Outbreak News Today

In mid-November, the Seneca County Health Department warned patrons of a McDonalds restaurant of a hepatitis A risk because an employee, a food service worker, tested positive for the contagious virus (HAV). Now health officials have issued another advisory for customers of Marks Pizzeria, located at 1963 Kingdom Plaza in Waterloo. An employee with the restaurant has […]

Five more autochthonous dengue fever cases are being reported by Hawaii health officials today, bringing the total cases to 117–103 are Hawaii Island residents and 14 are visitors. As the outbreak grows, health officials are calling on the public’s help in battling the mosquito borne virus. Virginia Pressler, director of the state Department of Health is asking people […]

The spread of Zika virus in Latin America and the associated news of the suspected effects of the mosquito borne virus has been an important topic in this part of the world and we have been following it closely on this website. This has prompted the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to publish an Epidemiological […]

Health officials in Thailand are reporting an additional 6,000 dengue fever cases during the past week bringing the total cases through the first 11 months of 2015 to 123,168 representing all 77 provinces. Three more deaths were recorded with the total through November at 116. The number of cases this year is some 200 percent higher […]

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Carl Dieffenbach, Ph.D., Director, Division of AIDS, NIAID Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., NIH Director When the first cases of what would become known as AIDS were reported in 1981, scientists and physicians did not know the cause and had no therapies to […]

A report released by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) today reveals that the number of new HIV diagnoses in Chicago continues to decline for the 13th year in a row. According to the 2015 HIV/STI Surveillance Report, the number of new HIV infection diagnoses fell to 973 in 2014, down 48% from 2001. Chicago […]

The sexually transmitted infection (STI), syphilis, has seen a rise in many areas of the globe, including the United States. Japan, who reported a mere 621 syphilis cases just five years ago, it reporting a surge in cases in 2015. According to data from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 2,272 syphilis cases have been reported […]

While Taiwan health officials have made some poor predictions concerning the current record dengue fever outbreak, eg., ” “hopefully”predicted the dengue outbreak could end in September and stated they could see the “end of the tunnel”, one prediction they got correct was made in September when they said–the outbreak could rise into the 30,000 to 40,000 […]

Valneva SE, a leading pure-play vaccine company, announced Monday, positive Phase II results for its prophylactic vaccine candidate against Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection (CDI). The key objectives of this Phase II trial have been met, the vaccine candidate generated strong immune responses against C. difficile toxins A and B, and the safety and tolerability […]

A novel class of antimicrobials that inhibits the function of a key disease-causing component of bacteria could be effective in fighting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one of the major drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, according to researchers at Georgia State University. Their study showed that small molecule analogs that target the functions of SecA, a central part of […]

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF today announced the appointment of the newest UNICEF Ambassador, GRAMMY® Award-winning recording artist P!nk, who will build on her current role as the UNICEF Kid Power National Spokesperson to raise awareness about UNICEF’s lifesaving health and nutrition programs around the world. As a UNICEF Ambassador, P!nk will use her voice […]

The number of dengue fever cases increased by five in Hawaii, bringing the total to 112 locally acquired cases on Big Island, according to the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) Monday. The situation in Hawaii has drawn some criticisms of the HDOH, including from Kona Sen. Josh Green and Rep Richard Creagan who has been pushing for […]

The number of microcephaly cases in Brazil has skyrocketed in the past few days as the Brazilian Health Ministry (computer translated) put the tally as of Nov. 28 at 1,248 suspected cases. Cases of the congenital malformation have been reported in 311 municipalities in 14 Brazilian states. Pernambuco, the first state to report cases, continues to report the most […]

The mosquito-borne virus chikungunya may lead to severe brain infection and even death in infants and people over 65, according to a new study that reviewed a chikungunya outbreak on Reunion Island off the coast of Madagascar in 2005-2006. The study is published in the November 25, 2015, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of […]

The Philippines is one of a handful of countries that still see increases in the HIV globally, and the stats are startling. Philippines health officials announced last week that the number of reported newly-diagnosed HIV cases in the country is increasing. From January this year to October, there are now a total of 6,552 individuals diagnosed with […]

Camel bites have been implicated in the deaths of two young girls in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra, according to a Radio Dabanga report. It is reported that the 12 and 17-year-old girls were bitten and crushed by the animals. This has prompted concern in the area about rabid animals. It is believed that the camels contracted the […]

