CDC Advises Against Use of Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine for the 2016-2017 Flu Season
June 23rd 2016The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has voted against the use of the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), or “nasal spray,” for the 2016-2017 flu season.
Zika Outbreak in Puerto Rico Poised to Reach Dangerous Proportions
June 20th 2016On June 17, the CDC announced that 1% of all blood donations analyzed in the American territory had tested positive for Zika, and that this could be an indication that the outbreak is poised to reach dangerous proportions.
A Single Strain of Plague Caused Recurrent Outbreaks Over Many Centuries: Yersinia pestis
June 17th 2016A new study has suggested that Yersinia pestis—the causative agent of plague—likely entered Europe only once, and later spread to China where it has become the source of modern plague outbreaks.
Emerging Trends in Tick-borne Diseases in the United States
June 15th 2016In a webinar presented on June 9 by The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Working Group on Lyme and Other Tick-borne Diseases, a panel of speakers discussed trends in tick-borne diseases (TBDs) in the United States.
HCV Cure Rates in HIV Patients, Lower in Real-World than in Clinical Trials
June 14th 2016Hepatitis C virus (HCV) cure when using direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfected patients is lower in real-world settings than when patients are enrolled in clinical trials, a new study has found.
CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing Tool Found to be "Double-edged Sword"
June 13th 2016Researchers at McGill University in Montreal revealed that the gene editing tool known as CRISPR/Cas9, which had previously been shown to hold some promise in removing HIV-infected cells from the human genome, may in fact be a “double-edged sword.”
Treatment for MERS May Be Discovered Through Alpacas
June 10th 2016An international team of researchers may have identified a potential animal model for use in the laboratory as part of efforts to better understand the pathogenesis of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus and, hopefully, find an effective treatment for it: alpacas.
CDC Advises State Departments of Health on Zika Control Efforts
June 10th 2016In an effort to contain the Zika virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is holding a series of teleconferences regarding concerns that were raised during the Zap Zika conference held in early April. The fifth conference in the series discusses Zika epidemiology.
CDC Reports: Recent Legionnaires' Disease Outbreaks Could Have Been Prevented
June 9th 2016A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that many of the reported outbreaks involving Legionella bacteria since 2000 could have been prevented with better testing protocols and infrastructure management.
Integrity is Basis of Public Health Work
June 8th 2016Public health demands integrity, said Margaret Hamburg, MD, former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 65th Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
Studies Highlight Worldwide Economic Burden of Norovirus Gastroenteritis
June 6th 2016Each year, norovirus infection is responsible for an estimated 684 million episodes of diarrhea and 212,000 deaths worldwide, and results in approximately $4.2 billion in healthcare costs and $60.3 billion in societal costs, a new report has highlighted.
International Report States Global Collaboration Needed to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance
June 6th 2016With reports in the mainstream media prophesizing doom with regard to the issue of antimicrobial resistance, a committee formed by the British government has released a report designed to properly contextualize the crisis and develop recommendations for addressing it.