Category: Featured
‘Incredibly concerning’: Bird flu outbreak at Spanish mink farm triggers pandemic fears
(Science) Spread among captive mink could give the H5N1 strain opportunities to evolve and adapt to mammals. When mink at a big farm in Galicia, a region in northwestern Spain, started to die in October 2022, veterinarians initially thought the culprit might be SARS-CoV-2, which has struck mink farms in several other countries. But lab […]
Jan 31, 2023
Bangladesh: Nipah virus kills at least five this winter, infects more
(BG News) Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said the Nipah virus afflicted eight people around the country this winter, claiming five lives. Most of the cases were from Rajshahi Division and all were currently in treatment, Maleque said on Sunday. “The infected are under care at the Mohakhali Infectious Disease Hospital. Authorities have set up […]
Jan 31, 2023
COVID flashback: On Jan. 30, 2020, WHO declared a global health emergency
(NPR) On Jan. 30, 2020, the World Health Organization sounded the alarm about an unfamiliar and deadly new virus, declaring it a global health emergency. “Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed the emergence of a previously unknown pathogen, which has escalated into an unprecedented outbreak,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. Tedros was […]
Jan 31, 2023
Trying to crack the Nipah code: How does this deadly virus spill from bats to humans?
(NPR) It’s dusk in central Bangladesh, in a community within the district of Faridpur. A 50-year-old man sits outside his home beside a rice paddy. His name is Khokon. A fiery beard, dyed a bright orange, rings his chin. He says the procession of disease and death all started in the spring of 2004. “So […]
Jan 31, 2023
U.S. Plans to End Public Health Emergency for Covid in May
(New York Times) The end of the emergency, planned for May 11, will bring about a complex set of policy changes and signals a new chapter in the government’s pandemic response. The move carries both symbolic weight and real-world consequences. Millions of Americans have received free Covid tests, treatments and vaccines during the pandemic, and […]
Jan 31, 2023
(NBC News) The fungus that causes Valley fever is found in hot, dry environments. As the climate warms, scientists project its range will expand. Valley fever is an infection caused by breathing in spores of the fungus coccidioides. The spores can survive through heat and drought, lingering in the soil. When the dirt is disturbed […]
Jan 31, 2023
The U.S. Still Doesn’t Have Good COVID-19 Data. Here’s Why That’s a Problem
(Time Magazine) Check the COVID-19 Data Tracker from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and you’ll get a rundown of the latest case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths. Those categories might seem straightforward, but the data, say many experts, are telling us a lot less than we think they are. That’s because it’s getting increasingly […]
Jan 31, 2023
(JAMA) Question Where does COVID-19 rank as an underlying cause of death for children and young people aged 0 to 19 years in the US? Findings Among children and young people aged 0 to 19 years in the US, COVID-19 ranked eighth among all causes of deaths, fifth in disease-related causes of deaths (excluding unintentional injuries, assault, […]
Jan 31, 2023
What infectious disease doctors want you to know as the COVID-19 pandemic enters its 4th year
(Boston.com) The trends for COVID-19 are looking more promising as January comes to a close, after a spike in cases and hospitalizations earlier this month prompted officials in the area to urge the use of masks in indoor public spaces to help prevent transmission. The wave of cases even prompted some local schools, including Chelsea Public Schools and […]
Jan 27, 2023
Mink-farm outbreak shows bird flu can spread between mammals
(Nature) A new variant of H5N1 influenza could pose an increased risk to people and wild animals. An outbreak of avian influenza on a mink farm in Spain provides the strongest evidence so far that the H5N1 strain of flu can spread from one infected mammal to another. The outbreak of H5N1 flu, described in […]
Jan 24, 2023
