infectious diseases

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Whooping Cough Is Back With a Vengeance

This year's numbers for pertussis—at least 17,500 US cases so far—dwarf last year's, at just under 4K

(Newser) - Last year, there were just under 4,000 cases of whooping cough in the US. So far in 2024, there are upward of 17,500—a spike of more than 340%, per Fortune . That's according to the latest CDC stats , released for the week ending Oct. 5, in what...

Florida Zoo Loses 3 Apes to Intestinal Illness
At Florida Zoo,
'Profound
Heartbreak'
for 4 Apes
UPDATED
Sep 13, 2024 12:00 AM CDT

At Florida Zoo, 'Profound Heartbreak' for 4 Apes

A 4th ape dies of shigella at Jacksonville Zoo

(Newser) - The devastating shigella outbreak at a Florida zoo has claimed a fourth victim. A 3-year-old gorilla, Kevin, has died from the bacterial ailment that first claimed his grandmother, a 35-year-old gorilla, and then a pair of bonobo brothers at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, the zoo announced Tuesday. Kevin was...

A Jarring Stat Emerges on Monkeypox Victims
A Jarring Stat Emerges
on Monkeypox Victims
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Aug 31, 2024 4:20 PM CDT

A Jarring Stat Emerges on Monkeypox Victims

Health officials say 75% of cases seen in Congo are kids under 10

(Newser) - More than 450 people have died of monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of Congo this year, and children seem to make up the lion's share of the cases there. Dr. Pierre Olivier Ngadjole of the charity Medair tells the BBC that 75% of those who've contracted the infectious...

What to Know About Sloth Fever
What to Know
About Sloth Fever
Aug 27, 2024 7:29 PM CDT

What to Know About Sloth Fever

More than 20 cases of Oropouche virus have been found in people returning to the US from Cuba

(Newser) - More than 20 people returning to the US from Cuba have been infected with a virus transmitted by bugs in recent months, federal health officials said Tuesday. None have died, and there is no evidence that it's spreading in the United States. But officials are warning US doctors to...

Hepatitis Takes Hold, Polio Emerges in Gaza

UN says diseases are surging among displaced Palestinians amid Israel's war against Hamas

(Newser) - A disease mostly eradicated throughout the world is making a comeback among the wretched conditions throughout Gaza, where nearly all 2.2 million residents have been displaced. The New York Times reports that on Friday, World Health Organization chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed that a poliovirus variant has turned...

The Symptoms Can Be 'Dreadful,' and It's Spreading

Dengue virus is making the rounds, though risk of widespread transmission in continental US is low

(Newser) - It's been reported that a "summer wave" of COVID has arrived , but that's not the only infectious disease making the rounds. The New York Times reports the mosquito-borne virus dengue is seeing a global surge, with an increased risk of contracting it even in our neck of...

Disease-Ridden Mosquitoes Are Swarming Vegas
Disease-Ridden Mosquitoes
Are Swarming Vegas
THE RUNDOWN
Jun 22, 2024 8:00 AM CDT

Disease-Ridden Mosquitoes Are Swarming Vegas

Record number of skeeters carrying West Nile virus are showing up in southern Nevada

(Newser) - Dozens of ZIP codes in south Nevada, including Las Vegas, are being overrun by mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus, in what NBC News says are record-busting numbers. Health officials say that, in recent weeks, 24,000 pools of mosquitoes were tested for the contagious disease in 25 ZIP codes in...

Bird Flu Spreads to US Cattle, Goats
Bird Flu Spreads
to US Cattle, Goats
Mar 26, 2024 11:10 AM CDT

Bird Flu Spreads to US Cattle, Goats

Commercial milk supply is said to be safe, though, per officials

(Newser) - A week after officials in Minnesota said bird flu had been found for the first time in US livestock—specifically, goats living on a farm with infected poultry—the virus has been found to have spread to dairy cows in Texas and Kansas, per the AP . The highly pathogenic avian...

Bird Flu Continues to Wreak Havoc, Killing Seals Worldwide

Tens of thousands of seals, sea lions have died, and scientists aren't sure how to slow the spread

(Newser) - Avian influenza is killing tens of thousands of seals and sea lions in different corners of the world, disrupting ecosystems and flummoxing scientists who don't see a clear way to slow the devastating virus . The worldwide bird flu outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths of...

As Measles Cases Spread, You May Want to Check Your Own Status

There have already been at least 64 US cases this year; last year saw a total of 58

(Newser) - Earlier this month, warning signs emerged of a fast-spreading measles problem, as the highly contagious disease migrated from Florida to more than a dozen other states. Now, an ominous stat: The CDC says that, as of late last week, there were 64 recorded cases of measles in the US—more...

