Outbreak News Today

On Feb 1, WHO issued an alert1 on the potential fetal consequences of the Zika virus outbreak after the Brazilian authorities reported an abnormal increase in the number of cases of neonates born with microcephaly.2 Although no causal link could be clearly established, circumstantial evidence was considered worrisome enough for several countries to discourage pregnant […]

Dozens of people have become ill with symptoms of gastrointestinal illness on the campus of the University of Regina since late last week. On February 29, Public Health authorities at the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region confirmed that cases tested thus far of gastrointestinal illness on campus are shown to be Norovirus. The case count as of Tuesday is 64. […]

Some fifteen people were sickened with ciguatera fish poisoning in the village of Garapan on Saipan in the Northern Marianas Islands, according to a local media report. The patients, nine of which were tourists, became ill three hours after consuming barracuda at a Chinese restaurant and food taken home. More than 400 species of fish, including barracuda, black […]

Public Health England (PHE) and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) have been carefully monitoring the evolving Zika virus outbreak in South and Central America and the Caribbean and are now issuing updated travel advice for pregnant women and advice on preventing sexual transmission. Travel and pregnancy It is recommended that pregnant women […]

As an additional safety measure against the emerging Zika virus outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued new guidance for immediate implementation providing recommendations to reduce the potential transmission risk of Zika virus from human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps). The guidance addresses donation of HCT/Ps from both living and […]

Pregnant women with asthma may be at greater risk of preterm birth when exposed to high levels of certain traffic-related air pollutants, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. The researchers observed an increased risk associated with both ongoing and short-term exposure to nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, […]

Two new Zika cases have been confirmed in Miami-Dade County, according to the Florida Department of Health’s Daily Zika update today. This brings the total in the state to 44. Counties reporting cases were: Alachua, Brevard, Broward (6), Hillsborough (3), Lee (3), Miami-Dade (19), Orange (3), Osceola, St. Johns, Santa Rosa, and Seminole. Four of […]

The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) continues to monitor the recent reported cases of Zika in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, American Samoa, Tonga, and the Americas. To date, there have been no confirmed cases of Zika reported on Guam. Zika is a disease caused by the Zika virus that is […]

The US Virgin Islands Department of Health confirmed two additional cases of Zika on St. Croix, bringing the total to 6 cases. This is not unexpected, and the Department of Health expects that there will continue to be more positive cases in the future. In addition, on March 1st, the Department of Health is reporting […]

Utah public health officials have received confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that a Utah resident has tested positive for the Zika virus. The patient, a child between the ages of two and 10 years, recently traveled to an affected country before returning to Utah. The child exhibited symptoms, including the […]

The Hong Kong Department of Health (DH) today arranged a briefing for the sports sector on the necessary preventive measures against Zika Virus Infection before departing for upcoming preparatory events of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. About 50 athletes and their personnel, including coaches, medical and nursing staff, and […]

The National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 6 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 3 deaths during the first two weeks of February. Details of the cases An 80-year-old male from Alkharj city developed symptoms on 6 February and, on 13 February, was […]

Health officials at Harvard University reported on two confirmed cases of the contagious viral disease, mumps, in students at the Divinity School, according to a report in the school’s daily newspaper. The two students affected are an undergraduate student and a graduate student of the school, according to director of Harvard University Health Services, Paul J. Barreira. […]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Yellow fever virus is found in tropical and subtropical areas in South America and Africa. The virus is transmitted to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. In Angola, the outbreak of the mosquito borne virus continues to grow as the latest reports show […]

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have identified an enzyme that acts early in pneumococcal infections to promote bacterial survival and invasive disease by removing the bacteria’s capsule. The research appears today in the scientific journal Nature Communications. The findings have profound implications for current treatment and vaccine strategies to combat the pneumococcus bacterium, or […]

One student at UNC Charlotte has been diagnosed with confirmed mumps, a viral infection that may result in swelling of the parotid or salivary gland(s) near the neck and jaw. There has been an increase in the number of mumps cases in the United States and the Charlotte region. Public health officials are working closely […]

State health and agriculture officials are investigating an outbreak of food borne illness. Retailers and restaurants should not sell or serve alfalfa sprouts and consumers should not eat them at this time. Routine disease monitoring by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) identified seven E. coli O157:NM cases in January and early February; E. coli bacteria […]

