Outbreak News Today

British health officials are strongly encouraging young people going to university or college to get vaccinated against meningococcal disease after recently released figures showed less than a fifth of young people have received the vaccine so far this year. This plea from health officials also follows the meningitis death (meningococcal meningitis group W) of a 19-year-old Northumbria University […]

With the latest reports from the City of Hopkins putting the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at 20, including one death, and an overall increase in cases in the state of Minnesota as a whole, Minnesota U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to take additional steps to respond to outbreaks of […]

Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living is reporting the death of a female in her 70s who tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) after passing away. The woman, who was a resident of the Southern Health–Santé-Sud region, had pre-existing health conditions. It is believed the individual was exposed to WNV in the Southern Health–Santé-Sud […]

In a follow-up on several reports on the Rift Valley fever outbreak in Niger, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an update on the situation in the African country: On 30 August 2016, WHO received reports about unexplained deaths among humans, along with death and abortion in livestock in the North Western parts of Niger, […]

As of Sep. 29, the Florida Department of Health puts the total non-travel related Zika virus cases at 119. In addition to this number, health officials also report 15 out-of-state cases. On Thursday, we learn that one of those cases was in a resident of Connecticut. The Connecticut State Department of Public Health (DPH) announced the […]

The first potential antidote to treat the life-threatening effects of chlorine inhalation, a potential terrorism threat, will advance in development under a contract between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and Radikal Therapeutics, Inc. of Beverly, Massachusetts. Currently, there is no specific antidote […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted today Zika virus-related special travel considerations for 11 Southeastern Asian countries. CDC now recommends that pregnant women should consider postponing nonessential travel to these countries because of the uncertain risk of Zika virus infection. CDC is issuing these special travel considerations so that travelers, especially pregnant women, […]

The governor of Bolivar state, Venezuela, Francisco Rangel Gómez confirmed this week that there are 13 cases of diphtheria in the town of San Antonio, Sifontes municipality, according to a El Diario de Guayana report (computer translated). The Venezuelan Society of Public Health says diphtheria was eradicated in Venezuela in the late 1940s. Officials state they have the […]

More than 1,300 volunteers of Zambia Red Cross Society are going door-to-door, visiting homes and making community announcements, to encourage parents and guardians to get their children, between the ages of 9 months and 15 years, vaccinated against measles and rubella at the nearest health facility. This is in support of the government’s vaccination campaign […]

A research team that includes scientists with Kansas State University’s Biosecurity Research Institute has developed a promising Zika virus vaccine. The vaccine, a DNA vaccine, is safer and more effective against Zika virus and could offer more affordable long-term protection, researchers said. “This vaccine is a successful advancement in developing control strategies for Zika virus […]

In a follow-up to the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak linked to the La Quinta Inn located at 2979 Millbranch Road in Memphis, Shelby County health officials have reported an additional confirmed case, bringing the tally to six. In addition, The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) reports working with the La Quinta Inn to identify and notify those individuals […]

Florida health officials have reported two additional human West Nile virus (WNV) cases in the past week. The new cases were reported in Escambia and Bay Counties. This brings the state total to six cases– Bay, Duval, Escambia (2), Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County. Most individuals infected with WNV will not have any symptoms. People that do […]

Officials in Ho Chi Mihn City (HCM City) say that recent increased rainfall has resulted in an increase in the mosquito population in Vietnam’s largest city and the resulting increase in dengue fever. More than 11,300 dengue cases in the city have been reported this year, an increase of 35 per cent compared to the […]

Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced it has entered into a partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide $20 million in funding and drug donations over five years to expand access to diagnostic services and treatment for visceral leishmaniasis (VL). As part of this collaboration, Gilead will donate 380,000 vials of AmBisome® (amphotericin B liposome […]

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the three human West Nile virus-related deaths in Illinois for 2016. Three individuals in Cook County tested positive for West Nile virus earlier this month and have died. “Although fall has begun and temperatures are becoming cooler, West Nile virus is still a concern,” said IDPH […]

San Diego health officials have reported a mumps case in an undergraduate student at California State University San Marcos. The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency says the student may have exposed others on campus between Sept. 6-9 and 12-14. The student lived off campus and was up-to-date with mumps vaccinations, but was diagnosed with the […]

