Outbreak News Today

Preliminary testing by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of H5 avian influenza on a duck farm near St. Catharines, Ontario as a low pathogenic subtype. Pathogenicity refers to the severity of the illness caused in birds. Further testing by the CFIA is underway to confirm the precise subtype and strain […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Differin Gel 0.1% (adapalene), a once-daily topical gel for the over-the-counter (OTC) treatment of acne. Differin Gel 0.1% is approved for use in people 12 years of age and older. Differin Gel 0.1% is the first in a class of drugs known as retinoids to be made […]

The State Public Health Lab in Raleigh Thursday reported a positive rabies result in a kitten from Cumberland County. Animal Control picked up a kitten on Wednesday, July 6, at the Animal Hospital of Fayetteville on Fort Bragg Road. The kitten, which was approximately 4 months old, got into an alteration with an unknown animal […]

The Los Angeles County Departments of Public Health (Public Health) and Health Services are partnering with community providers caring for gay/bisexual men, or men who have sex with men (MSM), and HIV infected populations to increase vaccinations for Invasive Meningococcal Disease. “Public Health continues to work every day to protect health and stop the spread […]

Viral hepatitis has become one of the leading causes of death and disability across the globe – killing at least as many people annually as TB, malaria or HIV/AIDS. This is the finding of new research from scientists at Imperial College London and University of Washington, who analysed data from 183 countries collected between 1990 […]

After a record-breaking year in 2015 in British Columbia when dozens of people became infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections, The BC Centre for Disease Control ( BCCDC ) has confirmed the first case of illness this summer linked to the bacterium known as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, or Vibrio and the consumption of raw oysters. This year’s illness was reported June […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Thursday approved the Roche cobas HPV Test as the first test for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) that can be used with cervical cells obtained for a Pap test and collected in SurePath Preservative Fluid. The FDA approves HPV tests to be used with specific collection fluid, which store and […]

In a follow-up on the hepatitis A outbreak in Caerphilly, Wales, Public Health Wales says over 250 children at Ysgol Rhydygrug , Aberfan, Kidz Den After School Club and Nursery Rhymes in Treharris Community Centre were vaccinated last week. Currently there are 17 confirmed and two probable cases of Hepatitis A, all cases can be […]

Thirteen new cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) were confirmed at a Medina County captive white-tailed deer breeding facility on June 29, 2016. Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) discovered these cases while conducting an epidemiological investigation on the quarantined facility after a 3 ½-year-old captive white-tailed doe tested […]

The Coconino County Public Health Services District (CCPHSD), announced today that a human case of tularemia, also known as rabbit fever or deer fly fever, was confirmed in the Flagstaff area of Coconino County. The individual died from the illness. Health officials do not specify how the individual contracted the bacterial disease. There have been […]

The Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) issued a quarantine order after the death of eight horses due to Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) were reported from the municipality of Yopal, Casanare, according to a Caracol Radio report (computer translated). The manager of ICA in Casanare said in a press release, “It is the duty of the Institute to prevent […]

Since confirming the first case of influenza A (H1N1) in late April, the number of cases in Panama requiring hospitalization due to this type of flu has grown to more than 1800, including 42 fatalities, according to local media (computer translated). The death toll includes three recent cases confirmed yesterday, said director of the Gorgas Memorial Institute, Nestor […]

On June 28, 2016, the Hong Kong Centre for Health Proyection (CHP) recorded a case of Streptococcus suis infection affecting a 55-year-old man with good past health. He presented with headache, cough with sputum, vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss on June 22 and was admitted to a public hospital on June 24. His blood and […]

Florida health officials have reported 13 Vibrio vulnificus cases as of July 5, including four fatalities thus far in 2016. Fatalities have been reported in the following counties: Broward, Citrus, Palm Beach and Santa Rosa, according to Department of Health data. It is not noted how each individual case contracted the bacterium. Last year, Florida […]

In a follow-up to a report last week on the hepatitis A outbreak on the island of Oahu, Hawaii health officials say additional cases have been identified bringing the outbreak total to 31. Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) staff worked through the holiday weekend to conduct interviews with the newly identified cases in an effort […]

The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) reported on July 5, a new EEE case was confirmed in Jefferson County, Florida. The 1 year old colt had received one previous vaccine against EEE and had no recent travel history. Clinical signs began on June 24 and the horse was euthanized for humane reasons the following day. […]

