Outbreak News Today

After a relatively mild (for the Philippines) first half of the year in 2015 concerning dengue fever, the mosquito borne viral disease has exploded as the cumulative case tally from January through October has reached 142,227. To show how active dengue has been in the past several months, the total cases through the first six months […]

In response to the current Zika virus outbreak in Brazil and the surge of microcephaly cases in the northeast, São Paulo health officials want to test all pregnant women in the state for Zika virus. According to Brazilian news source, em.com (computer translated), the country’s largest state prepares a plan to tackle the potential future problem in the […]

The Nunavut Department of Health issued a public health advisory Tuesday for residents of Clyde River as polar bear meat distributed in the community in early October may have Trichinella. They advise residents to thoroughly cook the meat as freezing or fermenting does not kill the parasite. In addition, they say to the public to not feed infected […]

A Seattle-based Mediterranean restaurant was closed by county health officials Tuesday after several patrons developed symptoms consistent with norovirus. Officially, Main Street Gyros, located at 301 2nd Ave Ext S, Seattle was closed for a “Imminent health hazard: investigation of possible foodborne illness outbreak”. However, as the Seattle Times reports, a total of three people, from two parties, developed […]

Almost one third (30%) of all deaths from foodborne diseases are in children under the age of 5 years, despite the fact that they make up only 9% of the global population. This is among the findings of WHO’s Estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases – the most comprehensive report to date on the […]

Since the outbreak of the systemic fungal infection, Blastomycosis, was first reported in early August linked to visits to the Little Wolf River in Waupaca County near New London, the number of confirmed and probable cases have risen to 49 and 40, respectively. In addition, the Associated Press reported today that The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said they […]

JEM Raw Chocolate, LLC (JEM Raw) of Bend, Oregon announced a voluntary recall of its full line of all nut butter spreads within expiry because it has 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 […]

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) today put the dengue fever confirmed case tally at 122, an increase of 5 cases since yesterday. Since the beginning of this outbreak, HDOH has been in constant contact with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whose role is to provide technical expertise and advice. As […]

With greater than 1,200 microcephaly cases reported in Brazil as of Saturday, a dramatic increase over the typical year and many questions yet unanswered, concern among the health community and public is growing at a feverish level. The situation is so bad in northeast Brazil that The Minister of Health, Marcelo Castro, made some bold […]

According to the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, all mammals are susceptible to rabies. Raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, dogs, coyotes and cats are the likely suspects. Other animals like otters and ferrets are also high risk. Mammals like rabbits, squirrels, rodents and opossums are rarely infected. No mention of birds. Now, Indian researchers have reported […]

Seventeen countries and territories in the Americas have supplied data indicating that they may have eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, according to a new report by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), unveiled on the eve of World AIDS Day (1 December). Nevertheless, an estimated 2,500 children in the Region were […]

When comparing the data on the mosquito borne infections, dengue fever and malaria, from 2014 to 2015, it is noted that the number of dengue fever cases in the country has more than doubled last years numbers, while malaria cases appear slightly down compared to what was seen in 2014. Indian health officials report through […]

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 […]