Outbreak News Today

Maytag Dairy Farms in Newton, IA today announced a voluntary recall of lot number 150482 of Maytag Raw Milk Blue Cheese due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. This follows the recall of lot number 150481 that was announced this past weekend. Lot 150482 includes approximately 1100 pounds of cheese, some of which has been […]

WBY Foods of Marblehead, MA, is recalling its Chappaqua Crunch Simply Granola with Blueberries & Bananas, in 13 ounce packages, because they have the potential to 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 […]

The multistate outbreak of Salmonella Virchow linked to RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal products made by Garden of Life, LLC has grown to 18 people in 15 states during the past two weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The six states added since the last update include Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, North […]

The World Health Organization released the following document concerning dispelling rumors around Zika and microcephaly: No evidence that vaccines cause microcephaly in babies There is no evidence linking any vaccine to the increases in microcephaly cases that were observed first in French Polynesia during the 2013-2014 outbreak and more recently in northeastern Brazil. No evidence […]

Updated Guidelines for Healthcare Providers Caring for Infants or Children with Possible Zika Virus Infection CDC has updated its interim guidelines for healthcare providers who care for infants and children with possible Zika virus infection. The guidance, which has been expanded to cover children up to 18 years old, includes these updates: A new recommendation […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) via The Ministry of Health of Benin released the following update on the Lassa fever outbreak that began in January. The outbreak was initially detected on 21 January following reports of unexplained fever within a cluster of health workers from the district of Tchaourou, Borgou department. On 3 January, these health […]

The Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health confirmed this week the first locally acquired Zika virus infection case. The patient, a 61-year-old female, was confirmed by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). The patient recently traveled to New Zealand in January 2016. However, as New Zealand is a Zika-free country, the indications are that this is a […]

The South Africa Health Ministry is reporting the first case of imported Zika vius in a Colombian businessman visiting the country, according to South African media. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said, “The confirmation of this particular case poses no risk to the South African population as the virus is not transmitted from human to human but […]

Clackamas County Public Health officials are investigating an incident of potential exposure to Hepatitis A at a Sandy movie theater. People who attended the Sandy Cinema, at 16605 Champion Way in Sandy, and ate or drank from the concession stand during certain days and hours earlier this month may have been exposed. The specific days […]

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the first case of Zika virus infection in a North Carolina resident. The case was confirmed in an adult person who has recently traveled to a country with ongoing Zika virus transmission. The patients’ symptoms have resolved. To protect patient confidentiality no additional details on this […]

In a trio of coordinated papers recently published in Science and Cell, researchers have shown strong evidence that the makeup of a young child’s gut microbiome could have significant influence on their susceptibility to malnutrition. Malnutrition affects almost 800 million people a year, and is the leading cause of death for children under 5 years […]

The Florida Department of Health reported two addition imported, or travel-associated Zika virus cases today, bringing the state total to 26. The new cases are from Miami-Dade County, their 10th case, and the first case reported in Orange County. State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong’s Declaration of Public Health Emergency has been extended […]

Health officials in China have reported an additional imported, or travel-associated Zika virus case on the Mainland today. This brings the total of imported cases in China to three. The National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China say the male patient, […]

Set your radio dial to am 1380 The Biz in Tampa this Sunday evening as host of the talk radio program, Outbreak News This Week, Robert Herriman spend the whole hour discussing fad diets, good nutrition and the book Stop the Diet, I Want to Get Off! with author and registered dietitian, Lisa Tillinger Johansen. The diet industry is big […]

Brazilian health officials announced Thursday that the notification of suspected cases of Zika will be mandatory for all states, according to a Ministry of Health release (computer translated). The change means that all Zika of suspected cases must be reported by doctors, health professionals or persons responsible for health facilities, or public private, health authorities weekly. […]

The Indianapolis, IN based school, IUPUI announced Thursday a confirmed case of the viral disease, mumps, on campus. IUPUI has been working closely with the Marion County Health Department and the student to identify and notify anyone with whom the student may have been in close contact. If you have not been notified, there is no medical […]

A research team that included scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has identified a new group of powerful antibodies to fight Ebola virus. The antibodies, isolated from the blood of a survivor of the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the largest panel reported to date, could guide the development of a vaccine or therapeutic against […]

On Thursday, Pope Francis chimed in on the Zika virus explosion globally, particularly in predominantly Catholic Latin America, saying that contraception could be “the lesser of two evils” as it relates to the risk of birth defects in the unborn, a condition called microcephaly. “Avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil,” Francis said. “In certain […]

