issaquah. He went to the emergency room on February 23rd, […]The post Hantavirus: Two cases reported in King County in recent months appeared first on Outbreak News Today.