Author: Claudinne Miller
What to know about the ‘slapped cheek’ virus uptick in the U.S.
NPR Federal health officials are warning doctors to keep watch for a respiratory virus, known as parvovirus B19, as infection rates tick up in the United States. Parvovirus B19 has existed for decades, and its symptoms are typically mild or nonexistent among children and healthy adults. But it can also lead to serious complications for […]
Aug 20, 2024
New covid vaccines for summer variants slated for approval late next week
Washington Post The arrival of updated Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for the KP.2 variant comes well into a summer wave when Americans have struggled to find an existing shot. Federal authorities are preparing to approve updated coronavirus vaccines targeting the latest virus variants late next week, a move that could make shots available before Labor Day, according to a […]
Aug 20, 2024
Cambodian girl dies of H5N1 bird flu: health ministry
Xinua A 15-year-old girl from southeast Cambodia’s Prey Veng province died of H5N1 avian influenza on Tuesday, the Ministry of Health said in a press statement. The patient lived in Kanhchriech district’s Por Marinh village. Health experts were looking into the source of the infection and examining any suspected cases or people who have been […]
Aug 20, 2024
The mpox strain spreading now is different from the one in 2022: Here’s what to know
NBC News This strain of the virus is known to be more severe, but it’s behaving differently from its usual patterns. The World Health Organization’s decision to declare mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years may seem like déjà vu — but there are key differences between the strain that’s causing international […]
Aug 20, 2024
Measles’ Deadliest Sequelae
MedPageToday In the late 1990s, my long-time colleague, Pam Nagami, MD, met a petite, Indian-American student she later called “Manju” when writing a terrific book about patients with infectious diseases. Some of the stories by Nagami end happily, but Manju’s did not — and all because of a case of measles she contracted early in life. So, […]
Aug 20, 2024
Updated joint FAO/WHO/WOAH assessment of recent influenza A(H5N1) virus events in animals and people
WHO At the present time, based on available information, FAO-WHO-WOAH assess the global public health risk of influenza A(H5N1) viruses to be low, while the risk of infection for occupationally exposed persons is low to moderate depending on the risk mitigation measures in place. Transmission between animals continues to occur and, to date, a limited […]
Aug 14, 2024
5 Diseases Folks Made Up to Scare You Off New Tech
Cracked Railway spine can warp your mind! And sewing machines can warp your soul! They said video games would kill us with hypertension. They said social media would kill us with depression. They said self-driving cars would kill us with combustion. Based on what we’ve seen, they were right on all counts. But we shouldn’t […]
Aug 14, 2024
Doctors accused of spreading misinformation lose certifications
Washington Post The American Board of Internal Medicine revoked the certifications of Pierre Kory and Paul Marik, two physicians known for continuing to promote ivermectin, an anti-parasitic medication, as a treatment for covid long after the medical community found it to be ineffective. The two men co-founded the Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance, which experts say spread misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic. The Board’s website listed both […]
Aug 14, 2024
What You Need to Know About Oropouche Virus Disease
Medscape The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a warning to travelers in areas in South and Central America and the Caribbean affected by a current outbreak of Oropouche virus (OROV) disease. The ECDC said that there had been more than 8000 cases reported in these areas since January, with 19 […]
Aug 14, 2024
Increase in Human Parvovirus B19 Activity in the United States
CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify healthcare providers, public health authorities, and the public about current increases in human parvovirus B19 activity in the United States. Parvovirus B19 is a seasonal respiratory virus that is transmitted through respiratory droplets by people with symptomatic […]
Aug 14, 2024