Zoonotic & Vector-Borne Diseases

With federal and state officials rescuing Texas and Louisiana residents from the floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey, health experts are looking into the storm’s impact on mosquitoes carrying West Nile and Zika viruses.

Joergen Richt, DVM, PhD, discusses animals that have proven susceptible to Zika virus replication after experimental infection.

Benznidazole has been granted accelerated approval by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in children aged 2 to 12 years with Chagas disease.

Kedrion Biopharma and Kamada Ltd. recently announced that KEDRAB, a post-exposure prophylaxis to be used against rabies infection has just been approved by the FDA.

As cases of murine typhus in Texas are on the rise and occurring in more counties in the state, researchers are investigating the spread of the flea-borne disease.

NIAID researchers make an unexpected discovery when examining how a cellular enzyme complex regulates herpesvirus; inhibiting the enzyme suppressed viral infection.

New West Nile virus cases are being reported by states in the South, Midwest, and West Coast region, as health officials look to September and the end of the season.

As new human cases of West Nile virus spring up in Mississippi, and health officials report a new West Nile virus-associated death in Louisiana, the first human case this season has sprung up in New York City.

The less-costly tobacco-plant derived vaccine will be targeted for the developing world.

New research on Zika, cases of swine flu infections, parallels between Zika and HIV, a new warning sign of HIV infection, and an increase in cyclospora cayetanensis infections in United States make up the top 5 articles this week.

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 12 infants born to Zika-infected mothers will have a related birth defect.

Although focused in the northeastern United States, Lyme disease has ex­panded geographically over the past few decades, with a >320% increase in the number of high-incidence counties and reported cases in 49 states.

State health agencies are increasingly reporting new human cases of West Nile virus; there have been more than 150 illnesses so far this season.

Parallels between the recent Zika epidemic in Brazil and the HIV pandemic in the 1980s, stress the importance of improving responses to public health crises.

A year on, the United States and most of the other countries affected by the Zika virus are better prepared to prevent outbreaks and control their spread. The proof is in the data.

Florida reports first case of sexually-transmitted Zika of 2017, while funds continue to be released for new research efforts against the virus and tests to aid in rapid diagnosis.

New HIV drugs, vaccine regulations in France, correlations between intestinal viruses & type 1 diabetes, the susceptibility of Florida mosquitoes to transmit chikungunya, and an evaluation of the risk of hepatitis B reactivation in veterans on direct-acting antiviral therapy make up our Top 5 articles for the week of July 30, 2017.

Researchers from the University of Florida recently made an interesting discovery about the mosquitoes in the state.

As Colorado reports its second human case of West Nile virus of the season, local health officials around the country are reporting new cases of West Nile-positive mosquitoes, emphasizing the importance of vector control.

The CDC has updated interim guidance for healthcare providers who are caring for pregnant women with potential exposure to Zika virus.

Differences in the clinical presentations of ZIKV infection which are occurring in different parts of the world might be an obstacle to setting a case definition that is good for use in all areas.

Recent research coming in from Weill Cornell Medicine/Memorial Sloan Kettering suggests that a possible cure for Zika virus may be hiding in plain sight.

Scientists make an interesting connection between bats and detecting undiscovered disease.

Research coming in from Fernandes Figueira-Fundação Oswaldo Cruz finds that when it comes to diagnosing Zika virus infection in newborns, the eyes may have it.

Although the yellow fever outbreak that has affected several Latin American countries has eased since the end of summer, health officials say new cases are still springing up in some areas.

Researchers from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene have found that pet owners are at increased risk of encountering ticks.