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescents Societies (IFRC) today launched a 1.4 million Swiss franc emergency appeal to support the Angola Red Cross Society respond to the worst yellow fever outbreak in the country in 30 years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 3,400 people in Angola may have contracted […]

Genesee County health officials today reported on the first case of Legionnaires’ disease of the year in the county. This follows just a week after county health officials issued a reminder to residents of Legionnaires’. The patient is described as an older adult who is currently hospitalized. There is no indication that the individual was exposed […]

Thailand is home to some 400 species of mosquito to include the Anopheles mosquito, Mansonia sp, Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Aedes aegypti and A. albopictus, which are responsible for transmitting some of the most common viral and parasitic diseases. During the first six months of 2016, Thailand health officials reported 1944 cases of malaria and two deaths. Cases have been reported […]

On June 8, the NEW Zoo located near Green Bay, WI announced the deaths of three North American River Otters saying a mother and four of her pups were sickened by a rapidly-progressing gastrointestinal problem. Two of the pups were saved, while the mother and two pups did not survive. Today, thanks to the work of the Wisconsin […]

Health officials in Dallas County are reporting the first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) infection for the 2016 season. The Irving, TX resident was diagnosed with West Nile neuroinvasive disease. West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause encephalitis, a brain inflammation. West Nile virus was first detected in North America in 1999 in New […]

Tuberculosis is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world, infecting almost 10 million people each year. Treating the disease can be challenging and requires a combination of multiple antibiotics delivered over several months. This is due, in part, to variations in antibiotic tolerance among subpopulations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that cause […]

The number of confirmed Zika virus cases in Mexico increased by 105 in the past week, according to the latest report of the General Directorate of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health (computer translated) published in local media, bringing the country’s total to 667 as of July 4. In addition, the number of pregnant women grew by […]

Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health will monitor potential Zika virus exposure among a subset of athletes, coaches and other U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) staff attending the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Brazil. The study, funded by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and led […]

The Thailand Ministry of Health is advising the public, particularly those that work around young children, about handwashing and personal hygiene in light of increased numbers of the contagious viral disease, hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). According to the latest data from the Bureau of Epidemiology, Thailand has seen 25083 HFMD cases through July 4 […]

The investigation into an E. coli O157 outbreak in the United Kingdom continues as officials with Public Health England (PHE) say the case count is now 109. As of Monday, PHE say the cases are distributed as follows: 102 in England, 6 in Wales and 1 in Scotland. PHE has been working to establish the cause of […]

Health officials in Victoria, Australia have reported today on the fourth confirmed measles case, this case like the other three has no history of international travel and is considered acquired locally. There is a risk of exposure to measles across metropolitan Melbourne and some parts of regional Victoria. Three of the cases were in the […]

Officials with Public Health England (PHE) reported today on the most recent data on sexually transmitted infections (STI), which shows in 2015 there were 434,456 STIs. Gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men (MSM) saw an increase in 10 percent from 2014. Chlamydia was the most commonly reported STI accounting for nearly half […]

During the second installment of our discussions on parasites, I was joined by microbiologist and the man behind the website, Parasitology Illustrated, Wilson Vientos. We spent the better half of the show talking about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) list of the top foodborne (and may are primarily waterborne) parasites in the […]

In a report released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an Independent Panel formed to review HHS’s response to Ebola made several recommendations on how the nation’s federal public health system should strengthen its response to major public health threats, both internationally and domestically. The report calls for increased coordination […]

Having a first-degree relative, especially a sibling, with a history of staph infection significantly increases a person’s risk for the disease, regardless of sex of the family member, comorbid conditions, or direct contamination. The results of a large national study are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The incidence of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, or staph […]

The number of confirmed diphtheria cases in Malaysia has risen to 14 after an additional case was reported a six-year-old boy from Kedah. According to Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the boy presented with a fever on June 26 and his condition worsened and he was placed on a ventilator. He was transferred to a hospital […]

93 Days is based on the true story of men and women who risked their lives and made sacrifices to save us all from the consequences of an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Nigeria. On Friday, the official trailer was released: The film produced and directed by Steve Gukas stars Danny Glover, Bimbo Akintola, Tim […]

The capital of Bangladesh is reporting an increase in dengue fever as June came to an end, a trend they have seen for the past 10 years. For the first six months of the year, 286 dengue fever cases have been reported in Dhaka, with more than half recorded in June alone (145). These numbers are higher […]

