Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
‘Tripledemic’ infected nearly 40 percent of households, survey finds
(The Hill) The winter’s “tripledemic” of respiratory viruses impacted nearly 40 percent of U.S. households, with someone there getting sick with the flu, COVID-19 or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to a new survey from KFF released Tuesday. The flu and RSV hit much harder and earlier this year than in years past, as viruses […]
Feb 7, 2023
Scientists fear valley fever may be on the rise, on the move in US
(The Hill) Valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis, is caused by the fungus coccidioides. Spores from the fungus can be found on the ground or uprooted by things like construction work, human activity, or wind. “This is a disease we’ve been tracking for a long, long time and actually the fungus that causes it was part of […]
Feb 7, 2023
Could bird flu in mink signal threat of a human pandemic?
(DW) A bird flu outbreak on a Spanish mink farm has alarmed scientists. The virus may be spreading for the first time from mammal to mammal — and could become a danger for humans. It started in October 2022, when several dead mink were discovered on a farm in Galicia in northwestern Spain. Veterinarians initially blamed the coronavirus. […]
Feb 7, 2023
Measles outbreak in central Ohio ends after 85 cases, all among children who weren’t fully vaccinated
(CNN) A measles outbreak in central Ohio that sickened 85 children has been declared over, officials at Columbus Public Health announced Sunday. None of the children died, but 36 were hospitalized. The outbreak of measles infections, which was first reported in early November, spread among children who were not fully vaccinated and was mostly driven by a lack […]
Feb 7, 2023
New study tallies excess physician deaths during early pandemic
(AMA) When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the world was caught off guard and left unprepared with how to handle this novel infection. As a result, it exacted a toll many would never have imagined possible. COVID-19 has killed nearly 1.1 million people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data tracker. Yet […]
Feb 7, 2023
New study uncovers the 7 most common long COVID symptoms. Not all experts agree
(Today) Despite the plethora of symptoms reported by patients with long COVID, a new study points to just seven that are unique to the illness. However, some long COVID researchers and doctors who’ve treated the disease believe this list is far from comprehensive. The goal of the study was to look for long COVID symptoms […]
Feb 7, 2023
A Secret Weapon in Preventing the Next Pandemic: Fruit Bats
(Scientific American) New research links bat habitat destruction with the spillover of their viruses to humans. More than four dozen Jamaican fruit bats destined for a lab in Bozeman, Montana, are set to become part of an experiment with an ambitious goal: predicting the next global pandemic. Bats worldwide are primary vectors for virus transmission […]
Feb 7, 2023
Alarming Spread of Bird Flu Continues as More Species Infected
(Science Alert) Experts have warned that the recent detection of bird flu in mammals including foxes, otters, minks, seals, and even grizzly bears is concerning but emphasized that the virus would have to significantly mutate to spread between humans.
Feb 6, 2023
Free-Range Egg Supply at Risk as UK Poultry Kept Indoors While Bird-Flu Rages
(Bloomberg) UK chickens and hens will stay indoors until the country’s worst-ever bird flu outbreak abates further. While risk levels are reviewed weekly, housing orders in place since November in England may not lift until spring, when wild birds that carry the virus migrate elsewhere, Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said Tuesday. That means free-range eggs — […]
Jan 31, 2023
Three Montana Grizzly Bears Euthanized Last Fall Tested Positive for Avian Flu
(NYT) The bears are believed to have contracted the virus from diseased birds, amid what a U.S.D.A. spokesman called the “largest foreign animal disease outbreak in U.S. history.” Three young grizzly bears in Montana that were euthanized last fall later tested positive for the highly contagious avian influenza, the state’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks service announced […]
Jan 31, 2023