Author: Claudinne Miller
The hantavirus outbreak is a tragedy—and a valuable data source
The Economist Uncovering how a virus spreads among a population involves some tricky detective work. The schedules of all those infected have to be carefully examined in the days or weeks around the time they fell ill, in order to work out who infected whom—and, most important, where and how. The more isolated the population, the […]
May 20, 2026
The Backward Logic of Chickenpox Parties
Wired Before vaccines, some parents intentionally exposed their children to the virus. In the internet age, that thinking is resurfacing. Anyone who has had chickenpox shares one distinct memory: the relentless, all-consuming itch. Ciara DiVita was only 3 years old when she caught the virus, but she remembers it well—along with the oven mitts she was […]
May 20, 2026
A rare Ebola strain is spreading with no vaccine. Here’s what you need to know
NPR The number of Ebola cases has been growing – and growing by a lot — each day since the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency on Saturday. The latest toll? More than 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected-Ebola deaths. The vast majority of the cases are in a province in northeastern Democratic […]
May 20, 2026
Ebola Outbreak in Central Africa Could Last Months, W.H.O. Says
NYT Health officials reported more than 130 suspected deaths and 540 cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, but experts say the figures could be much higher. Medical workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo are experiencing a shortage of supplies as the number of suspected Ebola cases has passed 500, according to […]
May 20, 2026
New Ebola outbreak hits DRC and Uganda: What you need to know
Care Families in the eastern DRC and Uganda are facing a new Ebola outbreak alongside conflict, displacement, hunger, and fragile health systems. CARE and local partners are supporting preparedness efforts, with a focus on sharing trusted information, supporting infection prevention, and addressing the heightened risks facing women and girls. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) […]
May 20, 2026
A rare Ebola strain is spreading. Here’s why it’s so hard to contain
National Geographic As Ebola cases mount in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, experts explain what causes the disease—and the risk this outbreak poses to the rest of the world. The World Health Organization has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in […]
May 20, 2026
Colorado Reports Its First Hantavirus Death Since 2024
Gizmodo Colorado officials are asking residents to be mindful of hantavirus infections from the local Sin Nombre strain during spring cleaning. Colorado authorities have logged their first confirmed death from hantavirus since 2024, according to a statement on Monday from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Officials noted that this new hantavirus case […]
May 20, 2026
Whooping Cough Outbreak Hits LA County
Patch The city has seen an unusually high number of whooping cough cases this year. An unusually high number of whooping cough cases in Pasadena, alongside an outbreak at a school in the city, led public health officials on Tuesday to warn residents of an increased risk of contracting the illness. The Pasadena Public Health […]
May 20, 2026
Behind the Mission to Stop Viral Outbreaks Within 100 Days
Time Magazine here are at least two major viral outbreaks underway in the world right now: the Andes hantavirus outbreak that began on a cruise ship and now involves people from more than 20 countries, and the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which was only very recently announced but which has already killed 131 people and crossed […]
May 20, 2026
This U.S. doctor went to Congo to heal others. Then Ebola hit his hospital.
Washington Post An American missionary doctor who contracted Ebola may have gotten infected while performing surgery on a patient. Peter Stafford, a man of deep Christian faith, had been working as the only surgeon at a hospital serving a remote area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo when he began feeling sick Saturday. The […]
May 19, 2026