Outbreak News Today

Officials in the Illinois state government said Thursday that eight residents of the Illinois Veterans’ Home – Quincy have tested positive for the bacterium that causes Legionnaires’ disease, while testing on other residents are currently pending. There have been no known deaths related to this outbreak. The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) and the Illinois Department of […]

Health officials announced that a 40-something male resident of Middlesex County is the first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in Massachusetts this year. He is currently hospitalized for his illness. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is conducting an epidemiological investigation to determine where the man was most likely exposed to infected mosquitoes. Assessment […]

Hong Kong health officials are investigating an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in an institution in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong, and hence appealed to the public to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene. The affected persons are 21 men aged from 18 to 30. They have developed fever, oral ulcers, and rash […]

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported today a confirmed case of the relatively rare mosquito borne virus, Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), along with additional West Nile virus cases prompting officials to advise the public to continue to take precautions to reduce the risk of exposure to these diseases. “It’s important for Iowans to still take […]

The Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) department reported today an imported Rubella case in a Texas Christian University (TCU). Officials say the student recently traveled in a region of the world with known rubella cases. TCPH is actively working with TCU school officials to trace possible contacts, assess immune status and offer immunization for those who […]

Bimbo Bakeries USA has initiated a voluntary regional recall of certain bread products under the Sara Lee®, Kroger®, Bimbo®, Nature’s Harvest®, Great Value and L’Oven Fresh® brands due to the possible presence of fragments of glass caused by a broken light bulb at one of its bakeries. Recalled products are the fresh bread products listed […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Repatha (evolocumab) injection for some patients who are unable to get their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol under control with current treatment options. Repatha, the second drug approved in a new class of drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors, is approved for use in addition to diet and maximally-tolerated […]

Utah health officials are reporting the first human plague case in the state since 2009 in an elderly resident who died from the bacterial infection earlier in August. This is the 12th human plague case reported in the United States since April 1. The other 11 cases were reported from Arizona (two), California (one), Colorado (four), […]

Ginkgo Bioworks, a bioengineering company out of Boston, Massachusetts, has just signed a deal with the Japanese company Ajinomoto. Ajinomoto, a producer of food ingredients such as seasonings, sauces, and pharmaceuticals, with out-source the ingredient synthesizing to Ginkgo’s new biofoundry. The biofoundry will act mostly like a contract research organization, where larger companies will use […]

The Ebola virus has shown us some viability and survivability in the recent past as the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on studies that showed that men who recovered from Ebola virus disease were reported to shed live virus in semen up to 82 days after onset of symptoms. Now, researchers from two Pennsylvania universities and the National […]

Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi announced today at the inauguration of the two-day “Call to Action Summit-2015-ending preventable child and maternal deaths” that the country has eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus. During his address, the PM referenced several achievements, none as impressive as the victory over polio 3 1/2 years ago. He then went on to say, […]

Sam Mills USA LLC is voluntarily recalling approximately 11,083 cases of – 4.4 ounce boxes of Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola Bars because of a risk of cross contamination with Dairy. The recall is being initiated because the Sam Mills Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola Bar packaging states that this is a Dairy free product […]

General Mills Wednesday announced a voluntary Class I recall of a limited quantity of frozen Cascadian Farm Cut Green Beans produced over two days in March 2014. The recall is being issued as a precaution after one package of finished product tested positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. No related illnesses have been reported in […]

Kraft Heinz Foods Company, a Newberry, S.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 2,068,467 pounds of turkey bacon products that may be adulterated because it may spoil before the “Best When Used By” date, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced earlier this week. The turkey bacon was produced between May 31, 2015, and […]

Florida was heavily in the news cycle about two months ago as the 9th case of leprosy was confirmed in a Flagler County resident. Now, Michigan media are reporting a leprosy case in a man, who is described as a frequent visitor to the Sunshine State. Dr. Frank McGeorge explained the association with the nine-banded […]

Jordan is reporting an imported case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in a man who has recently come from Saudi Arabia, according to Jordan’s official news agency, Petra. The man, who is in his 60s, was admitted to a private hospital suffering from breathing difficulty, coughing and fever, the ministry of health said. He […]

A suspected outbreak of pneumonic plague killed seven people in two days in the city of Moramanga, which is situated on a plateau between the central highlands and the east coast of Madagascar, according to a L’Express report (computer translated). Laboratory testing and patient’s symptoms of fever, headache, tinted blood spitting and sudden death indicate preliminarily […]

