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.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Livtencity (maribavir) as the first drug for treating adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older and weighing at least 35 kilograms) with post-transplant cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection/disease that does not respond (with or without genetic mutations that cause resistance) to available antiviral treatment for CMV. Livtencity […]The post CMV: FDA approves Livtencity for treating post-transplant infections appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Seqirus today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted supplemental approval of a multi-dose vial (MDV) presentation of AUDENZ™ (Influenza A(H5N1) Monovalent Vaccine, Adjuvanted), the first-ever adjuvanted, cell-based influenza vaccine designed to help protect individuals six months of age and older against influenza A(H5N1) in the event of a pandemic. The […]The post FDA Approves First-Ever Adjuvanted, Cell-Based Vaccine for Influenza Pandemic Response in Multi-Dose Vial Presentation appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 There has been an increase in human cases of A(H5N6) infections this year, with a bulk of them reported in the second half of the year. This and spread in birds in China and some neighboring countries has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to publish a risk assessment last Friday. There have […]The post H5N6 avian influenza: WHO urges countries to remain vigilant appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 A Legionella outbreak reported in the town of Schijndel, Brabant province in the southern Netherlands has resulted in more than ten illnesses, many requiring hospitalization, and one fatality. According to reports, the age of all detected infected persons is between 60 and 90 years. The Regional Public Health Services (GGD) says the source […]The post Netherlands: Legionella outbreak reported in North Brabant, One dead appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Health officials in Delhi, India recorded some 5,600 dengue fever cases in November, bringing the tally to 7,128 year to date, the most in the national capital in a year since 2015. Nearly 1,850 new cases have been logged in the past week alone. The disease has killed nine people in the city […]The post India: Delhi dengue cases top 7,000 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In the Volgograd region, the Mantoux test helped identify a rare disease in a 13-year-old adolescent. At school, a Volgograd student underwent a tuberculin test, as a result of which the child was sent for consultation to a pediatrician. With the help of X-ray and computed tomography, the boy was diagnosed with a lung cyst, which […]The post Russia: Rare echinococcosis case reported in the Volgograd region appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Researchers have made important progress towards a new diagnostic test for schistosomiasis, which could help the World Health Organization (WHO) achieve its goal of interrupting transmission of the disease, and eventually eliminating it. Schistosomiasis, spread by parasitic blood flukes, is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas. “This is a disease of poverty,” said […]The post Schistosomiasis: Researchers make progress towards new diagnostic test appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Yale University researchers have developed a novel vaccine that in guinea pigs offers protection against infection by the bacterium that causes Lyme disease and may also combat other tick-borne diseases, they report Nov. 17 in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Instead of triggering an immune response against a particular pathogen, the new vaccine prompts […]The post mRNA Lyme vaccine shows promise appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a recent article published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, the authors report the unusual case of a girl diagnosed with Neisseria gonorrhoeae after bathing in a heavily frequented hot pool at the edge of the crater lake Specchio di Venere (“Mirror of Venus”) on Pantelleria Island, Italy. Joining me today to discuss […]The post Gonorrhea: An unusual, accidental and non-sexual case with Prof. Felicity Goodyear-Smith appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The City of Philadelphia announced Friday that all union-represented City of Philadelphia employees and City contractors must complete their COVID-19 vaccine series by January 14, 2022. All full-time City employees who have completed their full schedule of COVID-19 vaccination and provided proof of their vaccination status by December 24, 2021, will receive a […]The post Philadelphia to require COVID-19 vaccination for city employees appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The number of scabies cases on the island of Mallorca have skyrocketed in 2021 to date with some 9,000 cases recorded to date. This is nearly double the number reported in 2020. In most cases, residences for the elderly, marginal settlements and shelters are the most affected. Faced with this situation, the dermatologists […]The post Mallorca Island reports 9,000 scabies cases, Nearly double last year appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Philippines health experts are warning the public about the threat of leptospirosis as flooding happens due to heavy rains due to La Niña weather patterns. Dr. Ma. Theresa Bad-ang, nephrologist and head of Southern Philippines Medical Center-Human Advocate and Retrieval Effort (SPMC-SHARE), urged the public not to wade through floodwaters to avoid the […]The post Philippines: Experts warn of leptospirosis threat with heavy La Niña rains appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Punjab province health authorities reported an additional 279 dengue fever cases, including six fatalities in the past day, which includes 217 cases and five deaths from the city of Lahore alone. The other death was reported in Shekhupura. This brings the province totals to 23,576 cases and 118 deaths this season. Subscribe to […]The post Pakistan: Punjab dengue death toll now 118 as 6 more deaths are recorded appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Swedish Public Health Agency reported Thursday that the national Salmonella Coeln is now considered over. From the end of August to October, 52 people from 14 regions