Outbreak News Today

Lancaster, PA company, Mary’s Home Canning, is recalling 516 jars of Mary’s Homemade Vegetable Soup (Net Wt. 16 OZ) and 1,128 jars of Mary’s Homemade Vegetable Soup (Net Wt. 32 OZ), because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to […]

Oklahoma health officials continue to broaden efforts to work with health care providers to identify potential travel-related cases, conduct testing in the state public health laboratory, and expand mosquito surveillance programs to determine presence and burden of the type of mosquito that is most likely to spread Zika virus. Presently, the Zika virus is not being […]

In light of serious problems identified in the NIH Clinical Center Pharmaceutical Development Section last year, NIH launched a multifaceted effort to ensure that processes for patient safety and quality of care at the hospital are of the highest standards. Accordingly, NIH hired two companies specializing in quality assurance for manufacturing and compounding — Working […]

Health officials in Angola announced they have extended the yellow fever vaccination campaign beyond the capital Luanda into Huambo and Benguela – 2 of the other 5 provinces reporting local transmission. The outbreak, described as the worst in 30 years, has grown to 1908 suspected cases of yellow fever (617 laboratory confirmed) and 250 deaths since the outbreak […]

Saguache County, CO health authorities report the confirmation of a hantavirus related fatality in a recently deceased resident. Confirmation was done by the Colorado Department of Public Health state laboratory. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rare but serious disease caused by exposure to hantavirus. Colorado has had more confirmed cases of HPS than any other […]

The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) reported today the investigation into the third imported human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) infection in Hong Kong this year affecting an 80-year-old man. This is the 16th imported case into Hong Kong since 2013. The patient, with underlying illnesses, traveled to […]

In a follow-up to the gastrointestinal outbreak caused by the viral pathogen, norovirus, at the University of Rochester has grown to 141 cases since Apr.9. Included in the 141 cases, 10 were from the Eastman School of Music and three at the School of Medicine and Dentistry. School officials say that since Friday, the number of new […]

In light of the second confirmed enterovirus 71 (EV 71) with severe complications case in Taiwan has prompted officials to prepare to the possibility of an outbreak in 2016. Last Friday, the Taiwan CDC confirmed the second EV 71 case in a Yilan County 2-year-old. The complications were so severe that the child had to be […]

The Arizona Department of Agriculture confirmed Monday that a domestic horse owned in the Nogales area tested positive for rabies. The horse was hospitalized but did not respond to treatment and was later euthanized. “While rabies among domestic animals is extremely rare with this being the first case in almost 7 years, we are reminded […]

A repetitive stress injury (RSI), also known as a repetitive strain injury, can be any one of a range of conditions affecting the muscles, nerves and tendons of your body. Workers in the healthcare sector are especially at risk from contracting RSIs as much of the work can involve carrying out repetitive tasks. Unfortunately it […]

The rapid spread of the Zika virus is an international public health crisis, and possibly responsible for birth defects including microcephaly, as well as an increase in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system. Featuring representatives from the major public health organizations, this session—a […]

New York City health officials have reported 40 travel associated Zika virus cases, noting that six cases were in pregnant woman, as of Monday. On the same day, Mayor de Blasio detailed a three-year, five-borough plan to protect New Yorkers and prevent the spread of the Zika virus in New York City. Building on the Health […]

The City of New Orleans announced that the New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) and the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board (NOMTCB) developed a comprehensive plan to provide direction for the prevention and mitigation of Zika virus in Orleans Parish. Zika virus is most commonly transmitted to people through the bite of a Zika […]

The Philippines is the first and only country to begin vaccinating children for dengue fever with the recently approved vaccine, Dengvaxia. On April 4, 2016, the Department of Health (DOH) started the administration of dengue vaccines to Grade 4 pupils aged 9 years old and above in Regions III, IV-A, and National Capital Region (NCR). The […]

A Yale-led study finds that a new vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV) would significantly reduce both cervical cancer incidence and healthcare costs if states coordinated policies to improve coverage. The study was published April 18 by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, is the […]

The Malaysian Health Ministry reported more than 120,000 dengue fever cases in 2015. In 2016 to date, the case tally exceeds 41,000 through Apr. 17, including 90 fatalities. The high number of dengue cases in Malaysia calls into question, Will the country, like neighboring Asian nation the Philippines, institute the dengue vaccine as part of […]

