Outbreak News Today

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 […]

The Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) is reporting today (computer translated) on the first imported, or travel-associated Zika virus case in the country. The infected individual arrived in Moscow demonstrating clinical manifestations of the disease, including a fever and a rash. The patient had just returned from vacationing in […]

On the Valentine’s Day airing of the Outbreak News This Week radio show, I had the privilege to interview two very knowledgeable experts in their respective fields. During the first segment, I spoke with Dr Bobbi Pritt with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota about the recently published discovery of a new species of bacteria (Borrelia […]

A clinical and epidemiological investigation of the first reported human infection with the zoonotic parasite Trypanosoma evansi in Southeast Asia Abstract Background. Trypanosoma is a genus of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. Trypanosome brucei spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi are the major agents of human trypanosomiasis; other Trypanosoma spp. can cause human disease, but are rare. In March […]

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated a number of travel notices for Zika virus-affected countries. Many of which are very popular vacation destinations. These include countries in the Americas to include Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. The Caribbean Islands of Barbados, Curaçao, The Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition, travel notices […]

New numbers from the Malaysia Health Ministry, or the Kementerian Kesihatan show that since the beginning of the year, the country has reported nearly 20,000 dengue fever cases to date. The actual number is 19,996 through Sunday, including 43 dengue related fatalities. During the general same time frame in 2015, Malaysia reported 19,349 cases through Feb. 16, […]

The World Health Organization says hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infectious disease of infants and children. It is characterized by fever, painful sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters on hands, feet and also buttocks. However, more severe clinical presentation with neurological symptoms such as meningitis, encephalitis and polio-like paralysis […]

The number of Zika virus cases are much higher than official numbers reported to date, the Pan American Health Organization(PAHO) said and was reported by Colombia outlet, Caracol Radio (computer translated). The PAHO estimates some two or three million Zika cases in Latin America, and says that the 100,000 reported so far “don’t reflect the magnitude […]

Late last week, just after Hawaii Governor David Ige signed an emergency proclamation against mosquito borne illnesses, dengue and Zika fever, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02), who previously urged the governor to make this move, commented. “Governor Ige’s proclamation today recognizes the importance and urgency of the situation Hawaiʻi Island residents are facing with dengue fever incidents […]

A 27-year-old man returning from Freetown, Sierra Leone has been quarantined at the Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Hospital with symptoms of suspected Ebola, according to Vietnam press (computer translated). When he arrived at Tan Son Nhat airport on Feb. 11, his temperature was checked and the symptoms of high fever, dry cough, shortness of breath and fatigue […]

Taiwan health officials made some additional moves in the battle for prevention of Zika virus in the country during the past couple days. Nearly one month after reporting an imported Zika virus case in a 24-year-old male from northern Thailand, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) stepped up the travel notice level for Thailand to Level 2: Alert […]

On Friday evening, officials with Butler University reported on the confirmation of at least three mumps cases on campus. According to local media, two of the students diagnosed with mumps lived in dorms, and one student lived in a sorority. The three students left campus, and they are being treated at home. Mumps is an acute […]

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is reporting the state’s third and fourth cases of Zika virus in returning travelers – a 56-year-old Butler County woman returning from Guyana, and a 60- year-old Licking County man returning from Haiti. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 52 travel-associated cases of Zika virus […]

The Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division is confirming that a person in Oregon has been diagnosed with a travel-associated Zika virus infection. The adult woman contracted the virus in an affected country outside the U.S. and has recovered. There is no danger to the public. This is the first laboratory-confirmed case of Zika in […]

The news concerning worldwide polio has been quiet during the first several weeks of 2016; however, the first wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) were reported this week by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Pakistan reported the first wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) of 2016 with onset of paralysis in Karachi Gadap, […]

The rapid spread of the mosquito borne viral infection caused by Zika virus throughout several areas of the world, including Latin America and the Caribbean, and worldwide attention for associated potential birth defects, one Northern Arizona University (NAU) researcher is calling for greater public awareness of cytomegalovirus (CMV)—the most common viral cause of birth defects in the […]

It’s hard to believe that after reporting 1,649,008 dengue fever cases and 863 deaths in 2015 that during the first weeks of 2016, the country is seeing a 50 percent increase in cases, which has also prompted concerns of the Zika virus threat. On Friday, the Brazil Health Ministry reported 74,000 “probable” cases of dengue from Jan. […]

This week, U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps officers aided the Genesee County Health Department in clearing a months-long backlog of blood lead level screening results for the Flint community. Thirteen Commissioned Corps officers, all with clinical and public health backgrounds, cataloged results of nearly 800 finger-prick blood tests, primarily from children, and mailed […]

The following was published by the World Health Organization Friday: These interim case definitions have been developed for the purpose of providing global standardization for classification and reporting of Zika virus cases. WHO guidance for the surveillance of Zika virus disease is currently being developed. WHO will periodically review these interim case definitions and update […]

A death of a Rio Grande do Norte individual last April is now being called the third Zika-related fatality in Brazil, according to the Brazil Health Ministry (computer translated). Apparently, according to the report, the 20 year old from the city of Serrinha, in Rio Grande do Norte was hospitalized for 11 days with respiratory problems. The […]

