Outbreak News Today

In the last year, about 5,000 people in the United States were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, which is a deadly bacterial lung infection for 1 in 10 people who get it according to a new CDC Vital Signs report. Unlike most respiratory infections, Legionnaires’ disease is generally not spread from person to person — it […]

Officials with the Arizona Department of Health Services have confirmed an additional measles case, bringing the total to 14 cases. The new case resides in Maricopa County and is tied to the private detention facility in Eloy. The person is no longer infectious and does not pose a risk to the public. The other 13 cases […]

On my radio program, Outbreak News This Week, I generally try to keep it on track to be apolitical, making attempts to be a source of medical information and news and not the endless debate that is found on other programs- if that’s what you like, there is no shortage of choices on the marketplace. On a […]

Professor Derya Unutmaz, M.D., of The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, will receive five years of funding — totaling $3,281,515 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases — to find better ways to diagnose and treat myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), the debilitating and mysterious condition more generally known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). According […]

The Indiana State Department of Health reported Monday that the state has experienced a significant increase in syphilis cases, prompting them to urge healthcare providers to educate patients about their risks of syphilis and to be aggressive about testing and treatment. “Indiana experienced a 70 percent increase in syphilis cases between 2014 and 2015,” said […]

North Dakota’s state veterinarian is reminding livestock producers to vaccinate their animals against anthrax. Dr. Susan Keller says that with the precipitation which has fallen in much of the state, conditions are right for the disease to occur. “Producers should consult with their veterinarians to make sure the vaccination schedule for their animals is up […]

The tick-borne parasitic disease, Babesiosis, can be a serious disease, particularly in those with weakened immune systems or those without a spleen; however, researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have developed a novel combination therapy that not only clears the infection but also prevents the recurrence that often occurs with existing treatments. The study was published […]

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Communicable Disease Control Division reported yesterday that the number of dengue fever cases in the Thai capital is up nearly 20 percent compared to the same period in 2015. During the first five months of 2016, Bangkok has seen 3,630 dengue fever cases. This accounts for about one fifth of Thailand’s total […]

Iowa saw the the first human West Nile virus case in the state in 2002 and since then, 447 cases have been reported. At a press conference today, Gov. Terry Branstad and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) urged Iowans to remember to protect themselves against mosquito bites this summer, not because of a Zika […]

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus reported in Illinois for 2016. An adolescent in west-central Illinois became severely ill in late May. “We typically don’t start to see human cases of West Nile virus in Illinois until the end of July or beginning of […]

Saputo Inc. today expands the public warning issued on June 4, 2016. Following its June 4, 2016 announcement, Saputo Inc. closed the production line on which the recalled Neilson branded partly skimmed chocolate milk product was manufactured. Although the exact cause of the incident remains undetermined, out of an abundance of caution and because the […]

The Jamaican Health Ministry has reported 1387 suspected Zika virus cases through the end of May, with 16 confirmed cases, including two in pregnant women. Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton says that all patients confirmed with Zika have fully recovered and the pregnant women will be closely monitored. During a press conference last Thursday, Tufton […]

Since Zika virus entered the Western hemisphere as a locally transmitted mosquito borne infection, 17 confirmed and two probable cases in Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries have been reported, according to data from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch (AFHSB) through May 20. The first confirmed Department of Defense (DoD) case had an illness onset in […]

Senator Sue Serino (R, C, I—Hyde Park) announced today that her bill to create a Lyme Disease prevention and education program for school-aged children was given final passage in the Senate. “Because our children spend so much time exploring the outdoors, and because they may not know how to identify a tick, let alone alert […]

Brainsy, Inc. announces launch of the Zika Virus Expert Calling Network (“Zika ECN”) (https://zika.expertcallingnetwork.com), an Expert Calling Network (ECN®) and knowledge-sharing hub which brings together stakeholders in the US from various disciplines with the aim to educate, combat, contain, and eventually eradicate the Zika virus in the US. “The CDC and international organizations have indicated […]

On the Sunday, June 5th airing of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, I was joined by two great guests to discuss to timely and relevant infectious disease issues. In the first half, Founding Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, and […]

Last week, Senators Paul (R-KY), Hatch (R-UT), and Markey (D-MA) led a bipartisan group of 22 Senators in writing to Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to call on HHS to allow for greater access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) in the Department’s proposed rule on the topic published on […]

Sri Lankan health officials are warning the public of the increases of the deadly bacterial infection, Melioidosis, and the risks particularly after the recent floods, landslides and upcoming monsoon season. According to health officials, through May 2016, 28 cases have been reported. This compares to recent years–2011 (6 cases during entire year), 2012 (5), 2013 (10), 2014 […]

Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of limited lot codes of certain bar products. These products contain or may have come in contact with equipment that processed product containing sunflower seeds distributed by supplier SunOpta Inc. that have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no reports of illness […]

Zika virus has taken the world by storm since arriving in the Western hemisphere in 2015. Here I list some of the quotes on the virus from the global and national experts. This is just the beginning, more will be added over time. WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan “The level of alarm is extremely high.” […]

Publix Super Markets is issuing a voluntary recall for Nut, Seed and Raisin mix because it may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes. Publix received notification of the potential contamination from the sunflower seed supplier, Flagstone Foods, who were effected by an expanded recall of SunOpta. The containers of prepackaged nut, seed and raisin mix were […]

UPDATE: Governor Rick Scott will give an update on Tropical Storm Colin and the storm’s potential impact on Florida today at 1115 am Governor Rick Scott today reminded Florida residents, visitors and businesses to remain vigilant and be prepared for possible severe weather, heavy rain, and flooding from a tropical depression developing in the Gulf of […]

What is outrage but a powerful, often overwhelming feeling of resentment and anger triggered by what we experience as an injury, an insult, or an injustice. Those of us in the chronic Lyme world are indeed outraged — chronically outraged — Lyme sufferers and advocates alike. We are outraged by the lack of medical care and support. […]

Philippines health officials have reported 33,748 suspected cases of dengue through the first three months of 2016, up from 24,927 cases reported during the same period in 2015. In addition, 126 dengue related fatalities have been reported. In 2015, health officials on the archipelago saw in excess of 200,000 cases and 600 deaths. This comes as […]

Thailand’s Bureau of Epidemiology has reported nearly 50,000 conjunctivitis cases due to the Haemophilus bacterium through the end of May 2016, according to data released last week. From Jan. 1 through May 30, health officials reported 49,903 cases from all 77 provinces. The following province have been hit hardest by “pink eye”: Ubolrachathani, Amnatcharoen, Maehongsorn, Srisaket and Saraburi. […]

On 2 May 2016, the Ministry of Health of Peru reported 57 cases of Oropouche fever. The majority of cases are from towns located in the northern part of the Cusco Region, which is situated in the Amazon rainforest. Most cases (79%) were detected in January, with only 7% and 14% of the cases being […]

A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (June 5) that under the routine surveillance programme for avian influenza (AI) at markets and fresh provision shops which is commissioned by the department and conducted by the University of Hong Kong, a sample of faecal droppings of live poultry taken from a […]

According to a press statement by the Ghana Health Services published in local media, over the past four weeks, health officials have received reports of confirmed Yellow Fever (YF) cases from the Brong-Ahafo and Volta regions. A total of four cases with no deaths have been reported. Three (3) are from Jaman South district in the […]

During the first five months of 2016, Sri Lankan health officials have reported 17,801 dengue fever cases, which is more than 14,479 cases reported this time inn 2015. The Colombo district remains the hotspot with nearly 6,000 cases, followed by Gampaha with 1983 and Jaffna and Kalutara both with a little more than 1200. The Sri Lanka Epidemiology Unit […]

Last October, the Wyoming Department of Health reported on the “first confirmed human rabies case ever” in the state in a Fremont County woman. At the time, details were lacking, until now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discussed the case in Friday’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). A 77-year-old Wyoming woman was admitted […]

Nunavut health officials are sounding the alarm about a territory-wide outbreak of syphilis seen this year. According to recent data, they have reported 51 cases during the first five months of 2016. In all of 2015, health officials reported 68 cases. The sexually transmitted infection (STI) , which was once limited to the Baffin region, has […]

Crows are smart, highly social animals that congregate in flocks of tens of thousands. Such large, highly concentrated populations can easily spread disease — not only amongst their own species, but quite possibly to humans, either via livestock, or directly. On the campus of the University of California, Davis, during winter, approximately half of the […]

In a follow-up to a report of the plague deaths of ground squirrels reported in Ada and Elmore counties, Idaho, the Central District Health Department reported Friday the death of a Elmore County cat who died after contact with ground squirrels, also known as “whistle pigs,” before becoming ill. Laboratory tests indicate an Elmore County cat likely died from […]

The number of confirmed mumps cases on the Purdue University West Lafayette campus has increased to 31 as of Friday, according to Indiana state health officials. As of Thursday, the school said they were investigating eight more probable cases of mumps. University members who have not already done so are encouraged to check their vaccination records with […]

