Outbreak News Today

NewsDesk @bactiman63 In Guangdong Province in southern China, hundreds of students at the Guangzhou Vocational and Technical University of Science and Technology have been stricken with symptoms including stomachache, diarrhea, vomiting and fever. The university reported on Tuesday that 315 students suffered from symptoms including stomachache, diarrhea, vomiting and fever with 24 being preliminarily diagnosed as […]The post China: Dozens of college students sickened with norovirus in Guangdong Province appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reported Tuesday the first Omicron variant in a man in his 30s who traveled to Tokyo from Namibia. The individual is identified as a Namibian diplomat. Health authorities say he was asymptomatic when he arrived at Narita Airport on Sunday and developed a fever on Monday. Reports […]The post Japan reports Omicron variant in Namibian diplomat appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Queensland Health is reporting a 75 percent decrease in Ross River virus cases to date across the state; however, officials remind the public there’s still a couple of months to go heading into peak season. Last year, there were 3,407 cases of Ross River virus recorded across the state. This year, there’s been […]The post Queensland reports 75% decrease in Ross River virus cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

NewsDesk @bactiman63 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) FluView, one human infection with a novel influenza A virus (H1, neuraminidase result pending) was reported by Oklahoma. The infection occurred in an adult ≥ 18 years of age. The patient was hospitalized for an unrelated illness and has since been discharged. The patient […]The post Oklahoma: Novel flu variant reported appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Swedish Public Health Agency, or Folkhälsomyndigheten (computer translated) reported today on a case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in a person who recently returned from a stay in South Africa. The variant was detected in a sample taken a little more than a week ago from a person residing in Region Skåne. […]The post Sweden reports 1st Omicron case in person who returned from South Africa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In Portugal (computer translated), The National Institute of Health Doctor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), through its Department of Infectious Diseases, analyzed, on November 28, a batch of 13 positive samples associated with cases of infection in Belenenses SAD players, given that one of the cases was positive. He probably had a recent trip to […]The post Portugal reports 13 Omicron cases among Belenenses SAD players appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 On Monday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said at a media briefing that enhanced surveillance has identified 6 cases of the Omicron variant in Scotland so far – 4 of these are in Lanarkshire and 2 in Greater Glasgow & Clyde. Contact tracing of these cases is still ongoing. However, at this stage, they […]The post Scotland reports 6 Omicron cases in Lanarkshire and Greater Glasgow & Clyde appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Public Health Agency of Canada reported today that testing and monitoring of COVID-19 cases has confirmed two cases of the Omicron variant of concern in Ontario. Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos said, “As the monitoring and testing continues with provinces and territories, it is expected that other cases of this variant will be […]The post Canada reports two cases of the Omicron variant of concern in Ontario appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory about increased influenza A(H3N2) activity that could mark the beginning of the 2021-2022 influenza season. Recent increases in influenza activity in many places in the United States could mark the beginning of the 2021-2022 influenza season in the United […]The post Increasing seasonal influenza A (H3N2) activity: CDC health advisory appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Lockdowns are clearly the questionable mitigation method used during the pandemic and previous studies have concluded they didn’t reduce Covid-19 deaths and resulted in large economic costs for little benefit (HERE, HERE, and HERE for just a few). Now a new study from Canada concludes it is possible that lockdown will go down as one […]The post It is possible that lockdown will go down as one of the greatest peacetime policy failures in modern history appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President, Dr. Anthony Fauci cruised the Sunday shows today and spent some time with Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation. I didn’t get a chance to watch the interview, but read articles on the interview to see what […]The post Did Dr. Fauci say malaria was nearly non-existent in the US due to vaccines? appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported Friday Sungiven Foods Canada Inc. is recalling One Tang brand Bitter Apricot Kernel from the marketplace due to natural toxin amygdalin. The recalled product has been sold in British Columbia. Excessive amygdalin may cause acute cyanide poisoning. Apricot kernels naturally contain amygdalin, which can release cyanide […]The post Canada: Cyanide poisoning risk prompts recall of One Tang Bitter Apricot Kernel sold in British Columbia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands (RIVM) report that Friday, 624 passengers returning from South Africa were tested for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 by the GGD Kennemerland. The passengers were tested at Schiphol Airport; 61 of them tested positive for COVID-19. These test samples were sent to RIVM National […]The post Netherlands reports 13 Omicron