Outbreak News Today

In a follow-up to a report Friday concerning a patient in an Alabama hospital who presented with respiratory problems and had a travel history to Saudi Arabia, state health officials say that the preliminary work up to rule out Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MER-CoV) have turned up negative. According to the official news release Saturday: […]

About two months after Europe reported the first human West Nile virus (WNV) was seen in Sofia, Bulgaria, health officials are now reporting seven human WNV cases across several countries. As of Aug. 13, the seven human cases of WNV reported in EU Member States include: Italy (4), Bulgaria (1), Romania (1) and Austria (1). In […]

In light of dry weather and drought conditions in areas of North Carolina this season, farmers are harvesting their corn a little earlier this year. This has prompted the Department of Agriculture is encouraging farmers to have their corn tested for aflatoxin to prevent contamination of feeds and food. “Corn that has been harvested from areas that […]

Sharon Cuneta, the 49-year-old Filipina singer, actress and TV host announced this week that she was diagnosed with a fungal infection, which required her to be hospitalized for five days, according to the superstar’s Twitter account. On Facebook Tuesday, Cuneta said, “Okay. Chest x-ray okay. But fungal infection pa. Ngee. Longer to heal but at least […]

The Indiana State Department of Health has confirmed E. coli O157:H7 infection in three individuals as part of an investigation into reports of diarrheal illness in three northern Indiana counties. The cases are among a total of six illnesses currently being investigated. ISDH is working with public health officials in Fulton, Wabash, and Marshall counties […]

State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams, M.D., M.P.H., Frday declared a public health emergency for Fayette County, allowing the county health department to establish a syringe exchange program as part of a broader effort to reduce the spread of Hepatitis C. “Fayette County is battling a Hepatitis C epidemic tied to intravenous drug use,” said Dr. […]

The GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) plant in Zebulon, N.C, which was shutdown earlier this week after the facility tested positive for Legionella bacteria in a self-standing cooling tower during routine inspections, will reopen on Monday. In a statement Friday, company officials said: GSK plans to resume operations at the main building located on our Zebulon manufacturing site at 7am Monday, August 17, […]

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett and New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker announced this week that three new sites have tested positive for legionella within the impact zone – this is in addition to the 11 previously identified inside the impact zone. Separately 6 […]

At least six students at the University of Iowa in Iowa City have contracted the mumps recently, according to school Vice President for Student Life, Tom Rocklin Friday, making UI the third midwestern school to report clusters of the viral disease this summer just before the beginning of the fall semester. Rocklin reminds members of the campus community […]

An individual with a travel history to Saudi Arabia presented to a hospital in the Alabama on August 13, with respiratory problems, prompting several tests including one to rule out the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MER-CoV), Alabama health officials report. The patient has been placed in negative pressure isolation while tests are pending. According to the World […]

After leading the nation in human West Nile virus (WNV) cases in 2014 with 801, California appears to be headed for another brutal WNV season. During the past week, 18 cases were seen, with 10 of them from Butte County. This brings the total case count to 36 from 10 counties. One WNV-related fatality has […]

In a follow-up to the report of a Los Angeles County child who contracted plague at Yosemite National park, California Department of Public Health (CDPH) officials say the Crane Flat Campground in Yosemite, which has been closed for flea treatment for the past several days, has reopened today. The CDPH announced that next week, the Tuolumne Meadows […]

New Mexico health officials are reporting three human cases of the bacterial infection, tularemia, in Bernalillo County, The patients, a 71-year-old man, a 39-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, who have all recovered, contracted the disease via deer fly bites. Three other cases in the state occurred in a 35-year-old woman from Sandoval County, a 59-year-old woman […]

The number of Vibrio vulnificus infections in Florida has increased by two during the past week as new cases were reported in Charlotte County and Santa Rosa County. This brings the total number of vibriosis cases caused by V. vulnificus to 22 this year to date. The death toll remains at 10. In 2014, Florida […]

The number of cases of Lassa fever in Nigeria has dropped significantly during the first seven months of 2015, according to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health. Health officials have reported 200 Lassa fever cases to date, compared to 839 cases for the same period in 2014. In 2014, Lassa fever […]

The number of cases of cholera in the nations of the island of Hispaniola are up in 2015 compared to the same period in 2014, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Wednesday. In Haiti, from January up to 25 July 2015 (Epidemiological week EW 30), there were 20,043 cholera cases, including 15,921 hospitalizations […]

