Outbreak News Today

Officials in the Zimbabwe capital of Harare have confirmed the death of a 12-year-old girl due to likely typhoid, according to local media reports. In addition to the fatality, Council spokesperson Michael Chideme said as of this afternoon, 39 cases have been recorded. On Christmas Day alone, nine people were admitted to the hospital for […]The post Harare: Typhoid outbreak sickens dozens, one dead appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit and officials at the Nipigon District Memorial Hospital and Chartwell Isabella Retirement Residence declared facility-wide outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease on Wednesday. For both affected facilities, admissions, transfers, discharges and social activities have been cancelled until further notice. Visitors are restricted to family members and caregivers only. The Health Unit is […]The post Thunder Bay: GI illness outbreaks declared at two facilities appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The US Virgin Islands (USVI) Department of Health issued a norovirus health alert Wednesday for St. Croix after five individuals tested positive for the gastrointestinal virus. Health officials initially received reported of individuals with symptoms resembling norovirus–vomiting, and diarrhea in St. Croix. Six Specimens were collected from individuals who exhibited symptom onsets ranging from December 11th-15th. […]The post US Virgin Islands: Norovirus alert issued for St. Croix appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Pennsylvania has reported the most Lyme disease cases for ten consecutive years and in 2016, while not over yet, has topped 12,000 cases, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. Through Dec. 24, the Keystone State has seen 12,092 cases (provisional), the most reported. Nationally, 31,926 provisional cases have been reported to CDC. Following […]The post Lyme disease tally tops 12,000 in Pennsylvania appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) issued their first mumps health advisory on Nov. 22 when a confirmed case was reported in Dallas and since then, 10 cases have been reported in the area. The exposure to mumps has been identified as travel related and is not associated with any other Dallas County case. […]The post Dallas County reports 10th mumps case since 1st advisory last month appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Rodney Rohde, PhD, Professor and Program Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at Texas State University in San Marcos joined me on the Christmas airing of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show to discuss the profession, educational paths, shortages and other current issues and some thoughts on the future of medical laboratory science. […]The post Podcast: Dr Rodney Rohde discusses Medical Laboratory Science for the hour appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A third deer infected with chronic wasting disease has been discovered in southeastern Minnesota, according to the Department of Natural Resources. A hunter harvested the deer in mid-November about 5 miles north of the two previously reported infected deer, which were killed about 4 miles west of Lanesboro. An area taxidermist later provided a […]The post Minnesota: Third deer infected with chronic wasting disease identified appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Japanese health officials are reporting an increase in norovirus infections, in fact, it’s at the highest levels in a decade, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. The number of patients reported by some 3,000 pediatrics departments across Japan averaged 20.89 during the week to Dec. 18, the highest for a mid-December period since […]The post Japan reports increase in norovirus appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Intensive Care Units (ICUs), which provide the most expensive and invasive forms of care in a hospital setting, are being used too often for patients who don’t need that level of care, according to a new study by LA BioMed and UCLA researchers published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine today. […]The post Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are overused according to study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Dec. 16, WHO was notified of a confirmed human case of influenza A(H3N2) variant virus in Canada. The case developed respiratory infection symptoms on Oct. 24, was hospitalized on Nov. 8 with the diagnosis of pneumonia, and has recovered, according to the Influenza at the Human-Animal Interface Report. The exact location in Canada was […]The post Canada reports first human case of H3N2v influenza appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the 17th imported human H7N9 avian influenza case in Hong Kong, and the first of this winter, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reported the patient died on Christmas. The 75-year-old man traveled to Changping, Dongguan alone on November 28 and attended a hospital there for chest discomfort on December 8. […]The post Hong Kong reports imported H7N9 avian flu patient died appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Dec 26, 2016 the State Veterinarian’s Office confirmed a positive PCR tests of nasal swabs and blood for the EHV-1 neurotropic strain in a 2-year old Thoroughbred gelding at the New Orleans Fairgrounds Race Track, according to a recent Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) alert. The horse had been at the Fairgrounds since Dec 4, 2016 […]The post New Orleans: Equine herpes confirmed in horse at Fairgrounds Race Track appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In 2015, Thailand health officials saw 142,925 reported dengue fever cases, with 141 fatalities. This included the death of Thai