Category: Featured Headlines
Flesh-Eating Bacteria That Can Kill in Two Days Spreads in Japan
Bloomberg A disease caused by a rare “flesh-eating bacteria” that can kill people within 48 hours is spreading in Japan after the country relaxed Covid-era restrictions. Cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) reached 977 this year by June 2, higher than the record 941 cases reported for all of last year, according to the National Institute of Infectious […]
Jun 18, 2024
Japan reports record spike in potentially deadly bacterial infection
CNN Cases of a dangerous and highly fatal bacterial infection have reached record levels in Japan, official figures show, with experts so far unable to pinpoint the reason for the rise. As of June 2, Japan’s Health Ministry had recorded 977 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), which has a mortality rate of up […]
Jun 18, 2024
With So Much Bird Flu Around, Are Eggs, Chicken, and Milk Still Safe to Consume?
Wired Recent outbreaks of bird flu—in US dairy herds, poultry farms in Australia, and elsewhere, and isolated cases in humans—have raised the issue of food safety. So can the virus transfer from infected farm animals to contaminate milk, meat, or eggs? How likely is this? And what do we need to think about to minimize our risk when shopping […]
Jun 12, 2024
ABC News Australia The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the child who contracted Australia’s first human case of a “severe” subtype of bird flu was likely exposed during a trip to India last month. The WHO said on Friday, local time, that genetic sequencing showed the avian influenza virus was H5N1 — a strain […]
Jun 11, 2024
The Dairy Industry Must Act Faster to Keep H5N1 from Starting a Human Epidemic
Scientific American A mystery disease was ripping through the cattle in the Texas panhandle. In early March, roughly three weeks after veterinarians in the panhandle spoke about the first illnesses, one of us (Russo) texted a couple of veterinary colleagues in the thick of the outbreak a recent publication on how H5N1 bird flu was killing unusual numbers […]
Jun 11, 2024
Bird flu outbreak at dairy farms continue to raise concerns about virus spreading
PBS (Audio) The H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, is spreading among dairy cows. It’s been found in over 85 herds across 12 states and at least three farm workers have been sickened. While public health officials say the risk to humans remains low, concerns are growing. William Brangham discussed the threat with Rick […]
Jun 11, 2024
WHO Confirms Human Case of Bird Flu in India
NTD The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that a case of human infection with avian influenza A (H9N2) virus, also known as the bird flu, was detected in a child in the West Bengal state of India. The patient was a 4-year-old child who recovered and was discharged from the hospital, according to […]
Jun 11, 2024
We Are Not Safe from Bird Flu Until We Protect Farm Workers
Time H5N1 avian influenza, or bird flu, continues to rip across the U.S. In just the last few months, it’s infected at least three people—all dairy workers—while spreading among chickens and cows in dozens of farms across several states. Government officials and farmers have been responding to H5N1 since Feb. 2022 when the virus was […]
Jun 11, 2024
CNN Video An update on the current bird flu outbreak: it’s still infecting wild birds, mammals and now several farmworkers in the United States. The virus does not appear to be transmitted between humans, but can we prevent further spread? And what are public health officials doing to contain it? Immunologist and virologist Rick Bright has been […]
Jun 11, 2024
Bird Flu Tests Are Hard To Get. So How Will We Know When To Sound the Pandemic Alarm?
KFF Stanford University infectious disease doctor Abraar Karan has seen a lot of patients with runny noses, fevers, and irritated eyes lately. Such symptoms could signal allergies, covid, or a cold. This year, there’s another suspect, bird flu — but there’s no way for most doctors to know. If the government doesn’t prepare to ramp […]
Jun 11, 2024