Patients experienced serious complications and bacterial infections after treatments.
A Minneapolis-area measles outbreak that has been fueled by low vaccination rates in Somali-Americans grew by 3 cases today, to 44, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported today.
Two European countries—Hungary and Romania—reported more highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza outbreaks in poultry and wild birds today, and Hong Kong officials confirmed H5N6 in a wild bird found dead in Kowloon, a major urban area.
Flu activity remains elevated throughout much of the world, with the H3N2 variant dominating, according to a new update from the World Health Organization (WHO). The report said the peak of flu activity may be over in parts of Europe and North America, with some countries reporting a slight downward trend.
Israel and four European countries reported more highly pathogenic H5N8 outbreaks, according to the latest updates from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Israel reported six new outbreaks in the central part of the country, with start dates ranging from Jan 23 to Feb 12, five of them at farms (turkeys, ducks, and laying hens) and one involving three barn owls found dead at a nature park.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) today, along with several other science and medical groups, issued a statement today expressing deep concerns about the impact of a recent executive order restricting entrance by foreign nationals into the United States.
President-elect Donald Trump has named Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an outspoken critic of vaccines, chair of a panel on vaccine safety and scientific integrity, according to the Washington Post today. Trump met with Kennedy at Trump Towers in New York today.
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a new case of MERS-CoV yesterday. The patient is in critical condition.
A 59-year-old Saudi woman from Najran had symptoms of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) before being admitted to a hospital. The MOH listed her source of infection as primary, meaning she did not contract the virus from another person.