cases in airline travelers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The new coronavirus variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) observed in southern Africa is causing changes in health security measures at border crossing points. The changes are effective as November 27, 2021. Under section 16 of the Communicable Diseases Act, regional administrations may impose a compulsory health check on all passengers who have stayed in the […]The post Finland institutes health security measures at border crossing points due to Omicron appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up from Israel, the government reports 50 destinations in the African continent have been classified as red destinations: 1) Angola 2) Benin 3) Botswana 4) Burkina Faso 5) Burundi 6) Cameroon 7) Cape Verde 8) Central African Republic 9) Chad 10) Comoros 11) Djibouti 12) Equatorial Guinea 13) Eritrea 14) Eswatini […]The post Israel ‘red list’ now includes 50 African countries appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Brazilian media report on a two-year-old child boy died after contracting rabies during an attack by a fox, in the town of Santa Rita, municipality of Chapadinha, in Maranhão state. The incident occurred in August and the doctors who treated him did not give the child the rabies vaccine, a standard procedure at […]The post Brazil reports human rabies death in Chapadinha, Maranhão state appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In Australia, New South Wales (NSW) Health confirm urgent genomic testing undertaken today shows two overseas travellers have been infected with the new Omicron B.1.1.529 COVID-19 variant of concern. Both passengers came to Sydney from southern Africa on the evening of Saturday November 27. They underwent testing on arrival and tested positive for […]The post Australia reports 1st Omicron cases in Sydney appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Bavaria Ministry of Health (computer translated) reported today two suspected cases of the new Omicron variant in Bavaria have been confirmed. A ministry spokeswoman said Saturday in Munich: “The people have been here since November 25th and after a positive PCR test are in domestic isolation. After reporting on the new variant, the […]The post Germany: 2 Omicron cases confirmed in Bavaria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Municipality of Hortolândia in São Paulo State confirmed Thursday, the first death from spotted fever in the city this year. The victim is a 7-year-old boy who died on November 3. The death occurred at the State Hospital of Sumaré (HES), after the child was admitted, referred by the Mário Gatti Hospital. […]The post São Paulo: 1st spotted fever death reported in Hortolândia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Eleven outbreaks of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) were registered by the Municipality of Campinas, São Paulo State this month, in early childhood education schools both in public and private. According to the Administration, the outbreak is a recording of two or more cases of the disease. The syndrome is an infection caused by the […]The post Hand, foot and mouth disease outbreaks in Campinas, São Paulo State appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 UK health officials report two cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 after overnight genome sequencing, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed. One case has been located in the Chelmsford area and the other in Nottingham. The two cases are linked and there is a link to travel to Southern Africa. […]The post United Kingdom reports first cases of Omicron variant appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Philippines Department of Health recorded 899 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the fourth day reporting less than 1,000 cases–following Wednesday 11/24 (890), Thursday 11/25 (975), Friday 11/26 (863). This brings the country’s total since the start of the pandemic to 2,831,177. An additional 188 COVID-19 related deaths were also reported, bringing the […]The post Philippines records less than 1000 COVID-19 cases for 4th day in a row, Monitoring for Omicron appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

There is widespread global transmission of syphilis, particularly within the last 20 years, according to research published in Nature Microbiology. Researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Wellcome Sanger Institute, the UK Health Security Agency, and their collaborators mapped the recent resurgence of the disease around the world. They found almost identical […]The post Global syphilis population made up of two lineages: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 This statement was prior to the naming of Omicron: On 25 November 2021, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa announced the detection of a new variant of the SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, following genomic sequencing. This variant is currently labelled as lineage B.1.1.529. The emergence of this […]The post Omicron COVID-19 variant: Africa CDC statement appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 According to the COVID-19 epidemic bulletin on November 26 of the Ministry of Health said there were 13,109 cases of COVID-19 in 60 provinces and cities; Ho Chi Minh City has the most with more than 1,800 cases. Besides Ho Chi Minh City (1809), Can Tho (897), Binh Duong (707), Tay Ninh (655), Ba Ria […]The post Vietnam reports 13,109 new COVID-19 cases, Monthly total tops in SE Asia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Philippines is reporting a total of 61,170 dengue cases this year through October 23, including 216 deaths, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). This is 21% lower compared to the 77,859 cases reported in