Outbreak News Interviews: Recent Episodes
Robert Herriman
In this news video, I go over the latest numbers from the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In addition, I look at what some major health organizations, like MSF, WHO and Africa CDC, say about their concerns about the outbreak.
Lastly, I offer some good news about some suspected cases that turned out negative very close to the capital city of Kinshasa.
Women who test positive for bacterial vaginosis (BV) were over three times more likely to also test positive for one or more non-viral sexually transmitted infections (STIs) than women who test negative for BV, according to a new Health Trends® study from Quest Diagnostics and Hologic, Inc., published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology Open.
Joining me today to discuss the study and what healthcare providers should do based on this information is Beth Marlowe , PhD. Dr Marlowe is Executive Scientific Director and heads R&D for Quest Diagnostics Infectious Diseases and Immunology and co author of the study.
Vaginitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Coinfections
The first U.S. clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy in veterans with PTSD who got no relief from conventional treatments has established that the protocol is safe, causing no serious adverse events or increases in suicidal thinking or behavior.
In fact, the preliminary clinical results exceeded researchers' expectations.
Joining me to discuss psilocybin-assisted therapy and PTSD and the study published in the journal Communications Medicine is Stacey Armstrong , PhD. Dr Armstrong is the Associate Director and Senior Researcher at the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE) at The Ohio State University
Safety, feasibility, and preliminary clinical outcomes of psilocybin-assisted therapy for veterans with severe, treatment-resistant PTSD: an open-label pilot clinical trial
In this April 2014 interview, Daniel Pastula, MD, MHS, EIS Officer & Neurologist with CDC's Arboviral Diseases Branch discusses the new Heartland virus disease with Outbreak News This Week Radio Show host Robert Herriman
On today's show, I'll be looking at is very common medical problem- kidney stones- a problem so common that about 1 in 10 people in the United States suffer from them over their lifetime.
Joining me today to discuss kidney stones is Carmin Kalorin, MD. Dr Kalorin is a board certified urologist from North Carolina and the author of the unique book, The Philosopher's Guide to Life, suffering and kidney stones, where he blends medical knowledge and ancient philosophy to help patients endure excruciating renal colic.
In this September 2013 radio interview, I talk to Jeremy Lewis of Kyle Cares Amoeba Awareness and Heidi LaMeyer of Swim Above Water, about their personal stories with the tragic deaths of their respective children and the work they were doing at their awareness organizations.
In a July 2013 interview on the Tampa-based, Outbreak News This Week radio show, I talk to Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, Iowa Dept. of Public Health Medical Director and State Epidemiologist, about the large cyclospora outbreak in Iowa and the midwest.
An active surveillance investigation is underway by the CDC, FDA and state health departments regarding a nationwide surge of cyclosporiasis cases, a parasitic infection.
Dozens of states are affected, and of particular note, a massive spike of over 3,300 cases have been reported as of today. A single food source or supplier has not been definitively identified.
Joining me today to discuss cyclospora and the outbreak is Wesley Long, MD, PhD. Dr Long is the medical director of microbiology at Houston Methodist.
Current Lyme disease tests look for antibodies produced by the immune system in response to Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria transmitted to humans by infected blacklegged ticks. My guest today says, "The problem is that these antibodies don't have the right characteristics to be clinically useful".
New research led by Tufts University School of Medicine suggests that a group of immune molecules called anti-lipid antibodies may address these shortcomings.
Joining me today do discuss this problem and the potential solution is Peter Gwynne, Phd. Dr Gwynne is a research assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and the senior author of the new paper published in the journal, Infection and Immunity.
Antiphospholipid antibodies in acute and post-treatment Lyme disease
In this newscast, I talk about the rapidly growing cyclospora outbreak in Michigan, especially in the southeast part of the state. I also talk about a little history of the parasite here in the US and go over some recommendations from health officials.
In a 2025 WHO report on global antibiotic resistance, they revealed that one in six bacterial infections worldwide in 2023 were completely resistant to standard antibiotic treatments.
Between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance increased in over 40% of the monitored pathogen-antibiotic combinations. The average annual increase in resistance sits between 5% and 15%.
Bacterial AMR was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths. Projections indicate that without massive interventions, deaths could surge by 70% by 2050, claiming nearly 10 million lives annually.
Joining me today to discuss antibiotics, how they work, their history and antimicrobial resistance is Brenda A Wilson, PhD. Dr Wilson is a professor of microbiology and adjunct professor of pathobiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is also the coauthor of the fantastic book, Revenge of the Microbes, 2nd ED
As tick populations grow and their ranges expand, the number of people being diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is rising.
So what is alpha gal syndrome? Today I want to dive into this serious, potentially life-threatening type of food allergy that is associated with the bite of a tick.
Joining me today is Cara Martone, Cara is a doctoral student at Tufts University who is currently doing her research on AGS.
The New World screwworm has returned to the United States as the first case was reported in Texas on June 3, Since then, a number of additional cases have affected animals in Texas and New Mexico.
What is the new world screwworm? How is it transmitted and how dangerous is it? And how will we get it under control? These are just a few of the questions I will pose to my expert guest.
Joining me today is Lee Haines, Ph.D. Dr Haines is a medical entomologist and associate professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame.
In this news report, I give an Ebola update, human screwworm in Honduras, measles in Bangladesh and Guatemala, hepatitis A in Manitoba, Canada and CCHF in Iraq.
On today's news report, I look at the large dengue outbreak in Sri Lanka, Florida reports new travel associated dengue and chikungunya, diphtheria in Haiti, polio in Afghanistan, Virginia''s measles outbreak and dengue increases in Malaysia.
On this episode of Outbreak News Radio, I look at the latest from Africa and the Ebola outbreak, a Powassan virus case in New Hampshire, Japanese encephalitis in Asia and a H9N2 avian influenza case confirmed in Hong Kong.
In this report, I look at the shigella outbreak and the new Nipah virus case reported in Kerala state in southern India.
On today's livestream, I will update on the case count in the DRC Ebola outbreak, the screwworm situation in the southern US, measles in the US and Bangladesh and more.
In today's newscast I look at the latest on the screwworm detection in Texas, the latest numbers from the DRC Ebola outbreak and measles in the US.
In this news cast, I briefly talk about a cryptosporidium outbreak in Washoe County, Nevada, associated with animal yoga.
In this news report, I give updates on what I believe to be the two biggest infectious disease outbreak stories globally at this time- the Ebola outbreak in Africa and the Measles epidemic in Bangladesh,
In this video, I give a quick update on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). But this video also serves as a reminder that there are many other infectious disease outbreaks in the country, year after year, and I'll briefly go over some of them.
In this report, I go over the latest news surrounding the Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship, the MV Hontius.
In this livetream, I will look at some of the biggest news in infectious diseases and outbreaks across the globe.
A new University of Washington study has found that over a third of sampled coyotes across the Puget Sound region were infected with this parasitic tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis).
In this newscast, I look at three current outbreaks occurring in Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda- Lassa fever, Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic fever and anthrax, respectively.
With the arrival of spring, Ukranian health officials are warning of the increased rosk of two infectious diseases: rabies and Lyme disease.
In this livestream, I look at some of the news related to infectious diseases and outbreak over the past week.
In this newscast, I look at the situation in England with sexually transmitted Shigella species, including antibiotic resistance, primarily among men who have sex with men.
In this news report, I look at the state of New Mexico who reported the first hantavirus case and animal plague case of 2026 this week.
On today's news report, I discuss the increase in Trichophyton mentagrophytes genotype VII (TMVII) infections, that can be spread through sex, in Minnesota.
In this news report, I look at the measles situation in Singapore and the public health measures they are taking.
In this news report, I look at the increase in invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) cases reported in Chicago.
In this short news report, I look at the chikungunya outbreak in Bolivia, which prompted the CDC to issue a travel notice.
In this news report, I look at what the Brazil Ministry of Health is doing to vaccinate 1.2 million healthcare workers against dengue fever, using their homegrown vaccine.
In this news report, I look at the New World Screwworm (NWS) situation in Central America and Mexico and the efforts being made by the state of Texas and the US government to prevent its spread into the United States.
In this newscast, I look at the measles confirmed cases and deaths in Mexico since the beginning of 2025.
The Ethiopian government has declared the end to the its first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) on Monday. The completion of enhanced surveillance and the mandatory follow-up period, with no new confirmed cases reported for consecutive 42 days.
In this newscast, I go over the recent encouraging news from the Carter Center concerning global Guinea Worm disease.
In this newscast, I report on the first locally-transmitted chikungunya case in the state of Florida in 2025 in Miami-Dade County.
In this newscast, I look at Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) following a Facebook post I did about a outbreak among homeless people in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
In this newscast, I look at the recent PAHO numbers concerning hantavirus in the Western Hemisphere.
In this newscast, I look at the global chikungunya situation in 2025. I also discuss transmission, symptoms and treatment of this mosquito-borne disease.
In this newscast, I look at the end of year Nipah virus situation in Bangladesh and the latest developments with the University of Oxford's Nipah virus vaccine candidate.
In this newscast, I look at the multistate salmonella outbreak possibly linked to raw oysters.
In this newscast, I report on two recent stories coming out of Chicago- the first dog rabies case in decades and the first mpox clade I case.
The CDC has reported nearly 2000 measles cases to date in 2025, a number we haven't seen since 1992.
Next month, the US faces a critical deadline where we have to prove that we have stopped measles transmission, if not, we could lose our elimination status, something we have maintained for a quarter century.
Is it too late? My guest today says losing elimination status isn't inevitable.
Joining me today to discuss this public health wake up call in Rodney Rohde, PhD, Dr Rohde is a University Distinguished and Regents' Professor and Chair for the Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Program in the College of Health Professions (CHP) at Texas State University. He is also the Associate Director for the Translational Health Research Center.
On this podcast, I look at the recently declared over Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the current Marburg virus outbreak in Ethiopia.
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In this news report, I discuss the Marburg Virus Disease outbreak in Ethiopia.
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In this podcast, I look at the recent and growing Rift Valley fever outbreak affecting several West Africa countries- Senegal, Mauritania and The Gambia.
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On today's show, I want to look at the parasites collectively known as the soil transmitted helminths. They are also grouped in with the neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs.
Joining me today is Bukunyi (Mercy) Ajanaku, MS. Mercy is a parasitologist who hails from Ibadan, Nigeria.
Last week, New York health officials reported a confirmed locally acquired chikungunya case in the state in Nassau County on Long Island.
This is the first locally acquired case of chikungunya reported in New York state and the first in the US since 2019.
Joining me today to discuss chikungunya is Aileen Chang, MD. Dr Chang is an Associate Professor of Medicine at George Washington University.
In this podcast, I briefly go over a number of tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Powassan virus disease.
In this podcast, I look at the recent human plague cases in the United States and discuss some specifics about the 'ancient disease'
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned that a major chikungunya virus epidemic risks sweeping around the globe, calling for urgent action to prevent it.
The call-to-action urges countries to scale their lab diagnostics and surveillance, train staff, and strengthen healthcare systems as cases are appearing in popular travel destinations across Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.
Joining me today to examine this topic is Ben Simone, MD, FFPH. He is the Global Medical Affairs Director Travel Vaccines at Bavarian Nordic.
August is Psoriasis Awareness Month. This annual observance aims to educate the public about psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune condition that affects millions worldwide, and to support those living with it.
Joining me today to talk about psoriasis is Rosanne Paul, DO. Dr Paul is an assistant professor of dermatology at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a rare but serious eye infection caused by a microscopic parasite called Acanthamoeba. It primarily affects the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye, and can lead to significant pain, inflammation, and potential vision loss. Contact lens wearers are particularly at risk due to improper hygiene practices, but anyone can be affected.
My guest today founded The Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK) Eye Foundation in 2022.
Joining me today is Juliette Vila Sinclair Spence. Juliette is the Founder & Chairwoman of the Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK) Eye Foundation.
Rapid data collection can provide an insight into causation, the socio-cultural reality, and complex social processes. This is especially important in disease outbreaks when information is quickly required on local needs that is essential for success.
My guest today will discuss rapid data collection and how it is applied in a hantavirus outbreak in Argentina. He will also discuss its use within the contact of Ebola.
Joining me today is Glenn Laverack, PhD. Dr Laverack is a professor at the College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health at UAE University. He is also the author of a number of books on health promotion and outbreaks.
The Challenge of Rapid Data Collection and Health Promotion: A Quick and Easy Approach
In today's news cast, I look at the growing yellow fever outbreak in Tolima Department, Colombia.
In this end of week news cast, I look at some of the news I found most most interesting to includes news from Cambodia, south China, Vietnam, Bolivia and the United States, among others.
AMR Initiative Rwanda is a nonprofit organization implementing the One Health approach to prevent, mitigate, and control the spread of resistant microorganisms, while ensuring the availability of safe, effective, and high-quality antimicrobials, and promoting their prudent and rational use in Rwanda.
Joining me today from Kigali, Rwanda is Marcel Ishimwe. Marcel is a pharmacist and the founder and CEO of AMR Initiative Rwanda.
Senegal has eliminated the blinding disease trachoma as a public health problem, the World Health Organization announced last week.
This means that more than nine million people in the country are no longer at risk of losing their sight to the disease.
Joining me from Nigeria to discuss trachoma and the milestone in Senegal is Dr Caleb Mpyet. Dr Mpyet is a trachoma specialist, epidemiologist and eye doctor. He is trachoma technical adviser for Sightsavers.
Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Nuisance blood-sucking insects known as kissing bugs spread the parasite to humans when exposure to their feces penetrates the mucus membranes, breaches the skin or gets orally ingested.
Researchers from the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute and Texas A&M University gathered their resources to investigate the potential of vector-borne transmission of Chagas in Florida.The 10-year-long study, published in the Public Library of Science Neglected Tropical Diseases, used data from Florida-based submissions, as well as field evidence collected from 23 counties across Florida.
Joining me today to talk about the study and their findings is Norman Beatty, MD. Dr Beatty is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He is also a member of the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida.
Field evidence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection, diverse host use and invasion of human dwellings by the Chagas disease vector in Florida, USA
Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe since 1980, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa.
From 1978-1980, Rhodesia experienced one of the largest anthrax epidemics in recorded history. This led to the deaths of hundreds and caused significant economic devastation.
The epidemic happened during the Rhodesian Bush War.
To this day, the origins of this devastating outbreak remain highly controversial- was it the result of an endemic outbreak or a case of biological warfare?
Today I’m going to look at the history of the epidemic and the possible causes with Matthew Turner, MD. Dr Turner is with the Department of Emergency Medicine at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey Pennsylvania. He is also the author of an article on the topic published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science.
The Rhodesian Anthrax Epidemic: A Case of Biological Warfare?
Chagas disease is a dangerous tropical illness caused by single-cell parasites known as Trypanosoma cruzi. In most cases, if not treated immediately, the infection becomes chronic: the immune system of the host greatly reduces the number of parasites present in the body yet fails to fully eradicate them. Current diagnostic approaches often fail to detect these low numbers of parasites.
A research team from the University of Georgia and others aimed to develop a test for cure.
Joining me today is Rick Tarleton, PhD. Dr Tarleton ia a Regents’ Professor at the University of Georgia and a Distinguished Professor in Biological Sciences in the Department of Cellular Biology.
Serial ‘deep-sampling’ PCR of fragmented DNA reveals the wide range of Trypanosoma cruzi burden among chronically infected human, macaque, and canine hosts, and allows accurate monitoring of parasite load following treatment
Rat lungworm disease is on the rise in eastern Australia in dogs – and there have even been recorded cases in humans, including two known lethal incidents.
Research by veterinary scientists at the University of Sydney has unveiled insights into what is behind the growth in the disease, also known as neural angiostrongyliasis. Their study, published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, highlights how climatic factors act as drivers for this potential public health issue.
Joining me to discuss this is Professor Jan Slapeta, Dr Slapeta is a Professor of Veterinary and Molecular Parasitology at the University of Sydney and senior author of the paper.
Rainfall- and Temperature-Driven Emergence of Neural Angiostrongyliasis in Eastern Australia, 2020–2024
In this newscast, I look at a new report of a rare case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Greece. I look at the disease, geography and measures and recommendations put in place by Greek authoroties.
In this podcast, I look at Bacillus anthracis as a bioterror agent. This includes history, geography, the three forms of anthrax and what is expected of the clinical laboratory.
In today's newscast, I'll be looking at two serious infectious disease situations in Vietnam- the rise of dengue fever in Ho Chi Minh City and with a little good news, the measles outbreak in the southern region of the country.
In this newscast, I look at the recent arrest and charges against two Chinese nationals for attempting to smuggle a fungal plant pathogen into the United States.
In this newscast, I look at the recent locally acquired malaria cases reported in North Queensland, Australia.
In this newscast, I look at the measles situation in Ontario, Canada, including the recent death. I also review the situation in the other Canadian provinces.
On today’s program we’re going to look at a drug that America’s Poison Centers are warning about–its called pink cocaine or Tusi.
Since January 2024, America’s Poison Centers National Poison Data System® has documented 18 pink cocaine exposures reported by U.S. Poison Centers in four states. Nearly all patients (83%) received medical treatment. Seven were hospitalized, three with life-threatening symptoms. Additionally, one unconfirmed death has been reported associated with pink cocaine use.
Joining me to talk about pink cocaine is Diane Calello MD, Dr Calello is the executive and medical director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Accumulating evidence suggests that a common single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii may be a contributor to affecting male fertility. An April 2025 study published in the FEBS (Federation of European Biochemical Societies) Journal showed for the first time that “human sperm lose their heads upon direct contact” with the parasite.
Could this be affecting male fertility?
Joining me today to discuss this topic is William Sullivan, PhD. Dr Sullivan is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Indiana University
A common parasite can decapitate human sperm − with implications for male fertility
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and on today’s show, we are going to look at four mental health issues -anxiety, adult ADHD, PTSD, and depression.
Joining me today to discuss these issues and his personal story is author & social psychologist, Jamie Hughes.
Managing Mental Health
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The warm weather of summer is upon us, people will spend more time doing outdoor activities, as will potentially dangerous pathogens carrying critters like mosquitoes and ticks.
My guest today will discuss the risks mosquitoes and ticks pose to Americans across the country. In addition, she’ll explain how the public can best protect ourselves and family members from these bloodthirsty pests.
Joining me today is Lee Haines, PhD, Dr Haines is medical entomologist and Associate Research Professor at the Department of Biological Science at the University of Notre Dame.
Antimicrobial resistance is a rising global threat. When these become ineffective, infections can become difficult or impossible to treat, leading to an increase in the spread and severity of disease.
In a new study, published in Nature Medicine, a team of researchers at the Center for Phage Biology and Therapy at Yale discovered a novel approach that may revolutionize the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
In the study, the research team investigated the use of phage therapy—the use of viruses, or phages, to target and kill bacteria—to help patients with cystic fibrosis, a disease in which antimicrobial resistance is a significant issue. The team pioneered a strategy to select phages that not only kill bacteria that cause infections but also weaken surviving bacteria to become less virulent or less resistant to antibiotics.
Joining me today to discuss phage therapy and their research is Jon Koff, MD, Dr. Koff is an associate professor in Yale School of Medicine’s Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine and medical director of the Center for Phage Biology and Therapy.
Check out the paper: Phage Therapy May Treat Drug Resistance in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Study Finds
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On today’s show, I want to take a look at three news stories about rabies recently and have my expert guest break them down.
I want to look at the fatal case in a organ transplant recipient, catching rabies from cow’s milk and the upsurge in positive raccoons in Quebec.
Joining me today is Charles E. Rupprecht, VMD, MS, PhD. Dr Rupprecht is the CEO of Lyssa LLC, a biomedical consulting company and among many prestigious positions, he was the Chief of the Rabies Program at the CDC for nearly 20 years.
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Today I want to take a look at the Basic Reproduction Number, or R0 (r-naught). We saw this term become more commonplace in the news and other talk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is R0 and what does it mean? How do public health officials come up with this number? What are the limitations? And how is it used in everyday public health?
Joining me to offer some clarity on R0 is Chandana Bala. Chandy is a science writer for Gideon Informatics.
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In this short podcast, I look at the latest numbers for Lyme disease in Maine for 2024.
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In this short podcast, I look at the pertussis outbreak in the United States in 2024, the most cases in more than a decade.
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In this short podcast, I look at the situation with Guinea Worm disease (GWD) in 2024, the progress made and other diseases that have been eradicated or are closing in on eradication.
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On today’s Livestream special, the topic will be polio. We’ll look at, among other things- history, vaccines and the current global situation and the challenges.
Joining me will be two great guests to look at this important topic I have first time guest, Andrea Prinzi, PhD. Dr Prinzi is a field medical director of U.S. medical affairs with bioMérieux, Inc And I also have returning guest and friend to the show, Rodney Rohde, PhD. Dr Rohde is the Associate Director of the Translational Health Research Initiative at Texas State University.
Check out Drs Prinzi's and Rohde's article: Polio's Last Stand: The Global Fight for Eradication
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Officials with the Florida Department of Health reported four additional locally transmitted dengue fever cases in Miami-Dade County during the last week of November. This brings the total autochthonous cases to 70 in the state since the beginning of the year.
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After recording just six cases of polio, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in 2023, Pakistan has already reached at least 59 polio cases this year, with a month still left to go.
In this podcast, I look at the current situation in Pakistan, the stumbling blocks and a brief history of polio.
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Researchers from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences are closer to developing an oral vaccine for anthrax as demonstrated in a study published earlier this year in the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife medicine.
Joining me to discuss this development is Chase Nunez, MS PhD, Jamie Benn, PhD, AWB and Walter Cook, Phd, DVM.
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My guest today asks the question, What should be done with Obamacare? This comes as Democratic subsidies and the Trump tax cuts are getting closer to expiring.
He makes a case for reform.
Joining me today is John C Goodman, PhD. Dr Goodman is president and CEO of the Goodman institute for Public Policy Research, a think tank focused on public policy issues. He is also author of a number of notable books to include Priceless, A Better Choice and of course Patient Power, among others.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports investigating two unrelated cases of Baylisascaris procyonis (raccoon roundworm) in children residing in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County.