On Tuesday, this website reported on a Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) case in the Houston area that has hospitalized a 14-year-old boy. Today, in response to this and another case of Naegleria fowleri (a free-living amoeba that causes PAM), the Texas Department of State Health Services issued information for the public on this dangerous parasite and […]

Recently, an elected official was diagnosed with pertussis, a disease more commonly known as whooping cough. This gives us the opportunity to remind all Floridians on what pertussis and how they can protect themselves. Pertussis affects hundreds of Florida’s adults and children every year, even though the disease is preventable with routine vaccination. Babies are […]

A new study will expose healthy adult volunteers to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a virus that causes cold-like symptoms in adults. Better understanding of how adults develop RSV infection and immune system responses to infection will assist researchers in developing and testing future antivirals and vaccines to combat the virus. The research is being conducted […]

Mumps infections among University if Illinois Champaign-Urbana students have occurred throughout the past summer, and additional cases continue to occur in our community. According to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, 98 cases have been reported as of Tuesday. McKinley Health Center is concerned that the infection may spread further, potentially causing severe discomfort to individuals […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising health care providers to consider the diagnosis of plague in any patient with compatible signs or symptoms, residence or travel in the western United States, and recent proximity to rodent habitats or direct contact with rodents or ill domestic animals in a recent MMWR report […]

The Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise Inc. (PREVENT), a national Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) located at the University of Saskatchewan, and Vaxent in Memphis, Tennessee, are pleased to announce the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial of StreptAnova®, a vaccine designed to prevent Group A streptococcal (GAS) infections. The trial will be […]

A Houston teen who appears to have contracted the amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, after jumping in a lake at Sam Houston State Park, is currently in critical condition at Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH), according to the Miracle 4 Michael GoFundMe page. The family of 14-year-old Michael John Riley Jr. say their child woke up with a headache and slight fever […]

Delhi city officials reported Monday that the number of dengue fever cases nearly doubled during the past week with the total cases now at 530, the most cases in the city since 2010 when 550 cases were reported. At least two dengue related deaths have been reported to date. Last week, Secretary of the Ministry of […]

Canadian health officials are investigating an outbreak of Escherichia coli O157 that has sickened two dozen people from four provinces since mid-July. The Public Health Agency of Canada says that a specific source or product has not been linked to the outbreak to date. There have been 24 cases of E.coli with a matching genetic fingerprint reported in […]

The Taiwan CDC is reporting today that a whopping 1,118 indigenous dengue fever cases were reported during the past week (August 18 to 24, 2015) prompting the health agency to urges schools at all levels to thoroughly remove all water-filled containers in and around campuses as a new school year was about to begin in order to […]

Up to a dozen people are suspected of contracting the mosquito borne viral disease, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), in Darien province in eastern Panama, the Panama Health Ministry reports. One person has died die to EEE. In addition to adult illnesses, health officials report 2 children, ages 6 and 10 months, have contracted the disease and both are […]

The number of measles cases in the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization as a whole is down significantly through the first six months of 2015 compared to the same period last year. The latest data from the UN health agency shows that this area of Asian-Pacific region has seen a decrease in […]

After battling a tularemia infection for the past 5 1/2 weeks, Michael Schwope, 74, of Cowley Wyoming died from the serious bacterial disease last week as Wyoming health officials advise the public on an unusually active season this year. The Big Horn County man was one of 11 cases of “rabbit fever” diagnosed in Wyoming this […]

Alabama Department of Public Health officials have notified The University of Alabama that a student enrolled on campus during the Spring 2015 semester is receiving treatment in another state for an active case of tuberculosis. ADPH reports that the student, who has not been on the UA campus since May, could have been infectious as […]

Additional cases of measles in Brisbane may be likely following confirmation of a seventh case in five weeks. Metro North Public Health Unit (PHU) Physician Dr James Smith said the seventh case involves a student from University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus who was a passenger on Singapore Airlines flight SQ235, which arrived in Brisbane […]

The week of August 24-28, 2015, marks the second annual Contact Lens Health Week! This year’s campaign theme is “Healthy habits mean healthy eyes.” CDC and partners created Contact Lens Health Week in 2014 to promote healthy contact lens wear and care practices that can help prevent eye infections associated with improper contact lens use. […]

Attorneys for a 54-year-old man, who contracted the bacterial infection, Legionnaires’ disease, have filed a complaint in New York State Supreme Court, Bronx County against the Opera House Hotel and Empire Hotel Group, LLC. Ronald J. Katter of The Katter Law Firm made the announcement today on behalf of Leslie Noble, a previously healthy security guard. The complaint accuses […]

