Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Nature H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza virus has killed thousands of marine mammals in South America since 2022. Here we report epidemiological data and full genome characterization of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAI viruses associated with a massive outbreak in southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at Península Valdés, Argentina, in October 2023. We also report on […]
Nov 12, 2024
WHO says mpox cases in Congo’s epicenter where the new variant was detected may be ‘plateauing’
AP Cases of mpox in the region of Congo where a new and more infectious variant was first detected appear to be “plateauing,” the World Health Organization said on Monday, even as the virus continues to increase in other areas of the country, as well as in Burundi and Uganda. A report by the U.N. health agency said the […]
Nov 12, 2024
Idaho health agency halts COVID vaccine program, joining backlash
USA Today A health department in Idaho has voted to halt its COVID-19 vaccination program, joining the growing number of regional governments pushing back against federal vaccination recommendations. These actions concern some public health experts who fear health departments elsewhere in the country may stop offering vaccines and other vital health services. Board members at […]
Nov 12, 2024
VA marks millionth COVID case as officials warn health threat persists
Military Times Veterans Affairs medical officials recorded their millionth diagnosed COVID-19 case Wednesday, a milestone that department experts say serves as a reminder that the virus remains a public health threat even years after the height of the global pandemic. “COVID-19 continues to be the most significant viral respiratory infection in our community,” said Dr. Gio Baracco, senior advisor for […]
Nov 6, 2024
Team from UNMC’s global center return from assisting with Marburg outbreak in Rwanda
Omaha World Herald Three infectious diseases experts with the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Global Center for Health Security have returned to Omaha after spending about two weeks in Rwanda assisting with the east African nation’s response to an outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a type of hemorrhagic fever. Dr. James Lawler, an associate director […]
Nov 6, 2024
A Sexually Transmitted Ringworm Fungus Is Spreading in New York City
Gizmodo Dermatologists have discovered five cases of sexually transmitted ringworm in New York City caused by the fungus TMVII this year, the first ever detected in the United States. An unwelcome germ visitor to the Big Apple is making itself cozy. In a recent paper published last month, scientists have reported the growing emergence of […]
Nov 6, 2024
Avian flu outbreak in California leads to depopulation of 1.5 million chickens and turkeys
Fresno Bee An outbreak of the avian flu on California’s poultry ranches continues to climb with more than 1.5 million chickens and turkeys being depopulated as part of the state’s eradication effort. The latest county to get hit is Sacramento County, where 48,300 commercial turkeys were killed after the highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed […]
Nov 5, 2024
Study of H5N1 from an infected person
NIH A highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak in U.S. dairy cattle began in early 2024. As of early November, infections have been confirmed in hundreds of cattle in 15 states. More than 40 human cases have also been reported. Most of the human cases were in farm workers who had mild respiratory symptoms […]
Nov 5, 2024
Bird flu virus found in Los Angeles County wastewater
Los Angeles Times Los Angeles County health officials said they have detected H5N1 bird flu virus in wastewater collected from the A.K. Warren Water Resource Facility in Carson. The viral “hit” was detected on Oct. 28 by WastewaterSCAN, an infectious disease monitoring network run by researchers at Stanford, Emory University and Verily, Alphabet Inc.’s life sciences organization. […]
Nov 5, 2024
Bird Flu Cases May be Spreading From Cat Owners to Their Pets
Newsweek Internal emails reveal Michigan health officials suspected that owners may have inadvertently spread bird flu to their household cats, raising new concerns about transmission patterns of the virus. “If we only could have gotten testing on the [REDACTED] household members, their clothing if possible, and their workplaces, we may have been able to prove human-to-cat transmission,” officials […]
Nov 5, 2024