Outbreak News Today

A recent surge in reports of illnesses due to the parasite Cyclospora has prompted DSHS to investigate the infections in hopes of determining a common source. DSHS has received reports of 121 Cyclosporiasis cases from around Texas this year, including 109 in the last two weeks. Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by consuming food […]

At least a dozen people in India’s most populous city have died due to the bacterial infection called leptospirosis in the past few weeks after heavy rains and flooding occurred in the city. 12 of the 21, or nearly 60 percent of cases reported at BMC hospitals have died. Most had a history of wading […]

Scientists have discovered new ways in which the malaria parasite survives in the blood stream of its victims, a discovery that could pave the way to new treatments for the disease. The researchers at the Medical Research Council’s (MRC) Toxicology Unit based at the University of Leicester and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) tablets for the treatment of heart failure. The drug has been shown to reduce the rate of cardiovascular death and hospitalization related to heart failure. Heart failure is a common condition affecting about 5.1 million people in the United States. It is a condition in which […]

Sevan has recalled all of its all spice mixes sold since October 2014 today (see below) after health officials in Sweden’s Public Health Agency suggested that the product may be linked to the outbreak, according to the Folkhälsomyndigheten – Public Health Agency of Sweden today (computer translated). It must be pointed out that health authorities had yet to definitively […]

Arizona health officials are reporting the first confirmed human case of West Nile Virus in Arizona this season in Maricopa County. The infected individual is a male resident in his late 50’s with no travel history. He experienced flu-like symptoms, but was not hospitalized and has since recovered. This has prompted health officials to advise residents to protect […]

Heroin use has increased across the United States among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels. The greatest increases have occurred in groups with historically lower rates of heroin use, including women and people with private insurance and higher incomes. In addition, nearly all people who use heroin also use multiple other […]

Between 4 and 7 July 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of 2 additional confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Additional information on the outbreak in Korea To date, a total of 186 MERS-CoV cases, including 33 deaths, have been reported. One of the 186 […]

In a follow-up to the cholera outbreak in South Sudan, UNICEF reports more than 700 cholera cases have been reported in Juba and Bor so far, resulting in 32 deaths – one in five of which are children under five. Stressing the role of education in stemming the cholera outbreak in South Sudan, the UN […]

Two additional fatalities due to infection with the naturally occurring bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus were reported in Florida, bring the death total to seven for 2015 to date. The deaths were reported from Sarasota and Duval counties, according to state health officials. The additional cases bring the state total to 13 cases. Last year, Florida reported 32 […]

Colorado health officials have reported a human tularemia case that occurred in a Morgan County resident late last week. This is the 16th human case of “rabbit fever” reported in Colorado since May. “Although having a human case is not completely surprising, as some of our neighboring counties have already seen human cases this year […]

Dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus outbreaks are also occurring across the Pacific. These three viruses are transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which are present in many tropical countries, Asia, and the Pacific. Dengue fever emerged as a worldwide problem in the 1950s, and is becoming more and more widespread. With […]

A clinical trial of a new investigational vaccine designed to protect against West Nile Virus infection will be sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The experimental vaccine was discovered and developed by scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health […]

Over the same time period that multiple outbreaks of measles and whooping cough made headlines around the country, parents’ views on vaccines became more favorable, according to a new nationally-representative poll. The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked parents in May how their views on vaccinations changed between […]

The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are able to trick an animal’s immune system into not launching a full-blown immune response or developing lasting immunity to the disease, report researchers at the University of California, Davis. The discovery may explain why some human patients remain vulnerable to repeat infections by the same strain of bacteria, […]

As journalist Sierra Upton notes in a recent YouTube report: “Imagine if you had to wear a hat, a sweatshirt, pants and sunscreen just to walk down the block. Now imagine that you could only be outside for 10 minutes at a time”. Upton describes the day-to-day life of Kansas University senior, Thomas “TJ” Henderson. Henderson […]

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave it’s clearance late last week for a novel and inexpensive testing system for the diagnosis of herpes simplex 1 virus IgG. The consumer health technology company, Theranos, Inc. said the FDA’s decision provides independent validation of Theranos’ patented finger stick and venous blood testing technology and the ground breaking […]

From Tanzania to South Sudan, and Nepal to Yemen, cholera – and the threat of a cholera outbreak – is a major public health concern for governments and the international health community. Use of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) is proving to be an efficient tool to effectively control cholera outbreaks. New outbreaks are ongoing in […]

