Outbreak News Today

In a follow-up on the first H3N2v influenza case in the US this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) offered up some additional information in a Disease Outbreak News release Friday. On 13 January, 2021, a child under 18 years of age in Wisconsin developed respiratory disease. A respiratory specimen was collected on 14 January. […]The post WHO release on 1st Influenza A (H3N2) variant virus in the US appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Global and local health authorities are reporting a dengue fever outbreak in the Somali Region of eastern Ethiopia. Close to 160 confirmed cases have been recorded in Warder Woreda of Dolo Zone and 47 suspected cases in Dolo Ado Woreda of Liban Zone. The suspected cases are awaiting confirmation. The World Health Organization […]The post Ethiopia: Dengue outbreak in Somali Region appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

COVID-19 patients who suffer a cardiac arrest either in or out of hospital are far more likely to die than patients who are not infected with the coronavirus. In particular, women have the highest risk of dying: they are nine times more likely to die after suffering a cardiac arrest in hospital, according to research […]The post COVID-19 patients who suffer cardiac arrest have a higher risk of dying, particularly women appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel alert this week due to polio outbreaks in several countries in Asia. Polio outbreaks have been reported in the following Asian countries: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), China, Malaysia, Pakistan, The Philippines, Tajikistan and Yemen. CDC recommends that all travelers to the countries listed […]The post CDC travel alert: Polio in Asia appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports measles has resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) provinces of North and South Ubangui with cases rising to 4,500 since the outbreak mid-December 2020, affecting mostly children under five years. Many of the cases are complicated and associated with malnutrition. Humanitarian partners […]The post Measles resurfaces in northern DRC appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews In Liberia, the Minister of Health, Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, has issued a statement declaring polio outbreak within the country as a ‘National Public Health Emergency.’ The bold move by the Minister followed after a detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus-2 (cVDPV2) by the National Surveillance System, which has spread throughout the Country from two […]The post Liberia: Polio outbreak declared as National Public Health Emergency appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported today that monkeypox has resurfaced in the Central African Republic (CAR). Two confirmed and six suspected cases of monkeypox were detected in the Kembé Satema health district, after the epidemic was declared over on 27 December 2020. It’s not just COVID-19: Outbreaks of […]The post Monkeypox returns to the Central African Republic appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have discovered that children who receive a seasonal flu shot are less likely to suffer symptoms from a COVID-19 infection. The finding comes from a review of more than 900 children diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020. “It is known that the growth of one virus can […]The post Seasonal flu shot reduces COVID-19 symptoms in children: Study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A team from the Leishmaniasis and Chagas Disease Unit , at the ISCIII National Center for Microbiology, has just published in the journal Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases an investigation carried out in a mouse model in which the effect of immunosuppressive drugs on the immune response in cases of visceral leishmaniasis. The results indicate that mice affected by this disease […]The post Research in mice achieves new data on the influence of immunosuppressive drugs on visceral leishmaniasis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Swedish government on Wednesday decided that foreign nationals will have to present a negative test result for ongoing COVID-19 infection upon entry into Sweden, regardless of where they are arriving from. The aim is to reduce the risk of spreading the new variants of the COVID-19 virus that have been detected in a number […]The post Negative COVID-19 test required for entry into Sweden appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A phase 1 clinical trial testing a novel vaccine approach to prevent HIV has produced promising results, IAVI and Scripps Research announced today. The vaccine showed success in stimulating production of rare immune cells needed to start the process of generating antibodies against the fast-mutating virus; the targeted response was detected in 97 percent of participants who received the […]The post Novel HIV vaccine phase 1 clinical trial testing produces promising results appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Cook Islands, a country of 15 islands in the Pacific, is experiencing an outbreak of dengue fever. According to the Cook Islands government, eight cases of dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) were confirmed this week. Last week 16 samples were sent to New Zealand LabPlus for verification. So far, 9 of these […]The post Dengue outbreak declared in Cook Islands appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Among the many avenues that viruses can use to infect humans, drinking water may pose only a tiny risk for spreading certain viruses like the novel coronavirus. However, in cases where there is unauthorized wastewater disposal or other events of inadvertent mixing of wastewater with water sources, the possibility of transmission through drinking water remains […]The post Texas A&M researchers show water treatment removes enveloped viruses appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with federal and state health agencies, are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. As of February 1, 2021, a total of 16 people infected with the outbreak strain have been reported from 5 states (Arkansas-6, Oklahoma-5, Virginia-2, Washington-2 and New York-1). Three people […]The post E. coli outbreak sickens 16 on 5 states, One death in Washington appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In this Outbreak NewsBites podcast, I look briefly at new research from the University of South Florida (USF) on Zika virus vertical transmission. See the paper here: Zika Virus–Infected Decidual Cells Elicit a Gestational Age–Dependent Innate Immune Response and Exaggerate Trophoblast Zika Permissiveness: Implication for Vertical Transmission Outbreak News Interviews Podcasts you may like: Guinea worm […]The post Zika virus vertical transmission research appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Rio de Janeiro has not seen so few dengue fever cases for the beginning of the year since 2000, when records were kept, according to data from the Municipal Health Department. In January 2021, only 15 dengue cases were reported with no deaths. 2005 was the previous low in a January when 67 cases were […]The post Rio de Janeiro reports least amount of dengue cases in a January in 20 years appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Vaxart, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing oral vaccines administered by tablet, today announced preliminary data from its Phase 1 study of VXA-CoV2-1 showing that its oral COVID-19 tablet vaccine candidate was generally well-tolerated, and immunogenic as measured by multiple markers of immune response to SARS-CoV-2 antigens. “Our Phase I results highlight the importance of […]The post Promising results from FIRST COVID-19 pill vaccine tested in humans appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

