Outbreak News Today

Health officials in Florida report investigating an additional non-travel related Zika virus case today in an individual in Palm Beach County who had recently traveled to Miami-Dade County. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) points out that this does not mean active transmission of Zika virus is occurring in Palm Beach County. The source of the infection […]

Long before Zika virus made it a household word, the birth defect called microcephaly puzzled scientists and doctors — even as it changed the lives of the babies born with it during the pre-Zika era. But new discoveries reported by an international team of scientists may help explain what happens in the developing brains of […]

Scientists say they are a step closer to providing effective treatments for three “neglected” diseases after making a chemical which can kill the parasites that cause the illnesses. Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and human African trypanosomiasis (also known as sleeping sickness) affect 20 million people worldwide and lead to more than 50,000 deaths annually. The diseases […]

Health officials in England has seen an uptick in measles cases this summer in teenagers and young adults who attended or worked at music and arts festivals across the country. According to Public Health England (PHE) data, at least 36 measles cases linked to at least eight music and arts festivals across England have been reported since […]

A D.C. based citizens action group wants the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta to change its stance on the treatment of Lyme disease in the United States. The Patient Centered Care Advocacy Group filed a “citizen petition” with the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention calling on it to end the preferential treatment […]

On the Aug. 7 airing of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, Zika was the topic of the hour. The local transmission in the Miami area, the underreporting of Zika due to asymptomatic cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) advice for people living and traveling to the affected area of Miami and more […]

Giardiasis is a diarrheal disease caused by the microscopic parasite Giardia. People contract the parasite through feces (human or animal) contaminated water and food. According to an article published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the authors write that although most individuals with a Giardia infection are asymptomatic, this pathogen is increasingly recognized as […]

Sri Lanka health officials saw more than 7,000 dengue fever cases in July, putting the total cases for the year to date to 30,041. This total for the first seven months of the year is more than the total number of cases reported in all of 2015 (29,777). 50 dengue-related fatalities have been recorded this […]

From 1793 to 1822 yellow fever was one of the most dreaded diseases in the port cities of the United States. Statistically, one can dismiss it as inconsequential in comparison to tuberculosis and smallpox. Yellow fever did not kill that many people, but during that period, it struck with such ferocity in principal cities that […]

At least 19 cattle have died from the bacterial pathogen, anthrax, on several farms in Moselle, in northeast France, according to a France-Info report (computer translated). The farms are located in the towns of Saint-Jean-de-Bassel and Fénétrange, Moselle. To date, four farms are considered to be contaminated. Bacillus anthracis was confirmed by the reference laboratory of […]

A horse in West Tennessee has tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a virus that can be fatal for horses and humans. The Tennessee departments of Agriculture and Health are advising citizens to take precautions to protect themselves and their livestock. Mosquitoes transmit EEE. Humans cannot contract these viral infections directly from infected horses. […]

Hong Kong health officials announced Saturday the investigation of a confirmed dengue fever (DF) case in which local transmission cannot be ruled out at this point. “As the patient had both travel history and local movements during the incubation period (IP), it cannot be ruled out at this stage that the case was locally acquired. […]

The 9th session of the Uganda Onchocerciasis Elimination Expert Advisory Committee in Kampala last week revealed some good news concerning the battle against river blindness, or onchocerciasis. Health ministry officials report that data shows river blindness has been eliminated in 13 districts, reducing the adult population most at risk of the skin and eye disease to about 1.8 […]

A study, led by Professor Rosie Woodroffe from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and published in the journal Ecology Letters, found that while badgers do favour cattle pasture as a habitat, they typically avoid cattle themselves and rarely get close enough to transmit infection directly. This suggests that transmission of Mycobacterium bovis – the bacterium […]

Toronto health officials are investigating an outbreak of Streptococcus pyogenes, or beta streptococcus group A at Seaton House shelter for homeless men, according to a local media report. More than three dozen individuals have become infected, including five men who are suffering from invasive group A strep, a very serious form that can lead to flesh-eating disease, meningitis or sepsis. […]

For the first time in four years, Romanian health officials are reporting a West Nile virus related fatality, according to a local media report. The victim is a 79-year-old woman from Ialomita County with underlying health conditions. “The woman was admitted to the hospital on July 28 with a complex pathology, and died a few days […]

The anthrax outbreak in the Yamal Peninsula in of northern Siberia, Russia, that began in mid-July has resulted in the death of 2,349 reinderr, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), The five outbreaks in different areas of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug resulted in some 2649 total cases. Bacillus anthracis, the bacterial agent of anthrax, has been confirmed by the State Science […]