CDC is working with other public health officials to monitor for ongoing Zika virus‎ transmission. Today, CDC added the following destinations to the Zika virus travel notices: Aruba and Bonaire. CDC has issued a travel notice (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. For […]

The number of travel-associated Zika virus cases in Florida has risen to 24 with the addition of two more cases from Miami-Dade County, Florida Health officials reported today. The county-by-county tally is as follows: Alachua (1), Brevard (1), Broward (4), Hillsborough (3), Lee (3), Miami-Dade (9), Osceola (1), Santa Rosa (1) and St. Johns (1). State […]

In a follow up to a report Tuesday, officials with Yale Student Health say that the student hospitalized with “probable” meningococcal meningitis has been confirmed as having bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis group B. Paul Genecin, M.D., Director of Yale Health said Wednesday via email that the Silliman College freshman who was hospitalized at Yale-New Haven Hospital […]

Anorexia is a very serious mental health problem that has a wide range of dangerous consequences for anyone for suffers from it. Traditionally it has proved exceptionally difficult to treat, but now it seems that neuroscience may be getting closer to offering a solution to the problem. Recently there has been considerable insight into the […]

Following reports of Zika virus in both Bonaire and Curacao, health officials in Aruba are now reporting the presence of the rapidly spreading mosquito borne virus, according to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, or RIVM in the Netherlands (computer translated). The Zika cases include three residents of Aruba and one Dutch traveler. The […]

North District Hospital or NDH is an acute general hospital serving the population of the New Territories East Cluster. Today, a spokesperson for the hospital made the following announcement: Four patients (aged 86 to 98) of a female medical ward have been confirmed as having Multi-drug Resistant Acinetobacter (MDRA) since February 6. One of them […]

The Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province reported on three additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) today. The three patients, all with underlying illnesses, comprise a 60-year-old woman who lives in Chaozhou, a 59-year-old man who lives in Jiangmen and a 76-year-old woman who lives in Zhaoqing. From 2013 to date, 707 human […]

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that preclinical testing of its synthetic vaccine for the Zika virus induced robust and durable immune responses, demonstrating the potential for a SynCon® vaccine to prevent and treat infections from this harmful pathogen. Health authorities have observed neurological and autoimmune complications potentially associated with Zika virus, including microcephaly in newborns […]

Scientists have discovered that a specialized white blood cell found in birds can destroy a potentially fatal fungal infection which affects more than one million people every year. Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungus that causes fatal infections in those with a weakened immune system. It is one of the most dangerous infections of individuals with […]

Today, the Brazilian health ministry released update numbers on the microcephaly situation in the country and it shows a total of 4,443 suspected and confirmed cases, 3,935 and 50, respectively. Only a small number cases can be attributed to causes other than Zika, according to health officials. In related news, a report being promoted by the University Network […]

Hillview Meat Processor is recalling raw pork and pork organ products from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Consumers should not consume and food service establishments, retailers, distributors and manufacturers in Alberta, should not serve, use, or sell these products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The affected raw […]

A newly published study compared Grade 2 students in both Edmonton and Calgary, and found that fluoride cessation in Calgary has had a negative impact on children’s health. In primary teeth, known more commonly as baby teeth, there was a worsening in tooth decay in Calgary since the discontinuation of fluoridation in 2011, as compared […]

The number of counties reporting Zika virus, and the number of counties Florida State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong issued a Declaration of Public Health Emergency has increased to nine as Brevard County, on Florida’s east coast reported their first imported case. The additional Zika case brings the total in Florida to […]

Cancer can appear in every part of your body, including the mouth. Mouth (or oral) cancer can affect the lips, tongue, cheeks and throat. More pronounced in the over 40s, especially among men, it is the 11th most common form of cancer According to figures by Macmillan, about 2.5 million people in the UK were […]

Whole Foods Market of Austin, Texas is recalling Pecorino Aged Cheese in Walnut Leaves sold in one Florida and one New York, NY store, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, […]

The Caribbean island just off the coast of Venezuela, Bonaire, reported their first case of Zika virus infection, according to a Dutch news source Tuesday (computer translated). The Department of Public Health of the Public Body reports one confirmed case, which they say is likely a locally transmitted. Health officials advise to remove potential mosquito […]

