Zoonotic & Vector-Borne Diseases

In an open letter copied to the International Olympic Committee, 150 health experts from around the world urged the WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, MD, MPH, to either postpone or move both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, for the sake of public health.

Efforts to bring to market a vaccine for the fight against Zika virus, at least via the private sector, have been stalled over concerns regarding the “marketability” of these products, according to multiple reports in the business press.

Management of visceral leishmaniasis poses a daunting challenge, in part due to the side effects associated with the use of the traditional treatment. However, one vaccine development strategy has recently shown promising results.

For the first time, a recent study has captured African monkeys eating bats—a finding that raises concern about the spread of zoonotic diseases such as Ebola.

In an attempt to provide the best possible care for her unborn child, a Honduras woman with suspected Zika infection traveled to the United States where she then gave birth to a baby with microcephaly at Hackensack University Medical Center.

On May 31, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its interim guidance on screening for, and diagnosis of, Zika virus.

Researchers have identified the first-ever reported cases of yellow fever in China, tracing their origins to travelers from Angola, where there is an ongoing outbreak.

Makers of specially modified mosquitoes designed to combat the Zika virus have approached regulatory bodies in multiple countries seeking approval to use their products in the fight against the mosquito-borne virus.

Christina G. Tan, MD, MPH, FACP, New Jersey State Epidemiologist/Assistant Commissioner, provides background on New Jersey Department of Health’s Zika prevention program, ZAP Zika.

Zika virus is transmitted from mother to fetus through placental macrophages, according to a new study.

The Zika virus has left many scientists and doctors “astonished,” according to Margaret Chan, MD, MPH, director-general of WHO.

Researchers have identified US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs that could help in the fight against post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS).

Christina G. Tan, MD, MPH, FACP, New Jersey State Epidemiologist/Assistant Commissioner, examines the probability of a Zika outbreak in New Jersey.

In an address to the 69th annual World Health Assembly, Margaret Chan, MD, MPH, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), discussed the impending threat of yellow fever.

“Vector-borne diseases are among the most complex of all infectious diseases to prevent and control. Not only is it difficult to predict the habits of mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas, but most vector-borne viruses or bacteria infect animals as well as humans,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of today, the CDC has changed the reporting criteria for Zika infection in pregnant women, to include those who are asymptomatic but test positive for a flavivirus.

The findings of a recent study coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local departments of health in southern Texas highlight the risk for localized outbreaks of Dengue fever in the region and other areas of the United States with similar climatic and environmental conditions. This is particularly alarming as Texas is already well-within range of an outbreak of another vector-borne illness: Zika virus.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston have successfully cloned the Zika virus strain.

Christina G. Tan, MD, MPH, FACP, New Jersey State Epidemiologist/Assistant Commissioner, explains how health care practitioners can aid in the prevention of Zika virus infections.

Christina G. Tan, MD, MPH, FACP, New Jersey State Epidemiologist/Assistant Commissioner, discusses Zika vector prevalence and infection prevention in New Jersey

Several school districts in India are being asked to take proactive steps to contain Dengue fever locally as monsoon season approaches.

On May 16, 2016, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) announced that the country’s Olympic team members will receive Dual Protect VivaGel condoms, the world’s only antiviral condom, for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The Senate has voted to grant $1.2 billion in funding to fight the impending local transmission of the Zika virus in the United States.

In early April the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that most provinces in Angola have experienced a yellow fever outbreak. Now, scientists are calling this the country’s worst epidemic since 1986, urging WHO to take action.

Researchers from the National Infection Service at Public Health England (PHE) in the UK may have identified the perfect platform for trials of future vaccines and antivirals for the management of Zika.

Seven monkeys in Ceará, Brazil have tested positive for the Zika virus.

Health officials in Puerto Rico have reported the first Zika-related case of microcephaly. The announcement comes on the heels of news of the first Zika-related death in the country just last week.

It would seem that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not waiting for Congress to decide on Zika funding.

Opinion polls indicate the general public remains relatively unconcerned about the threat of Zika, despite the existence of confirmed cases in the United States.

Zoonotic diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi that are spread between animals and humans are quite common and scientists estimate that more than 60% of human infectious diseases are spread from animals.