The Philippines is one of only a handful of countries that continue to see an increase in HIV cases and this past May, a whopping 748 cases were reported. This is the most cases reported on the archipelago in the past two and one-half years. This is a more than 50 percent increase in cases […]

The Philippines Department of Health announced the confirmation of an imported Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a foreign national on July 4 prompting the mobilization of the MERS “Task Force”. On Saturday, a Middle Eastern man tested positive for the novel coronavirus at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). He is currently monitored, stable and […]

During the first six months of 2015, Singapore has seen a relatively mild dengue fever season. According to the National Environmental Agency of Singapore(NEA), there has been 4.292 cases as of July 3, an approximate decrease of 45 percent compared to the same period last year. In fact, the previous two years, 2014 and 2013, […]

Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite of both medical and veterinary importance. There are two species associated with human infection; Cryptosporidium parvum and C. hominis. This parasite is present worldwide and has been identified in fecal samples from people in over 50 countries. In developed countries, cryptosporidiosis prevalence is less than 5% while in the developing […]

Though this horribly disabling disease is virtually unknown to many Americans, trachoma is responsible for an estimated 7-8 million cases of permanent blindness particularly in the Middle East and Africa. The organism that causes trachoma is Chlamydia trachomatis serovars A-C. These types are different from the types of Chlamydia that commonly cause the sexually transmitted […]

From the Spanish meaning “painted”, pinta is an acute and chronic non-venereal treponemal infection of the skin. It is caused by the spirochete Treponema carateum. Pinta is found in rural areas of tropical America where people live in crowded, unhygienic conditions. Once a problem with the Amazonian populations of South America and also of Central […]

The Maryland Department of Agriculture has issued a stop sale order on Stella and Chewy’s freeze dried chicken patties dog food, which has tested positive of Listeria monocytogenes. The lot number is: 111-15. The bags will have a use by date of April 23, 2016. Stella & Chewy’s CEO Jen Guzman issued the following on Saturday: […]

Cerus Corporation and the SunCoast Blood Bank (SCBB) announced last week that the first pathogen reduced platelet units have been produced in the continental US. This follows Cerus’ FDA approvals received for the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets and plasma in December 2014. “We believe that initiating the production of INTERCEPT platelet components is a significant […]

The Lone Star state is no stranger to outbreaks of the protozoal parasite, Cyclospora, in recent years, seeing 133 cases in 2014 and 270 in 2014. It looks like 2015 will continue the recent trend as Texas has reported 113 cases of cyclosporiasis as of July 3, with 101 cases reported in just the past […]

An additional confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has been reported by South Korean health officials (computer translated), bring the case tally to 185 since the outbreak began on May 20. Two dozen health care providers are part of the MERS total in the country. The death toll remains at 33. The MERS outbreak […]

DJO Global, Inc., a leading global provider of medical device solutions for musculoskeletal health, vascular health and pain management, announced today that its subsidiary Encore Medical, L.P., dba DJO Surgical, has entered into an agreement with Zimmer Holdings Inc. to purchase the Biomet Cobalt TM Bone Cement, Optivac® Cement Mixing Accessories and Discovery® Elbow System […]

In the next year, an estimated four million babies will be born in the United States. One in nine of these babies will be born pre-term, a leading cause of developmental delays and neurological disabilities in children. To help address the nutrient deficiencies that cause many of these health issues, the U.S. Public Health Service […]

On 9 May 2015, Liberia marked an important milestone in the management of their Ebola outbreak. On that day, the country was declared free of Ebola transmission because no new cases had been identified for 42 days after the safe burial of the last person confirmed to have been infected with Ebola virus disease. Although […]

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has rapidly spread in all regions of the globe. The actual numbers of dengue cases are underreported and many cases are misclassified. One recent estimate indicates 390 million dengue infections per year (95% credible interval 284–528 million), of which 96 million (67–136 million) manifest clinically (with any severity of […]

Hong Kong health officials reported today the death of a 65-year-old man due to Legionnaires’ disease (LD). The patient, with underlying diseases, had presented with fever, cough with sputum and shortness of breath since June 26. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of North Lantau Hospital on June 29 and was subsequently transferred to Princess Margaret […]

