Outbreak News Today

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned last month that millions of children are at a heightened risk of polio and measles across the globe due to disruptions of the immunization services worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UN agencies say immunization rates in some countries have fallen […]The post Immunization rates dropping dramatically, Much due to the COVID-19 pandemic appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) situation in South Carolina, Clemson Livestock Poultry Health has reported an additional EEE case in a Aiken County horse. The eight-year-old mare did not survive. This is the state’s 16th EEE case and Aiken County’s third case of 2020. EEE is a mosquito-borne illness […]The post South Carolina reports 16th EEE case in a horse, 3rd in Aiken County appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 UN health officials in the Americas, or the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have reported 2,163,354 total dengue cases (45% lab confirmed) in the Western Hemisphere through November 21, including 872 total dengue related deaths. This puts the case fatality rate at 0.04%, the lowest recorded in the last 10 years. Brazil continues […]The post Dengue fever in the Americas: Lowest case fatality rate in 10 years appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Philippines Department of Health (DOH) reported an additional 1,768 new confirmed COVID-19 cases today, bringing the country total to 439,834. Quezon City recorded the most new cases with 112 infections, followed by Laguna with 94, Rizal with 90, Davao City with 71, and Benguet with 69. DOH also reports 408,634 of the […]The post Philippines COVID-19: 1,768 new confirmed cases, Police to enforce social distancing with rattan sticks in Manila appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 While multiple research studies show that Black and Hispanic patients are more likely to test positive for COVID-19, a team of investigators at NYU Langone Health has found that once hospitalized, Black patients (after controlling for other serious health conditions and neighborhood income) were less likely to have severe illness, die, or be […]The post NYU Langone study: Once hospitalized, black patients with COVID-19 have lower risk of death than white appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Uganda Ministry of Health is reporting a 42 percent increase in malaria cases in the past year (2019/2020), according to a report in the Daily Monitor. Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu said malaria cases went from 10,483,412 cases in 2018/19 to 14,904,773 in 2019/20 , linking the surge to heavy rains during the […]The post Uganda reports rise in malaria, Blamed on heavy rains appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Officials in the Kenge health zone, Kwango province in southwest Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are reporting 227 suspected Chikungunya cases in recent weeks. Health zone chief doctor, Dr Léon Makambu said, “We are suspecting Chikungunya, that’s our presumptive diagnosis. Since the 45th epidemiological week, that has already made 227 cases. “We are […]The post DRC: More than 200 suspect Chikungunya cases reported in Kwango province appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Swedish Public Health Agency Friday specified the recommendations on which groups should be offered vaccines against COVID-19 first. Initially, when the first vaccine doses arrive in Sweden, they first and foremost need to go to people who have the greatest need for protection. The Swedish Public Health Agency therefore recommends in the […]The post Sweden outlines COVID-19 vaccine prioritization appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 A yellow fever outbreak has been reported in five states in Nigeria (Bauchi, Benue, Delta, Ebonyi, and Enugu) prompting the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to say if you’re traveling to Nigeria, take steps to prevent yellow fever by getting vaccinated at least 10 days before travel and taking steps […]The post Traveling to Nigeria? CDC says get your yellow fever vaccine appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In a follow-up on the SARS-CoV-2 Mink-associated Variant Strain in Denmark, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a second Disease Outbreak News: Since June 2020, Danish authorities have reported an extensive spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, on mink farms in Denmark. On 5 November, the Danish public health authorities reported the detection of a […]The post WHO update: Denmark SARS-CoV-2 mink-associated variant strain appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Two people from Tatarstan, Russia tested positive for malaria after returning from Zanzibar, Tanzania, according to Russian media. The Department for Rospotrebnadzor in the Republic of Tatarstan said one person died. “The holidaymakers went on a safari, it was pouring heavily and because of this, they could not return to the hotel. The […]The post Russia reports two travel-associated malaria cases post-Zanzibar safari trip, One death appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Ireland Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is warning the public and poultry owners of avian influenza after at least three cases have been reported in wild birds in November. The first case from early November was a confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus A subtype H5N8 in a wild bird (Peregrine […]The post Ireland officials warn public and poultry owners of avian influenza appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in northern Portugal region of Greater Porto, officials report from October 29 through November 29, 88 registered cases, including 10 deaths. The outbreak, which has affected the cities of Matosinhos, Vila do Conde and Póvoa de Varzim, has decreased after the cooling towers of an […]The post Portugal Legionnaires’ disease update: Additional cases/death recorded appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On Thursday, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield thanked the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for all of their work in crafting the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations as interim guidance that both 1) health care personnel and 2) residents of long-term care facilities be offered COVID-19 vaccine in the initial phase of the vaccination program. Dr. […]The post CDC: Dr. Robert Redfield accepts ACIP COVID-19 vaccine recommendations appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Several foodborne botulism cases reported in Colorado since September 2020 has prompted a health warning from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Testing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed four of the cases, one is still under investigation and test results are pending. All five cases occurred along […]The post Colorado: Botulism cases prompt health warning on food safety appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Background: The People’s Republic of China (P. R. China) has made significant progress on schistosomiasis control. Among the 12 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) with schistosomiasis endemic in P. R. China, Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian, Guangxi and Zhejiang PLADs (following as five PLADs) had successively eliminated schistosomiasis during 1985–1995. However, consolidation of the schistosomiasis elimination in these […]The post Surveillance on schistosomiasis in five provincial-level administrative divisions of the People’s Republic of China in the post-elimination era appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Officials in Tocantins state in central Brazil say their has been 1,582 confirmed dengue fever cases in 2020 to date, an 87 percent decrease from 2019. Last year, 12,051 cases of dengue were reported. In addition to dengue, two other diseases carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito also saw decreases–167 Zika cases and […]The post Brazil: Tocantins records a 87% drop in dengue in 2020 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 “Super-spreader” events and extensive person-to-person contact propelled an outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in a small village in Argentina from 2018-2019, according to research published today in The New England Journal of Medicine. In the paper, an international scientific team reports the genetic, clinical, and epidemiologic features of the outbreak caused by the Andes […]The post Argentina hantavirus outbreak linked to ‘super-spreader’ events: Researchers appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Virologists at the Rega Institute at KU Leuven (Belgium) have developed a vaccine candidate against Covid-19 based on the yellow fever vaccine, which as a result also works against yellow fever. Results published today in Nature show that the vaccine protects hamsters from infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus after a single dose. The vaccine is also effective […]The post Vaccine candidate protects against COVID-19 and yellow fever appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Malaysian health authorities reported two additional human rabies cases in Sarawak province. The first case, the seventh of the year, was a 3-year-old boy with a history of being bitten by a dog on the face on November 2, 2020. He was immediately admitted to Bau Hospital to receive rabies immunoglobulin injection (RIG) […]The post Malaysia health officials report two additional human rabies cases in Sarawak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Specialty vaccine company, Valneva SE, announced yesterday its plans to accelerate pediatric development of its Lyme vaccine candidate, VLA15, in collaboration with Pfizer Inc., with the planned initiation of study VLA15-221 in the first quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approval. VLA15-221 is planned as a randomized, observer-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study. Currently, […]The post Valneva announces plans to accelerate pediatric development of its Lyme vaccine candidate appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 New insight on how a parasite can resist current therapies has been published in the open-access eLife journal. The study in cultures of human cells infected with Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), the parasite that causes Chagas disease, suggests that its metabolic state influences the effectiveness of azole drugs that inhibit its growth. These findings could be […]The post Trypanosoma cruzi: Study suggests metabolism influences drug resistance appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The U.S. is in the grips of a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic and the numbers are rising at a rapid pace. A vaccine is what public health officials are banking on to get us out of it. With that, viral mutations are a concern. My guest today is screening wastewater for the presence […]The post Screening wastewater for the presence of COVID-19 with Edwin Oh, PhD appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

