Outbreak News Today

The Vermont Department of Health has confirmed the year’s first case of human illness due to West Nile virus. The Windsor County resident became ill in mid-June, and was diagnosed with West Nile neuroinvasive disease, a more serious form of the illness that affects the nervous system. West Nile virus is spread through the bite […]

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) is investigating a cluster of at least 12 cases of hepatitis A infection in adults on Oahu; six have required hospitalization. Onsets of illness have ranged from June 16 through June 27, 2016. Hepatitis A is a virus that can cause fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, […]

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) has confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) disease in North Dakota this year. Additionally, two crows and one mosquito pool from Grand Forks County and one crow from Richland County have tested positive for WNV. To help avoid contracting the virus, state and local […]

With reports of an additional ten travel associated Zika virus cases on Friday, state health officials reported a total of 26 new cases during the course of the week. There are 10 new travel-related cases with two in Pasco, two in Polk, one in Charlotte, one in Citrus, one in Miami-Dade, one in Orange counties […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of two human infections with novel influenza A viruses recently, one in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota. The Wisconsin case was hospitalized as a result of their illness with H1N2v, and continues to recover. Direct contact with swine in the week preceding illness onset was reported. No […]

Officials with the Philippines Department of Health–Epidemiology Bureau say that the number of dengue fever cases in the country during the first 5 1/2 months is up 41 percent compared to the same period in 2015. National data from the beginning of the year through June 2011 shows that the Philippines has seen a total of 52,177 dengue […]

After reporting Naegleria fowleri deaths in the double digits the past two years (HERE and HERE) in Pakistan, health officials in Karachi have reported the first such case of 2016. Health officials say the victim was a 30-year-old man of Baldia Town Karachi, according to local media. The report does not indicate how he contracted the […]

The number of mumps cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from Jan.1 through June 6 has topped the total mumps cases reported in all of the previous two years, according the the latest published data. For the first 5+ months of 2016, federal health officials have reported 1,272 mumps cases. […]

The Vaccine Treatment and Evaluation Unit at Baylor College of Medicine has been awarded funding from the National Institutes of Health to lead a study of people infected with Zika virus to better understand the infection and the immune responses following infection. The study will help inform diagnostic and infection control measures, as well as […]

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is asking health care providers to be on alert for potential exposures to mumps, particularly in Hillsdale County. The suspect case occurred in an out-of-state camper who was attending a local camp. While Michigan has reported cases of mumps in recent years, Hillsdale County has not experienced a case […]

Officials with Victoria Health issued a measles alert today after a confirmed case was noted visiting a number of places in the area. The patient, a young adult, did not travel internationally and the case is considered locally acquired. The patient was infectious while at the following public places at the dates and times indicated: […]

Officials in Nakuru County in eastern Kenya are reporting that up to three dozen people are being treated for the bacterial disease, anthrax, according to a local media report. Rongai Sub County Veterinary Officer, Martin Karate says the patients are being treated at Lengenet Health Centre. He also confirmed the anthrax-related deaths of 10 cattle. The infected […]

In response to the death of Ohio teen, Lauren Seitz last week from primary amoebic encephalitis (PAM) after contracting the parasite, Naegleria fowleri, the Charlotte area U.S. National Whitewater Center, where it is believed she contracted it, published a Q & A yesterday on a number of related topics: Is the U.S. National Whitewater Center open? Yes, the […]

The multi-state Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O121 outbreak that has sickened more than three dozen people in 20 states has been linked to flour produced at the General Mills facility in Kansas City, Missouri prompting officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to advise against eating raw dough. According to Jenny Scott, a senior advisor in FDA’s […]

Zika virus infection cannot be accurately diagnosed in newborns solely on the basis of microcephaly screening, according to the largest study of its kind to date published in The Lancet. The findings suggest that signs and symptoms of brain abnormalities, regardless of head circumference, should also be included in screening criteria to detect all affected […]

New Mexico health officials have reported the fourth fatality due to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in 2016 in a 20-year-old woman from Torrance County. This is the sixth hantavirus case of the year in the state. Hantavirus infection is a deadly disease transmitted by infected rodents through urine, droppings or saliva. People can contract the disease […]

In an follow-up on the previous report on a multi-state outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia infections possibly linked to liquid docusate products, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the following update Wednesday: Preliminary information continues to indicate that contaminated oral ‎liquid docusate products might be related to infections in one state. At this time, there […]

