Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
People who want COVID vaccines worry about access
NPR Some healthy pregnant women, parents of healthy kids and younger healthy adults are worried they won’t be able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 because of the recent changes in access by the federal government. The Trump administration is making it more difficult for healthy children and healthy pregnant women to get the COVID vaccine, […]
Jun 4, 2025
How measles tore through a remote West Texas city
NBC News SEMINOLE, Texas — On a Saturday in mid-March, Dr. Ben Edwards put on his scrubs and drove to a sheet metal building in this tiny West Texas city to treat children with measles. Red spots mottled his face; Edwards was sick with measles, too. An outbreak of the disease was swelling in Gaines […]
Jun 4, 2025
Arizona: Third commercial farm tests positive for bird flu
12 News A third commercial farm in Arizona has tested positive for avian flu, according to the Arizona Department of Agriculture. A third Maricopa County commercial farm has tested positive for Avian Influenza, according to the Arizona Department of Agriculture. Poultry at the latest farm to test positive started showing signs of the bird flu […]
Jun 4, 2025
Tracking the Threat: How a New H5N1 Virus Variant Took Hold Across Europe
Global Biodefense New genomic analyses trace the origins and spread of the EA-2023-DG H5N1 reassortant, highlighting evolving zoonotic risks and urgent surveillance needs. A new scientific study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases has mapped the emergence and spread of a novel highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus genotype—EA-2023-DG—across Europe. Conducted by an international team of researchers led by the […]
Jun 4, 2025
Study: Live bird flu virus can survive in raw milk for a week
Ag Daily A new lab study has found that the H5N1 avian influenza virus can remain infectious in raw milk for more than a day at room temperature and over a week when refrigerated, raising significant concerns about the potential for zoonotic transmission through unpasteurized dairy products. Published May 28 on the preprint server medRxiv, the non-peer-reviewed […]
Jun 4, 2025
We finally may be able to rid the world of mosquitoes. But should we?
Washington Post Gene editing holds the potential of suppressing mosquito species that carry deadly diseases — and raises ethical questions. They buzz, they bite, and they cause some of the deadliest diseases known to humanity. Mosquitoes are perhaps the planet’s most universally reviled animals. If we could zap them off the face of the Earth, […]
Jun 3, 2025
Measles can be a risk during air travel. Here’s how to stay safe.
Washington Post At least 62 people with measles have traveled on planes this year, and one person became infected. But being fully vaccinated can help protect you. People with measles, a highly contagious disease, are traveling on airplanes, raising concerns about the spread of the respiratory virus as global cases rise and summer travel season gets underway […]
Jun 3, 2025
Two more Colorado measles infections connected to out-of-state traveler
CBS News The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said two more cases of measles have been confirmed in connection with an out-of-state traveler who went through Denver International Airport in May. Officials said the latest cases are two unvaccinated adults who reside in El Paso County. Officials said the adults are not related to each […]
Jun 3, 2025
Measles vaccination rates in children have declined in most U.S. counties, study finds
CBS News Amid a widespread decline in childhood measles vaccination rates since before the COVID-19 pandemic across the United States, a study published Monday found that coverage can vary substantially within a state. Looking at county-level data in 33 states, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination rate decreased from 93.92% in […]
Jun 3, 2025
Increasing Predominance of Norovirus GII.17 over GII.4, United States, 2022–2025
CDC Norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in the United States (1). Genetically, noroviruses are classified into 10 genogroups (GI–GX) and further into 48 genotypes and 60 P-types (2). Most outbreaks are caused by genogroup GI and GII viruses. During 2011–2024, GII.4 viruses have caused >50% of US outbreaks each season (defined […]
Jun 3, 2025