Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
What to Know About the ‘Kissing Bug’ Disease
NYT Though some researchers believe it should be labeled endemic in the United States, most Americans don’t need to worry about getting sick. Perhaps you’ve seen the “kissing bug” disease all over the internet in the past few weeks — and the images of the culprit, a dark, penny-sized insect with orange and red markings […]
Sep 17, 2025
Tracking County-Level Measles Cases in the US
JAMA Prior to the introduction of the measles vaccine, more than 90% of US residents were infected with the measles virus before the age of 15 years, with the 3 million to 4 million annual cases of measles resulting in approximately 48 000 hospitalizations.1 After the licensure of the first measles vaccine in 1963, national efforts to […]
Sep 17, 2025
DRC’s Ebola-hit towns under confinement as cases tick up
Times Live Towns affected by Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) latest Ebola outbreak have erected checkpoints to restrict population movements, officials said this week, as cases increased slightly and aid workers warned that the response was underfunded. DRC’s health ministry last week declared the country’s first Ebola outbreak in three years, with 28 suspected cases […]
Sep 10, 2025
Optical pooled screens shed light on Ebola infection
Nature Filoviruses, a group of negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses that encompasses Ebola, Marburg and Sudan viruses, among others, cause frequent deadly outbreaks. While some therapies and vaccines have been developed, treatment options are still limited, and the need to better understand the interplay between host factors and viral infection throughout the viral life cycle is […]
Sep 10, 2025
Two deaths suspected of being linked to Ebola virus disease in Kikwit
Link to article in French (machine translated to English) An alert has been issued in the town of Kikwit, capital of Kwilu province, after two deaths with signs suggestive of the Ebola virus were recorded at the Kikwit General Reference Hospital (HGR). According to information obtained from a local source, the first case involved a […]
Sep 10, 2025
Five things to know about tuberculosis as it surfaces in Maine and North Carolina. Who is at risk?
Northeastern News One of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases, tuberculosis requires months of treatment. Tuberculosis, one of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases, has been reported in a handful of cases in Maine, North Carolina and California in recent weeks. Less transmissible than other respiratory illnesses such as the flu and COVID-19, tuberculosis is curable with up to nine […]
Sep 10, 2025
Unapproved tests and alternative treatments for Lyme disease are proliferating
PBS Lyme disease can cause serious harm, but so can bogus tests and treatments. The complexity of diagnosing the tick-borne disease has given rise to an entire industry of unapproved tests and unproven alternative treatments that experts say should be avoided, including lasers, herbal remedies and electromagnets “It really is a buyer-beware situation,” said Dr. […]
Sep 10, 2025
IOM Expands Support to Contain Mpox Threat in West and Central Africa
IOM The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is ramping up its efforts to contain the spread of Mpox in West and Central Africa, reinforcing border health systems and ensuring that mobile and hard-to-reach communities are not left out of national and regional response plans. Working closely with government health authorities and international partners, IOM has […]
Sep 10, 2025
The 16th Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in Bulape Health Zone, Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A new spillover event from an unknown reservoir host
Virological.org The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently facing concurrent outbreaks including mpox, cholera and malaria (1-4). The Ministry of Public Health, DRC has declared the 16th Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak on 04 September 2025 after PCR confirmation of Ebola virus (EBOV), formely Zaïre ebolavirus, in patient’s specimens from Bulape Heath Zone, in Kasai […]
Sep 10, 2025
Red Cross responds as deadly Ebola resurfaces in DRC’s Kasaï Province after 17 years
IFRC The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has officially declared a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Kasaï Province. This marks the country’s 16th recorded Ebola epidemic and the first in this region since 2008. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in coordination […]
Sep 10, 2025