Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Measles Outbreaks in Canada and Mexico Bring Grim Prognosis
NYT Surges in Mennonite communities near the U.S. border may complicate containment efforts, experts say. As the United States struggles to contain a resurgence of measles that has swept through swaths of the Southwest, neighboring countries are responding to their own outbreaks. Canada has reported more than 730 cases this year, making this one of the worst […]
Apr 30, 2025
Hidden transmission of avian influenza virus H5N1 found in Texas dairy cattle
Medical Express Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Disease Center, with multiple academic, state and federal collaborators, identified the emergence and interstate spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) in dairy cattle. Genetic analysis confirms that a reassortment event in wild birds preceded a single transmission to cattle, after which asymptomatic or […]
Apr 30, 2025
Even a small uptick in vaccination could prevent millions of US measles cases.
ABC News Measles cases are continuing to spread throughout the U.S. with outbreaks in at least six states. Public health experts have previously said lagging vaccination rates are to blame for the rise in cases, at least partly due to vaccine hesitancy and vaccine fatigue left over from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even a small […]
Apr 30, 2025
New antiviral compounds show broad protection against COVID-19 variants
Medical News Since the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous novel antiviral therapeutic agents have been developed to target key proteases involved in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication. Nirmatrelvir and ensitrelvir, for example, are main protease (Mpro) inhibitors that are currently approved for the clinical treatment of COVID-19. The […]
Apr 30, 2025
Plasmodium cynomolgi: potential emergence of new zoonotic malaria in Southeast Asia
BMC The reported cases of Plasmodium cynomolgi in Southeast Asia pose a significant public health concern. Sporadic reports of human Plasmodium cynomolgi infections have increased in the past few years, raising attention regarding its potential impact on human populations. Further compounding this issue are the morphological similarities between P. cynomolgi and the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax, which may lead to misdiagnosis […]
Apr 23, 2025
Is Covid Rewriting the Rules of Aging? Brain Decline Alarms Doctors
WSJ Millions of long-Covid patients continue to struggle with cognitive difficulties. Five years after the pandemic’s start, millions of Americans are still struggling with long-lasting symptoms of Covid-19. Cognitive difficulties are among the most troubling and common symptoms in people both old and young. These ailments can be severe enough to leave former professionals like Ken Todd […]
Apr 23, 2025
Mpox found in North Carolina wastewater testing samples: What that means
15 News North Carolina health officials are warning the public and medical practitioners to be on alert after a type of mpox never before found in the state was detected during routine wastewater testing. In an April 22 news release, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said the virus—formerly known as monkeypox—was found during […]
Apr 23, 2025
Measles outbreak in Texas surpasses 600 confirmed cases
USA Today The measles outbreak in Texas has surpassed 600 confirmed cases in 2025, with nearly 30 new infections reported since April 18, the state health department said. As of April 22, there have been 624 measles cases confirmed in Texas since late January, according to new data released by the Texas Department of State Health […]
Apr 23, 2025
Americans unsure what to believe about the measles vaccine
Washington Post Most Americans have encountered false claims about the measles vaccine, and many aren’t sure what the truth is, according to a KFF poll released Wednesday. Misconceptions about measles, a highly contagious virus, and its vaccine abound as cases continue rising across the United States, according to the poll. Prominent false claims suggest that there is a link between autism […]
Apr 23, 2025