The bilharzia-causing parasite, Schistosoma mansoni, first infected humans as they fished in lakes in East Africa and was spread, first to West Africa and then to the New World by slave traders in 16th-19th Centuries, genomics reveals. Today in Scientific Reports, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Imperial College London and Royal Veterinary College scientists used the […]

Parasitology 101 is an educational blog that that can be used as a study guide for microbiology, infectious disease and medical technology students. The “bullet-point” format keeps the information concise and to the point. General Information Trematodes from the genus Schistosoma that live in the blood vessels of humans and other mammals Adults have separate sexes (different […]

Federal health officials are reporting a norovirus outbreak on the current voyage of Oceania Cruises vessel, Oceania Riviera. Eighty-two passengers and crew have been sickened with the gastrointestinal bug, norovirus. Specimens have been collected and tested onboard using a norovirus rapid test. This is the second cruise ship outbreak investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s […]

In a notice to the Yale University community, Paul Genecin, M.D., Director of Yale Health announced that a Yale College student was admitted last night to Yale-New Haven Hospital with probable bacterial meningitis (meningococcal disease). The student’s condition is being closely monitored and our primary concern is that the student makes a swift recovery. As a precautionary measure, […]

Pittsburgh, PA based Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today announced a new resource for patients with treatment-resistant Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections who may benefit from fecal transplant therapy. AHN is the first medical center in the region to provide patients with access to pre-screened samples from an FDA-approved stool bank, eliminating many of the obstacles in […]

As a safety measure against the emerging Zika virus outbreak, today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a new guidance recommending the deferral of individuals from donating blood if they have been to areas with active Zika virus transmission, potentially have been exposed to the virus, or have had a confirmed Zika virus infection. […]

Officials with the Paraguay Ministry of Health confirmed three deaths from dengue in the last 30 days, according to a Globedia Peru report. In addition, 445 infections were reported and the virus is being reported in half of the country’s departments, including the capital of Asunción. The three deaths were a 68 year old from city of Caballero, a 14 year […]

Three people died from complications associated with the Zika virus in Venezuela, according to President Nicolas Maduro Thursday evening in an official report (computer translated). Without disclosing specifics about the deaths, Maduro added that, in Venezuela, there are 5,221 suspected cases of Zika from early November through Feb. 8. 319 confirmed cases have been reported with 68 classified […]

The number of dengue fever cases in Thailand increased by another 848 cases during the past week, bringing the country total to 7515 cases from all 77 provinces. The death toll remains at one to date. Officials from the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) are reporting a tripling in dengue cases since the beginning of the year […]

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice recently for the southern African nation of Angola due to an ever growing yellow fever outbreak in Luanda Province. The outbreak started in December 2015 in Viana Municipality, a suburb of the capital city of Luanda, and has since spread to other municipalities […]

How well a flu shot protects you from the virus can depend on your ethnic background and other inherited factors, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists. The researchers, led by Wayne Marasco, MD, PhD, a cancer immunologist and virologist at Dana-Farber, found unexpected ethnicity influences on genetic variation in a key immune system gene that generates […]

The European Union has set up a European Medical Corps (EMC) through which teams and equipment from the EU Member States can be rapidly deployed. 1. What is the European Medical Corps? The European Union has set up a European Medical Corps (EMC) through which teams and equipment from the EU Member States can be […]

The yellow fever outbreak that started in early December in the district of Viana, Luanda province has grown to some 240 cases, including 51 deaths, according to Angola health officials. Issues with sanitation and disposing of garbage has been pointed to as a trigger to the increase in the mosquito vector that carries the virus, particularly […]

In a follow-up on the pneumococcal meningitis outbreak in the West African nation of Ghana, The Ghana Health Service has released updated figures on the outbreak that shows the case count has risen to 548, including 93 deaths. The outbreak began last December. The Brong Ahafo region is leading with 359 cases of meningitis and 52 fatalities. […]

Florida health officials announced today an addition imported Zika virus case in the state from Broward County, the fourth case in that county. This brings the total to 21 statewide–All cases are travel-associated. There have been no locally-acquired cases of Zika in Florida. None of the confirmed cases involve pregnant women. Last week, Governor Rick […]

In a follow-up report to a gastrointestinal outbreak affecting some 200 students, faculty and staff at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, school and county health officials announced today that norovirus has been confirmed by laboratory testing as the cause of the outbreak. There continues to be a significant decrease in students reporting symptoms since the illness was first […]