Diseases & Outbreaks News and Discussions

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[wjfox]

Bird flu begins its human spread, as health officials scramble to safeguard people and livestock

November 8, 2024 at 4:15 PM GMT

Almost from the beginning of the spread of H5N1 bird flu among farms and ranches in the U.S. earlier this year, experts and researchers warned that a critical lag in the blood testing of exposed workers might lead to an underestimation of the virus’s potential transmission to humans.

Those warnings have proved prophetic. And the federal Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) now finds itself not only trying to blunt the spread of the virus, but also playing catch-up with testing methods that have been largely resisted among America’s farmers.

The question now is whether new interventions can ward off mass human-to-human transmission of this strain—because to some experts, it’s only a matter of time.

“We will have a bird flu pandemic,” Robert Redfield, former director of the CDC, bluntly predicted in a television interview in June. “It’s not a question of if; it’s more a question of when … Once the virus gains the ability to attach to the human receptor and then go human to human, that’s when you’re going to have the pandemic.”

A CDC study released Thursday did little to alleviate that concern. The report found that a significant percentage of H5N1 infections went undetected in dairy workers who worked on farms with cows that were confirmed positive for the virus last summer. Among 115 farm workers who underwent blood tests in Michigan and Colorado, eight had evidence of recent infection in the form of antibodies—but only half of them could recall having symptoms. “All eight had either been milking cows or cleaning the milking mechanisms, officials said.

https://fortune.com/well/2024/11/08/bir ... livestock/

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[raklian]

This has the potential to be another pandemic. Under Trump, no less.

[firestar464]

Federal lab confirms B.C. teen is first to contract bird flu in Canada

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/health ... r-AA1u2cbE

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[firestar464]

New Bird Flu Spread Patterns Are Revealed in Wastewater

https://archive.ph/bjRqv

[caltrek]

World Health Organization Reports Global Measles Cases Surged by 20 Percent in a Single Year
by Dr. Russell Moul
November 15, 2024

Introduction:

(IFL Science) Although it may sound like hyperbole, measles cases really have surged across the world in the last few years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 10.3 million cases were reported in 2023, which represents a 20 percent increase since 2022. The organization has said that this rapid and widespread rise is due to a lack of immunization coverage.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Generally speaking, the infection presents with a high fever, a cough, a runny nose, red, watery eyes, and a characteristic rash. According to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), although many people regard it as a mild illness, the disease can cause serious health complications.

Children and infants are at the greatest risk of developing serious complications, which can include blindness, pneumonia, and encephalitis – inflammation of the brain that causes it to swell, which can be life-threatening. Even when people survive measles, they can be left with serious health effects that can last throughout their lives.

Despite its severity, the world has been armed with an effective vaccine for decades. Just two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is enough to provide long-lasting protection against all strains of the disease.

Conclusion:

WHO is urging countries to ensure that children continue to receive both doses of the vaccine and to strengthen their disease surveillance as well. Without these steps, a disease that has plagued humanity throughout history will be allowed to spread again.

Read more here: https://www.iflscience.com/global-meas ... ts-76809

[caltrek]

Amid Record Year for Dengue Infections, New Study Finds Climate Change Responsible for 19% of Today’s Rising Dengue Burden
November 16, 2024

Introduction:

(Eureklaert) NEW ORLEANS (November 16, 2024) — Climate change is having a massive global impact on dengue transmission, accounting for 19% of the current dengue burden, with a potential to spark an additional 40%-60% spike by 2050 — and by as much as 150%-200% in some areas — according to a new study presented today at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).

The findings from researchers at Stanford and Harvard Universities offer the most definitive evidence to date that climate change is a big factor driving a global surge in the mosquito-borne disease. Countries in the Americas alone have recorded almost 12 million cases in 2024 compared to 4.6 million in 2023, and locally acquired infections have been reported in California and Florida. The study also carries warnings of even sharper increases to come.

“We looked at data on dengue incidence and climate variation across 21 countries in Asia and the Americas and found that there is a clear and direct relationship between rising temperatures and rising infections,” said Erin Mordecai, PhD, an infectious disease ecologist at Stanford’s Woods Institute for the Environment and the study’s senior author. “It’s evidence that climate change already has become a significant threat to human health and, for dengue in particular, our data suggests the impact could get much worse.”

While some dengue infections produce only mild symptoms, others cause excruciating joint pain (earning dengue the nickname “breakbone fever”), and severe cases can lead to bleeding complications and shock. There are no drugs to treat the disease and while there are two licensed dengue vaccines available, some dengue experts have pointed to challenges with both that could limit widespread adoption.

The study finds that amid dengue’s growing threat, moderating global warming by reducing emissions would also moderate climate impacts on dengue infections.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063547

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[firestar464]

More on that by Medscape:

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/ca ... 24a1000lc4

[firestar464]

Bird flu strikes 1st child in the US — CDC says infection source unknown

https://www.livescience.com/health/viru ... ce-unknown

[firestar464]

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[firestar464]

Source pls

[firestar464]

*monkeypox intensifies*

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-temperatu ... nkeys.html

[wjfox]