Measles continues to spread in the Waikato. This outbreak has been going for over 13 weeks and the numbers of people with measles continues to increase. We have new confirmed cases in students who were infectious while attending both Morrinsville Intermediate and Morrinsville David Street Schools. Both schools have been notified, advising all staff and […]

The Hanoi Preventive Medicine Centre announced an additional six Japanese encephalitis (JE) cases during the past week in the city, bringing the total to nine, according to local media. Deputy Head of Hanoi’s Health Department Hoang Duc Hanh asked the city’s Preventive Medicine Centre to step up monitoring at hospitals and in communities, to diagnose infectious cases […]

New therapies are improving care, but early diagnosis remains critical in the effective treatment of invasive, a potentially deadly fungal infection, according to new guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The updated guidelines focus on the diagnosis and treatment of the major forms […]

One person has started post-exposure treatment after potentially being exposed to rabies near the Town of West Union by a stray cat that tested positive for the disease, the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reported today. The victim was attacked and potentially exposed to rabies by the stray cat on June 22, 2016. […]

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health reports three (3) new cases of Zika in the territory. According to the weekly surveillance report, there are 29 confirmed positive cases in the territory, 12 cases on St. Thomas, 16 on St. Croix and 1 on St. John. Currently, one (1) pregnant woman has been confirmed positive; […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared for marketing the Xpert Carba-R Assay, an infection control aid that tests patient specimens to detect specific genetic markers associated with bacteria that are resistant to Carbapenem antibiotics. Carbapenem antibiotics are widely used in hospitals to treat severe infections. These resistant organisms are commonly referred to as […]

The Southern Nevada Health District’s Vector Surveillance Program has identified a sharp increase in St. Louis Encephalitis-positive mosquitoes since it first reported positive mosquito pools earlier this month. Currently, 124 submission pools totaling 4,380 mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus. While there have been no reports of human cases of St. Louis Encephalitis in […]

Because of presence of local transmission of Zika virus reported on the Eastern Caribbean island of Anguilla, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today issued a travel notice for travelers to the island. Local mosquito transmission means that mosquitoes in the area are infected with Zika virus and are spreading it to people. Because Zika […]

Metropolitan Ministries, an effective caregiver to poor and homeless people in the four counties of the Tampa Bay area, are calling on people to help the homeless against the threat against Zika virus. With more than 200 travel associated Zika cases already reported in Florida and hundreds of homeless families across Tampa Bay are living in their […]

Health officials in Bidar district of the northern Indian state of Karnataka have reported scores of cholera cases in several villages since May, according to a The Hindu report. Cases have been reported in Humnabad taluka (40), Mustapur wadi village (54), Kallur (16) and Sindhankera (12). No fatalities have been reported. Health departments are sending emergency response teams to […]

An outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia at South Australia’s Royal Adelaide Hospital has been linked to tainted mouthwash, according to a local media report. The antibacterial mouthwash, Chlorofluor Gel, tested positive for the bacterium and was still “in date”. Hospital administration issued an urgent memo to staff about the contaminated mouthwash following several cases of infections and have been ordered […]

Officials with the Hubei Provincial People’s Government, in a Monday news release (computer translated), reported on two African lions at the Hubei Zoo that were infected with H5N1 avian influenza Two African lions (1 male, 1 female) at the city zoo that demonstrated high fever and other abnormalities. They were taken to isolation to identify the […]

Health officials in Devon, England are reporting a measles outbreak at King Edward VI Community College (KEVICC) in Totnes. According to Consultant in Health Protection, Dr Sarah Harrison in a school update, there has been nine confirmed cases and 11 suspect cases of the contagious viral disease. A BBC report Tuesday puts the tally at thirteen cases […]

Malaysia health officials have reported the third diphtheria fatality in the country this year in a child from Menggatal town, Sabah. This follows two recent deaths in children from Kedah and Malacca, according to a New Strait Times report. Health officials deny a diphtheria outbreak in the country. Diphtheria is a dangerous respiratory disease is caused by a […]

Health authorities with the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported yesterday on the first indigenous dengue case in Pingtung County this summer. The case is a 58-year-old female had never had dengue fever before and has no history of chronic conditions. The case’s primary areas of daily activities are places around her residence. Thus far this year, as […]

Hong Kong health officials reported an update on its investigations and follow-up on the seven cases of suspected botulism after receiving injections last month, and again advised the public that such injections should only be prescribed and performed by registered doctors. Among the seven female patients aged 21 to 47, the woman aged 33 reported on […]