actor, Thrisadee “Por” Sahawong. Health officials at the time predicted another heavy dengue season in 2016; however, this year didn’t even see half the cases reported in 2015. The Thailand Bureau of Epidemiology has reported a total of […]The post Bangkok hospital offers Dengvaxia, Thailand dengue cases down in 2016 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Health Surveillance Coordination (CVS) of Amapá and the Municipal Health Secretariat (Semsa) are investigating a Chagas disease outbreak that has affected at least ten people in the Rural Zone of Macapá, according to a G1 Globo report (computer translated). The report notes that 10 people have been confirmed with Chagas’ disease since Dec 5 and another […]The post Chagas outbreak in northern Brazil possibly linked to food served at party appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On December 23, one premise in Escambia County, Florida was placed under quarantine for strangles, according to a recent Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) alert. Per the owner, the horse was imported from the Bastrop kill pen facility in Louisiana on December 20. No animals have left the facility since clinical signs began. This is the […]The post Florida: Escambia County reports 1st strangles case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa released the following news release on Friday (computer translated) concerning Angola officially declaring the end of yellow fever epidemic: Angolan Health Minister Luís Gomes Sambo declared Friday in Luanda the end of the yellow fever epidemic in the country, six months after the confirmation of the last […]The post Angola: Yellow fever epidemic declared over appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has confirmed a case of hepatitis A in a food handler working at an Edmonton Second Cup located at 8902 149 St. Patrons who consumed food or drink from this location on December 17 and 18 between the hours of 3 p.m. and 10 p.m., may have been exposed to hepatitis […]The post Hepatitis A alert issued in Edmonton appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Pork Rinds & Snacks, LLC, of Spartanburg, S.C., is recalling approximately 7,629 pounds of pork skin products that may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Thursday. The ready-to-eat pork skin items were produced on various dates between Sept. 27, 2016 and Dec. 13, 2016. The following […]The post Pork rinds recalled due to Salmonella risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Kansas City health officials have reported on a confirmed mumps case and is offering advice to the public on what to look for and prevention. Mumps has been reported throughout Missouri with the most publicized cases being reported in the University of Missouri outbreak , which has struck 265 during the fall semester. “We need […]The post Mumps case confirmed in Kansas City appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) issued an annual warning with Christmas and the holiday season upon us about the serious risks of a holiday tradition of eating raw ground beef sandwiches. Better known as “Cannibal” or “Tiger Meat” sandwiches, this traditional food has been linked to foodborne disease outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella infections, […]The post Christmas in Wisconsin: ‘Cannibal sandwich’ warning appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

An experimental Ebola vaccine was highly protective against the deadly virus in a major trial in Guinea, according to results published Thursday in The Lancet. The vaccine is the first to prevent infection from one of the most lethal known pathogens, and the findings add weight to early trial results published last year. The vaccine, called […]The post Ebola vaccine provides high protection against disease: Trial results appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Dozens of employees with the New Mexico Department of Health have been sickened with a type of food poisoning at their own holiday luncheon, according to a Santa Fe New Mexican report this week. Of the approximately 200 employees of the health department that attended the catered event at the Harold Runnels Building, some 70 […]The post Food poisoning outbreak strikes New Mexico Dept. of Health holiday party appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is investigating two outbreaks of mumps in North Texas. State health officials are working with event organizers to notify people who attended one of four cheerleading competitions in North Texas in November and December that they may have been exposed to a person with mumps. So far, […]The post Texas mumps update: Cheerleading competitions, Johnson County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) announced this week an outbreak of whooping cough (pertussis) in Eddy County. Twenty cases of whooping cough have been investigated or are currently being investigated in Eddy County residents since November 1st, 2016, including ten school-aged children. “Whooping cough is very contagious and can cause serious cough illness―especially in […]The post New Mexico: 20 pertussis cases reported in Eddy County since November appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

