Zika

Dengue in the Americas is outpacing 2022 activity by 12%, and chikungunya is also on the rise.

Those exposed to the virus while in the womb but never diagnosed with Zika-related birth defects or congenital Zika syndrome may still display differences in cognitive development.

75% of COVID patients tested positive, 35% had positive cultures, on day 6

Three quarters of a group of nonhospitalized men and women newly diagnosed as having COVID-19 continued to have positive rapid antigen test (RAT) results—and over one-third still had viable virus on culture—6  days later, according to a study led by Brigham and Women's researchers.

Babies born with Zika at greater risk of dying than those without

Mortality rates among children born with congenital Zika syndrome up to 3 years of age were more than 11 times higher than those without Zika, researchers reported today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Half of rheumatology patients report persistent symptoms after COVID-19

Over half of adults diagnosed as having a rheumatologic disease reported persistent COVID-19 symptoms at least a month after recovery from their infection, according to survey results presented late last week at the virtual American College of Rheumatology annual meeting.

DRC confirms second Ebola case, per media report

A second Ebola case has been confirmed in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a city health official from the city of Beni told Reuters.

Study: Feedback, education reduced antibiotic prescribing in telemedicine

Individualized prescribing feedback and education in a telemedicine practice significantly decreased antibiotic prescribing rates for upper respiratory infection (URI) and bronchitis compared with education alone, US researchers reported yesterday in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Obese COVID-19 patients at risk for respiratory failure but not hospital death

A retrospective cohort study of 1,687 COVID-19 patients at two New York City hospitals published yesterday in the Annals of Internal Medicine revealed that 31% were obese, and obese patients were at higher risk of respiratory failure.

Five more illnesses reported in new DRC Ebola outbreak

Officials reported five more illnesses and three more deaths in a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to figures reported today by the country's multisectoral Ebola response committee (CMRE).

The new developments raise the outbreak total to 17 cases, 14 of them confirmed and 3 listed as probable. The new deaths raise the fatality count to 11.