Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
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
South Africa culls about 7.5 million chickens in an effort to contain bird flu outbreaks
AP South Africa has culled about 7.5 million chickens in an effort to contain dozens of outbreaks of two separate strains of avian influenza that threaten to create a shortage of eggs and poultry for consumers, the government and national poultry association said Tuesday. At least 205,000 chickens have died from bird flu in at least 60 […]
Oct 3, 2023
About 250,000 courses of COVID pill Paxlovid being administered per week – Pfizer CEO
Reuters Pfizer Inc’s chief executive said on Tuesday that almost 250,000 courses of the drugmaker’s oral antiviral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid were being administered per week as cases surged in the United States. Speaking at the Cantor Fitzgerald Annual Healthcare Conference, Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said the company is still uncertain about when Paxlovid, which is […]
Sep 27, 2023
Are Your Expired COVID Tests OK to Use? Find Out Here
C|Net Even if your COVID-19 test kits show they’ve expired, their shelf life could’ve been extended. With COVID-19 cases on the rise once again, you’re likely checking your at-home COVID-19 test kits to make sure they haven’t expired since you received them last year. However, even if your box shows they’re no longer good, it’s […]
Sep 26, 2023
Nipah Virus Outbreak Spreads Across India, Asian Countries as Death Toll Reaches Over 100
NatureWorldNews A Nipah virus outbreak has spread across India and several other Asian countries, as the total death toll has reached more than 100 amid nearly 300 cases, according to reports. In India’s Kerala state, some schools and offices were forced to close as local authorities imposed restrictions to mitigate or stop the spread of […]
Sep 26, 2023