Timely and relevant global health security news curated by GCHS
Note that some links may require registration or subscription.
Featured Headlines
- US bird flu outbreak found in 15 statesUSA Today United States health officials are tracking an outbreak in bird flu cases across the country. They are seeing cases in over 400 cattle herds across 15 states.
- Human Cases of Bird Flu Confirmed to Be Occurring Undetected in The USScienceAlert Blood samples from 115 dairy workers in Michigan and Colorado reveal cases of the highly pathogenic bird flu have been occurring undetected in humans. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers found 7 percent of those tested between June and August 2024 had antibodies from the highly virulent form of H5N1 in their blood. The good news… Read more: Human Cases of Bird Flu Confirmed to Be Occurring Undetected in The US
- Oahu’s first case of Avian flu traced back to a Duck rescue in WahiawaHawaii News Now Video
- Bird flu decimated tern colony in northwest WashingtonWashington State Standard Study findings provide new details on a Caspian tern die-off near Port Townsend in 2023 and how the virus killed seals in the region, infecting their brains. More than half a colony of Caspian terns on a small island near Port Townsend died last year amid an outbreak of bird flu, underscoring… Read more: Bird flu decimated tern colony in northwest Washington
- H5N1 bird flu virus in Canadian teenager displays mutations demonstrating virus’ riskSTAT News The virus, which appears not to have spread to anyone else, underwent mutational changes virologists didn’t want to see. The genetic sequence of the H5N1 bird flu virus that infected a teenager in British Columbia shows that the virus had undergone mutational changes that would make it easier for that version of H5N1… Read more: H5N1 bird flu virus in Canadian teenager displays mutations demonstrating virus’ risk
- H5N1 bird flu infects 5 more humans in California, and 1 in OregonMedical Express As H5N1 bird flu spreads among California dairy herds and southward-migrating birds, health officials announced Friday six more human cases of infection: five in California and one in Oregon — the state’s first. A seventh presumptive California case is awaiting confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All of the… Read more: H5N1 bird flu infects 5 more humans in California, and 1 in Oregon
- DOH notifies public of potential exposure to avian flu at Mililani pet fairHawaii News An investigation by the Hawaii Department of Health and Hawaii Department of Agriculture confirmed a potential avian flu exposure to members of the public who attended the Mililani Pet Fair held on Nov. 2. Officials say they confirmed H5N1 avian influenza in a backyard flock of various birds in Central Oahu connected to the pet… Read more: DOH notifies public of potential exposure to avian flu at Mililani pet fair
- S. Korea reports season’s second avian influenza caseMSN South Korea has confirmed the season’s second case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) at a poultry farm, the North Chungcheong provincial government said Friday. The announcement came after the agricultural ministry identified a suspected case the previous day at the duck farm in Eumseong, 94 kilometers south of Seoul. The latest case follows… Read more: S. Korea reports season’s second avian influenza case
- 8 Factors That Put You at Risk of Severe FluNew York Times Flu infections have started picking up. Here’s what to know. Sore throat. Stuffy nose. Fever, body aches and fatigue. As temperatures drop, cases of the flu have started to rise. For many people, the immune system can clear those symptoms in about a week. But for others, flu can lead to severe illness,… Read more: 8 Factors That Put You at Risk of Severe Flu
- California health officials report possible bird flu case in Bay Area childCBS News Officials with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said they have identified a possible bird flu case in a child in Alameda County. CDPH announced Tuesday that the child has mild respiratory symptoms and is recovering at home. The child had a positive bird flu test which showed a “low-level detection of… Read more: California health officials report possible bird flu case in Bay Area child
- Could Avian Flu Cause Our Next Pandemic?MedPageToday Colleagues, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. Or, for a true reality check, just scan the Department of Agriculture’s frequently-updated map and tablesopens in a new tab or window naming the many animals that have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the U.S. since May 2022. Finding influenza A/H5N1 in… Read more: Could Avian Flu Cause Our Next Pandemic?
Updates on ongoing disease outbreaks
- US bird flu outbreak found in 15 statesUSA Today United States health officials are tracking an outbreak in bird flu cases across the country. They are seeing cases in over 400 cattle herds across 15 states.
- Human Cases of Bird Flu Confirmed to Be Occurring Undetected in The USScienceAlert Blood samples from 115 dairy workers in Michigan and Colorado reveal cases of the highly pathogenic bird flu have been occurring undetected in humans. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers found 7 percent of those tested between June and August 2024 had antibodies from the highly virulent form of H5N1 in their blood. The good news… Read more: Human Cases of Bird Flu Confirmed to Be Occurring Undetected in The US
- Oahu’s first case of Avian flu traced back to a Duck rescue in WahiawaHawaii News Now Video
- Bird flu decimated tern colony in northwest WashingtonWashington State Standard Study findings provide new details on a Caspian tern die-off near Port Townsend in 2023 and how the virus killed seals in the region, infecting their brains. More than half a colony of Caspian terns on a small island near Port Townsend died last year amid an outbreak of bird flu, underscoring… Read more: Bird flu decimated tern colony in northwest Washington
- Study: Covid infections linked to cancer regressionWGN Chicago VIDEO A new study led by researchers at the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation has revealed a connection between COVID-19 infection and cancer regression. Dr. Ankit Bharat is the Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine joined the… Read more: Study: Covid infections linked to cancer regression
- Long Fatigue: The exhaustion that lingers after an infectionBBC Before Long Covid there was post-viral fatigue – a mysterious set of illnesses caused by other infections. Now scientists are starting to unravel their secrets. Since an acute infection with Covid-19 in the summer of 2023, Rachael Edwards has been battling a fatigue so crippling… Read more: Long Fatigue: The exhaustion that lingers after an infection
- Study Finds 1 in 4 Americans May Have Long COVIDNewsmax A newly released study finds that one in four Americans may suffer from long COVID, a much higher rate than typically cited. Scientists at Mass General Brigham used a sophisticated AI tool for the peer-reviewed study. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested… Read more: Study Finds 1 in 4 Americans May Have Long COVID
- Idaho health agency halts COVID vaccine program, joining backlashUSA Today A health department in Idaho has voted to halt its COVID-19 vaccination program, joining the growing number of regional governments pushing back against federal vaccination recommendations. These actions concern some public health experts who fear health departments elsewhere in the country may stop offering… Read more: Idaho health agency halts COVID vaccine program, joining backlash
- VA marks millionth COVID case as officials warn health threat persistsMilitary Times Veterans Affairs medical officials recorded their millionth diagnosed COVID-19 case Wednesday, a milestone that department experts say serves as a reminder that the virus remains a public health threat even years after the height of the global pandemic. “COVID-19 continues to be the most significant viral respiratory infection in… Read more: VA marks millionth COVID case as officials warn health threat persists
- Florida has more than 100 mpox cases. Now, a more severe form has been reported in U.S.Miami Herald The United States has reported its first confirmed case of the more contagious form of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week issued a… Read more: Florida has more than 100 mpox cases. Now, a more severe form has been reported in U.S.
- First Case of Clade I Mpox Diagnosed in the United StatesCDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to provide information about the first case of clade I mpox diagnosed in the United States… Read more: First Case of Clade I Mpox Diagnosed in the United States
- First U.S. Case of Spreading New Mpox Type Reported in CaliforniaNYT The unidentified patient had recently returned from Africa, where the virus has caused a deadly epidemic, health officials said. A person in California has tested positive for a form of mpox causing a… Read more: First U.S. Case of Spreading New Mpox Type Reported in California
- Multi-country outbreak of mpox, External situation report #42- 9 November 2024WHO (download pdf )This is the 42nd situation report for the multi-country outbreak of mpox, which provides an update on the epidemiological situation of mpox in Africa (including countries in the WHO African Region… Read more: Multi-country outbreak of mpox, External situation report #42- 9 November 2024
- WHO convening emergency mpox meetingThe Hill The World Health Organization (WHO) will convene a meeting later this month to determine whether the mpox outbreak occurring in Africa still constitutes a a public health emergency of international concern. WHO… Read more: WHO convening emergency mpox meeting
- WHO says mpox cases in Congo’s epicenter where the new variant was detected may be ‘plateauing’AP Cases of mpox in the region of Congo where a new and more infectious variant was first detected appear to be “plateauing,” the World Health Organization said on Monday, even as the virus continues to increase in… Read more: WHO says mpox cases in Congo’s epicenter where the new variant was detected may be ‘plateauing’
Emerging Infectious Disease Headlines
- 8 Factors That Put You at Risk of Severe FluNYT Sore throat. Stuffy nose. Fever, body aches and fatigue. As temperatures drop, cases of the flu have started to rise. For many people, the immune system can clear those symptoms… Read more: 8 Factors That Put You at Risk of Severe Flu
- It’s a virus you may not have heard of. Here’s why scientists are worried about itNPR A little-known virus is getting a lot of attention this year. It’s called Oropouche, and it’s been making headlines because of a notable increase in diagnoses. So far in… Read more: It’s a virus you may not have heard of. Here’s why scientists are worried about it
- Cases of ‘walking pneumonia’ up in D.C. region, part of national trendWashington Post Cases of walking pneumonia have been surging among young children in the D.C. region, according to pediatricians and public health officials. Nell Codner, a 48-year-old federal worker from… Read more: Cases of ‘walking pneumonia’ up in D.C. region, part of national trend
