The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the BA.5 Variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is now the most dominant strain in the US. Currently, there is no evidence that this variant causes more serious illness. However, case numbers and hospitalizations do seem to be rising and it has been suggested that this new variant may be able to
The number of West African monkeypox cases in the US has risen significantly in the last week to 349. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched an Emergency Operations Center that will monitor and coordinate the emergency response to monkeypox and mobilize additional personnel and resources. The Center is staffed by 300 CDC staff in collaboration with
Today the FDA approved Priorix for the prevention of measles, mumps and rubella in individuals 12 months of age and older. Measles is an acute viral respiratory illness that is characterized by a prodrome of fever, malaise, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis, and pathognomonic enanthema (Koplik spots) followed in 1- 2 days by a maculopapular rash. Signs and symptoms usually appear
Today the World Health Organization reported 80 confirmed cases of monkeypox with another possible 50 being investigated worldwide. In the US, there is a case in Massachusetts, another possible case in New York, and the CDC advised healthcare professionals in the US to be on the lookout for more cases. Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of
The official COVID-19 death rate in the US is approaching the grim milestone of 1 million, while the excess-death rate is 1,118,540. The World Health Organization reports that the global number of excess deaths between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (ranging from 13.3 million to 16.6 million). As of 5 pm EST on May
The US Department of Agriculture reports that avian flu has now spread to 30 states. Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which is classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1–H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1–N9). AI viruses