A World Health Organization official said on Tuesday there was a risk of H5N1 bird flu virus spreading to cows in other countries beyond the United States through migratory birds. U.S. officials are seeking to verify the safety of milk and meat after confirming the H5N1 virus in 34 dairy cattle herds in nine states since late March, and in …
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Chinese scientist, first to publish COVID sequence, protests lab lockout
The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China staged a sit-in protest outside his lab after authorities locked him out of the facility — a sign of the Beijing’s continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus. Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified …
Read More »Amid bird flu spread, experts reveal if it's safe to drink milk: 'Indirect concern'
Traces of bird flu have been detected in pasteurized milk — leaving many people wondering if it’s safe to drink. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a notice on Thursday stating that one in five retail samples of commercial milk tested positive for fragments of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as bird flu or avian …
Read More »Fauci to testify publicly before Congress for 1st time since retirement
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institution of Allergy and Infectious Disease, will testify publicly before a congressional panel in June, marking the first time he has done so since retiringfrom government at the end of 2022. Fauci has agreed to testify before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, a House panel investigating the origins …
Read More »Republic of the Congo declares monkeypox epidemic after more than a dozen cases confirmed
Republic of the Congo has declared an epidemic of mpox after 19 cases were confirmed across five departments, including the capital Brazzaville. No deaths have yet been recorded, Health Minister Gilbert Mokoki said in a statement on Tuesday. He called on the public to take precautions including avoiding close contact with suspected cases, avoiding contact with animals and avoiding handling …
Read More »Bird flu virus found in grocery store milk, but no risk to customers, FDA says
Samples of pasteurized milk on grocery store shelves have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that hasalready infected herds of dairy cows, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Tuesday. The FDA stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent [an] actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials …
Read More »West Virginia hospital confirms first case of measles since 2009
A West Virginia hospital has confirmed the first known case of measles in the state since 2009, health officials said Monday. The Monongalia County Health Department said WVU Medicine alerted officials Sunday that an adult patient living in the county tested positive for the viral infection. Health officials have not pinpointed exactly where and how the patient was exposed but …
Read More »With whooping cough cases on the rise, do you need a booster vaccine?
As whooping cough cases are surging globally, some may wonder if it’s necessary to get a booster. Cases of the childhood respiratory disease also known as pertussis are surging internationally and in parts of the U.S., according to a recent report. Bordetella pertussis is a type of bacteria that causes a very contagious respiratory infection that spreads from person to …
Read More »World Health Organization approves updated cholera vaccine to combat surge in cases
The World Health Organization has approved a version of a widely used cholera vaccine that could help address a surge in cases that has depleted the global vaccine stockpile and left poorer countries scrambling to contain epidemics. WHO authorized the vaccine, made by EuBiologics, which also makes the formulation now used, last week. The new version, called Euvichol-S, is a …
Read More »World Health Organization, experts reach landmark agreement on how to define airborne diseases
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives. The Geneva-based U.N. health agency released a technical document on the topic on Thursday. It said …
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