Diseases & Outbreaks News and Discussions

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Yes, Everyone Is Sick Right Now. So, What Can You Do About It?
by Keren Landman
January 8, 2024

Introduction:

(Vox) Does it feel like everyone you know is sick right now? It’s not your imagination: It’s been a particularly fierce season for all kinds of respiratory infections, from mild colds to more serious bugs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health care visits for coughs and sore throats with fever were “above baseline” for the eighth consecutive week by the end of December. Hospital admissions for flu, RSV, and Covid-19 are ticking up ahead of schedule.

The increase isn’t itself atypical. “Pre-Covid, we always saw a surge of hospitalized patients in this winter time period, especially after New Years,” said Dhaval Desai, who oversees hospital medicine at Emory University’s St. Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta. But compared to five years ago, “we are at a more intense spot from a respiratory illness standpoint,” he said.

It’s not entirely clear why this particular season is so gnarly. Although the CDC focuses its tracking on the viruses most likely to cause severe illness and death — Covid-19, flu, and RSV — lots of other germs with less name recognition are landing people in the hospital.

A broader age group is turning up very sick, too. In addition to the usual severe illness in people with chronic conditions, who are typically more vulnerable to bad outcomes, Desai said, “we’re also seeing those that may be younger or middle-aged who really don’t have any other major contributors to their medical history, but are coming in really sick, from whether it’s the flu, RSV, or some of the other common viruses.”

Read more here: https://www.vox.com/even-better/2024/1 ... h-sneeze

[Time_Traveller]

First penguins die in Antarctic of deadly H5N1 bird flu strain

Mon 29 Jan 2024 15.05 GMT



At least one king penguin is suspected to have died from bird flu in the Antarctic. If confirmed, it will be the first of the species killed by the highly contagious H5N1 virus in the wild.

Researchers have previously raised alarm about “one of the largest ecological disasters of modern times” if bird flu reached remote Antarctic penguin populations. The birds are currently clustering together for breeding season, meaning the disease could rip through entire colonies if it continues to spread through the region.

King penguins are the world’s second-largest penguin, at about 3ft tall, and can live for more than 20 years in the wild. The suspected case was recorded on South Georgia island in the Antarctic region, according to the latest update from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (Scar). A gentoo penguin was also suspected to have died from H5N1 at the same location.

Separately, at least one gentoo penguin has been confirmed to have died from H5N1 on the Falkland Islands – 900 miles (1,500km) west of South Georgia – with more than 20 chicks either dead or also showing symptoms. Since H5N1 arrived in the Antarctic, there have been mass deaths of elephant seals as well as increased deaths of fur seals, kelp gulls and brown skua in the region.

Previous outbreaks in South Africa, Chile and Argentina show penguins are susceptible to the disease. Since it arrived in South America, more than 500,000 seabirds have died of it, with penguins, pelicans and boobies among those most heavily affected.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... strain-aoe

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Measles Cases Soaring Worldwide as WHO Reports Alarming 45-Fold Rise in Europe
by Jaya Dantas
February 1, 2024

Introduction:

(Science Alert) In recent weeks a series of measles alerts have been issued around Australia, including in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, after the identification of a small number of cases in travellers returning from overseas.

Meanwhile, places such as the United States and the United Kingdom have been contending with larger measles outbreaks.

In fact, the World Health Organization reported a 45-fold increase in measles cases in Europe last year, with 42,200 cases recorded in 2023 compared to 941 in 2022.

In South Asia, India and Pakistan have also recently reported outbreaks.

So what's the risk of a larger outbreak in Australia? Fortunately it's likely to be quite low – but ensuring we continue to have high rates of vaccination coverage is crucial.

Read more here: https://www.sciencealert.com/measles-c ... n-europe

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More on that here: https://www.inverse.com/health/the-plag ... radicate

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Florida surgeon general defies science amid measles outbreak
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... ak-ladapo/
Gift Link: https://wapo.st/49Gxfj9

As a Florida elementary school tries to contain a growing measles outbreak, the state’s top health official is giving advice that runs counter to science and may leave unvaccinated children at risk of contracting one of the most contagious pathogens on Earth, clinicians and public health experts said.

Florida surgeon general Joseph A. Ladapo failed to urge parents to vaccinate their children or keep unvaccinated students home from school as a precaution in a letter to parents at the Fort Lauderdale-area school this week following six confirmed measles cases.

Instead of following what he acknowledged was the “normal” recommendation that parents keep unvaccinated children home for up to 21 days — the incubation period for measles — Ladapo said the state health department “is deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance.”

The controversial move by Ladapo follows a pattern of bucking public health norms, particularly when it comes to vaccines. Last month, he called for halting the use of mRNA coronavirus vaccines, in a move decried by the public health community.

Ben Hoffman, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said Florida’s guidance flies in the face of long-standing and widely accepted public health guidance for measles, which can result in severe complications, including death.

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syphilis cases surging in Florida

... According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, syphilis cases reached their highest level in decades when looking at reported data in 2022.

In Florida, syphilis cases are also surging. Data from the state health department shows that cases in the state nearly doubled from 2018 to 2022 ...

Congenital syphilis, which is a condition where a mother with syphilis passes the infection onto her growing baby, also surged in Orange County in 2022 ...

https://www.wesh.com/article/syphilis-c ... a/46894060

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[wjfox]

Cambodia reports another human H5N1 avian flu case as Hong Kong notes H9 infection

February 21, 2024

Cambodia's health ministry has reported another human infection from H5N1 avian influenza, part of an uptick in similar cases that began in 2023.

