Diseases & Outbreaks News and Discussions

[wjfox]

[caltrek]

The Climate Crisis Is a Health Crisis
by Mark Schapiro
May 17, 2023

Introduction:

(Capital & Main) The direct and indirect health impacts of climate change are one of the most underreported aspects of the climate crisis. The medical and scientific journals are filled with examples of diseases shifting along with the shifting climatic conditions, but the links between the environment and personal health rarely make it into the media. In the last column I talked about the direct impacts of greenhouse gases on our health. This time, let’s focus on why the American Public Health Association has determined that the changing climate being wrought by the accumulation of those gases in the atmosphere are triggering a health emergency.

Medical professionals in the U.S., warns the CDC, may be thoroughly unprepared to treat diseases that have been previously confined to tropical Africa and Latin America. The World Health Organization says that climate change presents “the biggest health threat facing humanity.” Bugs and bacteria, it turns out, can adapt much better to a changing environment than we humans.

The scientific press is filled with examples of how the changing climate is opening new pathways for insects following the heat, fungi following the moisture, algal blooms proliferating in warming waters fed by phosphate-based agricultural runoff — and how all are being buffeted by the frequency of the extreme swings in temperature and rainfall.

Start with disease-bearing mosquitoes — whose range is rapidly expanding inside the continental United States. The mosquito family known as Aedes aegypti, most responsible for transmitting diseases like zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever, has largely been limited to the tropics but is following the heat into a broad band across the southern United States, from North Carolina and Virginia into the southern portions of California and Arizona.

Warm, humid conditions and the later onset of winter have also helped spur an expansion in the range of ticks carrying lyme disease for longer seasons in the Northeast, and showing up in greater numbers as far west as California.

The article also discusses the release of sterile male mosquitos as an abatement strategy.

The spread of fungi carrying what’s known as Valley fever is also mentioned. The proliferation of marine bacteria called Vibrio is reviewed. The Vibrio bacteria infects shellfish and is easily transmitted to humans, for whom it can cause digestive and skin ailments.


Read more here: https://capitalandmain.com/the-climate ... th-crisis

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Three People Have Acquired Malaria in the U.S. They’re the First in Twenty Years
by Keren Landman
June 23, 2023

Introduction:

(Vox) In late May, Sarasota County, Florida, health officials confirmed they had identified a case of locally transmitted malaria. In mid-June, they confirmed the second. On June 23, Texas joined in: its state health department announced it had confirmed a case of local malaria transmission in Cameron County.

This is all highly unusual. The US hasn’t documented a locally acquired malaria case in 20 years.

Although about 2,000 people infected with malaria turn up in the US health care system every year, those cases are all linked to travel outside the US. Neither those involved in the Florida cases nor the Texas case had traveled. That means in both states, the infection was acquired within US borders.

Experts say the three cases shouldn’t warrant panic about widespread malaria transmission in the US. But it does warrant asking some questions, and being wary of the threat of more local transmission. Mosquitoes can infect multiple people before a full-on outbreak is even identified — so more cases could be out there.

Even if this turns out not to be widespread, it’s a good reminder: Malaria could make a comeback in the US, and we — and our public health infrastructure — ought to be prepared. This is especially true as a changing climate and shifting weather patterns increasingly drive mosquito migration into new places worldwide, allowing malaria to settle in where it hasn’t before.

Read more here: https://www.vox.com/science/2023/6/23/ ... nopheles

[weatheriscool]

Malaria cases in Texas and Florida are the first U.S. spread since 2003, the CDC says
Source: NPR

Five cases of the mosquito-borne infection malaria have been detected in the United States in the past two months, marking the first local spread in the country in 20 years.

Four of the cases were found in Florida, while the fifth was logged in Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The cases are believed to be locally acquired, a statement from the organization read, though the developments pose a concern for a potential rise in imported malaria cases with increased international summer travel.

Malaria, which is mostly found in tropical countries, can be life-threatening but is preventable and curable. The World Health Organization says in 2021 there were an estimated 247 million cases of malaria worldwide. Of those cases, an estimated 619,000 people died from the disease. And it could get worse around the world, according to a scientific study published by The Lancet in 2021, which found that climate change will increase the suitability for both malaria and dengue, another mosquito-borne illness.

"Rising global mean temperature will increase the climatic suitability of both diseases particularly in already endemic areas," according to the study's authors. "The predicted expansion toward higher altitudes and temperature regions suggests that outbreaks can occur in areas where people might be immunologically naive and public health systems unprepared."

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2023/06/27/11844581 ... -the-cdc-s

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Wisconsin Republicans block meningitis vaccine requirement for students
https://apnews.com/article/republicans- ... 96f7e583c7

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature on Wednesday voted to stop Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration from requiring seventh graders to be vaccinated against meningitis.