British Columbia Interior Health officials have issued a health alert Friday after a clinical case of Hepatitis A has been identified in a food handler at the Dairy Queen establishment in Clearwater located at 318 Eden Rd. While Hepatitis A is uncommon in Interior Health, it is believed there is a low but definite risk to […]The post Dairy Queen food handler with hepatitis A prompts health warning appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to the mumps situation at the State University of New York at Geneseo, or SUNY Geneseo, student health officials report two additional cases, bringing the total confirmed case count to 19. A dozen cases were reported in students off-campus, with the remainder reported on-campus. All confirmed cases of the mumps at SUNY Geneseo […]The post Mumps in Geneseo: 19 cases at SUNY, one at Geneseo Central School appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating nine confirmed measles cases in Los Angeles County (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena as any cases identified in those cities are reported by their local health departments). Public Health investigates all cases in the county and identifies potential contacts to try to prevent additional spread […]The post 9 measles cases reported in LA County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to a report last week of dozens of cats in a Manhattan shelter infected with H7N2 avian influenza, New York City health officials report a confirmed human infection with H7N2 in a veterinarian involved in obtaining respiratory specimens from scores of cats at the New York City Animal Care Center (ACC) in the absence of […]The post New York City: Human H7N2 avian flu infection reported, More than 100 cats infected appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is the first to show exactly how the drug Arbidol stops influenza infections. The research reveals that Arbidol stops the virus from entering host cells by binding within a recessed pocket on the virus. The researchers believe this new structural insight could guide […]The post How flu drug, Arbidol, stops infections: TSRI research appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Florida Department of Health reported Wednesday on an additional locally transmitted Zika virus infection in Miami-Dade County. Health officials report they no longer have any identified areas with active Zika transmission, but will continue to see isolated cases of local transmission. The total locally transmitted cases in Florida now stands at 253. In Cameron […]The post Florida, Texas report additional local Zika transmission appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Genes associated with toxin production and antibiotic resistance identified In a study that could have significant impact on how disease outbreaks are managed, researchers at UC Davis and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) have sequenced and analyzed genomes from Shigella sonnei (S. sonnei) bacteria associated with major shigellosis outbreaks in California in 2014 […]The post California: Shigella sonnei outbreak strain genome sequenced appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Who are these health care personnel that have gone by a variety of names over the years–Medical Technologist (MT) to Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS), which while oft hidden from the public, provides up to 70 percent of the results/data for physicians and others to make informed decisions about one’s diagnosis and treatment plan? Rodney Rohde, […]The post Medical Laboratory Professionals: Current issues, Future outlook appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Out of an abundance of caution, Altijira Murray Products LLC is undertaking a voluntary recall of selected, 16 oz. (pint size) packages of Foxy’s Thoughtful Ice Cream produced by a contract manufacturer because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The six recalled flavors, available only in pints, accounts for approximately 10% […]The post Foxy’s Thoughtful Ice Cream recalled due to potential Listeria contamination appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Dieffenbach’s Potato Chips, Inc. issued a voluntary recall for their Sour Cream & Onion Kettle Chips. This decision was made after being informed by a seasoning supplier, that an ingredient in the seasoning may contain traces of Salmonella. Although tests have shown no existence of Salmonella in the seasoning that was supplied to Dieffenbach’s, out of […]The post Dieffenbach’s Sour Cream & Onion Kettle Chips recalled: Salmonella risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales has confirmed a finding of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N8 in a wild duck in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. This is the same strain of the disease confirmed at a turkey farm in Lincolnshire last Friday and has been reported in wild, captive or domestic birds in many European countries, the […]The post Bird flu in Wales, H5N8 avian influenza detected in duck appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

While details on infectious disease outbreaks remain sketchy with little information coming out of the Venezuelan Ministry of Health, the Venezuelan Society of Public Health has been putting out unofficial data on outbreaks of malaria and diphtheria. At the end of November, The Venezuelan Society of Public Health issued an alert concerning diphtheria in the country […]The post Diphtheria in Venezuela, Haiti and the Dominican Republic appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a landmark trial conducted at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, researchers have demonstrated that when treating children between 9 and 23 months of age with antibiotics for ear infections, a shortened course has worse clinical outcomes without reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance or adverse […]The post Ear infections: Reducing antibiotic duration does more harm than good in young children appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NSW Health is urging people suffering from diarrhea to avoid swimming pools for at least two weeks after recovery, as cryptosporidium infections are on the rise in NSW. There have been 149 cases of cryptosporidiosis in December to date with over half the cases occurring in children under the age of 10 years old. The […]The post Cryptosporidium outbreak in Sydney area prompts warning appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

