Timely and relevant global health security news curated by GCHS
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Featured Headlines
- Congo’s health ministry identifies flu-like disease as severe malariaCBC Democratic Republic of Congo’s health ministry said on Tuesday that a previously unidentified disease circulating in the southwestern Kwango province is a severe form of malaria. Earlier this month, local authorities said the disease had killed 143 people in the country’s Panzi health zone in November. The symptoms of the disease are fever, headache,… Read more: Congo’s health ministry identifies flu-like disease as severe malaria
- Delaware reports probable human case of H5 bird fluBNO News A probable case of H5 bird flu was found during routine flu surveillance in Delaware, according to state and federal officials. The source of the infection – which would be the first in Delaware – is unknown. The CDC said the case in Delaware meets the definition of a “probable case,” which means… Read more: Delaware reports probable human case of H5 bird flu
- Alarming Mutation in H5N1 Virus Raises Pandemic Red FlagsSci Tech Daily A recent study published in Science and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that a single alteration in a protein on the surface of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus—currently present in U.S. dairy cows—could significantly increase its potential for human-to-human transmission. These findings highlight the critical importance of ongoing… Read more: Alarming Mutation in H5N1 Virus Raises Pandemic Red Flags
- Another Pandemic Is Inevitable, and We’re Not ReadyBloomberg President-elect Trump’s picks to lead the nation’s top public health agencies also don’t inspire confidence. Every week or so, scientists issue another warning that the H5N1 bird flu is inching closer to exploding into a pandemic. Despite having contended with a pandemic that broke out less than five years ago, the US has no solid plan to handle… Read more: Another Pandemic Is Inevitable, and We’re Not Ready
- LDH detects first presumptive positive human H5N1 case in LouisianaLouisiana Dept of Health The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has detected the first presumptive positive human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1, in Louisiana. The individual is a resident of southwestern Louisiana and is currently hospitalized. LDH’s Office of Public Health is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… Read more: LDH detects first presumptive positive human H5N1 case in Louisiana
- CDC Can’t Confirm Suspected Bird Flu Case Tied to Raw MilkMedPageToday CDC could not confirm what was suspected to have been the first H5N1 bird flu case linked to raw milk consumption The patient, a child in Marin County, California, experienced fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk, as reported last week. The child initially tested positive for influenza A, with the local lab unable to… Read more: CDC Can’t Confirm Suspected Bird Flu Case Tied to Raw Milk
- For Wild Animals, the Bird Flu Disaster Is Already HereNYT Scientists are concerned that the H5N1 virus could set off another human pandemic. But it is already putting species under pressure in the wild. Every spring, more than 200,000 northern gannets — stocky seabirds with dazzling white feathers — journey to the coast of eastern Canada. There, they blanket oceanside cliffs and rocky outcroppings,… Read more: For Wild Animals, the Bird Flu Disaster Is Already Here
- Texas: Health district confirms county’s first case of bird fluGalveston Daily News The Galveston County Health District on Tuesday confirmed the county’s first positive case of avian influenza, which was detected in a bird found in Texas City. The virus, commonly referred to as avian flu, is a viral infection widespread in wild birds worldwide and also has been found in dairy cows, according… Read more: Texas: Health district confirms county’s first case of bird flu
Updates on ongoing disease outbreaks
Unofficial HPAI H5N1 Outbreak Map
