Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Virus that causes ‘slapped cheek’ rash in kids is rising in US, CDC warns
The Hill The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert Tuesday warning about a highly contagious respiratory illness detected especially among young children. Over the past two years, there has been an uptick of the common seasonal illness, known as parvovirus B19, particularly among kids aged 5 to 9. The CDC said the percentage […]
Aug 14, 2024
14 people got Valley fever after a California music festival, highlighting the fungus’ growing threat
NBC News An outbreak of Valley fever among attendees and workers at an outdoor music festival in California’s Central Valley highlights the fungal infection’s mounting threat. Fourteen people who traveled to attend or work at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival in Bakersfield in May have tested positive for Valley fever and developed symptoms, the California Department […]
Aug 13, 2024
Allegheny County Health Department reports first human case of Powassan virus disease
WTAE he Allegheny County Health Department says the first human case of Powassan virus disease in the county has been detected. A child who lives in northern Allegheny County tested positive and is recovering at home after experiencing fever and other symptoms that led to hospitalization, the health department said Tuesday. The tick-borne disease is […]
Aug 13, 2024
Fauci urges at-risk people to keep masking to prevent COVID-19
Baltimore Sun Dr. Anthony Fauci is urging at-risk people to continue wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Speaking to MedPage Today, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases explained he became infected with the disease for the third time in July. The illness, he said, came despite being […]
Aug 13, 2024
Will bird flu be the next pandemic? Vaccines are prepped, just in case.
USA Today A quiet effort to prevent the next global pandemic began rolling off an assembly line this summer behind the gates of an office complex in suburban Raleigh. In this sprawling factory, sheltered by thick pine groves, workers at CSL Seqirus are bottling millions of doses of a new vaccine targeting the H5N1 bird […]
Aug 13, 2024
‘Zika-like’ mosquito-borne virus has spread into Europe, health officials warn
Fox News The Oropouche virus is transmitted through bites from mosquitoes and midges, with sloths and birds acting as hosts. Cases of the Oropouche virus (OROV) emerging in Europe have health officials on high alert. As of the end of July, 19 cases had been reported with 12 in Spain, five in Italy and two […]
Aug 13, 2024
NIH study to pinpoint long Covid diagnosis comes up short
NBC Researchers pored over lab results from more than 10,000 patients from across the U.S. but couldn’t find differences between patients with and without long Covid. Long Covid continues to evade a clear diagnostic test, researchers reported in a study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The findings are part of the National Institute of […]
Aug 13, 2024
Mosquito season is getting longer, which could lead to more disease. How one city is preparing.
CBS News A warmer climate means mosquito season is getting longer, prompting not only an increase in the pesky insects but also greater potential for them to spread diseases like West Nile virus. To help reduce the risk In New York City, expert “insect hunters” track the summer pests among the trees and marshes of parks that residents use to […]
Aug 13, 2024
CDC says COVID is at ‘very high’ activity levels in some US states: See latest data
USA Today Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that over half of the United States have reported “very high” levels of COVID-19 activity. Using wastewater or sewage, the CDC tests the water to see if there are any traces of an infectious disease within a community, the government agency says. Data collected on […]
Aug 13, 2024
Mpox Declared A Public Health Emergency In Africa: Why That’s A Concern For Other Nations
Forbes Due to the alarming surge in cases of mpox (formerly referred to as monkeypox), the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the disease a public health emergency on Tuesday. There have already been 17,500 mpox cases and 460 deaths in Africa in 2024, more than were recorded all of last year. The […]
Aug 13, 2024