On today's show, I will talk a little about the little known and very dangerous raccoon roundworm.
A recent Pew Research Center survey found nearly a third of American adults have a tattoo and almost a quarter have more than one.
Today, I'd like to look at some things to consider when deciding on a tattoo-- what risks are there when getting a tattoo and how should you take care of it afterwards?
Joining me today to discuss these issues is Adam Friedman, MD. Dr Friedman is a professor and the chair of dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
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The recent Listeria outbreak linked to Boar's Head deli meats have received much national attention. Besides a massive recall of more than 7 million pounds of deli meat, this has been the largest Listeria outbreak in the US in more than a decade.
Joining me today to talk about listeria and the outbreak is Brenda Wilson, PhD. Dr Wilson is a professor of microbiology and adjunct professor of pathobiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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In this podcast, I look at the recent report of a human rabies case reported in Ontario, Canada.
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A few weeks ago, the CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify healthcare providers, public health authorities, and the public about current increases in human parvovirus B19 activity in the United States.
So what is Parvovirus B19 and why this alert?
Joining me today to discuss the viral disease is Judy Stone, MD. Judy is an infectious disease specialist and a longtime contributor to Forbes.com.
In this Outbreak Newscast, I go over the most recent human influenza A variant virus, or "swine flu" cases reported in the US. I also talk about some information about the viruses and things you can do to prevent infection.
On this episode of Outbreak News This Week, I look at several stories on mosquito-borne diseases, in light of World Mosquito Day on August 20, the latest on H5N1 avian influenza and Legionnaires' disease.
On today’s podcast, we’re going to look at a parasite that is relatively common in people, however, and fortunately, actual disease is rare. And that parasite is Toxoplasma gondii.
Joining me today for a Toxoplasmosis 101 is Fatima Khan. Fatima is a parasitologist who hails from Islamabad , Pakistan and she has written about parasites for several media outlets.
On today's newscast, I look at four of the biggest outbreak news stories of the week ending August 17-Mpox, Polio in Gaza, Oropouche fever and Parvovirus B19.
Oropouche fever is piercing the sphere of mainstream media this year as thousands of cases of the vector borne disease have been reported in the Caribbean and South America.
Joining me today for a Q&A on Oropouche fever is Karina Mondragon-Shem, PhD. Dr Mondragon-Shem is a vector biologist who specializes in the ecoepidemiology and social impact of tropical diseases.
Oropouche fever: from rainforests to clinics
In this outbreak newscast, I look at the current outbreak of Chandipura virus in Gujarat, India, and go over some history and other information on the virus.
In today's newscast, I look at the latest about the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Melbourne, Australia.
In this newscast, I look at the latest out of Nigeria concerning the growing cholera outbreak
In this short podcast, I take you back 40 years ago in the US to what is considered to be the first confirmed instance of chemical or biological terrorism to have occurred in the United States.
On today's podcast the topic is meningococcal meningitis.
A new article by Drs. Andrea Prinzi and Rodney Rohde published on the American Society for Microbiology website discusses several aspects of the dangerous bacterial disease, plus it is chock full of interesting history.
Joining me today to talk about meningococcal meningitis is Rodney Rohde, PhD. Dr Rohde is the Associate Director of the Translational Health Research Initiative at Texas State University.
In today's news report, I look at the latest on the Oropouche virus outbreak affecting countries of the Americas. In addition, I look at the latest report from the PAHO concerning the investigation of possible vertical transmission of Oropouche reported in Brazil.
In this short informational podcast, I look at the parasitic disease, anisakiasis, which you can contract via raw seafood.
On today's podcast I am joined by Scott O'Neill, PhD, scientist and CEO of the World Mosquito Program. In this interview, Dr. O'Neill discusses the ins and outs of the Wolbachia Method and the work of the World Mosquito Program in the battle against mosquito-borne diseases.
World Mosquito Program
Officials in Kerala state in southern India are reporting a fatal case of Nipah virus infection in a 14-year-old boy from Mallapuram district in Kerala.
In today's newscast, I look at an outbreak of cryptosporidium linked to raccoons at a Illinois wildlife rehab facility. I also talk a bit about the parasite.
With one-third of the households in the United States having cats as pets totally approximately 60 million, human exposure to cats can occasionally result in a variety of infections.
In this short podcast, I look at some of the infections you can get from cats.
In this newscast, I look at the hantavirus situation in Arizona and things you can do to prevent this serious infection.
In this newscast, I look at the first human West Nile virus infection/death in Oklahoma and discuss a little about the disease.
In this newscast, I look at some recent stories about outbreaks in South Korea and Italy, and the news from Hillevax about their vaccine for infants that did not meet its primary and secondary efficacy endpoints.
In this newscast, I look at the parasitic disease, leishmaniasis and the current situation in Colombia.
In this informational podcast episode, I look at one of the childhood skin rash diseases- Roseola or Sixth disease.
In today's newscast, I report on the recent case of infection with the parasite, Naegleria fowleri in Israel.
In this newscast, I look at the current dengue fever situation in the state of Florida, go over some Florida dengue history and talk about the ABCs of the disease itself.
In this newscast, I look at the latest with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in Florida.
In this newscast, I look at the unusual increase in histoplasmosis cases among dogs and cats in Los Angeles County, California.
In this podcast, I look at Enterobius vermicularis, or pinworms, in response to a viral and dramatic TikTok video recently published.
In Manatee County, Florida, county animal welfare is warning the community about a rise in canine parvovirus, or parvo recently.
On today's show, we'll be looking at the ABCs of parvo.
Joining me today is Jennifer Miller, DVM. Dr. Miller is the Veterinary Technical Marketer, US Pet Health with Elanco Animal Health.
A cluster of “atypical” pneumonia cases in Buenos Aires, Argentina has been reported recently and among the cluster, there have been reports of parrot fever.
And today we’ll answer the question, What is parrot fever?
Joining me today to talk about psittacosis, or parrot fever is Chandana Bala. Chandy is the President of Global Insight Advisory Network and writes on the intersection of healthcare and technology. She is also a frequent writer for Gideon Informatics.
My guest today writes that norovirus is known as the perfect pathogen and we’ll find out why.
In addition, she writes that your blood type could be a factor in your susceptibility for the disease.
Joining me today to look at norovirus and some other interesting things abis Madeline Barron, Ph.D. Dr Barron is the Science Communications Specialist at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).
Susceptibility to Norovirus Might Depend on Blood Type
Pertussis, or whooping cough cases have been on the rise in many places of the world this year, and the Philippines is one of those countries.
During the first three months of the year, Philippines health officials have reported well over 1,100 cases, which is a more than 30 fold increase over the same period in 2023.
In addition more than 50 deaths have been reported, all in young children
Here to talk more about pertussis and the situation in the Philippines is Edsel Salvana, MD. Dr Salvana is Director and Professor, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila.
A vaccine against the bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, that causes melioidosis was tested in a mouse study and found to be highly protective against the disease, according to UCLA researchers.
What is Burkholderia pseudomallei? What is melioidosis? And what about this vaccine study?
Joining me today to answer these questions and more is Marcus Horwitz, MD. Dr Horwitz is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine, in the division of infectious diseases, and of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is also the senior author of the paper on this vaccine in the journal mBio.
It's not a worm, it's a fungus among us. Today's topic is ringworm.
Joining me today is Regents Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at Texas State University and author of an article published in The Conversation last year, but a topic still worth discussing.
Ringworm fungal infections are common in the US and are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that norovirus infections are sweeping the United States.
While all regions have seen an uptick, the Northeast region is being hit particularly hard.
So what is norovirus and how can you protect yourself?
Joining me today to look at these questions and more is Adriana Glenn, PhD. Dr. Glenn is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at George Washington University.
Glaucoma affects over 3 million people in the United States and is often called the “silent thief of sight” because it robs people of vision slowly and without early symptoms. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, a great time to emphasize the importance of regular eye check-ups for early detection of glaucoma and other eye diseases.
Joining me today to discuss the ABC’s of glaucoma and the importance of this awareness month is Dr. Laura Sperazza. Dr. Sperazza is the Director of Vision Rehabilitation Services at Lighthouse Guild.
A few weeks ago, Alaska health officials reported the first fatality due to an Alaskapox infection, the first such known case.
On today's show, we'll dive into the ABC's of Alaskapox with Bradley Perkins, MD. Dr. Perkins is the Chief Medical Officer at Karius.
In addition, he is a former top CDC official who led the anthrax bioterrorism investigation. He was also a leading expert in the more recent monkeypox, or mpox outbreak.
Check out the work being done at Karius
In 2024 to date, dozens of measles cases have already been reported from multiple states herein the US, according to the CDC.
And cases are increasing worldwide as the World Health Organization announced recently reporting more than 300,000 cases in 2023, a 79% increase from the year prior.
My guest today writes about measles and immune amnesia: The risk associated with measles infection is much greater than the sum of its observable symptoms. The immune memories that you have acquired are priceless, built over many years and from countless exposures to a menagerie of germs. Measles virus is especially dangerous because it has the ability to destroy what’s been earned: immune memory from previous infections.
Joining me today to talk about measles, the importance of vaccination and immune amnesia is Ashley Hagen, MS. Ashley is the Scientific and Digital Editor for the American Society for Microbiology and host of ASM's Microbial Minutes and Meet the Microbiologist.
Show notes:
Meet the Microbiologist
Measles and Immune Amnesia
In 2016, Robert Toulson-Burke traveled with some friends to southeast Asia for a vacation-an exciting thing for sure-however things went bad over there as the young man died from dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Joining me today to tell Bob's story is his mother, Jayne Toulson-Burke. Jayne is also an ambassador for the World Mosquito Programme and is fully passionate with teaching others about the dangers and risks of dengue.
My guest today asks the question, "What will the new year bring to our shores, our cities, and our homes? ", concerning emerging pathogens in an article recently published in Today’s Clinical Lab.
Well, let’s see what he has to say about this topic today here on the show.
Joining me today in Rodney Rohde, PhD. Dr. Rohde is the Chair of the Medical Laboratory Science Program (MLS) in the College of Health Professions at Texas State University.
My guest today focuses her research on why diseases occur and how those diseases influence wildlife populations. One example is chronic wasting disease, or CWD, a fatal condition that is now affecting cervid populations, including deer, elk and moose throughout Michigan and other states.
This will be the topic of this podcast.
Joining me now is Sonja Christensen, Ph.D. Dr Christensen is an assistant professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The Sexually Transmitted Infections,chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are pervasive and increasing rapidly in the U.S.
New evidence suggests that the antibiotic doxycycline could help prevent the spread of some bacterial infections if taken as post exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
Joining me today to look at these proposed guidelines is Christopher Foltz, MD. Dr Foltz is an infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.
Leishmaniasis is a protozoan parasitic disease transmitted by a sandfly that most Americans are unfamiliar with; however, my guest today says it is more common in the United States than most people realize- with both locally acquired and imported cases being reported.
What is leishmaniasis and what is the situation like in the US?
Here to shed light on these questions and more is Naomi Aronson, MD. Dr. Aronson is a Professor of Medicine and Director, Infectious Diseases Division at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD.
Leishmaniasis in the United States: Emerging Issues in a Region of Low Endemicity
Bangladesh is battling to control its most devastating dengue fever outbreak recorded since the dengue virus reappeared in the country in 2000,
Although dengue is endemic in Bangladesh, this year's outbreak is unusual in terms of case burden, mortality and seasonality.
The record season has seen more than 250,000 cases to date, including a global leading 1255 deaths. Both numbers easily exceed previous records in Bangladesh significantly.
So what is the on the ground situation in Bangladesh, why is it so bad this year and what is being done to get the epidemic under control?
Today’s guest will shed some light on the record breaking dengue outbreak of 2023.
Joining me today is Dr. Md Rafiul Hasan , Dr Hasan is with the Government Health Department of Bangladesh, a field epidemiologist and actively involved in working to manage the outbreak.
Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal, and treatment is typically supportive.
It causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa. Currently, there is no validated treatment in humans that prevents death following symptomatic rabies, however my guest today and his colleagues at the Uniformed Services University (USU) have made a significant breakthrough which may have changed that.
Joining me today to discuss this rabies therapy is Brian Schaefer PhD, Dr Schaefer is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Uniformed Services University (USU) in Bethesda, MD.
He also holds secondary appointments as Professor in the following USU graduate (Ph.D.) programs: Emerging Infectious Diseases; Molecular and Cell Biology; and Neuroscience.
The study: mAb therapy controls CNS-resident lyssavirus infection via a CD4 T cell-dependent mechanism
In the highlands of Papua New Guinea in the 1950s and 60s it was noticed that people (mostly women) of the Fore tribe were dying of what was originally thought to be a genetic disorder since it happened among family members.
The disease stole away the affected person’s ability to talk, walk and eat and to eventually die a shivering death.
We now know now that was kuru –a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) or prion disease, same as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, mad cow disease in cattle, scrapie in sheep and chronic wasting seen in elk.
Joining me today to talk about the fascinating story of kuru is Chandana Bala. Chandy is the President of Global Insight Advisory Network and writes on the intersection of healthcare and technology. She is also a frequent writer for Gideon Informatics.
People who are regular cannabis users are at an increased risk of experiencing complications after surgery, according to a study by researchers with UTHealth Houston.
The study was published in a recent issue of JAMA Surgery.
Joining me to talk about cannabis use disorder and the findings of the study is Paul Potnuru, MD. Dr Potnuru is the assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and the first author of the study.
7 locally transmitted malaria cases have been reported in the US (Texas and Florida), a first in quite a few years.
The species of malaria has been identified as Plasmodium vivax, one of 5 plasmodium species that can infect humans.
What is malaria?, what is Plasmodium vivax?, how important is this transmission and how to prevent it?
These and other questions will be posed to my guest today.
Joining me today is Brian Grimberg, PhD. Dr. Grimberg is an Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and a prominent malaria researcher.
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Summer vacation is upon us and many Americans will be traveling domestically and internationally.
Travel can unfortunately also be linked to infectious diseases.
My guest today warns the public of five infectious diseases to keep an eye on during summer travel.
Joining me on the show is Luis Ostrosky, MD. Dr. Ostrosky is a professor of medicine and epidemiology and chief of infectious diseases at UTHealth Houston.
The World Health Organization announced last month that The West African country of Benin has eliminated the neglected tropical disease, trachoma as a public health problem.
Benin is the fifth country in WHO’s African Region and one of 17 countries in the world to have eliminated trachoma as a public health problem.
Joining me today to talk about trachoma and the achievement in Benin is Stephanie Palmer. Stephanie is the trachoma technical advisor for the global organization, FHI 360.
Watch the interview at Outbreak News TV
Two countries in Africa, on opposite sides of the continent–Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania, have been battling Marburg Virus Disease outbreaks since February and March, respectively.
Marburg has had a fatality rate as high as 88%, but with lessons learned from prior outbreaks and epidemics, those rates are dropping.
My guest today says “Without question, lives are being saved today in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania and neighboring countries, thanks to lessons we learned during the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa during the 2015-16 epidemic.”
Today we look at Marburg virus and techniques employed that have prevented the spread of the disease and saved lives.
Joining me today is Gene Olinger, PhD, Dr Olinger is the Chief Science Advisor for MRIGlobal.
Watch the video version at Outbreak News TV
Cholera is a major public health concern in many parts of the world. We see large numbers today in Africa and South Asia. We’ve seen massive outbreaks in Haiti and Yemen over the past decade.
Joining me today to talk about cholera and the situation we are in now across the globe is Peter Gilligan, Ph.D, Dr Gilligan is the former Director of the Clinical Microbiology-Immunology Laboratories at the University of North Carolina Hospitals.
Cholera in Times of Chaos
Watch the video version at Outbreak News TV
In a recent paper in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), authors report U.S. babesiosis incidence significantly increased in northeastern states in the past decade or so.
What is this tickborne parasite, why is it increasing and what are the public health implications of it?
Joining me today to discuss Babesiosis and the new paper is Megan Swanson, MPH, Megan is with the Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health at the CDC in Atlanta.
Trends in Reported Babesiosis Cases — United States, 2011–2019
Watch the podcast on YouTube
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) not only causes shortness of breath and palpitations but puts patients at increased risk of stroke. When medication or other treatments fail to relieve symptoms, cardiologists increasingly perform a catheter ablation procedure.
A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows the procedure is successful in most patients, with few side effects.
Joining me today to talk about AFib, medication treatments, cardiac ablation and the recent study is Peter R. Kowey, MD. Dr Kowey is a professor of medicine and clinical pharmacology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and the William Wikoff Smith Chair in Cardiovascular Research.
In addition, Dr Kowey is the senior author of the study–Initial Findings From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Procedures
Check out the video podcasts at Outbreak News TV on YouTube
Last month, New Hampshire health officials released a health alert after identifying two locally acquired Echinococcus granulosus cases, the first such cases of the parasitic infection in the state.
Joining me today to discuss the parasite and the situation is Elizabeth Talbot, MD. Dr. Talbot is the New Hampshire Deputy State Epidemiologist, a professor at Dartmouth College and an infectious disease specialist.
Giardia is arguably the most common parasite infection of humans worldwide, and the second most common in the United States after pinworm.
Joining me to talk about Giardia is Chandana Bala. Chandy is the President of Global Insight Advisory Network and writes on the intersection of healthcare and technology. She is also a frequent writer for Gideon Informatics.
Joining me today to tell his personal story of dealing with a family member with marijuana (cannabis) induced psychosis is author of the book, Gone to Pot: Cannabis--What every parent needs to know, Terry Hammond.
In addition to telling his personal story, Terry talks about the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, it's effect on the brain, research describing the link between marijuana use and mental health issues like psychosis and much more.
Brucellosis is among the leading communicable diseases worldwide and the disease poses a substantial public health burden in the Middle East, resulting in long-term illness in humans and significant economic loss in livestock production.
In addition, some Brucella sp are classified as Category B bioterrorism agents by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
My guest today was awarded a $3 million grant by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department of Defense to study one of the most important infectious diseases in humans and livestock in Iraq.
Joining me today to discuss brucellosis and the work in Iraq is Jeff Foster, Ph.D. Dr. Foster is an associate professor at Northern Arizona University’s Pathogen and Microbiome Institute.
The rat lungworm parasite, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, is typically transmitted to humans via ingestion of snails or slugs.
A recent study published in One Health shows more than a dozen kinds of animals in addition to slugs and snails have caused rat lungworm disease in people around the world.
Joining me today to look at rat lungworm and the One Health study is Robert Cowie, PhD, Dr. Cowie is senior author on the study and faculty member in the University of Hawaii Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.
The first country-wide mass drug administration in the world for the treatment of scabies is happening in the Solomon Islands.
The World Scabies Program is spearheading the mass drug administration (MDA) program with the Solomon Islands' Ministry of Health, which will deliver ivermectin to the whole population, with few exceptions.
Joining me today from Australia to discuss scabies, the MDA and the situation in the Pacific is Sarah Andersson. Sarah is the Program Manager for the World Scabies Program, Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Victoria, Australia.
Countries in southeast Asia are seeing an increase in dengue fever this year- Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia to name a few.
In the Philippines, 102,619 dengue cases were reported from January 1 to July 30 this year, 131 percent higher than the number in the same period in 2021.
Joining me today to discuss dengue fever and the situation in the Philippines is Edsel Maurice Salvana, MD.
Dr. Salvana is the Director, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines and he's a renown infectious disease expert.
Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of several priority diseases listed by the World Health Organization that pose the greatest public health risk due to their epidemic potential and/or whether there are no or insufficient countermeasures.
Today, we are seeing a significant outbreak in Iraq where some 142 cases and approximately 24 deaths.
So what is Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever?
Joining me today for a primer on Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever is Chandana Bala. Chandy is the President of Global Insight Advisory Network and writes on the intersection of healthcare and technology. She is also a frequent writer for Gideon Informatics.
On today's podcast, we'll be discussing monkeypox. What used to be an obscure, tropical disease is now a household name.
Joining me in the Q & A is Dr. Rodney Rohde from Texas State University.
Bacteriophages – viruses that kill bacteria–were successfully used for the first time to treat an antibiotic-resistant Mycobacterium abscessus lung infection to allow a cystic fibrosis patient to receive a life-saving lung transplant.
Joining me today to share this amazing story is Jerry Nick, MD, Dr. Nick is director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program at National Jewish Health in Denver and the lead author of the case study published in the journal Cell.
In early March, the Israel Ministry of Health reported on a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 (cVDPV3) case in an unvaccinated child from Jerusalem.
Since then, a number of additional cases have been reported and the health ministry said recently that they are in the throes of an outbreak.
Joining me today to look at the outbreak in Israel is friend of the show, Stephen A. Berger, M.D. Dr. Berger is the co-founder of GIDEON Informatics (Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Network) and he is speaking with me from Israel.
Chagas disease is also known as “American Trypanosomiasis.” It’s caused by a blood parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted by kissing bugs.
Chagas disease affects people as well as dogs and other animals. On today’s show, we are going to focus on Chagas in dogs.
Joining me today to discuss this topic is Carlos Rodriguez, Carlos is the serology section head at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab.
There is a recent reported of a toddler from Pryor, Oklahoma who contracted the raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis.
Here I look at the news report and discuss the parasite briefly.
There was a report in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) media concerning an anthrax outbreak in South Kivu. Nine people were affected, including two fatalities.
The report notes consumption of guinea pigs as the source.
In this podcast, I look at the report, eating guinea pigs and a quick look at anthrax.
My guest today writes, “In many places around the world, malaria is closely linked to illegal gold mining” in a recent article in the BMC blog, BugBitten titled, “A story of two fevers: when malaria is the price of gold”.
What is malaria and how is it linked to illegal gold mining?
Joining me today to look at this huge public health problem in certain parts of the world is Karina Mondragon-Shem, PhD. Dr Mondragon-Shem is a vector biologist who specializes in the ecoepidemiology and social impact of tropical diseases.
In previous interviews, I've looked at the topic of what is a clinical laboratory scientist during the annual Lab Week observance.
Today, I want to narrow the topic to the specialty of Microbiology in the clinical laboratory.
