Outbreak News Today

According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) between 29 August – 4 November, 227 suspected cases of severe dengue fever—including 110 deaths—were reported in all Darfur states, with 27 new cases including six deaths reported between 30 October and 4 November alone. The highest number of reported cases is in West Darfur (135) followed by […]

On 29 October 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of a cluster of cases with respiratory symptoms in Seoul. Additional information on the outbreak Between 19 and 29 October, 3 people who work in the same facility developed symptoms of pneumonia. From 22 to 24 October, they were […]

According to the statistics compiled by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) for Dengue Outbreak, a total of additional 415 indigenous dengue cases were confirmed in Taiwan on November 16, 2015, including 375 cases in Kaohsiung City and 33 cases in Tainan City. The number of new cases reported in Kaohsiung City is 180 cases […]

There are several mosquito borne diseases found in Thailand, both viral and parasitic. During the first 10 months of the year the Bureau of Epidemiology published the following numbers: Dengue fever Through Nov. 8, Thai health officials reported a total of 107,563 cases from 77 provinces, including 106 deaths. The top five morbidity rates were […]

The Israeli Ministry of Agriculture reported preliminary finding of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in sheep in the West Bank. According to a press release from the Ministry (computer translated), samples (hearts, blood/serum and swabs), which were sent late last week from the Palestinian Authority for laboratory examinations in the FMD laboratory of the Kimron Veterinary Institute, […]

In a follow-up to a report on the unusual increases of microcephaly in Pernambuco state, Brazil, several additional states are reporting unexpected increase in the number of newborns with microcephaly, skull malformation that can lead to serious consequences in child development, according to local media (computer translated). Besides Pernambuco, a state which concentrates most of the […]

Health officials with the Hawaii Department of Health reported an additional seven locally acquired dengue fever cases today, bringing the case tally on Big Island to 56. Of the confirmed cases, 46 are Hawaii residents and 10 are visitors. 41 cases have been adults; Fifteen have been children (<18 years of age). The County of Hawaii […]

In September, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that Nigeria, one of the three remaining polio endemic countries on the globe, has interrupted transmission of wild poliovirus and is no longer polio endemic. Although the latest wild poliovirus case in Nigeria occurred on July 24, 2014, the West African nation has seen one case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus […]

Ticks are arachnids, like spiders, scorpions and mites, from the Class Arachnida. While most tick bites do not transmit infectious disease, some very serious infections can be contracted from the bite of this vector. Most ticks go through four life stages: egg, six-legged larva, eight-legged nymph, and adult. After hatching from the eggs, ticks must eat blood […]

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval for Darzalex (daratumumab) to treat patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior treatments. Darzalex is the first monoclonal antibody approved for treating multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a form of blood cancer that occurs in infection-fighting plasma cells (a type of […]

According to an Indian online newspaper, there has been a recent spike in the number of cases of leptospirosis – a water-borne zoonotic disease – in the Uttara Kannada district of India. Uttara Kannada, also known as North Canara, is a district in the western Indian state of Karnataka located on the southwest coast of […]

After recording more than 76,000 hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) cases in 2014, the Vietnam Ministry of Health’s Centre for Preventive Health reported Monday that the cumulative case count thus far in 2015 is down 30 percent with the tally at 44,000. The highest number of cases have been reported from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Five deaths […]

In a follow-up to the suspect Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Brazil, health officials reported (computer translated) the patient has been released from isolation after a second Ebola test returned negative. After the test results, conducted by the Respiratory Virus Lab and Measles Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC / FIOCRUZ), the patient was released from isolation […]

Human infection with the mosquito borne Zika virus (ZIKV) has been reported in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and more recently, in Latin America and the Caribbean. Indonesia has not reported a human case of ZIKV until now. In a post on the infectious disease website, ProMed Mail today, the Chairman of the […]

In an update on the outbreak of locally acquired dengue fever on the Big Isle of Hawaii, the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) reported Saturday an additional 11 dengue cases, bringing the outbreak total to 49. Of the confirmed cases, 39 are Hawaii residents and 10 are visitors. 39 cases have been adults; ten have been […]

The number of Vibrio vulnificus cases reported in Florida in 2015 to date is the highest seen in the state in years, according to Florida Department of Health data. The 2015 tally, which has reached 42, is higher than any year from 2008 to 2014 (data available on DOH website). Prior to this year, the […]

In a follow-up to last week’s report on California’s record season as far as West Nile virus (WNV) fatalities are concerned, additional fatalities reported in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties bring the WNV death tally to 34. Previous highs were in 2014 (31) and 2004 (29). In addition, California health officials saw an additional […]

