Zoonotic & Vector-Borne Diseases

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 12 infants born to Zika-infected mothers will have a related birth defect.

Although focused in the northeastern United States, Lyme disease has ex­panded geographically over the past few decades, with a >320% increase in the number of high-incidence counties and reported cases in 49 states.

State health agencies are increasingly reporting new human cases of West Nile virus; there have been more than 150 illnesses so far this season.

Parallels between the recent Zika epidemic in Brazil and the HIV pandemic in the 1980s, stress the importance of improving responses to public health crises.

A year on, the United States and most of the other countries affected by the Zika virus are better prepared to prevent outbreaks and control their spread. The proof is in the data.

Florida reports first case of sexually-transmitted Zika of 2017, while funds continue to be released for new research efforts against the virus and tests to aid in rapid diagnosis.

New HIV drugs, vaccine regulations in France, correlations between intestinal viruses & type 1 diabetes, the susceptibility of Florida mosquitoes to transmit chikungunya, and an evaluation of the risk of hepatitis B reactivation in veterans on direct-acting antiviral therapy make up our Top 5 articles for the week of July 30, 2017.

Researchers from the University of Florida recently made an interesting discovery about the mosquitoes in the state.

As Colorado reports its second human case of West Nile virus of the season, local health officials around the country are reporting new cases of West Nile-positive mosquitoes, emphasizing the importance of vector control.

The CDC has updated interim guidance for healthcare providers who are caring for pregnant women with potential exposure to Zika virus.

Differences in the clinical presentations of ZIKV infection which are occurring in different parts of the world might be an obstacle to setting a case definition that is good for use in all areas.

Recent research coming in from Weill Cornell Medicine/Memorial Sloan Kettering suggests that a possible cure for Zika virus may be hiding in plain sight.

Scientists make an interesting connection between bats and detecting undiscovered disease.

Research coming in from Fernandes Figueira-Fundação Oswaldo Cruz finds that when it comes to diagnosing Zika virus infection in newborns, the eyes may have it.

Although the yellow fever outbreak that has affected several Latin American countries has eased since the end of summer, health officials say new cases are still springing up in some areas.

Researchers from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene have found that pet owners are at increased risk of encountering ticks.

The CDC offers further insight into the investigation of a Zika virus infection in a family member of the first Zika-related death in the continental United States.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is looking to determine whether Zika virus infection poses an additional risk in women whose pregnancies are already complicated by HIV.

Researchers from EcoHealth Alliance have developed a predictive “map” that identifies the zoonotic host species that are “likely to harbor the next human virus” and documents the regions of the world where they can be found.

A look into how health information exchange interventions are beneficial in HIV care; the discovery of 3 mutations that could help the bird flu spread among humans; news about a new patch formulation for the flu vaccine; progress towards an HIV vaccine; and information on an interactive map that visualizes the US HIV epidemic, make up the Top 5 articles for this week.

New HPV vaccine recommendations from the World Health Organization, information on a new once-daily treatment for HIV, the potential underestimation of tick-borne diseases in the Western United States, norovirus outbreaks in California schools, and how reservoirs of latent HIV hinder the quest for a cure, make up the Top 5 articles for the month of June 2017.

As Colorado reports its first human West Nile virus case of the season and California reports its third, health officials around the country are emphasizing the importance of mosquito control and prevention.

Scientists have identified 3 mutations that could allow the avian influenza strain H7N9 to spread among humans.

Measles in Ontario, more endoscope-related infections, a study of postnatal Zika infections, research and development on a river blindness vaccine, and using CRISPR to tackle Zika are the articles that make up this week’s Top 5.

Drought-stricken not long ago, California is now dealing with flooding waterways, raising concerns that the water will create breeding grounds for West Nile-positive mosquitoes.

A team of researchers from several institutions have received a grant to fund the development of a vaccine for onchocerciasis, the second leading infectious cause of blindness.