Outbreak News Today

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials with Public Health – Seattle & King County report a hantavirus case in an adult resident of southeast King County, who was hospitalized in December 2021 and is now recovering. The patient reported likely exposure to a mouse infestation. Hantavirus can cause a rare but deadly disease called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). […]The post Hantavirus case investigated in southeast King County, Washington appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health reported four additional Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases going back at least two months. The four cases include a 50-year-old male in Hafer Albatin city, Hafer Albatin reported on October 31, 2021. The man had contact with camels and died from his illness. In November, officials […]The post Saudi Arabia: Four additional MERS cases reported between October and December appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Vietnam Ministry of Health reported 14,835 cases of COVID-19 in 62 provinces and cities on January 1, 2022, including 216 deaths. Hanoi still reported the most with 1,748 cases followed by Vinh Long (1,223), Tay Ninh (947), Khanh Hoa (785) and Binh Phuoc (728). To date, 20 cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant have […]The post Vietnam reports 14,835 COVID-19 cases on New Year’s Day, Omicron total now 20 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Indonesia Ministry of Health (computer translated) reported this week a case of local transmission of the new variant of Omicron in Jakarta Tuesday. The presence of one local transmission case increased the number of positive confirmed cases of Omicron in Indonesia to 47 cases. Thus, 46 cases were imported cases and 1 case was […]The post Indonesia: Local Omicron case reported in Jakarta appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Thailand health officials are reporting a norovirus outbreak in Chanthaburi province, according to a Thai PBS report (computer translated). According to the Head of the Clinical Emerging Disease Center Chulalongkorn Hospital, Asst. Prof. Dr. Opas Putcharoen said test results of 6 out of 8 people patients were Norovirus Genogroup II. Earlier this week, reporters […]The post Thailand: Norovirus outbreak reported in Chanthaburi appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In this post, an annual tradition, I want to recognize the Top 10 most popular posts of the year on the website based on the amount of traffic received starting at number 10. 10. NIH changes on use of ivermectin for treatment of COVID-19 Posts about the anti-parasitic drug, ivermectin, pro and con, being used […]The post Top 10 most popular posts of 2021 on Outbreak News Today, Most popular podcast appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews A South African government spokesman said Thursday the information gathered through the system used by the Department of Health has reported a 29.7% decrease in the number of new cases detected in the week ending 25 December 2021 (89,781), compared to the number of new cases detected in the previous week (127,753). All indicators […]The post South Africa: All indicators suggest the country may have passed the peak of the fourth wave at a national level appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with other federal and state agencies announced the investigation into a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. Thirteen people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli have been reported from six states. Seven cases have been reported from Washington state. Four people have been hospitalized, […]The post E. coli 0157:H7 multistate outbreak linked to packaged salads appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Just days after 3-year-old Asian elephant, Thorn, died from elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) at the ABQ BioPark Zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico, zoo officials report a second case of EEHV in a eight-year-old female elephant named Jazmine. Jazmine’s blood was tested frequently after Thorn’s positive test on December 15, and the virus was detected […]The post ABQ BioPark Zoo reports second elephant with elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Oregon state health officials reported the state’s first cases of Candida auris, a serious fungal infection that is often resistant to multiple antifungal medicines. The Healthcare-Associated Infections Program at the OHA Public Health Division, working with a regional public health laboratory in Seattle and Salem Hospital, have identified Candida auris in three Salem Health patients. The first […]The post Oregon reports 1st Candida auris cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) estimates the proportion of Omicron cases in the state is 88.5% for the week ending December 25. They do note that the estimate for the Omicron proportion is preliminary and subject to change as more sequencing data are reported. COVID-19 cases, emergency department visits and hospitalizations are sharply […]The post Louisiana reports sharp increase in Omicron cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews During the week ending on Christmas Day, Swedish health officials reported the number of COVID-19 cases increased by 14 percent compared to the week prior. Officials say the increase looks set to continue. 