Author: Claudinne Miller
Eight dead in suspected Marburg outbreak in Tanzania: WHO
HUM The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Tuesday that a suspected outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in Tanzania had killed eight people, warning that the risk of further spread in the country and region was “high”. The United Nations health agency said it had informed its member states on Monday of “an outbreak of […]
Jan 14, 2025
1st presumptive case of bird flu identified in San Francisco juvenile, officials say
ABC 7 News San Francisco Department of Public Health announced its first presumptive case of H5N1 bird flu on Friday, which was found in a juvenile resident. The department said the child experienced symptoms of fever and conjunctivitis but did not need to be hospitalized and has since fully recovered. SFDPH said the child “initially […]
Jan 14, 2025
How Lagging Vaccination Could Lead to a Polio Resurgence
NYT In its original form, the virus survives in just two countries. But a type linked to an oral vaccine used in other nations has already turned up in the West. Most American parents hardly give thought to polio beyond the instant their child is immunized against the disease. But there was a time in […]
Jan 14, 2025
What We Know About HMPV, the Common Virus Spreading in China
NYT While cases are climbing in China, the situation is very different from what it was when Covid-19 emerged five years ago, medical experts say. HMPV has circulated in humans for decades. Reports of a surge in cases of a respiratory virus in China have evoked dark echoes of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic […]
Jan 14, 2025
Mongolian horses are contracting H5N1 under the radar, says new study
Telegraph Scientists find ‘conclusive’ evidence of spillover infections from wild birds in the east Asian country – home to five million horses. Horses are silent carriers of H5N1 bird flu, a new study from the University of Glasgow has found. Testing of horses in Mongolia found that several had antibodies for H5N1, indicating prior infection. […]
Jan 14, 2025
Some Raw Truths About Raw Milk
NYT Despite the serious risks of drinking it, a growing movement — including the potential health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — claims it has benefits. Should we take them more seriously? Thousands of years ago, after domesticating cows and other ruminants, humans did something remarkable: They began to consume the milk from these animals. […]
Jan 14, 2025
Sierra Leone declares public health emergency over mpox
Dawn Sierra Leone declared a public health emergency on Monday to combat mpox, announcing it was stepping up surveillance at its borders after confirming two cases of the deadly viral disease. “The confirmation of two cases of mpox in the country has prompted immediate action as mandated by the public health act,” Health Minister Austin […]
Jan 14, 2025
It feels like everyone has a stomach bug. A new norovirus strain might be to blame, CDC data suggests
CBS News A new strain of norovirus now makes up a majority of outbreaks nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new strain’s emergence, found spreading throughout the country and on cruise ships, offers a possible explanation for the past month’s steep wave of infections from the stomach bug. Scientists call this […]
Jan 14, 2025
What to know about this winter’s surge of viral illnesses across the country
PBS Newshour According to the CDC, the number of people going to doctors with illnesses the flu, RSV and COVID is surging. Epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina joins John Yang to discuss why this year’s sick season is hitting Americans hard and what to know about other viruses in the headlines right now. Continue reading
Jan 14, 2025
CWD prions found in moose, deer, reindeer muscles in Norway, highlighting potential risk to people
CIDRAP Researchers who late last week reported finding chronic wasting disease (CWD) prions in the muscles of infected moose, red deer, and reindeer in Norway say the discovery raises questions about the risk of human exposure through eating the meat of infected cervids (members of the deer family). CWD is a fatal neurodegenerative cervid disease caused by […]
Jan 14, 2025