Joining me today to discuss the clinical laboratory scientist in Microbiology and his podcast, Let’s Talk Micro is Luis Plaza.
Whooping cough, or pertussis was one of the most common childhood diseases and a major cause of childhood mortality in the United States in the last century.
Before the availability of pertussis vaccine in the 1940s, more than 200,000 cases of pertussis were reported annually. Since widespread use of the vaccine began, incidence has decreased more than 75% compared with the prevaccine era.
However, infections began to rise again in the late 1990s. So what is pertussis and why are rates on the rise again?
Joining me to discuss pertussis is Chandana Bala, Chandana is the President of Global Insight Advisory Network and writes on the intersection of healthcare and technology. She is a frequent writer for Gideon Informatics.
Officials with the Colombian Army reported an outbreak of the parasitic disease, Chagas disease, which infected a number of soldiers at a military base in Cesar, in northern Colombia.
It is reported that two soldiers died while another seven were hospitalized in the ICU. The infections have been linked to the consumption of food.
In this podcast, I look at the news report, discuss some basics about Chagas disease and talk about the link between acai fruit and juices and Chagas.
In today's podcast, I go over a recent paper that discusses a number of viral, bacterial and prion diseases that have been linked to certain religious and non-religious rituals.
Mutations happen with viruses all the time and the Omicron COVID-19 variant is the latest and is receiving a lot of media attention.
Today is December 1, 2021, a very short time since the first cases were detected and the date of the first confirmed case in the US--so the questions are--What do we know and what do we not know?
Joining me today to look at the Omicron variant B.1.1.529 is Michael Osterholm, PhD. Dr. Osterholm is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota.
In a recent article published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, the authors report the unusual case of a girl diagnosed with Neisseria gonorrhoeae after bathing in a heavily frequented hot pool at the edge of the crater lake Specchio di Venere (“Mirror of Venus”) on Pantelleria Island, Italy.
Joining me today to discuss the case is Professor Felicity Goodyear-Smith. Dr. Goodyear Smith is with the Department of General Practice & Primary Health Care, University of Auckland and coauthor of the case report.
Gonococcus infection probably acquired from bathing in a natural thermal pool: a case report https://jmedicalcasereports.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13256-021-03043-6
November is C. diff awareness month and the Peggy Lillis Foundation is out there leading the charge building awareness by educating the public, empowering advocates, and shaping policy.
Joining me today to talk about Clostridioides difficile, C diff awareness month and the work of the Peggy Lillis Foundation is Daniel Freedberg, MD. Dr. Freedberg is Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine & Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and Christian John Lillis. Christian is the Executive Director of the Peggy Lillis Foundation and her oldest son.
There are a number of multistate salmonella outbreaks currently being investigated by federal and state health officials--in salami sticks, in seafood, and of course onions.
Here to discuss the bacterium, Salmonella and the infection, the multistate outbreak linked to onions and some general food safety and handling tips is Trevor Craig. Mr. Craig is Food Safety consultant and food and nutrition Director at Microbac Laboratories.
Cryptococcus gattii is a fungus that lives in the environment in primarily tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world but also in some temperate regions such as British Columbia and some parts of the United States.
C. gattii cryptococcosis is a rare infection that people can get after breathing in the microscopic fungus. Scientists found that the disease also killed porpoises and dolphins in the Salish Sea.
In a new study published in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, researchers explore how human-caused changes on land can affect aquatic animals, specifically in the case of the fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus gattii.
Joining me today to discuss this topic is research assistant at the SeaDoc Society, a program of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and lead author, Sarah Teman.
Last week, a bipartisan bill was introduced--the Finding Orphan-disease Remedies with Antifungal Research and Development Act (FORWARD Act) of 2021.
The legislation, introduced by members of the Congressional Valley Fever Task Force, is designed to address challenges related to detecting, treating and ultimately eliminating Valley fever by incentivizing antifungal therapeutics and vaccine development.
Joining me today to talk about Valley fever and the FORWARD Act is John Galgiani, MD. Dr Galgiani is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona.
The bacteria that causes the neglected tropical disease, Leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae, was once thought to be an obligate human pathogen.
However, they have been shown to be found in captive non-human primates, armadillos and most recently, red squirrels.
A recent study published in Nature showed that two populations of wild chimpanzees found in two West African countries contracted leprosy.
In this video, I'll look at leprosy, or Hansen's disease in humans, touch on leprosy in armadillos and red squirrels and close out with a little information about the wild chimpanzees.
There are five Plasmodium species that cause malaria with the vast majority of reported cases being due to Plasmodium falciparum.
Plasmodium vivax is the second most common reported cause of malaria.
My guest today says P. vivax infections represent a major unrecognized burden on global health calling it "obscure and insidious" and we'll take a look at why he says this.
Joining me today to discuss Plasmodium vivax, it's burden and a new study published in PLoS Medicine is Kevin Baird, PhD.
Professor Baird is the head of the Eijkman-Oxford Research Unit in Jakarta, Indonesia and Professor of Malariology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford.
In today's Outbreak News This Week Livestream, I'll look at some recent polio news to include a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus 2 (cVDPV2) case reported in Ukraine.
In addition, Ebola appears to have resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
I'll look at an article about H5N6 avian influenza, piggy-backing on last week's show.
There was an additional Naegleria fowleri case, this one in Arlington, Texas, where the child contracted the parasite at a splash pad. The parents are suing the city.
On today's livestream, I'll be looking at the human rabies case in Illinois, H5N6 avian influenza in China in 2021, dengue in South Asia and the outbreaks in Nigeria.
World Rabies Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness about rabies prevention and to highlight progress in defeating this horrifying disease.
28 September also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur’s death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine.
Texas State University’s Dr. Rodney Rohde and from the Texas DSHS Zoonosis Control Branch, Dr. Pamela Wilson joined me for a discussion on this serious zoonotic disease.
Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba which is a single-celled living organism. It can cause a rare and devastating infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).
The amoeba is commonly found in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, ponds and canals.
Infections can happen when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. Once the amoeba enters the nose, it travels to the brain where it causes PAM (which destroys brain tissue) and is usually fatal.
So how does the body's immune system react to the parasite and what research is being done on the immune response?
Joining me today to discuss this is Ashley Moseman, PhD. Dr. Moseman is an immunologist at Duke University and his lab is studying the host immune response to Naegleria fowleri.
Worldwide, 50 million people are living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Million of these people are right here in the US.
Lewy body dementia is the third most common cause of dementia, experts estimate, after Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, accounting for 5 to 10 percent of cases.
This will be the focus of today's show.
Joining me today to discuss Lewy body dementia is James E. Galvin, MD, MPH. Dr. Galvin is a Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
He is also Director and Principal Investigator for the Lewy Body Dementia Research Center of Excellence in South Florida.
Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation recognizing September as Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month.
The governor's proclamation included important facts about brain aneurysms to include symptoms and risk factors.
Joining me today to discuss brain aneurysms and the story of Trinity Hoblit and the work of the Trinity Love Hoblit Foundation is Olivia Hoblit.
Olivia is President and founder of the Trinity Love Hoblit Foundation.
There has been a number of suspected and confirmed anthrax outbreaks/infections in China recently, including an anthrax pneumonia case and a human fatality in a 14-year-old boy.
In addition, cases have been reported from Turkey, Russia and Kazakhstan in recent weeks. The has also been a number of animal anthrax cases in the US.
So what is anthrax? How do animals and people get it? and What is it's "dark history"?
Joining me today to look at this serious bacterial pathogen is Stephen Berger, MD. Dr Berger is co-founder of GIDEON Informatics (Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Network) and he is the Emeritus Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Tel Aviv School of Medicine.
The cadre of threats facing the nation's water management system is alarming and sobering. Arguably, no menace is more compelling and problematic than Legionella, a waterborne bacterium of major concern in the US.
There has been an increase in Legionnaires' disease sweeping the nation in states like New York, Michigan and Missouri causing a state of emergency, especially since symptoms are similar to COVID-19.
Joining me today to discuss the Legionella bacterium and the available testing procedures is Trevor Craig. Trevor is the Corporate director of Technical Consulting at Microbac Laboratories.
In this latest livestream, I look at the parasite, Baylisascaris procyonis or the raccoon roundworm
Like countries across the globe, the Philippines is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases. So what is the current situation in the Philippines?
Joining me to look at this issue is Edsel Maurice Salvana, MD. Dr Salvana is Director, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines Manila and he’s a renown infectious disease expert.
Today we'll look at African swine fever in the Dominican Republic, Is the Delta variant deadlier?, Tularemia infection from crabs, Melioidosis in the US, Another Ebola outbreak and Strongyloides hyperinfection.
In a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) produced updated recommendations for the human treatment and prophylaxis of Yersina pestis, the agent of plague.
Joining me today to discuss plague and the updated recommendations is Christina Nelson, MD. Dr. Nelson is with the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the CDC and she served as co-chair for the steering committee and the Plague Clinical Guidelines Team.
President of the Jordan Smelski Foundation for Amoeba Awareness, Steve Smelski, joins me to tell his story and discuss the amoeba, Naegleria fowleri.
On today's show, I look at some of the most interested stories in infectious diseases during the past week. The Naegleria fowleri case in northern California, the first Marburg virus case in West Africa, Valley fever in California, Jamestown Canyon Virus infection and death in New Hampshire and other topics that piqued my interest.
There has been a surge in mucormycosis cases, aka the "black fungus", in India.
Why mucormycosis and why India? Is it linked to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Joining me today to look at this topic is Judy Stone, MD. Dr. Stone is an infectious disease specialist and a Senior contributor at Forbes.
The future prevalence and virulence of SARS-CoV-2 is uncertain.
Researchers at the University of Utah try to answer the question--Will SARS-CoV-2 Become Just Another Seasonal Coronavirus? in a new study published in the journal Viruses.
Joining me today to discuss the research and their findings is Fred Adler, PhD. Dr. Adler is professor of mathematics and biological sciences at the University of Utah.
Campylobacteriosis is a disease of worldwide importance, but aspects of its transmission dynamics, particularly risk factors, are still poorly understood.
Researchers at the OU Hudson College of Public Health and in Denmark confirm that one of the most common foodborne illnesses in the Western world, can also be spread through sexual contact and their study is published in the journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Joining me today to discuss Campylobacter and the research is infectious disease epidemiologist Katrin Kuhn, Ph.D. Dr. Kuhn is an assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in the OU Hudson College of Public Health.
The restrictions put in place and the resulting social isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on children’s mental and behavioral health.
Joining me today to take a look at Children’s Mental Health during the Pandemic is Dr. Mamilda Robinson. Dr. Robinson is a specialty director and clinical instructor of psychiatric-mental health at Rutgers School of Nursing.
With the nation focused on the delivery of a COVID vaccine, the CDC wants to ensure that older individuals are protected against other prevalent yet preventable diseases that can lead to severe health complications and even hospitalization. Vaccine demand declined an average of more than 60 percent across adult vaccines during the height of pandemic.
One of those adult vaccines is Shingrix for the prevention of shingles.
Joining me today to talk about shingles and the Shingrix vaccine is Dr. Leonard Friedland. Dr. Friedland is Vice President, Director Scientific Affairs and Public Health at GSK Vaccines and a physician.
The Carter Center announced this week that the number of Guinea worm disease cases dropped by 50% in 2020 compared to 2019. This includes a dramatic decrease in cases in the country of Chad.
What’s more, this happened despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is all great news and the parasitic disease seems primed to become the second human infectious disease to become eradicated.
Joining me today to look at Guinea worm disease and the successes of 2020 is Adam Weiss, MPH. Adam is the director of the Carter Center's Guinea Worm Eradication Program.
As the country tries to open up during this pandemic, a variety of methods are being employed to keep people safe.
Dogs are slated to be used at Miami Heat games to screen people for COVID, similar to how dogs have been used to smell out explosives or drugs.
How effective is this method and is it something that more companies should look into?
Joining me to today discuss the use of dogs to screen for COVID-19 is Dr. Brittany Busse. Dr. Busse is the Associate Medical Director at WorkCare and a Mental Health Expert.
In this podcast, I briefly go over 20 mosquito-borne diseases. In this not all inclusive list, I discuss a range of diseases to include malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever and more of the most common diseases, but also emerging pathogens that are transmitted by the mosquito vector like Mayaro and Madariaga viruses.
While the world’s focus has been on COVID-19, sometimes it seems like nothing else is happening in infectious diseases. But that is far from the reality.
In recent years, we’ve seen Nigeria report large numbers of Lassa fever, we continue to see plague outbreaks from Africa to Asia and monkeypox cases have risen in recent decades.
Joining me to talk about these other outbreaks is Stephen A. Berger, M.D. Dr. Berger is the co-founder of GIDEON Informatics (Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Network).
Florida has reported about 1.6 million total COVID-19 cases, including more than 24,000 deaths.
We’ve known for some time that some of the most vulnerable people are those aged 65 years and older and since Florida has the second-highest proportion of retirement-age residents in the nation this makes getting the COVID-19 vaccine available an imperative.
Joining me today to give an update how hospitals Are Managing to Administer Vaccines to the 65 and Over Population is Justin Senior, Justin is CEO of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida.
Researchers from the University of Florida in a new study report the mosquito, Aedes scapularis is now established in mainland Florida in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
How did it arrive in the US? And What is the public health significance of this finding?
Joining me today to answer these questions and more is Lawrence Reeves, Ph.D. Dr Reeves is an entomologist and Research Assistant Scientist at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory.
In late 2018 into early 2019, an outbreak of a form of hantavirus called Andes virus, swept through a small town in Argentina infecting 34 and killing 11.
Researchers led by a team from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) attribute the size of the outbreak to a super spreader event.
Joining me to discuss Andes virus and the Argentina outbreak is Dr. Gustavo Palacios, Chief of Molecular Biology at USAMRIID, and National Research Council Fellow, Dr. Nicholas Di Paola.
Last month, a multidisciplinary panel led by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American College of Rheumatology published the 2020 Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The authors say it provides recommendations aimed to serve as a meaningful resource for the safe, effective, evidence-based care of people with Lyme disease.
Here to give her views on the guidelines is attorney and the Chief Executive Officer of LymeDisease.org, Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA.
The U.S. is in the grips of a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic and the numbers are rising at a rapid pace.
A vaccine is what public health officials are banking on to get us out of it.
With that, viral mutations are a concern.
My guest today is screening wastewater for the presence of COVID-19 to determine if the virus is circulating and if different strains of the virus are cropping up.
Joining me for today's show is Edwin Oh, PhD. Dr Oh is an Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine.
President-elect Joe Biden recently announced a new 13 member COVID-19 advisory board to guide his administration during the transition period.
One of the members is Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) Director Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH.
Dr Osterholm has been a guest on this show numerous times over recent years. He joined me today to discuss issues that elicit questions and debate--lockdowns, or a "pause", mask mandates and COVID-19 testing.
In this news podcast, I look at the success and progress of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and their situation concerning receiving and Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met to determine recommendations on the distribution of the vaccines, I take a look at what they came up with.
I also look at some recent polls concerning what percentage of Americans would take the new vaccines--a very important factor for us to achieve some semblance of herd immunity.
Russian authorities reported seven deaths recently due to people who drank methanol-tainted hand sanitizer after running out of drinks at a party.
In this podcast, I look at the dangers of drinking alcohol based hand sanitizer, particularly for children.
In addition, I examine other ways people try to get intoxicated like vodka eyeballing and look at the rumor of several years ago of women using vodka tampons.
In this video, I look at the yellow fever outbreak currently affecting 5 states in Nigeria--Delta, Enugu, Bauchi, and Benue and Ebonyi.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Yellow Fever (YF) is a mosquito-borne viral disease of humans and other primates, and is currently endemic in over 43 countries in the tropical regions of Africa and The Americas. Infection with the YF virus can be asymptomatic or cause a wide spectrum of disease, from mild symptoms to severe illness with bleeding, jaundice and, ultimately, death. Over 30,000 deaths occur each year and this figure would be much higher without vaccination. Aedes aegypti, is the most important vector.
In this short podcast, I look at the situation with vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs) in Africa and the Emergency Use Listing recommendation for the type 2 novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2).
In this episode, I look at two of the biggest stories (outside of COVID-19) during the past week.
The first is the 11th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was declared over after nearly 6 months and 130 confirmed and probable cases.
The second is research that was presented at the ASTMH meeting that showed human-to-human transmission of Chapare virus in an outbreak that occurred last year.
In a topic that has not received nearly enough attention-- since 2016, the US has seen the largest person-to-person Hepatitis A virus outbreak in the post-vaccine era.
About two thirds of the states have declared outbreaks which includes tens of thousands of cases with 60% hospitalizations and more than 300 deaths.
In Kansas, the most recent state to declare an outbreak, the hospitalization rate stands at 88%!
In my state, Florida, while the outbreak cases are trending downward, dozens of cases are still reported on a monthly basis.
Joining me today to discuss hepatitis and the highly effective vaccine is practicing physician, vaccine researcher and Vice President and Director, Scientific Affairs and Public Health for Vaccines at Glaxo SmithKline, Dr Leonard Friedland.
An arrhythmia is a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat. It means that your heart beats too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular pattern.
There are many types of heart arrhythmias, with Atrial fibrillation or (A Fib) being the most common type of serious arrhythmia.
Joining me today to discuss A Fib and other arrhythmias is cardiac electrophysiologist and author of a very interesting and informative book, Restart Your Heart, Aseem Desai, MD.
Are the COVID-19 deaths undercounted, as many believe, or are they overcounted, as others think?
My guest today had the opportunity to look at a sample of death certificates in Florida and she is here to discuss what she found.
Joining me today is the Editor of The Alachua Chronicle and co author of the article investigating death certificates, Jennifer Cabrera.
Chagas disease is a potentially life-threatening parasitic disease that affects up to 300,000 people in the United States and millions in South America.
The current treatment regimen is--oral benznidazole in smaller twice-daily doses over 2 months.
My guest today and his colleagues say high weekly doses of oral benznidazole over 30 weeks resulted in better clearance of the parasite.
This research is outlined in a recent study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Joining me today is Regents’ Professor in the University of Georgia’s department of cellular biology, Rick Tarleton, PhD.
Rabies post exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, consists of a rabies vaccine series and human rabies immune globulin (HRIG).
Kedrion Biopharma’s human rabies immune globulin, Kedrab, was FDA approved in 2017. And now for the first time, the safety of HRIG (Kedrab) was studied in children.
Joining me today to discuss rabies, PEP and the pediatric trial is James Linakis, MD, PhD. Dr. Linakis is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Brown Medical School and Associate Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital's Hasbro Children's Hospital.
The World Health Organization (WHO) previously stated “To date there has been no information nor evidence to suggest that the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes”.
Now researchers from Kansas State University report confirming this in a new study published recently in Scientific Reports.
Joining me today to discuss this is associate vice president for research and director of the KSUs Biosecurity Research Institute, Stephen Higgs, PhD.
In a recent Op-Ed, Pacific Research Institute President, Sally Pipes asked--Will COVID-19 launch an epidemic of cancer as the pandemic stay-at-home orders have caused patients to put off routine cancer screening.
Mammogram and colonoscopy rates fell between 86 percent and 94 percent in March. One study estimates that during the past three months, more than 80,000 cancer cases have gone undiagnosed.
The non-profit, Prevent Cancer Foundation recently announced the "Back on the Books" initiative to get Americans back to scheduling medical appointments like physicals and routine cancer screenings.
Joining me today to discuss this is Lisa Berry Edwards. Lisa is the Managing Director for External Affairs at the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
Lice Clinics of America (LCA) reported last week that they saw a significant increase in head lice activity through their network of clinics in the US in April and May during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joining me on today's show is Krista Lauer, MD, National Medical Director of Lice Clinics of America. Dr. Lauer discussed some of the basics about head lice, the increase in lice activity during this time frame and advice for parents concerning prevention and treatment.
This episode of NEWS TALK with BRANDON & BOB featured insight from Outbreak News Today's Robert Herriman, discussing COVID-19, good vs. bad coronavirus testing, understanding terms like "viral load," thoughts on data, tracking and locking down.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports that the coronavirus has taken a hold upon Yemen saying "Unfortunately, it is no longer anything but obvious that the virus is circulating widely across the whole of Yemen".
"Five years of fighting had caused Yemen’s healthcare system to collapse in large parts... Now COVID-19 has made that collapse complete, with many hospitals closing for fear of the virus", according to Claire HaDuong, MSF Head of Mission in Yemen.
In a clip from the latest episode of NEWS TALK with Brandon & Bob, Bob gives the COVID update on Yemen and the country is essentially collapsing further into poverty and chaos.
The fatality of COVID-19 in Yemen is elevated due to the poor conditions in the struggling nation, malnutrition and lack of resources are just two of the contributors Bob breaks down.
Earlier this week, scientists with The Scripps Research Institute announced the discovery of antibodies in the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients that provide powerful protection against SARS-CoV-2 in small animals.
The study was published this week in the journal, Science.
Here to discuss this research is Elise Landais, PhD. Dr Landais is Principal Scientist with the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center at The Scripps Research Institute.
Robert Desowitz, PhD was a scientist, researcher and you may know him best as the author of several very informative and entertaining books like New Guinea Tape Worms and Jewish Grandmothers and Who Brought Pinta to the Santa Maria?
Dr. Desowitz left us on Mar 24, 2008.
Being such a fan of his books made me decide to learn more about his life and work.
Joining me today to talk about Bob Desowitz is Louis Miller, MD. Dr Miller is Chief, Malaria Cell Biology Section at the NIAID, NIH and according to Dr Desowitz’s daughter, Duba, “one of her dad’s best friends”.
In this clip from the NEWS TALK with Brandon & Bob on YouTube, we look at the recent EPA approval of Oxitec's genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquito for release in the Florida Keys.
What is it and how does it work? What are the criticisms and concerns?
We exam these questions in this short podcast.
On the recent episode of NEWS TALK with Brandon and Bob, I spend a few moments reminding the public about the swimming risks in warm, fresh water and the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri.