36 percent were unvaccinated. In terms of the number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the number of cases was significantly higher […]The post Sweden reports 14 percent increase in COVID-19 cases, Proportion of omicron infections rising appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews An international team of scientists have identified antibodies that neutralize omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. These antibodies target areas of the virus spike protein that remain essentially unchanged as the viruses mutate. By identifying the targets of these “broadly neutralizing” antibodies on the spike protein, it might be possible to design vaccines and antibody […]The post Antibodies identified that can neutralize omicron appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews A Cleveland Clinic study shows that among patients with obesity, prior weight loss achieved with bariatric surgery was associated with a 60% lower risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19 infection. The research was published in the journal JAMA Surgery. Numerous studies have established obesity as a major risk factor for developing serious illness from […]The post Successful weight-loss intervention before COVID-19 infection associated with 60% lower risk of severe disease in patients with obesity appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews According to the Ministry of Health, infections and deaths caused by rickettsiosis have soared over a 100% in Baja California, in a comparison of the incidence between the years 2020 and 2021. Dr. Néstor Saúl Hernández Milan, head of the Evaluation and Monitoring Unit of the Institute of Public Health Services of Baja California […]The post Mexico: Rickettsiosis cases and deaths up in Baja California this year appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews An alert was issued in the department of Antioquia, Colombia due to the increase in cases of leptospirosis, a disease transmitted by rodents to humans and that, if not caught early, it can be fatal. In the capital city of Medellín, some areas have seen large accumulations of waste have become recurrent and in […]The post Medellín: Alert issued for increased cases of leptospirosis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Colombian National Army confirmed that the disease that affected several soldiers who provided security at the Jagua de Ibirico military base in Cesar had Chagas disease. As a result of this pathology, two soldiers died in recent days and seven more remain hospitalized, some of them in intensive care units. According to the institution, […]The post Colombia: Chagas disease kills two, sickens 7 soldiers in Cesar appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which has slowed the spread of some types of disease; however, gonorrhea cases saw an increase from 2019 to 2020, according to the Statens Serum Institut (SSI). “Despite closure and restrictions, the number of reported gonorrhea cases follows the same course as in previous years. The number is still increasing “, […]The post Denmark reports increase in gonorrhea cases despite the pandemic appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews A Gooding County man older than 65 years of age has been reported as the first influenza-related death of the 2021-22 season. “The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is reminding residents that flu is here, and it can be very serious” said Dr. Leslie Tengelsen, Idaho influenza surveillance coordinator. “Influenza activity had been […]The post Idaho reports 1st flu related death in Gooding County man appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The general director of Health Surveillance, announced today the confirmation of three positive cases of the variant of concern of Omicron, in travelers from Cancun, after performing the sequencing samples at the Central Laboratory of Public Health. Epidemiological monitoring of all cases is being carried out, as well as their respective contacts, who are […]The post Paraguay reports 3 Omicron cases in travelers from Cancun appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) issued a health advisory last week concerning invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infections among unvaccinated children. As of December 17th, the DOH has received three reports of invasive Hib infections in 3 unvaccinated children. These children reside in Amish communities in southcentral and southeastern Pennsylvania. Haemophilus influenzae […]The post Pennsylvania issues health advisory: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infections in children appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) reports that since Christmas Eve, the proportion of omicron variants in the screened, positive COVID-19 samples from Oslo and Viken has exceeded 50 percent. This is in line with what we have expected, says Preben Aavitsland, chief physician at the National Institute of Public Health. – We know […]The post Norway: Half of COVID-19 cases in Oslo are Omicron appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free-living soil ameba that was first reported in 1990 to cause amebic meningoencephalitis in both baboons and humans. B.mandrillaris amoebic encephalitis (BAE) is more frequently found in warmer regions such as Southern California and South America. Up till now, only over 200 cases of B.mandrillaris infections were reported around the world […]The post Balamuthia mandrillaris death reported in China appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Officials with the Delhi municipality reported an additional six dengue fever deaths, bringing the total this year to 23. 