Uptick in US Measles Cases 'Boggles the Mind'
Florida, You're Not Alone
With Your Measles Issues
THE RUNDOWN
Mar 2, 2024 10:00 AM CST

Florida, You're Not Alone With Your Measles Issues

Cases of the technically eradicated disease in the US have popped up in at least 16 states

(Newser) - Florida isn't the only place where measles seems to be making a comeback . CDC stats as of Thursday show a total of 41 cases around the US, in 16 states and growing (click here for a current list). CBS News notes that these numbers "mark one of the...

At Florida School, a 'Preventable' Outbreak

So far, 5 measles cases identified at Manatee Bay Elementary in Broward County's Weston

(Newser) - Over the weekend, the Florida Department of Health warned that it was looking into "multiple cases of measles" at an elementary school in South Florida. On Monday, Broward County Public Schools official John Sullivan confirmed that five cases in total had been identified so far at Manatee Bay Elementary...

In California's 'Egg Basket,' a Fast-Spreading 'Trauma'

Poultry farmers forced to kill million-plus birds to control outbreak of avian flu in Sonoma County

(Newser) - Last month, Mike Weber got the news every poultry farmer fears: His chickens tested positive for avian flu. Following government rules, Weber's company, Sunrise Farms, had to slaughter its entire flock of egg-laying hens—550,000 birds—to prevent the disease from infecting other farms in Sonoma County, north...

In Europe, This 'Canary in a Coal Mine' Is Afoot

Measles is surging, with outbreaks especially prevalent in UK; US also seeing an uptick

(Newser) - As we get our legs after the COVID tsunami, another set of outbreaks is taking hold, especially in Europe. The BBC reports that measles are cropping up throughout the EU, with a nearly 45-fold spike in cases last year, according to the World Health Organization. The UN agency found that...

'Disease X' Isn't Here Yet, but Preparations Are Being Made

World leaders, health experts set up for pandemic that could potentially be far worse than COVID-19

(Newser) - World leaders and health experts are coming together to combat a serious international epidemic that's thankfully hypothetical at this point. If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it's that health care systems and economies can be easily overwhelmed by the global spread of a little-understood disease. Enter "...

Hundreds of Animal Species Hit by 'Catastrophic' Flu Strain

Elephant seals, seabirds, and now a polar bear—could humans be hit hard next with H5N1?

(Newser) - "It is catastrophic ... the largest die-off for the species, period." That's how Martin Mendez, a marine biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, describes to the Washington Post the fate of hundreds of elephant seals last fall in Argentina, found dead along the shore of the Valdes Peninsula....

Illness That Caused 'Global Panic' Never Really Went Away

There's still no vaccine for mosquito-born Zika that struck in 2015; experts worry of future outbreak

(Newser) - In 2016, the United Nations declared that the Zika virus—a mosquito-borne illness that can cause serious neurological effects in newborns with infected moms— was no longer a worldwide emergency . But the virus didn't actually disappear: In fact, Medriva deems it a "silent threat still lurking." The...

Updated COVID Shots Part of Plan to Avoid 'Tripledemic'

Approval of updated vaccines expected within days, just in time for flu and RSV season

(Newser) - Updated COVID-19 vaccines are coming soon, just in time to pair them with flu shots. Doctors hope enough people get vaccinated to help avert another "tripledemic" like last year, when hospitals were overwhelmed with an early flu season, an onslaught of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and yet another winter...

As School Year Kicks Off, a 'Rude Reminder' From COVID
Think We're Done
With COVID? It's
Not Done With Us
THE RUNDOWN
Aug 29, 2023 9:25 AM CDT

Think We're Done With COVID? It's Not Done With Us

Illness is more manageable now, but late-summer wave shows our 'new normal' will include the virus

(Newser) - If you're seeing a sudden uptick in people around you contracting COVID, more than three years after the start of the pandemic, and more than three months after the pandemic public health emergency was declared over , you're not imagining it. Per the New York Times , there's been...

Florida's Newest Woe: Leprosy
Florida's Newest Woe: Leprosy
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Aug 5, 2023 12:30 PM CDT

Florida's Newest Woe: Leprosy

CDC says Central Florida accounts for nearly 20% of cases nationwide

(Newser) - Florida is contending with invasive species , spiking insurance rates , worrisome warming waters , political tensions , and now ... leprosy? That's according to the CDC, who on Monday issued a release spelling out how the infectious condition, also known as Hansen's disease, has taken hold in the Sunshine State, especially the...

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