Outbreak News Today

La Terra Fina issued a voluntary recall of its Organic Spinach Dip due to a potential health risk from Listeria exposure. The recall of product available in Bay Area Costco stores is a precaution. This is the only product that has been impacted and there have been no reports of illness. The quality of its products […]

The number of imported, or travel-associated chikungunya cases in the United Kingdom has increased 12-fold from 2013 to 2014, according to new data from Public Health England. In 2013, England, Wales and Northern Ireland recorded 24 imported chikungunya cases, while this number exploded to 295 in 2014 and the vast majority of cases (88%) were linked […]

At least five Souderton Area High School Students have been confirmed positive for pertussis, or whooping cough, prompting Montgomery County health officials to classify the situation as an outbreak at the school. The Souderton Area School District says they are working closely with county health officials to monitor and respond to this issue. The school has increased its […]

Health officials in Newfoundland are reporting an outbreak of the sexually transmitted infection, syphilis, and are advising safe-sex practices to the non-monogamous public. Eastern Health is reporting 15 confirmed syphilis cases during the first 2 1/2 months of 2015, this compares to reporting 26 cases during all of 2014. Health officials say the majority of these […]

Just a month after Kosovo health officials declared a tularemia outbreak, neighboring country, Macedonia has started reporting cases of the bacterial infection in several areas, according to a Focus Information Agency report. Health authorities in Skopje have officially registered nine cases of tularemia and say there are another five suspect cases. Also known as rabbit fever […]

Trader Joe’s Company is recalling Raw Walnuts because these products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, […]

It what seems like stating the obvious, new research from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston Children’s Hospital scientists published yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics concludes that substandard vaccination compliance is likely to blame for the 2015 measles outbreak that to date has totaled 176 people from 17 states and the District of Columbia. 130, or 74% of […]

Twenty-two years ago this month, residents of Milwaukee started falling ill with nausea, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. At first, a highly contagious intestinal virus was blamed. But as symptoms struck tens of thousands of people – closing schools and businesses and nearly bringing the city to a standstill – health officials discovered the culprit: a […]

A Yale University scientist has developed a promising new method to identify malaria in the bone marrow of ancient human remains. It is the first time researchers have been able to establish a diagnostic, human skeletal profile for the disease, which is transmitted by mosquitoes and continues to infect millions of people a year. The […]

Ebola has had a devastating impact on children, who make up about 20 per cent of infections in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. To protect them and their communities, it is critical to defeat this scourge, while working to restore basic services, UNICEF said in a report released today. “The outbreak will not be over […]

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Boone County, Arkansas. The flock of 40,020 turkeys is located within the Mississippi flyway where this strain of avian influenza has previously been identified. […]

The measles outbreak in Quebec’s Lanaudière region has grown to 119 cases since the first cases were reported in early February, according to the Public Health Department (PHD) of the Agency Health and Social Services Lanaudière today (computer translated). A student who attends the École intégrée de Saint-Pierre was one of the cases. This has put some 700 students […]

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation, an industry-leading therapeutic solutions company focused on developing a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus infection (HBV), announced today that TKM-Ebola-Guinea will be evaluated for efficacy in Ebola virus infected patients in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Patient recruitment has been initiated. The Phase II single arm trial called RAPIDE (Rapid Assessment of […]

British health officials have confirmed that a UK military healthcare worker in Sierra Leone has contracted Ebola Virus Disease(EVD). A Public Health England spokesperson said, “We can confirm that a UK military healthcare worker in Sierra Leone has tested positive for Ebola. Medical experts are currently assessing the situation to ensure that appropriate care is delivered. […]

Despite the ability to make personal food choices, many know the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as the “gold standard” model that focuses on the foods and beverages that help maintain a healthy weight and prevent chronic disease, such as obesity. The guidelines are developed and published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) […]

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have been awarded a $525,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to evaluate a promising technology that detects malaria parasites in saliva before individuals get sick and become carriers of the parasite. The team, part of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, will […]

Malaysia’s third largest state, Pahang, has seen a surge in cases of melioidosis since the massive flooding that started in late December 2014. According to a Sun Daily report, Pahang health officials say there are already 21 cases detected during the first 2 months of 2015, from 16 cases throughout 2014. The most cases in the […]

After reporting more than 58,000 suspected and confirmed measles cases in 2014, including 110 fatalities, the Philippines saw only 201 suspected and confirmed cases during the first month of 2015, according to a recently published World Health Organization Measles-Rubella Bulletin. The 33 lab-confirmed measles cases reported in January is a dramatic decrease compared to the […]