To better protect public health in an anthrax attack, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) will add two types of anthrax antitoxin drugs for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) as options to treat inhalational anthrax. ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) […]

With the bulk of dengue cases reported in Tainan City during most months since May, the total cases now add up to 22,310. However, the good news is the cases are dropping significantly with only 26 cases seen Thursday. The dengue outbreak in nearby Kaohsiung City has acted differently. On Oct. 1, this website reported 2,356 cases in […]

The Seneca County Health Department has confirmed a case of Hepatitis A in a food service worker employed at the McDonalds located at 2500 Mound Rd. Waterloo, NY. Public health officials are stressing there is a low risk of contracting illness, however, individuals who have not been previously vaccinated for Hepatitis A and who consumed […]

The last time a child was stricken with wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) was three years ago this past Tuesday when a 11 month old child from Yobe, Nigeria was paralyzed on 10 November 2012. Wild poliovirus type 2 (WPV2) was declared eradicated by the Global Certification Commission in September after not seeing a case since 1999. The only […]

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) has reported four additional dengue fever cases Friday on the Big Island bringing the total in the outbreak of locally acquired cases to 38. A breakdown of the outbreak is as follows: Of the confirmed cases, 30 are Hawaii residents and 8 are visitors. 32 cases have been adults; six have […]

Just days after the broadcast of the “Out of the Water” on ABC’s Australian Story, which told the family tragedy of Jodi and Laine Keough and the loss of their son, Lincoln Cash Keough to the lethal amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, the Western Australia Health Department issued the following Amoebic meningitis warning: As the weather warms up all Western Australians are […]

Earlier this week, Brazil health officials reported 141 suspected cases of microcephaly in 44 municipalities in Pernambuco state in Northeast Brazil during the past four months. In a typical year, 10 cases are seen. In addition, there are also reports in the Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba, but in smaller proportions. This prompted the […]

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today investigating an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) at a primary school in Kowloon Tong, and hence appealed to the public to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene. The 21 affected pupils, 16 boys and five girls aged from 6 […]

The number of measles-related deaths has decreased 79% from 546 800 at the beginning of the century to 114 900 in 2014. New data released by WHO for the Measles & Rubella Initiative, estimates that 17.1 million lives have been saved since 2000, largely due to increased vaccination coverage against this highly contagious viral disease. Measles vaccination […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Adynovate, Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), PEGylated for use in adults and adolescents, aged 12 years and older, who have Hemophilia A. Adynovate is modified to last longer in the blood and potentially require less frequent injections than unmodified Antihemophilic Factor when used to reduce the frequency of bleeding. […]

In a follow-up to a story on a suspect Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in a Brazilian man who returned from Guinea, health officials report (computer translated) that the first Ebola test was negative; however, he did test positive for malaria. According to international protocols, confirmation of the diagnosis can only take place after carrying out […]

In February 2014, the public health authorities of Chile confirmed the first case of indigenous transmission of infection by Zika virus in Easter Island (Chile). The virus was reported through June of that year. Subsequently, in May 2015, the public health authorities of Brazil confirmed indigenous transmission of Zika virus in the northeast. More recently, […]

On 27 October 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of Egypt notified WHO of an outbreak of Dengue fever in a village in the Dayrout District of Assiut Governorate. Between 1 and 31 October 2015, a total of 253 cases were admitted to the Dayrout Fever Hospital due to acute febrile illness. Patients developed fever, […]

About a month after being readmitted to the hospital suffering from meningitis caused by Ebola, Scottish nurse, Pauline Cafferkey has been discharged from Royal Free Hospital in London Wednesday and has been transferred to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. The hospital said she made a full recovery from Ebola and is no longer infectious. Cafferkey was treated with the […]

Halo, Purely for Pets has initiated a limited, voluntary recall of its Spot’s Stew Sensitive Cat Turkey kibble with a Best By date of 09/04/2016 due to reports of mold. No other Halo products are affected. Consumers who have Spot’s Stew Sensitive Cat Turkey stamped “Best By 09/04/2016” should discontinue feeding, and return the remaining […]

After a period of decline from 2008 to 2012 when the overall rate of reported congenital syphilis (CS) decreased from 10.5 to 8.4 cases per 100,000 live births, rates increased by 38 percent from 2012 to 2014 (total cases increased from 334 to 458 cases), according to a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). This […]

Since the last dengue fever update in the Philippines on Oct. 3, health officials say the case count on the archipelago grew by more than 16,000 cases in a two week period. The country’s Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau reports that from the beginning of the year through Oct. 17, a total of 124,728 dengue cases were […]

