Author: Claudinne Miller
Bird flu strain raises alarm as H5N1 virus kills South American wildlife
Reuters The deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has spread more aggressively than ever before in wild birds and marine mammals since arriving in South America in 2022, raising the risk of it evolving into a bigger threat to humans, according to interviews with eight scientists. Of more immediate concern is evidence the disease, once largely confined […]
Apr 2, 2024
Summary Analysis of Genetic Sequences of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses in Texas
CDC CDC has sequenced the influenza virus genome identified in a specimen collected from the patient in Texas who was confirmed to be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) [“HPAI A(H5N1)”] virus and compared these with HPAI A(H5N1) sequences from cattle, wild birds and poultry. The virus sequences are HA clade 2.3.4.4b HPAI A(H5N1) […]
Apr 2, 2024
How prepared the U.S. is for a bird flu pandemic
Washington Post Federal officials are preparing for the possibility of additional human cases of bird flu,testing components to create a vaccine after a Texas dairy worker was infected with the highly virulent virus, even as they stress theUnited States remains far from needing to activate a full-blown emergency response Two candidate vaccine viruses— essentially the building blocks […]
Apr 2, 2024
Study describes more severe pediatric mental health crises during pandemic
CIDRAP Children visiting the emergency department (ED) for mental health crises during the pandemic had longer stays and more severe diagnoses, according to a new study in Academic Emergency Medicine. The study was based on ED visits to nine US hospitals participating in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Registry from 2017 to 2022. The authors […]
Apr 2, 2024
How lung distress from SARS-CoV-2 can cause heart damage
NIH SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can trigger a life-threatening condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), in which fluid leaks into the lungs and prevents oxygen from passing into the body. Other complications of COVID-19 include systemic inflammation and cardiovascular complications. Previous studies have found changes in the makeup of lung immune cells in patients […]
Apr 2, 2024
Mpox is on the rise: Who’s eligible for a vaccine, and do you need a booster?
ABC News Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, cases are on the rise here in the U.S., with nearly double the number of infections compared to the same time last year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. While the magnitude of the outbreak experienced in 2022 – where national cases topped 32,000 – is largely […]
Apr 2, 2024
Flu Vaccine Uptake Tripled With Simple Promotion
MedPageToday Just asking ED patients whether they wanted a flu shot doubled uptake. A few simple interventions boosted flu vaccine uptake for patients waiting at the emergency department [ED], according to the cluster-randomized, controlled PROFLUVAXED trial. People in ED waiting areas who consented to view a 3-minute video with a scripted message, read a one-page […]
Apr 2, 2024
Rare bacterial illnesses that can cause meningitis prompts advisory in NYC.
CBS News There’s a warning of an increase in rare bacterial illnesses that can lead to meningitis, and even death, around the country. In New York City, there were: The New York City Department of Health issued an advisory to doctors following one from the CDC warning of an increase in cases of “invasive meningococcal disease,” […]
Apr 2, 2024
Large dairy in Michigan tests positive for HPAI
Farm Progress Dairies in Michigan and Idaho confirm HPAI-positive cows with a virus strain similar to one in Texas and Kansas. For more than two years, backyard flocks and the commercial poultry industry have been combating highly pathogenic avian influenza. Now, the virus has infected dairy cows in five states, including Michigan. The Michigan Department […]
Apr 2, 2024