In this clip from the NEWS TALK with Brandon and Bob show, we discuss a myriad of issues concerning the COVID-19, or coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic like where to get your information, what data is useful and what do we know now that we didn't know before.
Brandon Jones and Robert Herriman give you an update on the news, providing commentary and analysis, always welcoming your feedback and thoughts.
Approximately 2,000 US cases of malaria are diagnosed annually. Without appropriate treatment, about 15 percent become severe. Mortality from untreated severe malaria (particularly cerebral malaria) approaches 100 percent.
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Artesunate for Injection to Amivas, a Maryland company specializing in treatments for rare and neglected tropical diseases.
Joining me today to talk about severe malaria and the newly approved drug is Bryan Smith, MD. Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Officer at Amivas.
There has been reports of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, infections in both domestic felines and large zoo cats in recent weeks.
While these infections were characterized as human to feline transmission, what do we know about feline to feline or feline to human transmission?
My guest today, University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher, Peter Halfmann, PhD, joins me to discuss the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
On today's podcast, I had the honor of talking to E.B. Fred Professor of Natural Sciences Emeritus at UW–Madison and author of the book, Robert Koch--A Life in Medicine and Bacteriology, Thomas Brock, PhD about the titan of microbiology, Robert Koch.
In this show, I asked the 93-year-old microbiologist about Koch's life prior to microbiology, his relationship with Louis Pasteur and several of Koch's major contributions to bacteriology from the discovery of the agent of tuberculosis in 1882 to the famous postulates that bear his name.
On today's podcast, I want to take a look at a couple of much talked about issues when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic at this point in time--the diagnostic testing (both PCR and antibody, or serology testing) and the death rates associated with the viral illness.
I am joined today with friend of the show and the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH.
On today's podcast, I want to look at some different issues involving the coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19 pandemic to include the varying fatality rates in certain countries, US pandemic preparedness and what we should be doing moving forward.
Joining me to look at these issues and more is Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD.
This week, March 15-21 is National Poison Prevention Week 2020. What is poison control and what is the role of Poison control centers?
Joining me today to answer these questions and more is Dr. Mazda Shirazi. Dr Shirazi is associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, a clinical toxicologist and serves as the medical director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center.
Locally acquired cases of Chagas disease are exceedingly rare in the United States. Only 28 autochthonous infections were documented from 1955 to 2015.
A recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) describes the first locally transmitted Chagas disease case in the state of Missouri.
Joining me to talk about this unusual case is George Turabelidze, MD, PhD. Dr Turabelidze is with the Division of Community and Public Health with the Missouri Department of Health.
Results were recently published in a study in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology that show limitations of currently available diagnostic tests for early-stage Lyme disease, and highlight the need for more research toward improved diagnostics and treatments.
Joining me today to discuss the study and the findings is Liz Horn, PhD. Dr Horn is the Principal Investigator with the Lyme Disease Biobank.
Today is World Aspergillosis Day, a day to raise awareness about a fungal infection that kills more than one million people globally each year.
Joining me now to talk about aspergillosis, a new kind of antifungal drug and World Aspergillosis Day is Marco Taglietti, M.D. Dr Taglietti is the president and chief executive officer of SCYNEXIS and an infectious disease expert.
When their is a global infectious disease outbreak, one action governments take is traveler screenings--we saw it during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and we are seeing it with the current COVID-19 outbreak.
So, how effective are traveler screenings?
My guest today addresses this issue in a recent study published in eLife.
Joining me is Katelyn Gostic, PhD. Dr Gostic is with the Dept. of Ecology & Evolution at the University of Chicago and the lead author of the study.
In this October 2016 interview, I speak to University of Florida Associate Professor of Veterinary Entomology, Dr. Phil Kaufman about the screwworm and the situation in the Florida Keys that year.
Kaufman talked about the biology of screwworm, the pathology demonstrated on an infected mammal, treatment, the devastating effects on the Key deer and prevention and control methods employed by federal and state agricultural officials.
While sifting through the archives I stumbled across several old radio interviews that I never published as podcasts.
This interview from March 2014 with founding dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr Peter Hotez was on the spread of the neglected tropical disease, the parasitic disease, Leishmaniasis and its spread in the Middle East and East Africa due strife, war and conflict in these regions.
The COVID-19 outbreak is spreading and growing rapidly since first seen less than two months ago, prompting many governments, including the United States, to ban or significantly restrict travel to and from China.
While travel bans are frequently used to stop the spread of an emerging infectious disease, what do we know about their effectiveness?
Joining me today to look at this question is Lauren Sauer. Lauren is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine and director of operations with the university’s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response.
She is also a coauthor in a recent study published in the Journal of Emergency Management addressing this topic.
Nipah virus is one of the deadliest viruses, which can kill up to 90 percent of those infected. In fact, the World Health Organization has placed Nipah virus on its 10 "most wanted" list of emerging viruses.
Joining me today to talk more about Nipah virus and her research is Emily Gurley, PhD. Dr Gurley is an Associate Scientist with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Its been about a month since my last podcast on the novel coronavirus and I thought it was time to revisit the topic as it becomes a bigger global issue.
Joining me to talk about coronaviruses and the 2019 novel coronavirus is Rodney Rohde, PhD. Dr Rohde is a Professor Research Dean and Chair of the Clinical Laboratory Science Program (CLS) in the College of Health Professions of Texas State University.
Recently, scientists have detected Marburg virus in fruit bats in Sierra Leone, marking the first time the deadly virus has been found in West Africa.
The article was published in the journal, Nature Communications last week.
Joining me today to discuss Marburg virus and the discovery in Sierra Leone is Tracey Goldstein, PhD. Dr Goldstein is a Professor in the Department of Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology at UC Davis and Associate Director of the One Health Institute.
In 2019, we saw one of the worst years on record for dengue worldwide. Numbers were up in Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Joining me today from London to look at the past year in dengue, the progress with vaccines and 2020 and beyond is Kamran Rafiq. Kamran is the Co-Founder and Communications Director of the International Society for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ISNTD).
The ISNTD are spearheading a global campaign calling on the WHO and the UN to ratify an official World DENGUE Day.
One Health is a term used frequently in recent years. If you're not familiar with the term, you’ve come to the right place.
Joining me to discuss One Health and a recent resolution passed by the US Senate is Cheryl M. Stroud, DVM, PhD. Dr Stroud is the Executive Director of the One Health Commission.
Wuhan City, China has been a focus for infectious disease and public health experts over the past month due to a pneumonia outbreak where the etiology is not quite clear.
News keeps trickling in on this outbreak, but there is still a lot unknown.
Hoping to shed some light on this outbreak today is Daniel Lucey, MD, MPH. Dr Lucey is a Senior Scholar with the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. He is also an adjunct Professor of Medicine-Infectious Diseases at Georgetown University Medical Center.
Last fall, a 44-year-old man from Italy was bitten on his right hand by an aggressive dog on the Island of Zanzibar, Tanzania.
The man did not receive any rabies vaccine before travelling. He got a rabies vaccine shortly after exposure, but no immunoglobulin, as it was not available.
He died from rabies after a 42 day hospital stay.
Joining me to talk about rabies and advice for travelers to high risk countries is Jonas Nilsen, MD.
Dr Nilsen is a travel vaccination specialist and cofounder of Practio-- a startup making high quality healthcare accessible for everyone. They do this by providing a technology platform that enables pharmacies to work as local healthcare hubs.
In this podcast, I look at what I believe are the top infectious disease stories of the last decade.
In this end-of-year podcast, I rank what I believe to be the 10 most important infectious disease news stories of 2019.
Dengue, polio, measles or Ebola...what will top the list?
In his first hand account of the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), physician and retired Army Colonel, Mark Kortepeter, MD pens the edge of you seat book, Inside the Hot Zone- A Soldier on the Front Lines of Biological Warfare.
In this podcast, Dr Kortepeter talks about USAMRIID and some of it's unique features and history, some riveting stories from the hot zone, Dr. Bruce Ivins and the "Six Chessman of Doom".
Last week, former US Senator from North Carolina, Kay Hagan died from encephalitis caused by the tick-borne disease, Powassan virus.
So what is encephalitis and how common is it?
Joining me today to answer these questions and more is the president of Encephalitis411.org, Becky Dennis.
Flu season is upon us once again and experts say it's time to get your flu shot. On today's show, Taryn Chapman, aka The Vaccine Mom, joined me to discuss different aspects of influenza to include symptoms, available drugs and a little virology.
In addition, she talks to me about the flu vaccine--the types of vaccines available this season, people that should and shouldn't get the vaccine and where you can get vaccinated.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV) can cause some serious pathology. This mosquito borne virus has seen an increase this year in the US.
We see an average of 7 human cases of EEE reported annually; however, there has been some 30 human cases to date in 2019.
Massachusetts and Michigan account for more than 20 cases alone.
What is EEE, what's the pathology and how do doctors treat patients with this virus?
Joining me to answer these questions and more is Massachusetts based infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD.
Texas officials reported a large anthrax outbreak in 2019 affecting some 20 premises in five counties.
My guest today was in the area over the summer to take a closer look at this outbreak.
Joining me is University of Florida Associate Professor of Medical Geography and returning guest, Jason Blackburn, PhD.
In this podcast of a video interview from the 4th Annual Amoeba Summit hosted by the Jordan Smelski Foundation, I spoke to Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist at All Children's Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine in St. Petersburg, Juan Dumois, MD.
Dr Dumois shared his thought on why the rapid diagnosis of Naegleria is so challenging, he briefly discussed the primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) protocol used in his facility and the importance of keeping the drug, miltefosine readily available in the hospital.
In this video interview from the 4th Annual Amoeba Summit sponsored by the Jordan Smelski Foundation, I am joined by the Medical Director of Clinica Mi Salud and clinical professor at the UCF and FSU College of Medicine, Kevin Sherin, MD.
In this short video he discusses Naegleria as a reportable disease, Naegleria risk and prevention for the public, public health policy and recommendations for the hospital emergency room.
Next in the series of interviews from the 4th Annual Amoeba Summit hosted by the Jordan Smelski Foundation, I talked to Asst. Medical Director for Emergency Medicine for AdventHealth, Altamonte Springs.
Dr Valente discussed the role of the ER physician and a potential amoebic meningitis case.
A major aspect of the 4th Annual Amoeba Summit, hosted by the Jordan Smelski Foundation, was a strong and necessary devotion to more drug research.
I had the chance to speak with the Director, Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Diseases at the University of Georgia, Dennis Kyle, PhD.
Dr Kyle discussed the research being done, the challenges with drug discovery for Naegleria fowleri and the collaborations among researchers.
In my series of short interviews with the experts presenting at the 4th Annual Amoeba Summit, I look at the topic of laboratory diagnosis.
Medical Technologist at AdventHealth in Orlando as the person that found the amoeba in Sebastian DeLeon's CSF, Shiela Black, MHM, BSMT(ASCP) joins me to recount the day in 2016, the call to the physician and some basics on laboratory diagnosis.
In the summer of 2016, then 16-year-old Florida teen, Sebastian DeLeon wound up in a Orlando hospital diagnosed with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) due to the parasite, Naegleria fowleri.
In this short interview from the 4th Annual Amoeba Summit sponsored by the Jordan Smelski Foundation, I spoke to a physician directly involved in the successful treatment of young Sebastian, pediatric intensivist, Humberto Liriano, MD.
In the interview, Dr Liriano gave a good synopsis of the situation and the great news of what Sebastian is up to today.
I attended the 4th Annual Amoeba Summit this past Friday which was hosted by the Jordan Smelski Foundation.
The list of speakers was incredible, the biggest experts on Naegleria fowleri in the country, talking about topics ranging from lab diagnosis to the latest research and everything in between.
In this short interview, I talk to Medical Epidemiologist with the CDC, Jennifer Cope, MD, about the latest on the amoeba incidence and geography both in the US and internationally.
With the Vaccine Mom
Earlier this month, the World Health Organization released some astounding preliminary information concerning measles during the first half of the year.
In the first six months of 2019, reported measles cases are the highest they have been in any year since 2006. There have been almost three times as many cases reported to date in 2019 as there were at this same time last year, about 350,000.
Right here at home, we have seen the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1992 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000.
The majority of cases are among people who were not vaccinated against measles.
Joining me today to talk about measles and the MMR vaccine is the Vaccine Mom, Taryn Chapman.
Lyme disease. So much we seem not to know, in many different areas.
Draft guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease were recently issued by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA)--two really big, contentious issues.
And of course there are the disagreements of how the various organizations view these Lyme topics--I've often termed this the establishment vs. the advocates.
My guest today took a look at this in a recent two-part series in Forbes entitled "Lyme Wars".
Joining me is the author and infectious disease physician, Judy Stone, MD.
The CDC says HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common virus that can lead to 6 types of cancers later in life.
Almost every person who is sexually active will get HPV at some time in their life without HPV vaccination. About 14 million Americans, including teens, become infected with HPV each year. While most HPV infections will go away on their own, infections that don’t go away can cause certain types of cancer.
Fortunately, there is a vaccine available that provides your child with safe, effective, and long-lasting protection against certain types of cancer later in life.
Joining me today to talk about the HPV vaccine is the Vaccine Mom, Taryn Chapman
In this look at the week-in-review for Ebola and the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I look at the new cases reported in the 3rd DRC province, South Kivu.
In addition, other big news was narrowing of two Ebola drugs that preliminary studies show promising results.
Singapore has experienced several dengue epidemics in the past ~20 years and it appears that 2019 is one of those years.
In this podcast, I look at the current situation (surpassing 10,000 cases this week) and a little on some recent historical trends.
By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on some new measles surveillance data this week and we see some astounding numbers of the vaccine-preventable disease across the globe. In this podcast, I look at the global situation and the outbreaks in Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States. Got Smallpox? Merchandise Related […]
The post Global measles: The numbers are staggering appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on some new measles surveillance data this week and we see some astounding numbers of the vaccine-preventable disease across the globe.
In this podcast, I look at the global situation and the outbreaks in Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States.
On today’s podcast, I am joined by The Vaccine Mom, Taryn Chapman. We explore some vaccine basics, immunology and immunity and some good information and advice about vaccines for parents. To see and read more of Taryn’s work, please visit: The Vaccine Mom website The Vaccine Mom Facebook page The Vaccine Mom YouTube channel […]
The post The Vaccine Mom talks vaccines, immunity and some advice for parents appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
On today's podcast, I am joined by The Vaccine Mom, Taryn Chapman. We explore some vaccine basics, immunology and immunity and some good information and advice about vaccines for parents.
In one of the most foolish things I’ve seen in a while, French animal-rights activist and anti-specist, Aymeric Caron said, “People should not kill mosquitoes but allow them to take blood donations”?! Even other activists say he’s gone too far. Never mind the great number of pathogens–malaria, yellow fever, dengue and a slew of others. […]
The post Anti-specist says don’t kill mosquitoes, It’s a mother trying feed her future children appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
In one of the most foolish things I've seen in a while, French animal-rights activist and anti-specist, Aymeric Caron said, "People should not kill mosquitoes but allow them to take blood donations"?!
Even other activists say he's gone too far.
Never mind the great number of pathogens--malaria, yellow fever, dengue and a slew of others.
In this podcast, I look at what Caron said and some of the astounding numbers as it pertains to mosquito-borne illness and death.
A week ago, an opinion piece was published in Newsday entitled, A bold plan against tick borne disease, which states that a national public -private strategy is needed. Joining me today is the co-author of the article, Holly Ahern, Holly is an associate professor of microbiology at SUNY Adirondack. A bold plan against tick-borne diseases […]
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A week ago, an opinion piece was published in Newsday entitled, A bold plan against tick borne disease, which states that a national public -private strategy is needed.
Joining me now is the co-author of the article, Holly Ahern, Holly is an associate professor of microbiology at SUNY Adirondack
Kris Newby’s book, Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons has sparked a lot of chatter, approving and critical, including being the impetus of legislation in Congress. In this podcast, I look at what some critics have said about this thesis and how Newby responds. I also take a look at New […]
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Kris Newby's book, Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons has sparked a lot of chatter, approving and critical, including being the impetus of legislation in Congress.
In this podcast, I look at what some critics have said about this thesis and how Newby responds. I also take a look at New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith's work on the House floor.
What do you think? Is this true, do you believe as Newby does or is it another conspiracy theory? Let me know your thoughts.
Bangladesh is experiencing the worst dengue outbreak, which has spread to all 64 districts in the country. In July 2019, there were more cases reported than in any full year. In this podcast, I look at the situation a little closer, the numbers, the serotypes, and the protests and criticisms of the government response. […]
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Bangladesh is experiencing the worst dengue outbreak, which has spread to all 64 districts in the country.
In July 2019, there were more cases reported than in any full year.
In this podcast, I look at the situation a little closer, the numbers, the serotypes, and the protests and criticisms of the government response.
Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus, a mosquitoborne flavivirus, is the most common vaccine-preventable cause of encephalitis in Asia. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published updated recommendations from it’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the JE vaccine. Joining me today to discuss JE, the vaccine, travel and the updated recommendations is […]
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Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus, a mosquitoborne flavivirus, is the most common vaccine-preventable cause of encephalitis in Asia.
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published updated recommendations from it's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the JE vaccine.
Joining me today to discuss JE, the vaccine, travel and the updated recommendations is Susan Hills, MBBS. Dr. Hills is with the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases with the CDC.
Last week in the journal, mBio, a team of experts issued a new call to action, urging state and federal entities to immediately fund research and develop new diagnostic tests targeting chronic wasting disease, or CWD. Joining me to discuss this issue is the director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research […]
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Last week in the journal, mBio, a team of experts issued a new call to action, urging state and federal entities to immediately fund research and develop new diagnostic tests targeting chronic wasting disease, or CWD.
Joining me to discuss this issue is the director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Michael Osterholm, PhD.
In a recent, very important article published in Foreign Policy, my guest Laurie Garrett writes about how the World Bank was holding back funds to tackle the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. An issue not very well known until her article. To look at this situation and more is Laurie Garrett. […]
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In a recent, very important article published in Foreign Policy, my guest Laurie Garrett writes about how the World Bank was holding back funds to tackle the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
An issue not very well known until her article.
To look at this situation and more is Laurie Garrett. Laurie is a former fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Pulitzer Prize winning science writer and the author of a number of really good books.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a one-year Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant for $225,000 in funding to Enable Biosciences to develop an improved Lyme disease test.
Columbia and Tulane universities are sub-awardees of the grant.
Joining me today to discuss this work is Monica Embers, Ph.D., Dr Embers is an assistant professor of bacteriology and parasitology at Tulane University.
It’s Cyclospora season in the United States as evidenced by an increasing number of outbreaks and clusters reported in recent weeks. In this podcast, I look at some publicized outbreaks and the work that people are doing to try to minimize these parasitic outbreaks. Related: Toxocara in the UK: A discussion with Dr Ian Wright […]
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It's Cyclospora season in the United States as evidenced by an increasing number of outbreaks and clusters reported in recent weeks.
In this podcast, I look at some publicized outbreaks and the work that people are doing to try to minimize these parasitic outbreaks.
Bolivia is investigating an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever, which based on preliminary lab testing indicate the Arenavirus, Chapare virus. In this podcast, I look at the current situation, the transmission, a study on the first such outbreak in 2003 and the CDC’s travel advisory. Malaria epidemic in Venezuela: 2.5 million cases predicted for 2020 Philippines […]
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Bolivia is investigating an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever, which based on preliminary lab testing indicate the Arenavirus, Chapare virus.
In this podcast, I look at the current situation, the transmission, a study on the first such outbreak in 2003 and the CDC's travel advisory.
Last Monday, Philippines Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III declared a National Dengue Alert as the number continue to rise in many regions of the archipelago.
On today's news brief I look at the latest numbers for dengue in the country, the increases in costs incurred by the national health care system and states of calamity being declared from provinces in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
In February this year, a consortium of five global health organizations reported over 1.3 million malaria cases during 2018, much higher than numbers produced by the Venezuelan Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Now these organizations are predicting the malaria situation will only get worse, forecasting 2.5 million malaria cases in Venezuela […]
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In February this year, a consortium of five global health organizations reported over 1.3 million malaria cases during 2018, much higher than numbers produced by the Venezuelan Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Now these organizations are predicting the malaria situation will only get worse, forecasting 2.5 million malaria cases in Venezuela in 2020.
Joining me today to talk about the malaria situation in Venezuela and these predictions is Leopoldo Villegas, MD.
Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that showed outbreaks of Cryptosporidium (Crypto) in the United States increased an average 13% each year from 2009-2017. On today’s podcast, Joseph Eisenberg, Ph.D., M.P.H., chair of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health […]
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Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that showed outbreaks of Cryptosporidium (Crypto) in the United States increased an average 13% each year from 2009-2017.
On today's podcast, Joseph Eisenberg, Ph.D., M.P.H., chair of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health joined me to talk about the Crypto situation in the US, the parasite and disease, how you can prevent infection and spread and Crypto outside this country.
Foodborne illness is a significant public health issue in the United States. One of every six Americans is affected by foodborne pathogens. Foodborne illness also creates a big economic burden to the United States with tens of billions of dollars in losses. Temperature control is essential to prevent the rapid growth of foodborne pathogens during […]
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Foodborne illness is a significant public health issue in the United States. One of every six Americans is affected by foodborne pathogens. Foodborne illness also creates a big economic burden to the United States with tens of billions of dollars in losses.
Temperature control is essential to prevent the rapid growth of foodborne pathogens during storage. Preparing food using thermometers correctly to ensure that it is cooked well enough to eliminate pathogens and bacteria could prevent some illness.
A recent study from Purdue researchers show one major factor why people don’t use thermometers is that celebrity chefs and others in the know rarely mention the importance of proper temperatures.
Joining me to look at this issue is Yaohua "Betty" Feng, PhD, Dr Feng is an Assistant Professor of Food Science at Purdue University.
By Robert Herriman @infectiousdiseasenews According to the World Malaria Report, there were 219 million cases of malaria globally during 2017, resulting in 435,000 malaria deaths. Drug resistance poses one of the greatest threats to malaria control and results in increased malaria morbidity and mortality. Vanderbilt University biomedical engineers have discovered how to rapidly detect critical […]
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According to the World Malaria Report, there were 219 million cases of malaria globally during 2017, resulting in 435,000 malaria deaths.
