Outbreak News Today

Recently, researchers compared the effects of tai chi to leg strengthening exercises (a physical therapy called “lower extremity training,” or LET) in reducing falls. Falls are a leading cause of serious injuries in older adults and can lead to hospitalization, nursing home admission, and even death. Arthritis, heart disease, muscle weakness, vision and balance problems, […]

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) is reporting that a resident has tested positive for Zika virus disease after traveling in a Central American country where the virus is circulating. This is the first travel associated Zika case reported in the state. Tests results were reported on March 9, from the Centers for […]

Three Indiana schools have reported 36 mumps cases since February, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. As of Friday, the following breakdown was reported: Indiana University (12), Butler University (21) and IUPUI (3). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of Mar. 4, 250 mumps cases were reported nationally. Related: Vaccines: […]

Angolan health authorities and national and international partners continue making tireless efforts to immunize 6.7 million people in Luanda Province and to stop the yellow fever outbreak the country has been facing since December 2015. WHO is supporting the procurement of 7.4 million doses of vaccine that will allow the vaccination of the entire population […]

Awareness Corp. of Mesa, AZ, is recalling its 7.4 ounce container of Boost Tea because it may be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected withSalmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and […]

UPDATE: Patient suspected of having Lassa fever arrives in Atlanta for treatment at Emory In a follow-up to a report on an individual who died in Cologne, Germany due to Lassa fever in late February, various reports identify the victim as 46-year-old Todd DeKryger, a medical missionary in Africa from a Grand Rapids church, a surgical physician assistant, the […]

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the Assistant Attorney General for National Security announced last week the sentencing of a New York man for attempting to acquire ricin as a weapon, among other charges. 22-year-old Cheng Le was sentenced Tuesday to 16 years in prison for attempting to acquire ricin, postal fraud, and […]

The City of El Paso Department of Public Health is warning residents of the dangers of consuming unpasteurized cheese. This, after a local man was hospitalized after eating goat cheese purchased from an unlicensed food vendor. After complaining of fever, joint pain, and fatigue, the man who is in his midsixties, tested positive for Brucellosis. […]

Vancouver Coastal Health is warning passengers on a flight from Beijing to Vancouver could be at risk of getting measles. An individual who was on Air China flight CA991 from Beijing arriving in Vancouver March 3rd at 9:30 a.m. developed symptoms of measles after their arrival. This person was infectious during the flight. Anyone on […]

Health officials in Erie County, NY are investigating six possible mumps cases in off-campus students of SUNY Buffalo. According to University at Buffalo (UB) Student Health Services, health officials are investigating two probable and four suspected cases of mumps. Working with UB’s office of Student Health Services, the Department of Health has taken the lead on […]

Health officials in England are reporting an increase in measles in the past several weeks, prompting calls to the public to ensure they are fully vaccinated against the virus. Since the beginning of February 2016, 20 cases of measles have been confirmed across London (12 cases) and the East of England (Cambridge – 3 cases; […]

The National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province reported an additional imported case of Zika Virus Infection on the Mainland Friday. The case involves a 19-year-old man who lives in Venezuela. He arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on February 29 and shortly later on the same […]

The number of laboratory-confirmed Zika virus cases in the United States has now topped 200. Official numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stands at 193 in 32 states and the District of Columbia as of Mar. 9. However, there are at least 10 cases reported in Florida and three in Texas […]

CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, traveled to Puerto Rico earlier this week to assess the Zika virus situation on the island and presented some information based on his firsthand account at a telebriefing on Thursday. “The bottom line here is that Puerto Rico is on the front line of the battle against Zika and […]

The very unusual Elizabethkingia anophelis outbreak reported in a dozen Wisconsin counties since Nov. 2015 has infected 48 people, most elderly and all with an underlying health issue, resulting in 15 deaths, although it has not been determined if the cause is the bacterial infection, or the patients’ other serious health conditions, or both. According to Dr. Nasia Safdar, […]

Officials with Emory University Hospital in Atlanta report expecting a patient from West Africa with suspected Lassa fever this weekend. The patient’s diagnosis is not yet confirmed. Emory will work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and with the Georgia Department of Public Health in diagnosing the patient. The patient, who due […]

Because local transmission of Zika virus has been reported on the Caribbean island of Aruba, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice today 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. According to […]