President-elect Joe Biden recently announced a new 13 member COVID-19 advisory board to guide his administration during the transition period. One of the members is Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) Director Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH. Dr Osterholm has been a guest on this show numerous times over recent years. He joined me […]The post Michael Osterholm, PhD on lockdowns, masks and COVID-19 testing appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak in Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada reports 21 additional cases, bringing the outbreak total to 32 Salmonella illnesses reported across six provinces. Confirmed cases of Salmonella Typhimurium illness have been reported in the following provinces: British Columbia (3), Alberta (6), Saskatchewan (1), Ontario (4), Quebec […]The post Canada: Salmonella outbreak linked to hedgehogs rises appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 From early September through November 23 this year, there have been a total of 450 cases of febrile jaundice detected in Barsalogho health district, North Central Region of Burkina Faso, according to UN officials. Hepatitis E has been confirmed in ten cases to date. The outbreak has mainly affected internally displaced persons in […]The post Hepatitis E outbreak in Burkina Faso: 15 deaths in pregnant/postpartum women appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Through the first nearly 10 months of 2020, health officials have reported 6,231 suspected and confirmed monkeypox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Cases have been reported in 127 health zones from 17 out of 26 provinces in the country. This is a large increase in cases compared to the […]The post Monkeypox deaths top 200 in DR Congo appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE announced today that the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the U.K. has granted a temporary authorization for emergency use for their COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2), against COVID-19. This constitutes the first Emergency Use Authorization following a worldwide Phase 3 trial of a vaccine to […]The post UK authorizes Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, 1st EUA following Phase 3 trial appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

In this news podcast, I look at the success and progress of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and their situation concerning receiving and Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met to determine recommendations on the distribution of the vaccines, I take a look […]The post COVID-19 vaccines update: Outbreak News This Week, Episode 3 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Philippines has one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in the world and country public health officials say that the 21 new HIV cases diagnosed every day means that the country is facing a public health threat which needs the continuing cooperation and collaboration of all local communities, civil society organizations, key […]The post Philippines reports 21 new HIV cases every day: Health officials appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Avian influenza is spreading rapidly across Europe, and the risk is high of spread to previously unaffected countries, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA reports more than 300 cases have been reported in the past month in a number of countries to include Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the […]The post Europe reports more than 300 highly pathogenic avian influenza cases this year appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) in Lithuania has notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) of their first cases of SARS-CoV-2 in mink on a farm in Jonava district. According to officials, the farm of some 60,000 American mink saw increased deaths in the animals and randomly tested the […]The post Lithuania: The latest country to report SARS-CoV-2 in mink appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 An experimental vaccine developed in Europe to prevent infection by Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) has protected cynomolgus macaques in a new collaborative study from National Institutes of Health scientists. The animals received the DNA-based candidate vaccine through intramuscular injection immediately followed by electroporation–a process in development for human vaccines that helps cells […]The post Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever experimental vaccine effective in cynomolgus macaques appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Vegpro International of Sherrington, QC CAN is recalling Fresh Attitude baby spinach (5oz and 11oz) with Best before dates of Dec 4th (for 11oz) and Dec 4th & 5th (for the 5oz), because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young […]The post Baby spinach recalled due to potential Salmonella health risk appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Afghanistan reported two additional wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Hilmand province, bringing the total to 56 in 2020 to date. The number of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) across countries in Africa and Asia and the Middle East rose by some 69 cases last week. This includes 24 cVDPV2 cases in […]The post Polio update: More wild poliovirus, circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus; Vaccination drives appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 South Australia (SA) Health is warning the public of the risk of mosquito-borne diseases due the effect of the La Niña currently underway. The most common disease spread by mosquitoes in South Australia is Ross River virus, followed by Barmah Forest virus. There is currently no cure and no vaccine for either virus. […]The post South Australia: Risk of mosquito-borne diseases highest in a decade appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Today, the World Health Organization released the World malaria report 2020, which provides a detailed analysis of progress against the mosquito-borne disease. Here are some of the trends in burden: Globally, there were an estimated 229 million malaria cases in 2019 in 87 malaria endemic countries, declining from 238 million in 