On Monday, August 17 through Wednesday, August 19, between the hours of 8 A.M. and 8 P.M., wildlife biologists with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Cornell University will distribute oral rabies vaccine (ORV) in Staten Island. A low flying USDA helicopter will be used to target the distribution of bait in raccoon […]

Reporting in the prestigious journal Science this week, researchers from Stanford University have expanded on their previous work to show that yeast engineered with biotechnological methods can produce opioid compounds in days, rather than the months it takes using current methods. Poppy plants, which naturally produce opioid compounds, can only be grown in regulated fields […]

Multiple Canadian public health agencies are currently investigating an outbreak of the gastrointestinal infection, vibriosis, caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus that has sickened nearly 70 in the western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. According to the investigation, a total of 67 cases have been reported in British Columbia (48) and Alberta (19). One case has been hospitalized. […]

The number of babies being born with HIV has reached an all-time low—down 95 percent since 1993. In 2014, six babies in Florida were born with HIV infection. At the height of this problem, in 1993, there were 110 HIV-infected babies were born. With proper prenatal care and strict adherence to medication, the rate of […]

Keeping any team healthy is an important and daunting challenge, but the task is amplified in the National Football League when a bug that spreads rapidly through locker rooms and training facilities can impact an entire season. “A lot of different microbes can cause problems when you have a large number of people in close […]

To the untrained eye, all rashes may look alike and seem easily treatable with over-the-counter oral antihistamines or hydrocortisone cream. However, it is not so simple, say member dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology. Rashes can appear as blotches, welts or blisters; they can be red, itchy, scaly, or dry; and they can occur […]

Working as part of an international team in North America and West Africa, a researcher at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has published new findings showing the ancient roots of the deadly Lassa virus, a relative of Ebola virus, and how Lassa virus has changed over time. “This gives us a clear view of how […]

Between one-third and one-half of individuals in the United States who were infected with HIV around the time of birth may not have sufficient immunity to ward off measles, mumps, and rubella—even though they may have been vaccinated against these diseases. This estimate, from a National Institutes of Health research network, in collaboration with the […]

Since the chickenpox vaccine became available in the U.S. in 1995, there has been a large reduction in chickenpox cases. Hospitalizations and outpatient visits for chickenpox have continued their decline after a second dose of the vaccine was recommended to improve protection against the disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of […]

The number of locally acquired dengue fever cases in Taiwan have doubled in one week as the island country reported 343 new cases during the week ending August 10. The total locally acquired cases in Taiwan now stands at 775, and 673 since May. Among the indigenous cases reported from Aug. 4 to 10, 313 […]

In an update to the salmonella outbreak in Washington state linked to pork products, state health officials say the outbreak has expanded to 134 cases in 10 counties. This is up from 90 cases reported about two weeks ago. The 134 cases include residents of Clark (2), Cowlitz (1), Grays Harbor (1), King (84), Kitsap (1), Mason […]

Garland, Texas health officials confirmed the first case of imported Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the city in 2015. The individual was infected with the virus during recent travel to Mexico and is no longer contagious. CHIKV is transmitted from person to person by mosquitoes. The virus causes high fever, severe joint pain, headache, muscle pain and rash. […]

The Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) outbreak continues to expand in Wyoming. Cases have been reported in horses on 6 different premises in Goshen County to date. Eight premises in Platte County have recently been quarantined. Cases in Platte County involve both horses and cattle. The main symptoms of VSV are slobbering, blisters, sores and sloughing of […]

11 August 2015 marks 1 year since the last wild polio case was detected on the entire African continent. A polio-free Africa would leave only 2 countries where polio transmission has never been interrupted: Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the Horn of Africa, no wild polio cases have been reported since the last case in central […]

I saw an article today that discussed the Los Angeles County child who contracted plague at Yosemite National Park and the author writes in the title that this was the 3rd case of human plague in the US so far in 2015. Is this correct? According to our count at Outbreak News Today, there has been […]

Oklahoma health officials are reporting a fatality due to Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) in a Carter County resident. The PAM, caused by the “brain-eating amoeba”, Naegleria fowleri, was contracted while swimming in Lake Murray.. Oklahoma has reported seven Naegleria infections since 1998. This is the second case and death due to Naegleria fowleri in the US this […]

The number of cyclospora cases have increased by 73 during the past week in the US, bringing the total to 457 confirmed cases, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update Tuesday. 16 people required hospitalization for their illness. 29 states are reporting people ill with the parasitic infection. Health officials note […]