An experimental single-dose, intranasal influenza vaccine was safe and produced a durable immune response when tested in a Phase 1 study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The investigational vaccine, called Ad4-H5-VTN, is a recombinant, replicating adenovirus vaccine designed to spur antibodies to hemagglutinin, a protein found on the surface of influenza viruses that attaches […]The post Influenza: Investigational intranasal vaccine deemed safe and elicits strong immune response: Phase 1 study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In 2020, Brazil health officials reported 8,448 confirmed measles cases, including 10 deaths. Pará State saw the most cases with 5,385 confirmed cases, followed by Rio de Janeiro State with 1,348 and São Paulo State with 867. Between the summer of 2019 and the end of 2020, the main genotype identified in the […]The post Brazil reports more than 8000 confirmed measles cases in 2020 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Rio Branco is the capital of Acre state in western Brazil, and since the beginning of the year, 1,494 reported cases of dengue were registered through Jan 21. This represents an increase of 481 percent over the same period in 2020, when 257 suspected cases were registered. This huge increase in cases prompted […]The post Brazil: Mayor of Rio Branco issues emergency declaration over dengue fever appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In 2020, there were 80 confirmed cases of diphtheria reported in the Western Hemisphere and the Caribbean island country of Haiti accounted for more than 80 percent of the total (66). In addition, 16 deaths were reported out of the confirmed cases for a 24 percent case-fatality rate. Among the 66 confirmed cases, […]The post Haiti reports 66 confirmed diphtheria cases in 2020, Most in Western Hemisphere appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Ministry of Public Health (MSP) reports (computer translated) that two new cases were registered in Pichincha with the new variant (B1.1.7) of the COVID-19 virus, which was reported by the United Kingdom to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 14, 2020. These cases respond to a 64-year-old man and a 12-year-old […]The post Ecuador reports new cases of the UK COVID-19 variant appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the first case of Hantavirus syndrome (hemorrhagic fever) of 2021. The case was a male in his 50s who lives in the south. He has no recent travel history and his main activity area is around his home where rodents have been infested. The case […]The post Taiwan reports 1st hantavirus case of the year appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Iowa state health officials report confirming three cases of the COVID-19 variant, SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7. Two of the three B.1.1.7 cases were detected in Johnson County, an adult (18 to 40) and a middle aged adult (41 to 60) and an adult individual in Bremer County. The virus variant is often referred to as […]The post Iowa confirms three cases of the UK COVID-19 variant appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on human rabies cases in South Africa, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reports the death of a 10-year-old child in the township of Umbumbulu near Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province. NICD reports the boy was bitten by a dog in November 2020. The child was not taken […]The post South Africa reports another human rabies death appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 lineage has been recently been shown to predominate in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa, all of which experienced major outbreaks of COVID-19. This variant of concern harbors mutations associated with increased transmissibility and neutralizing antibody resistance. In a report published on Jan. 28, the National Institute for […]The post SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 lineage may be predominant throughout South Africa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) announced last week that an Anchorage resident who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection last month was infected with a variant strain of the virus known as B.1.1.7, which was originally detected in September