Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Dairy cattle test positive for bird flu in Minnesota, Iowa and Wyoming for first time
Wisconsin State Farmer In a matter of days, the number of states with dairy herds testing positive for bird flu has grown from nine to 12. The Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA) confirmed the presence of the virus in dairy cattle in the Equality State on June 7. Other states reporting outbreaks in the last […]
Jun 11, 2024
Covid cases in Hawaii are on the rise, take these precautions
KHON ovid cases are on the rise in Hawaii. State health officials said it’s not a time to panic, but maybe start thinking about taking some precautions. “Right now, it’s Covid that is showing us in the red or the high zone,” said Dr. Sarah Kimble, State Epidemiologist. “What that means is we’re seeing higher […]
Jun 11, 2024
Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Mammals
USDA There are many species that are potentially susceptible to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). In addition to birds and poultry, H5N1 viruses have been detected in some mammals (see list below). Infection may cause illness, including severe disease and death in some cases.
Jun 5, 2024
New Report Underscores the Seriousness of Long Covid
NYT The National Academies said the condition could involve up to 200 symptoms, make it difficult for people to work and last for months or years. One of the nation’s premier medical advisory organizations has weighed in on long Covid with a 265-page report that recognizes the seriousness and persistence of the condition for millions of Americans. […]
Jun 5, 2024
Two human cases of bird flu in Michigan
NPR Michigan (Podcast) The third known case of H5N1 bird flu in a human this year was confirmed late last week in Michigan. Two of the three cases were found in Michigan. All of the infections were found in people who work directly with livestock. In Michigan, both cases involved dairy cattle herds infected with H5N1. On […]
Jun 5, 2024
Bird flu detected in four Colorado dairy herds
Colorado News The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that dairy herds in nine states are infected with the H5N1 virus or bird flu. Four of those herds are in Colorado, where the first infection was detected in the northeastern part of the state in April. The USDA and the Colorado Department of Agriculture are […]
Jun 5, 2024
Texas: Pediatricians warn of hand, foot, mouth disease outbreak in San Antonio
San Antonio News A highly contagious illness is spreading among children in San Antonio, causing little ones to suffer from fever, mouth sores, and rashes. A local pediatrician specialist told MySA that cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) typically spike in the late spring and early summer. While it’s easy to transmit, it’s an illness […]
Jun 5, 2024
Second bird flu outbreak in 6 days infects 103K turkeys at northwest Iowa commercial facility
DeMoines Register The second bird flu outbreak in a week was reported Sunday, with nearly 103,000 turkeys infected in northwest Iowa’s Cherokee County. The Iowa Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday, May 28 that an egg facility with 4.2 million laying hens was infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza. On Sunday, the agency announced that 102,891 turkeys […]
Jun 4, 2024
Don’t just blame rat fleas. Lice may have helped spread ‘black death’ plague
NPR The plague — which in the mid-14th century was also known as the Black Death — devastated swaths of Europe, killing millions in under a decade. One of the puzzles surrounding this ancient pandemic was how it spread so quickly. The common wisdom is that rat fleas were the big spreaders. But now a […]
Jun 4, 2024
Analyzing The Emergence Of Covid Variant KP.2 And Its Potential Impact
Forbes It is clear that SARS-CoV-2, the agent of the Covid-19 epidemic, is here to stay. Like influenza, an easily transmissible respiratory virus, SARS-CoV-2 mutates to evade the immune system of those who have been previously vaccinated, infected, or both. The question remains: how dangerous is each new version of SARS-CoV-2? Again, like the Flu, […]
Jun 4, 2024