Recent News

By Category: Public Health

After Salmonella Outbreaks, FDA Names Mango a “High Risk” Fruit

(Food Safety News) This past summer’s Salmonella outbreak linked to mangoes and subsequent investigation have ended, but not before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared the fruit to be “high risk,” promising increased inspections at U.S. ports of entry. FDA has not shared the new high-risk status of mangoes with American consumers, but Read More »

November 1, 2012
| Filed under North America, South America, Agriculture, and Public Health
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New tick disease in Switzerland

(EurekAlert) Until now, we knew that ticks primarily transmit two pathogens to humans in Switzerland: the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi – which causes borreliosis – and the early-summer-meningoencephalitis virus, which can cause cerebral inflammation. Now, microbiologists from the University of Zurich confirm the existence of another tick disease in Switzerland – neoehrlichiosis. The pathogenic bacteria Candidatus Read More »

November 1, 2012
| Filed under Europe, North America, International, and Public Health
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USAID to provide $20 million to fight bird flu, other emerging threats

(Examiner) The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced their commitment to $20 million in new funding to support the Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FAO) battle with avian influenza and other emerging threats in global hotspots, according to a FAO news release Oct. 29. According to the release, the US assistance will help strengthen Read More »

October 31, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, North America, Agriculture, Countermeasures, International, Public Health, and Research
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Death toll of Uganda’s Marburg outbreak rises to eight

(NZWeek) The death toll of the deadly Marburg hemorrhagic fever in Uganda has risen to eight and nine other people have tested positive of the highly infectious diseases, a top ministry of health official said. Christine Ondoa, Minister of Health told reporters on Monday that the latest patient died on Oct. 27 at an isolation Read More »

October 31, 2012
| Filed under Africa, North America, Agents & Toxins, International, and Public Health
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Shelby County Health Department tests medicine delivery to prepare for bioterrorism attack

(The Commercial Appeal) Less than two hours after a bioterrorism response drill began in Lakeland on Tuesday morning, some 1,500 households had empty pill bottles on their doorsteps. In the case of an actual attack, those bottles would contain the medicine needed to combat bioterrorism agents such as anthrax or botulism. The Shelby County Health Read More »