Tag: Infectious Diseases
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Kenya reports first Mpox case in Garissa as health worker tests positive
Background: Mpox awareness in Kenya Kenya has been monitoring mpox—also known as monkeypox—outbreaks with heightened vigilance in recent years. The disease, caused by the mpox virus, typically presents with fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, and it can spread through close contact. Health officials have emphasized early detection, contact tracing, and vaccination where appropriate to…
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ICMR Study Reveals 11.1% Pathogen Positivity Across Labs in India
Overview: A Large-Scale Effort to Track Viral Infections A recent effort by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) analyzed the results from a network of laboratories across the country to identify viral infections of public health significance. Involving about 4.5 lakh (450,000) patients, the study found that 11.1% carried detectable pathogens. This marks a…
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Remdesivir Linked to Lower Long-Term Mortality After COVID-19 Hospitalization: Real-World Evidence
Overview New real-world data from three health systems in Colorado and Utah suggest that receiving remdesivir (RDV) during a COVID-19–related hospitalization is associated with lower all-cause mortality after discharge. The study analyzed patients who survived their initial hospitalization and followed them for up to 29 months to assess long-term outcomes, including mortality, readmission to hospital,…
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Antibiotic Resistance: WHO Warns of Rapid Spread and What You Can Do
Introduction: A Quiet Crisis Gaining Ground Antibiotics transformed medicine, turning once-lethal infections into manageable illnesses. Yet a new WHO report warns that antibiotic resistance is rising rapidly, threatening to erase decades of medical progress. Between 2018 and 2023, resistance increased in more than 40% of monitored bacteria-antibiotic combinations. Infections that were easily treated just a…
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Spread of drug-resistant superbugs surging, WHO warns
Global alarm over drug-resistant infections The World Health Organization has issued a stark warning about the rapid spread of drug-resistant bacterial infections, which threaten to undermine the effectiveness of life-saving treatments. According to the agency, a growing number of infections no longer respond to standard antibiotics, turning minor injuries and everyday illnesses into potentially deadly…
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5 U.S. States See Rise in Measles Cases as Vaccination Rates Decline
Measles Outbreaks Across the U.S. Signal a Widening Challenge A string of measles outbreaks across five states underscores a troubling trend: vaccination rates are dipping, and the highly contagious virus is finding new footholds in communities where immunization coverage is uneven. The latest figures show clusters of confirmed cases in Utah, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, and…
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WHO Alarm: Drug-Resistant Superbugs Surge as Antibiotic Options Shrink
WHO Warns of a Growing Threat: Drug-Resistant Infections on the Rise The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning about the rapid spread of drug-resistant bacteria, a trend that could undermine decades of medical progress. In a briefing from Geneva, officials said that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide in 2023 showed…
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NSW Warns of Blood Borne Virus Risk for Mortdale Dental Patients
Public health notice for Mortdale patients The NSW Health authorities have issued a precautionary warning to current and former patients of a Mortdale dental practitioner, Mr Safuan Hasic (also known as Steven Hasic). The Chief Health Officer confirmed that infection control breaches were identified at his practice at 70 Victoria Avenue, Mortdale, prompting a suspension…
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Emerging crisis: High youth death rates warn global health study
Warning signs from the Global Burden of Disease study A landmark Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, drawing on more than 300,000 data sources and 16,500 scientists, warns of an emerging crisis: higher death rates among teenagers and young adults in many parts of the world. While overall global mortality has declined and life expectancy…
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Sydney Hospitals Run Multi-Agency Ebola Emergency Response Drill
Coordinated drills test Ebola emergency response across Sydney hospitals In a high-stakes, simulated mission, a quarantine room at Concord Hospital in Sydney’s inner west becomes the stage for a meticulous test of the city’s emergency response plans. A returned traveller displaying symptoms associated with Ebola is strapped into a bio-containment bubble on a stretcher, with…