Author: Claudinne Miller
Bird flu outbreak at dairy farms continue to raise concerns about virus spreading
PBS (Audio) The H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, is spreading among dairy cows. It’s been found in over 85 herds across 12 states and at least three farm workers have been sickened. While public health officials say the risk to humans remains low, concerns are growing. William Brangham discussed the threat with Rick […]
Jun 11, 2024
WHO Confirms Human Case of Bird Flu in India
NTD The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that a case of human infection with avian influenza A (H9N2) virus, also known as the bird flu, was detected in a child in the West Bengal state of India. The patient was a 4-year-old child who recovered and was discharged from the hospital, according to […]
Jun 11, 2024
We Are Not Safe from Bird Flu Until We Protect Farm Workers
Time H5N1 avian influenza, or bird flu, continues to rip across the U.S. In just the last few months, it’s infected at least three people—all dairy workers—while spreading among chickens and cows in dozens of farms across several states. Government officials and farmers have been responding to H5N1 since Feb. 2022 when the virus was […]
Jun 11, 2024
Are We Prepared for Bird Flu?
CNN Video An update on the current bird flu outbreak: it’s still infecting wild birds, mammals and now several farmworkers in the United States. The virus does not appear to be transmitted between humans, but can we prevent further spread? And what are public health officials doing to contain it? Immunologist and virologist Rick Bright has been […]
Jun 11, 2024
Bird Flu Tests Are Hard To Get. So How Will We Know When To Sound the Pandemic Alarm?
KFF Stanford University infectious disease doctor Abraar Karan has seen a lot of patients with runny noses, fevers, and irritated eyes lately. Such symptoms could signal allergies, covid, or a cold. This year, there’s another suspect, bird flu — but there’s no way for most doctors to know. If the government doesn’t prepare to ramp […]
Jun 11, 2024
Study shows ‘not surprising’ fatal spread of avian flu in ferrets
CIDRAP Late last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study showing that the current strain of H5N1 (A/Texas/37/2024) avian flu was fatal in six ferrets used as part of an experimental infection study. The findings caused waves across the country, as ferrets are frequently used as an animal model stand-in for […]
Jun 11, 2024
Covid cases in Hawaii are on the rise, take these precautions
KHON ovid cases are on the rise in Hawaii. State health officials said it’s not a time to panic, but maybe start thinking about taking some precautions. “Right now, it’s Covid that is showing us in the red or the high zone,” said Dr. Sarah Kimble, State Epidemiologist. “What that means is we’re seeing higher […]
Jun 11, 2024
Scientists Test mRNA Vaccines to Protect Against Bird Flu
VOA From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Scientists are testing next-generation vaccines to deal with the spread of bird flu in the United States. The vaccines use the same mRNA technology that led to the development of COVID-19 shots in record time. The U.S. Agriculture Department is planning to test a vaccine, […]
Jun 11, 2024
Can a new malaria vaccine for children eradicate the disease? Here’s what to know
PBS Newshour (Audio File) Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases. Across Africa, it kills nearly half a million children younger than 5 each year. A new vaccine, only the second of its kind, holds the promise of saving thousands of lives and moving the world closer to eradicating malaria. Ali Rogin speaks with […]
Jun 11, 2024
Finland to offer bird flu vaccine to select groups of people, a possible global first
STAT Finland is preparing to offer vaccines to people at risk of exposure to an avian influenza strain spreading among farmed and wild animals, health officials there said, potentially becoming the first country to take such a step as concerns about the threat the virus poses to people intensify. The vaccine campaign will be limited, […]
Jun 11, 2024