Drug resistance poses one of the greatest threats to malaria control and results in increased malaria morbidity and mortality.
Vanderbilt University biomedical engineers have discovered how to rapidly detect critical information about malaria drug resistance almost instantly from a patient’s single drop of blood.
Joining me today to discuss this quick DNA test is Mindy Leelawong. PhD. Dr Leelawong is a research assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University.
The World Economic Forum believes pandemics could cause a $570 billion annual loss to the global economy. Recently, the Leader in Epidemic Risk Modeling, Metabiota, released a free tool for tracking events that could impact human and economic health. It’s called the Metabiota Epidemic Tracker, a free, new platform to view, analyze and understand events […]
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The World Economic Forum believes pandemics could cause a $570 billion annual loss to the global economy.
Recently, the Leader in Epidemic Risk Modeling, Metabiota, released a free tool for tracking events that could impact human and economic health.I
t’s called the Metabiota Epidemic Tracker, a free, new platform to view, analyze and understand events that could impact people, industries and nations.
Joining me today to look at this is the Head of Product at Metabiota, Ben Oppenheim, PhD.
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. Legionella can also cause a milder illness called Pontiac fever. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some 6100 Legionnaires’ disease cases were reported in 2016; however, this number is undoubtedly low due to under-diagnosis. People can get sick when they breathe […]
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Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. Legionella can also cause a milder illness called Pontiac fever.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some 6100 Legionnaires’ disease cases were reported in 2016; however, this number is undoubtedly low due to under-diagnosis.
People can get sick when they breathe in mist or accidentally swallow water into the lungs containing Legionella.
Most people exposed to Legionella do not get sick. However, people 50 years or older, current or former smokers, and people with a weakened immune system or chronic disease are at increased risk.
My guest today is a friend and a friend of the show--Alex Snitker. Alex recently contracted Legionnaires’ disease while in California and is currently recovering.
On today’s show I’m going to look at one of my favorite topics–rabies. And I’m honored to have my two guests today, both returning guests. Pamela Wilson and Dr Rodney Rohde have teamed up to write a comprehensive look at many aspects of rabies–clinical signs and symptoms, epidemiology, lab testing, post exposure prophylaxis and even […]
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On today's show I’m going to look at one of my favorite topics--rabies. And I’m honored to have my two guests today, both returning guests.
Pamela Wilson and Dr Rodney Rohde have teamed up to write a comprehensive look at many aspects of rabies--clinical signs and symptoms, epidemiology, lab testing, post exposure prophylaxis and even a little about rabies myths.
The title of the book is Rabies- Clinical Considerations and Exposure Evaluations.
Since August 2018, an Ebola Virus Disease outbreak has raged in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, their 10th outbreak and the 2nd largest ever.
Earlier this week the disease spilled over into neighboring Uganda.
Joining me to discuss this and other topics related to Ebola is Mark Kortepeter, MD, Dr Kortepeter is a Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Nebraska College of Public Health and Lead, Special Pathogens Research Network.
On this podcast, I wanted to look at the once common, highly contagious disease, chickenpox.
Joining me today to answer some questions about chickenpox is Donald Kaye, MD. Dr Kaye is Professor of Medicine at the Drexel University College of Medicine.
He is also an Associate Editor at the website, ProMED-mail.
Earlier this week in Lakeland, FL, I attended an educational program and panel on Alzheimer’s disease–research, risk prevention and other topics were addressed. The event was hosted by the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. My guest on the show today is one of the expert panelists. Joining me today is Phil Sabel, […]
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Earlier this week in Lakeland, FL, I attended an educational program and panel on Alzheimer's disease--research, risk prevention and other topics were addressed.
The event was hosted by the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
My guest on the show today is one of the expert panelists.
Joining me today is Phil Sabel, M.A. Phil is the Clinical Research Coordinator at Axiom Clinical Research in Tampa.
Do you like science and medicine? Do you like history? On today’s show, you’ll get a great dose of both. I talk to the author of the very informative book, Between Hope and Fear: A History of Vaccines and Human Immunity, Michael Kinch, PhD. Dr. Kinch is a professor and Vice Chancellor at Washington University […]
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Do you like science and medicine? Do you like history? On today's show, you'll get a great dose of both.
I talk to the author of the very informative book, Between Hope and Fear: A History of Vaccines and Human Immunity, Michael Kinch, PhD.
Dr. Kinch is a professor and Vice Chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis. He has experience developing new medicines for Ebola, Marburg, influenza and other emerging pathogens.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports since the hepatitis A outbreaks were first identified in 2016, more than 17,000 cases and 170 deaths as a result of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection have been reported. Last year, Florida became one of the 20-something states reporting an outbreak and so far this year, […]
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports since the hepatitis A outbreaks were first identified in 2016, more than 17,000 cases and 170 deaths as a result of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection have been reported.
Last year, Florida became one of the 20-something states reporting an outbreak and so far this year, the numbers continue to rise.
What is hepatitis A and what is the situation in Florida?
Joining me on the show to discuss this is Andrea Leapley, MPH. Andrea is the Regional Epidemiologist & Laboratory Liason with the Bureau of Epidemiology at the Florida Department of Health.
June 1st is just around the corner--the start of hurricane season.
Are you ready? What should you do to prepare?
Joining me today to offer some advice and tips in Mike Coston. Mike writes about preparedness often on his website, Avian Flu Diary.
New research from the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) gives people and their health care providers a way to assess their risk for Lyme disease, thanks to man’s best friend. The study confirms dogs are sentinels to assess human risk for tick-borne Lyme disease. The study is published in the journal, Geospatial Health. Joining me to discuss the […]
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New research from the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) gives people and their health care providers a way to assess their risk for Lyme disease, thanks to man’s best friend. The study confirms dogs are sentinels to assess human risk for tick-borne Lyme disease.
The study is published in the journal, Geospatial Health.
Joining me to discuss the study and it's uses is Dr. Craig Prior. Dr. Prior is a board member and past-president of the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC). From Australia, he’s been a practicing veterinarian in Nashville, Tennessee for over 25 years and currently consults with vets nationwide.
May is Myositis Awareness Month and on today's show I want to take a look at these rare conditions and the importance of this month.
In addition, there is a new analysis on how myositis affects woman of color that we'll discuss.
Joining me to look at these issues and more is Dr. Cheilonda Johnson. Dr. Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
She is a pulmonologist who specializes in interstitial lung diseases. Her research focus is on genetic risk factors for autoimmune myositis-associated interstitial lung disease especially in African Americans.
On the latest Outbreak News This Week, I look at news from Florida and then expand to national and international news, and a little research. The Florida hepatitis A outbreak keeps adding up and we look at the latest on that. I also look at research that lists the 25 counties most at risk for a […]
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On the latest Outbreak News This Week, I look at news from Florida and then expand to national and international news, and a little research.
Earlier this week, research was published in the journal, Nature Microbiology, which has newly published maps that reveal, for the first time, where anthrax poses global risks to people, livestock and wildlife. The maps are the result of 15 years of data collection covering 70 countries. Joining me today to discuss this work and it’s importance […]
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Earlier this week, research was published in the journal, Nature Microbiology, which has newly published maps that reveal, for the first time, where anthrax poses global risks to people, livestock and wildlife.
The maps are the result of 15 years of data collection covering 70 countries.
Joining me today to discuss this work and it's importance is the lead author, Jason Blackburn, PhD. Dr. Blackburn is with the Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Lab, Department of Geography at the University of Florida at Gainesville. He is also with the Emerging Pathogens Institute at UF.
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated numbers of measles cases in the United States and through May 10, 839 measles cases have been reported in 23 states. This is an increase of 75 cases from the previous week. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since […]
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Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated numbers of measles cases in the United States and through May 10, 839 measles cases have been reported in 23 states.
This is an increase of 75 cases from the previous week. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000.
A number of outbreaks have been reported this year, most notably the outbreak in Brooklyn.
A new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases identifies the counties at the highest risk for measles outbreaks according to their analysis.
Joining me today is the lead author of the study, Sahotra Sarkar, PhD. Dr. Sarkar is a philosophy and integrative biology professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
On this week’s Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, I had the opportunity to spend the whole hour discussing the three most commonly diagnosed free-living amoeba species that infect humans: Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba species, and Balamuthia mandrillaris, with someone with expertise in infectious diseases and the unique perspective of a parent that lost a child to one of these lethal […]
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On this week's Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, I had the opportunity to spend the whole hour discussing the three most commonly diagnosed free-living amoeba species that infect humans: Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba species, and Balamuthia mandrillaris, with someone with expertise in infectious diseases and the unique perspective of a parent that lost a child to one of these lethal parasites.
Joining me on the show to take a closer look at these uncommon, accidental, yet high consequence pathogens and to share her personal story is Sandra Gompf, MD. Dr Gompf is an Associate Professor of Infectious Disease and International Medicine at USF Health in Tampa.
Bioterrorism expert and Senior lecturer at Western New England University in Springfield, Lawrence Roberge, PhD joined me on the show to look at the history of bioterrorism--from antiquity to contemporary times.
The parasitic disease, Chagas disease, and the vector, the kissing bug, have been in US media a lot recently after the CDC published an MMWR about finding the bug in Delaware. My guest today is currently conducting survey work in Oklahoma to estimate the prevalence of T. cruzi infection in domestic dogs and kissing bugs […]
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The parasitic disease, Chagas disease, and the vector, the kissing bug, have been in US media a lot recently after the CDC published an MMWR about finding the bug in Delaware.
My guest today is currently conducting survey work in Oklahoma to estimate the prevalence of T. cruzi infection in domestic dogs and kissing bugs within the state.
Joining me to talk about Chagas disease, the kissing bug and her survey in Oklahoma is Kelly Allen,Ph.D.
Dr Allen is an assistant professor of veterinary parasitology at Oklahoma State University’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences.
On this weeks program, I take a look a the surge of dengue fever cases in the Americas and southeast Asia. A primer of dengue fever and severe dengue is also introduced. Measles does not just have individual health implications, but a measles investigation can be very expensive in terms of manpower and dollars and […]
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On this weeks program, I take a look a the surge of dengue fever cases in the Americas and southeast Asia. A primer of dengue fever and severe dengue is also introduced.
Measles does not just have individual health implications, but a measles investigation can be very expensive in terms of manpower and dollars and cents.
I look at this.A little update on the hepatitis A outbreak in Florida, increases in STDs and congenital syphilis and more.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that a slow-growing variant form of Lyme bacteria caused severe symptoms in a mouse model, which may account for the persistent symptoms seen in up to twenty percent of Lyme patients that are not cured by the current Lyme antibiotic regimen. In addition, they […]
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Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that a slow-growing variant form of Lyme bacteria caused severe symptoms in a mouse model, which may account for the persistent symptoms seen in up to twenty percent of Lyme patients that are not cured by the current Lyme antibiotic regimen.
In addition, they also found that these “persister” Lyme bacteria were resistant to standard single-antibiotic Lyme treatments currently used to treat patients, while a three-antibiotic cocktail eradicated the Lyme bacteria in the mouse model.
Joining me to discuss these findings from a recent study in Discovery Medicine is Ying Zhang, MD, PhD. Dr Zhang is a professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Bloomberg School.
Pan-resistant superbugs, world travel, a love story and the use of a virus to treat a life-threatening infection–and its all absolutely true. The makings of a great book. On this week’s program, I am joined by the authors of The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: A Memoir, Steffanie Strathdee […]
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Pan-resistant superbugs, world travel, a love story and the use of a virus to treat a life-threatening infection--and its all absolutely true. The makings of a great book.
On this week's program, I am joined by the authors of The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: A Memoir, Steffanie Strathdee and Tom Patterson.
During the segment we look at the timeline, the research, the players and the wonderful outcome.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
The University of Michigan health blog recently reported on a Acanthamoeba case in a Lansing , Michigan woman. She was initially diagnosed as having pink eye; however, things got worse and after going to six doctors, she was referred to the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center where she was diagnosed with the parasitic infection. […]
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The University of Michigan health blog recently reported on a Acanthamoeba case in a Lansing , Michigan woman.
She was initially diagnosed as having pink eye; however, things got worse and after going to six doctors, she was referred to the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center where she was diagnosed with the parasitic infection.
Joining me today to talk about Acanthamoeba and this case is Shahzad Mian, M.D.
Dr. Mian is a professor of ophthalmology at Michigan Medicine.
This week, Sepsis Alliance launched Pediatric Sepsis Week to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis in children and to recognize the tens of thousands of children that develop sepsis every year in the U.S.
Joining me today to talk about pediatric sepsis and the importance of this week is Niranjan Kissoon, MD.
Dr Kissoon is Vice-President of Medical Affairs at BC Children’s Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics and Surgery with the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC.
In addition, he is the vice chair of the Global Alliance for Sepsis
Virology blog was the first science website I followed, its been quite a few years now and it was an inspiration to me in using the internet to disseminate information on infectious diseases and up-to-date outbreak news. Because of my guest today, I saw real value in this type of reporting or blogging. He is […]
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Virology blog was the first science website I followed, its been quite a few years now and it was an inspiration to me in using the internet to disseminate information on infectious diseases and up-to-date outbreak news.
Because of my guest today, I saw real value in this type of reporting or blogging.
He is a pioneer in science communication online, podcasting and generally disseminating very important and useful information.
In addition, he is a world renown virologist, particularly in the research of poliovirus.
Please welcome to the show, Professor of Microbiology & Immunology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, Earth’s Virology Professor–Vincent Racaniello, PhD.
April 21 marks the beginning of Lab Week 2019, an annual celebration of medical laboratory professionals who play a vital role in health care and patient advocacy! Joining me today to discuss the medical laboratory profession and the importance of this week is Associate Dean for Research, College of Health Professions & Chair & Professor […]
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April 21 marks the beginning of Lab Week 2019, an annual celebration of medical laboratory professionals who play a vital role in health care and patient advocacy!
Joining me today to discuss the medical laboratory profession and the importance of this week is Associate Dean for Research, College of Health Professions & Chair & Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at Texas State University , Rodney E. Rohde, PhD.
Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is arguably the most common, preventable cause of neonatal disability in the United States, affecting more than 30,000 children a year.
My guest today started a Change.org petition advocating for congenital CMV to be added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP).
Here to talk more about CMV, the petition and the work of the National CMV Foundation is the President & CEO of the CMV Foundation, Kristen Hutchinson Spytek.
On this weekends show I look at the most controversial news story of the past week–the public health emergency in select zip codes in the neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn in light of the rapidly growing measles outbreak primarily among the Orthodox Jewish community. In addition, the health order says unvaccinated individuals living in those ZIP […]
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On this weekends show I look at the most controversial news story of the past week--the public health emergency in select zip codes in the neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn in light of the rapidly growing measles outbreak primarily among the Orthodox Jewish community.
In addition, the health order says unvaccinated individuals living in those ZIP codes who may have been exposed to measles will be required to receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in order to protect others in the community and help curtail the ongoing outbreak. Under the mandatory vaccinations, members of the City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will check the vaccination records of any individual who may have been in contact with infected patients. Those who have not received the MMR vaccine or do not have evidence of immunity may be given a violation and could be fined $1,000.
I look a little at the legal and ethical considerations with this order. Also, what is the Jewish community saying about it?
This morning, I was a guest for a segment on the Venezuela health and outbreak crisis on the Captain’s America: Third Watch with Capt. Matt Bruce. During the ~7-8 minute segment, I discussed the outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable diseases, measles and diphtheria and the vector-borne disease, malaria affecting Venezuela and other countries in the region. […]
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This morning, I was a guest for a segment on the Venezuela health and outbreak crisis on the Captain's America: Third Watch with Capt. Matt Bruce.
During the ~7-8 minute segment, I discussed the outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable diseases, measles and diphtheria and the vector-borne disease, malaria affecting Venezuela and other countries in the region.
Since 2014, some media and radio personalities have attributed the increase in Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases in the US to immigrant children from Central America. The latest was a segment last week on the Savage Nation with Michael Savage, a very popular talk radio program. What is EV-D68 and is it an imported disease from […]
The post Enterovirus D68: ‘No evidence it’s an imported disease’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
Since 2014, some media and radio personalities have attributed the increase in Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases in the US to immigrant children from Central America.
The latest was a segment last week on the Savage Nation with Michael Savage, a very popular talk radio program.
What is EV-D68 and is it an imported disease from immigrant children? I look at this in this latest installment in the Infectious Disease News Brief.
The hepatitis A outbreak in Florida is growing and in this news brief I look at the latest numbers and talk about the vaccine.
The post Infectious disease news brief: Florida Hepatitis A outbreak appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
The hepatitis A outbreak in Florida is growing and in this news brief I look at the latest numbers and talk about the vaccine.
Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania government warned the public that as the weather gets warmer and you spend more time outdoors, be aware of ticks and Lyme disease.
Pennsylvania has reported the ticks that carry Lyme disease and other infectious agents in all 67 counties and has reported at or near the top of all states in the US in Lyme disease cases.
Nationally, Lyme disease cases continue to rise and spread.
On today’s podcast, I want to look at the ecology and ticks.
My guest today is disease ecologist with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Richard Ostfeld, PhD.
On this weekends Outbreak News This Week Radio show, I spend the first half talking to World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson for polio eradication, Oliver Rosenbauer. During the interview, Mr Rosenbauer discusses some history on polio, including the introduction of the vaccine, the different vaccines and the purposes and differences and the situation and difficulties […]
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On this weekends Outbreak News This Week Radio show, I spend the first half talking to World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson for polio eradication, Oliver Rosenbauer.
During the interview, Mr Rosenbauer discusses some history on polio, including the introduction of the vaccine, the different vaccines and the purposes and differences and the situation and difficulties as we get closer to eradication in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
During the second half, I look at several quite unusual news stories and studies- from rhinosporidiosis to sweat bees in the eye to a little girl with a sand flea infestation acquired running through a pigsty with no shoes on.
I also look at some parasite news from Canada, which includes a report of a toxoplasmosis outbreak linked to deer meat and Echinococcus in southern Ontario.
Chronic wasting disease, or CWD is a prion disease that affects several cervid species: deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose. It has been found in some areas of North America, including three provinces in Canada and at least 26 states. My guest today has expressed concern that it is probable that human cases of […]
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Chronic wasting disease, or CWD is a prion disease that affects several cervid species: deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose. It has been found in some areas of North America, including three provinces in Canada and at least 26 states.
My guest today has expressed concern that it is probable that human cases of CWD associated with the consumption of contaminated meat will be documented in the years ahead.
This has prompted the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota to launch the Chronic Wasting Disease Response, Research and Policy Program (CWD Program).
Joining me today is the director of CIDRAP, Michael Osterholm, PhD.
The Asian Longhorned Tick made its appearance in the United States recently and has since been found in a number of states. The emergence of these ticks represent a potential threat for livestock, wildlife, and human health, according to experts. In a new study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers say the infestation in Staten […]
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The Asian Longhorned Tick made its appearance in the United States recently and has since been found in a number of states.
The emergence of these ticks represent a potential threat for livestock, wildlife, and human health, according to experts.
In a new study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers say the infestation in Staten Island, NY is far more advanced than previously known.
Joining me to talk about the Asian longhorned tick and the new study is associate professor in the Columbia University Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Maria Diuk-Wasser, PhD.
On Sunday’s show I look at the recent news from Rockland County, New York where the County Executive, Ed Day declared a county wide State of Emergency, which effectively banned all unvaccinated people 18 years and younger from entering public places for 30 days or until they get vaccinated. I also looked at the legal implications […]
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On Sunday's show I look at the recent news from Rockland County, New York where the County Executive, Ed Day declared a county wide State of Emergency, which effectively banned all unvaccinated people 18 years and younger from entering public places for 30 days or until they get vaccinated.
I also looked at the legal implications referring to a Healio interview with vaccine law expert, Brian Dean Abramson.
Then there is anti-vaxxer, Robert F Kennedy Jr up to his typical shenanigans on Twitter trying to blame rises in depression and anxiety on the Gardasil vaccine.
Do you have a penicillin allergy? Researchers at McMaster University say that you probably don't.
In the second half, I play a portion of an interview I had with public health expert, Glenn Laverack, PhD about health promotion and outbreaks.
Organ donation and transplantation has been a medical miracle in saving lives; however, the number of organs available are not nearly enough According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), 113,602 people need a lifesaving organ transplant. Donate Life America says another person is added to the waiting list every 10 minutes and […]
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Organ donation and transplantation has been a medical miracle in saving lives; however, the number of organs available are not nearly enough.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), 113,602 people need a lifesaving organ transplant.
Donate Life America says another person is added to the waiting list every 10 minutes and sadly, 22 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time.
Tagged to organ donation and transplantation is a host of bioethical issues that are constantly debated to include presumed consent and the sale of organs.
Today, I want to look at a few of these issues. I am joined by medical ethicist, lawyer and the executive director of the Kid-U-Not Living Organ Donor Fund, Sigrid Fry-Revere JD, PhD.
In this 2015 interview from the radio show, I talk to the owner at TickEase, Inc., Daniel “Tick Man Dan” Wolff who gives a primer on ticks, including tick prevention and removal. Visit Dan’s website for more information on ticks and the TickEase tweezer at TickEase.com. Tick Man Dan says check yourself for ticks and, “Don’t Neglect […]
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In this 2015 interview from the radio show, I talk to the owner at TickEase, Inc., Daniel "Tick Man Dan" Wolff who gives a primer on ticks, including tick prevention and removal.
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the Ten threats to global health in 2019 and among the ten is vaccine hesitancy.
WHO states: Vaccine hesitancy – the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines – threatens to reverse progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease – it currently prevents 2-3 million deaths a year, and a further 1.5 million could be avoided if global coverage of vaccinations improved.
In this podcast taken from a recent episode of Outbreak News TV, I ask Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD his thoughts on the vaccine hesitancy issue.
In addition, I ask him about social media and vaccines and the role, if any, of the federal government in vaccine regulation in this segment.
