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News Scan for Aug 09, 2016

2014 Ebola strain no more viable than 1976 strain

A study yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases suggests that although the Ebola outbreak originating in West Africa in 2013 was the deadliest to date, that strain of Ebola virus (EBOV) did not possess more aerosol stability than a strain of 1976 EBOV.

  • Aerosol stability in Ebola
  • HIV and drug-resistant TB
  • Global flu status
  • Campylobacter infection in children
  • Chikungunya update

News Scan for Aug 05, 2016

Yellow fever slows in Angola but not in DRC as WHO response criticized

The pace of yellow fever cases in Angola has slowed further but shows no sign of relenting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization (WHO) said in an update today. Meanwhile, an Associated Press (AP) report highlighted the organization's response failings, including a million lost doses of vaccine.

  • More yellow fever cases
  • Salmonella sproutbreak

News Scan for Jul 27, 2016

Possible case of Angolan yellow fever in Brazil as vaccine trial launches

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in its weekly yellow fever report yesterday, noted that genetic testing is under way to see if a Brazilian man picked up the disease after visiting Angola in March. The 58- year-old man from Niteroi died on Apr 2.

  • Yellow fever in Americas
  • E coli beef recalls
  • H7N9 cases in China
  • Cholera in South Sudan

News Scan for Jul 26, 2016

Flour recall expanded after 4 more E coli cases reported

General Mills expanded its recall of flour products yesterday after four more people in two states became sick with Escherichia coli infections.

  • E coli flour recall
  • Safety labels for fluoroquinolones
  • Antibiotic overuse for asthma
  • Ebola vaccine in monkeys

News Scan for Jul 22, 2016

Yellow fever declining in Angola; DRC lab problems slow case confirmation

The rate of new suspected and confirmed cases of yellow fever continues to decline in Angola, but health officials are concerned about disease activity in Benguela province, where surveillance gaps and reporting delays are occurring, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly update.

  • Yellow fever decline in Angola
  • New Saudi MERS case
  • Salmonella-related meat recall

Foodborne Disease Scan for Jul 21, 2016

Pig roast Salmonella alert implicates meat supplier for 2nd time

The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) yesterday issued a public health alert over the risk of Salmonella infection related to preparing and consuming whole hogs for pig roasts, after investigation into a recent outbreak in Washington state linked illnesses to Kapowsin Meats for a second year in a row.

  • Pig roast Salmonella cluster
  • Hawaii hepatitis outbreak grows
  • E coli in UK

News Scan for Jul 12, 2016

Researchers find Zika persists in female genital tract

A French research team yesterday reported the first known detection of Zika virus in the genital tract of an infected woman, along with signs that it persists there after it clears from blood and urine. The team, from Guadeloupe and Toulouse, reported its findings in a letter to The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

  • Female genital Zika detection
  • USDA food safety data
  • H7N9 cases in China hit 800

News Scan for Jul 01, 2016

E coli outbreak linked to General Mills flour grows to 42 cases in 21 states

An outbreak of Escherichia coli O121 linked to General Mills flour has grown by 4 cases, to 42, and the company has expanded its recall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.

  • More E coli linked to flour
  • Variant H1N2 flu cases
  • H5N6 outbreak in Vietnam

News Scan for Jun 30, 2016

WHO reports more than 350 new cases of yellow fever in Angola, DRC

Yellow fever continues to sweep across border areas between Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the World Health Organization's (WHO's) weekly yellow fever situation report.

  • More yellow fever
  • Saudi MERS cases
  • New chikungunya cases
  • FDA on raw dough
  • H5N1 in Ghana
  • Hand sanitizer rule

Food Outbreak Scan for Jun 16, 2016

Study finds similarity in outbreak and sporadic foodborne illnesses

Foodborne illness patterns are generally similar when comparing outbreaks with sporadic infections, except in some instances for children, according to an analysis of the characteristics of four bacteria monitored by surveillance sites that are part of the US FoodNet system.

  • Foodborne illness patterns
  • Salmonella in turtles

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