Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
New study advances theory on why most U.S. bird flu cases have so far been mild
STAT Researchers believe immunity to an earlier virus may play a role, but not everyone agrees. The H5N1 bird flu virus has historically extracted a heavy toll when it infects humans, with nearly half of confirmed cases ending in death over the past three decades. But of the 70 cases reported in the United States over the […]
Jul 23, 2025
Cambodia reports 13th human case of H5N1 bird flu this year
BNO Cambodia has confirmed a new human case of H5N1 bird flu in a 6-year-old boy who is currently in intensive care, according to health officials. It is the country’s 13th confirmed human case in 2025. The child, from Bos Russey village in Tbong Khmum province, tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza on Monday. He […]
Jul 23, 2025
A genetic tweak could prevent mosquitoes from transmitting malaria
NPR Each year, 263 million people get malaria. But from the parasite’s perspective, infecting humans is harder than you might think, and requires completing an epic journey within the tiny body of a mosquito. First, the mosquito must suck the blood of an individual infected with malaria — bringing the Plasmodium parasite into the insect’s gut. Then […]
Jul 23, 2025
Man Catches Plague From His Cat
MedPageToday Case occurred outside the typical season, suggesting the influence of a changing climate. In a rare, off-season occurrence, a man in Oregon contracted plague from his infected cat, researchers reported. The case occurred in January 2024, earlier in the year than all of the other 18 cases of plague reported in Oregon in the […]
Jul 23, 2025
Summer Covid cases are rising across the U.S. — Is it time for a vaccine?
NBC The uptick in cases, caused by a variant of the virus nicknamed “razor blade throat,” comes as many Americans have likely gone a year or longer without a Covid shot. As Covid cases begin to rise this summer, many may be wondering: What are my risks, and is it time to get another vaccine? […]
Jul 23, 2025
Gambia declares mpox outbreak
Daily News The Gambia reported an outbreak of mpox on July 22 with detection of a single case, as several nearby countries have recorded recent increases in infections. Mpox remains an international health emergency, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) director said last month, amid a rise in west Africa. “A case of mpox has been detected in the country through the […]
Jul 23, 2025
West Africa’s Clade II Mpox Outbreak Expands
Vax Before Travel The WHO Director-General recently determined that the upsurge of mpox cases in Africa continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern and issued temporary recommendations to States Parties as of July 10, 2025. The first human case of mpox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, […]
Jul 23, 2025
Scientists Crack Genome of Soft Tick That Threatens Pigs and People
Pork Business Not only is the Ornithodoros turicata tick a potential vector of the ASF virus, but it also carries human relapsing fever, a severe bacterial infection. Scientists at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Baylor College of Medicine have mapped the DNA of a tick that can spread African swine fever (ASF), a deadly disease in pigs. Not only is the Ornithodoros […]
Jul 23, 2025
Why are tick bites sending so many people to the emergency room this summer?
NBC News While working as a youth camp doctor in upstate New York earlier this summer, Dr. Matt Harris noticed he was removing a dozen ticks from campers each day, more than in years prior. Harris, an emergency medicine doctor at Northwell Medicine, said summer camp isn’t the only place seeing a surge of tick bites: […]
Jul 23, 2025
Why are tick bites sending so many people to the emergency room this summer?
NBC Tick-related hospital visits reached their peak in May, the highest since 2019. While working as a youth camp doctor in upstate New York earlier this summer, Dr. Matt Harris noticed he was removing a dozen ticks from campers each day, more than in years prior. Harris, an emergency medicine doctor at Northwell Medicine, said […]
Jul 23, 2025