Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Super-chickens to the rescue: Scientists show how CRISPR gene editing can combat bird flu
USA Today The chicken may be getting an upgrade. In a scientific first, U.K. researchers have used gene editing technology to create poultry that’s partially resistant to bird flu infection, according to a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications. It’s no bionic chicken. But study authors say growing disease-resistant chickens in the lab is an […]
Oct 10, 2023
Maryland Department of Health announces first travel-related case, death due to tickborne illness Powassan
Maryland Dept of Health The Maryland Department of Health today announced the first travel-related Powassan virus death in Maryland. The Department confirmed the presence of Powassan, which is spread by the bite of an infected tick, on Sept. 22, with subsequent follow-ups reinforcing that result. “We are very saddened to report the first death due […]
Oct 10, 2023
Cambodia records second bird flu death in a week, third this year
Journal Record A 2-year-old girl is the second person in Cambodia to die of bird flu this week, and the third this year, the country’s Health Ministry has announced. Laboratory tests confirmed that the girl, who lived in the southeastern province of Prey Veng, died Monday with H5N1 avian influenza, the ministry said in a […]
Oct 10, 2023
‘Unprecedented outbreak’ of bird flu reaches Puget Sound harbor seals
Seattle News They might be fun to look at, but experts a warning to keep distance from harbor seals in the Puget Sound. This warning comes after a worldwide outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza jumped to local harbor seals. In September, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fisheries announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary […]
Oct 10, 2023
Humans Can No Longer Ignore the Threat of Fungi
The Atlantic Back at the turn of the 21st century, valley fever was an obscure fungal disease in the United States, with fewer than 3,000 reported cases a year, mostly in California and Arizona. Two decades later, cases of valley fever have exploded, increasing roughly sevenfold by 2019. And valley fever isn’t alone. Fungal diseases […]
Oct 4, 2023
How is leprosy spreading domestically in the US? Some experts point to armadillos.
USA Today There’s a medical mystery brewing in Florida and an unsuspecting, mild-mannered mammal may be at the center of it. Some experts say the nine-banded armadillo may be behind a rise in domestically transmitted cases of leprosy. Another group quick to defend the armored creature says there’s little data to support armadillos – which […]
Oct 3, 2023
Why you should wait a few days before taking an at-home COVID test if you’re sick
ABC News The best time to take an at-home COVID-19 test may be on the fourth day of having symptoms, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Researchers looked at nearly 350 people and found that viral load peaked a few days after symptoms started. “Viral load just refers to the amount of virus […]
Oct 3, 2023
India: Nipah Virus Infection Update
WHO From 12 to 15 September 2023, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, reported six laboratory-confirmed Nipah virus cases, including two deaths, in Kozhikode district, Kerala. Aside from the first case, whose source of infection is unknown, the other cases were family and hospital contacts of the first case. As of […]
Oct 3, 2023
Nigeria: Lassa Fever Kills 181 Persons, Infects 1,068 In 28 States
Daily Trust Lassa fever has killed 181 persons across 28 states since the beginning of the year. The latest situation report released yesterday by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said , “In total for 2023, 28 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 112 local government areas .” It […]
Oct 3, 2023
Bangladesh dengue deaths top 1,000 in worst outbreak
NBC News At least 1,017 people have died so far in 2023 and nearly 209,000 have been infected, official data showed, making this the deadliest year since the first recorded epidemic in 2000. The death toll from Bangladesh’s worst dengue outbreak on record has topped 1,000 this year, official data showed, with hospitals struggling to make space for […]
Oct 3, 2023