UNMC_Acronym_Vert_sm_4c
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Author: Claudinne Miller

Study shows ‘not surprising’ fatal spread of avian flu in ferrets

CIDRAP Late last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study showing that the current strain of H5N1 (A/Texas/37/2024) avian flu was fatal in six ferrets used as part of an experimental infection study. The findings caused waves across the country, as ferrets are frequently used as an animal model stand-in for […]

Jun 11, 2024

Covid cases in Hawaii are on the rise, take these precautions

KHON ovid cases are on the rise in Hawaii. State health officials said it’s not a time to panic, but maybe start thinking about taking some precautions. “Right now, it’s Covid that is showing us in the red or the high zone,” said Dr. Sarah Kimble, State Epidemiologist. “What that means is we’re seeing higher […]

Jun 11, 2024

Scientists Test mRNA Vaccines to Protect Against Bird Flu

VOA From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Scientists are testing next-generation vaccines to deal with the spread of bird flu in the United States. The vaccines use the same mRNA technology that led to the development of COVID-19 shots in record time. The U.S. Agriculture Department is planning to test a vaccine, […]

Jun 11, 2024

Can a new malaria vaccine for children eradicate the disease? Here’s what to know

PBS Newshour (Audio File) Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases. Across Africa, it kills nearly half a million children younger than 5 each year. A new vaccine, only the second of its kind, holds the promise of saving thousands of lives and moving the world closer to eradicating malaria. Ali Rogin speaks with […]

Jun 11, 2024

Finland to offer bird flu vaccine to select groups of people, a possible global first

STAT Finland is preparing to offer vaccines to people at risk of exposure to an avian influenza strain spreading among farmed and wild animals, health officials there said, potentially becoming the first country to take such a step as concerns about the threat the virus poses to people intensify. The vaccine campaign will be limited, […]

Jun 11, 2024

As FDA urges crackdown on bird flu in raw milk, some states say their hands are tied

CBS News Officials in two of the three states probing their first cases of bird flu in dairy cattle this month said their hands are tied after the Food and Drug Administration pleaded with states to ramp up testing and restrictions on potentially infectious raw milk being sold to consumers within their borders. Wyoming, Iowa and Minnesota announced their […]

Jun 11, 2024

Man in Mexico dies in first known human case of H5N2 bird flu variant

Washington Post The 59-year-old had no known exposure to poultry or other animals, the World Health Organization said. His symptoms included nausea, fever and shortness of breath. A 59-year-old male resident of Mexico died after being infected with a bird flu subtype never before confirmed to have spread to humans, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. The […]

Jun 6, 2024

Raw Milk Containing Bird-Flu Virus Can Sicken Mice, Study Finds

NYT The results bolster evidence that virus-laden raw milk may be unsafe for humans. Unpasteurized milk contaminated with H5N1, the bird-flu virus that has turned up in dairy herds in nine states, has been found to rapidly make mice sick, affecting multiple organs, according to a study published on Friday. The findings are not entirely surprising: […]

Jun 5, 2024

Relative efficacy of masks and respirators as source control for viral aerosol shedding from people infected with SARS-CoV-2: a controlled human exhaled breath aerosol experimental study

The Lancet Background Tight-fitting masks and respirators, in manikin studies, improved aerosol source control compared to loose-fitting masks. Whether this translates to humans is not known. Methods We compared efficacy of masks (cloth and surgical) and respirators (KN95 and N95) as source control for SARS-CoV-2 viral load in exhaled breath of volunteers with COVID-19 using […]

Jun 5, 2024

Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Mammals

USDA There are many species that are potentially susceptible to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). In addition to birds and poultry, H5N1 viruses have been detected in some mammals (see list below). Infection may cause illness, including severe disease and death in some cases.

Jun 5, 2024