the same period in 2020. In 2021, 1,472,059 cases have been reported, the majority from […]The post Philippines reports more than 60K dengue cases so far, One of the highest totals globally appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on the flood on news concerning the COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529, seen recently in South Africa and other countries, the Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) has advised the World Health Organization (WHO) that this variant should be designated as a VOC, and the WHO has designated B.1.1.529 as […]The post WHO designates B.1.1.529 as a VOC, named Omicron appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Hong Kong government announced today that in view of the latest developments of the COVID-19 epidemic situation, the boarding and quarantine requirements for persons arriving from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe will be tightened from midnight on November 27. Along with South Africa which is already a specified high-risk […]The post Hong Kong starts strict quarantine requirements for travelers from eight southern African countries appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Finland National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is recommending to the public to avoid all travel to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatin (Swaziland) due to the new COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529. In addition, THL recommends that everyone who has stayed in the above-mentioned countries during the last two weeks […]The post Finland advises avoiding all travel to southern Africa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Philippines officials announced the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) approved on Friday the temporary suspension of inbound flights from South Africa, Botswana, and other countries with local cases or with the likelihood of occurrences of the new B.1.1.1529 coronavirus variant. This includes Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique, which are adjacent to South Africa […]The post Philippines bans flights from South Africa, others, due to B.1.1.1529 coronavirus variant appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Chief Public Health Officer is advising the residents of Pangnirtung that due to a recent increase in the number of active tuberculosis (TB) cases in the community, the Department of Health is declaring an outbreak of tuberculosis. Until recently Health staff had been able to establish definitive links between all cases in […]The post Canada: Tuberculosis outbreak declared in Nunavut appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services is reporting two cases of measles in two villages in the Serua province in the Serua-Namosi Medical Sub-Division. The two cases were identified after a child was presented to Korovisilou Health Centre and later transferred to CWM Hospital from Navua, on Wednesday 17 November 2021. […]The post Fiji: 2 measles cases reported in Serua province appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Israeli health ministry reported the detection of the first case of the new coronavirus variant B.1.1.529 detected in South Africa in a traveler from Malawi. In addition, two other suspect cases are monitored. They have been genetically sequenced and the results are pending. All three were vaccinated. This prompted Prime Minister Naftali […]The post Israel reports South Africa variant B.1.1.529, PM says country ‘on verge of COVID-19 emergency’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Ministry of Health of the Nation and the Ministry of Public Health of Salta issued an epidemiological alert for the increase in cases of paratyphoid fever (caused by the salmonella bacteria) in the province, in order to inform about the risk situation and intensify prevention and control activities. The alert arises from […]The post Salmonella alert issued in Salta, Argentina appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, confirms that through collaborative efforts with private laboratories and the NGS-SA members, a new COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529, has been detected in South Africa. Twenty-two positive cases of variant B.1.1.529 have been recorded in the country following genomic sequencing collaborations between […]The post New COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529, detected in South Africa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By Jory Lange The Camden County Health Department reports that an employee tested positive for Hepatitis A at Starbucks at 1490 Blackwood Clementon Road in Gloucester Township. The employee infected Hepatitis A served Starbucks customers on November 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13. The Health Department urges anyone who went to the Starbucks at 1490 […]The post New Jersey: Employee Tests Positive for Hepatitis A at Starbucks in Gloucester Township appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on the human rabies situation in South Africa, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported an additional six cases of human rabies in October and November, bringing the total to seventeen laboratory-confirmed human rabies cases reported in the country. The cases have been reported from Eastern Cape (n=9), KwaZulu-Natal […]The post South Africa reports increase in human rabies, 17 cases to date appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Researchers from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom took a deep dive into the health habits of famed fictional spy, James Bond, in a new paper published in in the journal Travel Medicine and Infectious Diseases. From his famed encounters with the ladies to his lack of hand hygiene to his travel health habits, […]The post James Bond 007: Researchers look