In a follow-up to the latest hospital admission of Scottish nurse, Pauline Cafferkey, who contracted Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in late 2014, Royal Free London released the following statement on Sunday: Pauline Cafferkey has today (Sunday 28 February) been discharged from the care of the Royal Free Hospital following her admission due to a complication related to […]

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis, IBK or pinkeye, is an infection of cattle caused by Moraxella bovis, a Gram-negative, β-haemolytic, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium. It is spread by direct contact or by flies serving as vectors. It is the most common ocular disease of cattle (mostly beef). IBK causes severe infection of the conjunctiva, edema, corneal opacity and […]

The Florida Department of Health reported an additional five new confirmed Zika cases Monday, including cases from Miami-Dade County (3), Broward County (1) and a 5th pregnant woman from an undisclosed county. The total number of travel-associated cases now stands 42. Miami-Dade and Broward Counties have reported the most with 17 and 6, respectively. There have […]

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added Sint Maarten, a country on the southern part of a Caribbean island shared with Saint Martin, after the Dutch constituent country reported their second Zika virus case. The second case, confirmed one week ago, involves a Dutch Tourist from Netherlands who arrived on SXM […]

The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Arbovirus Laboratory Network (RELDA) have agreed on new guidelines to improve lab confirmation of suspected Zika cases, even as more accurate tests are developed. “With dengue and chikungunya circulating in the region, diagnosing Zika is a great challenge,” said Maria Guadalupe Guzman, head of the […]

An outbreak of cholera at a jail in Bani, the capital town of the Peravia Province, Dominican Republic, has resulted in 20 inmates becoming ill and two deaths, according to a Listín Diario report (computer translated). Approximately two weeks ago, 20 inmates in the public jail at Bani presented with symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. At least patients were […]

With the addition of nearly 300 dengue fever cases, the number of cases in Malaysia is nearly 26,000 in the first two months of 2016. This is slightly higher than the 23,966 cases through February last year. The total number of deaths for 2016 is now 51, compared to a total of 54 deaths during […]

A two-year clinical trial that compared three drugs for diabetic macular edema (DME) found that gains in vision were greater for participants receiving the drug Eylea (aflibercept) than for those receiving Avastin (bevacizumab), but only among participants starting treatment with 20/50 or worse vision. Gains after two years were about the same for Eylea and […]

It is estimated that as many as 1 in 200 children are affected by PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections), according to the PANDAS Network. During the first half of the Outbreak News This Week Radio show on Feb. 28, I had the opportunity to talk to Executive Director for the PANDAS Network, JC Konecny. During the interview […]

After reporting more than 200,000 dengue fever cases and 600 deaths during 2015, the Philippines has recorded nearly 13,000 cases during the first five weeks of this year, according to the latest data from the Western Pacific Regional Office (WRPO). As of Feb. 6, there were 12,904 suspected cases of dengue reported in 2016, including […]

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (February 29) investigating a confirmed case of invasive meningococcal infection, a communicable disease transmitted by direct contact with droplets from carriers or infected persons. The case involves an 8-year-old boy, with underlying illnesses, who has presented with fever, vomiting and diarrhoea since […]

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed a case of Zika virus infection in a pregnant woman who traveled to an area of ongoing Zika transmission. This is the second confirmed case of Zika virus in Los Angeles County. Both cases were infected during travel to an area with ongoing local transmission. In […]

Bank voles are small rodents that are not dangerous by themselves, but their excreta can contain one of the dangerous hantaviruses. While bank voles are unaffected by the infection, hantaviruses can cause potentially fatal diseases in humans for which no treatments exist. In central and northern Europe, infection is accompanied by fever, headache, or even […]

State public health officials have identified the first case of Zika virus infection in Montana in an adult female from Missoula County who returned from a Zika-affected area. The infected individual is not pregnant. Zika is a disease caused by a virus that is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquito not found in […]

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) reported on Thursday that 204 people have been hospitalized, and three people have died in Oklahoma since reporting for the current flu season began Oct. 4, 2015. Influenza-associated hospitalizations have been reported statewide while three influenza-associated deaths have occurred among residents of Harper, Rogers and Tulsa counties. Oklahoma has […]

Michigan health officials have identified the first confirmed case of Zika virus in a Michigan resident. The patient, a female resident of Ingham County, contracted the virus when traveling in a country where Zika virus is being transmitted. The patient, who was not pregnant, experienced symptoms consistent with Zika virus disease shortly after her return […]

