Outbreak News Today

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) and local health departments continue their investigation into a mumps outbreak affecting four counties. The latest data from the OSDH shows that 149 cases have been reported as of Nov. The following counties have reported cases: Garfield (135), Kay (9), Osage (4) and Tulsa (1). Cases in Tulsa and Osage […]The post Oklahoma and Arkansas mumps outbreak update appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Three pet cats living in the City of La Crosse have died of tularemia since the end of July. Tularemia is a zoonotic bacterial disease spread between animals and humans. It is transmitted to people and other animals through tick bites and biting flies or contact with infected rabbits and rodents. In addition, human infection […]The post Tularemia alert issued in La Crosse, Wisconsin appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Scientists have developed a type of HIV test on a USB stick. The device, created by scientists at Imperial College London and DNA Electronics, uses a drop of blood to detect HIV, and then creates an electrical signal that can be read by a computer, laptop or handheld device. The disposable test could be used […]The post HIV test performed on USB stick appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Sunday’s Outbreak News This Week Radio Show interviews focused on Zika virus news and research. In the first half, David Abramson, PhD, Associate professor at New York University’s College of Global Public Health and the lead investigator of the study–“U.S. Public’s Perception of Zika Risk: Awareness, Knowledge, and Receptivity to Public Health Interventions,” joined me for a interview on […]The post Podcast: Zika virus appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Public Health-Seattle & King County is investigating an outbreak of gastroenteritis with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea associated with two vendor locations: Mayuri Foods & Video at 2560 152nd Ave NE, Redmond, WA and Mayuri Indian Cuisine at 2115 Bel-Red Rd, Redmond, WA. Twelve people from a single party became ill after eating food from the […]The post Norovirus outbreak prompts closure of two Redmond food vendors appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Ministry of Public Health along with its partners WHO and UNICEF launched a polio vaccination campaign today in all provinces of the southern, eastern and south-eastern regions as well as selected high-risk districts across the country, including Kabul city. The campaign aims to reach over 5.6 million children and will run until 11 November. […]The post Polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A horse with neurological signs was reported by a private veterinary practitioner at Gulfstream Park, in Broward County, on November 8, 2016. The horse subsequently tested positive for the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1), wild type strain. The horse became neurologic on November 6 and died of natural causes later the same day. Currently, no other […]The post Broward County horse dies from Equine Herpes appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A large contingent of national supervisors, nurses, health workers and criesurs, or town criers, are being mobilized by the Ministry of Health and Population of Haiti to vaccinate some 800,000 people living in 16 communes in the departments of Sud and Grand’Anse, the areas most affected by Hurricane Matthew a month ago. The campaign, which has […]The post Cholera vaccination campaign commences in Haiti appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Scientists are gaining an insider’s look behind the notorious infectivity of Francisella tularensis. This bacterium is an equal opportunity pathogen. It causes the disease tularemia in humans, rabbits and rodents, among others. Also called rabbit fever, the disease doesn’t seem to spread from person to person. Instead, people contract it from contact with infected animals, […]The post Francisella tularensis: University of Washington researchers look at the organism’s virulence appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever cases in Thailand have grown to 54,008 cases, according to Bureau of Epidemiology data published earlier this week. Dengue fever has affected all 77 Thai provinces with Maehongsorn seeing the highest incidence (388.17 / 100,000 population.) This was followed by Chiengmai, Songkla, Pattalung and Pattani. In addition, 51 […]The post Thailand dengue update: 54,000 cases, 51 deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

School health officials at the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz in New York have reported additional cases of confirmed mumps. As of Tuesday, the Student Health Service has confirmed 13 cases of mumps on campus (including one Athletics staff member and several members of the swim team). The mumps outbreak on campus has […]The post Mumps cases rise to 13 at SUNY New Paltz; Arkansas cases climb dramatically appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Officials in Douglas County, Colorado has temporarily closed a 1.4 mile section of the Cherry Creek Regional Trail, adjacent to the Hungry Horse Open Space, after confirming plague in a nearby prairie dog colony. Specifically the trail is closed from Scott Road to 1.4 miles north of Scott Road. Access to the Cherry Creek Trail from the […]The post Plague in prairie dog colony prompts closure of Cherry Creek Regional Trail appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

