Zoonotic & Vector-Borne Diseases

The first case of sexually transmitted Zika infection in Canada was confirmed on April 25, 2016 by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Rohit Bhalla, DO, provides information healthcare practitioners should know about diagnosing a Zika virus infection, particularly as the virus moves in the United States.

On Friday, April 22, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collaborated with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to set interim guidance for those working in the fields where exposure to the Zika virus is inevitable.

Researchers find evidence to suggest virus strains in the most recent outbreak in the Americas evolved from an Asian lineage.

On Friday, April 15, 2016, WHO approved Sanofi Pasteur’s Dengvaxia (CYD-TDV), a live recombinant tetravalent vaccine for Dengue fever, first approved in Mexico in December 2015.

Researchers have revealed that the disease has been circulating in the region since at least January of 2015.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the first case of locally transmitted Zika virus infection in the continental United States is now inevitable. The virus already brings with it fears for pregnant women, and those women trying to become pregnant, but now, a Zika virus infection is likely a risk for all adults as the virus has been linked to yet another neurological disorder.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that the Zika virus can be transmitted from an infected man to a sex partner through anal sex.

After meticulously analyzing existing evidence, CDC scientists concluded that not only does the Zika virus cause microcephaly, but it is also the culprit behind other serious, fatal brain defects.

During a recent press conference, representatives from the CDC and NIAID agreed that the more researchers uncover about Zika, the scarier the virus appears to be.

Since January 2016, WHO has been notified of Lassa fever outbreaks in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, with cases linked to the Togo outbreak in both Germany and Atlanta, Georgia in the United States.

Sixteen of the 18 provinces in Angola have reported suspected cases of Yellow Fever. As of late March, there have been a total of 1132 suspected and confirmed Yellow Fever cases in the country, with 168 deaths.

The Obama administration recently announced plans to shift nearly $600 million in funds designated to battle the Ebola epidemic toward the fight against Zika.

The results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in patients with persistent symptoms of Lyme disease have shown that long-term antibiotic treatment does not lead to better outcomes than short-term antibiotic treatment does.

The findings of a new study reinforce the value of making insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying of insecticides universally available—even in countries where the mosquitoes that transmit disease bite primarily outdoors.

A recent review article may provide infectious disease specialists with an enhanced understanding of how to predict the outcome of current and future Chikungunya outbreaks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) held a Zika Action Plan Summit in Atlanta, Georgia today with the aims of preparing health officials of the possibility of local Zika transmission.

In the wake of a global Zika scare, and in light of the possibility of a Zika outbreak in the coming months, the FDA has allowed the use of an investigational test to screen blood donations for the Zika virus.

To help protect against the spread of Zika, it is imperative to take the necessary steps to minimize the population of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Chikungunya virus has been reported in the United States, and clinicians here must now be prepared for patients presenting with its symptoms.

Study shows that nitric oxide may inhibit infection-induced neuroinflammation.

At the moment, there have not yet been any locally transmitted Zika infections in the continental US, however, a recent study reports that this might change in the coming months.

Forty one individuals were voluntarily infected with the dengue virus in a new vaccine (TV003) clinical trial, which proved 100% successful.

An international team of researchers believes they may be on the verge of identifying biomarkers that can be used to predict disease course in dengue fever, thereby enabling clinicians to triage patients at higher risk for severe forms of the mosquito-borne infection at an earlier stage.

Dorothy McCoy, PharmD, provides advice for healthcare practitioners on counseling patients who are pregnant about the Zika virus.