Timely and relevant global health security news curated by GCHS
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Featured Headlines
- India: With 11 deaths, current wave toll in country past 100-markTimes of India The country’s death toll due to Covid-19 has crossed the 100-mark, reaching 108 after as many as 11 deaths were reported on Monday – the highest in a day in the current wave. Kerala reported seven deaths, while a death each occurred in Delhi, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.The seven victims from… Read more: India: With 11 deaths, current wave toll in country past 100-mark
- What Happens to Vaccines Now?NYT Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of an influential committee, including the appointment of new members, has created concern about vaccine access. The U.S. health secretary’s dismissal of an influential vaccine advisory committee this week sowed uncertainty about the future of vaccine recommendations nationwide. On Wednesday, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced eight new members of the Advisory Committee… Read more: What Happens to Vaccines Now?
- DC-area pediatrician on CDC urging summer camp operators to screen for measles immunityWTOP As measles cases near record levels in isolated areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging summer camps to check for documentation of immunity through vaccination or prior infection for all children. “I think there has been increased concerns about potential for additional outbreaks and spread, especially in the setting of waning or lowering… Read more: DC-area pediatrician on CDC urging summer camp operators to screen for measles immunity
- New ‘razor blade throat’ COVID subvariant quickly gains ground in CaliforniaSF Gate A new COVID-19 variant, nicknamed Nimbus, is rising around the world — including in California — and known for giving “razor blade throat” symptoms. Officially called NB.1.8.1, the variant was labeled a “variant under monitoring” by the World Health Organization on May 23, according to a recent report. That means it’s not currently a major threat;… Read more: New ‘razor blade throat’ COVID subvariant quickly gains ground in California
- Former CDC director reacts to RFK Jr.’s firing of entire vaccine advisory panelPBS Newshour The abrupt removal of all of the members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has sparked outrage and worry among many public health experts. That includes the American Medical Association, which called for a Senate investigation into Kennedy today. Geoff Bennett has reaction from Dr. Tom… Read more: Former CDC director reacts to RFK Jr.’s firing of entire vaccine advisory panel
- A huge outbreak has made Ontario the measles centre of the western hemisphereGuardian Outside the emergency room of the St Thomas Elgin general hospital, about 200km (125 miles) south-west of Toronto, a large sign with bright yellow block letters issues an urgent warning: “NO MEASLES VAX & FEVER COUGH RASH – STOP – DO NOT ENTER!” To see such an imperative in the 21st century might have… Read more: A huge outbreak has made Ontario the measles centre of the western hemisphere
- Sierra Leone Is Battling an Mpox Outbreak. What Happens Next Affects Us AllTime Magazine A dangerous mpox outbreak is unfolding in Sierra Leone. In just the first week of May, cases rose by 61%, and suspected cases surged by 71%. Roughly half of all confirmed mpox cases in Africa now come from this small West African nation. The virus is moving widely, across geographies, genders, and age… Read more: Sierra Leone Is Battling an Mpox Outbreak. What Happens Next Affects Us All
- HHS justifies decision to stop recommending Covid shots during pregnancy with studies supporting the shots’ safetyPolitico The Department of Health and Human Services is circulating a document on Capitol Hill to explain its decision to remove the Covid-19 vaccine recommendation for pregnant women — citing studies that largely found the shot is safe. The document, which HHS sent to lawmakers days before Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his plan… Read more: HHS justifies decision to stop recommending Covid shots during pregnancy with studies supporting the shots’ safety
Updates on ongoing disease outbreaks
- Cambodian human avian flu infection linked to poultry outbreakWATT Poultry In the Asia-Pacific region, recent outbreaks of HPAI in poultry are reported in Cambodia, the Philippines and South Korea. During the latter half of May, two highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks affecting village poultry were confirmed by the animal health authority in Cambodia. Presence of the H5N1 virus serotype was confirmed in a… Read more: Cambodian human avian flu infection linked to poultry outbreak
- Bird flu detected at 4th commercial farm in Maricopa CountyAZ Central Chickens at a fourth commercial farm in Maricopa County tested positive for bird flu, the Arizona Department of Agriculture said. The virus was detected through “routine surveillance sampling” on June 4 at a facility named “Maricopa 05” before any birds had exhibited obvious symptoms. Samples were sent to the Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Lab… Read more: Bird flu detected at 4th commercial farm in Maricopa County
- Bangladesh reports first bird flu outbreak since 2018The Poultry Site Bangladesh reported a first outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu on a farm since 2018, the World Organisation for Animal Health said on Tuesday, citing local authorities. Highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has spread around the globe in the past years, including in the United States, leading to the… Read more: Bangladesh reports first bird flu outbreak since 2018
- Arizona: Third commercial farm tests positive for bird flu12 News A third commercial farm in Arizona has tested positive for avian flu, according to the Arizona Department of Agriculture. A third Maricopa County commercial farm has tested positive for Avian Influenza, according to the Arizona Department of Agriculture. Poultry at the latest farm to test positive started showing signs of the bird flu… Read more: Arizona: Third commercial farm tests positive for bird flu