In a follow-up to a report last week on a monkeypox outbreak in the Sub-prefecture of Mingala in the southern Central African Republic (CAR), health officials now put the death toll to the viral disease at 10, according to African media (computer translated). “We have logged 10 deaths out of 19 patients,” in the southern province […]

Miami-Dade County health officials have reported the first locally acquired dengue fever case of the year and the second case in the Sunshine State (Monroe County in May in a non-Florida resident being the first). Health officials say the county resident has been treated and is recovering. The last time Miami-Dade saw local dengue transmission […]

In a follow-up to the Cryptosporidium outbreak in three counties in Central Ohio, the case tally of the protozoan parasitic outbreak now stands at 822 in Columbus, Franklin and Delaware Counties. Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite of both medical and veterinary importance. There are two species associated with human infection; Cryptosporidium parvum and C. hominis. […]

EDUCATE, VACCINATE, ELIMINATE: Achieving zero human deaths from dog- transmitted rabies by 2030 The World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are reiterating their call for a world free from human rabies transmitted by dogs by 2030. This year’s theme […]

Catawba County Public Health has been seeing an increased number of cases of infectious diarrhea recently, and is asking the public to be vigilant about using thorough handwashing and disinfection, especially in homes with children. Parents are also asked to keep sick children at home from school or child care, especially if they have diarrhea. […]

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ (DHS) State Health Officer has issued a Public Health Advisory, in response to the use and abuse of opioids, including heroin and prescription painkillers. “Wisconsin has taken great strides in recent years to address the escalating problems relating to the misuse of opioids, but there is much more work […]

Vermont is on pace for its highest number of reported cases of anaplasmosis – a tickborne disease that is becoming more common in the state. Anaplasmosis is transmitted by the black-legged tick, which is the same tick that spreads Lyme disease, and the most common tick found in Vermont. As of September, 133 cases of […]

After not reporting any additional Legionnaires’ disease cases in some 12 days at The University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC), hospital officials reported a fifth patient who has tested positive for Legionella. The patient is a woman in her fifties who is not a resident of Washington State. She remains hospitalized and is currently in satisfactory condition. […]

In a follow-up to a report last week concerning infections in children that received dental procedures at the Children’s Dental Clinic of Anaheim, health officials released new numbers today which show the case tally of Mycobacterium infections (apparent Mycobacterium abscessus) have risen to 22 (3 confirmed, 19 probable). The children received a pulpotomy, a dental procedure during […]

The City of Hopkins reported today that state health officials have confirmed three additional cases of Legionnaires’ disease, bringing the total to 20. The latest (most recent) illness onset date is consistent with exposure before remediation began on Sept. 9 and 10. The new cases fall into the age range for all cases of late […]

The Pan American Health Organization reported Monday, following efforts that spanned more than two decades, Guatemala has become the fourth country in the Americas and the world to be declared free of onchocerciasis (river blindness), a disease that can cause blindness and disability and that primarily affects people living in poverty. The announcement was made […]

The Region of the Americas is the first in the world to have eliminated measles, a viral disease that can cause severe health problems, including pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and even death. This achievement culminates a 22-year effort involving mass vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella throughout the Americas. The declaration of measles’ elimination was […]

As of Sep. 21, Japan has recorded 130 measles cases in 2016 to date, with the additional 21 cases reported last week, according to data from the Japanese National Institute of Infectious Diseases. Japan has seen a spike in measles in the past five week, recording 111 cases since the end of August. The number of […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced that it has awarded $13 million to the Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust (ST&R Trust) to establish the first Vector Control Unit (VCU) in Puerto Rico, which will oversee and implement comprehensive mosquito control activities to help prevent and manage diseases spread by […]

McCain Foods USA, Inc. announced it is voluntarily recalling retail, frozen onion ring products due to the use of incorrect packaging that does not declare milk as one of the ingredients. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these […]

Hong Kong health officials report investigating a case of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection in a 33-year-old woman. The patient, with good past health, has developed abdominal pain and diarrhea with blood-stained stool since September 18. She attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Tuen Mun Hospital the next day and hospitalization was not required. The […]

Health officials in Bangladesh are reporting another anthrax outbreak linked to eating and handling tainted meat, according to local media. The latest outbreak is in Rajshahi District in north-western Bangladesh. Twenty people, adults and children, were infected in Makranda village after consuming anthrax infected buffalo. Those infected are being treated at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and other medical facilities. […]

