Outbreak News Today

Just a little over a week after the Public Health Agency of Canada declared the Cyclospora outbreak that affected some 100 people this summer over, Costco Wholesale Canada Inc. announced Saturday that it is voluntarily recalling Alpine Fresh brand Snap Peas from the marketplace due to possible Cyclospora contamination. The following product has been sold from Costco […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Friday granted accelerated approval to Praxbind (idarucizumab) for use in patients who are taking the anticoagulant Pradaxa (dabigatran) during emergency situations when there is a need to reverse Pradaxa’s blood-thinning effects. “The anticoagulant effects of Pradaxa are important and life-saving for some patients, but there are situations where reversal of […]

Raising the alarm for poultry-related livelihoods and public health, FAO warned countries Thursday that a fourth wave of avian influenza H7N9 has already begun. The novel A(H7N9) avian influenza virus originally emerged in humans in China in early 2013. Each winter since, southern China has witnessed an upsurge in human infections. H7N9 spreads silently in poultry, […]

I totally missed this advisory issued by the Philippines Department of Health on Sep. 11 on the parasitic infection Capillariasis: Mode of Transmission: The disease can be acquired through consumption of infected raw or improperly cooked small freshwater fish. Incubation Period: After eating infected fish, it takes at least about 2 weeks for the eggs […]

With an additional 183 dengue fever cases report Friday in Taiwan’s southern city of Tainan, the dengue tally has topped the 20,000 mark putting the total at 20,172 as of Oct. 16. Although Tainan City hit this unfortunate landmark, the good news is the cases appear to be tapering off somewhat. The 183 cases reported […]

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is reporting three laboratory-confirmed cases of flu in Oklahoma, all of which were influenza A H3. Two of the confirmed cases were from Tulsa County, including one hospitalization, and one case was from Oklahoma County. According to the OSDH Sentinel Influenza Surveillance System, the percentage of influenza-like illness […]

The Colombia Health Ministry confirmed Friday the first cases of the mosquito borne viral infection, Zika fever in the country, according to an El Espectador report (computer translated). Deputy Minister of Public Health and Health Services Delivery, Fernando Ruiz said nine cases were confirmed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bolivar department. “As was the […]

A recent study published in the journal Transfusion looked at the potential of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis in Canada. In the study, researchers from the Canadian Blood Services, Héma-Québec and the Public Health Agency of Canada looked at Babesia infections in ticks and the prevalence of the parasite in blood donors. Passive surveillance (receipt of ticks submitted by the public) was used to […]

According to the American Cancer Society colon cancer is one of the third leading causes of deaths in the U.S. to date. As with most cancers, there are no real signs that the disease is there until it has reached a higher stage. Not to mention, many Americans look to the internet or the advice […]

The Philippines has reported a surge in dengue fever over the past month or two and the mountain resort city of Baguio has been hit unusually hard with the mosquito borne viral disease since September, according to the government news agency. Baguio HSO City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit Head, Dr. Donnabel Tubera, disclosed that from […]

New data from the health ministries of Thailand and Malaysia show that the dengue situation in each country continues to grow steadily. Including the Philippines, all three countries have topped 90,000 dengue fever cases for 2015 to date. The Thai Bureau of Epidemiology, in a weekly update, puts the dengue count at 91,418, approximately a […]

Excessive alcohol use continues to be a drain on the American economy, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Excessive drinking cost the U.S. $249 billion in 2010, or $2.05 per drink, a significant increase from $223.5 billion, or $1.90 per drink, in 2006. Most of these costs […]

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc., is initiating a voluntary recall of “Fresco Fresh” brand parfait yogurt cups because they may contain undeclared almonds. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to tree nuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. The recalled products were distributed to […]

The Public Health Agency of Canada announced last week that the Cyclospora outbreak that affected nearly 100 has now been declared over and the investigation has been closed. In the end, a total of 97 cases were reported in British Columbia (5), Alberta (1), Ontario (84), and Quebec (7). Two cases were hospitalized, and are […]

A Salmonella outbreak has sickened dozens in eight provinces in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada Thursday. The agency is collaborating with federal and provincial public health partners to investigate the outbreak. At this time, no source has been identified and the investigation is ongoing. Currently, there are 34 cases of Salmonella Infantis illness […]

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc., (“Del Monte Fresh”) is initiating a voluntary recall of Granny Smith green apples because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy […]