According to a UNICEF update published Aug 2, a total of 719 cholera cases have been reported, with 21 deaths. The outbreak happens to occur while the country is battling a number of other problems to include ongoing conflict and violence, economic decline, and increased food insecurity and malnutrition. UN officials say the majority of cases have […]

This week, the Louisiana Department of Health has confirmed four additional cases of Zika virus. As in all of the other cases in Louisiana, the patients travelled to regions in the Americas with ongoing Zika transmission and sought medical care in Louisiana after returning, where tests confirmed the viral infection. This brings the total to […]

Federal health officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state health officials are collaborating to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Reading and Salmonella Abony infections. Thirty people infected with the outbreak strains have been reported from nine states. Of those ill people, 24 were infected with […]

Eight horses confirmed to have equine influenza are in quarantine at the veterinary teaching hospital at the University of California at Davis in Yolo County. On Wednesday, July 27, 2016, a horse was evaluated at the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Large Animal Clinic (LAC) for an elective surgical procedure. That horse was clinically normal over […]

Sadly, 11-year-old Beaufort, South Carolina girl, Hannah Collins, passed away last evening after a battle with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by the lethal parasite, Naegleria fowleri, according to a family statement published in a local news source. Family friend, Kate Olin writes that Hannah died at 10:20 pm Friday surrounded by family and friends. The family […]

The Michigan departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture and Rural Development, along with the Public Health Muskegon County (PHMC) announced Friday they have identified two cases of influenza A H3N2 variant (H3N2v) in Muskegon county residents who were swine exhibitors at the Muskegon County Fair. The fair took place July 25-30, 2016. A […]

On Friday, after years of examination, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its final environmental assessment for genetically engineered mosquitoes –using Oxitec’s self-limiting OX513A Aedes aegypti mosquito for an investigational trial in the Florida Keys. The federal regulatory agency concludes: The FDA has completed the environmental review for a proposed field trial to determine whether the release […]

With so much attention being focused on Zika virus this year in the US, some may have forgotten about the problems we face annually with a different mosquito borne virus, West Nile virus (WNV). With thousands of cases reported nearly every year since it first raised it’s ugly head in New York City in 1999, and […]

Scientists working out of Maynooth University, Trinity College Dublin, and Queen Mary University of London have unearthed a potential new preventative option to combat Ascaris roundworm infection. Ascaris lumbricoides is an intestinal parasite that confers severe health consequences, including growth retardation and impaired cognitive development. The infection, which affects an estimated one billion people worldwide, […]

On Thursday, Myanmar health officials were reporting that an undiagnosed disease killed more than 30 children in the remote, mountainous Sagaing region in the northern parts of the country bordering India. Health officials confirmed Friday that the outbreak that affected some 200 people was measles. Than Tun Aung, deputy director general of the disease control department at Myanmar’s […]

Hawaii health officials are reporting an additional confirmed hepatitis A case in a Oahu food service worker Friday. The individual worked at Tamashiro Market, located at 802 N. King St. in Honolulu. The employee worked from July 2-23, 2016 (actual dates: July 2, 4, 6–8, 11–13, 15–19, and 23). The department is continuing its investigation of […]

Zika virus has totally captured the country since the first announcement of non-travel associated Zika virus cases were reported in Florida last week. In an interview to be aired Sunday evening on the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show in the Tampa Bay area, I had the opportunity to discuss several issues regarding Zika with Vincent Racaniello, […]

On Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016, a woman dropped off a deceased bat at Spokane Regional Health District, 1101 W. College Ave., without speaking to officials. The health district is asking this woman to contact SRHD’s Epidemiology program for consultation, either in person or by phone, (509) 324-1500, to rule out a potential rabies exposure. Typically, […]

An additional non-travel related case has been identified inside the one-square mile area in Miami-Dade County, bringing the total cases to 16. This individual was tested as one of the 26 close contacts around the two original cases. This case is considered probable and has been sent to CDC for confirmatory testing, along with the three […]

The number of Vibrio vulnificus cases in Florida grew by two this week as both Volusia and Orange Counties reported the second confirmed case each. This brings the state total to 18, including four deaths. Counties reporting cases include Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Duval (2), Manatee, Marion, Orange (2), Palm Beach, Santa Rosa, Sarasota (2), […]

Anyone sexually active is at a risk of contracting an STD. Taking precautions, educating yourself and learning when it’s time to separate myth from reality is a first step toward reducing that risk no matter your age or social demographic. Is there a correlation between dating apps and STDs? Are you more susceptible to contracting […]

