Outbreak News Today

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported being notified by Chinese health officials of two additional cases laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. Details of the cases are as follows: The first case is a 74-year-old male from Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, with onset date of 19 November. He […]

Saskatchewan Agriculture is reminding producers to be on the lookout for anthrax in their animals after confirmation that anthrax has been found in cattle in the RM of Harris #316. Anthrax was confirmed by laboratory results on December 17, 2015 as the cause of death in one cow. It is the suspected cause of death […]

The dengue fever outbreak in Taiwan is slowing with decreases reported during the past four weeks, according to Taiwan CDC data. According to the statistics compiled by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) for Dengue Outbreak, a total of additional 85 indigenous dengue cases were confirmed in Taiwan on December 18, 2015, including 78 cases […]

While the US as a whole is reporting an overall 14 percent increase in opioid overdose deaths, including both opioid pain relievers and heroin, no states saw the increases from 2013 to 2014 like New Hampshire. According to new data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of drug overdose […]

Honduras health officials announced earlier this week in a news release (see below) the confirmation of two Zika virus infections. The cases, were reported near the border with El Salvador, a country that has already confirmed autochthonous, or locally transmitted Zika virus infection. The two individuals from the Valle department are home recuperating and in good […]

Merck yesterday announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an expanded indication for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), the company’s anti-PD-1 (programmed death receptor-1) therapy, to include the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This approval marks the second FDA-approved indication in advanced melanoma for KEYTRUDA, which is now the first […]

Merck announced this week that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an expanded age indication for GARDASIL®9 (Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Vaccine, Recombinant), Merck’s 9-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, to now include use in males 16 through 26 years of age, for the prevention of anal cancer caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, […]

The Brazilian Ministry of Health announced today they have trained 11 public laboratories to perform the testing for the diagnosis of Zika virus. These labs , in addition to the five sentinel laboratories (Fiocruz reference, located in Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Pernambuco, São Paulo (Adolfo Lutz Institute) and Pará (Evandro Chagas Institute), already testing for Zika, bring […]

Officials with the University of Campinas (Unicamp) the transmission of Zika virus via a blood transfusion, according to a Folha de São Paulo report (computer translated). The director of the Hematology Division of the Blood Center at the university, Marcelo Addas Carvalho said that a patient was infected by Zika virus in March after receiving a blood transfusion from a […]

A new report in the New England Journal of Medicine documents the lasting effects of survival from the Ebola virus, including muscle pains, nerve damage, and vision loss. Ebola, a single stranded negative sense RNA virus of the family Filoviridae, is a hemorrhagic virus that caused thousands of deaths through most of 2014 and into […]

Chipotle founder and CEO, Steve Ells, following his public apology on national television , has published a letter on their official website concerning the E. coli and norovirus outbreaks and the steps the company is taking to rectify the foodborne illness situation. As a chef, nothing is more important to me than serving my guests food […]

A new report released today found that more than half (28) of states score a five or lower out of 10 key indicators related to preventing, detecting, diagnosing and responding to outbreaks. The report, from Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), concluded that the United States must redouble efforts […]

A new discovery from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry could open the door to one day treat or prevent diseases caused by West Nile virus and Dengue virus infections. The research, published and featured in the Spot Light section of the December edition of the Journal of Virology, examines a previously […]

For the Philippines as a whole, it has been a tough year for dengue fever, particularly during the second half of 2015. The archipelago is reporting a 60 percent increase in cases during the first nearly 11 months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014- 169,435 vs 106,241 suspected cases. However, the a region in northern Luzon […]

The General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health issued a warning earlier this month concerning eating raw pork after dozens of Streptococcus suis infections were reported this year and the holiday season around the corner. According to the Deputy Director of Preventive Health, Dr. Truong Dinh Bac, 82 cases have been reported in […]

Vietnam health officials reported about 32 percent of their annual total of dengue fever cases in October alone, making it the most sever month in 2015, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) update. As of 31 October 2015, there were 58,633 cases of dengue, including 42 deaths, reported in 52 out of 63 provinces […]

A steep rise in human cases of P. knowlesi malaria in Malaysia is likely to be linked to deforestation and associated environmental changes, according to new research published in Emerging Infectious Diseases. The study, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, is the first to explore how changes in land use are […]

The Hawaii State Department of Health (HDOH) reported Wednesday four additional dengue fever cases on Big Island, bringing the total cases to 157. Health officials report of the 157, seven are still potentially infectious. The cases further breakdown as follows: 140 are Hawaii Island residents and 17 are visitors. 123 cases have been adults; 34 have been […]