On a recent episode of Outbreak News TV, international public health expert and author, Glenn Laverack, PhD spoke to me about the issue and challenges of dealing with disease outbreaks in slum settings. Blacker than Black: Failing to Reach Slum Communities in Disease Outbreaks
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On a recent episode of Outbreak News TV, international public health expert and author, Glenn Laverack, PhD spoke to me about the issue and challenges of dealing with disease outbreaks in slum settings.
The World Health Organization says during an Ebola epidemic, any unprotected handling of the bodies of infected patients who have died constitutes a biosafety hazard. The burial process is very sensitive for the family and the community and can be the source of community resistance or even conflict. On a recent episode of Outbreak News […]
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The World Health Organization says during an Ebola epidemic, any unprotected handling of the bodies of infected patients who have died constitutes a biosafety hazard. The burial process is very sensitive for the family and the community and can be the source of community resistance or even conflict.
On a recent episode of Outbreak News TV, I spoke to public health expert, Glenn Laverack, PhD about this very important public health topic in an Ebola outbreak.
On Sunday's program I take a quick look at the chickenpox outbreak in Northern Kentucky, the lawsuit, Gov. Matt Bevin and "chickenpox parties".
A guest on the show a number of times, Dr Peter Hotez appeared on one of the largest podcasts out there--The Joe Rogan Experience, where they discussed infectious diseases, vaccines and autism for nearly 2 hours.
In the second half, I play an interview with Senior Director for Mission and Scientific Affairs with the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, George Yohrling, PhD about Huntington's disease.
Disease outbreak and health emergency response is a massive undertaking and involves a number of stakeholders in different areas of expertise.
One important part of the outbreak response is health promotion.
Joining me today to talk about this topic is a leader in health promotion and empowerment and has a distinguished career for more than 30 years working in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific regions.
He is also the author of several books including Health Promotion in Disease Outbreaks and Health Emergencies–Glenn Laverack, PhD
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive brain disorder that deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities. It primarily affects adults; however, there is a form that affects children, albeit less common. Many describe the symptoms of HD as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s – simultaneously. Joining me today to look at Huntington’s disease is the Senior Director for Mission […]
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Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive brain disorder that deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities.
It primarily affects adults; however, there is a form that affects children, albeit less common.
Many describe the symptoms of HD as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s – simultaneously!
Joining me today to look at Huntington’s disease is the Senior Director for Mission and Scientific Affairs with the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA), George Yohrling, PhD.
On the most recent episode of Outbreak News TV on YouTube, I talk to Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD. He was named one of STAT’s “13 Clinicians to Follow on Twitter and in 2015 named one of 5 “Pennsylvanians to Watch” by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. We discuss […]
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On the most recent episode of Outbreak News TV on YouTube, I talk to Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD.
He was named one of STAT's "13 Clinicians to Follow on Twitter and in 2015 named one of 5 "Pennsylvanians to Watch" by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
We discuss medicine and the media, the problem of vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance and mosquito borne illness.
I also ask him his thoughts on some issues about Lyme disease, pandemic flu and more.
Earlier this week, researchers from the Hastings Center published an article in the journal Health Affairs, in which they make the argument that patients should not be considered consumers. The concept of patient-centered care has increasingly merged with the concept of patients as consumers, which “is conceptually confused and potentially harmful,” the authors contend. Joining […]
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Earlier this week, researchers from the Hastings Center published an article in the journal Health Affairs in which they make the argument that patients should not be considered consumers.
The concept of patient-centered care has increasingly merged with the concept of patients as consumers, which “is conceptually confused and potentially harmful,” the authors contend.
Joining me now to look at this paper is G. Keith Smith, MD. Dr Smith is the medical director, CEO and managing partner of the “free market” outpatient surgery center, Surgery Center of Oklahoma.
Mosquito borne diseases. Many probably have heard of dengue fever, Zika, malaria and West Nile virus, but many people may have never heard of Japanese encephalitis, or JE. Joining me today to discuss JE is vaccinologist, public health physician and returning guest, Melvin Sanicas, MD Other podcasts with Dr. Sanicas: Vaccines: How they work and some […]
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Mosquito borne diseases. Many probably have heard of dengue fever, Zika, malaria and West Nile virus, but many people may have never heard of Japanese encephalitis, or JE.
Joining me today to discuss JE is vaccinologist, public health physician and returning guest, Melvin Sanicas, MD
On Sunday’s show I look at a variety of topics that are pressing in the news today. Measles and vaccines are important topics as UNICEF says global cases are surging to alarmingly high levels. Madagascar’s outbreak is massive and some are asking, could that happen here? I give my thoughts. The outbreak Vancouver, BC has […]
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On Sunday's show I look at a variety of topics that are pressing in the news today. Measles and vaccines are important topics as UNICEF says global cases are surging to alarmingly high levels.
Madagascar's outbreak is massive and some are asking, could that happen here? I give my thoughts.
The outbreak Vancouver, BC has prompted plans for mandatory vaccination and are you old enough to remember when the lines would stretch around the corner for the polio vaccine?
The hepatitis A outbreak situation in the US is affecting about 1/3 of the state and critics say the hardest hit state, Kentucky--health officials response was "too low and too slow.
I discuss the sad and preventable situation of congenital syphilis as Arizona and Manitoba, Canada see tragic increases.
Finally, a law suit is percolating in Canada over the side-effects deployed soldiers experienced they blame on the anti-malarial, mefloquine.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
Knowing how to prepare for overseas travel becomes more important day-by-day–what vaccines do you need and how to avoid mosquito borne illness are just two critical components to safe travel. My guest today is Christopher Sanford, MD. Dr Sanford is an associate professor of global health and of family medicine at the University of Washington, […]
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Knowing how to prepare for overseas travel becomes more important day-by-day--what vaccines do you need and how to avoid mosquito borne illness are just two critical components to safe travel.
My guest today is Christopher Sanford, MD. Dr Sanford is an associate professor of global health and of family medicine at the University of Washington, a family practice physician an the coordinator of seven travel clinics with in the University of Washington system.
He is also the author of the new book, Staying Healthy abroad--A global travelers guide.
I recently saw an Open letter to Vermont legislators several years ago who were considering vaccine legislation from an immunologist named Dr Tetyana Obukhanych. The letter was resurrected and published on the website called Health Impact News.
Basically her goal in the letter is to say that its unwarranted the parents should be forced to get their children vaccinated before going to school. In this letter she makes many claims and I wanted to get the thoughts of vaccine expert.
Joining me now to dissect the claims made in the letter is Paul Offit, MD. Dr Offit is the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology, Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
I recently saw an Open letter to Vermont legislators several years ago who were considering vaccine legislation from an immunologist named Dr Tetyana Obukhanych.
The letter was resurrected and published on the website called Health Impact News.
Basically her goal in the letter is to say that its unwarranted the parents should be forced to get their children vaccinated before going to school. In this letter she makes many claims and I wanted to get the thoughts of vaccine expert.
Joining me now to dissect the claims made in the letter is Paul Offit, MD. Dr Offit is the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology, Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
On Sunday's Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, I take a look at the new review in the Lancet Infectious Diseases concerning the resurgence of vector-borne diseases and the implications for spillover in the region, particularly looking at the topic of the malaria epidemic in the country.
I also look at the recent statement by FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb who said if states don't require more schoolchildren to get vaccinated, the federal government might have to step in.
During the second half I play a portion of my Outbreak News TV interview with CIDRAP director, Dr Mike Osterholm.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
Venezuela’s tumbling economy and authoritarian rule have precipitated an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The country is now experiencing a more than 1 million percent inflation, healthcare is in crisis with the exodus of biomedical scientists and qualified healthcare professionals. More than 280,000 children are at risk for death from severe malnutrition and according to the last […]
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Venezuela’s tumbling economy and authoritarian rule have precipitated an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The country is now experiencing a more than 1 million percent inflation, healthcare is in crisis with the exodus of biomedical scientists and qualified healthcare professionals.
More than 280,000 children are at risk for death from severe malnutrition and according to the last official nationwide epidemiologic bulletin, published in 2016, infant and maternal mortality had risen by 30% and 65%.
There is also the reemergence of arthropod-borne and vaccine-preventable diseases in Venezuela.
Joining me from Venezuela to discuss this epidemic situation is Dr Alberto E. Paniz-Mondolfi. Dr. Paniz-Mondolfi is an infectious diseases pathologist and clinician at the IDB Biomedical Research Institute in Barquisimeto, Venezuela and he is the founder of the Venezuelan Science Incubator, an independent health research organization.
My first guest on the new YouTube program, Outbreak News TV is public health scientist, infectious disease expert and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, or CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota, Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH.
Dr. Osterholm, who has been a guest on the podcast and radio show several times, joined me to discuss his mentors and intellectual heroes, some of the unique and interesting public health roles over the years, the great work being at CIDRAP and a number of public health issues like the current issues with vaccine-preventable diseases, the government dysfunction and health crisis in Venezuela and his constant concern with pandemic influenza, among other topics.
On today’s show, I want to continue my discussion with experts on the measles situation in the US and vaccines and the antivaccine movement. But I also want to look at the Ebola outbreak in DRC. Joining me today to look at these issues and more is Rob Cohen, MD. Dr. Cohen is a physician, […]
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On today’s show, I want to continue my discussion with experts on the measles situation in the US and vaccines and the antivaccine movement. But I also want to look at the Ebola outbreak in DRC.
Joining me today to look at these issues and more is Rob Cohen, MD. Dr. Cohen is a physician, board-certified in preventive medicine, Army veteran, international development worker, and host of the Democrises Podcast.
Outbreaks of measles are currently being reported in Washington state, Oregon, Texas and New York. In fact, the CDC reported that in 2018, 349 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 26 states and the District of Columbia. This is the second-greatest number of annual cases reported since measles was eliminated in the U.S. in […]
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Outbreaks of measles are currently being reported in Washington state, Oregon, Texas and New York.
In fact, the CDC reported that in 2018, 349 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 26 states and the District of Columbia. This is the second-greatest number of annual cases reported since measles was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.
Much of this can be attributed to people not getting their children or themselves vaccinated.
Joining me today to discuss the importance of vaccinations is Elizabeth “Libby” Richards, PhD. Dr Richards is a professor at the Purdue University School of Nursing.
On this weekend’s show I look at several topics in the world of infectious diseases. The measles outbreaks here and abroad are a concern for many and I look at the latest from the US and the Philippines. I also do a segment of the various infectious disease risks related to dogs. In the second […]
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On this weekend's show I look at several topics in the world of infectious diseases. The measles outbreaks here and abroad are a concern for many and I look at the latest from the US and the Philippines.
I also do a segment of the various infectious disease risks related to dogs.
In the second half, I take a look at the high cost of rabies post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and the appropriate way of dealing with bats and other wild and domestic animals that could be a danger to you and your family.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
I just finished a must read book–a very important book in this day and age. It’s called Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel’s Autism: My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad. Author, Peter Hotez, MD, PhD joined me to discuss a number of important topics to include autism, the debunked vaccine-autism link, the huge public […]
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I just finished a must read book--a very important book in this day and age. It's called Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism: My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad.
Author, Peter Hotez, MD, PhD joined me to discuss a number of important topics to include autism, the debunked vaccine-autism link, the huge public health success vaccines are and today's anti-vaccine movement.
Despite the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases and public awareness of vaccine importance, why is it so challenging to boost population vaccination coverage to desired levels especially in the wake of declining vaccine uptake?
A new study from Dartmouth College shows that past problems with vaccines can cause a phenomenon known as hysteresis, creating a negative history that stiffens public resolve against vaccination.
Joining me today to talk about this phenomena is lead author, Xingru Chen. Ms. Chen is with the Department of Mathematics at Dartmouth.
On today’s show on have two great interviews. First, Metabiota’s director of epidemiology, Patrick Ayscue, DVM joins me to discuss their predictions for the industries that are most likely to be impacted by a healthcare crisis in 2019. In addition, the Agricultural Program Manager with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Gary Flory joins me for a […]
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On today's show on have two great interviews. First, Metabiota’s director of epidemiology, Patrick Ayscue, DVM joins me to discuss their predictions for the industries that are most likely to be impacted by a healthcare crisis in 2019.
In addition, the Agricultural Program Manager with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Gary Flory joins me for a thorough discussion on the safe management of animal carcasses following an outbreak on a farm.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
Last week we learned of the emergence of yet another mosquito-borne virus. It’s called Madariaga virus and the human cases were confirmed in several schoolchildren in Haiti–the first time reported in the northern Caribbean. The cases were documented in a study in the journal, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Joining me to discuss Madariaga virus, the study and […]
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Last week we learned of the emergence of yet another mosquito-borne virus. It's called Madariaga virus and the human cases were confirmed in several schoolchildren in Haiti--the first time reported in the northern Caribbean.
The cases were documented in a study in the journal, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Joining me to discuss Madariaga virus, the study and what this all means is lead author, J. Glenn Morris, MD. Dr. Morris is the director at the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida at Gainesville.
Earlier this month, the pioneer in epidemic risk modeling, Metabiota, unveiled its predictions for the industries that are most likely to be impacted by a healthcare crisis in the year ahead.
I was joined by Metabiota's director of epidemiology, Patrick Ayscue, DVM to discuss these 2019 predictions.
Bird flu outbreaks among flocks, pig disease outbreaks like African swine fever. We see this in the news frequently enough. Have you ever wondered what is done with the carcasses of the dead and culled animals on livestock farms and how well do these methods protect the public health? Joining me today to shed some […]
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Bird flu outbreaks among flocks, pig disease outbreaks like African swine fever. We see this in the news frequently enough.
Have you ever wondered what is done with the carcasses of the dead and culled animals on livestock farms and how well do these methods protect the public health?
Joining me today to shed some light on the safe management of carcasses is Gary Flory. Gary is the Agricultural Program Manager with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
On today’s show, I touch on some Florida news to include the suspected norovirus outbreak onboard the Royal Caribbean vessel, Oasis of the Seas, which as of today has accounted for some 600 GI cases in passengers and crew. I also look at some year end data from the Sunshine state concerning hepatitis A, mosquito […]
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On today's show, I touch on some Florida news to include the suspected norovirus outbreak onboard the Royal Caribbean vessel, Oasis of the Seas, which as of today has accounted for some 600 GI cases in passengers and crew.
I also look at some year end data from the Sunshine state concerning hepatitis A, mosquito borne viruses and measles.
I take a look at some vaccines for adults and touch on a fantastic book I'm reading from Dr Peter Hotez, Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
Rabies is a topic we report on on the website often and have discussed on the podcast several times. Last May, we reported on a human rabies death in a Virginia resident who traveled overseas, where she contracted it. Last week in the CDC publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report or (MMWR), they published a […]
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Rabies is a topic we report on on the website often and have discussed on the podcast several times.
Last May, we reported on a human rabies death in a Virginia resident who traveled overseas, where she contracted it.
Last week in the CDC publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report or (MMWR), they published a report on this tragic case which detailed the case and offered some very important recommendations.
Joining me on today's show to discuss the case is Julia Murphy, DVM. Dr Murphy is the State Public Health Veterinarian at Virginia Department of Health and Ryan Wallace, DVM. Dr Wallace is a veterinary epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Rabies program.
The biotech company, Valneva announced this month about the promising work and progress on two vaccine candidates–the mosquito borne virus, chikungunya and Lyme disease. On today’s show I am joined by Valneva President and CEO, Thomas Lingelbach to discuss the latest on these vaccine candidates. Related: Neglected Tropical Diseases: Chagas disease and schistosomiasis Lyme bacteria […]
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The biotech company, Valneva announced this month about the promising work and progress on two vaccine candidates--the mosquito borne virus, chikungunya and Lyme disease.
On today's show I am joined by Valneva President and CEO, Thomas Lingelbach to discuss the latest on these vaccine candidates.
On the final show of the year, I do my annual year in review with a look at the top 10 most important infectious disease news stories of the year, in my opinion of course.
In addition, I unveil the top podcast of 2018 from Outbreak News Interviews (as far as downloads) and the top post of the year.
Thanks for making it a great year on the website, podcast and radio show and I hope to continue strong into 2019.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)– a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries – affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year. Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors […]
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)– a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries – affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year.
Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock are those worst affected.
On the eve before Christmas eve show this year, I play two interviews about two very important NTDs, both parasitic diseases--Chagas disease and schistosomiasis.
Hutchinson Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences at Loyola University New Orleans, Patricia Dorn, PhD talks about Chagas disease in this Mar. 2017 interview.
In the second half, Parasitology teacher and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle discusses schistosomiasis in this interview earlier this year.
The Federal Tick-borne Disease Working Group recently released their first report to Congress about one year after the panel first convened. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) responded to the report in a letter that contained some criticisms of the report. What is the Federal Tick-borne Disease Working Group, what’s in the report and […]
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The Federal Tick-borne Disease Working Group recently released their first report to Congress about one year after the panel first convened.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) responded to the report in a letter that contained some criticisms of the report.
What is the Federal Tick-borne Disease Working Group, what’s in the report and what did the IDSA have to say?
Joining me to discuss these issues is Chief Scientific Officer for the Global Lyme Alliance, Timothy Sellati, PhD.
Lyme disease is the most common vector borne-disease in the United States with approximately 300,000 cases reported annually. It is caused by the spirochetal organism Borrelia burgdorferi. While the majority of the Lyme disease patients can be cured with 2–4 weeks antibiotic treatment, about 10–20% of patients continue to suffer from persisting symptoms. My guest today […]
The post Lyme bacteria persister forms, antibiotics and essential oils with Dr. Ying Zhang appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
Lyme disease is the most common vector borne-disease in the United States with approximately 300,000 cases reported annually.
It is caused by the spirochetal organism Borrelia burgdorferi.
While the majority of the Lyme disease patients can be cured with 2–4 weeks antibiotic treatment, about 10–20% of patients continue to suffer from persisting symptoms.
My guest today is the lead author of a study recently published in the journal, Antibiotics, which studied testing a group of essential oils to determine their effectiveness against the persistent Lyme bacteria.
Joining me is professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Ying Zhang, MD, PhD.
On today’s show, I look at a recent study from the Journal of Wildlife Management that looks at the population estimates and management options for introduced rhesus macaques in Florida. When you talk about rhesus macaques, that invariably leads into discussion about the dangerous virus for humans that get infected, herpes B. I spend a little time on […]
The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 12-16-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
On today's show, I look at a recent study from the Journal of Wildlife Management that looks at the population estimates and management options for introduced rhesus macaques in Florida. When you talk about rhesus macaques, that invariably leads into discussion about the dangerous virus for humans that get infected, herpes B.
I spend a little time on herpes B--the pathology and what to do if you're exposed.
In the second half, I spend a good chunk of time on the crisis in Venezuela, specifically the health care crisis, looking at the disastrous numbers recently released by human rights organizations.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
Schistosomiasis, which is caused by parasitic flatworms, affects nearly 210 million people worldwide, primarily in Africa, Asia, and South America, and is responsible for about 200,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. A research team from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and several international organizations looked at tea infusions made from two species of […]
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Schistosomiasis, which is caused by parasitic flatworms, affects nearly 210 million people worldwide, primarily in Africa, Asia, and South America, and is responsible for about 200,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization.
A research team from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and several international organizations looked at tea infusions made from two species of the wormwood plant in the treatment of the parasitic infection and compared it to the standard care, praziquantel.
Joining me to discuss the research is Pamela Weathers, PhD. Dr Weathers is a professor of biology and biotechnology at WPI and a co-author of the study.
On today’s show I look at the ins and outs of Medicare for All, a single payer, government health insurance program popularized most recently by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and now a number of new progressives recently elected are carrying the mantle with Sanders. I discuss what the program is designed to cover (which is […]
The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 12-9-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
On today's show I look at the ins and outs of Medicare for All, a single payer, government health insurance program popularized most recently by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and now a number of new progressives recently elected are carrying the mantle with Sanders.
I discuss what the program is designed to cover (which is essentially everything), Sanders estimates for annual costs compared to that of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Urban Institute's analyses.
I play an interview with CATO Institute senior fellow Michael Tanner on his thoughts about Medicare for All.
I also talk to Editor of Mises Wire and The Austrian, Ryan McMaken, about comparisons of Sanders plan to the current Canadian health care plan.
Lastly, I look at an article by Gary Galles who analyzes the true administrative costs of Medicare for All, which shows they are higher than those touted by supporters of the plan.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
Enteroviruses are the cause of a number of infections including hand, foot and mouth disease, the common cold and most recently, the condition called Acute flaccid myelitis or AFM. What are enteroviruses, particularly enterovirus D68, what do we know about them and what research is being done? Joining me to answer these questions about enteroviruses […]
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Enteroviruses are the cause of a number of infections including hand, foot and mouth disease, the common cold and most recently, the condition called Acute flaccid myelitis or AFM.
What are enteroviruses, particularly enterovirus D68, what do we know about them and what research is being done?
Joining me to answer these questions about enteroviruses and more Vincent Racaniello, PhD, Dr Racaniello is a Professor of Microbiology & Immunology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University and a world renown virologist and science educator.
On today’s show I look at two topics that are big–one in Africa and one here in the United States–and that’s the Ebola outbreak in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the large hepatitis A outbreak in a number of states. The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and […]
The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 12-2-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
On today's show I look at two topics that are big--one in Africa and one here in the United States--and that's the Ebola outbreak in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the large hepatitis A outbreak in a number of states.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
On today's show I look at two topics that are big--one in Africa and one here in the United States--and that's the Ebola outbreak in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the large hepatitis A outbreak in a number of states.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
News of North Carolina’s largest chickenpox outbreak since the vaccine was available 23 years ago was reported in an Asheville school, which has grabbed a lot of attention recently. Closer to home, a chickenpox outbreak has been reported in a Polk County, Fl school where a half dozen children were infected. The common denominator among the […]
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News of North Carolina's largest chickenpox outbreak since the vaccine was available 23 years ago was reported in an Asheville school, which has grabbed a lot of attention recently.
Closer to home, a chickenpox outbreak has been reported in a Polk County, Fl school where a half dozen children were infected.
The common denominator among the cases is not being vaccinated.