In Taiwan, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) for Dengue Outbreak reported an additional nine dengue-related fatalities, eight from Kaohsiung City, bringing the confirmed fatality total to 150. On Tuesday, a total of additional 395 indigenous dengue cases were confirmed in Taiwan (342 cases in Kaohsiung City and 48 cases in Tainan City). Since this summer, a cumulative […]

Health and district administration officials in Bagalkot district in the Indian state of Karnataka are experiencing a surge of scores of malaria cases during the past week causing officials to make moves to get the outbreak under control, according to a Deccan Herald report. The four affected villages, Guggalmari, Hirekodagali, Hanumanal and SB Gudur, have seen a combined […]

Ceres Nanosciences, Inc. (Ceres) announced Tuesday the publication of a three year 300-person clinical study in the Journal of Translational Medicine. The study, titled: “Application of Nanotrap technology for high sensitivity measurement of urinary outer surface protein A carboxyl‐terminus domain in early stage Lyme borreliosis” documents the development and data behind Ceres’ groundbreaking test for Lyme […]

The Chineses National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) is reporting two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Zhejiang this fall bringing the total reported by the NHFPC since October 2015 to four, all from Zhejiang. According to the NHFPC, the cases comprise a woman aged 62 in Shengzhou, and a female farmer aged 51 […]

A Brazilian man who recently returned from the last country currently reporting Ebola, Guinea, is being tested and monitored for the lethal viral disease, according to the Ministry of Health today (computer translated). Minister of Health, Marcelo Castro said Wednesday that the patient, an unnamed 46-year-old male resident of Minas Gerais returned to Brazil last Friday […]

November 7 through 15 is Valley Fever Awareness Week in Arizona as declared by state Governor Douglas Ducey and health officials in Arizona are stepping up investigations into a increase in Valley fever cases in recent months. Director for the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Cara M. Christ, M.D. said in her blog today: Although […]

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) reported an additional six dengue fever cases in the current outbreak on the Big Island today. This includes the addition of two more pediatric dengue cases. As of Nov. 10, there are 33 locally-acquired cases of dengue fever on Hawaii Island. Broken down, 29 cases have been in adults; four have […]

A research team lead by scientists from the Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences reported Monday in a study published in the journal, Acta Veterinaria Scandinavia of four horses presenting with Listeria monocytogenes kerato-conjunctivitis. According to the abstract: Listeria monocytogenes has been reported to cause various infectious diseases in both humans and animals. More […]

Vaxart, Inc., a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing oral recombinant vaccines that are administered by tablet rather than by injection, announced positive results demonstrating that the company’s oral norovirus vaccine candidate elicited substantial systemic and mucosal immune responses to norovirus in preclinical studies. The data were presented at the 16th Annual World Vaccine Congress […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cotellic (cobimetinib) to be used in combination with vemurafenib to treat advanced melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body or can’t be removed by surgery, and that has a certain type of abnormal gene (BRAF V600E or V600K mutation). Melanoma is the most aggressive […]

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (November 10) investigating an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) at a kindergarten-cum-child care centre in Yuen Long affecting 22 pupils, and hence appealed to the public and management of institutions to maintain personal and environmental hygiene against AGE. The affected pupils, […]

The number of dengue fever cases in the Philippines has surged in recent months and as of the beginning of October, the number of cases are up 32 percent compared to the same period last year. From 1 January to 3 October 2015, there were 108,263 suspected cases of dengue, including 317 deaths, reported in Philippines. […]

Dr John Croese, an adjunct professor at James Cook University and a gastroentologist at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane, and Dr Paul Giacomin, a scientist at JCU’s Cairns Campus, have been awarded more than $860,000 by the National Health and Medical Research Council to study the treatment of celiac disease using hookworms. Celiac disease […]

Five years after the introduction of an affordable conjugate meningitis A vaccine, immunization has led to the control and near elimination of deadly meningitis A disease in the African “meningitis belt.” In 2013, only four laboratory-confirmed cases of meningitis A were reported by the 26 countries in the meningitis belt. The findings are part of […]

After denying the presence of Zika virus in the country, Deputy Health Minister Eduardo Espinoza stated that they are investigating nine suspect cases, according to a La Página report (computer translated). Espinoza said the samples were sent to laboratories in the United States for confirmation of the new disease. He stated that none of El Salvador’s neighbors have […]

The findings from the investigation of a foodborne outbreak that sickened dozens of teachers at Roosevelt High School in Des Mosines, Iowa in late October were released by the Polk County Health Department and showed that Clostridium perfringens was detected in several person’s stool sample and in meat served at the luncheon. The Polk County Health […]