At least two people have been infected with tularemia, or hare plague in the Netherlands during the first six months of the year, according to a Wageningen UR report Monday (computer translated). The report notes that the first individual, from the province of Utrecht, most likely contracted the serious bacterial infection while skinning a hare. The second patient […]

In a follow-up to earlier reports of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in horses in the state of Florida (HERE and HERE), officials in Polk County have confirmed a third case of EEE this year. The 6 year old Arabian had no vaccine history for EEE and no recent travel history. Clinical signs began on June 19 […]

Ground squirrels from Dark Canyon Campground and Marion Mountain Campground tested antibody-positive this month for plague, according to state and local health officials. The Riverside County Environmental Health, Vector Control Program was notified about the positive blood tests by the California Department of Public Health. The U.S. Forest Service district rangers and safety officer also […]

Officials with the Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department are reporting a Shigella outbreak that has affected children at area child care centers and Hillcrest Primary School. In addition, cases have been reported in some family members and other adults. Health officials have notified parents, staff and administration at the facilities, and area medical providers. Shigellosis is spread from person-to-person through the […]

In a follow-up to a report of diphtheria cases in Malappuram district, Kerala, India, health officials report three additional cases Tuesday, bringing the total to five in the past week or so. According to a Times of India report, the new cases were reported in unimmunized children from Irimbiliyam, Cherukavu and Pulikkal panchayat. The three […]

First regimen to treat all six major HCV genotypes The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epclusa to treat adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) both with and without cirrhosis (advanced liver disease). For patients with moderate to severe cirrhosis (decompensated cirrhosis), Epclusa is approved for use in combination with the drug ribavirin. […]

The Florida Department of Health confirmed today the first Zika-related case of microcephaly in a child born in Florida whose mother had a travel-related case of Zika. The mother, a citizen of Haiti, came to Florida to deliver her baby. The department is working with the family to connect the child to services through the Early Steps […]

A pandemic influenza outbreak in the United States could have widespread economic costs nearly double the total amounts experts have previously calculated, depending on how the public, government, and businesses responded to an epidemic, according to policy and risk experts in a new study. Using an advanced methodology also applicable to the Zika virus and […]

The 2009 swine H1N1 flu pandemic — responsible for more than 17,000 deaths worldwide — originated in pigs from a very small region in central Mexico, a research team headed by investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is reporting. The scientists say their findings, published in the journal eLife, represent the […]

A water safety poster which pointed to children of color as “not cool” (based on whether they were following pool rules) while pointing to white children as “cool” was called out as “super racist”on social media, prompting the American Red Cross to issue a statement and apology Monday. “The American Red Cross appreciates and is […]

Health officials in West Virginia are advising the public to take precautions against mosquito bites while conducting flood clean up. “Flooding leads to increased mosquito activity which can elevate the risk of mosquito bites and the potential for mosquito-borne diseases,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, State Health Officer and Commissioner for the Bureau for Public Health. “Standing […]

U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Dianne Feinstein and Representatives Rosa Luisa DeLauro and Louise Slaughter today wrote to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging them to revise current pathogen testing protocols to improve test accuracy and protect the public health. The members wrote to USDA Secretary, Thomas J. Vilsack in response an article published this […]

Officials with the Arizona Department of Health Services reported today on the 20th confirmed case of measles associated with the private detention facility in Eloy. Health authorities report that the following areas and dates and times as potential exposure areas: Sunday, June 19, 2016 Boston’s, 804 N Cacheris Court, Casa Grande, AZ 85122, from 12 to 3:30 […]

On the same day The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted that live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), also known as the “nasal spray” flu vaccine, should not be used during the 2016-2017 flu season due to dismal vaccine effectiveness studies, health officials in the United Kingdom said provisional data shows […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is collaborating with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), multiple state and local health departments, and numerous healthcare facilities to investigate a multi-state outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia infections. These infections have occurred primarily in ventilated patients without cystic fibrosis and who are being treated in intensive care […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports from international healthcare facilities that Candida auris, an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast, is causing invasive healthcare-associated infections with high mortality. Some strains of C. auris have elevated minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to the three major classes of antifungals, severely limiting treatment options. C. auris requires specialized […]

Kansas State University is helping the fight against Zika virus through mosquito research. The university’s Biosecurity Research Institute is taking a two-part approach: Researchers are studying mosquitoes to understand how they become infected with Zika virus and researchers are providing the virus to collaborative organizations for further study. The university research is key to fighting […]