Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Indian scientists predict how bird flu could spread to humans
BBC For years, scientists have warned that bird flu – better known as H5N1 – could one day make the dangerous leap from birds to humans and trigger a global health crisis. Avian flu – a type of influenza – is entrenched across South and South-East Asia and has occasionally infected humans since emerging in […]
Dec 30, 2025
Europe ends 2025 with more than 700 avian flu outbreaks
Watt Poultry To date in 2025, a total of 699 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been recorded in commercial poultry farms in 23 European countries. This is according to the Animal Disease Information System from the European Commission (EC; as of December 24). This database monitors outbreaks of listed animal diseases in European Union member states […]
Dec 30, 2025
A dozen swans have died at Lake Eola in the past week, leaving Orlando officials fearing another outbreak of bird flu at the city’s signature park.
Ohio News City Commissioner Patty Sheehan posted on Facebook that two dead swans were found on Dec. 23, with the number growing to 12 by Sunday. Due to the holidays the city’s specialized veterinarians weren’t available, Sheehan said, but the deceased swans are being stored in a secure area so necropsies can be performed. Prior […]
Dec 30, 2025
12 swans found dead at Florida park. Bird flu is suspected
Tampa News Prior to the recent deaths, the swan population at the park was estimated to be between 50 and 60. A dozen swans have died at Lake Eola in the past week, leaving Orlando officials fearing another outbreak of bird flu at the city’s signature park. City Commissioner Patty Sheehan posted on Facebook that […]
Dec 30, 2025
Measles’ Most Deceptive Trait
The Atlantic Most cases are mild, obscuring the disease’s worst outcomes. In the early 1960s, American childhood was not what it is today. Many children spent hours playing unsupervised in the streets; they rode around in cars without seat belts, then came home to frozen dinners, served in front of TVs blaring cigarette ads. And […]
Dec 30, 2025
Whooping Cough Deaths Rise in U.S. as Surge in Infections Continues
Scientific American The brutal respiratory infection has infected tens of thousands and killed at least 13 people in the U.S. in 2025 Whooping cough cases are sweeping in the U.S., with tens of thousands infected and at least 13 people dead from the bacterial infection this year. While the infection rate is lower than last year, […]
Dec 30, 2025
US measles cases surpass 2,000, highest in 30 years: CDC
ABC News The U.S. has surpassed 2,000 measles cases for the first time in more than 30 years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Dec. 23, a total of 2,012 cases have been reported in the U.S. Of those cases, 24 were reported among international visitors to the […]
Dec 30, 2025
Flu cases are surging and rates will likely get worse, new CDC data shows
NPR Flu season is off to a rough start this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the virus arrived as expected, cases are rising faster, compared with previous years. Last week, more than 19,000 patients with influenza were admitted to hospitals, up about 10,000 from the previous week, according to new […]
Dec 30, 2025
Whooping cough cases soar as vaccination rates drop
NBC News In an NBC News data investigation of 31 states, about 70% of counties and jurisdictions fell below the target vaccination rate needed for community protection. At just 2 weeks old, Feleena Owens was struggling to breathe. The newborn was coughing so badly, her skin turned a sickly gray-blue color. Her face contorted as […]
Dec 17, 2025
Recent Florida Cases of Chikungunya Linked to Cuba Travelers, Reminder Vector-Borne Illness is Still Circulating
Contagion Live During this time of year, much of the US becomes too cold for mosquitos to transmit vector-borne diseases. However, Chikungunya is still be transmitted in tropical environments. For example, 29 countries in the Caribbean region have documented cases of this disease as of December. One particularly hard hit country has been Cuba. Over […]
Dec 17, 2025