Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Oregon health officials investigate rare brain disease blamed for two deaths
Los Angeles Times Health officials in Hood River County, Ore., are investigating three cases of a rare and fatal brain disease known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Two people have died and a third person is showing symptoms consistent with the disease. The disease has been confirmed in one of the deceased through an autopsy; the other […]
Apr 16, 2025
Ex-Foreign Minister Publishes Liberia’s First Insider Ebola Account
MSN In a powerful moment of national remembrance and literary pride, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf joined government officials, survivors, and dignitaries at the National Museum to launch “Stepping Up to the Plate: Liberia’s Untold Ebola Story,” a gripping new book by former Foreign Minister Olubanke King Akerele. The book chronicles the human spirit and […]
Apr 16, 2025
Could polio be poised for a comeback?
NPR The world is so close to wiping out polio. But in 2025, there are signs that the virus is not quite ready to go the way of smallpox — the only disease eradicated by humans. Two countries are seeing an increase in cases caused by the wild polio virus, which can cause paralysis and […]
Apr 16, 2025
CDC says measles cases are most likely underreported as outbreak swells in Texas
NBC News The leader of the CDC’s measles team said the agency was “scraping” to find resources to address an outbreak in the Southwest. Measles cases are most likely being underreported in the United States as public health officials scramble to find resources to address a ballooning outbreak in the Southwest, according to a senior […]
Apr 16, 2025
WHO member states agree to landmark accord on future pandemic responses
France 24 Countries united under the World Health Organization on Wednesday agreed to a milestone accord on how to respond to future pandemics and avoid repeating the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis. The agreement comes despite US foreign aid cuts and possible tariffs on pharmaceuticals casting uncertainty over the talks. Years of negotiations culminated early […]
Apr 16, 2025
Mpox testing gaps raise risk of cross-border spread
The Independent Foreign aid cuts could result in a major outbreak of mpox across the African continent and beyond, with virus control measures already disrupted, public health experts warn. Mpox testing and monitoring efforts in hotspot areas like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were heavily reliant on foreign assistance, which has been slashed under […]
Apr 16, 2025
How bird flu differs from seasonal flu − an infectious disease researcher explains
The Conversation The flu sickens millions of people in the U.S. every year, and the past year has been particularly tough. Although infections are trending downward, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called the winter of 2024-2025 a “high severity” season with the highest hospitalization rate in 15 years. Since early 2024, a different kind of […]
Apr 16, 2025
A new COVID variant is on the rise. Here’s what to know about LP.8.1
The Conversation More than five years since COVID was declared a pandemic, we’re still facing the regular emergence of new variants of the virus, SARS-CoV-2. The latest variant on the rise is LP.8.1. It’s increasing in Australia, making up close to one in five COVID cases in New South Wales. Elsewhere it’s become even more dominant, comprising at least […]
Apr 16, 2025
Why cats are so vulnerable to H5N1 bird flu
STAT In 2024, as zoos were hit hard by H5N1 bird flu, big cats were particularly affected: tigers, lions, a cheetah, and a panther all died after being infected with the same virus that has caused egg prices to skyrocket. House cats are vulnerable to H5N1, too, as Meghan F. Davis, a veterinarian and epidemiologist with […]
Apr 16, 2025
A mysterious pathogen: Oropouche virus more common in Latin America than previously thought
Charite Like the dengue and Zika viruses, Oropouche virus causes a febrile illness. There are recent indications that infections during pregnancy can cause damage to unborn babies. Researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have now determined that the virus is much more widespread in Latin America than previously assumed. Their study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases,* […]
Apr 16, 2025