- Tracking the Threat: How a New H5N1 Virus Variant Took Hold Across EuropeGlobal Biodefense New genomic analyses trace the origins and spread of the EA-2023-DG H5N1 reassortant, highlighting evolving zoonotic risks and urgent surveillance needs. A new scientific study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases has mapped the emergence and spread of a novel highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus genotype—EA-2023-DG—across Europe. Conducted by an international team of researchers led by the… Read more: Tracking the Threat: How a New H5N1 Virus Variant Took Hold Across Europe
- CDC official overseeing COVID hospitalization data resigns in protestCBS News A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official who led the agency’s network to study hospitalization trends from infectious diseases like COVID-19 has resigned in protest following Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s orders to change the agency’s vaccine recommendations and the committee that… Read more: CDC official overseeing COVID hospitalization data resigns in protest
- India: With 11 deaths, current wave toll in country past 100-markTimes of India The country’s death toll due to Covid-19 has crossed the 100-mark, reaching 108 after as many as 11 deaths were reported on Monday – the highest in a day in the current wave. Kerala reported seven deaths, while a death each occurred in… Read more: India: With 11 deaths, current wave toll in country past 100-mark
- DC-area pediatrician on CDC urging summer camp operators to screen for measles immunityWTOP As measles cases near record levels in isolated areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging summer camps to check for documentation of immunity through vaccination or prior infection for all children. “I think there has been increased concerns about potential for additional outbreaks and spread, especially in the setting of waning or lowering… Read more: DC-area pediatrician on CDC urging summer camp operators to screen for measles immunity
- A huge outbreak has made Ontario the measles centre of the western hemisphereGuardian Outside the emergency room of the St Thomas Elgin general hospital, about 200km (125 miles) south-west of Toronto, a large sign with bright yellow block letters issues an urgent warning: “NO MEASLES VAX & FEVER COUGH RASH – STOP – DO NOT ENTER!” To see such an imperative in the 21st century might have… Read more: A huge outbreak has made Ontario the measles centre of the western hemisphere
- As measles spreads across the Americas, outbreaks in Mexico and Canada have also turned deadlyCNN As measles cases in the United States continue to mount, neighboring countries Canada and Mexico are also experiencing significant outbreaks – all of which have been linked to at least one death. On Thursday, the chief medical officer of health of the Canadian province Ontario announced that an infant who was born prematurely with… Read more: As measles spreads across the Americas, outbreaks in Mexico and Canada have also turned deadly
- Ghana confirms 34 new Mpox cases, total rises to 79Africa News Ghana has reported 34 new cases of Mpox, raising the total number of confirmed infections to 79. Four patients are currently hospitalised, and contact tracing is ongoing. The Ghana Health Service says… Read more: Ghana confirms 34 new Mpox cases, total rises to 79
- Sierra Leone Is Battling an Mpox Outbreak. What Happens Next Affects Us AllTime Magazine A dangerous mpox outbreak is unfolding in Sierra Leone. In just the first week of May, cases rose by 61%, and suspected cases surged by 71%. Roughly half of all confirmed mpox… Read more: Sierra Leone Is Battling an Mpox Outbreak. What Happens Next Affects Us All
- A cattle disease and the tick carrying it are confirmed in Iowa for the first timeOPR The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said the state’s first case of Theileria orientalis Ikeda was confirmed in a cattle herd in Van Buren County in the southeast corner of the state. The protozoan parasite infects the red and white blood cells of cattle, causing anemia and sometimes death. It’s carried by the Asian longhorned tick,… Read more: A cattle disease and the tick carrying it are confirmed in Iowa for the first time
- Clothing—not agriculture—helped spread a tick disease 5000 years agoScience New study of a pathogen’s Bronze Age spread challenges longstanding links between disease and early agriculture. A now-obscure cousin of Lyme disease called recurring fever was a scourge of early civilization. Caused by the bacterium Borrelia recurrentis, it results in crippling headaches and repeated bouts of high fever; if left untreated, it damages organs and… Read more: Clothing—not agriculture—helped spread a tick disease 5000 years ago
- A rare tick-borne disease has started spreading into VirginiaWHRO The illness is caused by a parasite, which makes it different from many well-known tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme. A rare disease spread by ticks has slowly established a foothold in Virginia. Babesiosis, a parasitic infection similar to malaria, was traditionally limited to the U.S. Northeast and Midwest. But over the past decade, officials… Read more: A rare tick-borne disease has started spreading into Virginia
- Research at risk: Better testing for tick-borne diseasesCornell University Laura Goodman was close to finalizing a prototype of a new test that can detect any tick-borne disease. Unlike some current tests, it could provide results even before symptoms occur – and even for unknown diseases. That’s important, because ticks around the world can potentially transmit hundreds of disease agents, some of them… Read more: Research at risk: Better testing for tick-borne diseases
Emerging Infectious Disease Headlines