15, or two-thirds of the deaths were reported in children. This is the highest number of dengue fatalities reported in a year in Delhi since 2015 when 60 deaths were reported. Dengue cases are slowing […]The post Delhi reports 6 additional dengue deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews NSW Health reported today the first known death in NSW linked to the Omicron variant of concern. Health officials report the patient, a man in his 80s from western Sydney died at Westmead Hospital. He was a resident of the Uniting Lilian Wells aged care facility in North Parramatta, where he acquired his infection. He […]The post Australia: NSW reports 1st Omicron death in elderly western Sydney man appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Tragedy has hit the ABQ BioPark Zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico again. Zoo officials say Thorn, a three-year-old male elephant at the zoo, died in the early morning hours on Christmas Day from elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). This follows the deaths of four apes from Shigella infection back in September. The BioPark’s animal care team […]The post ABQ BioPark Zoo loses elephant calf to EEHV appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the number of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) cases in South Sudan have risen significantly, increasing from 564 reported during the triennium 2018-2020, to 1143 suspected cases with five deaths in 2021 through November 29. In last two years (2020-2021), a total of 1420 suspected cases […]The post Hepatitis E Virus in South Sudan: Cases have risen significantly in 2021 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Minister of Health, Hygiene and Prevention, Doctor Jean-Jacques Mbungani, Thursday declared the end of the meningitis epidemic in Banalia, Tshopo province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The epidemic was declared on September 7. The outbreak accounted for 2,662 cases of meningitis including 47 confirmed and 205 deaths, with a case fatality rate of […]The post Meningitis epidemic declared over in Tshopo province, DRC appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews A new antibody discovered in the blood of some people vaccinated against or infected with influenza can recognize a broad variety of flu viruses Scientists at Scripps Research, University of Chicago and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new Achilles’ heel of influenza virus, making progress in the quest for […]The post Scripps Research and collaborators find new target for universal influenza vaccine appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Scientists have detected infection by at least three variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 in free-ranging white-tailed deer in six northeast Ohio locations, the research team has reported. Previous research led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture had shown evidence of antibodies in wild deer. This study, published today (Dec. 23, 2021) in Nature, details the […]The post Ohio: COVID-19 infection detected in deer in six locations appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Research conducted by Douglas Watts, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, has found COVID-19 present in white-tailed deer in Texas. A report on the discovery was published recently in Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, a peer-reviewed journal focusing on diseases transmitted to humans by animals. The UTEP team […]The post COVID-19 present in white-tailed deer in Texas appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Ten additional confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported during the week ending December 19, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). This brings the total confirmed cases in 2021 to 454 with two weeks remaining. The newest confirmed cases were reported from Edo (2), Ondo (4), Bauchi (3) and Ebonyi (1) states. […]The post Nigeria reports 10 additional Lassa fever cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Costa Rica Ministry of Health report a slight increase in COVID-19 cases (1.8%) the week ending December 18 compared to the week ending Dec. 11. At the same time, health authorities have reported a 15.2% decrease in hospitalizations and a 61% drop in fatalities week over week. On Friday, The Costa Rican Institute […]The post Costa Rica COVID-19: Slight increase in cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline; More Omicron reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that nine countries in the WHO African Region (Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic (CAR), Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, and Republic of Congo) this year reported human laboratory confirmed cases of yellow fever (YF) in areas that are at high […]The post Yellow fever in West and Central Africa: Vaccination coverage is not sufficient appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Through December 10, 2021, 1,173,674 total dengue fever cases were reported in the Americas. The Southern Cone reported the highest number of dengue cases with a total of 936,004 cases. Brazil and Paraguay has reported the highest incidence in this area. A total of 127,613 cases of dengue were reported in the Andean subregion […]The post Dengue in the Americas: 1.17 million cases reported to date appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Ohio officials reported Thursday on the first case of Powassan Virus Disease (POW) in the state in Columbiana County. The patient, a resident of the Lisbon area was suspected to have POW and has been hospitalized since being admitted to Akron Children’s Hospital in October. The diagnosis was confirmed by the laboratory at the […]The post Ohio: 1st Powassan virus case reported in Columbiana County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The presence of the omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to cause an alert in the country. The head of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), Hernando Cevallos, reported that confirmed cases of this variant increased to 47 in the last 36 hours. The ages of the infected people range between 9 and 77 years and come […]The post Peru: Omicron cases rise in Lima, All mild cases and no hospitalizations appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Vietnam