El Paso County, Colorado health officials have identified three restaurants in El Paso County that recently used frozen strawberries associated with hepatitis A infection. Public Health recommends hepatitis A vaccine for individuals who may have consumed the product at these locations: Rancho Alegre, 1899 S. Nevada Ave.; the product was served in strawberry margaritas. Guadalajara, 7336 McLaughlin […]The post Hepatitis A warning issued for customers of Rancho Alegre, Guadalajara and Mi Mexico restaurants appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials in Columbus, Ohio have reported an additional 11 Cryptosporidium cases in the past week, bringing the to outbreak total in Central Ohio to 986. In addition to Columbus County, Franklin County and Delaware County have been affected by the cryptosporidium outbreak. Cryptosporidiosis is caused by Cryptosporidium, or “crypto,” a parasite that causes watery diarrhea. […]The post Crypto outbreak nears 1000 in Central Ohio appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the cholera outbreak in the Cape Coast region of southern Ghana, as of Nov. 2, the total number of cases had risen to 172 with zero deaths. The exponential increase in cases indicates high transmission potential of infections in the peri urban communities. Central region is made up of 26 districts, six of […]The post Ghana cholera update: 172 cases in Cape Coast region appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Provincial health officials in British Columbia and national public health have confirmed a new species of bacteria closely related to Borrelia mayonii (B. mayonii) in three ticks since the summer. “This is a rare discovery which highlights that our tick surveillance program is working at both a local and national level,” said Dr. Eleni Galanis, physician […]The post Borrelia mayonii-like bacteria found in British Columbia ticks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A 16-month-old boy from metropolitan Adelaide has died from invasive meningococcal disease soon after health officials announced the infection last week. The child, Charlie Joshua Mason, passed away from the lethal infection, suspected of being meningococcal serogroup B, according to a Women’s Weekly report. The death has prompted questions as to why vaccines for two of […]The post Adelaide toddler dies from meningococcal disease appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The number of measles cases in the Gawler area has grown to six as two additional cases have been reported by South Australia health officials in the past two days. On Monday, SA Health’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Paddy Phillips said a 34 year old female is in a stable condition at home. “We have been […]The post Measles: Two additional cases reported in Gawler appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Olmsted County Public Health Services is aware of increased illness in the community and is following up on reports of illnesses that are associated with eating at Terza and Wild Bills in Rochester. The symptoms of the illness complaints are consistent with Norovirus, the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in Minnesota. Public Health staff […]The post Rochester, MN: Norovirus alert issued appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Hawaii State Department of Health is investigating 14 cases of Salmonella infection on Oahu. Reported cases include both children and adults. All of the cases developed diarrheal illness from mid- to late October and four have required hospitalization. Although a source has not yet been confirmed, preliminary investigations identified consumption of raw fish, specifically […]The post Hawaii: Oahu salmonella outbreak linked to limu poke appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials on the Pacific archipelago of Palau are reporting what is their first locally transmitted case of Zika virus, according to a Radio New Zealand report. The case, which was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reportedly had no travel history to a Zika affected country. The Palau government has […]The post Local transmission of Zika recorded in Palau appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the crisis in Yemen, the country’s Ministry of Public Health and Population is reporting that the number of suspected cholera cases have more than quadrupled in the past two weeks. According to health officials, a total of 2733 suspected cases and 51 associated deaths have been reported in Ta’iz, Aden, Lahij, Al Hudaydah, […]The post Cholera in Yemen: Thousands of suspected cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is leading a joint investigation into reports of nine children who were admitted to Seattle Children’s Hospital with acute neurologic illnesses. The Department of Health has confirmed that eight out of the nine children have acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). Public Health Seattle & King County, Seattle Children’s Hospital, […]The post Seattle Children’s Hospital: Nine children admitted for acute flaccid myelitis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The most devastating consequence of Zika virus infection is the development of microcephaly, or an abnormally small head, in babies who were infected in utero. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine have identified a human antibody that prevents, in pregnant mice, the fetus from […]The post Anti-Zika antibody protects developing fetus in mouse study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The first of five early stage clinical trials to test the safety and ability of an investigational Zika vaccine candidate called the Zika Purified Inactivated Virus (ZPIV) vaccine to generate an immune system response has begun at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) Clinical Trial Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Scientists with WRAIR, […]The post Zika vaccine: Investigational inactivated vaccine human trials to begin appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In October, the Niagara County Department of Health (NCDOH) received notification from Eastern Niagara Hospital in Lockport (ENHS) that a cooling tower tested positive for Legionella bacteria exceeding 1000 CFU/mL (colony–forming units per milliliter). NCDOH continues to collaborate with New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) on the ongoing investigation of a cluster of 13 […]The post Legionnaires’ disease investigation continues in Niagara County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) now puts the number of suspected and lab confirmed mumps cases in the country’s largest outbreak to 1,028, according to data published Monday. The northwestern counties of Benton, Madison and Washington and the central Arkansas county of Pulaski are affected by the outbreak. As previously reported, a large percentage of […]The post Mumps cases top 1000 in Arkansas appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Health officials at the federal and state level are investigating a multistate outbreak of foodborne hepatitis A. Evidence indicates frozen strawberries imported from Egypt are the likely source of this outbreak. The recall affects all frozen strawberries and frozen strawberry products imported into the United States by the International Company for Agricultural Production & Processing (ICAPP) […]The post Fat Alberts, Red Rooster patrons warned of hepatitis A risk in Weld County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In late September 2016, the Scientific Institute of Public Health ( ISP ) confirmed the diagnosis of rabies in a bat of the species (Eptesicus serotinus), according to a press release in October (computer translated). This was discovered by a foreign tourist on the territory of the town of Bertrix. The animal being unable to […]The post Belgium reports rabid bat: 1st indigenous case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Human rabies case A 37-year-old farmer in a rural area of Ceará state, Brazil has contracted rabies from a vampire bat, according to a UOL Noticias Ciencia e Saude report (computer translated). The man was bitten in his sleep in mid-September, according to health officials. The patient did not seek medical attention until exhibiting symptoms a month […]The post Vampire bats: Human rabies case in Brazil, Feral pigs a new favorite source of blood meal appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