A state of emergency has been declared in northeast Brazil’s Pernambuco state due to the proliferation of the viruses, dengue, Zika and chikungunya in the region, all transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito vector. The emergency decrees were signed Sunday by Pernambuco Governor Paulo Camara and the mayor of the capital city of Recife, Geraldo Julio, according to […]

Wyoming State Veterinarian Dr. Jim Logan has been notified that cultures are positive for field strain Brucella abortus (Brucellosis) on a cow from one Park County cattle herd. Results were received on November 19, 2015 from the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory (WSVL) in Laramie, Wyoming. Dr Logan, with concurrence of USDA-APHIS, has designated the herd […]

In a follow-up to the surge of microcephaly cases in northeast Brazil and the source of the massive increase in cases, Brazil health officials believe that have confirmed the relationship between the neurological disorder and the mosquito borne virus, Zika virus. In a Ministry of Health news release Saturday (computer translated), The Evandro Chagas Institute reported […]

Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) are the primary vector of Lyme disease to humans, but researchers at Old Dominion University in Virginia are focusing on another tick, Ixodes affinis, even though it doesn’t bite people. In their paper published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, “New records of Ixodes affinis parasitizing avian hosts in southeastern Virginia,” Erin […]

A 79-year-old Chinese Singaporean man died yesterday due to illness with dengue fever at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital, according to the Singapore Ministry of Health. He becomes the third dengue related death of 2015. Health officials say the elderly patient who resided at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 was admitted to the hospital on Nov. 25 and […]

The number of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infections have more than doubled in Singapore with some 355 cases reported year-to-date. The spike that started in July has been linked to the consumption of Chinese-style ready-to-eat (RTE) raw fish dishes and Type III GBS disease, specifically due to Sequence Type (ST) 283, according to Singapore health officials. In […]

Health officials on the Visayan province of Negro Oriental are reported an increase in cases and deaths due to the bacterial infection, typhoid fever, according to a Visayan Daily Star report today. From January to November 15 this year, 489 typhoid cases were recorded with three deaths, which is 38 percent higher compared to 354 […]

The number of adolescent deaths from AIDS has tripled over the last 15 years, according to new data released Friday by UNICEF. AIDS is the number one cause of death among adolescents in Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally. Among HIV-affected populations, adolescents are the only group for which the […]

The Hawaii Department of Health continues to work with other state and county agencies on the issue of the Dengue Fever outbreak. As of Friday, the Department of Health had reported 107 confirmed cases originating on Hawaii Island. This is an increase of 6 cases from the previous update. These cases include 93 residents and 14 […]

Pennsylvania continues to lead the nation in Lyme disease cases as the Commonwealth through Nov. 27 has reported more than 10,000 cases, about one-third of all cases in the US that have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (31,479). This compares to 7,400 cases in 2014 and 5,900 in 2013. […]

The dengue fever outbreak in Kaohsiung City is reported to be on the decline; however, in just two weeks, the city has seen the tally rise from 10,000 to 15,000 cases eclipsing last years total of 14,999. A couple of programs to get dengue under control in the southern city were approved during Friday’s Central Epidemic Command […]

The seventh meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) covened earlier this month and a major portion was to look at outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV). “During the current polio endgame cVDPVs reflect serious gaps in immunity to poliovirus due to weaknesses in routine immunization coverage in otherwise polio-free countries,” […]

Just a little over a week after the report of the first imported Zika virus infection in Mexico, health authorities have confirmed the first autochthonous, locally acquired cases of the mosquito borne viral infection. According to a report in the Nacional Thursday (computer translated), Health Secretary, Dr. Mercedes Juan López said two confirmed indigenous cases were reported in Chiapas […]

After recent reports of locally acquired Chagas disease in a dozen people in Texas, plus hundreds of dogs, the media has been flooded with hundreds of reports on the Triatomine bug, or kissing bug and the parasitic infection it can carry, Chagas disease. In July 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that […]

Saskatoon Health Region is encouraging parents to get their infants vaccinated for pertussis, also known as whooping cough, following 61 reported cases across Saskatoon Health Region. Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by bacteria spread by direct contact with droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person. The bacteria spreads easily […]

Earlier this week we reported that 19 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 from 7 states, primarily in the western US. The outbreak, which is expected to grow, was linked to Costco rotisserie chicken salad. The investigation into the outbreak has narrowed the source to Taylor Farms Celery and Onion Diced Blend after […]

