Author: Claudinne Miller
Uganda Closes Congo Border Amid Growing Ebola Concerns
Uganda has temporarily closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo as officials work to prevent further spread of the ongoing Ebola outbreak centered in Congo’s Ituri province. Seven confirmed Ebola cases have already been reported in Kampala, though health authorities say the country has strong disease surveillance and response systems in place. Limited […]
May 27, 2026
Researchers Highlight Bird Flu Data Gaps Threatening Wildlife Conservation
A new paper published in Wildlife Monographs examines critical gaps in scientific understanding of how highly pathogenic avian influenza spreads among wild bird populations and the growing threat it poses to vulnerable species. University of Rhode Island researcher Johanna Harvey and collaborators reviewed how migration patterns, seasonal behavior, and species interactions influence bird flu transmission […]
May 27, 2026
Anger and Instability Complicate Ebola Response in Eastern Congo
Health officials and aid workers responding to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo are facing growing resistance and security challenges as fear spreads among local communities. In the town of Rwampara, angry residents set fire to an Ebola treatment center after authorities prevented them from retrieving the body of a suspected Ebola victim for traditional […]
May 27, 2026
Emerging Virus Strains Raise New Questions for Researchers
Recent Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks are highlighting major gaps in scientific understanding of emerging virus strains. Health officials report that the hantavirus linked to infections aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship appears to be spreading person-to-person, an unusual pattern for hantaviruses, which are typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents. At the same time, the […]
May 27, 2026
New Hantavirus Case Confirmed Among Cruise Ship Crew Member in Netherlands
Health officials have confirmed a new hantavirus infection in a crew member linked to the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. The individual was repatriated to the Netherlands after disembarking in Tenerife and is currently hospitalized in isolation following laboratory confirmation of infection. According to the World Health Organization, the outbreak has now resulted […]
May 27, 2026
Researchers Launch Faster, Adaptive Clinical Trials for New Ebola Outbreak
Researchers and global health agencies are moving quickly to launch adaptive clinical trials during the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, building on lessons learned from previous epidemics and the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier Ebola treatment trials during the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak were slow to organize and limited in scope, often […]
May 27, 2026
New Monograph Examines U.S. Bird Flu Risks and Wildlife Transmission
A University of Maryland-led research team has published a comprehensive review examining how highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) spreads among wild bird populations and the risks it poses to wildlife and domestic poultry. The report synthesizes decades of research on migratory bird behavior, species biology, and environmental factors that influence how the virus moves through […]
May 27, 2026
Uganda Closes Congo Border as Ebola Cases Continue to Rise
Uganda has ordered the immediate closure of its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo as concerns grow over a worsening Ebola outbreak involving the rare Bundibugyo strain, which currently has no approved vaccines or treatments. The decision follows reports that Ugandan healthcare workers were exposed to infected patients who crossed the border before […]
May 27, 2026
2014 Ebola Outbreak Marked First U.S. Transmission Cases
Recent concerns about Ebola exposures have renewed attention on the 2014 West Africa outbreak, which led to the first known Ebola transmission cases in the United States. In September 2014, Liberian traveler Thomas Eric Duncan became ill while visiting family in Texas and was hospitalized in Dallas, where two nurses who cared for him later […]
May 27, 2026
Additional States Monitoring Travelers for Possible Hantavirus Exposure
Several U.S. states have expanded monitoring efforts for potential hantavirus exposure, with the number of individuals under observation increasing from 41 to 59 nationwide. Health officials in California, Maryland, North Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Oregon are monitoring additional people, many of whom reportedly shared flights with passengers potentially exposed to Andes hantavirus aboard the MV […]
May 27, 2026