An individual from Putnam County, between the cities of St Augustine and Gainesville in northeastern Florida, is the eighth death reported in the state this year due to Vibrio vulnificus infection, according to the Florida Department of Health. In addition to Putnam County, fatalities have been reported in Broward, Citrus, Lake, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Santa Rosa and Sarasota […]The post Florida Vibrio vulnificus tally hits 40, death reported in Putnam County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a case report published recently in the British Medical Journal, the authors describe an unusual case of hepatitis apparently brought on by binge drinking energy drinks. The report summary notes: A previously healthy man aged 50 years presented with malaise, anorexia, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, generalised jaundice, scleral icterus and dark urine. He was not on […]The post Energy drinks and hepatitis: Case reveals potential danger appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A month after an outbreak of dengue fever was declared in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, health officials report in excess of 1700 cases. The capital city of Honiara on Guadalcanal Island has seen more than 1400 dengue cases. Another 200 dengue cases have been reported elsewhere on the island. Dozens have been hospitalized […]The post Solomon Islands: Dengue outbreak in Honiara tops 1400 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In my second interview on Zika for the Nov. 6 airing of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, Vincent Racaniello, PhD joined me once again to discuss the latest goings on in his new Zika lab at Columbia University. Dr Racaniello discussed some of the posts from his American Society for Microbiology blog, Zika Diaries, which […]The post Zika news and research: An interview with Dr Vincent Racaniello appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) reported one additional hepatitis A case this week, bringing the outbreak total to 292. The hepatitis A outbreak, primarily focused on the island of Oahu, was earlier linked to raw scallops served at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai. The product of concern is Sea Port Bay Scallops (Wild […]The post Hawaii reports one additional hepatitis A case in outbreak linked to raw scallops appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

While the dengue fever data coming out of Vietnam is months behind, we can see that dengue is up in the southeast Asian country year-to-date. Through Aug 31, Vietnam reported 63,504 cases of dengue including 20 deaths, in 44 out of 63 provinces in the country. This is an increase of 16,500 cases in August alone. […]The post Vietnam reports 97 percent increase in dengue in 2016 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Isolates of a common poultry pathogen collected from animals in Indian bird markets were mostly resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics. The study provides the first data on prevalence and isolation of Helicobacter pullorum in India. The research is published November 4 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. […]The post India: Helicobacter pullorum, a common poultry pathogen, could become a public health concern: Researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Fifty one percent of ocular syphilis cases reported in 2014-2015 were HIV positive, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Friday. Although syphilis is nationally notifiable, ocular manifestations are not reportable to CDC. Because of concerns about an increase in ocular syphilis, the CDC issued an advisory in […]The post Ocular syphilis: One half of patients are HIV+ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Belize Ministry of Health hosted a press conference to speak on the inclusion of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into the National Vaccine Schedule under the National Vaccine Program of the country. The presentation panel was headed by the Director of Health Services, Dr. Marvin Manzanero accompanied by Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer, Technical Advisor, […]The post Belize includes HPV vaccine to National Vaccine Program appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

As cold winter weather approaches, millions of people look for remedies to avoid the flu. Yet influenza outbreaks equally affect those living in warm, tropical regions where there is no direct link to seasonal temperature changes. This lack of a seasonal connection between flu outbreaks in tropical and temperate climates has made studying the environmental […]The post Flu outbreaks: Scripps researchers link humidity to flu spread appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Thirteen cases of Candida auris (C. auris), a serious and sometimes fatal fungal infection that is emerging globally, have been identified in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Seven of the cases occurred between May 2013 and August 2016 and are described today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality […]The post Candida auris reported in United States appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Harvard’s Broad Institute and an additional international team have identified mutations in Ebola virus that emerged during the 2013-2016 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa that increased the ability of the virus to infect human cells, two independent teams of researchers are reporting November […]The post Ebola news: Mutations, Nigeria bushmeat business appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up to a recent report concerning Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in horses in Los Angeles County, three additional horses were confirmed positive for the non-neuropathogenic strain of EHV-1 on the Los Angeles County index premises Friday. A Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) alert notes two of the three affected horses display neurologic signs and the third […]The post LA County Equine Herpes update appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Homemade canned peppers have been linked to four botulism cases, including one fatality in the Armenian capital city of Yerevan, according to Armenia Public Television. According to the report, the four family members had eaten the canned peppers on October 26th. One day later, one of the family members felt typical symptoms of botulism, while for the […]The post Botulism death reported in Yerevan, Armenia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.