Author: Claudinne Miller
US CDC official in charge of COVID, RSV data resigns ahead of vaccine meeting
Reuters A U.S. government scientist who oversees the team responsible for collecting data on COVID-19 and RSV hospitalizations used to shape national vaccine policy has resigned, citing concerns over how such data would be used by the Trump administration. The scientist, Dr. Fiona Havers, told colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on […]
Jun 17, 2025
Eight things you need to know about the new “Nimbus” and “Stratus” COVID-19 variants
Gavi The NB.1.8.1 and XFG sub-variants are rapidly spreading and competing for global dominance. COVID-19 may have faded from news headlines, but it hasn’t gone away – or stopped evolving. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently lists six ‘variants under monitoring’ — meaning they may require prioritised attention and tracking by health authorities due to their increased […]
Jun 17, 2025
Are Pesticides Breeding the Next Pandemic? Experts Warn of Fungal Superbugs
Science Tech Daily Fungicides used in agriculture have been linked to an increase in resistance to antifungal drugs in both humans and animals. Fungal infections are on the rise, and two UC Davis infectious disease experts, Dr. George Thompson and Dr. Angel Desai, are sounding the alarm. In a recent commentary published in the New England Journal of […]
Jun 17, 2025
Bat Cave Footage Offers Clues to How Viruses Leap Between Species
NYT Video from a national park in Uganda depicted a parade of predatory species feeding on and dispersing fruit bats that are known natural reservoirs of infectious diseases. Bats carry an assortment of viruses, including infectious diseases that have jumped into humans in a process known as zoonotic spillover. In some cases, the aerial mammals […]
Jun 17, 2025
Hundreds of Mysterious Giant Viruses Discovered Lurking in The Ocean
Science Alert Scientists have just discovered hundreds of new giant viruses, in a comprehensive study covering oceans across the globe. The team behind the study, marine biologist Benjamin Minch and virologist Mohammad Moniruzzaman from the University of Miami, used bespoke computer software to identify the genomes of microbes in seawater samples – including 230 giant viruses previously unknown […]
Jun 17, 2025
Climate change leads to spread of infection-causing fungi, scientists say
ABC News Climate change may be putting millions more people at risk from an infection-causing fungi, which is likely spreading due to warming global temperatures, scientists say. There will likely be an increased risk of infection due to harmful fungi in the coming years due to climate change, according to researchers from the University of Manchester. The […]
Jun 17, 2025
What Happens to Vaccines Now?
NYT Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of an influential committee, including the appointment of new members, has created concern about vaccine access. The U.S. health secretary’s dismissal of an influential vaccine advisory committee this week sowed uncertainty about the future of vaccine recommendations nationwide. On Wednesday, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced eight new members of the Advisory Committee […]
Jun 17, 2025
Many Older People Embrace Vaccines. Research Is Proving Them Right.
NYT Newer formulations are even more effective at preventing illnesses that commonly afflict seniors — perhaps even dementia.Kim Beckham, an insurance agent in Victoria, Texas, had seen friends suffer so badly from shingles that she wanted to receive the first approved shingles vaccine as soon as it became available, even if she had to pay […]
Jun 17, 2025
A cattle disease and the tick carrying it are confirmed in Iowa for the first time
OPR The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said the state’s first case of Theileria orientalis Ikeda was confirmed in a cattle herd in Van Buren County in the southeast corner of the state. The protozoan parasite infects the red and white blood cells of cattle, causing anemia and sometimes death. It’s carried by the Asian longhorned tick, […]
Jun 17, 2025
DC-area pediatrician on CDC urging summer camp operators to screen for measles immunity
WTOP As measles cases near record levels in isolated areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging summer camps to check for documentation of immunity through vaccination or prior infection for all children. “I think there has been increased concerns about potential for additional outbreaks and spread, especially in the setting of waning or lowering […]
Jun 17, 2025