- 8 Factors That Put You at Risk of Severe FluNew York Times Flu infections have started picking up. Here’s what to know. Sore throat. Stuffy nose. Fever, body aches and fatigue. As temperatures drop, cases of the flu have started… Read more: 8 Factors That Put You at Risk of Severe Flu
- When Long COVID Worsens Preexisting Chronic ConditionsYale Medicine Research reports and detailed case studies from doctors and other providers can tell us a lot about Long COVID. But to understand the full scope of the disease… Read more: When Long COVID Worsens Preexisting Chronic Conditions
- A twisted protein sheds light on chronic wasting disease in deerScience News The misfolded proteins responsible for a fatal neurological illness in deer have a twist. The first detailed structure of an infectious prion that causes chronic wasting disease, or… Read more: A twisted protein sheds light on chronic wasting disease in deer
Read more Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Searching for high pathogenicity avian influenza virus in AntarcticaNature The current panzootic spread of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has caused unprecedented mortality in wild animals worldwide1. In 2022, the virus caused mass mortality of seabirds and marine… Read more: Searching for high pathogenicity avian influenza virus in Antarctica
- AI sees a lot of long CovidPolitico The number of people with long Covid could be three times as high as previous studies have found, according to new research out of the Boston health system Mass General Brigham. The researchers estimate nearly 23… Read more: AI sees a lot of long Covid
- New AI model improves prediction power for genomics related to diseasePhys.org To understand the workings of DNA in relation to disease, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed the first multimodal deep learning model of its kind, EPBDxDNABERT-2, capable of ascertaining the precise relationship… Read more: New AI model improves prediction power for genomics related to disease
- Study: Covid infections linked to cancer regressionWGN Chicago VIDEO A new study led by researchers at the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation has revealed a connection between COVID-19 infection and cancer regression. Dr. Ankit Bharat… Read more: Study: Covid infections linked to cancer regression
- One in 20 Adults With RSV Hospitalized, Study ShowsMedPageToday Among adults with outpatient respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections across six RSV seasons, roughly one in 20 were hospitalized within 28 days, according to a large cohort study that used data from three health… Read more: One in 20 Adults With RSV Hospitalized, Study Shows
- Infection Aftershock: COVID-19’s Long-Term Impact on Your HeartSci Tech Daily New research indicates that people who contracted COVID-19 early in the pandemic faced a significantly elevated risk of heart attack, stroke, and death for up to three years post-infection. Long-Term Cardiovascular Risks Linked to… Read more: Infection Aftershock: COVID-19’s Long-Term Impact on Your Heart
- 60% of Americans say they probably won’t get an updated COVID-19 vaccinePew Research Center Six-in-ten Americans say they will probably not get an updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine, according to an October Pew Research Center survey. Smaller shares say they probably will get an updated vaccine (24%) or… Read more: 60% of Americans say they probably won’t get an updated COVID-19 vaccine
- The stunning success of vaccines in America, in one chartVox America, before and after vaccines. Measles, mumps, and polio are supposed to be diseases of the past. In the early to mid-20th century, scientists developed vaccines that effectively eliminated the risk of anyone getting sick… Read more: The stunning success of vaccines in America, in one chart
- Why getting your flu and COVID-19 vaccines before the holidays is a good ideaPBS Newshour If you missed the early fall push for flu and COVID-19 vaccines, it’s not too late. Health officials say it’s important to get vaccinated ahead of the holidays, when respiratory bugs tend… Read more: Why getting your flu and COVID-19 vaccines before the holidays is a good idea
- Social histories of public health misinformation and infodemics: case studies of four pandemicsThe Lancet Recognition of misinformation as a public health threat and interest in infodemics, defined as an inundation of information accompanying an epidemic or acute health event, have increased worldwide. However, scientists have no consensus on how to best define… Read more: Social histories of public health misinformation and infodemics: case studies of four pandemics
- Medical Boards Barely Acted Amid Flood of COVID MisinformationMedscape Only a handful of physicians in the five most populous states faced medical board discipline over spreading misinformation to the community during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study found. In California, Texas, Florida, New York, and… Read more: Medical Boards Barely Acted Amid Flood of COVID Misinformation
- As the Pandemic Deepened, Americans Kept Drinking MoreNYT Excessive drinking persisted in the years after Covid arrived, according to new data. Americans started drinking more as the Covid-19 pandemic got underway. They were stressed, isolated, uncertain — the world as they had known it had changed overnight.… Read more: As the Pandemic Deepened, Americans Kept Drinking More
- How close were hospitals to collapse in Covid?BBC Five times Prof Kevin Fong broke down in tears in a nondescript hearing room in West London, while giving evidence to the Covid inquiry. The 53-year-old has the kind of CV that makes you pay attention: a consultant anaesthetist… Read more: How close were hospitals to collapse in Covid?
Interesting and Sometimes Funny
- Plane grounded for four days when 132 hamsters escape on board
UPI A plane was grounded for four days at a Portuguese airport when 132 hamsters escaped from boxes in the cargo hold. The TAP Air Portugal flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada Airport featured a full contingent of passengers as well as hamsters, ferrets and birds en route to a pet store. The flight ended up grounded… Read more: Plane grounded for four days when 132 hamsters escape on board