The World Health Organization announced earlier this week that a nationwide campaign to vaccinate 5.8 million children in Iraq against polio was concluded on 11 October after a 2-day extension recommended by the Ministry of Health to achieve maximum vaccination coverage. Led by the Federal Ministry of Health, in coordination with WHO and UNICEF, the 7-day […]

If being infested with maggots wasn’t bad enough, it turns out that they can carry bacteria that can be worse, even deadly. A 69-year-old French man apparently died of just such a bacterial infection, according to a recently published report in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The man was found unconscious in a […]

Pennsylvania is the epicenter of Lyme disease in the US today. In April we learned that all 67 counties of Pennsylvania had the black-legged tick, the vector for Borrelia burgdorfferi and several other infectious agents. Then a couple of months later it was reported that the Keystone State leads the nation with reported Lyme disease when official numbers […]

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that is found in all coastal waters of the United States. Most infections that happen are attributed to consuming raw oysters harvested in the Gulf of Mexico during the summer. In addition to consuming raw oysters, wound infections are another problem with Vibrio vulnificus. These infections result either from contaminating an […]

The number of infections caused by highly antibiotic-resistant extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria is increasing in community hospitals, a setting in which most Americans receive care, according to a new study published online Tuesday in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. “The lack of […]

Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling a limited number of cases of bagged salad. The product being recalled is Dole Spinach coded A27409B & A27409A, with an Enjoy By date of October 15 and UPC 7143000976 due to a possible health risk from Salmonella. Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials. No illnesses […]

There are at least three large salmonella outbreaks ongoing in the US and Europe with three varied sources implicated in each outbreak. Two of the major outbreaks are taking place in the United States, the larger one is linked to imported cucumbers from Mexico: Thirty-five additional Salmonella Poona cases from 14 states have been reported to […]

In a follow-up on the situation of Scottish nurse and Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) survivor who has suffered an unusual late complication from the virus she defeated 10 months ago, Royal Free London announced this afternoon that Pauline Cafferkey’s condition has deteriorated and she is now critically ill. Pauline is being treated for Ebola in the high […]

The norovirus outbreak that has affected Washoe County schools and daycare facilities for the past several weeks has grown to some 1,145 cases, according to local media sources citing the Washoe County Health Department. As of Tuesday, 17 schools and two daycare establishments remain in outbreak status. The Washoe County Health District has links on it’s […]

With much of the news about dengue fever focused on the Indian capital city of Delhi recently, elsewhere on the subcontinent, other areas are also seeing a dengue surge such as Pakistan. The Express Tribune reported Tuesday that 5,237 people have tested positive for dengue fever while six deaths have been reported this year across the […]

Pakistani news media reported a suspected case of infection with the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri. The International News reports a male patient was admitted to the Civil Hospital Karachi with symptoms similar to Naegleria fowleri infection on Monday. Today, the Daily Times reports the amoebic infection in a 22-year-old man from Baldia. This puts the Naegleria death […]

A new disease of snakes has been quietly spreading across the U.S. The disease known as Snake Fungal Disease (SFD) is believed to be caused by a fungus called Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola and so far has been found in 15 states in the eastern half of the U.S. The disease has been discovered as far west […]

Warts aren’t just for witches and goblins. According to member dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology, children and teens, people who frequently bite their nails, and people with a weakened immune system are more prone to getting warts than others. Although warts can grow anywhere on the skin, they are most common on people’s […]

The National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) in China has reported two new human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Zhejiang province last month. According to the NHFPC, the cases comprise a male poultry worker aged 53 in Jinhua with onset on September 21, and a female farmer aged 55 in Huzhou who had poultry […]

Taiwan health officials are reporting slightly different dengue fever activity in Tainan City and Kaohsiung City as the cumulative count in the country has seen a new low since September. The current country tally as of Monday shows 23,456, including 89 fatalities. The number of cases in Tainan accounts for the bulk in the country with […]

Likely due to massive civil unrest in war torn Libya, scores of people in the capital city of Tripoli have sought medical attention for leishmaniasis, a parasitic infection transmitted to people via the bite of a sandfly vector, according to a Libya Herald report. The chaotic situation in Libya likely has resulted in a breakdown […]

By LabDoor.com School lunch menus have gotten a lot healthier since the days of mystery meat and juice cocktails made of sweet powdered blends, but does that really mean your kids are eating well? Find out the statistics in the infographic below. You’ll be surprised by how much of your child’s lunch could be going to […]