with the same strain of the bacterium fell ill. The cases were aged 0-85 years (median 35 years) and about as many were women (n […]The post Sweden: Salmonella Coeln outbreak declared over, Likely linked to sprouts appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Health authorities in the Philippines reported 1,474 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the cumulative total to 2,824,499 since the start of the pandemic. Another 205 deaths were also recorded, with the country’s casualties at 46,903 or 1.66 percent of all recorded cases. Philippines task force places 46 new countries on ‘green’ travel list […]The post Philippines COVID-19 update: Case count, Delta variant and vaccines appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Agriculture officials have confirmed that test results have identified evidence of Avian influenza H5N1 in samples from a turkey flock in County Monaghan. As a result, restriction zones are being set up around the area where additional movement control and surveillance measures will be put in place. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 […]The post Ireland: H5N1 avian influenza confirmed in Monaghan turkey flock appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews According to the executive minister of health, Jens Spahn, the current infection situation represents a “national emergency” that requires a “joint national effort”. The measures that have now been decided must be consistently implemented and consistently monitored, demanded Spahn before the federal press conference. These include significant contact restrictions such as a lockdown […]The post Germany: Current COVID-19 situation a ‘national emergency’, New cases up 60% in past 2 weeks appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews On Friday morning, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUA) for both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines authorizing use of a single booster dose for all individuals 18 years of age and older after completion of primary vaccination with any FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. “The FDA […]The post CDC Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shots to All Adults appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews An outbreak of bird flu was recorded in the Blagovarsky district of Bashkiria. There was a massive death of geese and ducks. The likely cause of the virus is a synanthropic bird – sparrows, pigeons and crows, the regional veterinary department’s press service said on Friday. This is the second outbreak of avian influenza in […]The post Bird flu outbreak reported in Bashkiria, Russia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Two cases of foodborne botulism were reported in Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southeastern Ukraine. On November 17, it was reported that botulism was found in two residents of the city. An outbreak of the disease occurred among members of the same family. Homemade dried fish (roach, bream) could be a source of botulism. The state […]The post Ukraine: Two botulism cases reported in Zaporizhzhia Oblast appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Using the same approach they recently used to create effective vaccine candidates against COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), scientists are tackling another virus: the tick-borne Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). It causes death in up to 40% of cases, and the World Health Organization identified the disease as one of its top priorities for research and […]The post Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever research is latest use of new strategy against diseases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) this week, researchers working in Uganda found COVID-19 patients with high rates of exposure to malaria were less likely to suffer severe disease or death than patients with low exposures. “We went into this project thinking we would see a higher rate of negative outcomes in people with […]The post High Exposure to Malaria Linked to Lower Risks from COVID-19: Research appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Two spotted hyenas at the Denver Zoo have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL). These are the first hyenas confirmed with the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Samples from a variety of species at the zoo, including the […]The post Colorado: Hyenas test positive for SARS-CoV-2, 1st such cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a face mask advisory today due to increases in COVID-19 and flu cases. The advisory recommends everyone over the age of 2 should wear a face mask at indoor gatherings regardless of their vaccination status. In addition, establishments should implement a policy to […]The post Michigan: Face mask advisory issued for the holidays appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Norovirus is likely among the reasons behind increased reports of recent illnesses in Wyoming, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH). People who are sick with norovirus may experience nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, fatigue and dehydration. Other viruses and illnesses caused by bacteria contamination such as from E. coli can cause similar […]The post Wyoming: Norovirus behind increase in recent illnesses, Increased reports of E.coli across the state appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Health officials in Spain are reporting a legionellosis outbreak in the municipalities of Montmeló and Montornès del Vallès in the Vallès Oriental region. To date, 26 cases have been detected. The cases have started symptoms between November 5 and 15. And, of the 26 cases, 10 did not require hospital admission, 2 cases required admission but have already […]The post Spain: Legionellosis outbreak reported in Montmeló and Montornès del Vallès appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 On Friday morning, Austrian Federal Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein announced a full national COVID-19 lockdown starting on Monday. This comes just days after the country went into a lockdown for the unvaccinated. Austria currently is reporting an incidence rate of 990.7 cases per 100,000 people in the past week. […]The post Austria goes into full lockdown: It was not a popular decision, ‘but a necessary one’; Upcoming vaccine mandate appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on