Outbreak News Interviews

Earlier this week, research was published in the journal, Nature Microbiology, which has newly published maps that reveal, for the first time, where anthrax poses global risks to people, livestock and wildlife. The maps are the result of 15 years of data collection covering 70 countries. Joining me today to discuss this work and it’s importance […] The post Global anthrax maps with Jason Blackburn, PhD appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated numbers of measles cases in the United States and through May 10, 839 measles cases have been reported in 23 states. This is an increase of 75 cases from the previous week. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since […] The post Measles: Counties with highest outbreak risk with Sahotra Sarkar, PhD appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On this week’s Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, I had the opportunity to spend the whole hour discussing the three most commonly diagnosed free-living amoeba species that infect humans:  Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba species, and Balamuthia mandrillaris, with someone with expertise in infectious diseases and the unique perspective of a parent that lost a child to one of these lethal […] The post Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba species and Balamuthia mandrillaris: Uncommon, accidental, yet high consequence appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Bioterrorism expert and Senior lecturer at Western New England University in Springfield, Lawrence Roberge, PhD joined me on the show to look at the history of bioterrorism–from antiquity to contemporary times. Monkeypox confirmed in Singapore, imported from Nigerian traveler Norway reports human rabies death, individual spent 2 months in Asia Reunion dengue outbreak eclipses 9,000 […] The post History of Bioterrorism with Dr Lawrence Roberge appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The parasitic disease, Chagas disease, and the vector, the kissing bug, have been in US media a lot recently after the CDC published an MMWR about finding the bug in Delaware. My guest today is currently conducting survey work in Oklahoma to estimate the prevalence of T. cruzi infection in domestic dogs and kissing bugs […] The post Chagas disease, kissing bugs and the OSU survey appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On this weeks program, I take a look a the surge of dengue fever cases in the Americas and southeast Asia. A primer of dengue fever and severe dengue is also introduced. Measles does not just have individual health implications, but a measles investigation can be very expensive in terms of manpower and dollars and […] The post Outbreak News This Week: Dengue fever, Measles outbreaks are expensive appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that a slow-growing variant form of Lyme bacteria caused severe symptoms in a mouse model, which may account for the persistent symptoms seen in up to twenty percent of Lyme patients that are not cured by the current Lyme antibiotic regimen. In addition, they […] The post Lyme ‘persister’ bacteria and a three-antibiotic cocktail: A study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Pan-resistant superbugs, world travel, a love story and the use of a virus to treat a life-threatening infection–and its all absolutely true. The makings of a great book. On this week’s program, I am joined by the authors of The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: A Memoir, Steffanie Strathdee […] The post Bacteriophages and ‘The Perfect Predator’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The University of Michigan health blog recently reported on a Acanthamoeba case in a Lansing , Michigan woman. She was initially diagnosed as having pink eye; however, things got worse and after going to six doctors, she was referred to the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center where she was diagnosed with the parasitic infection. […] The post Acanthamoeba case in Michigan with Shahzad Mian, M.D. appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

This week, Sepsis Alliance launched Pediatric Sepsis Week to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis in children and to recognize the tens of thousands of children that develop sepsis every year in the U.S. Joining me today to talk about pediatric sepsis and the importance of this week is Niranjan Kissoon, MD. […] The post Pediatric sepsis with Niranjan Kissoon, MD appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Virology blog was the first science website I followed, its been quite a few years now and it was an inspiration to me in using the internet to disseminate information on infectious diseases and up-to-date outbreak news. Because of my guest today, I saw real value in this type of reporting or blogging. He is […] The post Outbreak News interview: Vincent Racaniello, PhD appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

April 21 marks the beginning of Lab Week 2019, an annual celebration of medical laboratory professionals who play a vital role in health care and patient advocacy! Joining me today to discuss the medical laboratory profession and the importance of this week is Associate Dean for Research, College of Health Professions & Chair & Professor […] The post Lab Week 2019 with Dr Rodney Rohde appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is arguably the most common, preventable cause of neonatal disability in the United States, affecting more than 30,000 children a year. My guest today started a Change.org petition advocating for congenital CMV to be added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP). Here to talk more about CMV, the petition and […] The post Cytomegalovirus, the RUSP and the National CMV Foundation appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On this weekends show I look at the most controversial news story of the past week–the public health emergency in select zip codes in the neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn in light of the rapidly growing measles outbreak primarily among the Orthodox Jewish community. In addition, the health order says unvaccinated individuals living in those ZIP […] The post NYC measles and mandatory vaccinations appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

This morning, I was a guest for a segment on the Venezuela health and outbreak crisis on the Captain’s America: Third Watch with Capt. Matt Bruce. During the ~7-8 minute segment, I discussed the outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable diseases, measles and diphtheria and the vector-borne disease, malaria affecting Venezuela and other countries in the region. […] The post Venezuela outbreaks: Interview on the Captain’s America: First Watch appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Since 2014, some media and radio personalities have attributed the increase in Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases in the US to immigrant children from Central America. The latest was a segment last week on the Savage Nation with Michael Savage, a very popular talk radio program. What is EV-D68 and is it an imported disease from […] The post Enterovirus D68: ‘No evidence it’s an imported disease’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The hepatitis A outbreak in Florida is growing and in this news brief I look at the latest numbers and talk about the vaccine. The post Infectious disease news brief: Florida Hepatitis A outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania government warned the public that as the weather gets warmer and you spend more time outdoors, be aware of ticks and Lyme disease. Pennsylvania has reported the ticks that carry Lyme disease and other infectious agents in all 67 counties and has reported at or near the top of all […] The post Lyme disease, ticks and the ecology with Richard Ostfeld, PhD appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On this weekends Outbreak News This Week Radio show, I spend the first half talking to World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson for polio eradication, Oliver Rosenbauer. During the interview, Mr Rosenbauer discusses some history on polio, including the introduction of the vaccine, the different vaccines and the purposes and differences and the situation and difficulties […] The post Polio eradication successes and struggles, Unusual infectious disease news appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Chronic wasting disease, or CWD is a prion disease that affects several cervid species: deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose. It has been found in some areas of North America, including three provinces in Canada and at least 26 states. My guest today has expressed concern that it is probable that human cases of […] The post Chronic Wasting Disease and the CIDRAP program appeared first on Outbreak News Today.