Author: Claudinne Miller
What Happened to the Canadian Teen Who Became Critically Ill With H5N1 Bird Flu?
Medpage Today Public health investigation is closed, but officials haven’t provided patient updates. Canadian public health officials closed their investigation into the teenager who became critically ill with the H5N1 bird flu virus, with no source of infection identified. It’s not clear whether the teenager recovered or was released from the hospital. Andy Watson, director […]
Dec 10, 2024
California: Marin officials report possible bird flu case in child
Marin Independent A child who visited Marin County during Thanksgiving week is being tested for a possible infection of H5N1, the bird flu. Marin’s public health officer, Dr. Lisa Santora, said the child tested positive for influenza type A, a category that includes bird flu. The child had been visiting from out of state for […]
Dec 10, 2024
How worried should we be about Disease X?
NPR They’re calling it Disease X. It’s a mysterious illness circulating in a remote part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Current figures: over 400 cases, including 31 deaths. International health authorities are monitoring. It all started on October 24 when the first patient fell ill with an unidentified sickness. Others soon followed, all in […]
Dec 10, 2024
Single mutation in H5N1 influenza surface protein could enable easier human infection
NIH NIH-funded study finds risk of human infection continues to remain low. A single modification in the protein found on the surface of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 influenza virus currently circulating in U.S. dairy cows could allow for easier transmission among humans, according to new research funded by the National Institutes of […]
Dec 10, 2024
Canadian Probe Into Teen’s Critical H5N1 Case: Implications for Infection Preventionists
Infection Control Today A critical case of H5N1 avian influenza in a British Columbia teenager has renewed focus on the complexities of zoonotic diseases. Despite exhaustive investigations, health officials have been unable to pinpoint how the teenager contracted the virus, underscoring the difficulty of tracing the origins of such infections. H5N1—commonly called bird flu—poses a significant […]
Dec 4, 2024
Sierra Leone: Additional Information on Suspected Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Case in Kono
Sierraloaded In a public notice, the NPHA and the Ministry of Health (MOH) provided additional details following laboratory testing conducted by the 34 Military Hospital Infectious Disease Laboratory. According to the notice, the test results for the suspected case returned as indeterminate. The inconclusive outcome is attributed to the use of formalin for preserving the […]
Dec 4, 2024
Unknown flu-like disease kills at least 79 people in DR Congo
BBC At least 79 people have died from an unknown disease that is causing flu-like symptoms in south-western Democratic Republic of Congo, the health ministry says. The health ministry says the majority of people who have died are between the ages of 15 and 18. More than 300 people have been infected with patients exhibiting […]
Dec 4, 2024
UK: Confirmed cases of mpox clade Ib
gov.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 2024, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed 5 cases of clade Ib mpox in the UK. The first case […]
Dec 4, 2024
Biological Mechanisms Underlying Severe COVID-19
Technology Networks Immunology and Microbiology Severe COVID-19 arises in part from the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s impact on mitochondria, tiny oxygen-burning power plants in cells, which can help trigger a cascade of organ- and immune system-damaging events, suggests a study by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the University of […]
Dec 4, 2024