The state Senate and Assembly, with all Republicans in support and Democrats against, voted to block the proposal. There is no current meningitis vaccination requirement for Wisconsin students.

The Legislature’s vote also makes it easier for parents to get an exemption from a chicken pox vaccine requirement that is in place for all K-6 students. Evers’ administration wanted to require parents seeking a chicken pox vaccination exemption to provide proof that their child has previously been infected.

Families could still seek waivers from the meningitis vaccination and chickenpox proof requirements for medical, religious or philosophical reasons, just as they can for other vaccinations.

The Advisory Council on Immunization Practices — experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — has recommended that students get vaccinated against meningitis since 2005.

*snip*

[caltrek]

On Preventing Zoonotic Disease
by Viola Savy Dsouza and Sanjay Pattanshetty
July 10, 2023

Introduction:

(Eurasia Review) Zoonotic diseases, diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans, pose a significant burden on global health. These diseases encompass a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, that can cause death in both humans and animals.

Every year, 6 July is observed as “World Zoonoses Day”. This day aims to shed light on activities to raise awareness about zoonotic diseases and their prevention. It is estimated in the year 2017 that zoonoses are responsible for 2.5 billion cases and 2.7 million mortality rate worldwide. There are over 200 known types of zoonoses.

According to estimates, around 70 percent of newly identified human diseases are zoonotic, meaning they originate from wildlife or spread through infection from domesticated animals. As the frequency of zoonotic outbreaks seems to be on the rise, it is essential to understand the factors that contribute to these outbreaks to effectively prevent the risks associated with zoonotic diseases. Given the scale of the problem, an intersectoral approach is needed to address the complex factors contributing to zoonotic disease transmission and emergence and their impact on human, animal, and environmental health.

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for a more integrated and proactive approach to zoonoses prevention.

Read more here: https://www.eurasiareview.com/10072023 ... nalysis/

[caltrek]

Frozen Pathogens Are Waking Up, And Scientists Say the Risk Is Real
by Corey J.A. Bradshaw & Giovanni Strona
July 28, 2023

Introduction:

(Science Alert) Could pathogens that were once common on Earth – but frozen for millennia in glaciers, ice caps and permafrost – emerge from the melting ice to lay waste to modern ecosystems? The potential is, in fact, quite real.

Dangers lying in wait

In 2003, bacteria were revived from samples taken from the bottom of an ice core drilled into an ice cap on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. The ice at that depth was more than 750,000 years old.

In 2014, a giant "zombie" Pithovirus sibericum virus was revived from 30,000-year-old Siberian permafrost.

And in 2016, an outbreak of anthrax (a disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis) in western Siberia was attributed to the rapid thawing of B. anthracis spores in permafrost. It killed thousands of reindeer and affected dozens of people.

Conclusion:

While the likelihood of a pathogen emerging from melting ice and causing catastrophic extinctions is low, our results show this is no longer a fantasy for which we shouldn't prepare.

Read more here: https://www.sciencealert.com/frozen-pa ... -is-real

[Time_Traveller]

Frozen Pathogens Are Waking Up, And Scientists Say the Risk Is Real
by Corey J.A. Bradshaw & Giovanni Strona
July 28, 2023

Introduction:

(Science Alert) Could pathogens that were once common on Earth – but frozen for millennia in glaciers, ice caps and permafrost – emerge from the melting ice to lay waste to modern ecosystems? The potential is, in fact, quite real.
Dangers lying in wait

In 2003, bacteria were revived from samples taken from the bottom of an ice core drilled into an ice cap on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. The ice at that depth was more than 750,000 years old.

In 2014, a giant "zombie" Pithovirus sibericum virus was revived from 30,000-year-old Siberian permafrost.

And in 2016, an outbreak of anthrax (a disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis) in western Siberia was attributed to the rapid thawing of B. anthracis spores in permafrost. It killed thousands of reindeer and affected dozens of people.

Conclusion:

While the likelihood of a pathogen emerging from melting ice and causing catastrophic extinctions is low, our results show this is no longer a fantasy for which we shouldn't prepare.

Read more here: https://www.sciencealert.com/frozen-pa ... -is-real

This is why you shouldn't defrost or mess around with pathogens/organisms from the past as you don't know what you will end up with or may kill off humanity because of it.

