All Emerging Threats & Epidemiology articles – Page 5
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NewsGlobal Virus Network experts urge rapid regional action as Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak raises cross-border concerns
The Global Virus Network (GVN) calls for greater global financial, logistical and research support for the local response to the rare Bundibugjo Ebola virus outbreak in Africa. The spread of this virus, largely undetected, was declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization.
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NewsNew research offers practical biosecurity tools to limit poultry disease spread
New research could help producers better protect poultry flocks from disease outbreaks while reducing costs. By identifying where contamination occurs and how to interrupt those pathways, the research helps move biosecurity from theory to action, offering tools that can protect animal health and support a more stable food supply.
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NewsClimate change and emerging diseases pose challenges for physicians
Climate change is affecting the local ecology in Canada, contributing to emerging tick- and mosquito-borne diseases and infections in humans, argue scientists.
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NewsSweeping up dust to detect emerging viruses
Gathering dust from buildings may hold promise as a more efficient way to track viral outbreaks in indoor settings, according to a new study. After collecting nearly 30 vacuumed dust samples from different buildings, researchers simultaneously identified the presence of 54 distinct viruses.
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NewsOne-fifth of pregnant women aren’t properly screened for syphilis
A new study found that 1 in 5 pregnant women in Ontario did not receive timely syphilis screening, which is critical for preventing syphilis infection in newborns. Sociodemographic and behavioural risk factors associated with being screened late may be related to an increased likelihood of inadequate prenatal care access.
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NewsMpox study reveals hidden infections may fuel spread
A study shows that in mid- to late 2024, mpox was far more common among men who have sex with men than previously thought. Individuals without symptoms accounted for most infections and likely played a prominent role in transmission, contrary to prior assumptions that people had to be symptomatic to spread the disease.
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NewsResearchers link human molecular, microbial diversity with geography, ethnicity
Researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine have found that ethnicity and geography may influence human molecular makeup — from metabolism and immunity to gut microbiota and biological aging. The findings, which published in Cell on May 14, illuminate the complex interplay between genetics and the environment, ...
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NewsUnderstanding and exploiting tuberculosis superspreading
A new perspective piece introduces the idea of “superspreading niches”, specific parts of community contact networks where highly infectious individuals intersect with highly susceptible contacts, as a key framework for understanding TB superspreading and designing new TB control interventions.
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NewsStudy is first to detect and track multiple cancer-causing viruses in wastewater
A study is the first comprehensive approach to detect all known cancer-causing or oncogenic viruses concurrently by analyzing viral genomes in wastewater. The work shows that it is feasible to monitor the presence and levels of cancer-causing viruses, enabling the possibility of public health interventions in the future.
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NewsNew report charts path for climate-disease preparedness
Changing patterns of temperature and precipitation, along with sea level rise and more extreme weather events, are impacting the ecology, evolution, distribution and prevalence of infectious disease reservoirs, hosts, vectors and pathogens. As a result, new diseases are emerging, and others are reappearing in regions where they were once uncommon.
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NewsWhy babies are dying and how we can stop it
A study has identified that the vast majority of neonatal deaths caused by infections in South Africa and other low-and-middle-income countries could be prevented through improved clinical care and targeted medical interventions.
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NewsMeasuring SARS-CoV-2 diversity in wastewater improves disease surveillance
Tracking the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, rather than just viral abundance, dramatically improves the ability to monitor and predict COVID-19 outbreaks, researchers report.
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NewsTraditional dengue alerts are missing the mark as Vietnam’s climate shifts—researchers propose a one health solution
For decades, Vietnam’s dengue surveillance relied on a straightforward logic: when cases exceed the five-year average by a sufficient margin, sound the alarm. That logic is now breaking down.
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NewsPublic housing mold intervention program reduces asthma-related ED visits
The New York City Housing Authority developed a mold-removal program in response to a 2013 class-action lawsuit filed by residents suffering from asthma due to mold in their apartments. Without Mold Busters, residents would have experienced 25 per cent more asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits.
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NewsExperts call on WHO to revisit its approach to airborne risk in light of hantavirus outbreak
In light of the hantavirus outbreak, public health experts have called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to shift its default response to emerging respiratory viruses. The starting point should not be to downplay the risk of airborne transmission until it is definitively proven, they warned.
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NewsEurope advances genomic surveillance of CCRE with landmark multi-country study
New survey results provide the most comprehensive genomic picture to date of carbapenem- and/or colistin-resistant Enterobacterales (CCRE) across hospitals in Europe.
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NewsFlu signals in wastewater offer an early warning for community outbreaks
A research team has demonstrated that measuring influenza viral RNA in wastewater can be used to estimate community influenza incidence. The approach may help identify outbreak trends about one week earlier than publicly available patient report data.
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NewsNew health security operations center will monitor infectious disease risks during this summer’s World Cup gatherings
With millions of soccer fans set to descend on North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, experts from Georgetown University and MedStar Health have launched a pioneering Health Security Operations Center (HSOC) to monitor infectious disease transmission and mitigate global health risks.
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NewsResearchers develop AI tool to predict E. coli contamination in waterways
A new artificial intelligence framework will alert water managers to E. coli contamination risk before anyone falls sick. The AI-powered predictive modeling framework uses environmental and hydrometeorological data to provide early warnings of contamination in recreational waterways.
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NewsWhat the Andes hantavirus outbreak reveals about pandemic risk
The outbreak of Andes hantavirus aboard the international MV Hondius cruise ship underscores how little scientists still know about the viruses circulating silently in wild rodent populations before they spill into humans.