Diseases & Outbreaks News and Discussions

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Second US death reported in measles outbreak

An unvaccinated adult in New Mexico tested positive for the measles virus after their death, the state Health Department said.

March 6, 2025, 4:57 PM EST / Updated March 6, 2025, 5:41 PM EST
By Sara G. Miller

The New Mexico Department of Health said Thursday that the state had its first measles death.

A person in New Mexico tested positive for the measles virus after death, the state Health Department said. The official cause of death is still being investigated.

The adult, who was unvaccinated, didn't seek medical care before dying, the Health Department said.

Measles is spreading rapidly in West Texas, with 159 cases as of Tuesday. Most of the cases are in Gaines County. In neighboring Lea County, New Mexico, 10 cases have been identified ...

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-n ... rcna195231

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Measles Public Health Emergency - US Measles Cases Jump 35% in a Week; Now Found in 12 States

(Bloomberg) -- US measles cases jumped by a third over the past week, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, a worrying sign in the outbreak that’s already linked to two deaths.

New Mexico’s health department listed Friday that an adult who had died and then tested positive for measles had succumbed to the disease, though the state’s medical examiner has yet to confirm the cause of death. If it was caused by measles, it would be New Mexico’s first such fatality in at least 40 years, according to the CDC.

US cases since the beginning of the year rose by 58 to 222 across 12 states, the CDC reported Friday, and 38, or 17% of those confirmed cases, have led to hospitalization.

Texas, the hardest-hit state with the first US reported death in a decade, reported 198 cases on Friday, 39 more than its last update on March 4. And New Mexico’s confirmed cases are now at 30, an increase of 20 from its prior report. All of New Mexico’s cases have been in Lea County, which abuts Gaines County, the epicenter in Texas.

https://www.livemint.com/news/us-news/u ... 55623.html

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*sighs* Disinformation kills

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In quest to construct a better flu shot, scientists zero in on tiny flu protein shaped like a mushroom

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03- ... -tiny.html

[Ken_J]

DC airport exposure

https://youtube.com/shorts/6fP2Hn65BZo? ... vweYVDZyh2

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Measles lands in more states: Oklahoma, Vermont are latest to report cases

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/hea ... 302090007/

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[caltrek]

Travellers: Beware of Oropouche Virus
March 17, 2025

Entire article:

(Eurekalert) Heading south for the winter? Oropouche virus, a new infectious disease, has been reported in travellers from Canada and the United States who visited Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, and Cuba. An article published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241440 provides an overview of this emerging virus.

Similar to viruses like dengue and Zika, Oropouche virus symptoms include fever, chills, headache, and muscle aches. The incubation period is 3–10 days, and symptoms last 2–7 days and may recur weeks later in some people. The virus is transmitted by small biting midges and some mosquitos. Wearing long-sleeved clothing and using mosquito nets and insect repellents containing DEET can help prevent infection.

There are currently no vaccines or antivirals to prevent or treat Oropouche virus. Acetaminophen is recommended for symptom relief; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications should not be used.

As with Zika virus, in pregnant people, Oropouche virus may cause miscarriage and microcephaly. Given these risks, The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends that travellers take precautions to avoid insect bites, and that pregnant people or people planning pregnancy consider deferring travel to areas with Oropouche outbreaks.

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1075870

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Protecting immunocompromised children from measles as the disease continues to spread

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03- ... sease.html

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Fungus labeled ‘urgent threat’ by CDC is spreading rapidly, hospital study finds

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5 ... udy-finds/

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