Year: 2024
Another Pandemic Is Inevitable, and We’re Not Ready
Bloomberg President-elect Trump’s picks to lead the nation’s top public health agencies also don’t inspire confidence. Every week or so, scientists issue another warning that the H5N1 bird flu is inching closer to exploding into a pandemic. Despite having contended with a pandemic that broke out less than five years ago, the US has no solid plan to handle […]
Dec 17, 2024
Fewer teens are using alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana than before the pandemic
Philly Voice Substance use fell among adolescents when COVID-19 hit. Those declines have continued – to the surprise of some experts. he majority of teenagers in the U.S. do not drink, smoke or use marijuana, a new report shows. The percentage of teens abstaining from alcohol, tobacco and marijuana in 2024 was the highest since […]
Dec 17, 2024
5 animals die after bird flu exposure at Arizona zoo; 25 employees exposed to virus
USA Today Officials in Arizona this week said nearly a half-dozen animals including a cheetah and a mountain lion at a Phoenix-area zoo died and others are sick after being exposed to the bird flu. Maricopa County Department of Public Health officials reported the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium in Litchfield Park, about 20 miles west of Phoenix, […]
Dec 17, 2024
San Francisco Zoo keeping 2 exhibits closed after bird flu death confirmed
SF Gate The San Francisco Zoo is keeping some animals out of sight, hoping to protect them as cases of bird flu are found in the Bay Area. The zoo announced on Dec. 10 that the African Aviary and South American Tropical Rainforest & Aviary are closed to guests as “extra precautionary measures due to the risk of […]
Dec 17, 2024
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Detected in Ottawa County Flock
Morning Agriculture Following an investigation by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has detected the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial poultry facility from Ottawa County. This is the first detection of the disease in a Michigan poultry flock since May […]
Dec 17, 2024
LDH detects first presumptive positive human H5N1 case in Louisiana
Louisiana Dept of Health The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has detected the first presumptive positive human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1, in Louisiana. The individual is a resident of southwestern Louisiana and is currently hospitalized. LDH’s Office of Public Health is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]
Dec 17, 2024
Stanford study reveals flu virus remains infectious in refrigerated raw milk
Stanford University Raw milk, hailed by some as a natural and nutritious alternative to pasteurized dairy, may come with hidden dangers, according to a new Stanford University study. The research, published Dec. 12 in Environmental Science & Technology Letters reveals that influenza or flu virus can remain infectious in refrigerated raw milk for up to five days. The findings […]
Dec 17, 2024
‘Safety signal’ in Moderna’s RSV vaccine studies halts trials of other vaccines for childhood killer
Science Recently approved adult vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are already saving lives. But prospects have dimmed for some infant vaccines against the virus, which each year kills up to 100,000 children under age 5 around the world and is the leading cause of infant hospitalizations in the United States. In recent clinical trials, […]
Dec 17, 2024
It’s not just cold and flu cases that are on the rise this winter
WTOP The holiday season comes with more parties, family gatherings and, thanks to cold temperatures, more time spent indoors. While coming together for festive fun can provide Christmas cheer, it can also provide the perfect conditions for viruses to spread. “Each year around this time, especially as the holiday season starts to pick up, we […]
Dec 17, 2024
Alabama: Highly pathogenic bird flu confirmed – More than 100,000 chickens killed
AL.com More than 100,000 birds — nearly all of them chickens — have been killed at a Cullman County commercial broiler farm and a backyard flock in Pickens County after highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed at the two sites, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries said Monday. Samples from the flocks were […]
Dec 17, 2024