The patient is a 17-year-old girl from Kampot province, according to a ministry statement translated and posted by Avian Flu Diary, an infectious disease news blog. Kampot province is in southern Cambodia. The girl is hospitalized in the intensive care unit and is improving.

An investigation found that about 5 days before the girl's symptoms began, there were seven dead chickens at her home.

Cambodia has now reported 5 cases for 2024 and a total of 11 since February 2023, following nearly a decade with no human infections. Genetic sequencing on samples from several cases has revealed that the virus belongs to an older H5N1 clade (2.3.2.1c) that still circulates in poultry in some Asian countries, including Cambodia. It is different from the newer H5N1 clade (2.3.4.4b) that is currently affecting wild birds and poultry in multiple world regions, including the United States.

Hong Kong reports imported H9 case

Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today reported an influenza A H9 case, which involves a 22-month-old girl who had recently visited the city of Zhongshan in mainland China's Guangdong province. Her symptoms began on February 15, and she was seen at a hospital the next day but was not admitted. Plans are under way for her to receive care in hospital isolation.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe ... g-notes-h9



Juhan Sonin / Flickr cc

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[Time_Traveller]

First penguins die in Antarctic of deadly H5N1 bird flu strain

Mon 29 Jan 2024 15.05 GMT



At least one king penguin is suspected to have died from bird flu in the Antarctic. If confirmed, it will be the first of the species killed by the highly contagious H5N1 virus in the wild.

Researchers have previously raised alarm about “one of the largest ecological disasters of modern times” if bird flu reached remote Antarctic penguin populations. The birds are currently clustering together for breeding season, meaning the disease could rip through entire colonies if it continues to spread through the region.

King penguins are the world’s second-largest penguin, at about 3ft tall, and can live for more than 20 years in the wild. The suspected case was recorded on South Georgia island in the Antarctic region, according to the latest update from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (Scar). A gentoo penguin was also suspected to have died from H5N1 at the same location.

Separately, at least one gentoo penguin has been confirmed to have died from H5N1 on the Falkland Islands – 900 miles (1,500km) west of South Georgia – with more than 20 chicks either dead or also showing symptoms. Since H5N1 arrived in the Antarctic, there have been mass deaths of elephant seals as well as increased deaths of fur seals, kelp gulls and brown skua in the region.

Previous outbreaks in South Africa, Chile and Argentina show penguins are susceptible to the disease. Since it arrived in South America, more than 500,000 seabirds have died of it, with penguins, pelicans and boobies among those most heavily affected.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... strain-aoe

More on this: -

Bird flu hits king penguins for the first time, British scientists reveal

March 11, 2024 6:00 pm



Scientists have identified the world’s first-ever cases of bird flu in king penguins, amid signs that the virus is spreading through the sub-Antarctic region.

A team including British experts confirmed the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in five king penguins on the southern coast of South Georgia.

While the virus had begun to infect seals and other birds on the sub-Antarctic islands this winter, it is the first time it has been confirmed in the iconic species.

Bird flu had been identified in Gentoo penguins in the region in January, the first time the virus had infected any species of penguin. The latest batch of positive cases also include Gentoo, who were found with the virus on Bird Island near South Georgia.

British scientists working with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) said the outbreak in the king penguins remained localised, but there are concerns that their communal roosting patterns, where they huddle together through winter to breed, could cause the virus to spread to more of the birds.

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/bird- ... al-2950932

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Dengue: The Tropical Disease That’s Suddenly Everywhere
by Dylan Scott
March 14, 2024

Introduction:

(Vox) Dengue (pronounced DEN-gay), a mosquito-borne illness that has circulated to a limited degree for centuries, is now spreading with unprecedented speed around the world. It’s a worrying example of how a changing climate and 21st-century demographic trends can quickly turn a public health nuisance into a daunting global health crisis.

In 2000, there were about 500,000 reported dengue cases and 19,685 recorded dengue deaths around the world; by 2019, there were 5.2 million cases and 30,000 deaths, the most ever. Deaths are on pace to set another record in 2024.

The disease’s true reach is likely even higher, as dengue is sometimes asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic, and its symptoms can be mistaken for other infections, such as yellow fever or the chikungunya virus.

In South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and South America, which has long faced dengue epidemics every three to five years, the virus has turned into a chronic threat.

In January and February, Brazil reported more than 1 million cases and around 300 deaths from dengue — the fastest spread of the virus ever recorded in the country. In all of 2023, Brazil saw 1.6 million dengue cases, already an 18 percent increase over the previous year. Seven of Brazil’s 26 states have declared a state of emergency, and the country has been mobilizing an unprecedented vaccination campaign, the first-ever nationalized rollout of dengue vaccines.

Read more here: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/240 ... l-vaccine

[Time_Traveller]

Humans pass more viruses to other animals than we catch from them – study

7 hours ago



Humans pass on more viruses to domestic and wild animals than they catch from them, a new study suggests.

University College London (UCL) researchers analysed all publicly available viral genome sequences, to see where viruses have jumped from one host to infect another vertebrate species – animals with a backbone and skeleton.

Understanding how and why viruses evolve to jump into different hosts may help experts figure out how new viral diseases emerge in humans and animals.

Most infectious diseases are caused by viruses circulating in animals, and when these cross over into humans – a process known as zoonosis – they can cause disease outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics such as Ebola, flu or Covid-19.

Experts suggest that given the large impact of these diseases on public health, humans have generally been considered as a sink for viruses rather than a source, with human-to-animal transmission of viruses receiving far less attention.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/scie ... 18072.html

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