Vaxart, Inc., a privately held, clinical-stage company developing vaccines that are administered by tablet rather than by injection, Sunday announced that The Lancet Infectious Diseases published an article on the company’s Phase 1 clinical trial results for its oral H1N1 influenza vaccine. Vaxart’s H1N1 influenza tablet vaccine demonstrated protective immunity based on Hemagglutinin Inhibition Assay […]

Hong Kong health officials recorded two cases of necrotizing fasciitis caused by Vibrio vulnificus in early August 2015. The first case was recorded on August 3 involving an 85-year-old man with underlying illness. He was noted to have fever during a routine follow-up for his underlying illness at a public hospital on July 30 and was […]

The number of dengue fever cases in Thailand continue to rise and to date, have doubled the numbers logged in 2014 at this time. As of Aug. 18, Thailand health officials put the case count at 51,500, including 37 deaths. Health secretary, Dr Narong Sahamethapat said 80 percent of dengue cases are caused by bites from […]

The corkscrew bacterium, leptospirosis, has never been detected in the Tasmanian devil, until now thanks to a PhD student from the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Doctoral student, Sarah Wynwood developed a technique for testing leptospirosis in humans and animals as part of her PhD study, which in turn resulted in detecting leptospirosis bacteria in Tasmanian devils […]

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia health officials reported an additional six cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in the capital of Riyadh, bringing the outbreak total, almost exclusively hospital-associated, to 90 for the month of August. More than half (53) have been traced to National Guard Hospital. In a release yesterday from the Saudi […]

A recent report from Salt Lake City’s KSL.com caught my eye as it told the story of a 12-year-old boy, Cole Williams, of Malad, Idaho who contracted, was treated for and survived a rare infection called Pasteurella multocida meningitis. This type of meningitis is so rare that one Logan pediatrician said he never heard of it. It […]

The number of measles cases linked to the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus has doubled in the past 10 days after cases were reported on Thursday and Friday. The latest case, the sixth, was reported after coming in contact with the first recent measles sufferer at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus. The Darling Downs […]

The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County (DOH-Pinellas) has issued a health advisory to emphasize the importance for residents and visitors to protect against mosquito-borne illnesses. This advisory is being issued due to 19 positive tests for West Nile Virus (WNV) in sentinel chickens from Pinellas County Mosquito Control coops. As a result, the […]

Three of the four bison found dead on Syncrude’s Beaver Creek ranch’s main pasture have tested positive for anthrax, according to a company spokesman Saturday. The carcasses were found on the Beaver Wood Bison Ranch, a herd that’s made its home on reclaimed land on the Mildred Lake oilsands site for more than 20 years. Syncrude has closed […]

The number of human West Nile virus cases in Dallas County have reached five after officials with the Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) reported one Friday in zip code 75238. For medical confidentiality and personal privacy reasons, DCHHS does not provide additional identifying information. West Nile Virus (WNV) is a disease that is spread by […]

In a follow-up report on a feral cat that tested positive for rabies in Starkville, Mississippi, health officials reported Friday that the type of rabies confirmed came from a bat. Exposures to the rabid cat were first reported in downtown Starkville. The cat was then removed from the downtown area and dropped off in a remote […]

Allegheny County health officials are reporting a dramatic increase in cases of the gastrointestinal disease, shigellosis, prompting them to advise the public on preventive measures like proper handwashing. The Allegheny County Health Department reports 90 cases have been reported since October 2014, with 32 In June and July of 2015, compared with 9 cases in all […]

The number of locally acquired dengue fever cases in the southern Taiwan city of Tainan is increasing a rapid pace in August as health officials have reported 1,235 cases this summer as of Aug. 19, according to a Tainan City Health Bureau news release Thursday (computer translated). About half the cases (662) have been reported in […]

California health officials have confirmed an additional 21 human West Nile virus (WNV) cases during the past week, bring the state’s total to 57 this year from 13 counties to date. The new cases were reported from the following counties: Butte (14), Glenn (2), Lake (1), Mendocino (1), Nevada (1), and Tehama (2). Butte County, located in […]

Toronto health officials have reported the first confirmed human West Nile virus (WNV) case of the year in an adult resident who had potential exposures in Toronto and outside of the city. This is the second case reported in Canada this year, the other being a female adult from Cambridge. West Nile Virus symptoms usually develop […]

Maricopa County and Arizona state health officials are investigating two simultaneous mosquito-borne outbreaks, West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE), and are reminding the community to do its part in preventing the spread of mosquitoes. “Having outbreaks of these two diseases at the same time has never been reported, and we are working very […]