in the United Kingdom. The person who tested positive in Anchorage […]The post Alaska reports 1st UK COVID-19 variant case in Anchorage resident appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has been granted a conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) in the European Union (EU) for active immunisation to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2, in individuals 18 years of age and older. Following review of the application, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency based its positive […]The post Europe authorizes AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, 3rd vaccine to be approved appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The new Brazilian variant of COVID-19 is already present in 91 percent of COVID-19 cases analyzed in the state of Amazonas, which is experiencing a dramatic health collapse, according to a study released Friday. The research, carried out by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), a leading medical research center in Latin America, reveals […]The post Brazil: COVID-19 variant present in 91 percent of cases in Amazonas state appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Following the report out of South Carolina two days ago concerning the first two cases in the US associated with the SARS-CoV-2 variant that first emerged recently in South Africa, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced today a confirmed case of COVID-19 caused by the new B.1.351 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a […]The post Maryland reports South African COVID-19 variant in Baltimore area appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting one laboratory-confirmed case of the mumps affecting one off-campus Western Illinois University student in Macomb. Health officials are working with WIU’s Beu Health Center and the McDonough County Health Department to investigate and contain the case. According to a mumps fact sheet from the […]The post Western Illinois University reports confirmed mumps case in Macomb appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Thursday issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, three weeks after its application. “It is decided that all conditions for an EUA are present and that the benefit of using the vaccine outweighs the known potential risks. The interim data from the ongoing Phase […]The post Philippines FDA grants EUA to AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported one human infection with a novel influenza A virus in Wisconsin. This person was infected with an influenza A(H3N2) variant (A(H3N2)v) virus. The patient is a child < 18 years of age, was not hospitalized, and has completely recovered from their illness. Investigation into […]The post Wisconsin reports 1st H3N2v influenza case in the US in 2021 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the “superbug” NDM-1 outbreak reported in Tuscany, the Regional Health Agency (ARS Toscana) reports the outbreak of New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales that started in the north-western area of ​​Tuscany, Italy, continues into 2021. The outbreak is mainly due to Klebsiella pneumoniae ST147 carrying the blaNDM-1 gene. In 2020, NDM-9-producing K. […]The post NDM-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales outbreak in Italy appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Carter Center announced this week that the number of Guinea worm disease cases dropped by 50% in 2020 compared to 2019. This includes a dramatic decrease in cases in the country of Chad. What’s more, this happened despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is all great news and the parasitic disease seems […]The post Guinea worm disease 2020 with the Carter Center’s Adam Weiss appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 An outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough) has been declared in the Dehcho region of the Northwest Territories (NWT) by the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer. There are seven confirmed cases in total in Jean Marie River and Fort Simpson. Residents in Jean Marie River and Fort Simpson should confirm their Pertussis […]The post Pertussis outbreak reported in Northwest Territories, Canada appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