[Ken_J]

This is why you shouldn't defrost or mess around with pathogens/organisms from the past as you don't know what you will end up with or may kill off humanity because of it.

with viral illness and some bacterial, fungal and other single celled entities, the older it is the less likely it is to be able to infect humans, and the more likely it is to be vulnerable to common antibiotics.

the real threat from most pathogens is massive damage to the food change and ecosystem balance.

imagine the irish potato famine, and the vulnerability of banana crops to single illnesses, but instead it effects wheat, rice or other grains.

imagine how bad it would get if something bird flu swept through the beef production industry.

those are just our food supplies, now imagine something like the major wildfires but biological sweeping through whole forests and killing trees by the 100s of acres. or something that kills fish in the waterways like biblical plague, leaving predatory fish and whales and dolphins with famines.

we already strain the ecosystem too much, a simple infection could absolutely collapse it completely, driving life on earth back to the simplest and heartiest options.

[Powers]

Life's a b****.
Not that humanity isn't either.

[wjfox]

Sudden explosion of dangerous fungus Candida auris may be because of climate change, scientists say

July 28, 2023 / 11:17 AM / CBS/AP

Candida auris infections have emerged globally as public health threat in recent years, posing a particular risk in health care settings for people who already have serious medical problems. Scientists say the sudden explosion of the fungus, which was not found in humans anywhere until 2009, may be because of climate change.

The fungal infections can cause severe illness, including bloodstream, wound and respiratory infections. Its mortality rate has been estimated at 30% to 60%.

In 2016, hospitals in New York state identified the rare and dangerous infection that was never before found in the United States. Research laboratories quickly mobilized to review historical specimens and found the fungus had been present in the country since at least 2013.

In the years since, New York City has emerged as ground zero for the infections. And until 2021, the state recorded the most confirmed cases in the country year after year, even as the illness has spread to other places, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data analyzed by The Associated Press.

Last year, the most cases were found in Nevada and California, but the fungus was identified clinically in patients in 29 states. New York state remains a major hotspot.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/candida-au ... tion-rare/

[weatheriscool]

Cases of leprosy on the rise in Florida: CDC
Source: ABC News

Cases of leprosy are rising in Florida, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although the disease is still rare in the U.S. -- with just 159 cases reported in 2020 -- a new CDC analysis released Monday finds that Central Florida accounts for a bulk of those cases.

Central Florida appears to have the highest concentration of cases in the Sunshine State, with the region accounting for nearly one-fifth of reported cases in the U.S. Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a lingering infectious disease caused by the acid-fast rod Mycobacterium leprae. The disease mostly impacts the skin and the peripheral nervous system, according to the CDC. Today, the disease is curable with antibiotics.

"Leprosy has been historically uncommon in the United States; incidence peaked around 1983, and a drastic reduction in the annual number of documented cases occurred from the 1980s through 2000," the CDC said in its report. "However, since then, reports demonstrate a gradual increase in the incidence of leprosy in the United States."

Most of the cases from 2020 were from Florida, California, Louisiana, Hawaii, New York and Texas, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. In recent decades, cases have been from travelers coming to the U.S. Now, researchers are pointing out that roughly one-third of cases from 2015 to 2020 appear to have been acquired locally, suggesting the disease is being transmitted in the U.S., either from person-to-person or from contact with animals like armadillos.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/cases-lep ... =101876654

[wjfox]

[caltrek]

Climate Change May Be Fueling a Global Surge in Cholera Outbreaks
by Blanca Begert
August 1, 2023

Introduction:

(Grist) In early 2022, nearly 200,000 Malawians were displaced after two tropical storms struck the southeastern part of Africa barely a month apart. Sixty-four people died. Amid an already-heavy rainy season, the storms Ana and Gombe caused tremendous devastation across southern Malawi to homes, crops, and infrastructure.

“That March, we started to see cholera, which is usually endemic in Malawi, becoming an outbreak,” said Gerrit Maritz, a deputy representative for health programs in Malawi for the United Nations Children’s Fund. Cholera typically affects the country during the rainy season, from December to March, during which time it remains contained around Lake Malawi in the south and results in about 100 deaths each year.

The 2022 outbreak showed a different pattern — cholera spread throughout the dry season and by August had moved into Malawi’s northern and central regions. By early February of this year, cases had peaked at 700 per day with a fatality rate of 3.3 percent, three times higher than the typical rate. When cases finally began to decline in March, cholera had claimed over 1,600 lives in a 12-month period — the biggest outbreak in the country’s history.

As climate change intensifies, storms like Ana and Gombe are becoming more frequent, more powerful, and wetter. The World Health Organization, or WHO, says that while poverty and conflict remain enduring drivers for cholera around the world, climate change is aggravating the acute global upsurge of the disease that began in 2021. According to WHO, 30 countries reported outbreaks in 2022, 50 percent more than previous years’ average; many of those outbreaks were compounded by tropical cyclones and their ensuing displacement.

