Outbreak News Today

Autochthonous, or local transmission of Zika virus is currently reported in 23 countries and territories in the Americas where many people from not only the US, but much of the world travel to for business and holiday and imported cases are being reported in the US and Europe at an increasing rapid pace. During a Centers […]

Thailand health officials are expecting dengue fever to rise in 2016, in fact, experts say the number of cases this year could rival 1987 when 170,000 cases were reported. The Thai Health Ministry is expecting dengue cases to rise by more than 16 percent this year. “More people are moving to the capital and that’s why it’s […]

Mike Coston is the Owner/Editor of Avian Flu Diary The accepted wisdom today is that the Aedes Aegypti mosquito (and very likely the Aedes Albopictus) are the two primary mosquito vectors for Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya. Both are well distributed in Central and South America, and both make serious inroads into North America as well. But […]

The number of dengue fever in Vietnam increased dramatically in 2015, according to data from the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization. Last year, 97,476 dengue cases were reported, more than triple the cases reported in 2014 when 31,848 were seen. The dengue-related death toll also tripled with 61 deaths this year, compared […]

Chinese health officials are reporting an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) on the mainland, according to provincial health officials. According to the Health and Family Planning Commission (HFPC) of Guangdong Province, the 74-year-old male patient lived in Meizhou, Guangdong. “H5 and H7N9 avian influenza viruses can cause severe infections in humans. Due to the seasonal […]

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is working with the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment to investigate an outbreak of norovirus infection among individuals who became ill after attending the New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park, Kan. on Sunday, Jan. 17. KDHE is conducting interviews […]

In what is clearly an unusual event, the Times of India are reporting on the survival of a 14-year-old boy from the very lethal primary amoebic meningoencephelitis or PAM caused by the amoebic parasite, Naegleria fowleri. The Kolkata teen is believed to have contracted the “brain-eating amoeba” while swimming. He was treated by a team […]

Following reports of travel-associated Zika virus infection in the United Kingdom, more European countries are now reporting cases in travelers to Latin America and the Caribbean. The Portuguese National Health Institute (NHI) have reported five “mild” Zika virus infections, all imported. “As of today we have five confirmed cases, all imported from Brazil. These people have not […]

In a follow-up to a report earlier this week, the typhoid fever “non-outbreak” in South Africa has grown in Gauteng province and now cases are being reported from Western Cape. Gauteng Health officials reported two additional typhoid cases, bringing the number of infected people to six. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) expects the case count to […]

Minnesota state and federal health officials confirmed Wednesday a case of Zika virus disease in an Anoka County woman in her 60s. Symptoms began January 1, after the woman traveled to Honduras. She was not hospitalized and is expected to make a full recovery. This is the first confirmed case of Zika virus infection in a […]

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has reported one confirmed case of Zika virus infection in an adolescent girl, who had traveled to El Salvador in late November 2015. She has recovered. Public Health continues its surveillance to identify any potentially infected travelers returning to the County. Because the Aedes species mosquitoes that […]

Seattle and King County health officials said they currently investigating an outbreak of norovirus-like illness associated with Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant in Bellevue. The investigation is in the early stages so information could change. Preliminary information indicates that as many as 50 who attended a private event at the restaurant on 1/18/16 may have come down […]

During the previous year, Malaysia saw an average of a hair more than 300 dengue fever cases daily as the Southeast Asian country reported in excess of 120,000 cases in 2015, the highest number this decade. Dengue fever is out of the gate running in Malaysia during the first days of 2016. Nearly 12,000 cases have […]

A 33-year-old man from Xintian County, Hunan Province has been confirmed positive for avian influenza A(H7N9), according to the Hunan Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission. The patient is currently hospitalized and receiving treatment for his illness. This is the 701st human H7N9 avian influenza reported from Mainland China (681) and 20 exported cases to several countries. Avian […]

Pinellas County health officials have identified a cluster of chickenpox at Plumb Elementary School in Clearwater where at least eight students have been diagnosed with the vaccine-preventable disease, as of Jan. 26. The Tampa Bay Times reports students at Plumb Elementary who have not had the chicken pox vaccine will need to stay home for 21 days […]

In a follow-up to a report last week about a monkeypox outbreak in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released this update on the outbreak through Jan. 18: On 11 January, 11 cases of Monkeypox, an extremely contagious viral disease, were confirmed in Bangassou area in the southern Mbomou […]

Health officials in Costa Rica confirmed Tuesday an imported Zika virus infection in a man who contracted the virus while traveling in Colombia, according to local media. The 25-year-old patient started showing symptoms, which include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headaches, on Jan. 22 before he returned to Costa Rica on […]

