Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Why a flu transmission experiment didn’t spread the flu
The Conversation A group of volunteers spent days locked in a small hotel room with people actively infected with flu. They played games, shared objects and exercised together in conditions designed to help the virus spread. Yet not a single person caught influenza. The unexpected finding comes from a well-designed study that set out to […]
Jan 21, 2026
Got the flu? Here’s what to know about antivirals to fight it.
Washington Post This flu season is shaping up to be particularly bad. Here are antiviral medications to consider if you test positive. If you are sniffling, coughing and feeling feverish, you may have the flu. And you are not alone. There have been at least 15 million cases of the flu in the United States […]
Jan 21, 2026
Tennessee: Fungal infection spreads in two counties; health officials say
WREG The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) reported a fungal infection outbreak spreading in parts of Middle Tennessee, and there are at least 18 known cases currently, according to a document on its website. TDH says the fungal infection is referred to as histoplasmosis, caused by histoplasma, which is a fungus that grows in soil that’s […]
Jan 21, 2026
Screwworm worries and worse
Beef Magazine eports keep coming in of increased New World Screwworm (NWS) cases in northern Mexico. And this too-close-for-comfort activity has U.S. cattle markets and cattlemen on edge. USDA’s APHIS website on Thursday afternoon, January 15th, showed several new cases of NWS in Mexico that cropped up during the week, including six new cases in […]
Jan 21, 2026
Why the same cold virus makes some people more miserable than others
Washington Post A new study shows the intricacies of the cold virus and how it interacts with nasal airway cells, revealing why some people are hit harder than others. When the common cold rips through a household, it can leave a wildly uneven path of symptoms. The same cold-causing rhinovirus that produces barely a sniffle […]
Jan 21, 2026
Vitamin D deficiency linked to respiratory infection risk
University of Reading Severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher rate of hospitalisation for respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, according to a new studyinvolving scientists from the University of Reading. Scientists found that those with a severe deficiency (below 15 nnmol/L) were 33 per cent more likely to be admitted to hospital for […]
Jan 21, 2026
More than half of mpox patients in 2022 outbreak experienced lasting physical effects: Study
ABC News Many patients who contracted mpox during the 2022 outbreak experienced physical effects more than a year later, a new study published on Monday finds. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Columbia University’s division of Infectious siseases and the University of Texas Health Science Center looked at more than 300 adults who […]
Jan 21, 2026
Hidden mpox exposure detected in healthy Nigerian adults, revealing under-recognised transmission
University of Cambridge The mpox virus appears to be circulating silently in parts of Nigeria, in many cases without the symptoms typically associated with the disease, according to new research led by scientists from the University of Cambridge and partners in Nigeria. The findings may have implications for controlling the spread of the disease. In […]
Jan 21, 2026
Senior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in U.S. would be ‘cost of doing business’
STAT With measles transmission in the United States at levels that haven’t been seen in decades, the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that he would not view the loss of the country’s measles elimination status as a significant event. “Not really,” said Ralph Abraham, a physician who formerly […]
Jan 21, 2026
South Carolina: At least 88 new measles cases confirmed
ABC News At least 88 new measles cases in South Carolina have been confirmed amid the state’s outbreak, bringing the total number of infections to 646, state health officials said Tuesday. The majority of cases have been found in the Upstate region and around Spartanburg County, which sits on the border with North Carolina. The South Carolina […]
Jan 21, 2026