Author: Claudinne Miller
We study pandemics, and the resurgence of measles is a grim sign of what’s coming
The Conversation In the three decades between 1993 and 2024, measles in the U.S. was relatively rare – a few hundred cases each year, at most. But suddenly, the disease has become so entrenched in American life that it sometimes fails to make headlines when a new outbreak erupts. As of March 2026, measles has […]
Mar 18, 2026
NZ’s 9th COVID‑19 wave: why infections are rising – and how booster shots still help
The Conversation Six years after COVID-19 first reached New Zealand, the country is experiencing its ninth wave of infections. But the virus we are living with today behaves very differently from the one that caused the global emergency in 2020–22. Large outbreaks can still occur, but thanks to widespread immunity built through vaccination and infection, COVID […]
Mar 18, 2026
COVID probably killed 150,000 more people in its first two years than official U.S. tolls show
Scientific American We have severely undercounted the number of COVID deaths, scientists say. COVID may have killed significantly more people in the U.S. in the first two years of the pandemic than official records indicate, with as many as one overlooked death for every five recorded ones. That brings the total to nearly one million deaths just in 2020 and […]
Mar 18, 2026
30 Countries At-Risk For Poliovirus Transmission
Vax Before Travel The international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in 2026. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reiterated that the international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) following the forty-fourth meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005. […]
Mar 18, 2026
What is behind the UK’s meningitis outbreak and how serious is it?
The Guardian Cases of MenB linked to Canterbury nightclub have risen to 20, with two deaths, as experts warn of ‘explosive’ outbreak. Meningitis infections in a county in the south-east of England continue to increase, with five new cases confirmed on Wednesday in what experts have said is one of the fastest-growing outbreaks of the […]
Mar 18, 2026
Why Some Birds Seem to Be Developing a Cigarette Habit
NYT Research from Poland adds to evidence from Latin American countries that compounds in used cigarette butts ward off parasites in bird nests. Darwin’s finches in the Galápagos, house finches in Mexico and song thrushes in New Zealand have all developed a curious habit: They put cigarette butts in their nests. Some songbirds in Britain are even nesting in outdoor […]
Mar 18, 2026
Using mosquitoes to vaccinate bats could curb the spread of deadly diseases
Nature But scientists say there are practical and ethical challenges to overcome before the strategy could be deployed in real-world settings. Mosquitoes that have been designed to carry vaccines in their saliva were used to inoculate bats against the rabies and Nipah viruses1. Scientists are investigating whether this technique could stop such viruses from ‘spilling […]
Mar 11, 2026
A little-known respiratory virus, human metapneumovirus, surging in Northern California
Univ of California, Davis Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face the greatest risk of serious illness (SACRAMENTO) If you came down with a respiratory infection this spring that wasn’t the flu or COVID-19, it may have been a virus you’ve never heard of: Human metapneumovirus or HMPV. The virus was first […]
Mar 11, 2026
Madagascar: Dozens more mpox cases reported
Outbreak News Today The Madagascar Ministry of Health reported an additional 55 laboratory confirmed mpox cases since late February, bringing the the outbreak total to 387 lab confirmed cases and no deaths since the outbreak began in December 2025. Cases have been reported in 27 of Madagascar’s 114 health districts. Clade 1b was isolated from […]
Mar 11, 2026
Warning to stay away from elephant seals after bird flu detected at Año Nuevo State Park
Fox Health officials are warning beachgoers to stay away from marine life after confirming the state’s first cases of bird flu in elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County. Infected seal pups are displaying symptoms including tremors and seizures, according to wildlife experts. The virus is considered highly contagious among animals. […]
Mar 11, 2026