El Salvador is one of the 22 countries and territories in the Americas to report local transmission of Zika virus, in fact, the Central American country has seen a surge in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) recently possibly attributed with the mosquito borne virus. Today, ABC News is reporting that the health ministry is advising all women of […]

Officials with the Indiana Department of Corrections say the outbreak that sickened several inmates at the Putnamville Correctional Facility, killing one, was due to H1N1 influenza, according to Chief Medical Officer Michael Mitcheff today. The one fatality, a 35-year-old Mexican national incarcerated for the past seven months, also had a Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. About […]

With the Zika virus outbreak growing, a Kansas State University infectious disease expert says that research is crucial to combating this outbreak and preventing the spread of other mosquito-borne viruses. “One of the strengths that we have here at the Biosecurity Research Instituteis the development of diagnostics and vaccine work,” said Stephen Higgs, director of […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added the following destinations to the Zika virus travel alerts: United States Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic. Previously, CDC issued a travel alert for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory; Barbados; Bolivia; Brazil; […]

In a follow-up to a report earlier this month, Puerto Rico health officials say that 19 locally acquired Zika virus infections have been confirmed, primarily in the south east, according to a El Vocero de Puerto Rico report (computer translated). Health officials note that later this week they will have more information on the individual […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed late yesterday afternoon that an Arkansas resident has tested positive for Zika virus. This individual recently traveled out of the country and had a mild case of Zika. Zika virus is a relatively new disease for the Western hemisphere. It first appeared in Brazil in May […]

The pneumococcal meningitis outbreak in Ghana has now taken 36 lives from the more than 170 people infected and the World Health Organization (WHO) has arrived in an effort to help the country contain the outbreak. The cases have been reported from three regions of Ghana– the Brong Ahafo, Northern and the Ashanti Regions of […]

Brazil is pulling out the big guns in the battle against the Aedes mosquito and the viruses it may transmit, including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika. Brazil’s health minister, Marcelo Castro said that more than 200,000 members of Brazil’s armed forces would go door-to-door to help in mosquito eradication efforts. The soldiers will distribute leaflets and […]

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) was first described by van den Hoogen et al in 2001.[1] It had been isolated from young children with respiratory tract disease and it was found, by studying old sera, that hMPV had been present in the European community for more than 50 years. The presence of hMPV was next reported in the […]

Nearly 15 percent of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer were younger than 50, the age at which screening recommendations begin. The study by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center also found that younger patients were more likely to have advanced disease. The authors suggest this is in part because they are diagnosed […]

U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced the Life at Conception Act. The legislation would implement equal protection under the 14th Amendment for the right to life of each born and unborn human. The Life at Conception Act does not amend or interpret the Constitution, but simply relies on the 14th Amendment, which specifically authorizes Congress […]

The New York State Department of Health (DOH) announced Friday that three individuals who recently traveled to areas outside of the United States where Zika virus transmission is ongoing have tested positive for the virus. One patient has fully recovered, and the others are recovering without any complications. Zika virus cannot be spread by casual […]

According to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), the heart of winter is bringing an expected but unwelcome visitor to the state: norovirus. Cody Loveland, WDH surveillance epidemiologist, said norovirus is also known as the “cruise ship virus” and is often described as the stomach flu or food poisoning. People who are sick with norovirus […]

Thailand Sunday confirmed Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS CoV) disease in a traveler, the second such case in the country in the last seven months, as WHO cautioned other member states in its South-East Asia Region against the continuing risks and the need to remain vigilant. “The new case of MERS CoV is a reminder […]

In a follow-up to my interview last week about Clostridium difficile, Rodrigo Muñoz, a Clinical Outreach Associate and Princeton Project 55 Fellow with the Massachusetts-based non profit stool bank, OpenBiome joined me on Sunday’s show to go into more detail about Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) as a treatment for C. difficile infection and the products and servives offered by OpenBiome. […]

The World Health Organization (WHO)/ Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) believe that the Zika virus will continue it’s spread throughout the countries and territories of the Americas (the one’s with the appropriate vector), they noted in a statement yesterday. The reason for this prediction is two-fold: You have a naive population concerning immunity to Zika […]

An Outbreak Response Team was activated in Gauteng province, South Africa after at least four cases of typhoid fever were reported in Johannesburg this month. The cases were identified in the Hillbrow, Yeoville, Edenvale and Palm Spring areas. One patient, a 27-year-old Malawian female who went home three weeks ago on holiday and returned to South Africa […]