In a follow-up report on the cholera outbreak in Tanzania, The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) of Tanzania now puts the case count at 9,871 cases, including 150 deaths. This is up from 4,407 cholera cases and 68 deaths in mid-October. Health officials do say that the daily reported cases is declining. However, they do fear that […]

More than 2 million dengue fever cases have been reported in the Western hemisphere through mid-November, according to the Pan American Health Organization, and three quarters of the cases are from Brazil. 1,500,000 dengue fever cases have been reported in Brazil through Nov. 14, up 176% compared to the same period in 2014 when 555,000 […]

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced today that a mature adult (age 65 or above) from York County who died on October 17 was confirmed to have Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). This marks the first death ever from EEE in Maine. This individual became ill with encephalitis in late September and was hospitalized […]

Hawaii health officials reported eight additional dengue fever cases Wednesday, bringing the outbreak total to 101 on the Big Isle. Of the confirmed cases, 88 are Hawaii residents and 13 are visitors. Of the total cases, 23 have been reported in children under the age of 18. The Department of Health is spraying and treating areas […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is creating a stockpile of avian influenza vaccines, but an expert suggests careful consideration of the strategy and cautions that the strain of the next outbreak is unknown. Wild birds are typically the source of the introduction of the virus to backyard and commercial poultry flocks, which makes it very […]

An experimental vaccine to protect against the mosquito-borne illness chikungunya is being tested in a Phase 2 trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. Results from an initial trial of the vaccine, which was developed by scientists at the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), were reported in 2014. In that […]

Blue Buffalo Company is voluntarily recalling one production lot of Cub Size Wilderness Wild Chews Bones. This is being done in an abundance of caution, as the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially […]

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today warned consumers to not consume “unpasteurized” raw milk from the Jerry Dell Farm, Inc. at 41 Fall Creek Road, Freeville, Tompkins County, New York because it could possibly be contaminated with Salmonella. To date, no illnesses associated with the product have been reported to the Department. […]

The French Ministry of Agriculture announced today the confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in chickens in the Dordogne department in southwestern France, according to a news release (computer translated). This is the first such outbreak in France since 2007. “An abnormal mortality had led to the taking of samples for analysis by the Departmental […]

Thailand health officials reported an additional 5,000 dengue fever cases during the past week as the mosquito borne disease epidemic in the country continues on it’s heavy path this season. The Bureau of Epidemiology now puts the case tally at 117,012 cases all from 77 provinces, an increase of approximately 200 percent compared to last year, […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Tuesday approved Portrazza (necitumumab) in combination with two forms of chemotherapy to treat patients with advanced (metastatic) squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have not previously received medication specifically for treating their advanced lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, […]

In a follow-up to a report on the recent “flare-up” of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Liberia, the Associated Press is reporting that a 15-year-old boy from a Monrovia suburb, who was diagnosed with EVD last week, has died, making this the first EVD fatality in the country in months. Liberia had been Ebola-free since […]

Hong Kong health officials announced today they are investigating a case of severe pediatric enterovirus (EV) 71 infection as well as an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) at a secondary school in Eastern District and urged the public to be vigilant against the disease. The patient is a 13-year-old boy with good past […]

Approximately 1 in 4 gay, bisexual men; 1 in 5 people who inject drugs; and 1 in 200 heterosexuals should be counseled about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) A new CDC Vital Signs report published Tuesday estimates that 25 percent of sexually active gay and bisexual adult men, nearly 20 percent of adults who inject drugs, and […]

Chinese health authorities are reporting a confirmed case of human H7N9 avian influenza in an individual from Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, China, according to a Taiwan CDC travel advisory (computer translated). The patient is being treated in a Meizhou hospital. The source of the infection is still under investigation. From 2013 to date, 662 human cases of […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Fluad, the first seasonal influenza vaccine containing an adjuvant. Fluad, a trivalent vaccine produced from three influenza virus strains (two subtype A and one type B), is approved for the prevention of seasonal influenza in people 65 years of age and older. Fluad, which is manufactured using […]

In a follow-up to a report yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made their initial announcement on the outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157:H7) linked to Costco rotisserie chicken salad. As of November 23, 2015, 19 people infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 have been reported from 7 states, […]

In an update on the massive increases of the condition, microcephaly, in northeast Brazil, Brazilian health officials now put the tally at 739 suspected cases of microcephaly, identified in 160 municipalities in nine states in Brazil. This is up from 399 cases reported by the World Health Organization just a few days ago. The Ministry […]