Outbreak News Interviews

Outbreaks of measles are currently being reported in Washington state, Oregon, Texas and New York. In fact, the CDC reported that in 2018, 349 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 26 states and the District of Columbia. This is the second-greatest number of annual cases reported since measles was eliminated in the U.S. in […] The post The importance of vaccines with Dr. Libby Richards appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On this weekend’s show I look at several topics in the world of infectious diseases. The measles outbreaks here and abroad are a concern for many and I look at the latest from the US and the Philippines. I also do a segment of the various infectious disease risks related to dogs. In the second […] The post Measles, infections you can get from dogs and the cost of the rabies PEP appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

I just finished a must read book–a very important book in this day and age. It’s called Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel’s Autism: My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad. Author, Peter Hotez, MD, PhD joined me to discuss a number of important topics to include autism, the debunked vaccine-autism link, the huge public […] The post Vaccines, autism and a very important book appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Despite the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases and public awareness of vaccine importance, why is it so challenging to boost population vaccination coverage to desired levels especially in the wake of declining vaccine uptake? A new study from Dartmouth College shows that past problems with vaccines can cause a phenomenon known as hysteresis, creating a negative […] The post Vaccines and hysteresis with Xingru Chen appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On today’s show on have two great interviews. First, Metabiota’s director of epidemiology, Patrick Ayscue, DVM joins me to discuss their predictions for the industries that are most likely to be impacted by a healthcare crisis in 2019. In addition, the Agricultural Program Manager with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Gary Flory joins me for a […] The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 1-20-19 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Last week we learned of the emergence of yet another mosquito-borne virus. It’s called Madariaga virus and the human cases were confirmed in several schoolchildren in Haiti–the first time reported in the northern Caribbean. The cases were documented in a study in the journal, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Joining me to discuss Madariaga virus, the study and […] The post Madariaga virus with Dr Glenn Morris appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Earlier this month, the pioneer in epidemic risk modeling, Metabiota, unveiled its predictions for the industries that are most likely to be impacted by a healthcare crisis in the year ahead. I was joined by Metabiota’s director of epidemiology, Patrick Ayscue, DVM to discuss these 2019 predictions.   Related: The Global Virome Project: Providing timely […] The post Top 3 industries that will be impacted by epidemics in 2019 with Metabiota’s Dr Patrick Ayscue appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Bird flu outbreaks among flocks, pig disease outbreaks like African swine fever. We see this in the news frequently enough. Have you ever wondered what is done with the carcasses of the dead and culled animals on livestock farms and how well do these methods  protect the public health? Joining me today to shed some […] The post Animal outbreaks on farms: How do they dispose of the carcasses? appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On today’s show, I touch on some Florida news to include the suspected norovirus outbreak onboard the Royal Caribbean vessel, Oasis of the Seas, which as of today has accounted for some 600 GI cases in passengers and crew. I also look at some year end data from the Sunshine state concerning hepatitis A, mosquito […] The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 1-13-19 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Rabies is a topic we report on on the website often and have discussed on the podcast several times. Last May, we reported on a human rabies death in a Virginia resident who traveled overseas, where she contracted it. Last week in the CDC publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report or (MMWR), they published a […] The post Rabies: The fatal Virginia case and some important lessons appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The biotech company, Valneva announced this month about the promising work and progress on two vaccine candidates–the mosquito borne virus, chikungunya and Lyme disease. On today’s show I am joined by Valneva President and CEO, Thomas Lingelbach to discuss the latest on these vaccine candidates. Related:  Neglected Tropical Diseases: Chagas disease and schistosomiasis  Lyme bacteria […] The post Chikungunya and Lyme vaccine candidates with Valneva CEO Thomas Lingelbach appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On the final show of the year, I do my annual year in review with a look at the top 10 most important infectious disease news stories of the year, in my opinion of course. In addition, I unveil the top podcast of 2018 from Outbreak News Interviews (as far as downloads) and the top […] The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show: 2018 Year in Review appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)– a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries – affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year. Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors […] The post Neglected Tropical Diseases: Chagas disease and schistosomiasis appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

The Federal Tick-borne Disease Working Group recently released their first report to Congress about one year after the panel first convened. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) responded to the report in a letter that contained some criticisms of the report. What is the Federal Tick-borne Disease Working Group, what’s in the report and […] The post Lyme disease, the Federal Tick-borne Disease Working Group and an IDSA letter with Timothy Sellati, PhD appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Lyme disease is the most common vector borne-disease in the United States with approximately 300,000 cases reported annually. It is caused by the spirochetal organism Borrelia burgdorferi. While the majority of the Lyme disease patients can be cured with 2–4 weeks antibiotic treatment, about 10–20% of patients continue to suffer from persisting symptoms. My guest today […] The post Lyme bacteria persister forms, antibiotics and essential oils with Dr. Ying Zhang appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On today’s show, I look at a recent study from the Journal of Wildlife Management that looks at the population estimates and management options for introduced rhesus macaques in Florida. When you talk about rhesus macaques, that invariably leads into discussion about the dangerous virus for humans that get infected, herpes B. I spend a little time on […] The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 12-16-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Schistosomiasis, which is caused by parasitic flatworms, affects nearly 210 million people worldwide, primarily in Africa, Asia, and South America, and is responsible for about 200,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. A research team from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and several international organizations looked at tea infusions made from two species of […] The post Artemisia tea infusions used in the treatment of Schistosomiasis: A look at the study appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On today’s show I look at the ins and outs of Medicare for All, a single payer, government health insurance program popularized most recently by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and now a number of new progressives recently elected are carrying the mantle with Sanders. I discuss what the program is designed to cover (which is […] The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 12-9-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

Enteroviruses are the cause of a number of infections including hand, foot and mouth disease, the common cold and most recently, the condition called Acute flaccid myelitis or AFM. What are enteroviruses, particularly enterovirus D68, what do we know about them and what research is being done? Joining me to answer these questions about enteroviruses […] The post Enterovirus D68, Acute flaccid myelitis and some of the research appeared first on Outbreak News Today.

On today’s show I look at two topics that are big–one in Africa and one here in the United States–and that’s the Ebola outbreak in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the large hepatitis A outbreak in a number of states. The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and […] The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 12-2-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.