Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
First Human Case of Bird Flu Imported in EU
European Medical Journal THE FIRST human case of avian influenza A(H9N2) infection has been reported in Italy. Notification of the infection in the Lombardy Region marks the first human case reported in Europe. Italy’s Ministry of Health confirmed on Wednesday that the infected person came from a non-European country where he contracted the low-pathogenicity avian influenza A(H9N2) virus of […]
Apr 1, 2026
H9N2 Bird Flu Hits Europe as First Human Case Confirmed in Italy
Science Alert The first human case of H9N2 influenza virus (bird flu) has been reported in Europe. A human infection was recorded by the Italian Ministry of Health on March 25, 2026. As an influenza virologist, I can explain what this means and why I am not particularly worried by it – yet. What do we know about this case? The […]
Apr 1, 2026
Health officials warn of leptospirosis risk after Hawaii floods
Honolulu Star Advertiser The Hawaii Department of Health and Hawaiian Humane Society are urging residents and recovery workers to monitor for signs of leptospirosis in the aftermath of the “Kona low” storm floods. Leptospirosis Opens in a new tab is a potentially serious bacterial illness that can affect both people and pets. It is caused by Leptospira, […]
Apr 1, 2026
A new COVID-19 variant called “Cicada” is spreading. Here’s what to know.
CBS News “Cicada” is trending, but not because it’s the season for the noisy insects to appear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are both monitoring a COVID-19 variant called BA.3.2, which is nicknamed “Cicada.” Where is it? BA.3.2 was first identified in November 2024 and has since spread to at […]
Apr 1, 2026
Could bird flu still spark a pandemic?
Science Friday Bird flu has flown off the national news radar, with only scattered, local reports of dead birds in parks and poultry farms. Is it simply no longer a concern, or have cuts to federal science funding disrupted monitoring for this disease? Airborne pathogens expert Seema Lakdawala gives a flyover view on where bird […]
Mar 25, 2026
Missouri health department reports state’s first 2 cases of clade I mpox
KMBC News The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed two cases of clade I mpox in residents who recently traveled internationally. Clade I mpox, formerly referred to as “monkeypox,” has been spreading globally since 2024. It is different from the clade II mpox outbreak in 2022. Clade I mpox is “more likely to […]
Mar 25, 2026
Trinidad: Health Ministry urges caution as monkey dies from yellow fever
Trinidad Guardian The Ministry of Health has confirmed a case of yellow fever in a deceased Red Howler monkey following laboratory testing. It is assuring the public that there are currently no reported human infections. In a statement yesterday, the ministry explained that yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes, including Aedes […]
Mar 25, 2026
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
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