The WHO Director-General has commissioned a panel of outside independent experts to undertake an assessment on all aspects of WHO’s response in the Ebola outbreak. This is in response to a resolution passed during the Ebola Special Session of the Executive Board in January 2015. As CBC News reports, The Geneva-based United Nations health agency was […]

In 2014, there were more than 1.5 million suspected and confirmed dengue fever cases in the Western hemisphere, including nearly 700 deaths. During the first two months of 2015, the dengue case tally has eclipsed 100,000, according to the most recent Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) data. Brazil has reported the most cases in the […]

Malaysian health officials, in an updated report, say that the number of dengue fever cases in the country has risen to 27,382 since the beginning of the year after the addition of 222 cases reported on Sunday. Of the 222 cases reported Sunday, 149 (67 percent) were from Selangor. The state has reported more than […]

Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a family of rare progressive neurodegenerative disorders that affect both humans and animals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the causative agents of TSEs are believed to be prions. The term “prions” refers to abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able […]

It was reported yesterday that Germany has seen their third imported Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) since 2012 in a German resident who traveled to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The World Health Organization (WHO) offered more details today in a Global Alert and Response (GAR): The case is a 65-year-old, male, German citizen who returned on […]

There is little love lost between the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Feld Entertainment, Inc., the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and PETA has gone after “The Greatest Show on Earth” at every possible turn. Yesterday, I wrote about a PETA report and the numerous allegations against Ringling concerning tuberculosis (TB) […]

Tropical Public Health Services (Cairns) has issued a measles alert after a confirmed case of the illness in Cairns. Infectious Diseases Physician, Dr Trent Yarwood, said the case presented to two local general practices on Sunday 1 March and Monday 2 March, displaying symptoms consistent with measles. “The case also attended the Stocklands Earlville Shopping […]

The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced Sunday that it is implementing its plan for a coordinated response with the USDA, state health officials and industry partners following confirmation that turkeys at a grower facility in Asbury, near Carthage, had been infected with a strain of avian influenza. Outbreaks of a strain of avian flu have […]

Ringling Bros response: Ringling Bros. respond to PETA TB allegations, calls them ‘patently false’ It was announced this week that the “Greatest Show on Earth” will stop elephant performances by 2018. The Feld Family, owners of Feld Entertainment, Inc., the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, announced plans today to remove Asian elephants from their […]

The El Salvador Health Ministry is reporting a significant increase in confirmed cases of rotavirus in 2015, compared to the same period last year, according to an elsalvador.com report (computer translated). In the first eight weeks of 2015, 231 laboratory confirmed rotavirus cases were reported with 124 seen in the past 3 weeks. This compares to […]

Nearly 120 schoolchildren from two schools in Upper Egypt’s Sohag governorate have contracted chickenpox, according to a Cairo Post report. The report states that 119 kids from the Bayt Khalaf school, located in Gerga town of the governorate, recorded 104 infected cases and 15 other cases were from al-Bawarik school. Other areas of Egypt have reported […]

Juici Patties in Canada is recalling Juici Patties brand Jamaican Style unbaked Chicken Patty from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below: The recalled item is Juicy Patties Unbaked Jamaican Style Patty, Chicken, in 1.6 kilogram packages, 12 per pack. The code on the product […]

Germany’s Robert Koch Institut has reported (computer translated) their third imported Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) since 2012 in a German resident who traveled to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The 65-year-old local national is currently being treated at a hospital in Lower Saxony. Close contacts are being monitored, but since MERS-CoV is not easily transmissible […]

The Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province (GDHFPC) is reporting two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9), bringing the province total to 181, or 30 percent of all cases reported on the Mainland. According to the GDHFPC, the two male patients, aged 62 in Foshan and aged 57 in Jiangmen, were hospitalized for management […]

Sri Lankan health officials have reported more than 600 cases of the bacterial disease, leptospirosis, in several districts, according to a Sunday Times report. The 614 cases have been reported from Anuradhapura, Kalutara, Galle, Kurunegala, Moneragala districts and from the Ratnapura gem mines. Increased rains this season have created a wet environment conducive for leptospirosis transmission. The […]

The National Director of Medicines in El Salvador is warning the public of a bacterial risk associated with the “miracle cure” product, DAVIDA, according to a La Prensa Gráfica report (computer translated). Vicente Coto, Director of National Drugs said that the bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was detected in the aforementioned product during a good manufacturing practices (GMP) audit. The […]