Just two weeks after Thailand officials disclosed seeing some 200 Zika virus infections in 2016 to date, Thailand’s Department of Disease Control reports investigating four suspect cases of Zika-related microcephaly in three babies and one 36-week unborn child, all with smaller than usual heads. Dr Amnuay Gajeena, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said a team of obstetricians, […]

Local mosquito transmission of Zika virus infection has been reported in Saint Kitts and Nevis, the two-island country in the West Indies. Local mosquito transmission means that mosquitoes in the area are infected with Zika virus and are spreading it to people. Because Zika virus is primarily spread by mosquitoes, CDC recommends that travelers to Saint […]

With the addition of 10 locally transmitted Zika virus infections reported by the Florida Department of Health (FLDOH), the number of non travel associated cases has reached 105. Of the 10 new cases, one is a Palm Beach resident and the department is investigating where exposure occurred; one is associated with the Miami Beach investigation; […]

A new analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health has provided the strongest evidence to date that nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of miscarriage in pregnant women. The study, appearing in JAMA Internal Medicine, was conducted by researchers at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child […]

Achara, the 21-month-old female Asian elephant at the Oklahoma City (OKC) Zoo and Botanical Garden has tested positive for endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), 1A strain, according to zoo officials. All elephants are believed to carry strains of this virus, and while this isn’t the first time Achara has tested positive for EEHV, it is the first time this particular strain […]

Sri Lanka is the first country in the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region to develop a national strategy for elimination of dog-mediated rabies. Sri Lanka’s goal is the elimination of rabies by 2020 and the progress to date has been impressive. In all of 2015, the country saw 24 human rabies deaths and in […]

The number of people in eastern Sudan affected by an “acute watery diarrhea” is multiplying over the past week as Sudanese health officials put the outbreak at 3,084 and the death toll has risen to 57, according to a Sudanese media report. Those affected are primarily in the states of Blue Nile, Sennar, and Kassala, and in the […]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) today announced a contract to develop an inactivated vaccine candidate to prevent the Zika virus infection and thereby the associated devastating birth defects. Inactivated vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective when given to […]

September is Sepsis Awareness Month and for 30 days, Sepsis Alliance and sepsis advocates pull out all the stops to spread the word about what sepsis is, what it does, and how we can make a difference and save lives. While more than half of Americans have never heard of sepsis, this devastating disease is […]

In addition to the approximately 3,000 chikungunya cases, the dengue fever and the malaria cases and deaths reported in India’s capital city, health officials have reported nearly three dozen cases of scrub typhus since July. According to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), of the 150 people tested for the Rickettsial disease, 33 have […]

The Nassau County Department of Health is investigating a confirmed case of Hepatitis A virus in a food handler who worked at Park Delicatessen, located at 1420 Park Avenue in North Merrick. Patrons who consumed foods prepared on-site between August 2-5, August 9-11, August 16-18 and August 20, 2016 and may have been exposed to […]

Scores of employees at a garment factory in the southern province of Kien Giang, Vietnam have tested positive for H1N1 influenza, prompting health officials to ask the factory to take preventive measures against further spread, according to a local media report. 117 of the nearly 1,000 employees tested positive according to the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute. […]

The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease (LD) in Hong Kong, and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, and that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions. From September 11 to 24, one community-acquired […]

Philippines health officials reported on today an additional three locally acquired Zika virus infections in the Iloilo City area in the Western Visayas, bringing the case tally on the archipelago to 12. The new cases were reported from Iloilo City (2) and Oton, just a few kilometers away. With 10 cases reported in the Western […]

This rare and quite disgusting condition is known as myiasis, an infection or infestation of the body of animals, and more rarely humans with the larva of botflies and related species. In other words: maggots in your body. Primarily a veterinary issue with livestock, human infestations is rare in the United States. It is more […]

Florida health officials reported on the sixth death due to infection with the bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, in Lake County. This follows fatalities reported in Broward, Citrus, Palm Beach, Santa Rosa and Sarasota counties earlier this year. It is not reported how the victim contracted the infection. In addition, the case count in 2016 as of Sep. […]

Over 100 million women are on hormonal contraceptives. All of them contain some form of progesterone, either alone or in combination with estrogen. A study published on Sept. 15th in PLOS Pathogens reports that treatment with progesterone protects female mice against the consequences of influenza infection by reducing inflammation and improving pulmonary function, primarily through upregulation […]