Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Cancer drug protein target may also help fight influenza
Medical Express A protein already targeted by FDA-approved cancer drugs may also help the body fight influenza, according to new research from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX). Published in Cell Reports, the study found that Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1), a protein best known for helping tumors evade immune attack, instead helped immunocompromised mice clear flu-infected lung cells […]
Mar 18, 2026
Recorded Cases of Meningitis Rise to 20 as UK Outbreak Worsens
EMJ CASES of meningococcal disease in Kent, UK, have risen to 20, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed today. As of 5pm on Tuesday, nine laboratory cases are confirmed and 11 notifications remain under investigation by UKHSA. Six of the confirmed cases have been identified as group B meningococcal disease. One individual who had […]
Mar 18, 2026
Everything you need to know about Ebola, Marburg disease and Lassa Fever
ECDC What do we know about haemorrhagic fevers like the Ebola, Marburg disease or Lassa fever?How does one get infected? In which parts of the world can that happen? What are the symptoms, and what does modern science and public health have in the arsenal to fight with these diseases?
Mar 18, 2026
How does Marburg virus enter cells so efficiently?
BioTechniques Original story from the University of Minnesota (MN, USA). The characteristics of the protein that allows Marburg virus to enter human cells so efficiently – 300 times more efficiently than Ebola – have been identified. University of Minnesota (MN, USA) researchers found that the Marburg virus, one of the world’s deadliest pathogens with an average […]
Mar 18, 2026
California: 27 elephant seals test positive for bird flu in Bay Area outbreak
KRON More than two dozen elephant seals have tested positive for avian influenza since the outbreak at Año Nuevo State Park on the San Mateo County coast began in February, according to an update from UC Davis released Monday. One sea otter and two California sea lions have also tested positive after being found dead […]
Mar 18, 2026
Understanding endemic Rift Valley Fever (RVF) transmission in distinct African regions
Wellcome.org This research investigates the endemic dynamics of Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) in East (Kenya), West (Senegal), and Southern Africa (South Africa), challenging the view of RVFV as an epidemic disease. We propose that RVF exists along a spectrum from epidemic to endemic transmission, influenced by landscape ecology, climate, and socioeconomic factors. The project […]
Mar 18, 2026
Unvaccinated 17-year-old dies of measles, Health Ministry says
Times of Israel The Health Ministry reports that an unvaccinated 17-year-old boy died of measles last night. The boy suffered from underlying conditions. When hospitalized two and a half weeks ago, he was diagnosed with measles. This is Israel’s 17th death from measles since the current outbreak began last May. Of the other 16 deaths, […]
Mar 18, 2026
Why we don’t talk about COVID anymore
Axios Six years ago this week, COVID-19 dominated daily life. Schools closed, headlines tracked cases, and Ohio reported its first deaths and postponed a primary election. Why it matters: Today, the pandemic that killed over 1 million Americans and reshaped society has largely faded from public conversation. Driving the news: Associate professor Marian Moser Jones and other researchers have interviewed over […]
Mar 18, 2026
More serious mpox strain detected in NYC for first time
CBS News The first case of mpox clade I has been detected in New York City, health officials said Friday. Of the two types of mpox, clade I is known to cause more severe disease and death. It’s the 12th clade I mpox diagnosis in the U.S. The city’s Health Department said the person who tested […]
Mar 18, 2026
The first known case of a severe strain of the mpox virus detected in NYC
Dr. Sharon Nachman, Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, explains the risks and differences from prior mpox outbreaks.
Mar 18, 2026