The number of cholera cases in the current Iraq outbreak has increased by 62 since the last report Saturday, bringing the country total to 1,263. The laboratory confirmed cases are identified as Vibrio cholerae 01 Inaba, according to UN health officials. The cases were reported from at least 15 governorates of the country – Including Babylon (469 […]

The dengue fever crisis in Delhi, India has topped the 10,000 mark as health officials report more than 3,000 cases during the past week to Oct. 10. This puts the total case count at 10,683. According to local news source, One India, the 10,000 mark has not been eclipsed in two decades when in 1996 when 10,252 […]

Officials with the Venezuelan Society of Public Health said recently in a forum that the number of malaria cases in the country has reached epidemic proportions, according to a El Universal report (computer translated). Through Sep. 5, officials put the malaria case tally at 88,906, a 55 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Other data […]

Health authorities in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) have reported on a case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) in a child from the district of Bolikhan, in Bolikhamxay Province. Lao’s last case of indigenous wild poliovirus was reported in 1993. The eight-year-old child was confirmed with circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) with an onset of paralysis […]

Skipanon Brand Seafoods LLC of Warrenton, Oregon is voluntarily recalling ALL LOTS, ALL SIZES of ALL Skipanon brand seafoods canned products because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look […]

The number of human West Nile virus (WNV) in California increased by 67 cases during the past week, bringing the state total to 311 from 29 counties, the most of any state in the union. New cases were reported from the following counties: Butte (1), Fresno (2), Kern (1), Los Angeles (15), Madera (1), Merced […]

The Delhi government says that the dengue fever outbreak this summer is the highest since 2006. In September alone, 6,775 cases were reported, bringing the city total to 9,438, including 41 deaths in the national capital. The outbreak and the public fear of dengue has put a great strain on city hospitals. “The health infrastructure hasn’t expanded as […]

After a lull in new cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia (no new cases since Oct. 1), the Ministry of Health (MOH) has reported new cases in the capital of Riyadh on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, a case was reported in Riyadh in a 26-year-old female expat who is currently […]

Following the recent Hajj annual pilgrimage to Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), UK clinicians have been reminded to be vigilant for suspect Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases among returning travelers presenting to hospital with acute respiratory symptoms – so as to ensure early detection, respiratory isolation and testing with the […]

Streptococcus pyogenes, or beta streptococcus group A (GAS) is a very common pathogenic bacterium in humans causing a wide range of disease ranging from the mild to severe and life threatening. Infections caused by the bacterium are responsible for outbreaks in schools in Galicia, Spain and Madison County, OH during the past week. In Spain, dozens […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the U.S. Each year, norovirus causes 19 to 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis in the U.S. On Friday, two school districts reported the effects of the rapidly contagious gastrointestinal virus see hundreds of kids infected […]

Scotland health officials are investigating two suspected cases of wound botulism in injecting drug users. Both individuals are receiving hospital treatment. One of the patients is from the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area while the other is from the NHS Lanarkshire area. The cause of these infections is being investigated with the focus on injecting […]

Scottish nurse, Pauline Cafferkey, is back in the hospital 10 months after recovering from Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) because of an unusual late complication of her illness, Scotland health officials report. The 39-year-old Cafferkey was transferred from the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow to the Royal Free Hospital in London Friday morning where she will be cared […]

Officials at the Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, Ontario issued a warning for the community earlier this week because of a scabies outbreak that has required treatment for more than 1,600 patients, staff and volunteers. The outbreak of scabies started on Sep. 29 from a fourth floor patient who acquired the infestation from the community. […]

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. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services says several tick borne diseases are reportable which include Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis among others. The […]

The number of cholera cases have increased by hundreds in recent days in Iraq as UN health officials now put the outbreak tally at more than 1,200, as of Wednesday. The cholera outbreak has spread to 15 governorates, with a total of 1201 laboratory confirmed cases of cholera. The epicentre of the epidemic appears to […]

A Red Alert has been issued in several municipalities in Haiti after a surge of cholera cases have been reported, according to a La Estrella report (computer translated). The outbreak, reported in the Southeast, has seen 268 cholera cases in the past week in the following cities: Gonaives, Saint-Marc, Saint-Michel de l’Attalaye, Lascahobas, Port au Prince, […]