Joining me to talk about chickenpox and why we are still having outbreaks is Amesh Adalja, MD. Dr Adalja is a Senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and an infectious disease expert.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Texas Department of Health recently issued health alerts after four infants were hospitalized with botulism after using pacifiers containing honey.
While essentially rare worldwide, ninety percent of the world's cases of infant botulism are diagnosed in the United States, mainly because of physician awareness.
So what is infant botulism and why should infants avoid honey?
Joining me to answer these questions and more is Amesh Adalja, MD. Dr Adalja is a Senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and an infectious disease expert.
On this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I put together a show on two of the most important and interesting topics in medical history–the 1918 influenza pandemic and the yellow fever outbreak in the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries. These are older; however, very informative interviews. To discuss the 1918 influenza pandemic is historian […]
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On this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I put together a show on two of the most important and interesting topics in medical history--the 1918 influenza pandemic and the yellow fever outbreak in the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries.
These are older; however, very informative interviews.
To discuss the 1918 influenza pandemic is historian and author of the book, The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, John M. Barry.
During the second half, writer and author, Bob Arnebeck joined me to discuss the history of yellow fever in the US in the late 18th century into the 19th century.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show is prerecorded every Thursday and airs Sundays at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area and worldwide streaming. I don’t typically put out the podcast of the show until after the show airs; however, I wanted for people to hear this particular show ahead of time. I was […]
The post Naegleria fowleri and the Jordan Smelski Foundation for Amoeba Awareness appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show is prerecorded every Thursday and airs Sundays at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area and worldwide streaming.
I don't typically put out the podcast of the show until after the show airs; however, I wanted for people to hear this particular show ahead of time.
I was honored to have an in-studio guest this week who had a deeply heartfelt story to tell, which resulted in some very important work in the area of amoeba awareness.
Steve Smelski is the father of Jordan Smelski, who sadly lost his life about four years ago to the devastating parasitic infection, Primary amoebic encephalitis (PAM) caused by the free-living amoeba, Naegleria fowleri.
Steve graciously and courageously shared with the audience Jordan's story concerning contracting the amoeba and the situation at the hospital.
Steve, along with his wife Shelly also started the Jordan Smelski Foundation for Amoeba Awareness and he discussed some of the great work the foundation is doing for this cause.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has been the most outspoken advocate for a single payer health care system in the US, or a “Medicare for all” system. In fact, he is frequently citing the Canadian system as one to emulate. Straight from his website we learn that Sander’s universal single-payer health care means comprehensive coverage for […]
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Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has been the most outspoken advocate for a single payer health care system in the US, or a "Medicare for all" system. In fact, he is frequently citing the Canadian system as one to emulate.
Straight from his website we learn that Sander's universal single-payer health care means comprehensive coverage for all Americans. Bernie’s plan will cover the entire continuum of health care, from inpatient to outpatient care; preventive to emergency care; primary care to specialty care, including long-term and palliative care; vision, hearing and oral health care; mental health and substance abuse services; as well as prescription medications, medical equipment, supplies, diagnostics and treatments.
So what is the differences between Sander's plan and the Canadian system and why are they important?
Editor of Mises Wire and The Austrian, Ryan McMaken joined me to look at this topic.
Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. This bacterial neglected tropical disease is targeted to be eliminated as a public health problem in 2020. My guest today says in a post in the blog BugBitten that the future looks bright for trachoma elimination. Joining me to discuss trachoma , the elimination strategy and the […]
The post Trachoma: The SAFE strategy, the successes and a look forward to elimination appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide.
This bacterial neglected tropical disease is targeted to be eliminated as a public health problem in 2020.
My guest today says in a post in the blog BugBitten that the future looks bright for trachoma elimination.
Joining me to discuss trachoma , the elimination strategy and the successes we’ve already seen is Cara MacFarlane, PhD, Dr MacFarlane is with the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group and the COUNTDOWN consortium at LSTM.
Measles, measles and more measles. On today’s show, I look at the measles situation here in the states and in Israel and Asia. I also look at a paper that demonstrates the importance of herd immunity. I play part of an older interview with an infection preventionist on measles. I look at some local hepatitis […]
The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 11-18-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
Measles, measles and more measles. On today's show, I look at the measles situation here in the states and in Israel and Asia.
I also look at a paper that demonstrates the importance of herd immunity.
I play part of an older interview with an infection preventionist on measles.
I look at some local hepatitis A news, a important Washington Post story on Ebola and the Australian man who died 8 years after contracting rat lungworm.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
African swine fever, or ASF, appeared for the first time in China over the summer and since that time, more than 50 outbreaks of ASF have been reported in domestic pigs in 13 provinces of China. Back in September, the UN warned at the time that the swine fever situation was “just the tip of […]
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African swine fever, or ASF, appeared for the first time in China over the summer and since that time, more than 50 outbreaks of ASF have been reported in domestic pigs in 13 provinces of China.
Back in September, the UN warned at the time that the swine fever situation was “just the tip of the iceburg”.
In addition, some European countries are reporting ASF in pigs and wild boars.
What is African swine fever, how serious of an issue is it and whats the threat to the US?
Joining me to discuss the African swine fever situation is Stephen Higgs, PhD, Dr Higgs is the director of the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS.
African swine fever, or ASF, appeared for the first time in China over the summer and since that time, more than 50 outbreaks of ASF have been reported in domestic pigs in 13 provinces of China.
Back in September, the UN warned at the time that the swine fever situation was “just the tip of the iceburg”.
In addition, some European countries are reporting ASF in pigs and wild boars.
What is African swine fever, how serious of an issue is it and whats the threat to the US?
Joining me to discuss the African swine fever situation is Stephen Higgs, PhD, Dr Higgs is the director of the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS.
Crazy things in the media this week, and it’s not politics–that’s one of the major things I look at on the show today–anti-vaxx article being pulled and the massive Twitter backlash, fear mongering, buffoonish statements concerning infectious diseases crossing the US-Mexico border and warnings not to dress up your chickens for Halloween. In addition, I […]
The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 11-4-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
Crazy things in the media this week, and it's not politics--that's one of the major things I look at on the show today--anti-vaxx article being pulled and the massive Twitter backlash, fear mongering, buffoonish statements concerning infectious diseases crossing the US-Mexico border and warnings not to dress up your chickens for Halloween.
In addition, I look at some dengue vaccine news, malaria's rise in Papua New Guinea, typhus in LA and some thoughts from CDC director, Dr Robert Redfield and what keeps him up at night.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
A rehab facility in Haskell NJ has been in the news cycle for the past week as they deal with an adenovirus outbreak. To date, 26 cases have been reported, primarily pediatric patients and nine have died. What is adenovirus and why the high percentage of deaths in this outbreak? Joining me to answer these questions […]
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A rehab facility in Haskell NJ has been in the news cycle for the past week as they deal with an adenovirus outbreak. To date, 26 cases have been reported, primarily pediatric patients and nine have died.
What is adenovirus and why the high percentage of deaths in this outbreak?
Joining me to answer these questions is Amesh Adalja, MD. Dr Adalja is a Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security.
I recently read a report from India about miners in certain areas of the country coming down with a condition called silicosis.
Demand from India's booming construction industry for granite, sandstone and other minerals has seen the commissioning of more and more stone quarries and people to work in the quarries.
What is silicosis and how common is it here in the United States?
Joining me today to talk about silicosis is Cedric “Jamie” Rutland, M.D., Dr Rutland is a Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician and a National Volunteer Medical Spokesperson for the American Lung Association.
On today’s show, I look at a wide range of important infectious disease news to include hepatitis A and the current situation in Florida and Pinellas County in particular. In addition, I look at the deadly adenovirus outbreak in a New Jersey rehab facility. With Halloween just a few days away, the Centers for Disease […]
The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 10-28-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
On today's show, I look at a wide range of important infectious disease news to include hepatitis A and the current situation in Florida and Pinellas County in particular. In addition, I look at the deadly adenovirus outbreak in a New Jersey rehab facility.
With Halloween just a few days away, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns of the health risks of novelty contact lenses and we dive into that topic.
Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreaks are being reported in several schools on the east coast and I discuss the contagious viral infection is some detail.
In addition to all this, I look at another gubernatorial candidate who has a particular view on vaccines and was quoted as saying--"We shouldn't be dumping a lot of drugs into these kids for no reason".
I also take a look at some of the outbreak news coming out of Europe.
On today’s show I spend a lot of time looking at the flu shot/flu season in light of the recent pediatric death reported here in Florida. I look at some disturbing trends and beliefs when it comes to flu shots and vaccines in general. Does the flu shot cause the flu? A survey by Orlando […]
The post Outbreak New This Week Radio Show 10-21-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
On today's show I spend a lot of time looking at the flu shot/flu season in light of the recent pediatric death reported here in Florida. I look at some disturbing trends and beliefs when it comes to flu shots and vaccines in general.
Does the flu shot cause the flu? A survey by Orlando Health says half of parents believe this! In addition, a CS Mott study shows that 1 in 25 parents had postponed a vaccine due to child’s fear.
I also look at a fantastic commentary on vaccine misinformation in the journal, Nature.
In the second half, I look at the latest from the CDC on the acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) situation in the United States in 2018.
A mosquito-borne parasitic disease, lymphatic filariasis is one of nearly two dozen neglected tropical diseases. Infection is usually acquired in childhood and causes hidden damage to the lymphatic system. The painful and profoundly disfiguring visible manifestations of the disease, notably lymphoedema, elephantiasis and scrotal swelling, occur later in life and lead to permanent disability. In some exciting […]
The post Lymphatic filariasis elimination: ‘The Government of Vietnam really deserve congratulations’ appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
A mosquito-borne parasitic disease, lymphatic filariasis is one of nearly two dozen neglected tropical diseases.
Infection is usually acquired in childhood and causes hidden damage to the lymphatic system. The painful and profoundly disfiguring visible manifestations of the disease, notably lymphoedema, elephantiasis and scrotal swelling, occur later in life and lead to permanent disability.
In some exciting news out of Vietnam and the islands of Palau and Wallis and Futuna, the World Health Organization announced they had eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem.
Joining me today to talk about lymphatic filariasis and the success in Vietnam is Senior Manager, Neglected Tropical Diseases at RTI International, Molly Brady, MPH.
A hernia is a common medical condition that happens when part of an internal organ or tissue pushes through a weak area of muscle, creating a bulge. It is caused by a combination of muscle weakness and straining, like lifting something heavy. Most hernias occur in the abdomen, between the chest and the hips, and they can develop in men, women and children.
How common are hernias? Who's at risk? and is surgery the only way to treat hernias?
Joining me today to talk more about hernias is Abhishek Parmar, MD, Dr. Parmar is assistant professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
On today’s show, I look at some various topics popular in the infectious disease news circles including Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). This story has dominated the news this cycle ever since the cases out of Minnesota were reported. Since then, cases from Texas, New York, Washington, Colorado and others have made the headlines. Earlier this […]
The post Outbreak News This Week Radio Show 10-14-18 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
On today's show, I look at some various topics popular in the infectious disease news circles including Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). This story has dominated the news this cycle ever since the cases out of Minnesota were reported.
Since then, cases from Texas, New York, Washington, Colorado and others have made the headlines.
Earlier this week, I spoke to CIDRAP director Mike Osterholm, PhD about AFM and the situation in Minnesota.
I also look at the resurgence of cholera in Yemen and the status of the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas.
It's always great to report on successes we have in the battle against infectious diseases and I could report on one out of Vietnam.
In the second half, I look at the WHO announcement that Vietnam and the Pacific islands of Palau and Wallis and Futuna eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem.
I also introduce you to an article from The Hill by Amesh Adalja, MD on ricin, in light of the recent attacks.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
Balamuthia mandrillarisis a free-living ameba that can cause a serious encephalitis infection of the brain. It is thought to enter the body when soil containing Balamuthia comes in contact with skin wounds and cuts, or when dust containing Balamuthia is breathed in or gets in the mouth. More than 200 cases of Balamuthia infection have been diagnosed worldwide and according to […]
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Balamuthia mandrillarisis a free-living ameba that can cause a serious encephalitis infection of the brain. It is thought to enter the body when soil containing Balamuthia comes in contact with skin wounds and cuts, or when dust containing Balamuthia is breathed in or gets in the mouth.
More than 200 cases of Balamuthia infection have been diagnosed worldwide and according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, there has been 109 case reports of Balamuthia disease between 1974 and 2016 in the US.
A unique Balamuthia case reported in a manuscript to be published in the journal, International Journal of Infectious Diseases documents a case of the parasitic infection linked to nasal irrigation.
Joining me of the show is senior author of the report, Charles Cobbs, MD. Dr Cobbs is the director of the Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle.
Minnesota state health officials reported recently on a number of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) cases in children that occurred in the past month. What is acute flaccid myelitis and what is the situation in Minnesota? Joining me today to discuss this important topic is Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH. Dr Osterholm is the Director of the Center […]
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Minnesota state health officials reported recently on a number of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) cases in children that occurred in the past month.
What is acute flaccid myelitis and what is the situation in Minnesota?
Joining me today to discuss this important topic is Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH. Dr Osterholm is the Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, or CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota.
A new study led by a Tulane University researcher and recently published in the journal, Lancet Infectious Diseases, could change the way doctors treat the common, sexually transmitted parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis.
Joining me today to talk about trichomoniasis and the new study is the lead author, infectious disease epidemiologist at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine , Dr. Patricia Kissinger.
It was a huge news week in infectious disease and we cover some of the biggest stories here on the show today. I go over the odd report on a father-to-son HIV transmission in a very atypical way. The study was published in the journal, AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. Another unusual report came from researchers […]
The post Outbreak News This Week: October 7, 2018 appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
It was a huge news week in infectious disease and we cover some of the biggest stories here on the show today.
I go over the odd report on a father-to-son HIV transmission in a very atypical way. The study was published in the journal, AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.
Another unusual report came from researchers from the University of Hong Kong, who for the first time, reported rat Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in a human being. This "wake up call" reminds us of the continuous threat of zoonotic infections.
A 29-year-old New Jersey man died from the "brain-eating amoeba", Naegleria fowleri, reportedly linked to a Waco, TX wave pool.
In the second half, I go over some health policy and a fantastic article by economist John C. Goodman of some free market alternatives for health care that employers should consider.
I also play an audio clip of a conversation I had with Surgery Center of Oklahoma CEO, Keith Smith, MD on my obscenely overpriced hospital surgery bill.
South Africa just came out of a massive Listeria outbreak that sickened more than 1000 and killed more than 200. Associate Professor, Infectious Disease and International Medicine, USF Health, Sandra Gompf, MD joined me recently to discuss Listeria in this short podcast–who’s most at risk, the pathology, common sources of the bacterium and treatment. Gompf’s […]
The post Listeria monocytogenes: Who’s most at risk, pathology and common sources appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
South Africa just came out of a massive Listeria outbreak that sickened more than 1000 and killed more than 200.
Associate Professor, Infectious Disease and International Medicine, USF Health, Sandra Gompf, MD joined me recently to discuss Listeria in this short podcast--who's most at risk, the pathology, common sources of the bacterium and treatment.
Today it was reported that the Pentagon mail facility received two pieces of mail Monday that initially tested positive for the toxin, ricin. CNN reports that the letters were addressed to Secretary of Defense James Mattis and to Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson. It was latter reported that one piece of mail was […]
The post Ricin: A weapon of assassination rather than mass destruction appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
Today it was reported that the Pentagon mail facility received two pieces of mail Monday that initially tested positive for the toxin, ricin.
CNN reports that the letters were addressed to Secretary of Defense James Mattis and to Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson. It was latter reported that one piece of mail was also addressed to President Trump.
To answer some questions about ricin is Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD.
Last week, the CDC reported on a record-breaking estimated 900,000 flu hospitalizations and more than 80,000 deaths in the U.S. last flu season.
My guest today, makes the case in Self magazine recently that while the flu shot is not 100 percent effective, you still need it.
Joining me now is the author of the piece, Tara Smith PhD. Dr Smith is an infectious disease epidemiologist and professor at the Kent State University College of Public Health.
Bartonella are globally distributed bacteria that can cause endocarditis in humans and domestic animals. Bats have been implicated as a likely reservoir host for these bacteria, but little is known about how prevalence varies over time, routes of transmission, and the genetic diversity of Bartonella in bats.
My guest today sheds some light on this topic in a new study published in the journal, PLoS Neglected Tropical diseases
Joining me today to discuss the research is post doctoral researcher with the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Montana State University in Bozeman, Daniel Becker, PhD.
A little over a month ago I did a podcast with today’s guest on various infectious disease topics from her book Gompfs ID pearls and because it was so well received and the fact that we really just scratched the surface on this interesting topic, I had to have her on for another round of […]
The post Infectious disease ‘pearls’, part 2: Outbreak News This Week appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
A little over a month ago I did a podcast with today's guest on various infectious disease topics from her book Gompfs ID pearls and because it was so well received and the fact that we really just scratched the surface on this interesting topic, I had to have her on for another round of questions.
Associate Professor, Infectious Disease and International Medicine, USF Health, Sandra Gompf, MD joined me on today's show to answer questions like-- What is vancomycin creep? What pathogens are there in which humans are the only existing reservoir outside the lab? and Why is not having a spleen a huge risk factor for infections?
Yersiniosis is an infection caused most often by eating raw or undercooked pork contaminated with Yersinia enterocolitica bacteria. CDC estimates Y. enterocolitica causes almost 117,000 illnesses, 640 hospitalizations, and 35 deaths in the United States every year. Associate Professor of Infectious Disease and International Medicine at USF Health, Sandra Gompf, MD joined me to talk about Y. enterocolitica infections, transmission via […]
The post Yersinia enterocolitica: Chitlins, blood transfusions and Reiter’s syndrome appeared first on Outbreak News Today.
Yersiniosis is an infection caused most often by eating raw or undercooked pork contaminated with Yersinia enterocolitica bacteria. CDC estimates Y. enterocolitica causes almost 117,000 illnesses, 640 hospitalizations, and 35 deaths in the United States every year.
Associate Professor of Infectious Disease and International Medicine at USF Health, Sandra Gompf, MD joined me to talk about Y. enterocolitica infections, transmission via blood transfusions, treatment and extraintestinal complications.
Infection of the bone--short and sweet, that is the definition of osteomyelitis. Associate Professor of Infectious Disease and International Medicine at USF Health, Sandra Gompf, MD joined me to answer a few questions about this topic, something she addresses in her handy guide, Gompf’s ID pearls.
During the discussion, Dr Gompf explains what the three basic types of osteomyelitis are, the different complications of the infection and what imaging studies are most useful in the diagnosis of osteomyelitis.
Tetanus is a very serious, potentially fatal disease that typically occurs in people who have not been vaccinated. In this short Q&A, I talk to Associate Professor of Infectious Disease and International Medicine at USF Health, Sandra Gompf, MD about this topic, something she addresses in her handy guide, Gompf’s ID pearls. I ask her about the […]
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In this short Q&A, I talk to Associate Professor of Infectious Disease and International Medicine at USF Health, Sandra Gompf, MD about one of her infectious disease pearls, tetanus.
I ask her about the symptoms, treatment and prevention of tetanus. In addition, we touch on the topic of neonatal tetanus.
Finally, the question of how symptoms of rabies and tetanus are similar is explored.
Transmitted by the bite of the tsetse flu (Glossina spp.), African trypanosomiasis, of sleeping sickness is a serious infection caused by microscopic parasites of the species Trypanosoma brucei. Although the infection is not found in the United States, historically, it has been a serious public health problem in some regions of sub-Saharan Africa. In 2014, 3,796 sleeping sickness […]
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Transmitted by the bite of the tsetse flu (Glossina spp.), African trypanosomiasis, of sleeping sickness is a serious infection caused by microscopic parasites of the species Trypanosoma brucei.
Although the infection is not found in the United States, historically, it has been a serious public health problem in some regions of sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2014, 3,796 sleeping sickness cases were reported to the World Health Organization; T. b. gambiense accounted for >98% of cases. Many cases, however, are probably not recognized nor reported.
I recently had a long conversation with Associate Professor of Infectious Disease and International Medicine at USF Health, Sandra Gompf, MD about a myriad of infectious disease topics from her handy book, Gompf's ID pearls and one on the topics I asked her about was African sleeping sickness.
September is Sepsis Awareness Month and according to the CDC, 1 in 3 people who die in a hospital have sepsis. 250,000 Americans die from sepsis each year. Joining me to talk about sepsis diagnostics, treatment, recovery and more is Dr. Amy Sprague. Dr Sprague is the Patient Safety Manager at the Roudebush VA Medical […]
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September is Sepsis Awareness Month and according to the CDC, 1 in 3 people who die in a hospital have sepsis. 250,000 Americans die from sepsis each year.
Joining me to talk about sepsis diagnostics, treatment, recovery and more is Dr. Amy Sprague. Dr Sprague is the Patient Safety Manager at the Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indiana.
In addition, she serves on the Sepsis Alliance’s newly created Sepsis Coordinator Network as an advisor.
George Mason University economics professor, Dr Walter Williams recently published an op-ed suggesting that illegal or undocumented immigrants are a source of infectious diseases in the country. Senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD responded to Dr Williams thesis with a countering op-ed. So the question is, does the […]
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George Mason University economics professor, Dr Walter Williams recently published an op-ed suggesting that illegal or undocumented immigrants are a source of infectious diseases in the country.
Senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD responded to Dr Williams thesis with a countering op-ed.
So the question is, does the arrival of undocumented immigrants pose a real health security risk to the U.S. population? What do we know?
Dr Amesh Adalja joined me today to discuss this issue.
With the unusual, in fact, first time the viral disease monkeypox was reported not once but twice in England this past week, I thought it would be good to learn more about the disease. Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the Yale schools of Medicine and Public health and author of the book, Animal […]
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With the unusual, in fact, first time the viral disease monkeypox was reported not once but twice in England this past week, I thought it would be good to learn more about the disease.
Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the Yale schools of Medicine and Public health and author of the book, Animal Viruses and Humans–A Narrow Divide, Warren Andiman, MD joined me in the first half for a primer on monkeypox.
