Category: Featured Headlines
Congo’s health ministry identifies flu-like disease as severe malaria
CBC Democratic Republic of Congo’s health ministry said on Tuesday that a previously unidentified disease circulating in the southwestern Kwango province is a severe form of malaria. Earlier this month, local authorities said the disease had killed 143 people in the country’s Panzi health zone in November. The symptoms of the disease are fever, headache, […]
Dec 17, 2024
Delaware reports probable human case of H5 bird flu
BNO News A probable case of H5 bird flu was found during routine flu surveillance in Delaware, according to state and federal officials. The source of the infection – which would be the first in Delaware – is unknown. The CDC said the case in Delaware meets the definition of a “probable case,” which means […]
Dec 17, 2024
Alarming Mutation in H5N1 Virus Raises Pandemic Red Flags
Sci Tech Daily A recent study published in Science and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that a single alteration in a protein on the surface of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus—currently present in U.S. dairy cows—could significantly increase its potential for human-to-human transmission. These findings highlight the critical importance of ongoing […]
Dec 17, 2024
Another Pandemic Is Inevitable, and We’re Not Ready
Bloomberg President-elect Trump’s picks to lead the nation’s top public health agencies also don’t inspire confidence. Every week or so, scientists issue another warning that the H5N1 bird flu is inching closer to exploding into a pandemic. Despite having contended with a pandemic that broke out less than five years ago, the US has no solid plan to handle […]
Dec 17, 2024
LDH detects first presumptive positive human H5N1 case in Louisiana
Louisiana Dept of Health The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has detected the first presumptive positive human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1, in Louisiana. The individual is a resident of southwestern Louisiana and is currently hospitalized. LDH’s Office of Public Health is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]
Dec 17, 2024
CDC Can’t Confirm Suspected Bird Flu Case Tied to Raw Milk
MedPageToday CDC could not confirm what was suspected to have been the first H5N1 bird flu case linked to raw milk consumption The patient, a child in Marin County, California, experienced fever and vomiting after drinking raw milk, as reported last week. The child initially tested positive for influenza A, with the local lab unable to […]
Dec 17, 2024
For Wild Animals, the Bird Flu Disaster Is Already Here
NYT Scientists are concerned that the H5N1 virus could set off another human pandemic. But it is already putting species under pressure in the wild. Every spring, more than 200,000 northern gannets — stocky seabirds with dazzling white feathers — journey to the coast of eastern Canada. There, they blanket oceanside cliffs and rocky outcroppings, […]
Dec 17, 2024
Texas: Health district confirms county’s first case of bird flu
Galveston Daily News The Galveston County Health District on Tuesday confirmed the county’s first positive case of avian influenza, which was detected in a bird found in Texas City. The virus, commonly referred to as avian flu, is a viral infection widespread in wild birds worldwide and also has been found in dairy cows, according […]
Dec 17, 2024
Sierra Leone on High Alert Following Suspected Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Case
X @slnpha of #SierraLeone has issued an update regarding a suspected case of Viral #HemorrhagicFever (VHF) in #Kono District. According to the NPHA, all 290 contacts identified in Kono—classified as high, medium, and low risk—have completed their 21-day observation period without exhibiting symptoms. Contacts from the Western Area are also under close monitoring, having completed […]
Dec 11, 2024
U.S. Milk to Be Tested for Bird Flu Virus
NYT New federal rules call for testing unpasteurized milk from dairy processors and for farm owners to provide details that would help officials identify and track cases more easily. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin testing the nation’s milk supply for the bird flu virus known as H5N1, nearly a year after the virus […]
Dec 11, 2024