Outbreak News Today

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 […]

Vaccination with the anthrax capsule–a naturally occurring component of the bacterium that causes the disease–completely protected monkeys from lethal anthrax infection, according to a study published online this week in the journal VACCINE. These results indicate that anthrax capsule is a highly effective vaccine component that should be considered for incorporation in future generation anthrax […]

Brazilian officials are reporting a confirmed case of chikungunya that was transmitted from mother to baby (vertical transmission) in Paraiba state in northeast Brazil, according to a local media report (computer translated). The 12-day old baby showed strong convulsions and is now hospitalized in an intensive care unit in the city of Campina Grande. Municipal Children’s Hospital […]

On this past Sunday’s show, I spent the better part of the hour discussing chronic Lyme disease and the multi-layers of issues surrounding it with author of the upcoming book, Lyme Madness™, Lori Dennis, MA, RP. In addition to being a writer, Lori is a Registered Psychotherapist and the mother of an adult son who has been suffering […]

The number of influenza deaths for the first five months of 2016 has crushed the number of fatalities reported during all of 2015, according to Ministry of Health data reported in a Globo.com report (computer translated). From Jan. 1 through June 4 this year, Brazilian health officials have reported 886 deaths from H1N1 influenza, including 122 deaths […]

Researchers from the University of Chicago have shown that microbiota—the bacteria, viruses and other microbes living on the skin and in the digestive system—play an important role in the body’s ability to accept transplanted skin and other organs. In a June 20 study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, the team demonstrated that skin […]

Health officials in Cape Verde announced late last week on eleven Zika-linked microcephaly cases through mid-June, according to a A Semana report (computer translated). The announcement by medical epidemiologist Maria de Lurdes Monteiro noted that of the eleven cases, one was stillborn. Nine of these cases were diagnosed in Praia and two on the island of […]

Of cancers affecting men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States. But it doesn’t have to be. U.S. health care facilities have the capacity to meet colorectal cancer screening goals – yet only half of adults are up-to-date on screening. US government agencies and their colorectal cancer prevention […]

While here in the states there has been a lot of coverage of the two Texas men who contracted very serious Vibrio vulnificus infections in recent weeks, Hong Kong health officials reported two sporadic cases of necrotizing fasciitis since the second week of June. On June 8 and 11, 2016, the Center for Health Protection (CHP) […]

The number of Lyme disease cases in the Canadian province of Quebec have increased significantly in recent years, prompting health officials to advise the public to be aware of tick bites this summer. According to a report in the Montreal Gazette, there was 159 Lyme disease cases reported in 2015. This compares to 142 cases […]

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, transmitted from person to person through close physical and respiratory contact. It can cause infection of the nasopharynx, which may lead to breathing difficulties and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The United States recorded 206,000 cases of diphtheria in 1921 […]

Following reports of one and possibly two serious Vibrio vulnificus infections in Texas men who contracted the bacterium while visiting the Texas Gulf Coast HERE and HERE, officials with the Galveston County Health District responded to media accounts with the following statement: You’ve probably heard about a case of Vibrio recently acquired at a Galveston beach, […]

Ten inches of rain in a very short period Thursday has resulted in the worst flooding West Virginia has seen in four decades and ‘among the worst in a century for some parts of the state’. This has tragically resulted in at least two dozen deaths as of Saturday. On Thursday, West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray […]