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Public health officials offer scant details on U.S. coronavirus patients

Disclosure this week of a sixth case in the United States of a new viral infection emerging from China — and the first confirmed case of the virus passing from person to person in this country — is fueling public concerns about how easily the deadly virus can spread.

3 Feb 2020

Coronavirus taking an economic toll on China

The novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV outbreak has negatively impacted the economy of China and other countries worldwide. With China’s isolation from other countries and travel bans imposed, the economic toll is rippling across the world.

3 Feb 2020

China reports H5N1 bird flu in Hunan amid coronavirus crisis

China has reported an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu in Hunan, which borders the province of Hubei, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

3 Feb 2020

First exposure to influenza virus dictates our lifelong ability to fight flu

Were you born in an H1N1 year or an H3N2 year? The first type of influenza virus we are exposed to in early childhood dictates our ability to fight the flu for the rest of our lives, according to a new study from a team of infectious disease researchers at McMaster University and Université de Montréal.

30 Jan 2020

Coronavirus outbreak now a global health emergency says WHO

The Wuhan coronavirus or 2019-nCoV outbreak continues to spread in mainland China and in more than a dozen countries. In the last 24 hours, 42 had succumbed to the infection, making the death toll hit 213, with 9,692 confirmed cases, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency.

30 Jan 2020

Do masks protect from Coronavirus?

As the new Wuhan coronavirus, designated 2019-nCoV, spreads around the world, people are increasingly turning to face masks for protection. The question is, are masks really needed?

30 Jan 2020

Rapid weather variability could increase risk of a flu epidemic

New research from a team of Florida State University scientists shows that rapid weather variability as a result of climate change could increase the risk of a flu epidemic in some highly populated regions in the late 21st century.

30 Jan 2020

Researchers identify potential target in the fight against MERS

First identified in 2012, the MERS-coronavirus is capable of causing severe and often fatal pneumonia. There are no effective treatments for MERS.

29 Jan 2020

FDA issues stern warning to Purell hand sanitizer maker

The U.S. Food and Drug Administrator has issued a strict warning to Purell-maker GOJO Industries, which claims it hand sanitizers can kill pathogens that cause illness in as little as 15 seconds.

29 Jan 2020

Coronavirus spreads - Australian breakthrough

Novel coronavirus, temporarily named “2019-nCoV”, has affected over 4,600 persons across the world and is spreading at a rapid pace say experts. The World Health Organization and other health organizations have stepped up vigilance to detect and isolate the infection to contain outbreaks.

28 Jan 2020

Response to nation’s 1st coronavirus case draws on lessons from measles outbreak

When the first U.S. case of a new coronavirus spreading throughout China was confirmed last week in Washington state, public health workers were well prepared to respond, building on lessons learned during the outbreak of measles that sickened 87 people in the state in 2019.

28 Jan 2020

Something far deadlier than the Wuhan virus lurks near you

There's a deadly virus spreading from state to state. It preys on the most vulnerable, striking the sick and the old without mercy. In just the past few months, it has claimed the lives of at least 39 children.

24 Jan 2020

Infectious disease expert explains about Wuhan coronavirus

A new coronavirus virus, likely first transmitted to people from animals at a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, is making international headlines as disease detectives work to uncover what it is, how it's transmitted, and how deadly the virus actually is.

24 Jan 2020

Study provides key insights on potential origins of coronavirus outbreak in China

Emerging viral infections--from bird flu to Ebola to Zika infections--pose major threats to global public health, and understanding their origins can help investigators design defensive strategies against future outbreaks.

22 Jan 2020

Fully vaccinated children reduce risk of hospitalization associated with influenza by 54%

Fully vaccinating children reduces the risk of hospitalization associated with influenza by 54%, according to a study by researchers at the University of Michigan, the Clalit Research Institute, and Ben-Gurion University in Israel.

22 Jan 2020

New strain of coronavirus sparks concerns of a wider outbreak throughout China

Reports of a new strain of coronavirus causing pneumonia-like symptoms in the central Chinese city of Wuhan have sparked concerns of a wider outbreak throughout China and possibly in other countries.

21 Jan 2020

Antiviral compound from banana plants shows potential for clinical use against influenza

What keeps most infectious disease researchers up at night aren't infamous viruses like Ebola. Instead, influenza, commonly known as the flu, continues to be a clear and present danger to humanity.

21 Jan 2020

Fitness tracker devices show potential as predictors of flu outbreaks

Researchers at Scripps Research Translational Institute have found that fitness tracker devices – wearable tracker devices that measure heart rate and sleep duration – are better predictors of real-time flu outbreaks than current surveillance methods.

17 Jan 2020

Genetically engineered mosquitoes halt Dengue spread

A new study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens in January 2020 reports the development of mosquitoes that have been genetically modified to resist infection by several types of the dengue virus. This is the first time ever that all types of the virus have been targeted by the engineering of the mosquito DNA. Covering all virus types is essential to achieve proper disease control.

16 Jan 2020

Sepsis killing more people than earlier thought

According to a new study published in the latest issue of The Lancet, this week, more people across the globe are dying of sepsis than earlier believed. A team from the University of Pittsburgh and University of Washington schools of medicine led the research along with their colleagues from different disciplines.

16 Jan 2020