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University of Nebraska Medical Center

Author: Claudinne Miller

Two COVID-19 vaccines show robust boosting potential in clinical trial

Medical Express Two Melbourne-made COVID-19 vaccines have shown strong potential to be an improved approach for boosting immunity to SARS-CoV-2 variants according to interim results of a Phase 1 clinical trial. Published in eBioMedicine, 76 healthy adults from Melbourne, aged 18 to 64 who were previously vaccinated with licensed SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, were randomized to receive a fourth dose of […]

Dec 12, 2023

Severe and Fatal Confirmed Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever among People with Recent Travel to Tecate, Mexico

CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify healthcare providers and the public about an outbreak of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) among people in the United States with recent travel to or residence in the city of Tecate, state of Baja California, […]

Dec 12, 2023

Replication-Competent Virus Detected in Blood of a Fatal COVID-19 Case

Annals of Internal Medicine Background: SARS-CoV-2 infects respiratory tissues, and in some cases, replication-competent virus has been detected in extrapulmonary tissues, including brain (1). Viremic spread is suspected, and detection of viral RNA in blood is frequently reported (2). However, recovery of replication-competent virus from blood has not been previously demonstrated (3, 4). Objective: To confirm viremia in […]

Dec 12, 2023

How long are you contagious with COVID? Here’s what to know if you test positive

NBC News/Chicago With COVID cases and other respiratory viruses on the rise, you might know someone who has recently tested positive or wondered how long a person is contagious. The answer depends on several factors. As of Friday, 44 counties in Illinois were at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the state’s Department of […]

Dec 12, 2023

China’s Children Battling Pneumonia Shows the Dangers of Drug Resistance

Bloomberg The harm caused by antibiotic drug resistance was clear to see in China’s packed pediatric hospitals. An outbreak of walking pneumonia, normally a mild infection, struck millions of children in the second half of 2023, creating Covid flashbacks and raising fears about another novel pathogen. But doctors say another real danger is the rise of superbugs, […]

Dec 12, 2023

Your questions answered about staying safe from COVID, RSV and flu this winter

PBS Video at the link – As we head into the winter holidays, John Yang speaks with epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina about the current state of affairs with COVID, RSV and flu infections, lagging vaccination rates and how to stay healthy this season. It’s almost become a holiday tradition. Temperatures go down, decorations go up and […]

Dec 12, 2023

The avian flu virus is rapidly spreading through commercial flocks in the U.S.

Food Safety News The Avian influenza summer break is not only over, it has been smashed. In the past 30 days, the virus has spread to 106 commercial flocks in 23 states. And California is the latest to report outbreaks —in two broiler operations in Stanislaus County and an egg-laying business in Sonoma County.  The […]

Dec 12, 2023

What To Know About Anthrax As WHO Warns Of Growing Outbreaks In Africa

Forbes Anthrax—a bacterial disease with dangerous potential as a biological or bioterrorist weapon—is spreading at an alarming rate in Zambia and a handful of nearby African countries, the World Health Organization warned on Monday, sounding the alarm as health officials rush to gain control of the situation amid fears of a wider outbreak in the region. […]

Dec 12, 2023

Covid and flu rising ahead of holidays, increasing ER visits

Washington Post Respiratory viruses are rebounding in the United States on the precipice of the end-of-year holidays, with emergency room visits for covid-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus collectively reaching their highest levels since February. Among the three viruses, covid continues to be the biggest driver of hospitalizations, settling into a familiar rhythm of causing periodic waves […]

Dec 12, 2023

Bird Flu Claims Nearly 1,000 Seals and Sea Lions in Southern Brazil

Richmond.com Video at the link – In southern Brazil, an alarming avian influenza outbreak has claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 seals and sea lions, marking the first occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the country. The southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, has reported an unprecedented 942 sea mammal deaths due to […]

Dec 12, 2023