- Delaware reports probable human case of H5 bird fluBNO News A probable case of H5 bird flu was found during routine flu surveillance in Delaware, according to state and federal officials. The source of the infection – which would be the first in Delaware – is unknown. The CDC said the case in Delaware meets the definition of a “probable case,” which means… Read more: Delaware reports probable human case of H5 bird flu
- 5 animals die after bird flu exposure at Arizona zoo; 25 employees exposed to virusUSA Today Officials in Arizona this week said nearly a half-dozen animals including a cheetah and a mountain lion at a Phoenix-area zoo died and others are sick after being exposed to the bird flu. Maricopa County Department of Public Health officials reported the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium in Litchfield Park, about 20 miles west of Phoenix,… Read more: 5 animals die after bird flu exposure at Arizona zoo; 25 employees exposed to virus
- San Francisco Zoo keeping 2 exhibits closed after bird flu death confirmedSF Gate The San Francisco Zoo is keeping some animals out of sight, hoping to protect them as cases of bird flu are found in the Bay Area. The zoo announced on Dec. 10 that the African Aviary and South American Tropical Rainforest & Aviary are closed to guests as “extra precautionary measures due to the risk of… Read more: San Francisco Zoo keeping 2 exhibits closed after bird flu death confirmed
- Johns Hopkins Scientists Uncover Hidden Trigger Behind COVID-19’s Deadly Cytokine StormSciTechDaily Scientists discovered that overactivation of immune genes and the RAAS system causes cytokine storms in severe COVID-19 cases. This leads to widespread inflammation and organ damage. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pittsburgh, and Weill Cornell Medicine, as… Read more: Johns Hopkins Scientists Uncover Hidden Trigger Behind COVID-19’s Deadly Cytokine Storm
- Sick animals suggest COVID pandemic started in Wuhan marketNature A preliminary analysis takes a closer look at genomic data collected at the market. The quest to understand where the COVID-19 pandemic started has revealed fresh clues. Researchers have re-analysed data collected from a market in Wuhan, China, during the early days of the pandemic… Read more: Sick animals suggest COVID pandemic started in Wuhan market
- Are flu and COVID high now? Here’s how the season has startedCBS News This year’s winter surge of influenza and COVID-19 has yet to arrive for most of the country, data published this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows, with trends so far a fraction of what they were at this time last year. “COVID-19 activity remains… Read more: Are flu and COVID high now? Here’s how the season has started
- Mpox: German school temporarily closed after case reportedDW Contacts have been informed after several members of a family were found to have contracted mpox. Two school-age children are among those infected. A school in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia was closed… Read more: Mpox: German school temporarily closed after case reported
- Congo’s mpox crisisScience For the second time in 2 years, a long-overlooked virus poses a global threat. Can it be contained? In late September 2023, a 33-year-old man who co-owned a bar in Kamituga, a remote… Read more: Congo’s mpox crisis
- UK: Confirmed cases of mpox clade Ibgov.uk This release has been published in response to confirmed cases of clade Ib mpox in the UK. Whilst numbers remain low updates will be released on an ad-hoc basis. As of 29 November… Read more: UK: Confirmed cases of mpox clade Ib
- Canada Confirms First Case of New Mpox VariantBloomberg Canada confirmed its first case of a dangerous new mpox variant but said the risk to the general population remains low. The first case of clade I mpox was found in an individual… Read more: Canada Confirms First Case of New Mpox Variant
- 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.
Emerging Infectious Disease Headlines
- Whooping Cough Is Up 600% — What Are The Deadly Disease’s Symptoms?Forbes Cases of whooping cough are more than six times higher than they were this time last year, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show. Officials reported 553 cases… Read more: Whooping Cough Is Up 600% — What Are The Deadly Disease’s Symptoms?