Peru Health Minister, Anibal Velasquez Valdivia announced at a press conference this weekend that they have recorded the country’s first indigenous case of Zika virus transmitted through sexual contact. According to the Ministry of Health (computer translated), the patient is a 32-year-old woman from the district of La Molina (Lima) who contracted the virus through sexual activity with her […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice for Belize after recent reports of local transmission of Zika virus in the Central American country. Local mosquito transmission means that mosquitoes in the area are infected with Zika virus and are spreading it to people. Travelers to areas with cases of Zika virus […]

A yellow fever outbreak in the central jungle has left three people dead to date, according to the head of the Regional Health Authority in Junin, Luis Zuniga Villacresis. This prompted Villacresis to issue a health alert for the area, according to local media (computer translated). Officials say that the region has been yellow fever-free for […]

Health Ministry officials in Tucuman province have issued a health alert following the confirmation of two deaths from hantavirus in the province in northwest Argentina, local media reports (computer translated). Officials said that hantavirus, which is transmitted by voles, is circulating in Burruyacu department in the eastern part of the province, where the two people died. […]

Officials in England are advising the public to practice safe sex in light of an increase in antibiotic resistant cases of gonorrhea, saying it’s a further sign of the very real threat of antibiotic resistance to our ability to treat infections. Public Health England (PHE) continues to monitor and investigate gonorrhea cases that are highly resistant to […]

The number of cryptosporidium cases have increased by six in a week linked to Coleg Gwent’s farm in Usk, Wales health officials report. The Outbreak Control Team are continuing to work with Coleg Gwent and 13 people have now tested positive for cryptosporidium and test results are awaited for a number of others after they had […]

Health officials with the Health and Family Planning Commission of Jiangxi Province are reporting on two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9). Details on the cases reveal they are a mother and adult son. The female patient aged 43 and her son aged 23 live in Taihe, Ji’an, and work in Jinjiang, Fujian. They have been […]

The chicken pox is one of those pesky illness that affects kids and pains their parents, but it may offer some positive health benefits later in life, experts believe – a reduced risk for developing glioma. In one of the largest studies to date, an international consortium led by researchers in the Dan L Duncan […]

In the first half of Sunday’s show, I went through the plethora of news that came out during the week on Zika virus, with a few audio clips to boot. Clearly, the news on this public health crisis keeps coming–Zika-microcephaly link, new research and the political wrangling that has now become the story of the […]

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated their WHO Zika App for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The app, which is described as follows: The official World Health Organization (WHO) Zika App. Get the latest information from WHO on the Zika virus disease by downloading this app, was updated (version 1.3) to include French language (formerly […]

On Feb. 1, 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, based on the advice of Emergency Committee (EC), declared the current Zika virus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). How did we get to this point–a obscure, formerly believed to be a mild, essentially benign disease–is now a public health crisis? […]

Just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced they’ve concluded that the mosquito borne virus, Zika, is the cause of microcephaly and other birth defects, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr Anthony Fauci appeared on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace this morning to […]

The Virgin Islands Department of Health confirmed one additional case of Zika on St. Croix, bringing the total to 14 cases. This is not unexpected, and the Department of Health expects that there will continue to be more positive cases in the future. The Virgin Islands Department of Health is confirming our first Zika case […]

By now, most people in Wisconsin are well acquainted with the microorganism, Elizabethkingia anophelis, where the largest known outbreak ever has been reported since late last year. E. anophelis, the Gram-negative bacteria is the cause of an ongoing and deadly outbreak in Wisconsin and, recently, Michigan and Illinois, is generally a rare cause of illness in healthy individuals. However, local […]

In a follow-up to the suspected norovirus outbreak at the University of Rochester in western New York, the number of cases have doubled in the past four days from 60 to 120. However,the good news is the number of new cases per day is starting to decline, and that the broad sanitization efforts are working to […]

Canadian health officials, federal and provincial, are collaborating to investigate an outbreak of Hepatitis A infections in three provinces linked to the frozen fruit product: Nature’s Touch Organic Berry Cherry Blend. Currently, there are 12 cases of Hepatitis A in three provinces related to this outbreak: Ontario (9), Quebec (2), and Newfoundland and Labrador (1). Individuals became […]

I have been reading a lot of Lyme community web traffic regarding the Federal bill S. 1503. This bill provides for enhanced Federal efforts concerning prevention, education, treatment and research activities related to Lyme disease and other tickborne illnesses. This legislation also includes the establishment of a Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee. I suggest that if […]

