Contagion

The world should prepare for smallpox making a comeback --report

Tue, 2024-04-16 10:22 — mike kraft

Is smallpox still a threat?

Smallpox, a disease that killed an estimated 500 million people in the 20th century alone, is the only human disease to be eradicated. However, a new report, "Future State of Smallpox Medical Countermeasures," from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) argues that the U.S. and the global community should prepare for smallpox to make a return.

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Children's nose cells may be factor in lower Covid infections--study

Mon, 2024-04-15 17:27 — mike kraft

Young nose cells may help children fight off Covid Lab tests show ageing adult nose cells contain 100 times more virus soon after an infection. BBC News

Children are less likely than adults to develop severe Covid, because cells in their nose are better at fighting off the virus, a study suggests.

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Opinion: the spread of bird flu in U.S. cattle should be a wake-up call to action

Mon, 2024-04-15 11:14 — mike kraft

H5N1 bird flu in U.S. cattle: A wake-up call to action Comparisons to seasonal flu management underestimate the unique challenges posed by H5N1 bird flu. Patrick Skerrett STAT

The recent detection of H5N1 bird flu in U.S. cattle, coupled with reports of a dairy worker contracting the virus, demands a departure from the usual reassurances offered by federal health officials. While they emphasize there’s no cause for alarm and assert diligent monitoring, it’s imperative we break from this familiar script.

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WHO COVID-19 update outlines decreases in new cases and deaths

Mon, 2024-04-15 10:23 — mike kraft

COVID-19 epidemiological update – 12 April 2024 SARS-CoV-2 PCR percent positivity, as detected in integrated sentinel surveillance as part of the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) and reported to FluNet was around 8.0% from 69 countries during the week ending 31 March 2024. Globally, JN.1 was the most reported variant of interest (VOI, now reported by 121 countries), accounting for 95.1.8% of sequences in week 13 compared to 93.0% in week 10. Its parent lineage, BA.2.86, has been declining and accounted for 1.6% of sequences in week 13 compared to 3.0% in week 10.

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Bird flu prompts US dairy farmers to ban visitors, chop trees

Thu, 2024-04-11 09:58 — mike kraft

Bird flu pushes US dairy farmers to ban visitors, chop trees Dairy farmers in the United States are raising their defenses to try to contain the spread of bird flu: banning visitors, cutting down trees to discourage wild birds from landing, and disinfecting vehicles coming onto their land. Tom Polansek Reuters

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What worries scientists about bird flu's spread among cattle

Thu, 2024-04-11 09:38 — mike kraft

Here's what worries scientists about bird flu's spread among cattle Avian influenza is still spreading among dairy cattle. Scientists are paying close attention to how the virus is changing and what that means for its pandemic potential. NPR

The unlikely spread among cattle and one dairy worker has scientists looking through the data to better understand this spillover. They say the risk to humans hinges on whether the virus can evolve in key ways to better infect mammals.

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