- Climate change leads to spread of infection-causing fungi, scientists sayABC News Climate change may be putting millions more people at risk from an infection-causing fungi, which is likely spreading due to warming global temperatures, scientists say. There will likely be… Read more: Climate change leads to spread of infection-causing fungi, scientists say
- A cattle disease and the tick carrying it are confirmed in Iowa for the first timeOPR The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said the state’s first case of Theileria orientalis Ikeda was confirmed in a cattle herd in Van Buren County in the southeast corner of the… Read more: A cattle disease and the tick carrying it are confirmed in Iowa for the first time
- Clothing—not agriculture—helped spread a tick disease 5000 years agoScience New study of a pathogen’s Bronze Age spread challenges longstanding links between disease and early agriculture. A now-obscure cousin of Lyme disease called recurring fever was a scourge of… Read more: Clothing—not agriculture—helped spread a tick disease 5000 years ago
- A rare tick-borne disease has started spreading into VirginiaWHRO The illness is caused by a parasite, which makes it different from many well-known tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme. A rare disease spread by ticks has slowly established a… Read more: A rare tick-borne disease has started spreading into Virginia
- Research at risk: Better testing for tick-borne diseasesCornell University Laura Goodman was close to finalizing a prototype of a new test that can detect any tick-borne disease. Unlike some current tests, it could provide results even before… Read more: Research at risk: Better testing for tick-borne diseases
- We finally may be able to rid the world of mosquitoes. But should we?Washington Post Gene editing holds the potential of suppressing mosquito species that carry deadly diseases — and raises ethical questions. They buzz, they bite, and they cause some of the… Read more: We finally may be able to rid the world of mosquitoes. But should we?
Read more Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Are Pesticides Breeding the Next Pandemic? Experts Warn of Fungal SuperbugsScience Tech Daily Fungicides used in agriculture have been linked to an increase in resistance to antifungal drugs in both humans and animals. Fungal infections are on the rise, and two UC Davis infectious disease experts, Dr.… Read more: Are Pesticides Breeding the Next Pandemic? Experts Warn of Fungal Superbugs
- Bat Cave Footage Offers Clues to How Viruses Leap Between SpeciesNYT Video from a national park in Uganda depicted a parade of predatory species feeding on and dispersing fruit bats that are known natural reservoirs of infectious diseases. Bats carry an assortment of viruses, including… Read more: Bat Cave Footage Offers Clues to How Viruses Leap Between Species
- Red blood cell rupture, not clotting, drives vessel blockage in COVID-19, study findsMedical Express A team led by the University of Sydney has identified red blood cell rupture at dying endothelial sites as a primary driver of microvascular obstruction in COVID-19, bypassing the expected role of fibrin… Read more: Red blood cell rupture, not clotting, drives vessel blockage in COVID-19, study finds
- US CDC official in charge of COVID, RSV data resigns ahead of vaccine meetingReuters A U.S. government scientist who oversees the team responsible for collecting data on COVID-19 and RSV hospitalizations used to shape national vaccine policy has resigned, citing concerns over how such data would be… Read more: US CDC official in charge of COVID, RSV data resigns ahead of vaccine meeting
- What Happens to Vaccines Now?NYT Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of an influential committee, including the appointment of new members, has created concern about vaccine access. The U.S. health secretary’s dismissal of an influential vaccine advisory committee this week sowed… Read more: What Happens to Vaccines Now?
- RFK Jr. sent Congress ‘medical disinformation’ to defend COVID vaccine schedule changeNPR A document the Department of Health and Human Services sent to lawmakers to support Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to change U.S. policy on COVID vaccines cites scientific studies that are unpublished or under dispute and mischaracterizes others.… Read more: RFK Jr. sent Congress ‘medical disinformation’ to defend COVID vaccine schedule change
- How to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what worksNature Hesitancy about vaccinations is on the rise, but studies show there are specific ways to address people’s questions. In her professional life, Sophia Newcomer analyses vaccination trends and safety in the United States. The epidemiologist, at the University of… Read more: How to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what works
- The pandemic generation: How Covid-19 lockdowns is having a long-lasting effect on childrenBBC The stress and isolation of the pandemic have left social and emotional scars that are already being seen in children, but scientists also predict there could be huge economic costs due to disrupted education. For US pre-school teacher Rebekah… Read more: The pandemic generation: How Covid-19 lockdowns is having a long-lasting effect on children
- The pandemic generation: How Covid-19 lockdowns is having a long-lasting effect on childrenBBC The stress and isolation of the pandemic have left social and emotional scars that are already being seen in children, but scientists also predict there could be huge economic costs due to disrupted education. For US pre-school teacher Rebekah… Read more: The pandemic generation: How Covid-19 lockdowns is having a long-lasting effect on children
Interesting and Sometimes Funny
- These glowing axolotls may hold the secret to human limb regenerationWashington Post The adorable salamanders are helping scientists investigate a serious question: Could the human body be coaxed to regrow a lost arm or leg? With a silly smile and frilly gills, the axolotl has wriggled its way into the hearts of millions, becoming a popular aquarium pet and pop culture icon in video games, children’s books… Read more: These glowing axolotls may hold the secret to human limb regeneration