“Medical tourism” refers to traveling to another country for medical care. The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 750,000 people travel to other countries each year for surgical or dental procedures. Dental work, cardiac surgery, and bariatric, cosmetic, and orthopedic […]The post Philippines: Quezon City ‘very ripe’ to become medical tourism hub appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The mumps outbreak in the United States has eclipsed 5,000 cases with two weeks left in 2016, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments. CDC data shows that through Dec. 17, 4,915 cumulative provisional cases have been reported from 46 states and Washington DC. However, the […]The post Mumps cases top 5,000 in the US, Mizzou cases rise appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced its DNA-based Zika vaccine (GLS-5700) generated robust antigen-specific antibody responses in a first-in-man, multi-center phase I trial. In initial testing, Zika-naïve subjects in both low dose and high dose vaccine groups demonstrated Zika antigen-specific antibody responses after one or two vaccinations. In addition, the vaccine was well tolerated and no […]The post Zika vaccine produces promising results in human trial appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Tuesday, the Vietnamese Department of Preventive Medicine issued a public health warning for potential disease outbreaks due to prolonged flooding in central provinces. The health ministry has requested that officials in the affected regions carry out surveillance of diseases in the flood hit areas. Infectious diseases of concern include diarrhea, pink eye, respiratory problem, skin diseases, influenza, cholera, dysentery […]The post Vietnam: Flooding prompts health warning, Ho Chi Minh City Zika cases rise appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In recent years, researchers have learned that gut microbiota play a role in a number of human diseases, including Clostridium difficile infection, irritable bowel syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, and autism spectrum disorder. The revelations have scientists hopeful that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) or other therapies that target the gut microbiome can be used to treat these […]The post Fecal transplants: Toward a better understanding appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Of the state’s nearly 2,300 mumps cases reported since August, Arkansas health officials say six out of 10 are from the Marshallese population from the northwest part of the state. Director and state health officer for the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), Dr Nathaniel Smith presented the data at a joint meeting with the state House […]The post Arkansas ‘Top Doc’: Marshall Islanders account for 60 percent of largest mumps outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of mumps cases in Washington state has eclipsed the 100 mark as health officials put the tally at 107 as of Tuesday. King County accounts for 86 percent of cases (93) and the number reported in Pierce County has grown to nine. In King County, where two-thirds of the cases have been reported […]The post Washington mumps cases top 100, Does the mumps vaccine work? appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

An antibiotic gel containing azithromycin helps to prevent against the bacterial infection, Lyme disease, according to University of Vienna researchers (computer translated). The research is published in the journal, Lancet Infectious Diseases. During the clinical study, a total of 1,000 patients with a fresh tick bite (within 72 hours) were treated with the antibiotic gel twice daily for three […]The post Lyme disease: Azithromycin gel helps prevent borreliosis, according to European reseachers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The study, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine with Public Health England, found that the fall in visits was biggest among young children (the age group that receives the rotavirus vaccination), but there was also a decrease in visits by older children and adults. This suggests herd immunity from the vaccination […]The post Rotavirus vaccine intro in England results in drop in acute gastroenteritis (AGE) visits appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The spread of Chagas disease, a potentially fatal parasitic disease transmitted by the triatomine bug, colloquially known as the “kissing bug,” has been linked to corrugated cardboard boxes, according to new findings published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. This is the first clinical case report- spearheaded by San Francisco-based physician and […]The post Chagas disease vector spread linked to cardboard boxes: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency (SCHSA) is advising the public on proper handwashing in light of a big increase in shigellosis cases reported in 2016. In addition, they are encouraging people to stay home from work, school, or holiday celebrations if they have diarrhea. This comes on the heels of a report that shows […]The post Shigella infections up dramatically in Stanislaus County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a study appearing in the December 20 issue of JAMA, Anna Wald, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Washington & Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, and colleagues compared the medications pritelivir and valacyclovir for reducing genital herpes simplex virus shedding and lesions in persons with recurrent genital herpes. The treatment for genital herpes […]The post Genital herpes medications compared in new study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.