Author: Claudinne Miller
Ethiopia Declares End of Marburg Virus Outbreak After 42 Days Without New Cases
MedAfrica On Monday, January 26, Ethiopia has officially declared an end to the Marburg virus disease outbreak, after recording no new cases for 42 consecutive days, in line with World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Health Minister Mekdes Daba announced the development in Addis Ababa, describing it as a major achievement for the country’s health system. […]
Jan 28, 2026
South Africa: Endangered African penguins threatened by bird flu
Xinhua An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly called bird flu, is threatening the survival of the critically endangered African penguins living off the coast of South Africa, local media reported. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) said 23 African penguins had tested positive for the disease since […]
Jan 28, 2026
Kansas experiences worst bird flu outbreak in the nation
K State Over 400,000 birds reportedly affected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), with the number currently rising. Kansas is experiencing the worst bird flu outbreak since 2023, affecting more than 10 counties, with three being forced to quarantine commercial and non-commercial backyards. Counties like Pottawatomie County, Greenwood County, Nemaha County and more have relied on […]
Jan 28, 2026
Influenza epidemic declared in Puerto Rico
San Juan Star Island Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero announced on Tuesday the declaration of an influenza epidemic in Puerto Rico, after the established criteria for incidence and growth rate of cases were met during the 2025-2026 season. “An influenza epidemic has been declared,” Ramos Otero said at a press conference. “The region with the […]
Jan 28, 2026
Bird flu antibodies detected at Dutch dairy farm, a first in Europe
Poultry World Avian influenza antibodies have been detected in a dairy cow at a dairy farm in Friesland, the Netherlands, marking the first such finding in European cattle. No evidence of active viral circulation of avian influenza among the dairy cows on the farm has been found. According to ‘Rijksoverheid’ the Dutch Ministry of Affairs, […]
Jan 28, 2026
FDA Clears First At-Home Diagnostic for RSV, Influenza, and COVID-19 in Adults, Young Infants
Contagion Live The federal agency gave the nod for Acon Laboratories’ Flowflex Plus RSV + Flu A/B + COVID 4-in-1 test that can detect all those respiratory viruses in a single test, which is indicated for use in both adults and children as young as 6 months. Acon Laboratories announced the retail availability of the […]
Jan 28, 2026
Syphilis May Have Originated in the Americas, Study Suggests
Archeology Magazine According to an ABC News Australia report, a previously unknown strain of Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis, has been found in 5,500-year-old human remains recovered from the Sabana de Bogota rock shelter in the eastern highlands of Colombia by an international team of researchers. Davide Bozzi of the University of Lausanne said that the […]
Jan 28, 2026
New-Onset Allergies Another Woe for Patients With Long COVID
MedScape If your patients have been coming in with new asthma-like symptoms or sudden allergies to foods or the environment, long COVID could be to blame. In an article published in Nature Immunology last December, researchers examined immunologic and inflammatory profiles in people with long COVID, comparing blood samples from patients who fully recovered from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection with those who developed […]
Jan 28, 2026
Dozens of CDC databases aren’t being updated — most related to vaccines, study finds
NBC News The agency plays a key role in tracking disease spread and vaccination rates. Last year, it seemed to back away from some of that work, according to new research. Nearly half of the databases that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used to update regularly — surveillance systems that tracked public health […]
Jan 28, 2026
South Carolina Measles Outbreak Becomes Largest In U.S. History Since First Elimination
Forbes South Carolina’s growing measles outbreak is now the largest in United States history since the contagious viral disease was declared eliminated more than two decades ago in the wake of widespread vaccinations, according to a report from CNN. Big Number 88%. That’s the proportion of measles cases in South Carolina that have appeared in unvaccinated individuals, according […]
Jan 28, 2026