Since the first Zika virus infection was confirmed on the Caribbean island of Martinique in Dec. 2105, health authorities put the clinical case count at 10,950, with the addition of some 1700 cases reported in week 9, 2016 (computer translated). In Martinique, laboratory confirmation for Zika virus is now reserved for pregnant women. Since the […]

Kansas state health officials received confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the first person in the state to test positive for Zika virus. The individual is an adult from southwest Kansas and has travel history to a country with local Zika virus transmission. The person subsequently developed an illness consistent […]

Officials with the Cambridge Public Health Department reported today additional mumps cases among Harvard University students at the Cambridge campus. The current total cases now stands at 11. Harvard University Health Services Director, Dr Paul J. Barreira wrote in a message to the Harvard community earlier this week: We all have a responsibility to help prevent the spread […]

Nestlé USA is initiating a voluntary recall of a limited number of DiGiorno®, Lean Cuisine®, and Stouffer’s® products due to the potential presence of glass pieces. This voluntary recall covers only specific production codes of the following products: DiGiorno Thin & Crispy Spinach and Garlic Pizza DiGiorno Rising Crust Spinach and Mushroom Pizza DiGiorno pizzeria […]

Hawaii health officials are reporting an additional dengue fever case on the Big Island, the first in two weeks and the 261st total. This new confirmed case helps to remind everyone that this outbreak remains active and is not anticipated to be considered over anytime in the near future. As there have been no confirmed […]

An outbreak of norovirus that began last Friday has sickened dozens at Lafayette College in Easton, PA, according to school officials. According to college President Alison Byerly, they received confirmation from the Pennsylvania Department of Health that the cause of the outbreak is norovirus. She also writes in a message to students and parents: Recognizing both the […]

Between 1 January 2007 and 9 March 2016, a total of 52 countries and territories have reported autochthonous (local) transmission or indication of transmission of Zika virus (41 since 1 January 2015). The Philippines is the latest to report autochthonous transmission of Zika virus. Five of these countries and territories reported a Zika virus outbreak […]

Taiwan health officials are reporting the first case of hantavirus hemorrhagic fever, or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) of the year in a 76-year-old woman from Lingya District, Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. According to the Taiwan CDC, on February 20, 2016, she sought medical attention and was hospitalized after developing symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea and […]

Two people have died from anthrax after consuming tainted meat in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region, according to local media. It was revealed that last week, some animals in Widnaba fell sick from the bacterial infection and were consumed by an some 30 people. Antibiotics were given for the people in the area. Health […]

Uruguay health officials are reporting an increase in the number of dengue fever cases since the first autochthonous, or locally acquired case was reported last month. Since then, 570 suspected cases and 17 confirmed have been reported in the country, with six out of 10 cases reported from the capital city of Montevideo. All confirmed cases were […]

Qatari health officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of an additional Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) case and death in a citizen. A 66-year-old, male, Qatari national developed symptoms on 18 February while in Saudi Arabia, where he had stayed for approximately 2 months. On 19 February, the patient sought health care in […]

A individual who was referred to the University Hospital of Cologne for malaria treatment has died from suspected Lassa fever, according to German media (computer translated). The patient was apparently in West Africa, admitted to the Cologne hospital for malaria, later died and on Wednesday the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine’s postmortem examination revealed the suspected […]

The Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province has reported an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in a 37-year-old man who lives in Jieyang. H7N9 avian influenza viruses can cause severe infections in humans. Due to the seasonal pattern, risk assessment shows that the activity of avian influenza viruses is expected to remain at […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infections. Eleven people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo have been reported from 9 states–Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, […]

The South Pacific islands of New Caledonia has been added to the list of destinations in which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued travel notices due to ongoing Zika transmission. New Caledonia joins American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Samoa and Tonga in the Pacific. Travelers to areas where cases of Zika virus infection have been recently […]

In a follow-up to a report last week about a large outbreak of Elizabethkingia anophelis in southeastern and southern Wisconsin, The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has reported an additional four cases of the bloodstream infection, bringing the outbreak total to 48. While 18 patients who tested positive for the Elizabethkingia infection in this outbreak have died, it […]

The Florida Department of Health officials have reported a sexually-transmitted Zika virus infection in Polk County, the first in the state. Health officials write–one was sexually transmitted from an individual who was traveling outside of the country. A second case, also in Polk County, is considered travel associated. No other details were available. These are […]

The Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer (1975-2012) shows that death rates continued to decline for all cancers combined, as well as for most cancer sites for men and women of all major racial and ethnic populations. The overall cancer death rates for both sexes combined decreased by 1.5 percent per year […]

The second meeting of the Emergency Committee (EC) convened by the Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR 2005) regarding clusters of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders in some areas affected by Zika virus was held by teleconference on 8 March 2016, from 13:00 to 16:45 Central European Time. The WHO Secretariat briefed […]

Australian health officials are investigating four people infected with Legionnaires’ disease who all spent time in Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD). City of Sydney and public health units have commenced inspections of cooling towers in the CBD, starting in the Town Hall area, as outbreaks can be associated with contaminated air conditioning systems in large buildings. […]

And the hits keep coming for the Denver-based restaurant chain as a eastern Massachusetts Chipotles temporarily closed after several employees reported not feeling well and one was confirmed positive for norovirus. The Chipotle in Billerica voluntarily closed earlier in the day after four employees called out sick. One of those employees tested positive for norovirus, two […]

Following reports of the first case of mumps in a UMass Boston (UMB) last week, school officials announced Tuesday a second confirmed case of the contagious viral disease. The first on campus case occurred on February 20, 2016 during the UMB Men’s hockey team match against Southern Maine University (SMU), according to a University Health Services […]

Health officials in Gallatin County, Montana are reporting on four mumps cases among students in Belgrade schools. All of the confirmed cases attend Belgrade High School or Belgrade Middle School. Mumps is a viral disease characterized by swelling of the parotid or salivary glands along the face, neck and jaw. The swelling can last from two […]

A multidisciplinary group of experts convened by the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO) is in El Salvador this week to exchange experiences and support national efforts to respond to the Zika virus outbreak in the country. Experts are meeting with officials from the Ministry of Health and sharing experiences […]

Sri Lanka health officials reported 10,788 suspected dengue cases during the first two months of 2016. According to the Epidemiology Unit,Ministry of Health, approximately 51.21 percent of these cases were reported from the Western Province and the highest number of cases were reported in the fourth week of 2016. According to the Epidemiology Unit, this alarming […]

Eli Lilly and Company announced Monday that JAMA Dermatology has published detailed results from three pivotal Phase 3 trials that evaluated the effect of ixekizumab on work productivity in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Specific results from the UNCOVER-1 study were also presented Monday during the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. In […]

A horse in Madison County, FL has been confirmed positive for rabies, according to an update from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC). The equine, the first that tested positive for the dangerous virus, is the first equine rabies case in Madison County and the first for Florida in 2016. The premise with one remaining exposed horse […]

In a follow-up to a report on a gastrointestinal outbreak in Dayton, OH, Dayton & Montgomery County health officials reported the findings of their investigation associated with eating at Lucky’s Taproom & Eatery in Dayton between the dates of February 22 through February 28. On Tuesday, health officials said they received a total of eighty (80) reports of […]

Lyme patients and advocates from across the U.S. will gather for a “We the People” rally at the U.S. Capitol on May 19. The next day, simultaneous solidarity rallies will be held at the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) headquarters in Arlington, VA, and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters […]

Last year was intense for dengue fever in many areas of Asia with the Philippines reporting more than 200,000 cases, Thailand reporting some 140,000 and Malaysia seeing in excess of 120,000. In Malaysia in 2016 to date. health officials put the case count at 28,576 as of Mar. 7. This includes 62 dengue-related fatalities. More […]

It may be tempting to squeeze or pop a painful lump on your skin, but experts advise against it. The bump could be a boil – a pus-filled skin infection that occurs around a hair follicle or oil gland – or a stye if the lump is on your eyelid. According to dermatologists, squeezing a […]

Mumps: Background and Key Findings A vaccine is a medical product that stimulates a person’s immune system to protect against a specific disease. The FDA assures the safety and effectiveness of vaccines for use in the United States, and only approves vaccines that it has determined to be safe and effective. “Vaccines protect against serious […]

Hormonal imbalance can happen to any person, male or female, at any time. This is when hormones are either at a level that is higher or lower than normal, and this can wreak havoc to a person’s physique and psyche. The reasons why a person may experience imbalanced hormones can include menopause, stress, lifestyle, diet, […]