From Peter Parker’s fateful spider bite to Arthur pulling the sword from the stone at the beginning of his reign—everyone likes to know a hero’s origin story. In this case, our heroes are potent antibodies from the body’s immune system that bind to and neutralize HIV—and the story could lead to a vaccine against AIDS. […]

The news last week regarding a norovirus outbreak connected to a Chipotle restaurant in Boston comes in the wake of other foodborne illness outbreaks related to its restaurants which have infected over 50 individuals across nine states. This outbreak has sickened 140 college students, but it is unlike the other outbreaks related to an enterohemorrhagic […]

Trader Joe’s of Monrovia, CA is issuing a voluntary recall of all codes purchased from 11/9/15 through 12/14/15 of Triple Ginger Brew (SKU 51857) due to reports of unopened bottles potentially bursting. Although the ginger brew does not pose a health risk if consumed, all product has been removed from store shelves and destroyed. No […]

Stella & Chewy’s is voluntarily recalling four of its products sold in the U.S. and Canada due to concerns of a possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The recall affects a total of 990 cases (964 cases in the U.S and 26 cases in Canada). The recall was prompted by a positive test confirming Listeria monocytogenes […]

A team of researchers have discovered a new way for early detection of a potentially deadly fungal infection in patients with suppressed immune systems such as those being treated for leukemia or have had an organ transplant. A multidisciplinary research group led by Allan Brasier of The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, in […]

The number of mumps cases at the University of Iowa (UI) has topped the 150 mark as health officials report 152 cases, 78 percent of the 196 lab-confirmed cases in Johnson County and 63 percent of the 241 cases reported statewide since July 12, according to local media. A third dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has […]

The number of dengue fever cases increase by 2,000 in the past week in Thailand with the country cumulative total now eclipsing 130,000 ( 131,647 cases). In addition, four more dengue fatalities were reported with the death tally now at 129. With the perennial peak for dengue fever cases in Thailand just around the corner, Public Health […]

The number of dengue-related fatalities went over the 200, 300 and 500 mark in Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines, respectively, according to newly released public health data. In Taiwan, health officials reported an additional nine deaths bringing the cumulative total to 204 deaths associated with dengue infection, including 112 in Tainan City, 90 in Kaohsiung City and […]

The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has notified WHO of ongoing outbreaks of cholera across the country. Although the overall trend is decreasing, there are still areas reporting a high number of cases. Since the beginning of the year, 19,705 cases have been reported in DRC. As of 29 […]

Four additional locally acquired dengue fever cases were reported by the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) today, bringing the outbreak total to 153. Of the total, 120 cases have been adults; 33 have been children and nearly nine out of 10 cases were in Hawaii residents. Dengue is not endemic to Hawaii. However, it is intermittently imported […]

Just days after Iranian health minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi said, “The first phase of the swine flu disease in the country is under control”, new information published today shows the death toll from H1N1 influenza in Iran has increased by 15 cases. The number of “swine flu” cases has reached 900 and 57 fatalities have been reported, mostly […]

Researchers have discovered how immune cells triggered by recurrent Strep A infections enter the brain, causing inflammation that may lead to autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders in children. The study, performed in mice, found that immune cells reach the brain by traveling along odor-sensing neurons that emerge from the nasal cavity, not by breaching the blood-brain barrier […]

The Mayday Project Lyme patient advocacy group announced a response from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the citizen petition, End Preferential Treatment of the IDSA Guidelines for Lyme Disease. The petition, filed October 14, 2015, claims that CDC provides preferential treatment to the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) by promoting […]

Five years ago I reported on how the US Public Health Service under the leadership of Dr. John Cutler conducted clearly unethical and dangerous syphilis experiments in Guatemala in the mid-40s. This was the US Public Health Service “study” to determine the prophylactic capabilities of penicillin. These studies were done on Guatemalan soldiers and prisoners. According to a recent AFP […]

In the course of one week, the number of suspected microcephaly cases in Brazil has risen by 640, from 1761 to 2401, and appears to be expanding to additional states in the country, the Brazilian Health Ministry reports (computer translated). The Secretariat of Health Surveillance (SVS), as of Dec. 12, a total of 2,401 suspected cases […]

We have seen stories of other people threaten individuals with an infection they may have known or not known they had, but a story from Louisville takes the such a threat to a new level. According to local Louisville media, a woman claiming to be a nurse threatened a police officer with a “botulism IV”. […]