The first Anthrax case in Texas for 2015 has been confirmed in equine in Uvalde County. The premises is located approximately 25 miles northwest of Uvalde. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has quarantined the premises. TAHC rules require proper disposal of affected carcasses and vaccination of livestock on the premises prior to release of the quarantine. […]

Novavax, Inc., a clinical-stage vaccine company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of recombinant nanoparticle vaccines and adjuvants, today announced positive top-line data from a Phase 2 clinical trial of its RSV F-protein recombinant nanoparticle vaccine candidate (RSV F Vaccine) in older adults (60 years of age and older). The RSV F Vaccine was […]

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) recently released a statement supporting the creation and implementation of a national strategy using Integrated Tick Management to better control tick populations and reduce the rapidly escalating impact of tick-borne diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and Lyme disease. “The rapid rise in tick-borne diseases is a […]

With an average of more than 300 dengue fever cases reported daily in Malaysia, including 329 cases reported yesterday, the Malaysian Health Ministry has seen the case count for the year close in on 75,000 cases to date. In addition, as of today, 201 fatalities have been reported due to the mosquito borne viral disease. […]

The number of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases reported out of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has spiked since the beginning of the month, with the Ministry of Health reporting two dozen cases in the Saudi capital in the past nine days. According to an Avian Flu Diary post, a few cases are attributed to possible camel […]

Vaccinating one-year-olds against chickenpox could temporarily nearly double the incidence of shingles in the wider population, but in younger adults than previously thought. The effect occurs because vaccination reduces the likelihood of adults who experienced chickenpox as a child being re-exposed to the virus. Re-exposure boosts immunity to shingles, caused by the same virus, Varicella-zoster […]

During the past month, health officials with Metro North Public Health Unit and school officials with the University of Queensland (UQ) have reported three measles cases in students at the St Lucia campus. The university’s occupational health department are advising the university community to ensure their vaccinations are up to date. UQ Occupational Health Nurse Advisor Fiona Coulthard said, “Anyone […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published recently a short, 2-minute video on how antibiotic-resistant germs are spreading between healthcare facilities, even those that are practicing infection control and antibiotic stewardship. They note that by adopting a coordinated approach, however, where multiple facilities in an area work together to improve infection control and […]

Slovakian health officials are reporting an increase in the number of cases of the sexually transmitted infection, syphilis in 2014 compared to the previous year. Slovak media reports of 370 syphilis cases in 2014, a 23 percent increase from the previous year. The regions of Bratislava and Košice have seen the most cases. “Six children under […]

Burlington, Washington’s, Northwest Farm Food Cooperative of Burlington, WA, is voluntarily recalling frozen raw Cat Food with the code Jul12015B due to their potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some, […]

A 60-year-old man from Valencian Community, Gandia city, Spain has been identified as contracting a autochthonous, or locally acquired case of the mosquito borne virus, chikungunya, according to the Spain Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (computer translated). He had no history of travel outside Europe during the incubation period. He developed symptoms on 7 July in France and […]

In a unexpected development today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that based on laboratory analysis, 14-year-old Hunter Boutain, died from streptococcal meningoencephalitis last month. It was reported last month that Boutain likely died from suspected Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by the “Brain-eating amoeba”, Naegleria fowleri. The Minnesota Department of Health, on July 7, […]

In a follow-up to a report last week out of northwest China, officials with the Health and Family Planning Commission of Shaanxi province are reporting the number of human anthrax cases has risen to 19, up seven from last week. Health officials say eighteen of the nineteen patients required hospitalization and all are in stable condition. […]

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio along with New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and New York City Council Members today announced a proposal for legislation to regulate cooling towers in order to protect New Yorkers and reduce the risk of future Legionnaires’ outbreaks. The legislation is the first in the nation to provide for detailed […]

Thai health officials are warning the public of the mosquito borne viral disease, dengue fever, as cases of the disease have picked up significantly this summer. According to Thailand news sources, last week, 3,303 people were reportedly infected by the virus, three of whom died, one each from Pathum Thani, Ratchaburi and Petchaburi provinces; which […]

The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) today reported four new human cases of West Nile virus (WNV), bringing the total for 2015 to seven. The reported cases are in Covington, Forrest, Hinds and Rankin counties. Cases have been previously reported in Adams, Hinds and Simpson counties. The MSDH only reports laboratory-confirmed cases to the […]

With more kids online and using cell phones at increasingly younger ages, two issues have quickly climbed higher on the public’s list of major health concerns for children across the U.S: sexting and Internet safety. Compared with 2014, Internet safety rose from the eighth to the fourth biggest problem, ahead of school violence and smoking, […]