Outbreaks of the parasitic infection, cyclosporiasis, have been recorded in the United States during each of the last three years accounting for hundreds of cases each year. Each of those outbreak have been linked to fresh produce, to include cilantro from the Puebla region of Mexico and Texas has recorded a good portion of the cases. So […]

There has been a significant increase in cases of early infectious syphilis in the Cork area in the past year, with almost 8 in 10 reported cases among men who have sex with men (MSM). Compared to January to June 2015, when seven cases were reported in Cork & Kerry, cases have trebled, with 23 […]

The Cayuga County Health Department has received notification from the New York State Department of Health that a Cayuga County horse tested positive for West Nile Virus. The horse was stabled at a property in the Town of Cato. The Health Department reminds the public that it is imperative to take measures to minimize being […]

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health is investigating an outbreak of a diarrheal illnesses caused by the parasite, Cryptosporidium parvum, and is advising the public to take precautions to prevent further spread of the disease. Nineteen cases were reported to public health officials in July, and five of the initial interviews have been linked […]

Two infants with Zika-related microcephaly have been born in California to women who had Zika virus infections during pregnancy after spending time in a country where the virus is endemic, The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported Thursday. “This is a sobering reminder for Californians that Zika can cause serious harm to a developing fetus,” […]

The common Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito does not carry the Zika virus, according to the latest research by the Zika research team at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The UTMB team made their results public before publication in a scientific journal to help mosquito control efforts in North America in response to the recent […]

In a follow-up on the case of Naegleria fowleri infection in South Carolina recently reported, the identification of the patient is now known– 11-year-old Hannah Katherine Collins, according to a GoFundMe page. According to state epidemiologist, Linda Bell, M.D. , “The exposure is thought to have occurred on July 24 while the individual was swimming near Martin’s Landing […]

As a response to the public health threats challenges, the Department of Health through the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) serves to promote evidence-based decision-making through the conduct of epidemiological investigations and implementation of disease surveillance systems. The goal of FETP is to improve the practice of epidemiology in the public health sector. Specifically, it […]

A 79-year-old Singaporean male has died from dengue fever, becoming the seventh dengue-related fatality of 2016. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) were notified of the death by Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital (MENH) today. The man was admitted to the hospital on Jul 30. His condition deteriorated and he passed away on 4 […]

With the locally acquired Zika virus case count at 15 in the Miami area and concerns about pregnant women and the virus that has been linked to birth defects, Florida Governor Rick Scott ordered the Department of Health to provide Zika testing to pregnant women at all county health departments at no cost. To ensure that […]

A 51-year-old El Cajon woman has been confirmed as the first locally acquired human case of West Nile virus this year, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency announced yesterday. The woman donated blood on July 27 and was found to have evidence of active infection. She developed symptoms of fever and headache […]

An unvaccinated horse in Winthrop, Minnesota has tested positive for West Nile Virus and is severely ill. The 1.5-year-old Friesian stallion has been unable to stand for a week and is receiving supportive care. This is the first confirmed case of 2016 affecting a Minnesota horse. West Nile Virus is regularly found in the United […]

Taiwan health authorities have confirmed two measles cases linked to the Songshan Airport in Taipei, one in a passenger and one in an employee. On July 15, 2016, the 42-year-old case took a flight to Kinmen from Songshan Airport. On July 16, he returned to Taiwan. During July 24 and 31, he visited a clinic several times […]

A salmonella outbreak has sickened dozens across Australia and health authorities have linked it to rockmelons, or cantaloupes, prompting officials not to consume the fruit grown in Northern Territory. South Australia (SA) Health Chief Medical Officer Professor Paddy Phillips said, “SA Health has confirmed that Salmonella has been found in rock melons from a Northern Territory […]

Researchers with Griffith University in Australia and the Chinese pharmaceutical firm, Olymvax announced that they will begin Phase 1 clinical trials on a new, needle-free vaccine targeted at Streptococcus A infection, the cause of strep throat and rheumatic heart disease. Griffith University signed the collaborative and license agreement with Olymvax to discover, develop and commercialize its Group A […]

On August 3, two new Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) case were confirmed, one each in Jackson and Jefferson County, Florida. The Jackson County case, a 10 year old Quarter Horse, became clinical on July 16 and was last vaccinated against EEE in February 2016 per submitting veterinarian. The horse was euthanized for humane reasons the […]

Due to an ongoing outbreak of meningococcal disease in Southern California, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is urging all gay and bisexual men and HIV-infected persons in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties be vaccinated against meningococcal disease. Since March, 22 cases of meningococcal disease have been confirmed in an outbreak in […]