- Congo’s health ministry identifies flu-like disease as severe malariaCBC Democratic Republic of Congo’s health ministry said on Tuesday that a previously unidentified disease circulating in the southwestern Kwango province is a severe form of malaria. Earlier this month,… Read more: Congo’s health ministry identifies flu-like disease as severe malaria
- It’s not just cold and flu cases that are on the rise this winterWTOP The holiday season comes with more parties, family gatherings and, thanks to cold temperatures, more time spent indoors. While coming together for festive fun can provide Christmas cheer, it… Read more: It’s not just cold and flu cases that are on the rise this winter
- DRC health ministry says mystery disease is ‘severe’ form of malariaGuardian A previously unidentified disease circulating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a severe form of malaria, the country’s health ministry has said. Earlier this month, local authorities said the… Read more: DRC health ministry says mystery disease is ‘severe’ form of malaria
- Sierra Leone on High Alert Following Suspected Viral Hemorrhagic Fever CaseX @slnpha of #SierraLeone has issued an update regarding a suspected case of Viral #HemorrhagicFever (VHF) in #Kono District. According to the NPHA, all 290 contacts identified in Kono—classified as… Read more: Sierra Leone on High Alert Following Suspected Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Case
- Dengue cases set a new record in the Americas this year as deaths also surgeAP SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Dengue fever is sweeping across the Caribbean and the Americas, with a record 12.6 million suspected cases of the mosquito-transmitted virus reported this year, nearly… Read more: Dengue cases set a new record in the Americas this year as deaths also surge
Read more Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Study retracted years after it set off an infamous COVID-19 treatment scandalUSA Today A discredited study that set off a flurry of interest in using an antimalarial drug to treat COVID-19 has now been formally withdrawn. A scientific journal on Tuesday retracted the March 2020 study that introduced… Read more: Study retracted years after it set off an infamous COVID-19 treatment scandal
- Stanford study reveals flu virus remains infectious in refrigerated raw milkStanford University Raw milk, hailed by some as a natural and nutritious alternative to pasteurized dairy, may come with hidden dangers, according to a new Stanford University study. The research, published Dec. 12 in Environmental Science & Technology… Read more: Stanford study reveals flu virus remains infectious in refrigerated raw milk
- Johns Hopkins Scientists Uncover Hidden Trigger Behind COVID-19’s Deadly Cytokine StormSciTechDaily Scientists discovered that overactivation of immune genes and the RAAS system causes cytokine storms in severe COVID-19 cases. This leads to widespread inflammation and organ damage. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Children’s Hospital… Read more: Johns Hopkins Scientists Uncover Hidden Trigger Behind COVID-19’s Deadly Cytokine Storm
- COVID-19 infection linked to abnormal uterine bleedingContemporary OB/GYN There is an association between COVID-19 infection and abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), according to a recent study published in Clinical Science.1 Recent concerns have arisen about menstrual disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially caused… Read more: COVID-19 infection linked to abnormal uterine bleeding
- How Covid Can Change Your GutNYT Diarrhea, constipation, pain, bloating: We asked experts why the virus causes these issues and what to do about them. Food used to be a daily source of joy for Sarah Carter. A self-described “vegetable… Read more: How Covid Can Change Your Gut
- 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
- Americans are not getting seasonal vaccines ahead of the holidaysWashington Post Experts worry that the unenthusiastic embrace of vaccines could spark outbreaks and increased hospitalizations. As the holiday season approaches, public health experts are sounding the alarm about low vaccination rates against the coronavirus,… Read more: Americans are not getting seasonal vaccines ahead of the holidays
- 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
- Misinformation Will Get (Much) WorseForbes Coming off the pandemic, a whole swath of American society has de-credentialed the medical profession. And there is no easy pathway back to a place where physicians and other healthcare professionals are fully trusted for their knowledge and, more… Read more: Misinformation Will Get (Much) Worse
- 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
- When The Pandemic Came, Zoos Closed, And Animals Began to Act DifferentlyScience Alert We all had to make adjustments as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded – even zoo animals who were suddenly not seeing crowds of visitors pass by every single day. In a study published in 2022, researchers discovered how primates reacted to that… Read more: When The Pandemic Came, Zoos Closed, And Animals Began to Act Differently
- Fewer teens are using alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana than before the pandemicPhilly Voice Substance use fell among adolescents when COVID-19 hit. Those declines have continued – to the surprise of some experts. he majority of teenagers in the U.S. do not drink, smoke or use marijuana, a new report shows. The… Read more: Fewer teens are using alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana than before the pandemic
Interesting and Sometimes Funny
- Bat poop used to grow cannabis kills 2 in New York in unusual casesLiveScience Two men from Rochester, New York, who grew their own cannabis died from pneumonia after being exposed to a harmful fungus in bat poop they’d used as fertilizer. Two men in New York state have died of a rare fungal lung infection that they caught from bat poop — specifically, poop they were using… Read more: Bat poop used to grow cannabis kills 2 in New York in unusual cases