Ministry of Health reported an additional 16,377 cases of COVID-19 in 62 provinces and cities today. Included is 1774 cases reported in Hanoi, which saw the fifth consecutive day reporting the most cases in the country. Besides Hanoi, cities reporting the most cases today include Ca Mau (1,167), Tay Ninh (949), Vinh […]The post Vietnam: Hanoi reports most COVID-19 cases for 5th consecutive day appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Merck’s molnupiravir for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in adults with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, and for whom alternative COVID-19 treatment options […]The post 2nd oral antiviral for treatment of COVID-19, molnupiravir, receives FDA EUA appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) two new confirmed human rabies cases from KwaZulu-Natal province since our last report, bringing the total to 19 human cases in South Africa through December 14 (Eastern Cape (n=9), KwaZuluNatal (n=6) and Limpopo (n=4) provinces). In addition, four probable rabies cases were reported from KwaZulu-Natal (n=3) and […]The post South Africa: 2 additional confirmed human rabies cases reported in KwaZulu-Natal appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials in São Paulo, Brazil reported 139,400 dengue fever cases, including 58 deaths through the beginning of December this year. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection causing a severe flu-like illness and, sometimes causing a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue. Brazil has reported more than 916,000 total dengue cases and 230 deaths […]The post São Paulo reports more than 139K dengue cases in 2021 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Department of Health (DOH) reiterated its call to all parents to bring their infants and kids to health centers to get free vaccination shots that will protect them from acquiring 13 life-threatening diseases. “Vaccinations prevent serious or sometimes fatal diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae type B, polio, pneumococcal […]The post Philippines: Health officials call on parents to get their children vaccinated, Warns of ’13 life-threatening diseases’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Since the introduction of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in March 2020, South Africa has experienced three epidemic waves with the Beta and Delta variants of concern (VOCs) dominating the second and third waves, respectively. On 24 November 2021, the Network for Genomics Surveillance of South Africa (NGS-SA) reported a new variant of […]The post South Africa Omicron study: Early analyses suggest a reduced risk of hospitalization appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the gastrointestinal illness outbreak that affected 118 passengers and crew onboard a recent Viking Cruise Lines Viking Sea voyage, The Centers for Disease Control Prevention Vessel Sanitation Program (CDC-VSP) reported the causative agents as Vibrio (no species indicated) and E. coli on Wednesday. This is the first and only cruise ship outbreak […]The post Viking Sea outbreak update: Vibrio and E. coli reported as causative agents appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By: Candess Zona Mendola of MakeFoodSafe The FDA announced its investigation into a listeria outbreak linked to Fresh Express salads. So far, ten people in 8 states have been linked to the outbreak. The FDA confirms a positive sample of Fresh Express Sweet Hearts salad mix has been reported to match the outbreak strain. Fresh […]The post Fresh Express Salad Listeria Outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Ethiopia Ministry of Health reported this week the interruption of transmission of river blindness in three districts in the Oromia region. Oromia region once reported some of the Ethiopia’s highest levels of river blindness and, historically, is the country’s largest endemic area with the most people at risk. Onchocerciasis, also known as river […]The post Ethiopia: River blindness interrupted in more areas of Oromia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the emergency use of PAXLOVID™ (nirmatrelvir [PF-07321332] tablets and ritonavir tablets) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg [88 lbs]) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who […]The post FDA grants emergency use for COVID-19 pill, Paxlovid appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the Salmonella outbreak affecting five Canadian provinces, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reports five additional cases, bringing the outbreak total to 84 laboratory-confirmed cases– British Columbia (36), Alberta (30), Saskatchewan (4), Manitoba (12) and Ontario (2). Four individuals have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The Canadian Food […]The post Canada Salmonella outbreak linked to frozen whole kernel corn appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the monkeypox outbreak reported in Maniema, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports the outbreak that was declared by the Congolese authorities on 9 December 2021 in Tunda health district in Kibombo territory in Maniema province now has 196 cases and 24 […]The post Maniema province monkeypox outbreak: WHO details appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Centers for Disease Control Prevention Vessel Sanitation Program (CDC-VSP) reported that 118 passengers and crew on a recent voyage of the Viking Cruises, Viking Sea, were sickened with diarrhea due to a gastrointestinal illness of unknown etiology. The voyage, which took place November 29–December 13, 2021, resulted in 114 of 640 (17.8%) passengers […]The post Cruise ship outbreak: More than 100 sickened on recent Viking Sea voyage appeared first on Outbreak News Today.