A new technology developed at the University of New Mexico for detecting pneumonic tularemia infection has received an issued patent. The inventors are Drs. Seong Won Choi, Graham Timmins and Terry Wu at UNM’s Health Sciences Center. Timmins is a faculty member in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UNM’s College of Pharmacy and chief […]

Results from testing have now confirmed that the fifth person, who recently contracted Hepatitis A, as reported last week, has the same strain of the virus as the other 4 people who fell sick with Hepatitis A in late October and early November this year, according to the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) today. “All […]

An outbreak of gastroenteritis at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Guaynabo has prompted the postponement of trials and hearing for the rest of the week, according to an El Nueva Dia report (computer translated). Judge Aida M. Delgado Colón with the Federal District Court in Puerto Rico said the outbreak started with nine individuals last Friday and […]

While there were plenty a health warnings concerning the risks of infectious diseases for travelers going to the 2014 FIFA World Cup last summer in Brazil due to the risk of contracting dengue fever while in the country and introducing measles to the country (HERE and HERE), I imagine few suspected the risk of another mosquito […]

Here are two studies that discuss popular social media sites and depression, substance abuse: Depressed Pinterest Users Suffer From Lack of Positive Messages Despite the large number of posts on visual social media platforms that suggest—and fuel—depressing or suicidal thoughts, there aren’t many for users to read and share that would help them cope with their mental […]

In a follow-up to a report earlier today, I reported on what I believed to be an erroneous story concerning polio cases reported in Russia and Tajikistan in news articles by several news agencies (see above link to regurgitated stories). Now members of the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed what I said, the story is rehashed from […]

In a follow-up to a report earlier this week, the H1N1 influenza, or swine flu outbreak is “under control”, according to Iran’s health minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Iranian media report. Hashemi said, “The first phase of the [swine] flu disease in the country is under control.” The outbreak has hospitalized some 600 people in Kerman province and killed […]

Tainted rice wine with methanol concentrations of up to 12 percent has been linked to the nearly 200 people sickened or died in Kratie province in northeast Cambodia, according to a health ministry news release today (computer translated). The outbreak of alcohol poisoning began about one month ago and testing on the toxic brew contained […]

Like Germany, Japan and the US, New Zealand has reported a jump in syphilis cases between 2013 and 2014, according to newly published data from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR). The number of cases of syphilis reported by sexual health clinics (SHCs) and family planning clinics (FPCs) increased notably between 2013 and 2014 (from […]

We have seen imported Zika virus infection in several countries over the recent past in Australia, Germany, Canada and Japan due to travel to areas where Zika is endemic (eg. Thailand) or where there was an active outbreak (eg French Polynesia) so it should no surprise to see travel-associated Zika due to travel to Latin […]

In a follow-up to a report two weeks ago, two cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus were confirmed in Myanmar this past week, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). The most recent reported case in the outbreak of type 2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) was isolated from a 15-month old child in Rakhine, with onset of […]

The Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, located in San Jose, CA, is reporting on a possible tuberculosis exposure that may affect some 300+ infants. The hospital says it was notified mid-November that an employee was suspected of having active tuberculosis. The employee worked in the area of the newborn nursery and is currently on leave. The hospital […]

In a follow-up report on the diphtheria tragedy in Punjab province, Pakistan, local media reports since that 50 children have been admitted to the Children’s hospital in Lahore for the dangerous vaccine-preventable disease, including 18 fatalities. The unavailability of diphtheria antitoxin (DAT) has been cited as the reason for the large increase in deaths. Officials […]

Boston health officials have put the outbreak tally of norovirus linked to a Cleveland Circle Chipotle Mexican Grill at 136 as of Friday afternoon. This include 129 Boston College students. The outbreak in Boston, in addition to the multi-state E. coli outbreak, prompted Chipotle founder and CEO, Steve Ells to to make an apology during a nationally […]

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) is issuing a recall notice for frozen, raw oysters imported from Korea and sold in bulk to distributors and food establishments in Hawaii. The individually quick frozen (IQF) raw oysters on the half shell are packaged under the Dai One Food Company label. The shellfish harvest dates are […]

A reproductive disease of cattle that can be economically devastating for ranchers has been diagnosed in three South Dakota cattle herds. Bovine trichomoniasis, or trich, has recently been diagnosed in two Oglala Lakota county cattle herds and one herd that operates in Corson and Ziebach counties. Trichomonas foetus is transmitted between cows and bulls during […]