A cross-institutional research group has revealed for the first time in the world that infants with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection who were treated with a combination of immunoglobulin fetal therapy and neonatal therapy with antiviral drugs were less likely to experience the severe aftereffects associated with the infection than those who only received the […]The post CMV: Fetal and neonatal therapies improve prognosis of congenital infection appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

For Michigan State University’s Felicia Wu, the surprise isn’t that people who work with livestock are at higher risk of picking up antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but instead how much higher their risk levels are. “This is a bit of a wakeup call,” said Wu, John. A Hannah Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Food Science and Human […]The post MRSA: High risk in livestock workers, ‘This is a bit of a wakeup call’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

African trypanosomiasis (also known as sleeping sickness) is a disease transmitted by tsetse flies and is fatal to humans and other animals; however, there is currently no vaccine, this disease is mainly controlled by reducing insect populations and patient treatment. A study published in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Alvaro Acosta-Serrano at Liverpool School of […]The post African sleeping sickness: Orphan drug, nitisinone, may help control transmission appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews South Carolina health officials announced today the detection of two cases associated with the SARS-CoV-2 variant that first emerged recently in South Africa. These are the first two cases of this variant in the United States. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) was notified late yesterday by the Centers […]The post South Carolina reports 1st South Africa COVID-19 Variant cases in the US appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

As the country tries to open up during this pandemic, a variety of methods are being employed to keep people safe. Dogs are slated to be used at Miami Heat games to screen people for COVID, similar to how dogs have been used to smell out explosives or drugs. How effective is this method and […]The post COVID-19 sniffing dogs with Dr. Brittany Busse appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In this podcast, I briefly go over 20 mosquito-borne diseases. In this not all inclusive list, I discuss a range of diseases to include malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever and more of the most common diseases, but also emerging pathogens that are transmitted by the mosquito vector like Mayaro and Madariaga viruses. Aedes aegypti […]The post 20 Mosquito-borne diseases appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Today, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) issued a public health advisory due to Lassa fever. Lassa fever remains a major public health challenge in West Africa with Nigeria bearing the highest burden. Lassa fever occurs throughout the year but more cases are recorded during the dry season i.e. November through May. […]The post Nigeria issues Lassa fever Public Health Advisory appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Scientists have discovered how bacteria commonly responsible for seafood-related stomach upsets can go dormant and then “wake up”. Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a marine bacterium that can cause gastroenteritis in humans when eaten in raw or undercooked shellfish such as oysters and mussels. Some of these bacteria are able to turn dormant in poor growth conditions […]The post Vibrio parahaemolyticus: University of Exeter researchers discover how it can go dormant and then ‘wake up’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Norway’s National Institute of Public Health said in the second update of the risk assessment on variants of the coronavirus that they are likely to become a threat to our ability to control the epidemic in the coming months. New variants of the coronavirus are constantly emerging. The varieties that have the greatest dispersal […]The post Norway risk assessment: COVID-19 variants likely to become a threat to our ability to control the epidemic in the coming months appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews GSK, PATH, and Bharat Biotech (BBIL) Wednesday announced the signing of a product transfer agreement for the malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01E. The agreement includes the transfer of manufacturing of the RTS,S antigen part of the vaccine and the grant of a license on all rights pertaining to the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine to BBIL. GSK […]The post Malaria vaccine: GSK announces a product transfer agreement with Bharat Biotech appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews Larvae of a new malaria mosquito species are abundantly present in water containers in cities in Ethiopia. The mosquito, Anopheles stephensi, is the main malaria mosquito in India but only appeared on the African continent a few years ago. It has now been found in cities and towns in urban settings in Ethiopia, […]The post India malaria mosquito, Anopheles stephensi, now widespread in the Horn of Africa appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Birds play an underrecognized role in spreading tick-borne disease due to their capacity for long-distance travel and tendency to split their time in different parts of the world – patterns that are shifting due to climate change. Knowing which bird species are able to infect ticks with pathogens can help scientists predict where tick-borne diseases […]The post New study identifies bird species that could spread ticks and Lyme disease appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Health officials with the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) have issued a health alert this week over an increase in Ross River fever cases in the southern Riverina in New South Wales. According to MLHD, there have been 18 cases notified from 1 – 22 January. There were less than five notified cases […]The post Ross River fever cases up in area of NSW appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Prince George’s County Health Department issued a rabies alert after concerns that animals or people may have been exposed to a rabid raccoon in Fairmount Heights. According to health officials, on or around January 17, 2021, two stray dogs (a black and white male Pitbull and a brown female Pitbull) may have been exposed […]The post Rabies alert issued for Fairmount Heights, Maryland appeared first on Outbreak News Today.