Outbreak News Today

Florida health officials have not reported a locally transmitted Zika virus case since Tuesday and the tally remains at 56. Despite this good news, the travel associated cases continue to climb with the total through Friday now at 616, including 84 infections involving pregnant women. On Wednesday, Miami Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez released the following statement […]

With the additional reported Zika virus cases reported by the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) during the past two days (9 on Sept. 8 and 12 cases today, respectively), the outbreak total has reached 304 confirmed locally acquired cases. In addition, the MOH’s National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) and A*STAR’s Bioinformatics Institute (BII) have completed the […]

For the second time in recent years, US President Barack Obama has had a newly discovered parasite named after him. In 2012, Paragordius obamai, a new nematode (roundworm) was named after the 44th President of the US, whose father was raised in Kenya where the parasite is found. Now, retired St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana parasitologist, Thomas […]

Hookworm affects approximately 500 million people worldwide, yet its global economic and health impact is not well understood. A study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases suggests that the health and economic burden of hookworm infection is estimated to exceed those of a number of diseases receiving greater attention and investment. Sarah Bartsch from John Hopkins […]

The number of Cryptosporidium infections in the Central Ohio counties of Columbus, Delaware and Franklin has tripled in the past three weeks as health officials now say the tally is at 600 cases. Columbus Public Health notes that there has been a recent rise over the normal threshold of cases across the several jurisdictions. Cryptosporidiosis is […]

In July, California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer promoted a public health emergency funding bill to help health officials with responding to epidemics and other public health emergencies. Today, Sen Boxer introduced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Emergency Response Act of 2016 that would create a $2 billion Emergency Response Fund that the CDC Director […]

The only approved vaccine for dengue may actually increase the incidence of dengue infections requiring hospitalization rather than preventing the disease if health officials aren’t careful about where they vaccinate, new public health research published Sept. 2 in Science suggests. Dengue typically causes a mild first infection but a far worse one if someone is infected […]

In 2015, the Philippines reported more than 200,000 dengue fever cases, including nearly 600 deaths, making the archipelago one of the hardest hit nations from the mosquito borne viral disease. Based on the latest data this year, the country has crossed the 100,000 case threshold, outpacing 2015 numbers to date. As of Aug. 20, there […]

A fourth case of West Nile virus has been reported to the City of El Paso Department of Public Health. The patient is a man in his 30’s who lives in the Lower Valley. The case comes as El Paso continues to see rainy weather conditions which can create breeding conditions for the mosquitoes that […]

The Middlesex-London Health Unit is continuing its investigation into the unusally high number of salmonella cases reported to it over the last couple of weeks. As of today, the Health Unit has been notified of 37 confirmed, six probable and one suspect case of salmonella infection since the 18th of August. There was no clear […]

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) announced last week that it has been notified of four cases of Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) bloodstream infection between July and August of 2016 in New Castle County. Typically a foodborne illness, these bacteria usually do not cause blood infections. Three of the four cases of B. cereus reported […]

Concerned parents in Jurupa Valley, California are demanding more concrete information concerning letters that were sent home to parents saying two students at Indian Hills Elementary may be sick with leprosy. The scare prompted some parents to keep their children home on Tuesday. The director of disease control for Riverside County, Barbara Cole, said a school nurse notified the health department […]

Singapore health officials reported an additional eight new confirmed cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection on Tuesday, bringing the outbreak total to 283. Of these, two cases are linked to the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive/ Kallang Way/ Paya Lebar Way cluster, and one case is linked to the Bishan Street 12 cluster. There is a […]

In a follow-up on the Zika virus situation in Malaysia, the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) has received a report Monday on the third confirmed Zika infection involving a 27-year-old Chinese woman who is staying in Taman Desa Harmoni, Johor Bharu. The patient is currently four months pregnant with her first child. She started exhibiting symptoms of […]

Researchers have found that Zika virus can live in eyes and have identified genetic material from the virus in tears, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study, in mice, helps explain why some Zika patients develop eye disease including a condition known as uveitis which can lead […]

It’s official. The executive committee of the International Committee of Taxonomy of Viruses approved naming a new virus, influenza D, as the South Dakota State University researchers who discovered it proposed, according to professor Feng Li. The committee officially announced a new genus, Orthomyxovirdae, with a single species, Influenza D virus, because of its distinctness […]

