Timely and relevant global health security news curated by GCHS
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Featured Headlines
- Kent meningitis outbreak: the latest on the bacterial strain at its centreThe Conversation A meningitis outbreak in Kent has been caused by a strain of bacteria that appears to be genetically distinct from anything scientists have seen before. Health officials are working urgently to understand what that means. As of March 23, 23 young people have been confirmed as cases or considered probable cases of invasive meningococcal… Read more: Kent meningitis outbreak: the latest on the bacterial strain at its centre
- UK Meningitis Outbreak May Worsen, Health Security Agency WarnsBloomberg The UK meningitis outbreak may worsen in coming weeks and months, with further contamination unrelated to the southeastern county of Kent where it first emerged. There is a risk that the epidemic will move from level 1, in which there is one known case cluster and a small number of cases elsewhere derive from… Read more: UK Meningitis Outbreak May Worsen, Health Security Agency Warns
- TB: After Hopes Of Eradication, The World’s Deadliest Infection Is Creeping Back In The US With A VengeanceIFL Science Cases have been slowly rising in the US, the UK, and much of the world since 2021. The world’s top infectious killer, tuberculosis (TB), has plagued humans for thousands of years, and it isn’t going anywhere just yet. Since being scientifically identified in 1882, the disease has killed over 1 billion people –… Read more: TB: After Hopes Of Eradication, The World’s Deadliest Infection Is Creeping Back In The US With A Vengeance
Updates on ongoing disease outbreaks
- Could bird flu still spark a pandemic?Science Friday Bird flu has flown off the national news radar, with only scattered, local reports of dead birds in parks and poultry farms. Is it simply no longer a concern, or have cuts to federal science funding disrupted monitoring for this disease? Airborne pathogens expert Seema Lakdawala gives a flyover view on where bird… Read more: Could bird flu still spark a pandemic?
- Has bird flu killed millions of chickens in Colorado? Colorado Sun Poultry losses due to avian flu in 2024 alone drove up egg prices nationwide by 9%, a University of Arkansas study found. Avian flu outbreaks have led to the deaths of more than 11 million commercial chickens in Colorado since 2022. Federal officials usually require farmers to “depopulate” an entire flock if a… Read more: Has bird flu killed millions of chickens in Colorado?
- H5N1 in marine mammals is spreading: Research tallies over 50,000 seals and sea lions killed along South America’s coastPhys.org When the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was discovered on a poultry farm in Asia in 1996, there was little indication that it would become so widespread and so destructive. Within 30 years, it reached every continental region except Oceania, infecting more than 400 million poultry, tens of thousands of elephant seals and… Read more: H5N1 in marine mammals is spreading: Research tallies over 50,000 seals and sea lions killed along South America’s coast
- California: 27 elephant seals test positive for bird flu in Bay Area outbreakKRON More than two dozen elephant seals have tested positive for avian influenza since the outbreak at Año Nuevo State Park on the San Mateo County coast began in February, according to an update from UC Davis released Monday. One sea otter and two California sea lions have also tested positive after being found dead… Read more: California: 27 elephant seals test positive for bird flu in Bay Area outbreak
- UK industry welcomes new turkey vaccine trial in bird flu battlePoultry World In a landmark move for the UK poultry sector, a new field trial to test highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) vaccines in turkeys has begun in England. The launch at the beginning of March marks what many in the industry say is a pivotal moment in the long-running battle against a disease that… Read more: UK industry welcomes new turkey vaccine trial in bird flu battle
- Warning to stay away from elephant seals after bird flu detected at Año Nuevo State ParkFox Health officials are warning beachgoers to stay away from marine life after confirming the state’s first cases of bird flu in elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County. Infected seal pups are displaying symptoms including tremors and seizures, according to wildlife experts. The virus is considered highly contagious among animals.… Read more: Warning to stay away from elephant seals after bird flu detected at Año Nuevo State Park
- Four truths about covid that have become clouded over timeWashington Post In the early days, the virus posed a graver threat to people and the health care system, Trump embraced lockdowns he now blasts, and the benefits of vaccines were oversold. Unlike in a hurricane or war zone, much of covid’s toll happened out of… Read more: Four truths about covid that have become clouded over time
- COVID-19’s Stalling Effect on Children’s Executive FunctionNeuroscience.com By tracking over 3,100 children in Massachusetts from 2018 to 2023, researchers found that post-pandemic EF growth rates fell below developmentally typical norms across all socioeconomic groups. This “cognitive stalling” helps explain the widespread academic and behavioral challenges observed in classrooms since the pandemic’s onset,… Read more: COVID-19’s Stalling Effect on Children’s Executive Function
INFLUENZA
