Author: Claudinne Miller
Has bird flu killed millions of chickens in Colorado?
Colorado Sun Poultry losses due to avian flu in 2024 alone drove up egg prices nationwide by 9%, a University of Arkansas study found. Avian flu outbreaks have led to the deaths of more than 11 million commercial chickens in Colorado since 2022. Federal officials usually require farmers to “depopulate” an entire flock if a […]
Mar 25, 2026
H5N1 in marine mammals is spreading: Research tallies over 50,000 seals and sea lions killed along South America’s coast
Phys.org When the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was discovered on a poultry farm in Asia in 1996, there was little indication that it would become so widespread and so destructive. Within 30 years, it reached every continental region except Oceania, infecting more than 400 million poultry, tens of thousands of elephant seals and […]
Mar 25, 2026
US left without functioning vaccine panel as adviser says ‘drama distracts’
The Guardian Move comes after judge voided Kennedy’s ACIP picks, leaving key flu, Covid and RSV vaccines in limbo. Amid upheaval to the US vaccine advisory committee Robert Malone, the former co-chair and controversial figure who has opposed vaccines, says he has been pushed out and will not be involved in any future decisions. The move comes […]
Mar 25, 2026
Four truths about covid that have become clouded over time
Washington Post In the early days, the virus posed a graver threat to people and the health care system, Trump embraced lockdowns he now blasts, and the benefits of vaccines were oversold. Unlike in a hurricane or war zone, much of covid’s toll happened out of public view, inside the crowded hospitals where people died […]
Mar 25, 2026
Kent meningitis outbreak: the latest on the bacterial strain at its centre
The Conversation A meningitis outbreak in Kent has been caused by a strain of bacteria that appears to be genetically distinct from anything scientists have seen before. Health officials are working urgently to understand what that means. As of March 23, 23 young people have been confirmed as cases or considered probable cases of invasive meningococcal […]
Mar 25, 2026
UK Meningitis Outbreak May Worsen, Health Security Agency Warns
Bloomberg The UK meningitis outbreak may worsen in coming weeks and months, with further contamination unrelated to the southeastern county of Kent where it first emerged. There is a risk that the epidemic will move from level 1, in which there is one known case cluster and a small number of cases elsewhere derive from […]
Mar 25, 2026
COVID-19’s Stalling Effect on Children’s Executive Function
Neuroscience.com By tracking over 3,100 children in Massachusetts from 2018 to 2023, researchers found that post-pandemic EF growth rates fell below developmentally typical norms across all socioeconomic groups. This “cognitive stalling” helps explain the widespread academic and behavioral challenges observed in classrooms since the pandemic’s onset, suggesting that children now require systemic support to regain […]
Mar 25, 2026
Uncovering the evolutionary limits of the COVID-19 virus
Oxford University Press A new paper in Genome Biology and Evolution, indicates that while the COVID-19 virus has developed rapidly since 2019, it has done so within limited genetic channels. These genetic limits have remained unchanged. Despite scientists’ earlier fears about dramatic, rapid evolution of the COVID-19 virus, it appears recent changes in the virus were relatively […]
Mar 25, 2026
Phase III TB vaccines and MDR-TB treatments
Clinical Trials Arena GlobalData epidemiologists project TB cases across the 16 major markets to reach 4.5 million by 2033. It has been several years since a new tuberculosis (TB) drug advanced into Phase III trials, but momentum in the field is now picking up, with a vaccine and two novel treatments progressing through late-stage studies. […]
Mar 25, 2026
Yep, a mom’s COVID shot during pregnancy protects her baby, a large study finds
NPR Babies under 6 months old still have one of the highest rates of hospitalization from COVID-19 infections compared to other age groups, but no COVID vaccine is available for these infants. That’s one reason the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, recommends COVID vaccination during pregnancy. “There are a number of studies […]
Mar 25, 2026