This Valentine’s Day, a day symbolic of hearts, Marnita Johnson is giving thanks for, literally, a new heart, received just over 7 months ago thanks to the generosity of an organ donor. After a viral infection left her heart weakened in 2008, Marnita sought help from local medical professionals to fix her condition. Despite her […]

Following reports last month of whether or not Argentina was experiencing an outbreak of the mosquito borne viral disease, dengue fever, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reports nearly 5,000 cases during the first five weeks of 2016. The actual count is 4,856 and all four dengue serotypes have been reported. Officials say that about three […]

After a decade of controversy, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines for treatment of Lyme disease, first posted in 2006, have lapsed and been removed from the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC). Lyme patients and advocates are calling on the CDC to follow suit and remove references to the IDSA guidelines from all CDC […]

Mexican health officials have reported 50 Zika virus infections through epidemiological week 4, or essentially during the month of January 2016 with the vast majority of cases being reported from two federal entities–Chiapas and Oaxaca. Last month, Chiapas saw 25 Zika cases, while Oaxaca reported 21. The remaining cases were reported in Guerrero, Sinaloa, Veracruz […]

After repeated calls from various government officials in Hawaii to take more agrresive action against the dengue fever outbreak (HERE and HERE), and days after Hawaii County Mayor, Billy Kenoi declared a state of emergency, Governor David Ige on Friday signed an emergency proclamation, as a preventive measure against mosquito borne illnesses that include dengue fever […]

Travelers should stay informed about Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases and consult their local health or travel authorities if they are concerned. Based on available evidence, WHO is not recommending any travel or trade restrictions related to Zika virus disease. Countries reporting sporadic Zika infections in travelers arriving from affected countries pose little, if […]

Earlier this week, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with Mayo Clinic and health officials from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, reported the discovery of a new species of bacteria (Borrelia mayonii) that causes Lyme disease in people. Read more HERE Today, the CDC released the following images of the newly discovered spirochete. […]

Venezuelan health officials informed PAHO/WHO of increases in the number of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) cases recorded at the national level. From 1 January to 31 January 2016, 252 GBS cases with a spatiotemporal association to Zika virus were reported. While cases were recorded in the majority of the federal territories of the country, 66 were detected […]

We have been monitoring the yellow fever outbreak in Angola for several weeks now and today the World Health Organization (WHO) released an update that provides some additional details about the situation. The first cases were identified in the district of Viana (Luanda province) on 5 December 2015. Yellow fever infection was initially confirmed in […]

The Collegeville, PA school has reported nearly 200 students have reported symptoms related to stomach illness, according to school officials Friday. Ursinus College said earlier today a total of 192 students reportedly to student health with symptoms of a norovirus -like illness; however, the exact etiology has not been confirmed as of this report. Testing results […]

An experimental vaccine combined with an innovative way of vaccinating people has resulted in an estimated 100 percent efficacy of the vaccine against the Ebola virus in West Africa — and the approach could establish a new way of responding to outbreaks of emerging pathogens, including the Zika virus. This is according to two researchers […]

School officials at Indiana University (IU) are investigating two confirmed mumps cases on the Bloomington campus. The cases were identified two weeks apart, and no connection between the two cases has been identified at this time. The university is working with the Monroe County Health Department and the Indiana State Department of Health on identifying and directly notifying […]

In April of 2014 politicians in Flint, Michigan changed the city’s water supply from Lake Huron and the Detroit River to the Flint River, in order to save money. The water from the Flint River was more acidic and had more salt and chlorine in it, and it corroded the aging lead pipes through which […]

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease (LD) in Hong Kong Thursday, and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems and that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions. From January 31 to February 6, two community-acquired […]

Governor Rick Scott directed State Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong to activate a Zika Virus Information Hotline for Florida residents and visitors, as well as anyone planning on traveling to Florida in the near future. The hotline will be managed by the Florida Department of Health, and will answer questions on the Zika virus and […]

Bat bites are being linked to a surge in rabies fatalities among indigenous Peruvians in native Achuar villages near the Morona river basin, according to a Yahoo Noticias report (computer translated). Governor of the Loreto region, Fernando Meléndez said at least 12 people in the remote communities in the Peruvian Amazon have died from rabies in recent months and […]

Vancouver health officials are reporting a large increase in syphilis cases in 2015, prompting call from officials to urge gay men to get regularly tested as syphilis rates continue to rise. “Syphilis rates are at their highest in 30 years in British Columbia. In 2015, nearly 500 cases of infectious syphilis were reported in Vancouver Coastal […]

The Alabama Department of Public Health reports the first confirmed travel-related case of Zika virus in an Alabama resident. The positive specimen was from a resident of Morgan County. Tests are being conducted from Alabama resident specimens with a travel history to areas where Zika virus outbreaks are ongoing. In addition to the one positive, […]

Health officials in Queensland, Australia have reported two travel associated Zika cases in women during the past week. On Saturday, a woman who returned to Queensland from El Salvador became the state’s first confirmed case of Zika virus in 2016. Health officials say the woman is recovering well on the Gold Coast. She has been discharged from hospital and there is […]