Disease Surveillance

This year, there has been an unusually large increase in the number of dengue cases in Thailand. Not all of the rise in numbers, however, may be due to actual rises in cases. The increased use of a screening test for dengue, NS1 antigen test, may mean that just more cases are being reported. Other…

Facebook has launched a new feature that enables users to see the movement and spread of any current diseases or outbreaks. This feature also allows public health organizations to inform users about any potential outbreaks in their area and how to take preventative measures. Read the full article …

Researchers are further investigating a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) that is responsible for the pneumonic plague in many individuals. Due to its almost certain lethality, it is seen as a potential weapon of bioterror, so researchers are looking for methods to effectively treat infected individuals…

Amid the numerous cases of measles in the country recently, a legislation that would increase immunization rates across the country and prevent future outbreaks of contagious diseases was introduced in Congress. This legislation will grant the Center for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) the…

Following the measles outbreak in New York, a study done by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Johns Hopkins University found that Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami are the cities most likely to have the next measles outbreak. The researchers first looked at how many children in…

A newly published study done by the University of Washington-Seattle’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has produced what is described as one of the most detailed maps ever to be constructed to display the prevalence of HIV in Africa. This research opens gates for further research into…

There has been an increase in people who use sunscreen every day to protect against UV rays, but how safe is sunscreen for the skin in terms of other active ingredients? The FDA first investigated the effect of sunscreen on skin in the 1970’s when they thought that sunscreen sat on top of the skin,…

Richard Harris — NPR Scientists are preparing a major study to find out if a new drug can silence the gene that is responsible for Huntington’s disease. Huntington’s disease, caused by a single mutated gene, is carried by about 30,000 people in the US. This disease is fatal as it causes the…

A new study has ranked U.S. cities’ risk for a measles outbreak based on vaccine-exemption rates and proximity to international airports. Supposedly Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami are the cities most at risk. Read more here.

Just this year, counties across California have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to try and prevent the spread of measles. Forty-three people have been diagnosed with measles in the state thus far. The prices quoted above do not even include the costs spent by individual patients seeking…

This year has been the worst since 1994 in terms of measles cases; 66 children have been hospitalized and, in total, there have been over 700 cases in 2019. Two counties in New York can account for nearly 70% of the cases, however, there have been cases in 22 states. Of the 700 cases, 71% are known…

Research conducted by the environmental advocacy group Environmental Working Group estimated that about 15,500 cancer cases in California were the direct result of contaminants found in public water systems. Much of the cancer risk was driven by an unsafe level of arsenic, which occurs naturally in…

Areas around Stagecoach and Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California have noticed an increase in herpes inquiries and prescriptions. During Stagecoach, 114 cases of herpes were reported, and 250 cases had been reported at Coachella two weekends before. Herpes can be spread sexually, through…

In Knoxville Tennessee, health officials have confirmed a case of measles. In the last decade there have only been 15 other cases in Tennessee. Across the nation, there have been 555 measles cases reported this year, putting the country on track to set a record for most cases in 25 years. Read more…