The northwestern Ecuadorian city of Esmeraldas has declared a state of emergency due to the spread of chikungunya, according to a Globedia report (computer translated). Esmeraldas mayor, Lenin Lara, declared the state of emergency to allocate resources to combat the spread of the mosquito borne viral disease. Since the first autochthonous transmission of chikungunya reported was reported in the country in […]

Health authorities warn of the possibility of a dengue fever and typhoid outbreak in Nampula province in the north of the country, according to a Rádio Moçambique report (computer translated). The Nampula provincial health chief, Jocelina Clavete, reported Thursday that concerning dengue, of the 90 samples taken and analyzed at the hospital in Nampula, 50 percent tested positive. In addition, […]

An increase in cases of a new clinical form of the Latin American fungal disease, paracoccidioidomycosis, has triggered a “state of alert” in northeastern Argentina, according to a Primera Edicion report (computer translated). According to the Broad Institute, it is estimated that about 10 million people are infected with paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in South America. The annual incidence rate in Brazil is 10-30 […]

While some countries in the Caribbeans have seen their chikungunya situation get under control, in fact Dominica declared their outbreak over earlier this week, some areas of South America are reporting an increase in cases of the mosquito borne viral disease. During the past week, Colombia saw an increase of 7,848 cases bringing the country’s […]

Norovirus infection is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis, or “stomach flu.” A research team at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) recently produced “nanobodies” that could be used to better characterize the structural makeup of the virus. They discovered that these nanobodies could detect the virus in clinical stool samples and disassemble intact […]

Between 23 and 25 February 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 10 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. Cases are listed by date of reporting, with the most recent case listed first. Details of the cases are as follows: A 56-year-old male […]

Following reports of clusters of ocular syphilis in Washington State (6) and San Francisco (7) since December 2014, Los Angeles County health officials say they are investigating two independent cases of possible ocular syphilis. This has prompted the, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LAC DPH) to issue an health advisory directed at primary care providers, […]

The season for seeing chicks and ducklings tweet and quack their tiny ways into people’s hearts is officially underway. But it’s not always wise to follow the flock when a brood or clutch is concerned. At least 39 Washingtonians have reported getting ill from Salmonella bacteria after coming in contact with live poultry in the […]

Just one week after Berkeley health officials warned of a possible measles exposure at the La Mediterranee restaurant, city officials say an adult who may have measles (it has not yet been confirmed) was at the City of Berkeley West Branch Library throughout the day on February 27 and February 28, and was at the Central Branch […]

In a follow-up to report 10 days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that between 1 January 2014 and 1 March 2015, WHO received notification of over 23,000 cases of measles in the WHO European Region. The most affected country is Kyrgyzstan with over 7,000 cases reported in just the first seven weeks of […]

A University of South Florida professor and his team of researchers have become the first to uncover part of the mysterious process by which malaria-related parasites spread at explosive and deadly rates inside humans and other animals. As drug-resistant malaria threatens to become a major public health crisis, the findings could potentially lead to a powerful […]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cresemba (isavuconazonium sulfate), a new antifungal drug product used to treat adults with invasive aspergillosis and invasive mucormycosis, rare but serious infections. Aspergillosis is a fungal infection caused by Aspergillus species, and mucormycosis is caused by the Mucorales fungi. These infections occur most often in people with […]

Hong Kong’s Siu Lam Hospital has been battling several infection control issues centered around a male ward for severe intellectual disability in recent days. Several days ago there were reports of an Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in at least 11 patients on the ward. Over the weekend, a hospital spokesman announced a norovirus outbreak on the ward where […]

Acinetobacter causes a variety of diseases, ranging from pneumonia to serious blood or wound infections, and the symptoms vary depending on the disease. Acinetobacter may also “colonize” or live in a patient without causing infection or symptoms, especially in tracheostomy sites or open wounds. In an announcement from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority today, six patients […]

At least two patients are being treated for the serious bacterial infection, necrotizing fasciitis, or the “flesh eating bacteria”, at the Rochester General Hospital, according to local media reports. In a press release yesterday, hospital officials write: We have treated patients at Rochester General Hospital for necrotizing fasciitis, sometimes referred to as flesh eating bacteria. Out […]

A modified, conventional measles vaccine has the potential to act against the Chikungunya virus. This is the result of a study at the University Clinic for Clinical Pharmacology of the MedUni Wien (Medical University of Vienna), which has now been published in the top journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Up until now, there has been […]