Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Mysterious illness claims dozens in remote congo villages, WHO on alert
Medafrica Times A puzzling disease outbreak in northwestern Congo has claimed 53 lives amid 419 reported cases across two isolated villages, baffling health officials who are racing to identify the deadly pathogen. The outbreaks began on January 21 in Equateur province, with many victims succumbing within hours of showing symptoms. Health authorities remain uncertain whether […]
Mar 4, 2025
Why This Measles Outbreak Is Different
The Atlantic America’s regression could change the experience of childhood. In 2000, the CDC declared that measles had been eliminated from the United States. But now America is at risk of losing that status: A measles outbreak has sickened more than 150 people in Texas and New Mexico since late January. An unvaccinated school-aged child recently died […]
Mar 4, 2025
Herding cats: It’s past time to include pets in disease surveillance
STAT H5N1 is just one reason why. As veterinarians, flu scientists, and biosecurity experts, we have watched with growing concern the rise in H5N1 avian influenza in cats. Since 2022, more than 100 domesticated cats in the United States have had confirmed infections — some house pets, some barn cats, some feral — with high mortality, although […]
Mar 4, 2025
The research and development landscape for mpox vaccines
The Lancet On Aug 14, 2024, WHO redeclared the mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). In contrast to the 2022 PHEIC, which was related to the global outbreak of mpox caused by the clade IIb strain, the 2024 PHEIC, attributed to the clade Ib strain, is primarily spreading through human […]
Feb 26, 2025
Why the good news about the mpox outbreak of 2025 isn’t really good after all
NPR Dr. Jean Kaseya has a warning for the world: “We are playing with fire.” Kaseya is director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He’s talking about mpox, a virus that causes painful blisters and can be fatal. For much of the world, mpox — formerly known as monkeypox — seems like […]
Feb 26, 2025
Uganda’s final push to end Ebola
WHO Uganda has entered a crucial 42-day countdown in its battle against the Sudan virus disease (SVD) outbreak, which belongs to the same family as Ebola virus disease. This is a pivotal period that will determine whether the outbreak is officially declared over. Following the full recovery and discharge of all confirmed cases, the Ministry […]
Feb 26, 2025
Red Cross launches an appeal to respond to Uganda’s Eighth Ebola outbreak
IFRC The International Federation of the Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an Emergency Appeal for 6 million Swiss francs to help contain Uganda’s eighth Ebola outbreak since 2000, caused by the Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (SVD), which has already resulted in nine confirmed cases, including one death. Since the outbreak was declared on 30 January […]
Feb 26, 2025
US dodged a bird flu pandemic in 1957 thanks to eggs and dumb luck – with a new strain spreading fast, will Americans get lucky again?
Lake County. News In recent months, Americans looking for eggs have faced empty shelves in their grocery stores. The escalating threat of avian flu has forced farmers to kill millions of chickens to prevent its spread. Nearly 70 years ago, Maurice Hilleman, an expert in influenza, also worried about finding eggs. Hilleman, however, needed eggs not for his breakfast, but […]
Feb 26, 2025
Exposure and survival of wild raptors during the 2022–2023 highly pathogenic influenza a virus outbreak
Nature The global outbreak of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 highly pathogenic influenza A virus (HP H5N1) has had an unprecedented impact on wild birds including raptors, but long-term population impacts have not been addressed. To determine if raptors survive infections with HP H5N1, raptors from the upper Midwest United States were serologically tested for antibodies to […]
Feb 26, 2025
Pennsylvania: Bird flu affecting more than 600 birds at Butler County farm
TribLive The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed Butler County’s first case of bird flu. The virus was detected in a backyard flock of 610 birds. The USDA confirmed the infection on Feb. 20. It classified the farm, which was not identified by the USDA, as a kind that does not sell the birds or their eggs […]
Feb 26, 2025