Author: Claudinne Miller
The bubonic plague is still around in 2024. How is that possible?
Washington Post The bubonic plague wiped out tens of millions of people in Europe in the 14th century — gaining the grim label the Black Death. In 2024, a handful of cases arise each year in the United States and around the world — though the diseaseis far less common and far more treatable. Last week […]
Feb 13, 2024
CDC plans to drop five-day covid isolation guidelines
Washington Post Americans who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to routinely stay home from work and school for five days under new guidance planned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency is loosening its covid isolation recommendations for the first time since 2021 to align it with guidance on […]
Feb 13, 2024
COVID-19- and Flu-Ravaged Lungs Could Be Repaired with mRNA Therapy
Genetic Engineering and Biotech News Respiratory infections, such as those caused by SARS-CoV-2 or influenza, can damage the lungs’ delicate network of capillary blood vessels, compromising oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide removal. To overcome this damage, the lungs depend on the regenerative capacities of vascular endothelial cells. As valuable as these cells are, they can, […]
Feb 7, 2024
Canada geese are reportedly dropping dead in Massachusetts, birds testing positive for avian influenza
Boston Herald Canada geese are reportedly dropping dead in parts of the Bay State, as the bird flu virus spreads around the region. MassWildlife over the past few days has gotten reports of dead and dying Canada geese in Essex County and the surrounding coastal areas. These wild birds showed symptoms that are in line […]
Feb 6, 2024
Using Math to Poke and Prod at Our Models for Infectious Disease
Univ of Nevada oes limiting population movement during a pandemic really help to minimize the spread of disease? Ph.D. candidate Keoni Castellano is using math to tackle that question. His research under mentor Rachidi Salako, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, explores epidemic models through analysis using mathematical, statistical, and computational tools to study the spread […]
Feb 6, 2024
8 diseases that could lead to the next pandemic
Interesting Engineering These diseases are on epidemiologists’ radar as potential sources of the next pandemic. At this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, held 14-19 January, a panel of health industry leaders took a break from economics to discuss preplanning for the outbreak of a hypothetical “Disease X.” Disease X is the World Health Organization’s […]
Feb 6, 2024
More Americans Could Benefit from Paxlovid for COVID Infection
Johns Hopkins One of the best tools for preventing severe complications from COVID infection is the prescription antiviral drug Paxlovid. But not nearly as many people who could benefit from it are being prescribed it, says Amesh Adalja, MD, FIDSA, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security who specializes in infectious diseases and pandemic […]
Feb 6, 2024
Influenza A outbreak puts Bogotá Military Academy under strict quarantine
The City Paper Bogata The Military Academy of Cadets General José María Córdova in Bogotá is grappling with a potentially dangerous outbreak of the AH3N2 influenza virus, resulting in the quarantine of cadets, officers and staff. The outbreak was confirmed after 18-year-old Cadet Cristopher Blanco Vásquez died from the influenza type A virus. The surge […]
Feb 6, 2024
Your appendix is not, in fact, useless. This anatomy professor explains
NPR It was the first day of spring break in 1992 in Phoenix, and 12-year-old Heather Smith was excited for her family’s upcoming ski trip. But before Smith and her family had even packed their snow pants, she realized she didn’t feel good. “I woke up feeling just a little bit nauseous, and I wasn’t […]
Feb 6, 2024
Rio de Janeiro Declares Health Emergency After Massive Dengue Outbreak Just Before Carnival
Latin Post February means it is already Carnival season in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, the Carnival may get a bit complicated as a dengue outbreak is gripping the city. It got so bad that a state of emergency has been declared. Over 10,000 cases of dengue fever have been registered since the year began, sparking a […]
Feb 6, 2024