Health officials with Isle of Wight NHS report that Poppy Unit, an acute ward out in the community at Solent Grange Nursing Home, has been affected by an outbreak of diarrhea and vomiting. The virus has affected a number of staff and patients on the unit. Immediate action has been taken to help contain the virus […]

A rabbit from the east side of the Redlands has tested positive for tularemia. Residents should be aware tularemia could present in animals anywhere in Mesa County and should avoid contact with wild animals. Tularemia is bacteria commonly found in rabbits, hares and rodents. In previous years, Mesa County has had high tularemia activity. In […]

Women who stayed on a low fat diet for approximately eight years reduced their risk of death from invasive breast cancers and improved their survival rates when compared with women who had not followed the dietary regimen, according to a study to be presented at a clinical trial plenary session, entitled “Transformative Clinical Trials in […]

Officials in Polk County have reported a case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in a horse this week. The eighteen month old, unvaccinated Quarter Horse had not been off the property in at least 6 months. Clinical signs began April 4th and the horse passed on the same day. The case was confirmed positive on April […]

How does a formerly innocuous and obscure virus like Zika transform itself into a feared pathogen inflicting a devastating impact on global health? A new UCLA study suggests that the virus possesses the ability to mutate rapidly, allowing the current outbreak to spread swiftly around the world. The Cell Press journal, Cell Host & Microbe,published […]

Health officials have confirmed a new case of Zika imported in the Canary Islands, according to a government news release earlier this week (computer translated). The new confirmed case of Zika is in a 37-year-old woman, who is not pregnant. She was in Latin America for a month and presented with Zika symptoms upon return to the […]

Impax Laboratories, Inc. announced earlier this week that EMVERM (mebendazole) 100 mg chewable tablets are now available for healthcare providers to prescribe to patients in the United States. EMVERM is indicated for the treatment of Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm), Trichuris trichiura(whipworm), Ascaris lumbricoides (common roundworm), Ancylostoma duodenale(common hookworm), Necator americanus (American hookworm) in single or mixed infections. […]

How is it that chronic Lyme disease is an illness that hundreds of thousands if not millions of sufferers are forced to navigate primarily on their own, save for a handful of brave and noble doctors? How is it that chronic Lyme is a ‘do-it-yourself disease’ (aptly coined by senior producer Kris Newby of award-winning […]

Aedes mosquitoes—the main vector for Zika transmission—are present in all the countries in the Americas with the exception of Canada and continental Chile. Despite that fact, Chile reported the first Zika virus infection acquired in continental Chilean territory–it was sexually transmitted. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the case (Person A) developed symptoms consistent with Zika virus […]

Manitoba health officials identified the first two confirmed cases of Zika virus infection in the province. Both individuals recently travelled to an area affected by the current outbreak. The current overall risk to Manitobans is very low as the species of mosquitoes that can carry the virus are unable to survive the cool weather in […]

The Vermont Department of Health today announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the state’s first case of Zika virus in a Vermont resident, an adult who traveled to a Zika affected area before developing symptoms. Zika is a virus spread by the bite of certain Aedes species of mosquitoes. Illness is […]

Belize was the only country in Central America that hadn’t reported local transmission of Zika virus, but now that appears to have changed. One week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) contacted the Belize Ministry of Health (MOH) concerning possible Zika transmission in a US resident with travel to the Central American country. The CDC […]

The Philippines had the highest incidence in the Western Pacific Region from 2013 to 2015. In 2015 alone, the Philippines recorded more than 200,000 dengue fever cases, including some 600 dengue-related fatalities. The latest data from the Department of Health (DOH) show that in the first three months of 2016, nearly 32,000 cases have been […]

The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp (ITM) has developed a test that can confirm an infection with the Zika virus even after the acute infection phase. A correct diagnosis is especially important for pregnant women because of the potential risks for the unborn baby if the mother is infected. With the neutralization test, the […]

Long associated with liver cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a study from The University of TexasMD Anderson Cancer Center reveals for the first time that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with certain head and neck cancers. The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, could have significant implications for both the […]

In Jan. 2016, the Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) investigated a male-to-male sexual transmission of Zika virus. The description of the case is published in the latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). According to the report, one half of the gay couple traveled to Venezuela fro one week. He developed classic symptoms of Zika […]

In a follow-up to a report on the yellow fever situation in Uganda, local media reports an additional three yellow fever deaths, bringing the total fatalities to 10. The report notes that the three deaths were residents of Bukakata in Masaka district. The Masaka health officer said the World Health Organization and the US Centers for […]