- Cancer drug protein target may also help fight influenzaMedical Express A protein already targeted by FDA-approved cancer drugs may also help the body fight influenza, according to new research from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX). Published in Cell Reports, the study found that Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1), a protein best known for helping tumors evade immune attack, instead helped immunocompromised mice clear flu-infected lung cells… Read more: Cancer drug protein target may also help fight influenza
- 8 children have now died from flu in Mass. this seasonBoston.com The child died between the week of Feb. 21 and Feb. 28, the state’s Department of Public Health reported. An eighth Massachusetts child has died from the flu this flu season, state data shows. As of Feb. 28, eight Massachusetts children have died from the influenza, as well as 298 adults, the state’s influenza data… Read more: 8 children have now died from flu in Mass. this season
- CDC Details Seasonal Trends for Respiratory Viruses in the United StatesInfectious Disease Advisor In the United States, seasonal respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS-CoV-2 continue to substantially impact younger children and older adults, according to study findings published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detailed respiratory virus activity between July 2024 and… Read more: CDC Details Seasonal Trends for Respiratory Viruses in the United States
- Missouri health department reports state’s first 2 cases of clade I mpoxKMBC News The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed two cases of clade I mpox in residents who recently traveled internationally. Clade I mpox, formerly referred to as “monkeypox,” has been spreading… Read more: Missouri health department reports state’s first 2 cases of clade I mpox
- More serious mpox strain detected in NYC for first timeCBS News The first case of mpox clade I has been detected in New York City, health officials said Friday. Of the two types of mpox, clade I is known to cause more severe… Read more: More serious mpox strain detected in NYC for first time
- Unvaccinated 17-year-old dies of measles, Health Ministry saysTimes of Israel The Health Ministry reports that an unvaccinated 17-year-old boy died of measles last night. The boy suffered from underlying conditions. When hospitalized two and a half weeks ago, he was diagnosed with measles. This is Israel’s 17th death from measles since the current outbreak began last May. Of the other 16 deaths,… Read more: Unvaccinated 17-year-old dies of measles, Health Ministry says
- How one WA county is racing to curb the spread of measlesSeattle Times Getting word that out-of-state travelers may have brought in an extremely contagious virus. Scrambling to notify the public. Tracking exposures. Testing residents. Watching three cases become six, then 10, then 12. The Snohomish County Health Department had again found itself hustling to save lives and prevent hospitalizations, this time in a race against… Read more: How one WA county is racing to curb the spread of measles
- Acting CDC director Bhattacharya urges measles vaccinesThe HIll Jay Bhattacharya, the recently appointed acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on Monday urged families to consider vaccinating against measles as outbreaks across the country continue. In a video statement posted on the social media platform X, Bhattacharya discussed the steps that the CDC is taking the address the measles… Read more: Acting CDC director Bhattacharya urges measles vaccines
- CDC deploys staff to curb South Carolina’s measles outbreakStar Advertiser U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff will arrive in South Carolina next week to help the state contain the largest measles outbreak in the country in decades years, a state official said in a briefing on Wednesday. The first CDC on the ground assist comes some five months after the South… Read more: CDC deploys staff to curb South Carolina’s measles outbreak
Health Policy
- Health Groups Hailed a Vaccine Ruling, but Their Relief May Be Short-LivedNYT Lawyers for both sides in the federal lawsuit, brought by six medical organizations, are trying to understand the ramifications of the judge’s decision. When a federal judge on Monday blocked the changes in vaccine policy set in motion by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the last year, public health groups hailed the… Read more: Health Groups Hailed a Vaccine Ruling, but Their Relief May Be Short-Lived
- FDA’s top infectious disease regulator to depart agencySTAT Adam Sherwat’s office has faced scrutiny from top FDA official Tracy Beth Høeg. The Food and Drug Administration official in charge of reviewing infectious disease products is leaving the agency, according to an email viewed by STAT. Adam Sherwat, the director of the Office of Infectious Diseases in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation… Read more: FDA’s top infectious disease regulator to depart agency
- FDA Launches New Combined Adverse Event DatabaseMedPage Today System will replace safety databases monitoring drugs, devices, food, and more. “The FDA’s previous adverse event reporting systems were outdated and fragmented and made important data difficult to access,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, said in the release. “These clunky systems also wasted millions of taxpayer dollars and created blind spots in… Read more: FDA Launches New Combined Adverse Event Database
Emerging Infectious Disease Headlines
- Trinidad: Health Ministry urges caution as monkey dies from yellow feverTrinidad Guardian The Ministry of Health has confirmed a case of yellow fever in a deceased Red Howler monkey following laboratory testing. It is assuring the public that there are… Read more: Trinidad: Health Ministry urges caution as monkey dies from yellow fever
