virus

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Iowan Dies of 'Frightening' Virus After Travel to Africa

Lassa fever is suspected in person's death; close contacts are being identified

(Newser) - Health officials are investigating the death Monday of an Iowa resident as a suspected case of Lassa fever, a frightening viral hemorrhagic fever rarely seen in the US , health officials said. The patient returned to the US from West Africa early this month, the AP reports. The person was not...

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...

Massachusetts Tells Locals to Take Cover From Skeeters

Rare but deadly eastern equine encephalitis has shown up in an elderly man

(Newser) - A "rare but serious" disease has put residents in Massachusetts on edge, with warnings now to stay inside when they can, especially in the evenings, to avoid encountering mosquitoes that can spread the illness. The Bay State hasn't seen an outbreak of eastern equine encephalitis in four years,...

US Will Pay Moderna $176M to Develop a Bird Flu Vaccine

Funds will pay for continued development of same mRNA technology used in COVID vaccines

(Newser) - The US government will pay the vaccine maker Moderna $176 million to develop a pandemic vaccine that could be used to treat bird flu in people as cases in dairy cows continue to mount across the country, federal officials announced Tuesday. The funds are targeted for release through the US...

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...

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...

Nearly 800 of School's Students Were Absent on Wednesday

Not due to COVID, but a 'highly contagious' gastrointestinal bug that's closed Alabama school

(Newser) - As one Florida elementary school deals with measles , another in Alabama is contending with a "gastrointestinal outbreak" that kept nearly 800 students out of school in just one day. WKRG reports that Fairhope West Elementary School is now closed Thursday and Friday after 773 students called in on Wednesday,...

Alaskapox Virus Claims Its First Human Victim

Health officials say man was immunocompromised, which likely contributed

(Newser) - Alaskapox, a rare virus mostly found in small mammals such as voles and shrews and first identified in a human in 2015, has proven fatal for a human for the first time. An Alaska man died last month of the virus, which can cause skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes, and...

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...

'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 "...

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...

5th State Reports Spread of Dengue
5th State Reports
Spread of Dengue
Oct 24, 2023 1:17 PM CDT

5th State Reports Spread of Dengue

California logs an unwelcome first with local transmission

(Newser) - California has reported its first locally acquired case of dengue, a mosquito-borne virus typically associated with tropical environments—part of a trend that has seen the virus spread in new areas affected by climate change. A person living in Pasadena tested positive for dengue despite no recent travel history, indicating...

When It Comes to Bird Flu, 'It's a New War'

Virus emerges in record amounts, and in new places, meaning it may be here to stay

(Newser) - Will bird flu lead to the next pandemic? That's the question making the headline rounds of late, and the short answer is—it's possible, though the threat isn't currently high. What is the concern of the moment is that wild birds have spread avian influenza, which is...

Rare Outbreak of Deadly Marburg Disease Is Detected

WHO: It's Equatorial Guinea's first outbreak

(Newser) - On Monday, the Central African nation of Equatorial Guinea announced a deadly outbreak of the Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease similar to Ebola. The World Health Organization says at least nine people have died there of the illness, with 16 others suspected of having it. Then, on Tuesday, authorities...

How to Stop a Virus That Goes From Bats to Horses to Humans

A new study shares a theory, and it involves winter flowers

(Newser) - It's a deadly chain: Bats in Australia harbor a virus called Hendra, which doesn't hurt them but can be passed to horses via urine or feces—and those animals fare far worse. There's a 75% fatality rate, though cases are fairly rare. Even more rare is the...

Couple Likely Gave Monkeypox to Their Dog

WHO's Rosamund Lewis says it's first apparent case of human-to-animal transmission

(Newser) - What appears to be the first known human-to-pet transmission of monkeypox has surfaced in France. A nonexclusive, cohabiting couple developed symptoms of the virus, which has been appearing mostly in men who have sex with other men, a few days after sleeping with other partners, reports CBS News . Twelve days...

Newly IDed Virus in China Looks to Be a 'Viral Spillover'

Langya appears to have passed from shrews to humans, infecting dozens, though with no fatalities

(Newser) - Scientists have identified a virus in China that appears to have spread from animals to dozens of humans—a "zoonotic" spread—though they're urging that there's "no need to panic." Citing a study by researchers in China, Singapore, and Australia published last week in the...

'Hundreds' of People in NY May Be Infected With Polio

So says state's health commissioner after virus turns up in wastewater in a 2nd county

(Newser) - News last month of an unvaccinated man in New York's Rockland County contracting polio and suffering paralysis was soon followed by reports of the virus being found in wastewater there. Now, nearby Orange County has also turned up polio in its sewage, in samples taken from two different locations...

CDC Urges Doctors to Look Out for Virus in Babies

Parechovirus can cause severe illness in infants younger than 3 months

(Newser) - It's not clear whether a virus that can cause severe illness in babies is more prevalant than it used to be or whether increased testing is identifying more cases—but either way, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging doctors and public health departments to look out...

2nd US Case of Monkeypox Emerges
2nd US Case of
Monkeypox Emerges
Nov 18, 2021 6:33 AM CST

2nd US Case of Monkeypox Emerges

Maryland resident recently returned from Nigeria, as with the earlier case in Texas

(Newser) - Monkeypox, a rare viral illness that usually occurs in Central and Western Africa, has been identified in a second US resident since July. A Maryland resident who recently returned from Nigeria is in isolation with mild symptoms of the virus first detected in lab monkeys, the Maryland Department of Health...

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