Author: Claudinne Miller
Bacterial infection causing concern in China detected in Ireland
Irish Times First Irish outbreak of mycoplasma pneumoniae in a number of years occurred in October, Health Protection Surveillance Centre warns. A bacterial infection implicated in a surge in respiratory illnesses in China is on the rise in the community in Ireland, authorities have confirmed. An outbreak of mycoplasma pneumoniae notified to the Health Protection […]
Nov 28, 2023
What’s behind China’s mysterious wave of childhood pneumonia?
Nature Scientists expected a surge in respiratory disease, but what is happening in China is unusual. China is grappling with a surge in respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia, in children. The World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that common winter infections — rather than any new pathogens — are behind the spike in hospitalizations. A […]
Nov 28, 2023
Mystery child pneumonia outbreak reported in China hospitals
Telegraph Alert issued over reported epidemic of ‘undiagnosed pneumonia’ among Chinese children. Chinese hospitals have been “overwhelmed with sick children” as an outbreak of pneumonia escalates in cities across the country, including Beijing, according to reports. ProMed – a large, publicly available surveillance system which monitors human and animal disease outbreaks worldwide – issued a notification […]
Nov 22, 2023
That time Sharon Weiss burned a Marie Calendar pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving
It was Thanksgiving 2021 when Sharon Weiss, a grandma from Georgia, posted a photo to the Marie Calendar Facebook page, bitterly writing, “Thanks Marie Calendar for ruining Thanksgiving dessert.” It was early in the pandemic and people needed to vent. The post went viral, and will probably go down in the meme hall of fame. Start with […]
Nov 22, 2023
Inside one of the world’s deadliest forests – and the bushmeat hunters risking contagion
Telegraph Ebola, Marburg and never-before-seen infections are spilling over into Guinea’s hunter communities. Scientists fear biological catastrophe. The village of Bouolazou, nestled away in the sprawling bush of southern Guinea, cannot be reached by car. Only motorbikes with deep-grooved tyres can make the journey, navigating an estuary of narrow tracks that wind over rocky hills […]
Nov 22, 2023
How do viruses get into cells? Their infection tactics determine whether they can jump species or set off a pandemic
The Conversation COVID-19, flu, mpox, noroviral diarrhea: How do the viruses that cause these diseases actually infect you? Viruses cannot replicate on their own, so they must infect cells in your body to make more copies of themselves. The life cycle of a virus can thus be roughly described as: get inside a cell, make more […]
Nov 21, 2023
Omicron, Now 2 Years Old, Is Not Done With Us Yet
New York Times The dominant variant of the coronavirus has proved to be not only staggeringly infectious, but an evolutionary marvel. By November 2021, nearly two years after the coronavirus emerged in Wuhan and spread across the world, the surprises seemed to be over. More than four billion people had been vaccinated against the virus, […]
Nov 21, 2023
Outlook of pandemic preparedness in a post-COVID-19 world
Nature The COVID-19 pandemic was met with rapid, unprecedented global collaboration and action. Even still, the public health, societal, and economic impact may be felt for years to come. The risk of another pandemic occurring in the next few decades is ever-present and potentially increasing due to trends such as urbanization and climate change. While […]
Nov 21, 2023
Maryland: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Confirmed in Caroline County
Maryland.gov State laboratory testing has detected a case of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) in Caroline County. Following increased mortality of a broiler operation and investigation by the Maryland Department of Agriculture, it has been preliminarily confirmed that poultry from the affected farm has tested positive for HPAI. State officials have quarantined all affected premises, and birds on the […]
Nov 21, 2023
CDC updates on international travel, new COVID variant HV.1, Beyfortus
AMA Wondering how to avoid COVID this holiday season? AMA’s Vice President of Science, Medicine and Public Health, Andrea Garcia, JD, MPH, breaks down the best time to get vaccinated and provides updates on the latest COVID variant and the surge in RSV and flu cases. Plus, the sharp decrease in vaccination rates among children […]
Nov 21, 2023