Author: Claudinne Miller
Map Shows 17 States With ‘Very High’ Covid Rates
Newsweek Some 17 US states have detected “very high” levels of Covid in their wastewater, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A rise in levels of Covid found in wastewater can signal that more people are getting infected. Newsweek has analysed official figures to create a map illustrating the highest rates of Covid […]
Jul 23, 2024
Dengue fever is — unfortunately — having a banner year. Can it be quelled?
NPR In the Americas alone, almost 10.4 million suspected cases of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, were reported to the World Health Organization in 2024 as of the first week of July, an increase of 232% compared with the same period the year before. Peru is a case in point. When torrential rains started to fall there […]
Jul 23, 2024
Mini lungs make major COVID-19 discoveries possible
Newswise Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys, University of California San Diego and their international collaborators have reported that more types of lung cells can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 than previously thought, including those without known viral receptors. The research team also reported for the first time that the lung is capable of independently mustering an […]
Jul 23, 2024
Never-before-seen fungus that mutates at ‘hyper’ speed is discovered in China as two patients die with it
Daily Mail A never-before-seen fungus that can infect humans has been detected in China. Two men, in their 60s and 80s, have already died while infected with the pathogen, called R. fluvialis, though it’s unclear if the fungus contributed to their deaths. Researchers at Nanjing Medical Center who made the discovery fear others may also have contracted […]
Jul 23, 2024
Are Doctors Missing Cases of H5N1 Bird Flu in People Who Drink Raw Milk?
MedPageToday Raw milk from cows infected with the H5N1 bird flu has been shown to contain very high levels of the virus, making it quite risky for people to consume. With FDA data showing some 4.4% of Americans drank raw milk at least once a year, and 1% drank it once a week or more, millions of Americans may […]
Jul 23, 2024
The next big threat to animal health emergencies: misinformation and disinformation
WOAH In a fast-changing and polarised world, the need to fight falsehoods is greater than ever. This is what relevant stakeholders can do to tackle the underlying challenges facing the animal health sector. Today’s global risk landscape is complex and ever evolving. Technological advancements, climate change, globalisation and shifting demographics are just some of the […]
Jul 17, 2024
Iowa State University research identifies possible point of entry for avian flu in cattle
Des Moines Register As avian influenza is being detected in more and more dairy herds across the U.S., Iowa State University researchers have found a possible explanation for why the virus shows up in raw milk. A study published this month by a team at ISU’s College of Veterinary Medicine found that bovine mammary gland […]
Jul 17, 2024
Heat driving people indoors, transmissible variants causing people to get sick this summer, virologist says
WTOP The extreme heat that’s been making its way across the D.C. region in the last few weeks is causing many people to remain indoors, which one virus expert said is a factor facilitating the spread of respiratory viruses like COVID-19. Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said […]
Jul 17, 2024
Can H5N1 spread through cow sneezes? Experiment offers clues
Nature Study suggests the virus can spread through the respiratory system but infected milk is probably driving the outbreak in the US. Cows can get infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 by breathing in virus-laden aerosols, according to a preprint1 posted on bioRxiv. But scientists say this mode of transmission is probably not driving […]
Jul 17, 2024
Staying one step ahead of pathogen
St. Jude Webster created and grew a globe-spanning influenza research program at St. Jude. The researchers he trained and inspired continue his legacy, staying one step ahead of pathogens for the children of St. Jude — and the world at large. As for the skepticism about why he chose to do his work at St. Jude, […]
Jul 17, 2024