2000. Twenty-nine […]The post World malaria report: Africa still accounts for bulk of cases and deaths appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Directorate General of Health in Bangladesh reported an additional 16 dengue fever cases in the past day, including 14 cases in Dhaka, bringing the country total to 1,026 confirmed cases in 2020. This year’s number is way down from 2019’s numbers when Bangladesh saw it’s largest dengue fever outbreak logging more […]The post Bangladesh dengue cases top 1,000, Down dramatically from 2019 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Massachusetts based biotechnology company, Moderna, announced today that the primary efficacy analysis of the Phase 3 study of mRNA-1273 conducted on 196 cases confirms the high efficacy observed at the first interim analysis. The data analysis indicates a vaccine efficacy of 94.1%. Safety data continue to accrue and the study continues to be […]The post COVID-19 vaccines: Moderna to file for FDA EUA appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 New evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease have been developed by a multidisciplinary panel led by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American College of Rheumatology. Representatives from an additional 12 medical specialties and patients also served on the panel. The […]The post Lyme disease guidelines released: Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 In a follow-up on the measles situation in the Region of the Americas, Bolivia is reporting a third case of measles in the Santa Cruz region. The director of the Departmental Health Service (Headquarters) of Santa Cruz, Marcelo Ríos, reported this Saturday at a press conference that the third case involves a one-year-four-month-old boy […]The post Bolivia reports 3rd measles case of 2020 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 None of the mutations currently documented in the SARS-CoV-2 virus appear to increase its transmissibility in humans, according to a study led by UCL researchers. The analysis of virus genomes from over 46,000 people with COVID-19 from 99 countries is published in Nature Communications. First and corresponding author Dr Lucy van Dorp (UCL […]The post SARS-CoV-2 mutations do not appear to increase transmissibility appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced Friday (computer translated) of an outbreak of H5N8 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild swans in Pinglu County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. The outbreak occurred at the Sanwan Whooper Swan Scenic Area, Pinglu County, Yuncheng City. There are more than 4,000 wild swans living in […]The post China reports H5N8 avian influenza in swans in Shanxi province appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported updates on two important vaccination campaigns in the north-central Africa nation of Chad. First, the measles vaccination campaign has been delayed. The measles vaccination campaign, initially scheduled for December 2020, has been postponed to January and February 2021 due to […]The post Africa: Chad measles vaccination campaign postponed, Polio cVDPV2 vaccination campaign resumes appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) reported today on a H5N8 avian influenza strain in rearing turkeys at a premises near Northallerton, Hambleton, North Yorkshire Saturday. All 10,500 birds at the farm will be humanely culled to limit the spread of the disease. A 3km and 10km Temporary Control […]The post England reports H5N8 avian influenza case in North Yorkshire, 6th recent case appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Rio de Janeiro State Department of Health (SES) reported a significant drop in dengue fever cases in 2020, to some surprise. According to the SES 2019 survey, there were 31,210 dengue cases and no deaths. In relation to 2018, the cases increased, since that year, 14,763 cases of the disease were recorded, […]The post Brazil: Dengue cases in Rio de Janeiro state decrease significantly in 2020 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 New Zealand health officials report six members of the Pakistan men’s cricket team have tested positive for COVID-19 at their managed isolation facility at the Chateau on the Park in Christchurch. All members of the team returned a negative COVID-19 test and passed a symptom check before departing Lahore. Fifty-three members of the […]The post Pakistan men’s cricket team members test COVID-19 positive in New Zealand appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Public Health England reported this week three-quarters (75%) of those aged 65 and over in England received the free vaccine so far this year – up from 72.4% at the end of the last flu season. From 1 December, 50 to 64 years olds will also be eligible for a free vaccine. Uptake […]The post England reports increased flu vaccine uptake appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 Bird flu has been detected in a goose found in Rogaland. The Veterinary Institute has analyzed samples from the bird, which show highly pathogenic bird flu A (H5N8). This virus has caused outbreaks among birds in several European countries this autumn. The virus can cause serious illness in birds, but has not been detected in […]The post Norway: H5N8 avian influenza detected in wild goose appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

By NewsDesk @bactiman63 The Swedish Public Health Agency announced Friday that according to the plans, the start of vaccinations against covid-19 in Sweden will not be possible until January 2021 at the earliest. In addition to the Swedish Public Health Agency, preparations are underway with the Medical Products Agency, the National Board of Health and Welfare, […]The post Sweden: COVID-19 vaccinations will be January 2021 at the earliest appeared first on Outbreak News Today.