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are reporting Shigella isolates with decreased susceptibility to azithromycin (DSA) in men who have sex with men (MSM). In addition, these isolates also display high levels of resistance to ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). Ciprofloxacin-resistance has also been reported among Shigella infections in NYC. Health officials are instructing […]

The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, or WHO/AFRO, announced today of a third case of wild poliovirus in Nigeria. The case is another child from Borno State in the north-eastern part of the country, a former Boko Haram stronghold. WHO says there is also a high risk of the virus spreading in the Lake Chad […]

The McCone County Health Department and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services are reporting Montana’s first human death from West Nile Virus (WNV) for 2016. This case brings the total number of West Nile Virus (WNV) cases reported in Montana to six for 2016. Previously, four cases were reported in Dawson County […]

Singaporean health officials reported an additional 17 new, confirmed cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection on Tuesday. The tally we’ve been keeping at the website puts the total locally acquired cases at 275. Of the new cases, 10 cases are linked to the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive/ Kallang Way/ Paya Lebar Way cluster. There is a […]

The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today investigating a local case of dengue fever (DF), and hence again urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, anti-mosquito and personal protective measures both locally and during travel. The female patient, aged 40 with underlying illness, has presented […]

There are so many reasons to teach young children to keep their fingers out of their mouths and not to eat dirt. Add the fact that there are so many dogs and puppies using our yard for a bathroom; your own, a neighbors, even a stray. In the United States, most puppies and many adult […]

Preliminary data from the world’s first national meningitis B immunization program with Bexsero, launched one year ago in the UK, shows the estimated effectiveness of the vaccine at 83 percent against any meningitis B strain and 94 percent against vaccine preventable strains, for all children receiving the first two of three recommended doses. Reported cases […]

At least seven people in Central Myanmar’s Sagaing Region are believed to have been infected with the bacterial disease, anthrax, after handling known diseased animals, according to a local media report. According to health officials, several unvaccinated cows died of the disease on Sep. 4 and were handled by the seven individuals. Anthrax is suspected; however, it […]

Research presented today at this year’s European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in London, UK shows that exposure to antibiotics early in life is related to increased risk of developing allergies later in life. The research is by Dr Fariba Ahmadizar, Utrecht University, Netherlands and colleagues. Some previous research has suggested that early life exposure […]

In a follow-up on the Scotland E. coli O157 outbreak linked to unpasteurized blue cheese, the multi-agency Incident Management Team (IMT) chaired by Health Protection Scotland has been investigating an outbreak of the same strain of E. coli O157. There have been a total of 20 confirmed cases of this strain identified. Eleven of the cases […]

Public Health is investigating a cluster of confirmed Hepatitis A cases associated with two child care centres in the Halifax area. The source of infection has not been determined at this time. Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed, Medical Officer of Health, Nova Scotia Health Authority, said the focus right now is on identifying potential additional cases in […]

In 2015, Venezuela saw a record number of malaria cases with 136,402, the most reported in 75 years, since reliable records have been kept in the country. However, the situation is much worse in the South American country during the first 33 weeks of 2016. The Sociedad Venezolana de Salud Pública Red Defendamos la Epidemiología, or the Venezuelan Society […]

In a remarkable public health achievement, Sri Lanka was today certified by WHO on having eliminated malaria, a life-threatening disease which long affected the island country. “Sri Lanka’s achievement is truly remarkable. In the mid-20th century it was among the most malaria-affected countries, but now it is malaria-free. This is testament to the courage and […]

Health officials in the Philippines reported today at a press conference on the first confirmed local Zika virus transmission in the country. The case is reported in a woman in her 40s from Iloilo City. She is not pregnant. Local mosquito transmission means that mosquitoes in the area are infected with Zika virus and are spreading it […]

Singapore health officials saw a small downtick in Zika virus cases Monday, reporting only 16 locally transmitted cases, bringing the outbreak total to 258. Of these, 11 cases are linked to the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive/ Kallang Way/ Paya Lebar Way cluster. One case is linked to the Joo Seng Road cluster. The other four cases […]

The latest official data from India, published in a Times of India report, concerning the mosquito borne viral diseases, chikungunya and dengue, have been released and we find that through Aug. 2016, 12,255 cases of chikungunya and 27,879 dengue fever cases in India. And this is only the beginning as health officials say cases are expected […]

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) news release Friday, a major part of the largest emergency vaccination campaign against yellow fever ever attempted in Africa has been completed, with more than 7.7 million people vaccinated in record time in the city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This has been accomplished through an extraordinary […]

