Tag Archives: Infectious

Most people hear “heart attack” and think of clogged arteries packed with fat and cholesterol. That picture is mostly right, but it may be missing a a key component. According to new research, common mouth bacteria that usually stay in their lane may drift into the bloodstream and trigger heart attacks. The study suggests that mouth microbes don’t just float …

Health officials have warned of a potential measles outbreak at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.  A passenger arriving on an international flight tested positive for the highly contagious respiratory illness, which is currently spreading through the US. Travelers who were at the airport, which serves the Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland region, on August 12 have been warned they …

After the death of two children from measles in less than a week, Prof. Eyal Leshem, director of the travel medicine and tropical diseases center at Sheba Medical Center, told The Times of Israel that he was calling upon “every community leader who knows the children in their community are unprotected and are at risk of contracting a deadly disease …

Africa has launched an Mpox testing initiative. Cases keep going up. Social determinants of health, y’all. Covid survivors who were disadvantaged have Twice the risk of long term symptoms. Many routes of transmission for H5N1 on dairy farms An outbreak of Legionnaires disease in Harlem The bacterium Legionella can cause a severe type of pneumonia. People typically get the disease when they breathe in contaminated water …

Our periodic reminder that there are many bird flus out there: China reports more H9N2 human cases [same link] Multidrug resistant Salmonella is spreading in poultry.  Make sure to sterilize those cutting boards! Cambodia’s thirteenth H5N1 case of this year is in ICU And so is the fourteenth case, reported just yesterday World health organizations say the risk to the …

Whether it’s the person brandishing a tissue on the train or the child with the telltale signs of chickenpox, the threat of an infection can be enough for us to beat a retreat. Now researchers using virtual reality avatars have shown that the mere sight of a potentially contagious person is enough to mobilise our immune system too. “Although surprising, …

On hot summer days, few things are more refreshing than a dip in the pool. But have you ever wondered if the pool is as clean as that crystal blue water appears? As an immunologist and infectious disease specialist, I study how germs spread in public spaces and how to prevent the spread. I even teach a course called “The …

How germy is the public pool? An infectious disease expert weighs in on poop, pee and perspiration – and the deceptive smell of chlorine  The Conversation I don’t swim in your toilet; don’t pee in my pool!  104.5 WOKV More Than Half of Adults Admit to Peeing in Pools, Survey Finds  Mental Floss Cruise Guests Debate Peeing in Pools and the Safety of …

Measles detected in Utah wastewater Bangladesh and India report more H5N1 infections In Bangladesh’s case, An investigation revealed the child had contact with backyard poultry before symptoms began. No other cases were detected, and the child has recovered. The illness marks Bangladesh’s 11th human H5N1 case since 2008 and its third of 2025. In June, the WHO noted the two cases reported …

Children in Sudan, caught up in what aid organisations have called the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and threatened by rising levels of violence, are increasingly vulnerable to deadly infectious diseases as vaccinations in the country plummet. In 2022, more than 90% of young children in Sudan received their routine vaccinations. But that figure has nearly halved to 48%, the lowest …