Year: 2024
Bird flu cases in people quietly tick up, with dozens reported across 6 states
NBC News Four cases in Washington farmworkers are the latest in a drumbeat of human infections across the U.S. as the virus continues to spread among farm animals. Four new cases of avian influenza were detected in farmworkers in Washington state this week, the latest in a drumbeat of human infections cropping up across the […]
Oct 22, 2024
Study shows wastewater detections accurate for norovirus
CIDRAP Norovirus can be accurately tracked in wastewater samples, which can help identify outbreaks and trends, according to a new study based on California wastewater surveillance published in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Norovirus is one of the leading causes of gastroenteritis in the United States, but surveillance is challenging because many cases are unreported, the authors said. As […]
Oct 22, 2024
Washington State: Four Washington farm workers suspected to have bird flu
American Hospital Assn Four workers at a commercial egg farm in Washington tested presumptively positive for H5N1 bird flu, the Washington State Department of Health announced Oct. 20. These are the first presumed human cases in the state. The individuals experienced mild symptoms and Benton-Franklin Health District officials have forwarded test samples to the Centers for Disease […]
Oct 22, 2024
California: Merced County health officials confirm human case of Bird Flu
ABC News Bird Flu cases continue to rise in the Valley, as Merced County has confirmed its first human case. Public health officials say the person had direct exposure to infected cattle at a dairy farm in Merced County. Everyone with known exposure to the diseased dairy cows is being monitored for symptoms. Health officials […]
Oct 22, 2024
Scientists discover concerning behavioral changes in chimps: ‘Could something so small have prevented the pandemic?’
Yahoo News Scientists have found that chimpanzees are turning to bat feces for nutrients in concentrated areas of deforestation, which could have implications for human epidemics, reports Mongabay. What’s happening? In the Budongo Forest in Uganda, animals — including chimpanzees, monkeys, and antelope — rely on minerals from decaying palm trees, per the report. However, between […]
Oct 16, 2024
Marburg Virus’ Latest Eruption
MedPageToday On September 27, 2024, the world learned that Marburg virus — a close cousin of Ebola — had surfaced for the first time in Kigali, Rwanda, where it was largely sickening healthcare workers in two hospitals. By September 30, Marburg had already infected 27 humans and killed nine As of October 7, Rwanda’s government stated that the outbreak’s […]
Oct 16, 2024
Is it time to freak out about bird flu?
STAT The answer is not as straightforward as one might like. If you’re aware of the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cattle — you may have seen some headlines or read something on social media — perhaps you are wondering what the fuss is about. Yes, there have been nearly a couple dozen human […]
Oct 16, 2024
Want to Get Free COVID-19 Tests from USPS?
C|Net Ah, fall. The season for sweaters, soup and, of course, updated vaccines. In addition to getting your yearly flu shot, consider making sure you and your family are up to date on your COVID vaccines — the new Novavax vaccine may be a good option. And it’s helpful to have some test kits on hand in case you start […]
Oct 15, 2024
COVID Deaths in the United States: Who Pays the Highest Price?
Medscape Welcome to Impact Factor, your weekly dose of commentary on a new medical study. I’m Dr F. Perry Wilson of the Yale School of Medicine. From March of 2020 to May of 2023, 1.38 million more people died in the United States than would have been expected — 1.38 million lives that, had circumstances been […]
Oct 15, 2024
In depth analysis explains why preschoolers are less likely to develop severe COVID-19
Medical Express Five years ago, at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, a phenomenon became abundantly clear: Preschool-age children rarely developed severe cases of COVID-19. It wasn’t that children under the age of 5 were avoiding infection. To the contrary, they were coming down with COVID like everyone else. In the United States, the Centers […]
Oct 15, 2024