A measles outbreak among dozens of employees of Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture in southern Japan has been reported, according to local media (computer translated). According to the report, a total of 31 airport employees have contracted the very contagious viral disease. Last week, Kansai International Airport reported on their Facebook page a total of 16 cases […]

The Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) reported today the confirmation of 27 additional locally acquired Zika virus cases, bringing the city-state total to 242. Of these new cases, 25 are linked to the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive/ Kallang Way/ Paya Lebar Way cluster. There is a potential new cluster involving one previously reported case and […]

The investigation into the outbreak of gastrointestinal illness at Manhattan High School in Manhattan , KS continues as laboratory testing is ongoing. The Riley County Health Department is currently working with Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Manhattan High School administration to investigate reports of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea at Manhattan High School (West […]

Chronic wasting disease has caused significant declines in east-central Wyoming white-tailed deer populations, according to new research published this week by University of Wyoming scientists. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease of deer, elk and moose found in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. The research, led by recent UW Ph.D. graduate David […]

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit (LGL) are investigating three related cases of measles in unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated individuals who have not received all of their required measles vaccines. The health units are working closely with local health care providers, hospitals, and the province to contact individuals and families who may have […]

Almost one third of dogs (31 percent) checked at random during a visit to a vet were found to be carrying a tick. That’s the result of the Big Tick project – the largest ever study of ticks in dogs in the UK. The Big Tick Project was carried out by the University of Bristol […]

In a follow-up to the rapidly spreading Zika virus outbreak in Singapore, the Ministry of Health has reported an additional 26 new confirmed cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection on Saturday. This brings the outbreak total to 215 cases. Of the new cases, 24 are linked to the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive/ Kallang Way/ Paya Lebar […]

Just days after reporting a travel-associated Zika virus case in a woman who contracted the virus while in Singapore, Malaysian Health Minister, Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Dr. Subramaniam Sathasivam reported on the 1st locally acquired Zika infection in a Seabah resident: The Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) had received a report for the first local transmission case of […]

At least two dozen people from a single family have been hospitalized in Kurram Tribal Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan after drinking milk from a cow which was recently bitten by a rabid dog, according to a local media account. It is reported that the condition of all 24 family members worsened and most […]

Health officials from a myriad of federal and local agencies are investigating the multistate hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen strawberries in smoothies served in Tropical Smoothie Cafe restaurant locations. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report put the outbreak at 70 cases in seven states. In Virginia, where the first cluster of […]

The state of Florida has reported 49 locally acquired Zika virus cases in several counties and finally detected the virus in local mosquitoes, cementing the case of local transmission in the state. Earlier we reported on several Florida politicians (Marco Rubio, David Jolly and Kathy Castor)who have called on Congress to act on the emergency funding […]

The Department of Health (DOH) is urging travelers to take extra precautions while staying in Zika-affected countries with on-going, local transmission. The Bureau of Quarantine will continue to screen arriving passengers for signs of fever. These passengers are reminded to fill-out a health declaration checklist upon arrival and to report or visit any government health facility […]

Potential outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola and Lassa fever may be more accurately predicted thanks to a new mathematical model developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge. This could in turn help inform public health messages to prevent outbreaks spreading more widely. Many of the major new outbreaks of disease, particularly in Africa, […]

The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) announced this week several cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) across campus over the past week. HFMD is typically a benign and self-limiting disease. Most common in young children, it presents as fever, oral lesions and rash on the hands, feet and buttocks. The oral lesions consist of rapidly-ulcerating […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a final rule establishing that over-the-counter (OTC) consumer antiseptic wash products containing certain active ingredients can no longer be marketed. Companies will no longer be able to market antibacterial washes with these ingredients because manufacturers did not demonstrate that the ingredients are both safe for long-term daily […]

Health officials in Singapore have reported 38 additional locally transmitted Zika virus cases, bringing the outbreak total to 189 through Sep. 2. Of these, 34 cases are linked to the Aljunied Crescent/ Sims Drive/ Kallang Way/ Paya Lebar Way cluster. Four cases have no known links to any existing cluster. The National Environmental Agency (NEA) […]

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is voluntarily recalling one date code of Wegmans Italian Classics Striped Ricotta & Spinach Ravioli, 9 oz. (UPC # 0-77890-38934), sold between Tuesday, Aug. 2 and Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 because the product may contain pieces of white plastic. Only product labeled with a use or freeze by date of Sept. […]