Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Top COVID FAQs of 2023: Staying safe at home, flying tips, shot combos, new variant
NPR This is the year that the COVID-19 pandemic was declared to be no longer a global health emergency. But even though case counts are down in 2023, it’s not as if everything is back to normal. There is, for example, a new omicron variant that was first detected in late summer and has spread […]
Dec 26, 2023
New COVID variant JN.1 surges to 44% of cases, CDC estimates — even higher in New York, New Jersey
CBS News The new COVID-19 variant that scientists call JN.1 now makes up about 44.1% of COVID-19 cases across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Friday, marking another week of the fast-spreading variant’s steep rise in the U.S. The increase is more than two times larger than the 21.3% that the CDC now […]
Dec 26, 2023
Utah clinic offers new treatment for patients dealing with Long COVID
KSL.com While the COVID-19 pandemic may seem like it’s in the rearview mirror, many people are still struggling with long-term effects of the disease. At one point in 2022, the CDC reported that 1 in 5 adults who contracted the virus were still experiencing long COVID. The numbers have decreased since then, but the effects of long […]
Dec 26, 2023
Millions Infected with Dengue as Temperature Rises
VOA The disease dengue is spreading across the Western Hemisphere in numbers not seen since record-keeping began in 1980. Experts are warning that rising temperatures and growing cities are increasing the rate of infection. More than 4 million cases have been reported throughout the Americas and the Caribbean so far this year, breaking a record […]
Dec 26, 2023
‘Long Flu’ Is Real — But Long COVID Is Worse, Study Shows
MedPage Today Long-term effects from influenza affect the respiratory system, long COVID is multisystemic. In patients hospitalized for either COVID-19 or seasonal influenza, rates of death, negative effects on long-term health, and hospital readmissions were high, but less so for the flu patients, a comparative analysis showed. Over 18 months of follow-up, patients hospitalized with […]
Dec 19, 2023
4 Big COVID Predictions for 2024
AARP It’s been about four years since COVID-19 was first identified, and in that time, much has changed, including the virus itself. We now have pills that can treat it and at-home tests that can identify an infection. We also have vaccines that have been updated to better match versions of the virus that are currently circulating. Despite […]
Dec 19, 2023
Threat of Nipah virus in winter
Bangladesh Post At least 240 people have died of the Nipah virus across the country in the last 23 years during the winter season, according to media report. At least 339 cases of Nipah virus infection were identified in the country during the period. The deadly virus may spread to different districts of the country […]
Dec 19, 2023
Avian flu blamed for deaths of more than 1,000 snow geese at Cheyenne Bottoms
12 News Testing revealed more than 1,000 migrating snow geese have died of avian influenza at wetlands in central Kansas. Wildlife officials want to bring awareness to protect other birds at Cheyenne Bottoms where dead geese line the shores of its pools. While the avian flu impact raises alarm, compared with the overall population at […]
Dec 19, 2023
HPAI detected in commercial poultry flock in Michigan
Meat and Poultry The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced the second detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial flock in Michigan and in Muskegon County since the disease first reached the state in 2022. The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed an HPAI case at a commercial […]
Dec 19, 2023
Nigeria confirms 13 fresh cases of dengue fever
Gazette The dengue virus (DENV) is a leading mosquito-borne virus with a wide geographical spread and a major public health concern. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 13 cases of dengue fever in Sokoto State, sparking concerns about the low level of awareness among Nigerians regarding this mosquito-borne illness. Despite […]
Dec 19, 2023