The mosquito-borne Zika virus linked to microcephaly and other neurological problems in newborns of affected mothers directly infects the brain progenitor cells destined to become neurons, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report in a study published online Friday in Cell Reports. The team of researchers used a strain of Zika currently impacting the Americas, and found […]

Hostess Brands, LLC is voluntarily recalling 710,000 cases of select snack cakes and donuts as a direct result of the recent recall by our supplier, Grain Craft, of certain lots of its flour for undeclared peanut residue. The Hostess Brands products subject to the recall were produced using the Grain Craft flour that has now […]

In a follow-up to a report in mid-May concerning a mumps outbreak in British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health Friday reported the number of cases have increased significantly and spread since that time. Health officials now say the case count is up to 41, with cases reported in Whistler, Squamish, Vancouver and North Vancouver. “The average age of […]

With a measles cluster recently reported in the Memphis, Tennessee area and more recently, an outbreak in Pinal County, Arizona, I discussed this very contagious viral disease with Registered nurse, infection control specialist and a freelance writer, Erin Archer Kelser for a measles primer. Related: How contagious is measles? Answer: Very Kelser discussed the history of measles […]

Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), a disfiguring parasitic disease transmitted by the sandfly, is not new to Syria; however, the war in Syria has greatly increased the risk for CL and reports have indicated sharp increases in the number of CL cases in Syria and in surrounding areas of the Middle East. Founding Dean of the […]

The Health Service Executive (HSE) Public Health Departments and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) are currently investigating an ongoing measles outbreak in different parts of Ireland. Outbreak control teams have been convened in HSE East, South and Midwest. Nineteen measles cases linked to the outbreak have been identified to date, of which 13 are […]

A team of researchers from Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has received a U.S. patent to control and treat fusobacterial infections in humans and animals. Created by the university’s Sanjeev Narayanan, Amit Kumar, T.G. Nagaraja and M.M. Chengappa, the new technology can be used to treat infections caused by Fusobacterium without the use […]

A family practice clinic in the Nashville, Tennessee area has announced they will not be offering vaccines for patients at the clinic. This was announced on the Cool Springs Family Medicine Practice’s blog earlier this week. The reason’s given are a laundry list of the anti-vaccine movement to include the of-debunked vaccine- autism link, the dangers […]

The number of measles cases in Pinal County, Arizona has risen to 13 after the Arizona Department of Health Services announced the confirmation of two additional cases on Thursday. The measles cases originated in the private Eloy Detention Center when a detainee with measles was brought in. This investigation is ongoing. “The trouble with measles is that people […]

Manitoba’s Office of the Chief Veterinarian (CVO) confirmed that a second case of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) has been found in a finisher barn in southeastern Manitoba, in addition to the one found in a batch-farrow sow barn a week ago. The producer is fully cooperating with the CVO and has implemented control measures on the […]

Ethiopia is one of three African countries reporting suspected yellow fever cases potentially linked to the Angola outbreak. According to UN health officials, the suspect cases are reported from Republic of Congo (one case), Sao Tome and Principe (two cases) and Ethiopia (22 cases). Investigations are ongoing to identify the vaccination status of the cases and […]

As of 31 May, a total of 700 suspected yellow fever (YF) cases, including 63 deaths, had been reported from all the provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the national surveillance system. To date, a total of 52 cases have been laboratory-confirmed for YF. The 52 confirmed cases are from five provinces: Kongo […]

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning reported today on a human H7N9 avian influenza case, the first of 2016 and the seventh overall since 2013. According to officials, the case is a male patient aged 49 from Tongzhou. From 2013 to date, 760 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been reported by […]

Utah health officials are reporting the death of a state resident who contracted the lethal hantavirus late last month. To date, the only details available is the victim is a male, 45-64 years old. LISTEN: Hantavirus and tularemia: Discussions with two prominent Public Health Veterinarians Hantavirus is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by rodents that has symptoms similar to […]

In a follow-up to previous reports of Hong Kong travelers to the Mainland contracting iatrogenic botulism, officials with the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reported a third case Thursday. The female patient, aged 21 with good past health, has developed blurred vision, neck weakness and difficulty in swallowing since May 26. She attended the Accident and Emergency […]

Federal, state and local health officials are investigating a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O121 (STEC O121) linked to General Mills flour. To date, thirty-eight people infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O121 have been reported from 20 states, with 10 requiring hospitalization for their illness. Illnesses started on dates ranging from December 21, […]