Health officials in Costa Rica are reporting an outbreak of hepatitis A in the canton, or municipality of Aserri in San Jose province, according to Costa Rican Times report yesterday. The report notes there have been 61 confirmed cases, which health officials believe is linked a water source shared by La Piedad and Bella Vista. Hepatitis […]

British health officials say three travelers to South America have contracted the Zika virus to date since the virus established local transmission in the America’s in 2015. According to health officials, As of 18 January 2016, three cases associated with travel to Colombia, Suriname and Guyana have been diagnosed in UK travelers. 21 countries and territories in […]

The first dengue-related fatality of 2016 was reported in the island city-state of Singapore on Friday, according to officials with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Environment Agency (NEA). The patient was a 47-year-old Singaporean male who stayed at Marsiling Rise. He was admitted to KTPH on 21 January 2016. His condition deteriorated and […]

As of Friday, the number of dengue fever cases in the current outbreak on the island of Hawaii stands at 233, with 3 additional cases reported that day. Of the confirmed cases, 211 are Hawaii Island residents and 22 are visitors. Three people are still considered potentially infectious to mosquitoes. Physician and state Senator, Josh Green announced […]

Is Argentina in the middle of a dengue fever epidemic today? I guess that depends on who you listen to. On Friday, Health Minister Jorge Lemus said, “We already have an epidemic of Dengue fever,” noting that the mosquito borne virus was now present in Buenos Aires. “The entire City is at risk. The contagion can occur anywhere,” […]

Since the Zika virus outbreak hit Colombia in Oct. 2015, more than 16,000 laboratory and clinically confirmed and suspected cases have been reported by health officials. In the first weeks of 2016, more than 5,ooo confirmed and suspected cases have been seen. Health officials note that the average notifications for the last five weeks was 1,749 […]

A 71-year-old Omani man who traveled to Thailand last week has tested positive for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This is the second case in Thailand to be confirmed, according to Reuters. The first case reported was a 75-year-old Omani who traveled to Thailand June 2015. Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said the current case was referred […]

Seoul, South Korea based DNA vaccine developer GeneOne Life Science yesterday announced the initiation of a collaborative research program with Inovio Pharmaceuticals to test and advance a DNA-based vaccine for preventing and treating the emerging and virulent Zika virus infection. Inovio and its collaborators are leveraging their past experience in designing and testing novel DNA-based vaccines for related […]

The South Pacific island of Samoa is one of several countries the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added to their interim travel guidance related to Zika virus Friday. The federal health agency initially issued travel guidance on Jan. 15, which included 14 countries and territories where local transmission was reported. In addition to Samoa, […]

At least 204 passengers and crew onboard a Princess Cruises, Crown Princess voyage have contracted norovirus, according to federal health officials. This is the first cruise ship outbreak of 2016. 12 outbreaks were investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program (CDC-VSP), 11 outbreak were due to norovirus. The two week voyage that […]

Despite the words of Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Victor Bampoe earlier this week when he said, “… It is nothing to worry about because the district health teams, the regional health management teams and the district assemblies are very much in control”, the case count and death toll from the pneumococcal meningitis outbreak continues to grow. […]

A 38-year-old Chinese man suffering from abdominal pains and excreted a 20-foot tapeworm has made headlines in recent days. The man, who had a history of eating raw beef, excreted the large flatworm after doctors prescribed a laxative. The tapeworm was identified as Taenia saginata, or the beef tapeworm. What is T. saginata? In a […]

Officials with the Pakistan Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination says the number of dengue fever cases in the country was nearly 10,000 in 2015, according to local media reports. Specifically, 9,899 cases were registered, including seven fatalities during the course of the year. This total was up 5-fold from 2014 numbers; however, only half […]

Utah agriculture officials are advising horse owners not to accept shipments of equine, nor send their equine, to Dona Ana County, New Mexico. A race track near Las Cruces, New Mexico has three barns quarantined following the finding of one horse with a clinical neurologic disease. Sampling to confirm Equine Herpes Virus is underway on the deceased […]

The southern African nation of Angola has reported some 23 cases of yellow fever that resulted in seven deaths in Viana municipality, according to local media Friday. Health minister, José Van-Dunem said during a press conference in Luanda that the first case was reported on 5 December 2015 in a Eritrea citizen. In addition, cases have been reported […]

Eight out of 13 rodents collected in December from San Timoteo Canyon in the Norton Younglove Preserve near Beaumont have tested positive for hantavirus. The California Department of Public Health confirmed the mice that Riverside County Environmental Health officials submitted have tested positive for the virus. Over the past decade, approximately 10 percent of the […]