Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Bird flu decimated tern colony in northwest Washington
Washington State Standard Study findings provide new details on a Caspian tern die-off near Port Townsend in 2023 and how the virus killed seals in the region, infecting their brains. More than half a colony of Caspian terns on a small island near Port Townsend died last year amid an outbreak of bird flu, underscoring […]
Nov 19, 2024
H5N1 bird flu virus in Canadian teenager displays mutations demonstrating virus’ risk
STAT News The virus, which appears not to have spread to anyone else, underwent mutational changes virologists didn’t want to see. The genetic sequence of the H5N1 bird flu virus that infected a teenager in British Columbia shows that the virus had undergone mutational changes that would make it easier for that version of H5N1 […]
Nov 19, 2024
CDC A(H5N1) Bird Flu Response Update November 18, 2024
CDC CDC provides an update on its response activities related to the multistate outbreak of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, or “H5N1 bird flu,” in dairy cows and other animals in the United States. In this week’s spotlight, CDC highlights new resources for employers of farm workers, the results of a radio media tour for journalists […]
Nov 19, 2024
Cases of ‘walking pneumonia’ up in D.C. region, part of national trend
Washington Post Cases of walking pneumonia have been surging among young children in the D.C. region, according to pediatricians and public health officials. Nell Codner, a 48-year-old federal worker from near Annapolis, didn’t worry two weeks ago when her 10-year-old twin daughters developed a cough. “Who touched what and didn’t wash their hands?” she recalled […]
Nov 19, 2024
Study Finds 1 in 4 Americans May Have Long COVID
Newsmax A newly released study finds that one in four Americans may suffer from long COVID, a much higher rate than typically cited. Scientists at Mass General Brigham used a sophisticated AI tool for the peer-reviewed study. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that in 2022 roughly 6.9% of Americans had long […]
Nov 19, 2024
H5N1 bird flu infects 5 more humans in California, and 1 in Oregon
Medical Express As H5N1 bird flu spreads among California dairy herds and southward-migrating birds, health officials announced Friday six more human cases of infection: five in California and one in Oregon — the state’s first. A seventh presumptive California case is awaiting confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All of the […]
Nov 19, 2024
First U.S. Case of Spreading New Mpox Type Reported in California
NYT The unidentified patient had recently returned from Africa, where the virus has caused a deadly epidemic, health officials said. A person in California has tested positive for a form of mpox causing a widespread epidemic in Africa, the state’s Department of Public Health reported on Saturday. It is the first known case in the […]
Nov 19, 2024
DOH notifies public of potential exposure to avian flu at Mililani pet fair
Hawaii News An investigation by the Hawaii Department of Health and Hawaii Department of Agriculture confirmed a potential avian flu exposure to members of the public who attended the Mililani Pet Fair held on Nov. 2. Officials say they confirmed H5N1 avian influenza in a backyard flock of various birds in Central Oahu connected to the pet […]
Nov 19, 2024
S. Korea reports season’s second avian influenza case
MSN South Korea has confirmed the season’s second case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) at a poultry farm, the North Chungcheong provincial government said Friday. The announcement came after the agricultural ministry identified a suspected case the previous day at the duck farm in Eumseong, 94 kilometers south of Seoul. The latest case follows […]
Nov 19, 2024
8 Factors That Put You at Risk of Severe Flu
New York Times Flu infections have started picking up. Here’s what to know. Sore throat. Stuffy nose. Fever, body aches and fatigue. As temperatures drop, cases of the flu have started to rise. For many people, the immune system can clear those symptoms in about a week. But for others, flu can lead to severe illness, […]
Nov 19, 2024