Plague

Tests find evidence for MCR-1 transmission between pets and people

Pet dogs and cats can be colonized with the MCR-1 antibiotic-resistance gene and pass it to people, Chinese researchers reported yesterday in a letter to Emerging Infectious Diseases. Their findings came from an investigation into MCR-1–harboring Escherichia coli isolates from three men hospitalized in a Guangzhou facility's urology ward toward the end of 2015.

Hawaii confirms 2 locally acquired dengue infections

Hawaii health officials have confirmed two locally acquired dengue infections and are investigating four probable cases, all on the state's big island of Hawaii.

Further testing is under way at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Hawaii State Department of Health (HSDOH) has sent an alert to clinicians yesterday to report suspected cases, the agency said in a press release.

Study: Plague endemic in Bronze Age humans, mutated in Eurasia

New DNA evidence has shown that Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plaque, has been endemic in humans for at least 3,000 years before the first plague pandemic was recorded, according to findings yesterday in Cell.

GAO finds National Biosurveillance Integration Center lacking

The National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) is falling short in its mission in several ways, such as lack of timely information to its partners, poor partner participation, and difficulty prioritizing some activities, and might even need to be discontinued, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report yesterday.

Deputy director nominated for top FDA post

President Barack Obama today nominated deputy commissioner Robert Califf, MD, as the next Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, Bloomberg News reported. If approved by the Senate, Califf would replace Margaret Hamburg, MD, who stepped down in March after serving 6 years.

FDA finalizes FSMA rules on human, animal food safety steps

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today finalized the first two of seven major rules for implementing the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)—those covering prevention steps for both human and animal food.

Cucumber-linked Salmonella outbreak sickens 285 in 27 states

Federal health officials on Sep 4 announced a multistate Salmonella Poona outbreak linked to cucumbers imported from Mexico, which triggered a recall by the US-based importer that distributed the products.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 285 illnesses in 27 states have been reported. So far 1 death has been linked to the outbreak, and 53 people have been hospitalized.

CDC: US Cyclospora outbreak grows to 476 cases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday reported 19 new cyclosporiasis cases in the past week, bringing the 2015 outbreak total to 476 infections in 29 states.

Plague kills boy in Larimer County, Colorado

The first confirmed case of plague in Colorado's Larimer County since 1999 has turned fatal for a 16-year-old boy, the Associated Press (AP) reported today.

Burkina Faso, Turkey, and Taiwan report high-path avian flu

Veterinary officials in Burkina Faso and Turkey reported more highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu outbreaks, as their counterparts in Taiwan reported that highly pathogenic H5N2 has struck 10 more locations, according to separate reports to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).