Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
South Korea reports eight bird flu outbreaks on farms
Herald South Korea has reported eight cases of H5N6 bird flu on farms, prompting the culling of more than 500,000 poultry, the World Organisation for Animal Health says. The outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, were detected between December 5 and December 11, in villages in the western part of the […]
Dec 19, 2023
What to Know About the New Covid Variants
NYT HV.1 has overtaken EG.5 as the leading variant in the U.S. Scientists are also watching two other variants, BA.2.86 and JN.1. Two closely related variants, EG.5 and HV.1, currently comprise nearly half of the Covid-19 cases in the United States. EG.5 became the dominant variant nationwide in August. At that time, the World Health Organization classified […]
Dec 19, 2023
Map Shows Where Deadly Mpox Cases Are Rising as CDC Issues Warning
Newsweek A map by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows the provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where cases of mpox are on the rise as U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issues a travel health notice. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare disease caused by infection with […]
Dec 12, 2023
CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify healthcare providers and the public about an outbreak of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) among people in the United States with recent travel to or residence in the city of Tecate, state of Baja California, […]
Dec 12, 2023
How long are you contagious with COVID? Here’s what to know if you test positive
NBC News/Chicago With COVID cases and other respiratory viruses on the rise, you might know someone who has recently tested positive or wondered how long a person is contagious. The answer depends on several factors. As of Friday, 44 counties in Illinois were at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the state’s Department of […]
Dec 12, 2023
The avian flu virus is rapidly spreading through commercial flocks in the U.S.
Food Safety News The Avian influenza summer break is not only over, it has been smashed. In the past 30 days, the virus has spread to 106 commercial flocks in 23 states. And California is the latest to report outbreaks —in two broiler operations in Stanislaus County and an egg-laying business in Sonoma County. The […]
Dec 12, 2023
Bird Flu Claims Nearly 1,000 Seals and Sea Lions in Southern Brazil
Richmond.com Video at the link – In southern Brazil, an alarming avian influenza outbreak has claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 seals and sea lions, marking the first occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the country. The southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, has reported an unprecedented 942 sea mammal deaths due to […]
Dec 12, 2023
Bird flu kills thousands of Common Cranes in Hungary
Bird Guides Bird flu has ripped through Hungary’s important population of migratory Common Cranes this autumn, killing tens of thousands of birds. The deadly virus was first noted in the country in early November, in the counties of Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. It wasn’t long before it was evident at the world-famous birding destination of the Hortobágy NP – which […]
Dec 12, 2023
What Does A Faint Line On A COVID-19 Rapid Test Mean? Here’s What Experts Say
Women’s Health Nothing puts a damper on your holiday plans like a positive COVID-19 test, am I right? But what if that line is, like, super faint? Do you still have COVID—or can you go ahead and attend your office party like you planned? Well, unfortunately, infectious disease experts stress that a faint line is definitely worth paying […]
Dec 12, 2023
We’re Living the Reality of the Pandemic’s Simplest Math
The Atlantic Sick season will be worse from now on. Last fall, when RSV and flu came roaring back from a prolonged and erratic hiatus, and COVID was still killing thousands of Americans each week, many of the United States’ leading infectious-disease experts offered the nation a glimmer of hope. The overwhelm, they predicted, was probably temporary—viruses making […]
Dec 5, 2023