Category: Featured Headlines
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
Some patients in mysterious outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo have malaria, early testing reveals
CNN A mysterious illness outbreak that has sickened at least 416 people and killed 31 in a remote region of the Democratic Republic of Congo may be at least partly caused by malaria, health officials said Tuesday. Information on the situation is still limited. World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that of 12 initial samples […]
Dec 11, 2024
We’re Pandemic Experts. Here’s What Worries Us Most About Bird Flu.
Huff Post Infectious disease experts reveal what does and doesn’t alarm them when it comes to the H5N1 virus. It’s hard to turn on the news or look online without seeing something related to bird flu. Also known as H5N1, the virus is spreading in a few states across the country and sickening animals and farm workers. […]
Dec 11, 2024
Bird flu in California child linked to virus in dairy cows, CDC says
Washington Post There is no evidence the youngster was exposed to livestock or any infected animals, deepening the mystery about the spread of H5N1 bird flu. Federal disease trackers reported Tuesday that the first child diagnosed with bird flu in an ongoing U.S. outbreak was infected with a virus strain moving rapidly through dairy cattle, even though there is […]
Dec 10, 2024
The state of H5N1 avian influenza riskWhy hasn’t the bird flu pandemic started?
Science Some scientists examining mutations found in H5N1 viruses fear major outbreak is imminent but others say pathogen remains unpredictable If the world finds itself amid a flu pandemic in a few months, it won’t be a big surprise. Birds have been spreading a new clade of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, 2.3.4.4b, around the […]
Dec 10, 2024
California: Marin officials report possible bird flu case in child
Marin Independent A child who visited Marin County during Thanksgiving week is being tested for a possible infection of H5N1, the bird flu. Marin’s public health officer, Dr. Lisa Santora, said the child tested positive for influenza type A, a category that includes bird flu. The child had been visiting from out of state for […]
Dec 10, 2024
How worried should we be about Disease X?
NPR They’re calling it Disease X. It’s a mysterious illness circulating in a remote part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Current figures: over 400 cases, including 31 deaths. International health authorities are monitoring. It all started on October 24 when the first patient fell ill with an unidentified sickness. Others soon followed, all in […]
Dec 10, 2024
Single mutation in H5N1 influenza surface protein could enable easier human infection
NIH NIH-funded study finds risk of human infection continues to remain low. A single modification in the protein found on the surface of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 influenza virus currently circulating in U.S. dairy cows could allow for easier transmission among humans, according to new research funded by the National Institutes of […]
Dec 10, 2024