infectious diseases

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China's New Worry: the Bubonic Plague

Herdsman contracts it, likely from a marmot

(Newser) - China has another infectious disease worry on its hands, but this one is old school. As in, it's the bubonic plague, reports the BBC . It seems a herder in Inner Mongolia came down with the disease, and he's now undergoing treatment in a hospital, per the New York ...

61 Singers Went to Choir Practice. 87% Caught the Virus

Report out of Wash. state documents alarming 'superspreader event' that sickened 52

(Newser) - It's a good thing only half of the Skagit Valley Chorale's 122 members showed up at their March 10 practice—because one of the singers had the coronavirus and managed to spread it to 87% of those in attendance. A new report on this "superspreader event" by...

Rand Paul Explains Why He's Free to Go Maskless

Senator says he doesn't need to wear a mask because he can't infect anyone

(Newser) - Here's another entry on the list of lawmakers who are choosing not to wear masks: Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday told reporters that since he has recovered from COVID-19 after testing positive in March , he doesn't need to wear a mask—and he went so far as to...

For Runners, 6 Feet of Distance May Not Be Enough
That 6-Foot Rule May Not
Work for Runners
new study
Apr 16, 2020 4:05 PM CDT

That 6-Foot Rule May Not Work for Runners

Studies suggest respiratory droplets travel much farther

(Newser) - The 6 feet of separation touted by the CDC might not be enough to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, particularly among runners. A new study described in the New York Times suggests air carries respiratory droplets up to 30 feet behind runners and up to 15 feet behind fast...

A Virus First: The Dead Are Still Contagious

Scientists in Thailand say coronavirus appears to have spread to medical examiner from a corpse

(Newser) - Out of Thailand, a coronavirus first: a case in which the virus appears to have spread from a corpse to a medical examiner. "According to our best knowledge, this is the first report on COVID-19 infection and death among medical personnel in a Forensic Medicine unit," researchers write...

Sweden's Virus Approach: Nature's Way or Looming Disaster?

Nordic country has taken a lax approach to social distancing, other restrictions

(Newser) - As COVID-19 cases rise and countries continue their efforts to keep numbers down, a Monday article in the National Review is circulating with a headline that's piqued interest: "Has Sweden Found the Right Solution to the Coronavirus?" The country has done "almost no mandated social distancing,"...

Panel's Warning: Summer Won't Be a COVID Killer

'Pandemic likely will not diminish' in warmer weather, experts tell White House

(Newser) - Researchers are warning the Trump administration not to bank on warm weather to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In a letter sent to the White House, a panel from the National Academy of Sciences says data on the spread of the virus in cold versus warm weather is inconclusive,...

CDC to Army Lab: 'Cease and Desist' Studying Deadly Germs

Maryland's Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases temporarily shuttered over safety concerns

(Newser) - A "cease and desist" order from the Centers for Disease Control has been issued, a military biodefense lab has been shuttered, and "research is currently on hold" there, possibly for months. The issue: safety worries that cropped up over processes used to contain dozens of dangerous toxins and...

Anti-Vax Repercussions: More Measles, CDC Says

US has 314 cases documented so far this year, not far behind the 372 cases in all of 2018

(Newser) - Last year, there were 372 cases of measles reported in the US, the second-highest number in more than 20 years—which is why this year's numbers just through the first three months have health officials concerned. The CDC notes that between Jan. 1 and March 21, 314 measles cases...

Parents Fight 'Irrational' Rule on Measles, Judge Pushes Back

NY officials say 'exclusion order' stops spread of disease; judge agrees

(Newser) - No measles cases have been confirmed at the Green Meadow Waldorf School—and health officials in Rockland County, NY, where there's been an "unprecedented" outbreak, want to keep it that way. A federal judge agreed Tuesday, denying a request by parents of more than three dozen unvaccinated kids...