The difficult battle between public health and personal liberty reached it’s nexus on June 30 when California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 277 into law, which effective July 1, 2016 requires children entering pre-school, elementary school, secondary school, child care centers, day nurseries, nursery school, family day care homes or development centers must have received the […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first drug for cystic fibrosis directed at treating the cause of the disease in people who have two copies of a specific mutation. Orkambi (lumacaftor 200 mg/ivacaftor 125 mg) is now approved to treat cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients 12 years and older, who have the […]

Alaska Fish and Game officials are reporting a suspected case of tularemia, or rabbit fever, in a resident of North Pole. It appears the man became ill after skinning a potentially infected hare earlier this year. Tularemia is an infection caused by the Francisella tularensis bacteria. It most often kills hares but can also make […]

Two weeks after initiating a recall of their “Chicken Sprinkles” due to the risk of Salmonella, Boulder Dog Food Company, L.L.C. is voluntarily recalling the Turkey Sprinkles (3 oz.) with a “Best By” date of “05/18/16, 05/28/2016 and 05/30/2016“, a Lot Number of “743”, and a UPC Code of 899883001224 because the product has the potential […]

The rapidly increasing Cyclospora outbreak in Texas has eclipsed the 100 mark with health officials putting the case tally at 103 as of Thursday. The surge of cases of the protozoan parasitic infection includes 91 cases in the past two weeks. Travis County and the Austin area account for 38 of the state’s cases while […]

Nebraska health officials are reporting the first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in the state this year and are expecting more. “This is the first human case so far this season and we expect to see more,” said Dr. Tom Safranek, State Epidemiologist for DHHS. “West Nile virus can be a mild illness […]

Washington State health officials are reporting today that the death of a Clallam County woman this spring was due to an undetected measles infection that was discovered at autopsy. The woman was most likely exposed to measles at a local medical facility during a recent outbreak in Clallam County. She was there at the same […]

Buruli ulcer, one of the neglected tropical diseases, has in recent years been spreading greatly, particularly in western Africa. What organism causes Buruli ulcer? Buruli ulcer is a bacterial infection by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Like the agent of tuberculosis, it is a slow-growing, acid fast bacilli. But unlike TB, it is an organism that is found […]

This disfiguring tropical disease is caused by the spirochete, Treponema pertenue. This species is morphologically indistinguishable from the agent of venereal syphilis, Treponema pallidum. Yaws is predominately a disease of children ages 2-15 years living in rural, humid and tropical areas of Africa, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Living […]

French chemist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) has to be ranked up there as one of the greatest contributors to the areas of microbiology and infectious diseases. A painter and a teacher, Pasteur studied chemistry in his spare time which eventually led to professorships at several French universities and contributions to the wine and silkworm industries. Refuting […]

The German physician Robert Koch (1843-1910) contributed so much to the field of microbiology and infectious diseases. A contemporary of Louis Pasteur, Koch worked as a physician most of his life. Some of the great contributions to the field of microbiology and infectious diseases include identifying the bacterium that causes anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) in 1877. […]

A 21-year-old Inyo County woman has died from the almost always lethal amoebic parasitic infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, according to a Reno Gazette Journal report. The resident of Bishop said she woke up from a nap on June 16 with a headache and was soon vomiting. When the symptoms wouldn’t go away after a day, […]

Montana health officials are encouraging the public to take steps to avoid mosquito bites and prevent infection with West Nile virus (WNV). The state’s first human case has been reported in Rosebud County and reflects an early start to the season. The adult case was hospitalized and is now recovering. To prevent infection, advice includes wearing insect […]

Federal and state health, veterinary and agriculture officials announced an investigation into four multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to contact with live poultry.The four outbreaks include Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Hadar, Salmonella Indiana and Salmonella Muenchen. In the four outbreaks, a total of 181 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from 40 states […]

The lone wolf may have been a myth when British author John Fowles was writing his postmodern novel about the mental darkness of young teacher Nicholas Urfe, but in the modern times – the lone wolf is rising and shining as a new serious threat to both national and international security concepts. The term “lone […]

Hong Kong health officials announced the investigation into the first suspected local case of Japanese encephalitis (JE) this year, and hence again urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel. “Although the case had travel history during the incubation period, the duration of stay was […]

The increase in microbial resistance to common antibiotics has led researchers to seek alternative means for treating infectious diseases. A recent study in Nano Letters by a team from MIT and Harvard has used a new strategy, termed “phagemids”, to target and kill specific pathogenic bacteria in a controlled manner. Past research projects have looked […]