Invisiverse Features
News: New Coalition Investing Millions to Stop Outbreaks Like Ebola & Zika Before They Explode
Responding to the rapid emergence of dangerous pathogens around the world, a new initiative to prevent or contain pandemics was announced in Davos, Switzerland, yesterday. If you ever worried that a highly contagious pathogen could take down your community, or the country, this news is for you.
News: Sixth Outbreak of Avian Flu Confirmed in China
China just confirmed a sixth avian flu outbreak since October. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Agriculture stated that there had been another instance of bird flu in the Hubei province, of the H5N6 influenza virus. The outbreak occurred in the city of Daye, which is home to some 900,000 people, but hasn't been linked to human infections yet.
News: Doctors Are Wrong to Call Zika Mild
Even as health authorities describe the symptoms of Zika infection in the general population as mild, a new surveillance study finds serious side effects are more common, and serious, than previously thought.
News: First Case of West Nile in Kansas Causes Statewide Concern
A case of West Nile virus recently confirmed in a person in Barton County, is the first human case of 2017 in Kansas. State health officials confirmed the appearance of West Nile this year in a press release on June 9th.
News: Phase 2 Zika Vaccine Trial Begins in US, Along with Central & South America
Phase 2 of a Zika vaccine trial began in the United States this week, along with Central and South America.
News: Scientists Surprised to Find New Defensive Role for Old Protein
Wound infections don't usually enter the blood and become systemic, spreading the infection throughout our bodies, and there's a good reason for that: Our bodies actively work to prevent it, according to research that discovered a new use for a protein first discovered decades ago.
News: Maine Just Got Their First Case of Measles in 20 Years
Maine reported their first measles case in 20 years yesterday, June 27, in a press release from the Maine CDC. Many other people may have been exposed and could show signs of infection soon, with the potential for outbreak brewing. The last measles case in Maine was in 1997.
News: Mumps Outbreak Leads to Health Alert for Boston
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) issued a health alert for a Boston mumps outbreak, on Monday, June 5th, to healthcare providers and local boards of health. There have been 12 reported cases of mumps during the recent outbreak. The affected residents' symptoms occurred between March 24th and May 31st, and 10 of the 12 had symptoms after May 9th. There have been 35 confirmed cases of mumps in 2017 in Massachusetts, and "nearly 300" suspected cases in the continuing outbreak.
News: Puerto Rico Could Be Downplaying Its Zika Problem
Reports of Zika-related birth defects are coming in at shockingly low rates in Puerto Rico. While that might be something to cheer, one former US government official is saying there could be a nefarious reason for the low numbers.
News: Showers Shut Down at NYPD Precinct After Legionnaires' Infection
Traces of bacteria at a precinct in East Harlem created an all-out scare after doctors diagnosed an NYPD officer with Legionnaires' disease, a deadly infection caused by Legionella pneumophila.
News: Hospitals Band Together to Fight Back Against Sepsis in Children
Sepsis is not only a gross sounding word but also a deceptively dangerous and fatal infection. Which is why more than 40 hospitals nationwide are coming together to a new collaboration to help reduce sepsis mortality, named Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes (IPSO).
News: Soft Cheese Triggers Listeria Outbreak, Killing 2
A New York creamery was forced to recall items after a fatal disease outbreak stemming from their soft cheese products.
News: Mumps Cases Reach 23 Year High Deep in the Heart of Texas
Texas has become only the latest state to face an unfortunate outbreak of mumps, but so far seems to be the hardest hit. On April 12, two days before the CDC's report was released, the Texas Department of State Health Services released a health advisory indicating this is the highest instance of mumps reported in 22 years.
News: Zika Won't Contaminate US Blood Banks, Say Officials
US blood banks have assured the American public that they have the tools to prevent a Zika contamination, despite the rapid spread of the disease.
News: Pesticides Used to Kill Zika Mosquitoes May Harm Babies Exposed Before Birth
Zika is a threat to unborn babies — the virus can cause neurological damage if it infects a mother during pregnancy. But as with many things, our solutions to the problem aren't always all that much better than the problem itself.
News: Measles 'Elimination' Far Off as Outbreak in Europe Progresses
Experts from the World Health Organization just expressed concern for the rising number of measles outbreaks across Europe. Despite a perfectly capable existing vaccine, "immunization coverage has dropped below the necessary threshold of 95%," causing the measles to spread throughout the European region.
News: Legionnaires' Risk Growing in NYC as Weather Warms
The number of Legionnaires' cases in New York over the last couple weeks has led to concern and recommendations of caution for those at risk.
News: CDC Issues Zika Warning for Miami Sperm Banks
Future mothers hoping to use donated semen might want to think twice before using any samples from the Miami-Dade Country area of Florida. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning that sperm from as far back as June 2016 may be infected with the Zika virus. Damn those mosquitoes.
News You Can Use: Tick-Borne Infection Babesiosis — Symptoms, Sources & Risk
As a part of the already crowded field of diseases transmitted by ticks, you may not know the disease babesiosis, a dangerous infection caused by a parasite that infiltrates blood cells.