- Phase III TB vaccines and MDR-TB treatmentsClinical Trials Arena GlobalData epidemiologists project TB cases across the 16 major markets to reach 4.5 million by 2033. It has been several years since a new tuberculosis (TB) drug… Read more: Phase III TB vaccines and MDR-TB treatments
- TB: After Hopes Of Eradication, The World’s Deadliest Infection Is Creeping Back In The US With A VengeanceIFL Science Cases have been slowly rising in the US, the UK, and much of the world since 2021. The world’s top infectious killer, tuberculosis (TB), has plagued humans for… Read more: TB: After Hopes Of Eradication, The World’s Deadliest Infection Is Creeping Back In The US With A Vengeance
- 5 things you need to know about meningitisWashington Post Two people died in an outbreak of bacterial meningitis in England. The infection, which is rare, requires prompt medical treatment to avoid severe complications. Two young adults, an… Read more: 5 things you need to know about meningitis
- Cancer drug protein target may also help fight influenzaMedical Express A protein already targeted by FDA-approved cancer drugs may also help the body fight influenza, according to new research from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX). Published in Cell Reports, the… Read more: Cancer drug protein target may also help fight influenza
- Recorded Cases of Meningitis Rise to 20 as UK Outbreak WorsensEMJ CASES of meningococcal disease in Kent, UK, have risen to 20, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed today. As of 5pm on Tuesday, nine laboratory cases are confirmed… Read more: Recorded Cases of Meningitis Rise to 20 as UK Outbreak Worsens
Read more Emerging Infectious Diseases
- ‘Truly transformative’ new diagnostic tools can help end tuberculosisUN TB is caused by bacteria that most often affects the lungs. Every day, over 3,300 people die from the disease, with Southeast Asia accounting for nearly 40 per cent of deaths. Yet it is both preventable and treatable, including by using the antibiotic rifampicin. WHO has issued new guidelines on testing,… Read more: ‘Truly transformative’ new diagnostic tools can help end tuberculosis
- Digital early warning systems essential as old diseases like cholera resurge in global crisis zonesJMIR Publications JMIR Publications today released a critical analysis in its News and Perspectives section regarding the global resurgence of cholera and the vital role of digital surveillance in fragile settings. The article, “When Old Diseases Return: Cholera,… Read more: Digital early warning systems essential as old diseases like cholera resurge in global crisis zones
- Long-term brain effects of COVID-19 vs. flu: Study reveals key differencesMedical Express Even a mild case of COVID-19 or the flu can impact the body long after the fever and cough fade, according to new Tulane University research that may help explain why some people… Read more: Long-term brain effects of COVID-19 vs. flu: Study reveals key differences
- US left without functioning vaccine panel as adviser says ‘drama distracts’The Guardian Move comes after judge voided Kennedy’s ACIP picks, leaving key flu, Covid and RSV vaccines in limbo. Amid upheaval to the US vaccine advisory committee Robert Malone, the former co-chair and controversial figure who… Read more: US left without functioning vaccine panel as adviser says ‘drama distracts’
- Phase III TB vaccines and MDR-TB treatmentsClinical Trials Arena GlobalData epidemiologists project TB cases across the 16 major markets to reach 4.5 million by 2033. It has been several years since a new tuberculosis (TB) drug advanced into Phase III… Read more: Phase III TB vaccines and MDR-TB treatments
- In Talking to Parents About Vaccines, Pediatricians Navigate a Sea of MisinformationNYT Practitioners nationwide are striving to do what’s best for children’s health, while staying supportive in the face of mistrust and confusion. As she examined 11-day-old Asher, her eighth patient of the day, Alissa Parker talked to his parents about… Read more: In Talking to Parents About Vaccines, Pediatricians Navigate a Sea of Misinformation
- Real or Fake? Tips and Tools for Identifying AI-Generated ImagesNice News Artificial intelligence imagery is getting harder and harder to spot. In the best case scenario, we end up simply laughing at a funny moment that never actually happened. In the worst case, we buy into misinformation that warps… Read more: Real or Fake? Tips and Tools for Identifying AI-Generated Images
- New Zealand Covid response among world’s best but ‘scars’ remain, inquiry findsThe Guardian Royal commission says response led by Jacinda Ardern was broadly ‘appropriate’, in a wide-ranging report featuring recommendations for future pandemics. A royal commission into New Zealand’s Covid response has found it was one of the best in the… Read more: New Zealand Covid response among world’s best but ‘scars’ remain, inquiry finds
- The United States Leaves the WHO. Three Reforms Could Motivate Its ReturnThink Global Health A former special advisor to the WHO director general outlines arenas that could strengthen global health regardless of a U.S. withdrawal. On Thursday, the required one-year notice period will pass since the United States declared its intention to leave the World… Read more: The United States Leaves the WHO. Three Reforms Could Motivate Its Return
Interesting and Sometimes Funny
- The Trip to the Far Side of the Moon
The Wire As soon as April 1, four people will embark on a journey that will take them farther from the Earth than anyone has ever traveled before. When NASA’s new moon rocket lifts off as soon as April 1, its immense core stage will mix 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen with 196,000 gallons of liquid… Read more: The Trip to the Far Side of the Moon