Measles Patient Passed Through Busy Airport, ER

If you were in Chicago's Midway Airport on Feb. 22, you might want to read this

(Newser) - A person who visited a Chicago airport and hospital last week had the measles, the Illinois Department of Public Health says—meaning those who were in the same locations at the same time could possibly be infected. The Chicago Tribune reports that the unidentified Illinois resident came in to Midway...

19 Sick in This State's Measles Outbreak

Public health emergency declared in Clark County, Wash.

(Newser) - A public health emergency was declared Friday in Washington state's Clark County, and it's due to a measles outbreak. Per CNN , a Clark County Public Health release notes that, since Jan. 1, the department has IDed 19 confirmed cases of the highly contagious disease, as well as seven...

Tick That Can Cause 'Massive Infestations' Now in 9 States

Asian longhorned ticks have been found on pets, livestock, and humans

(Newser) - Putting the word "exotic" in front of "tick" doesn't make the arachnid any more appealing, especially since one type is now proliferating across the US and bringing potential sicknesses with them. USA Today reports on a new warning from the CDC , which notes that the "fast-multiplying"...

He'd Find Bats on His Bed and Handle Them. Now He's Dead

Gary Giles first person to die from rabies in Utah since 1944

(Newser) - Gary Giles and his wife, Juanita, would often use their hands to catch the bats that would end up flying around inside their home in Moroni, Utah, and they never had any issues. "The bats would lick our fingers, almost like they could taste the saltiness of our fingers,...

100-Plus People Infected by Pet-Store Puppies: CDC

Agency links antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter infections to pet-store pooches

(Newser) - Eighteen states, more than 100 people sick, 26 hospitalizations—and an unknown number of puppies as the likely infection-spreaders. That's the word out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has tied contact with puppies at six pet-store companies to the outbreak of human diarrheal infections from...

Dozens Dead in EU in 'Astounding' Measles Outbreak

There's been an uptick in US, too

(Newser) - Some not-great news out of the World Health Organization regarding one of the most contagious viruses around. Per the BBC , a record number of measles patients has been recorded in the European Union, with last year's nearly 24,000 cases being surpassed by this year's 41,000 figure....

Deadly Virus in India Could Cause Global Epidemic

The outbreak started with a fruit bat

(Newser) - The Nipah virus has now killed at least a dozen people in southern India and health workers fear it could become a global epidemic if it isn't tightly monitored. More than 40 other people have been infected with the virus, which has a mortality rate of around 75%, Fox...

Ebola Situation Evolves in 'Concerning' Way Overnight

City of Mbandaka now reports 3 confirmed cases, a worrisome first for Congolese urban areas

(Newser) - Developments in a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo have taken what one health official deems a "concerning" turn overnight. Per the Guardian , Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the head of the country's National Institute for Biomedical Research, says lab results have confirmed two additional cases of Ebola in Mbandaka;...

&#39;We Probably Haven&#39;t Peaked Yet&#39;: Death Toll Mounts From Flu
Kids, Young Moms
Succumbing During
Deadly Flu Season
THE RUNDOWN
Jan 26, 2018 12:44 PM CST

Kids, Young Moms Succumbing During Deadly Flu Season

'We probably haven't peaked yet,' one doctor warns

(Newser) - Sobering stats out of the CDC Friday show that 37 kids have perished from the respiratory illness as of last Saturday—and the flu season is on track to be one of the worst in 15 years, the Washington Post reports. Nearly 12,000 people have required hospitalization so far,...

In Case of Black Death, Rats May Be Innocent
Don't Blame Rats for
Europe's Black Death
NEW STUDY
Jan 16, 2018 10:45 AM CST

Don't Blame Rats for Europe's Black Death

Human-carried parasites might be true culprits: study

(Newser) - Those poor, misjudged rats? According to infectious disease experts in Norway and Italy, rats aren't to blame for the spread of the Black Death, which has previously been referred to as the species' most infamous crime. In fact, humans might've been directly involved, reports the CBC . While studying...

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