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the civic body of the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra, is reporting a six fold increase in cases of the bacterial disease, leptospirosis, during the first six months of 2016. Officials report 30 leptospirosis cases through June. This compares to only five cases reported during the same period last year. […]

An outbreak of diarrhea on the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has resulted in nine fatalities due to extreme dehydration, according to a local media report Saturday. Outbreaks have been confirmed in Malampa, Penama and Sanma provinces. George Worwor, The Surveillance, Research, Outbreak and Response Coordinator said that health surveillance teams were allocated throughout the country to detect […]

In 2015, Japan reported more than 380,000 hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases for the year, in fact the situation prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a travel notice in September. However, the numbers in 2016 reveal, at least to date, a significant drop off in cases of the […]

According to officials with the Pacific Health Network Northern Regional Government of Ancash region in eastern Peru, more than 200 cases of the skin infection, Uta, have been reported and due to a lack of appropriate medication, dangerous home remedies are being used, according to a El Comercio report (computer translated). Families have resorted to the […]

A Pitt County quarter horse has been confirmed as having died after contracting Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis. EEE is a mosquito-borne disease that is preventable in equine by vaccination. The horse exhibited signs of generalized weakness, stumbling, depression and inability to stand or eat. This is the first reported case of EEE in North Carolina this […]

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has identified an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), impacting at least 25 Chicago residents. As part of the CDPH investigation, Carbón Live Fire Mexican Grill located at 300 W. 26th Street has been linked to the outbreak. Following a request from CDPH, Carbón closed voluntarily and […]

In a follow-up to a report on the invasive meningococcal disease outbreak in gay men in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) reports that the number of Invasive Meningococcal Disease cases has recently increased. The newest case is confirmed in a young adult, gay man who […]

In a follow-up to to an earlier report on the anthrax outbreak in Nakuru County, Kenya, officials now put the cutaneous anthrax case count at 70, according a Standard Media report. Patients are reported being seen with swollen eyes, lesions on the face, hands, cheeks and fingers after eating the carcass of a tainted cow. Those […]

A recently published case reported last week in the journal BMJ Case Reports, describes the rare, yet very serious infection that can be contracted by “man’s best friend”. The case out of the United Kingdom is summarized as follows: A 70-year-old Caucasian woman was treated for Capnocytophaga canimorsus septicaemia. The source of bacteraemia was very likely to be […]

A woman living in Madrid has become the first case in Spain to contract the Zika virus through sexual transmission, according to an El Mundo report (computer translated). The woman is believed to have contracted the virus in early May, when her husband returned from a trip he had made weeks before to a Latin American country. Sources […]

Officials with the Arizona Department of Health Services announced Saturday an additional two confirmed measles cases, both in Pinal County, bringing the outbreak total to 22. The potential exposure areas include a number of places in Coolidge to include: Sunday, June, 26, 2016 Circle K, 495 S Arizona Blvd, Coolidge, AZ 85128, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 […]

Puerto Rico Secretary of the Department of Health, Ana Armendariz Ríus reported Friday (computer translated) that 225 additional Zika virus cases were reported in the past week, bringing the island’s total to 2387 cumulative cases. In addition, Secretary Ríus said among the 225, 40 were in pregnant women bringing the total cases in pregnant women to 339. […]

Earlier this week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert about the multi-drug resistant yeast, Candida auris. British health authorities also reported on cases in England, including an ongoing hospital outbreak and issued guidance for the laboratory investigation, management and infection prevention and control for cases of Candida auris. Candida auris is a […]

In a follow-up to ongoing reports of dengue fever in Sri Lanka, officials with the Epidemiology Unit-Ministry of Health report an additional 1200 cases during the past week, bringing the total cases to 20,954 through the end of June. This total is higher than any recent years where the average number of cases reported during the […]

Pennsylvania’s first probable human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in 2016 has been detected in an Indiana County woman. The Departments of Health and Environmental Protection strongly recommend that all residents minimize their exposure to mosquitoes. “Detecting the first human case serves as a great reminder for Pennsylvanians to take the proper precautions […]

In a follow-up report on the measles situation in Victoria, Australia, two additional cases have been confirmed concerning health officials that there were now multiple undetected cases in the community potentially spreading the infection. Victoria’s acting Chief Health Officer, Dr Finn Romanes said there was no direct connection between the three cases, but investigations suggested there […]