Read more here: https://grist.org/health/climate-chang ... utbreaks/

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Health advisory issued for rare bacterial infection that has claimed the lives of a dozen Americans
Source: USA Today

Published 9:29 p.m. ET Sept. 6, 2023

A health alert has been issued by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in response to recent reports of a fatal bacterial infection that thrives in warm coastal waters. The Vibrio vulnificus bacteria can be found in raw or undercooked seafood, saltwater, and brackish water. The most common way to become infected is when an open wound comes into contact with vibrio bacteria in water.

At least a dozen people have died from the infection across the country this year. About 80,000 people get vibrio infections each year. Of those infected, about 100 people will die from the infection annually in the U.S., according to the CDC. As ocean waters continue to warm due to climate change, the Vibrio vulnificus is migrating north, studies have found.

"The warmer water is, the more bacteria can reproduce faster," researcher Gabby Barbarite at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, Florida told USA Today. Infections have increased eight-fold between 1988 and 2018 around he country, according to research published in March in the journal Nature Portfolio.

The bacteria and infections are spreading northwards up the East Coast at a rate of about 30 miles a year, researchers share. "Cases used to be concentrated almost exclusively in the Gulf of Mexico in the southern United States," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, told USA TODAY earlier this year.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/hea ... 781843007/


Link to info on alert - https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2023/han00497.asp

[Time_Traveller]

New outbreak of deadly virus with epidemic potential sparks shutdowns in India

Friday 15 Sep 2023

The state of Kerala has confirmed five cases of the disease, which can mild to severe symptoms – such as acute respiratory syndrome and brain inflammation which can leave patients comatose in a matter of days.

One of them, a 9-year-old child, remains on ventilation, according to a local government press statement.

Schools in the affected area have been shut down and some 950 known contacts of the seven known carriers have been ordered to undertake testing.

The current Nipah outbreak is the fourth to have occurred in Kerala since 2018, when 17 people died and thousands recovered in quarantine.

https://metro.co.uk/2023/09/15/nipah-vi ... s_home_top

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[caltrek]

Health advisory issued for rare bacterial infection that has claimed the lives of a dozen Americans
Source: USA Today

Published 9:29 p.m. ET Sept. 6, 2023

...

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/hea ... 781843007/


Link to info on alert - https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2023/han00497.asp

More on that:

New Study Confirms Presence of Flesh-eating and Illness-causing Bacteria in Florida’s Coastal Waters Following Hurricane Ian
October 16, 2023

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) When Hurricane Ian struck southwest Florida in September 2022, it unleashed a variety of Vibrio bacteria that can cause illness and death in humans, according to a new study published in the journal mBio.

Using a combination of genome sequencing and satellite and environmental data, a team of researchers from the University of Maryland, the University of Florida and microbiome company EzBiome detected several pathogenic Vibrio species in water and oyster samples from Florida’s Lee County, a coastal region that was devastated by Hurricane Ian. The samples, which were collected in October 2022, revealed the presence of two particularly concerning species: Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus.

“We were very surprised to be able to detect—without any difficulty—the presence of these pathogens,” said the study’s senior author Rita Colwell, a Distinguished University Professor in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS) who has studied Vibrio for the last 50 years.

The study’s findings correspond with a reported increase in V. vulnificus cases in the state of Florida in October 2022. According to the Florida Department of Health, Lee County, which had the highest caseload in the state, reported 38 infections and 11 deaths linked to vibriosis.

Vibrio bacteria naturally occur in the ocean, where they live symbiotically with crustaceans, zooplankton and bivalves. When the bacteria come in contact with humans, some species can cause an infection known as vibriosis, but the side effects depend on the type of Vibrio and severity of the infection. V. parahaemolyticus can cause gastroenteritis and wound infections, while the V. vulnificus species can cause necrotizing fasciitis—a flesh-eating infection—and kills 1 in 5 infected people.

Read more of the Eurekalert article here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1004811

For the study as published in mBio https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1 ... .01476-23

[weatheriscool]

Dozens sickened across 22 states in salmonella outbreak linked to bagged, precut onions

Source: CBS News/AP

October 24, 2023 / 7:48 PM

An outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to bagged, precut onions has sickened at least 73 people in 22 states, including 15 who were hospitalized, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.

Gills Onions of Oxnard, California, has recalled packages of diced yellow onions, red onions, onions and celery and a mix of onions, celery and carrots, known as mirepoix, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The products recalled had use-by dates in August 2023.

They are no longer for sale in stores, but consumers may have them — or foods made with them — in freezers. Consumers should not eat, sell or serve the onions for foods made with them, health officials said.



The diced onion products were sold to food service providers and other institutions in the U.S. and Canada, and at retailers in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Retail sites included Stater Bros., Bashas' markets, Smart & Final and Chef's stores.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-recall ... eak-gills/