Yellow Fever

CDC eases travel restrictions for pregnant women looking to avoid Zika

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last month quietly downgraded its travel restriction guidelines for pregnant women, the Washington Post reported yesterday.

Two more MERS cases recorded in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health (MOH) recorded two cases of MERS-CoV in young women from Khamis Mushait in an update to its epidemiologic week 10 report.

The first patient is a 33-year-old woman who is listed as a secondary case, meaning she likely contracted MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) from another sick person. She did not report recent camel contact, the MOH said.

MERS infects 9 more in Saudi Arabia

In an ongoing surge of MERS-CoV activity, Saudi Arabia's health ministry today announced nine new cases, including seven that are possibly linked to a hospital outbreak in Wadi ad-Dawasir, according to an update to its epidemiological week 7 report.

Washington state measles outbreak prompts emergency declaration

Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Jan 25 declared a public health emergency as a step to boost its response to a measles outbreak that has now sickened 34 in the Vancouver area, with 1 case confirmed in King County in the Seattle area.

New case of MERS recorded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's ministry of health (MOH) reported a new MERS-CoV case today in the city of Jeddah. The notice came in an epidemiologic week 2 notification.

Two more cases reported in DRC Ebola outbreak, 627 total

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's health ministry today reported two new cases, edging the outbreak total to 627 cases, including 579 confirmed and 48 probable infections. One of the new case-patients is from Oicha, and the other is from Katwa.

Health officials are still investigating 98 suspected Ebola cases.

New case of MERS recorded in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) today recorded a new MERS-CoV case for epidemiologic week 51.

The patient is a 47-year-old man who is in home isolation with a MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) infection. The man is from Al-Kharj, about 48 miles south of Riyadh. He had camel contact, a known risk factor for MERS transmission.

Tests confirm 3 more Ebola infections in the DRC

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC's) health ministry today reported three more Ebola cases in three different locations.

In its daily update, officials said the 3 new lab-confirmed cases are from Katwa, Komanda, and Mabalako, raising the overall total to 542 cases, including 494 confirmed and 48 classified as probable. Outbreak responders are still investigating 96 suspected Ebola cases.

Survey: 41% of Americans have no plans to get flu vaccine

According to a survey conducted in the middle of November, only 43% of Americans said they have been vaccinated against flu, 14% plan on being vaccinated, while 41% said they don't plan on being immunized against the disease.

About 1% of NW Missouri population hosts antibodies to Heartland virus

A new study from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Missouri researchers tested specimens collected from blood donors in northwestern Missouri, and found Heartland virus antibodies in 0.9% of samples. The study appeared yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases.