Burkholderia cepacia

Canada reports 6 cases tied to US romaine lettuce E coli outbreak

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) yesterday confirmed that six Canadian Escherichia coli infections are tied to the 29-state US outbreak in which contaminated romaine lettuce has been implicated.

Brazil's yellow fever outbreak tops 1,000 cases

A worrisome spike of more than 300 yellow fever cases in the past week has boosted Brazil's outbreak to 1,060 cases and 166 deaths, the country's health ministry said in an update yesterday.

Vitamin D tied to lower respiratory illness rate in older patients

High doses of vitamin D were associated with a reduced incidence of acute respiratory illness (ARI) by 40% in elderly, long-term–care residents, according to a study today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

H5N1 outbreaks reported in UAE and Nigeria

Health officials in Abu Dhabi yesterday announced the detection of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu in quails in the western part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to a report from Xinhua that cited the UAE's state news agency.

The infected birds were found in Al Gharbia, and emergency management teams have taken response steps, including increasing surveillance and alerting farmers in the area, according to the report.

Stool softener tied to 47 Burkholderia cepacia infections in 5 states

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending clinicians and all patient populations stop using the liquid stool softener docusate after the medicine has been implicated in an ongoing, healthcare-related Burkholderia cepacia complex (B cepacia) outbreak.