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By Category: Public Health

First New Dengue Virus Type in 50 Years

(AAAS) Scientists have discovered a new type of the virus that causes a centuries-old pestilence, dengue. The surprising find, announced at a major dengue conference here today, is bound to complicate efforts to develop a vaccine against a tropical disease that is becoming a more pervasive global menace. But it could shed light on where Read More »

October 22, 2013
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, North America, South America, International, and Public Health
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Houston, We Have Dengue Fever

(NPR) Dengue fever is in Houston. And it turns out the mosquito-borne illness isn’t exactly a stranger there. Dengue has been roaming around the city since 2003, according to a study published Wednesday. “There was circulating, and we had no idea that it was here because we just weren’t looking,” says the study’s lead author Read More »

October 21, 2013
| Filed under North America, South America, and Public Health
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Vaccination campaign doubles HBV mutations

(EurekAlert) October 7, 2013 – A universal infant vaccination campaign in China has led the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) to more than double its rate of “breakout” mutations. These mutations may enable the virus to elude the vaccine, necessitating new vaccination strategies. Researchers at the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and University of Read More »

October 8, 2013
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, North America, and Public Health
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Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – update

(WHO) WHO has been informed of an additional six laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in Saudi Arabia. The six new patients are from Riyadh region with ages from 14 to 79 years old, of which three are women and three men. The dates of onset of the patients range from Read More »

October 7, 2013
| Filed under Europe, Middle East, North America, and Public Health
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Fed shutdown affects disease detection, food safety

(CIDRAP) (CIDRAP) The nation’s first government shutdown in 17 years could have major impacts on the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to disease threats such as the approaching flu season and new viruses overseas such as H7N9 influenza and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), according to federal contingency plans. Negotiations on a Read More »