reports of several vials labeled “smallpox” found at a Pennsylvania vaccine facility, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports lab testing on the vials reveals they contain vaccinia, the virus used in smallpox vaccine. CDC notes there is no evidence that the vials contain variola virus, the cause […]The post ‘Smallpox’ labeled vials actually contain vaccinia: CDC appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Health officials with the La Pampa Health Ministry are reporting a suspected cutaneous anthrax case in a rural area in the south of the province. The patient is currently under treatment. The Provincial Zoonosis Board warned that anthrax is “a serious zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from sick animals to people and […]The post Argentina: Suspected case of cutaneous anthrax reported in La Pampa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Researchers at the University of California, Davis and Colorado State University presented evidence at the ASTMH Annual Meeting that adding ivermectin to backyard bird feeders has a potential to reduce local transmission of West Nile Virus (WNV) in the U.S. WNV is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. But birds serve as key amplifiers […]The post Fighting West Nile Virus by adding ivermectin to backyard bird feeders appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews New data indicate that mass treatment with ivermectin—a drug that was a workhorse of tropical medicine long before it emerged as a controversial COVID-19 treatment—has eliminated river blindness transmission in two states in Nigeria, the first Nigerian states to achieve this distinction in a country that has the world’s highest burden of the […]The post Ivermectin credited with eliminating river blindness in Plateau and Nasarawa states in Nigeria appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Russia on Thursday confirmed 37,374 Covid-19 infections and a new record of 1,251 deaths Russia has confirmed 9,219,912 cases of coronavirus and 260,335 deaths, according to the national coronavirus information center. Russia’s total excess fatality count since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is at least 723,000. Read more at Moscow Times Germany RKI Reports A Record 65K COVID Cases Yesterday Yesterday, 65,371 […]The post Europe Newswire: COVID-19 rising appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In a follow-up on the multistate outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg infections linked to onions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 84 additional illnesses bringing the outbreak total to 892. Cases have been reported from 38 states and Puerto Rico. 183 people were hospitalized for their illness. Epidemiologic and traceback data show that […]The post Salmonella outbreak linked to onions grows by 84 cases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating with the Maryland Department of Health and other health partners to investigate a case of monkeypox in a traveler who returned to the United States from Nigeria. Late yesterday, CDC laboratory scientists confirmed the patient had monkeypox and that the infection […]The post Imported Monkeypox case Reported in Maryland: CDC statement appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 November is C. diff awareness month and the Peggy Lillis Foundation is out there leading the charge building awareness by educating the public, empowering advocates, and shaping policy. Joining me today to talk about Clostridioides difficile, C. diff awareness month and the work of the Peggy Lillis Foundation is Daniel Freedberg, MD. Dr […]The post C. diff awareness appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Summit County Public Health has identified a cluster of varicella cases. Varicella, or more commonly, “chickenpox”, is a very contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) that is spread from person-to-person by coughing and sneezing, or by touching the fluid from a varicella lesion. Ten cases have been reported to public health […]The post Chickenpox cluster reported in Summit County, Colorado appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 A steady increase in the number of influenza cases from week 34 (week starting 23 August 2021) with a sharp increase in week 44 (week starting 1 November 2021) has been reported from the influenza-like illness (ILI) and pneumonia (hospitalized cases) surveillance sentinel sites. In addition, private laboratories have reported an increase in […]The post South Africa reports increase in influenza appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Maryland state health officials reported Tuesday a single confirmed case of monkeypox virus infection in a Maryland resident who recently returned from Nigeria. The individual presented with mild symptoms, is currently recovering in isolation and is not hospitalized. No special precautions are recommended at this time for the general public. “Public health authorities […]The post Maryland reports travel-associated monkeypox case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Interim governor, Afani Idrissa Mangala confirmed Friday there is a measles outbreak in Kunda health zone in Kasongo territory in southern Maniema. Mangala reports, “the Kunda health zone in Kasongo territory has already reported 458 cases and 17 deaths from measles.” Idrissa Mangala stresses that a sample had been sent to the National […]The post Measles outbreak in Kasongo territory in southern Maniema, DRC appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 A cholera outbreak is ongoing in Agouégan village, Agouégan health area (HA) located in the Lacs district in Togo, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The index case was notified on 5 November 2021 by the health unit of Agouégan. This was a 15-year-old boy admitted for diarrhea and signs of severe […]The post Cholera outbreak reported in Lacs district, Togo appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers provides evidence that CD4+ T lymphocytes — immune system cells also known as helper T cells — produced by people who received either of the two available messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for COVID-19 persist six months after vaccination at only slightly reduced levels from two weeks after […]The post COVID-19: Immune cells stay high in number six months after vaccination appeared first on Outbreak News Today.