Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Flu Outbreak in China Intensifies as Infection Rises for Sixth Week
Bloomberg An influenza outbreak in China picked up intensity over the past week as a major city prepared to enforce pandemic-style lockdowns to curb the surge in infections. The positivity rate for flu jumped to 41.6% in the week beginning March 5 from 25.1% the previous week, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention […]
Mar 14, 2023
Cameroon Situation Update on Marburg
DOWNLOAD Marburg Virus Disease (MVM) Situation Report No. 3 HIGHLIGHTS Machine Translated AREAS OF INTERVENTION 1. MONITORING 1.1 Alert management Alerts come from health facilities (71.4%), calls from the community (21.4%) and investigation teams (7.2%). 1.2 Surveillance at points of entry In total 285 Disembarked, 285 Screened, 285 Sensitized and no suspected cases 2. CONTACT INVESTIGATION […]
Mar 14, 2023
(The Conversation) The World Health Organization confirmed an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus disease in the central African country of Equatorial Guinea on Feb. 13, 2023. To date, there have been 11 deaths suspected to be caused by the virus, with one case confirmed. Authorities are currently monitoring 48 contacts, four of whom have developed symptoms and […]
Mar 14, 2023
(Foreign Affairs) In 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush stood at a podium in Bethesda, Maryland, to make an important announcement. He was joined by five members of his cabinet, two senators, three congressmen, and multiple international guests. It was an unusual show of force for a press conference, and with two unpopular wars underway […]
Mar 14, 2023
It’s Time for a Flu Vaccine—for Birds
Wired Avian influenza has killed millions of birds. Shots to prevent it already exist. Why isn’t the entire poultry industry using them? The wave of avian influenza H5N1—which so far has hit 76 countries, triggered national emergencies, and created the worst animal-disease outbreak in US history—keeps roaring through wild birds and commercial poultry. More than 140 […]
Mar 8, 2023
Covid backlash hobbles public health and future pandemic response
Washington Post When the next pandemic sweeps the United States, health officials in Ohio won’t be able to shutter businesses or schools, even if they become epicenters of outbreaks. Nor will they be empowered to force Ohioans who have been exposed to go into quarantine. State officials in North Dakota are barred from directing people […]
Mar 8, 2023
Masks Cut Secondary SARS-CoV-2 Infections by Half
JAMA After exposure to someone with SARS-CoV-2 infection, an uninfected person’s risk of infection is cut in half if both people wore masks, researchers reported in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Public health authorities in Johnson County, Iowa, launched their study after the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) in September 2020 overrode the CDC’s recommended 14-day quarantine […]
Mar 8, 2023
How to stop the bird flu outbreak becoming a pandemic
Nature From tracking the disease’s spread in wild birds to updating human vaccines, there are measures that could help keep avian influenza in check. Fears are rising about bird flu’s potential to spark a human pandemic, as well as its destruction of wildlife and farmed birds. An 11-year-old girl tragically died in Cambodia last week after […]
Mar 7, 2023
New Covid Boosters’ Protection Waned After Two Months, Study Says
Bloomberg Covid-19 bivalent boosters’ protection against death and hospitalization in elderly people began waning as soon as two months after vaccination, according to a preprint study. Link to Study The findings build on previous reports about the effectiveness of updated boosters from Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc., which showed the shots sharply reduced risks of severe Covid in older adults, […]
Mar 7, 2023
Bacterial co-infections cause twofold increase in mortality in COVID patients: study
Fierce Healthcare Though the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be ebbing significantly in the U.S., endemic COVID-19 still poses a challenge, experts say. Last Friday saw 31,443 new cases of COVID-19, while 344 people died from the disease, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Experts continue to measure the full effects of the pandemic. A study published last […]
Mar 7, 2023