29
Apr
2016
Outbreaks

Elizabethkingia anophelis Outbreak in Wisconsin: A Mystery for CDC Disease Detectives
22
Apr
2016
Outbreaks
by Barbara M. Soule, RN, MPA, CIC, FSHEA, and Ralph Morris, MD, MPH

Aedes Mosquitoes: A Force in Human History

At the center of the current Zika virus epidemic is the humble insect vector, the Aedes mosquito, both aegypti and albopictus species.  The female Aedes 1acquires and transmits the virus by simply doing what she does—extracting blood from people, birds and other animals to obtain proteins needed to develop her eggs.  To many of us,... Read More »
01
Apr
2016
Outbreaks
by Bob G. Vincent, MPA

Preparing for the Summer of Zika Virus

Are you curious about your risk of contracting Zika virus this summer?  The figure above is from a brand new study1 on the projected spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the main Zika virus “vector”2. Based on meteorological models, mosquito-breeding patterns, air travel and socioeconomic status, the study compares the January, 2016 abundance of the... Read More »
11
Mar
2016
Outbreaks
by Ralph Morris, MD, MPH, and Bruce K. Bernard, PhD

Avoiding MRSA at the Gym

A healthy workout in the gym should leave you with a feeling of well-being and nothing worse than a duffle bag full of sweaty clothes.  It should not leave you with a MRSA skin infection. What is MRSA? MRSA, or “Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus,” is a type of staph bacteria that is, according to the US... Read More »
05
Feb
2016
Outbreaks
by Ralph Morris, MD, MPH

Zika Virus: On the Move

The Zika virus, a flavivirus1, is spreading “explosively” through several Latin American and Caribbean countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), prompting that group to declare an international health emergency which, according to the BBC “…means research and aid will be fast-tracked to tackle the infection.”  The virus is transmitted through the bite of... Read More »
15
Jan
2016
Outbreaks
by Ralph Morris, MD, MPH

Preventing RSV

What is RSV? RSV is “Respiratory Syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) Virus,” a virus that affects the lungs and breathing passages.  In healthy people, an RSV infection resembles a cold (colds are caused by rhinoviruses, another type of virus), but the very young and the very old[1] and those with weakened immune systems may develop more serious symptoms. ... Read More »
18
Dec
2015
Outbreaks
by Water Quality & Health Council

When Fresh Ingredients Make Consumers Sick

Over 140 Boston College students were sickened recently after eating at a Chipotle restaurant near the Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts campus.  The culprit:  norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness in the US.  The norovirus outbreak comes on the heels of a multistate outbreak of E. coli associated with Chipotle that made 52 people sick... Read More »
09
Oct
2015
Outbreaks
by Ralph Morris, MD, MPH

Responding to Dengue Fever

In the wake of recent monsoons and flooding, mosquito-borne dengue fever is once again on the rise in the Asia Pacific Region.  According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), worldwide, dengue fever cases number over 50 million annually.  The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates1 that globally 2.5 billion people, over one-third of... Read More »