As more and more Americans consume unpasteurized, or "raw," milk and cheese, a new study in Emerging Infectious Disease found that the unpasteurized products cause 840 times more illnesses and 45 times more hospitalizations than their pasteurized counterparts.
In addition, Sweden and Hungary report H5N8 avian flu outbreaks in poultry.
In its latest weekly influenza report, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today confirmed 29 new H7N9 avian flu cases in mainland China, the most since late February. There have now been 616 cases of H7N9 reported in China since October of last year, in what is the country's fifth wave of the disease, the CHP said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today noted two MERS-CoV cases in household contacts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while Saudi health officials noted three asymptomatic cases.
The UAE cases involve roommates living in Abu Dhabi, the WHO said. One died on Apr 16, and the other was identified via contact tracing. The second patient was asymptomatic.
In the latest avian flu outbreak developments, Vietnam reported another highly pathogenic H5N1 event in backyard birds and two European countries—Russia and Slovakia—reported two more H5N8 detections. Details shared by country officials appeared in the most recent notifications to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
Officials say 7 of 13 recent cases in Beijing are local and 6 were imported.
Farmers in France's foie gras region will halt production for 6 weeks.
All 6 recent cases involved poultry exposure in areas far from the recent epicenter of activity.
Today the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed two new cases of MERS-CoVin separate cities.
A 61-year-old Saudi woman from Turbah is in stable condition after presenting with symptoms of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus). The source of her infection is listed as primary, meaning it's unlike she contracted the virus from anyone else.
H5N8 avian flu continues in Europe, while H5N6, H5N1 strike again in Asia.