On Friday, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced the creation of a statewide task force to guide preparedness initiatives related to Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness. Led by the Virginia Department of Health, the group will be responsible for coordinating with Virginia localities on mosquito surveillance and control programs prior to the start of mosquito season on […]

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) researchers recently published the results of testing a Plasmodium vivax malaria vaccine candidate in a human challenge model. A vaccine to prevent infection and disease caused by P. vivax is critical to reduce sickness and mortality from vivax malaria, a common cause of malaria among deployed service members. […]

The number of probable and laboratory confirmed dengue fever cases in Mexico has eclipsed the 10,000 mark as of Feb. 15, according to health ministry numbers. Through the seventh week of 2016, Mexico has reported 10,702 total dengue fever cases, up from 6,892 cases during the same period last year. 1,496 cases have been laboratory confirmed. Nearly […]

During the past couple days, health authorities in China have reported additional imported Zika virus cases in Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces. According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission on Friday, an additional case was reported in a 42-year-old female patient from Wenzhou, Zhejiang who worked in Suriname. She departed Suriname for Zhejiang on February 21 and developed […]

Earlier this week, health officials in Abuja, Nigeria suspected that a “mystery outbreak” that killed some 13 people may have been due to dysentery or typhoid in Saburi community. However, on Friday, Dr Rilwanu Muhammad, the Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Health Care Development Board, has said that 13 people died while 10 people survived food poisoning caused […]

Health officials in France are reporting the first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus infection in a Paris-area woman who is not pregnant, according to a AFP report. France Heath Minister, Marisol Touraine said the woman was infected with the virus when her partner returned from Brazil. “She showed classic signs of the disease,” health officials said. “She […]

Oregon health officials reported on Friday the state’s first case of sexually transmitted Zika infection. The illness was spread from a man who had traveled in a Zika-affected country to his female sex partner, who had not traveled. Both people later tested positive for Zika. Zika seldom causes serious illness. Four out of five people who […]

Health officials in Uruguay reports what may be the country’s first case of autochthonous, or locally acquired dengue fever case in a Montevideo woman. The 31-year-old female developed fever and joint pain on Feb. 5. On Feb. 9, she sought medical attention and, on the same day, her samples were collected for laboratory testing. The samples […]

In a follow up on the yellow fever outbreak situation in the South African country of Angola, health officials say the outbreak has grown to 434 cases of the serious mosquito borne viral illness and of these, 118 fatalities. Seven out of 10 of the yellow fever deaths have been reported in the capital city […]

Hawaii health officials report the dengue fever outbreak on the Big Island now stands at 260 with the additional of several new cases reported this week. Of the confirmed cases, 235 are Hawaii Island residents and 25 are visitors. 214 cases have been adults; 46 have been children, health officials note. Two weeks ago, Governor David Ige signed […]

Health officials in Cordoba province, Argentina are reporting the first indigenous case of Zika virus infection in the country in a woman who was infected after having sex with a man who caught the virus in Colombia, according to Portuguese language media (computer translated). The Ministry of Health of Córdoba said in a statement: The woman had […]

San Diego County health officials announced Friday a confirmed Zika virus case in a San Diego woman. The woman is believed to have contracted the virus while in Colombia, was not pregnant and was not hospitalized. She has fully recovered, similar to the two previous cases of travel-associated Zika infections reported in San Diego. This is the […]

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued advice for people planning travel to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to August 21, 2016, and to the 2016 Paralympic Games scheduled for September 7 to September 18, 2016. These recommendations provide information to travelers to help […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for adiagnostic tool for Zika virus that will be distributed to qualified laboratories and, in the United States, those that are certified to perform high-complexity tests. The test, called the CDC […]

New data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that for the six years from Jan. 1, 2010 to Dec. 31 2015, 3248 cases of plague in humans were reported, resulting in 584 deaths. Of this total, Madagascar is the most seriously affected country in the world with 74 percent of all cases globally with […]

Between 6 and 16 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point (NFP) of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) notified WHO of 3 additional cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (VDPV1). Details of the new cases The first case is a 15-month-old female from Phonhoung district, Vientiane Province. The patient developed paralysis on 8 January. The […]

In an update from the Florida Department of Health today, officials report an additional two travel-associated cases in Broward County and Miami-Dade County, bringing the state total to 37. Of the travel-related cases confirmed in Florida, only four cases are still exhibiting symptoms. There have been no locally-acquired cases of Zika in Florida. To date, Miami-Dade County […]