at his health habits in new paper appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Germany health authorities reported 75,961 new laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases as well as 351 new deaths associated with COVID-19 yesterday, a new single day record. The national 7-day incidence is 419.7 cases per 100,000 population. The 7-day incidence in federal states lies between 1,074.6 cases per 100,000 population in Saxony and 152.7 per 100,000 […]The post Germany reports 1 million COVID-19 cases in past month, Death toll tops 100K appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Earlier in the year, Vancouver Coastal Health reported on an outbreak of Shigella flexnari in Downtown Eastside. By the end of the outbreak, two dozen people were affected with two-thirds requiring hospitalization for their illness. On Sunday, a tweet from infectious disease physician, Dr. Victor Leung, is alerting the public of some ongoing […]The post Vancouver DTES seeing ongoing transmission of multi-drug resistant Shigella flexneri appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Health officials in Maricopa County, Arizona are now reporting 1,091 total human West Nile virus (WNV) cases through November 23 this year. This total accounts for roughly half the total cases in the United States year to date (1,974 total cases reported by the CDC through Nov. 16). The previous annual record in […]The post Maricopa County, Arizona accounts for about half the West Nile virus cases in the US appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Six years ago, Michael Niederweis, Ph.D., described the first known toxin of the deadly pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), an exotoxin that had gone undetected for 132 years. Now Niederweis and colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham describe the mechanism of secretion and trafficking of that toxin, TNT, which is the major cytotoxicity factor for the pathogen that […]The post TB bacterium: UAB researcher describe how the exotoxin is secreted and trafficked appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Oxitec announced this week the successful completion of the mosquito release phase of its landmark project with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. All Oxitec mosquito boxes will be removed from participants’ properties in the coming weeks. Monitoring of the project continuing into 2022. The pilot project, which began in April 2021 with approvals […]The post Florida Keys: Oxitec successfully concludes mosquito releases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 According to official statistics in La Pampa, Argentina, syphilis cases have risen steadily over recent years and most sharply from 2019 to 2021. In 2015, 12 infections were registered in men and 12 in women; in 2016, 44 in men and 73 in women. In 2017, there were 36 cases in men and in women, […]The post La Pampa reports increasing syphilis cases in recent years appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 AMIVAS Ireland Ltd., specialists in treatments for rare and neglected tropical diseases, including severe malaria, announced today the European Commission has granted approval for the Company to commercialize its lead product, Artesunate Amivas (artesunate), in EU/EEA. The approval was based on the recent recommendation by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use […]The post Artesunate Amivas (artesunate) granted approval in Europe for treatment of severe malaria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Routine testing by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health found H5 low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Kandiyohi County, which has been confirmed by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories. H5 LPAI does not pose a risk to the public, and there is no food safety concern for […]The post Minnesota: Turkey flock tests positive for H5 low pathogenic avian influenza in Kandiyohi County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire said at a press conference in Abuja that at least, 30 children are lost to malaria daily in Nigeria, even though data points to the fact that malaria prevalence is on the decline. He notes that the situation calls for urgent action from local and international stakeholders to […]The post Nigeria: ’30 children are lost to malaria daily’, Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire says appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 For the week ending November 20, Costa Rica health officials reported 1,362 cases of COVID-19, while the week prior, which spanned November 7 to 13, accounted for 1,723 cases. This represents a 20.9% decrease from week to week, with an average of 194 daily cases. Regarding deaths from the week of November 14 […]The post Costa Rica reports continued decline in COVID-19 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 San Diego County health officials reported three new shigella cases associated with an ongoing outbreak, bringing the total to 38 confirmed and three probable cases among people experiencing homelessness. The 41 cases in this outbreak represent 11% of the 349 total cases reported to date in San Diego County. In an effort to […]The post San Diego reports more Shigella, ‘Sidewalk reset’ launched appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Chief Ramona Sutherland of the Constance Lake First Nation near Timmins, Ontario announced Sunday an outbreak of the fungal infection, blastomycosis. Sutherland said four people from Constance Lake First Nation are confirmed to have blastomycosis, including 3 deaths. The death of one dog was also reported. What is Blastomyces dermatitidis? Blastomyces dermatitidis is a fungus […]The post Canada: Blastomycosis outbreak reported among Constance Lake First Nation appeared first on Outbreak News Today.