During the second half, entomology professor with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Jonathan Day, PhD joined me to discuss the mosquito-borne virus situation in the state of Florida to include Eastern Equine Encephalitis or EEE and West Nile Virus and how the public can protect themselves from mosquito bites.
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and other chronic health disorders. Up to 90 percent of individuals with sleep apnea are undiagnosed and a large number of them are African-Americans. A new study by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital looked at […]
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Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and other chronic health disorders.
Up to 90 percent of individuals with sleep apnea are undiagnosed and a large number of them are African-Americans.
A new study by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital looked at the prevalence of sleep apnea among African-American men and women living in Jackson, Miss., and participating in the Jackson Heart Sleep Study. The study is published in the journal SLEEP.
Joining me today is the lead author of the study Dayna Johnson, PhD. Dr Johnson is an associate epidemiologist in the Division of Sleep and Circadium Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Leptospirosis is a disease spread by animal urine. People get infected when they come in contact with urine of infected animals or with urine-contaminated water, soil, or food. We’ve seen recent news reports of increases in leptospirosis cases in countries like the Philippines and India due to recent storms and the subsequent flooding. To look at […]
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Leptospirosis is a disease spread by animal urine. People get infected when they come in contact with urine of infected animals or with urine-contaminated water, soil, or food.
We’ve seen recent news reports of increases in leptospirosis cases in countries like the Philippines and India due to recent storms and the subsequent flooding.
To look at the spirochete bacterial infection I am joined by infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD.
Sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, have become a significant health issue in the United States. It is estimated that 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with 80 percent of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea undiagnosed.
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA when left untreated can lead a multitude of health disorders.
Joining me today to talk about sleep apnea is Adam Amdur. Mr Amdur is the Chief Patient Officer of the American Sleep Apnea Association.
A professor at the University of Texas-El Paso is reaching out to the community there to help with research on Chagas disease and its vector, the kissing bug. Joining me to talk about Chagas, kissing bugs, the community involvement and Chagas research being done is Rosa Maldonado, PhD. Dr Maldanado is an Associate Professor with […]
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A professor at the University of Texas-El Paso is reaching out to the community there to help with research on Chagas disease and its vector, the kissing bug.
Joining me to talk about Chagas, kissing bugs, the community involvement and Chagas research being done is Rosa Maldonado, PhD. Dr Maldanado is an Associate Professor with the Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso.
A University of Florida entomologist recently urged Floridians to protect themselves against biting mosquitoes because of unusually high levels of mosquito-borne virus transmission, particularly Eastern Equine Encephalitis or EEE and West Nile Virus, in sentinel chickens, horses and humans so far this summer. Joining me today is said entomologist, Jonathan Day, PhD. Dr Day is […]
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A University of Florida entomologist recently urged Floridians to protect themselves against biting mosquitoes because of unusually high levels of mosquito-borne virus transmission, particularly Eastern Equine Encephalitis or EEE and West Nile Virus, in sentinel chickens, horses and humans so far this summer.
Joining me today is said entomologist, Jonathan Day, PhD. Dr Day is an entomology professor with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Have you ever received a hospital bill and couldn’t quite figure out how it could possibly be that expensive?
I recently had a same day surgery at a local hospital which had a price tag of $47,000.
Fortunately for me, a contract with my health insurance negotiated the cost down to $6,000. How is this possible? Whats wrong with the system? What about the self-pay patient?
Joining me to discuss this bizarre system is Keith Smith, MD, Dr Smith is the medical director, CEO and managing partner of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma.
On the September 9 airing of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, I am joined by two great guests. In the first half, practicing infectious disease physician, Associate Professor of Medicine with the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Toronto and CEO of BlueDot, Dr Kamran Khan joined me to talk about some current […]
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On the September 9 airing of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, I am joined by two great guests.
In the first half, practicing infectious disease physician, Associate Professor of Medicine with the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Toronto and CEO of BlueDot, Dr Kamran Khan joined me to talk about some current and past outbreaks and the work of BlueDot.
The second half of the show featured an interview with University of Minnesota Regents Professor, McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health, and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., MPH. Dr Osterholm came on to discuss the formation of a Fresh Express Blue-Ribbon Panel to study the Cyclospora parasite. In addition, I get his thoughts on a recent New York Times article about China withholding H7N9 avian flu samples.
The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/
What is sexually transmitted disease (STD) contraction law? Is against the law for a person to knowingly infect someone or put someone at risk for contracting a STD? These and other questions are answered when I talk to leading STD contraction lawyer, Todd Kelly. Mr Kelly is an attorney with The Carlson Law Firm based out […]
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What is sexually transmitted disease (STD) contraction law? Is against the law for a person to knowingly infect someone or put someone at risk for contracting a STD?
These and other questions are answered when I talk to leading STD contraction lawyer, Todd Kelly. Mr Kelly is an attorney with The Carlson Law Firm based out of Texas.
Federal and state health officials have been investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to salad mixes distributed to McDonald’s by the Fresh Express since mid July.
The latest numbers from the CDC put the parasite outbreak total to over 500 cases from 16 states. Fresh Express pulled the salad mix during the last week of July from McDonald’s.
Last month, John P. Olivo, President, Fresh Express, announced the formation of a Fresh Express Blue-Ribbon Panel to study the Cyclospora parasite.
The appointed chair of this panel is University of Minnesota Regents Professor, McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health, and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., MPH. And he is my guest today.
In addition, I get Dr Osterholm's thoughts on a recent New York Times article about China withholding H7N9 avian flu samples.
Timely global surveillance of infectious disease threats around the world is critical for governments, healthcare organizations and businesses as they need actionable intelligence.
BlueDot is a company that that does just that.
Joining me to talk about some current and past outbreaks and the work of BlueDot is CEO Dr. Kamran Khan. In addition, Dr Khan is a practicing infectious disease physician and an Associate Professor of Medicine with the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Toronto.
Fluoroquinolones are a type of antibiotic that is an important part of a physicians prescribing arsenal. However, they do carry with them some serious side effects and according to a new study published in the journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases, fluoroquinolones are commonly prescribed for conditions when antibiotics are not needed at all, or when they are […]
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Fluoroquinolones are a type of antibiotic that is an important part of a physicians prescribing arsenal.
However, they do carry with them some serious side effects and according to a new study published in the journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases, fluoroquinolones are commonly prescribed for conditions when antibiotics are not needed at all, or when they are not the recommended first-line therapy.
Joining me to talk about fluoroquinolones and the study’s findings is infectious disease physician and friend of the show, Steven LaRosa, MD.
Rabies has been a topic several times on the radio show where I looked at a variety of topics related to this lethal virus. On the return to the airwaves of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show Sunday, I look at rabies with a different set of topics–some history, some mythology and public health and […]
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Rabies has been a topic several times on the radio show where I looked at a variety of topics related to this lethal virus.
On the return to the airwaves of the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show Sunday, I look at rabies with a different set of topics--some history, some mythology and public health and diagnostics.
Texas State University Program Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science Program and friend of the show, Rodney Rohde, PhD joined me to discuss these rabies topics.
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that occurs mainly in the rain forest countries of central and west Africa. The disease was first discovered in laboratory monkeys in 1958. In 1970, monkeypox was reported in humans for the first time. In June 2003, monkeypox was reported in prairie dogs and humans in the United States. […]
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Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that occurs mainly in the rain forest countries of central and west Africa. The disease was first discovered in laboratory monkeys in 1958.
In 1970, monkeypox was reported in humans for the first time. In June 2003, monkeypox was reported in prairie dogs and humans in the United States.
Joining me today for a primer on monkeypox is Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the Yale schools of Medicine and Public health and author of the book, Animal Viruses and Humans--A Narrow Divide, Warren Andiman, MD.
A relatively new advanced degree is now available at select institutions for Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS), or Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS), and that’s the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS). Texas State University Program Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science Program, Rodney Rohde, PhD joins me on the show to talk about this exciting new degree for […]
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A relatively new advanced degree is now available at select institutions for Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS), or Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS), and that's the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS).
Texas State University Program Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science Program, Rodney Rohde, PhD joins me on the show to talk about this exciting new degree for practicing CLSs who wish to further their level of clinical expertise and to develop leadership and management skills.
Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi; the diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases of animals that can cause disease when transmitted to humans. Infectious disease medicine requires an extensive understanding of the way in which bacterial, […]
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Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi; the diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases of animals that can cause disease when transmitted to humans.
Infectious disease medicine requires an extensive understanding of the way in which bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections occur in humans and how they present clinically, as well as knowledge about antimicrobial agents, antibiotic resistance, vaccines, and other immunobiological agents.
My guest today to discuss some "pearls" about infectious diseases is the Gompf's ID Pearls author and Associate Professor, Infectious Disease and International Medicine, USF Health, Sandra Gompf, MD
A person on my Facebook page, Infectious disease news, who frequently posts anti-vaccine comments and links to certain posts placed a link to a article from a website called Natural News. The author, SD Wells, asks the question and gives his or her answer in a piece called– Which has killed more people, measles or the […]
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A person on my Facebook page, Infectious disease news, who frequently posts anti-vaccine comments and links to certain posts placed a link to a article from a website called Natural News.
The author, SD Wells, asks the question and gives his or her answer in a piece called– Which has killed more people, measles or the measles vaccine?
Joining me today to look at this article is Paul Offit, MD. Dr Offit is a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and an expert on vaccines.
Today’s topic is hot with 3 major papers in the last few months, that is the viral hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was estimated to affect 35.5 million people worldwide in 2010 and is expected to affect 115.4 million people by 2050. Four members of the Human Herpes Virus family have been associated […]
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Today’s topic is hot with 3 major papers in the last few months, that is the viral hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was estimated to affect 35.5 million people worldwide in 2010 and is expected to affect 115.4 million people by 2050.
Four members of the Human Herpes Virus family have been associated with development of Alzheimer’s disease; HSV-1, VZV, HHV-6A, and HHV-7.
My guest today says its time to put it to the test. Joining today is infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD.
A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that substandard and falsified medicines, including medicines to treat malaria, are a serious problem in much of the world.
Here to talk about this serious issue in more detail is Sachiko Ozawa, Ph.D. Dr Ozawa is a health economist and associate professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She is also the lead author of the study published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
A recent Reuters article on the problem with Venezuela’s measles outbreak crossing the Brazilian border said the following: Brazil complained on Thursday that Venezuela was doing nothing to stop the spread of an outbreak of measles in Brazil and other neighboring countries that has been sparked by an exodus of Venezuelans fleeing economic collapse.
This has prompted Brazil to launch a nationwide campaign to vaccinate 11 million children, plus adults who request it.
My guest today commented on Twitter writing--Totalitarian governments, not surprisingly, spawn infectious disease outbreaks that place other countries at risk.
Joining me today is Amesh Adalja, MD. Dr Adalja is a Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a recognized expert in infectious diseases.
Lyme disease is a potentially serious bacterial infection that is spread by bites from infected blacklegged ticks and deer ticks. The bacterium, called Borrelia burgdorferi, causes more than 300,000 illnesses each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The prevalence of Lyme disease is increasing in the United States and according […]
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Lyme disease is a potentially serious bacterial infection that is spread by bites from infected blacklegged ticks and deer ticks. The bacterium, called Borrelia burgdorferi, causes more than 300,000 illnesses each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The prevalence of Lyme disease is increasing in the United States and according to a recent Quest Diagnostics Health Trends report, it has spread to all 50 United States and the District of Columbia.
Joining me today to discuss the report is Harvey W. Kaufman, M.D., Dr Kaufman is the senior medical director for Quest Diagnostics and head of the company’s Health Trends research program.
Rat lungworm infection or Angiostrongyliasis is a parasitic infection that is relatively rare in the US; however, its effects on those infected can be quite serious. Last Friday, a CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report or (MMWR) looked at cases of CNS disease in the continental US for a 6 year period. Joining me on today’s […]
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Rat lungworm infection or Angiostrongyliasis is a parasitic infection that is relatively rare in the US; however, its effects on those infected can be quite serious.
Last Friday, a CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report or (MMWR) looked at cases of CNS disease in the continental US for a 6 year period.
Joining me on today's podcast is Eugene Liu, MD. Dr Liu is the lead author of the MMWR article and he's a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Officer with the Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health.
A recent study by Johns Hopkins researchers look at the flu and what may explain why men recover faster. The study published in the journal Biology of Sex Differences demonstrates increased amounts of a lung-healing protein called amphiregulin (AREG) could be the reason why men recover from influenza more quickly than women. Public health physician and vaccinologist, […]
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A recent study by Johns Hopkins researchers look at the flu and what may explain why men recover faster. The study published in the journal Biology of Sex Differences demonstrates increased amounts of a lung-healing protein called amphiregulin (AREG) could be the reason why men recover from influenza more quickly than women.
Public health physician and vaccinologist, Dr Melvin Sanicas wrote about the study for the website, ZME Science and is here to talk about it today.
Last week I reported on a Wisconsin man who contracted a very serious infection with the bacterium, Capnocytophaga canimorsus and quickly went into septic shock. It is suspected he contracted the bacterium from a dog lick. The latest news on his condition was he had all four limbs amputated. So what is Capnocytophaga? Joining me […]
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Last week I reported on a Wisconsin man who contracted a very serious infection with the bacterium, Capnocytophaga canimorsus and quickly went into septic shock.
It is suspected he contracted the bacterium from a dog lick. The latest news on his condition was he had all four limbs amputated.
So what is Capnocytophaga? Joining me on today's podcast to discuss this pathogen is infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD.
Filarial worms are long thread like worms that live in the tissue and body cavities of vertebrates. Their eggs mature into tiny larvae called microfilariae. There are at least eight filarids that are of importance to humans and today we’ll be talking about two of them—Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi. Joining me to discuss filariasis […]
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Filarial worms are long thread like worms that live in the tissue and body cavities of vertebrates. Their eggs mature into tiny larvae called microfilariae. There are at least eight filarids that are of importance to humans and today we’ll be talking about two of them—Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi.
Joining me to discuss filariasis is parasitologist and author, Rosemary Drisdelle.
Shoko Asahara, founder of the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo and mastermind behind the deadly 1995 nerve gas attack in the Tokyo subway system and other crimes and acts of terror, and 6 other members were recently executed in Japan. Joining me to look at the cult Aum Shinrikyo and the acts of terror they committed […]
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Shoko Asahara, founder of the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo and mastermind behind the deadly 1995 nerve gas attack in the Tokyo subway system and other crimes and acts of terror, and 6 other members were recently executed in Japan.
Joining me to look at the cult Aum Shinrikyo and the acts of terror they committed is Laboure College professor and biodefense expert, Lawrence Roberge, PhD
The CDC reports–A U.S. study in 1996 showed that 30% of dogs younger than 6 months deposit Toxocara eggs in their feces; other studies have shown that almost all puppies are born already infected with Toxocara canis. Research also suggests that 25% of all cats are infected with Toxocara cati. In humans, it has been […]
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The CDC reports--A U.S. study in 1996 showed that 30% of dogs younger than 6 months deposit Toxocara eggs in their feces; other studies have shown that almost all puppies are born already infected with Toxocara canis. Research also suggests that 25% of all cats are infected with Toxocara cati.
In humans, it has been found that almost 14% of the U.S. population has been infected with Toxocara. Globally, toxocariasis is found in many countries, and prevalence rates can reach as high as 40% or more in parts of the world.
What is toxocariasis and what is the situation in the United Kingdom?
Veterinary surgeon and parasitologist, Dr Ian Wright joined me to look at this nematode, the situation is the UK and prevention measures.
The Herpes Virus family consist of a number of viruses–herpes simplex-1 and 2, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Varicella Zoster Virus (VSV) and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). EBV infects about nine out of 10 people and a good number will develop infectious mononucleosis (IM) Despite this, my guest today, infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD calls EBV “The red-headed step child […]
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The Herpes Virus family consist of a number of viruses--herpes simplex-1 and 2, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Varicella Zoster Virus (VSV) and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV).
EBV infects about nine out of 10 people and a good number will develop infectious mononucleosis (IM)
Despite this, my guest today, infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD calls EBV "The red-headed step child of the Herpes Virus family".
Dr LaRosa talks about signs and symptoms, pathology and more. In addition, he looks at the association between multiple sclerosis (MS) and EBV and the association of EBV with numerous auto-immune diseases.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease caused by the corkscrew shaped organism, Leptospira. It goes by several other names depending on the locale; mud fever, swamp fever, sugar cane and Fort Bragg fever, among others. It is a disease of both humans and animals.
On July 5th, the Philippines Department of Health declared a leptospirosis outbreak in the Metro Manila with a recent increase in cases of the serious bacterial disease.
Executive Vice President of the University of the Philippines, Ted Herbosa, MD joined me today for an update on the outbreak situation
Giardiasis is a diarrheal illness caused by the parasite Giardia intestinalis (also known as Giardia lamblia or Giardia duodenalis). It is the most common intestinal parasite found in humans in the United States. Globally, it infects nearly 2% of adults and 6% to 8% of children in developed countries and nearly 33% of people in developing […]
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Giardiasis is a diarrheal illness caused by the parasite Giardia intestinalis (also known as Giardia lamblia or Giardia duodenalis). It is the most common intestinal parasite found in humans in the United States.
Globally, it infects nearly 2% of adults and 6% to 8% of children in developed countries and nearly 33% of people in developing countries have had giardiasis.
Joining me on today's podcast to talk more about Giardia is author and parasitologist, Rosemary Drisdelle.
Earlier this week, former Texas Congressman and retired physician, Dr Ron Paul and his co host, Daniel McAdams did a show on the Ron Paul Liberty Report on state mandated, or compulsory vaccines and the latest on the Dr Bob Sears case. I’ve been a big supporter of Dr Paul for many years and agree […]
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Earlier this week, former Texas Congressman and retired physician, Dr Ron Paul and his co host, Daniel McAdams did a show on the Ron Paul Liberty Report on state mandated, or compulsory vaccines and the latest on the Dr Bob Sears case.
I’ve been a big supporter of Dr Paul for many years and agree with him on many issues to include fiscal, monetary and foreign policy. However, on a few issues, compulsory vaccines included, we do part ways. Here I give my thoughts.
On today’s podcast, I talk to parasitologist and author, Rosemary Drisdelle about a potentially fatal roundworm first described in Northern Luzon, Philippines in the early 1960s, Capillaria philippinensis. Rosemary discusses the life cycle, pathology diagnosis and treatment of this serious nematode infection. In addition, she tells an interesting story concerning the history of the parasite. Related: […]
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On today's podcast, I talk to parasitologist and author, Rosemary Drisdelle about a potentially fatal roundworm first described in Northern Luzon, Philippines in the early 1960s, Capillaria philippinensis.
Rosemary discusses the life cycle, pathology diagnosis and treatment of this serious nematode infection. In addition, she tells an interesting story concerning the history of the parasite.
In the second in a series of expert question and answer panels from the International Society of Neglected Tropical Diseases d³ (ISNTD d³) conference in London June 25-26th 2018, The Lancet Global Health’s Zoe Mullan chairs a great panel taking questions on the topic, Sustaining vaccine confidence in a post-truth era. The panel includes Angus Thomson (Sanofi Pasteur), Tikki Pangestu (Lee Kuan […]
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In the second in a series of expert question and answer panels from the International Society of Neglected Tropical Diseases d³ (ISNTD d³) conference in London June 25-26th 2018, The Lancet Global Health's chairs a great panel taking questions on the topic, Sustaining vaccine confidence in a post-truth era.
The panel includes Angus Thomson (Sanofi Pasteur), Tikki Pangestu (Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore), Pauline Paterson (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) and Rachel Grant (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations-CEPI).
On today's podcast, I'll be playing an expert question and answer panel from the International Society of Neglected Tropical Diseases d³ (ISNTD d³) conference in London June 25-26th 2018.
The Q & A is on the topic, Redefining Access to Medicines and is chaired by Andrew Jack of The Financial Times.
Panel participants include: Dr. Beatrice Greco (Merck Global Health Institute), Jeffrey Moe (Duke Global Health Institute), Eric Stobbaerts (DNDi), Goylette Chami (University of Cambridge, Department of Pathology), Danny Edwards (Access to Medicines Foundation), Poppy Lamberton (University of Glasgow) and Margaret Olele (American Business Council).
Mosquito borne viruses that infect humans–the number are plenty with Zika, dengue, chikungunya, West Nile and Keystone virus? University of Florida researchers discuss the first human case of Keystone virus in a recent issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Joining me to talk more about this arbovirus and the first human case in a North Central Florida […]
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Mosquito borne viruses that infect humans--the number are plenty with Zika, dengue, chikungunya, West Nile and Keystone virus?
University of Florida researchers discuss the first human case of Keystone virus in a recent issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Joining me to talk more about this arbovirus and the first human case in a North Central Florida boy is John Lednicky, Ph.D., Dr Lednicky is a research professor in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions’ department of environmental and global health and a member of the Emerging Pathogens Institute. Lednicky is the first author of the report.
On today’s show we discuss a most interesting parasite, the soil transmitted helminth, Strongyloides stercoralis. This parasite is more commonly found in areas that are relatively warm and moist, in rural areas, and areas associated with agricultural activity, but it can occur anywhere. Strongyloidiasis can be severe and life-threatening in persons who are immunosuppressed where forms of […]
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On today's show we discuss a most interesting parasite, the soil transmitted helminth, Strongyloides stercoralis. This parasite is more commonly found in areas that are relatively warm and moist, in rural areas, and areas associated with agricultural activity, but it can occur anywhere.
Strongyloidiasis can be severe and life-threatening in persons who are immunosuppressed where forms of the disease called hyperinfection syndrome and disseminated strongyloidiasis can occur.
Joining me is parasitology teacher and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests Rosemary Drisdelle.
Animal viral diseases and spillover to humans results in some of the most important and devastating infections and outbreaks known to humans. My guest today looks at a number of these zoonotic diseases with superb storytelling interwoven with history, virology and public health. The name of the newly published book is titled Animal Viruses and […]
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Animal viral diseases and spillover to humans results in some of the most important and devastating infections and outbreaks known to humans.
My guest today looks at a number of these zoonotic diseases with superb storytelling interwoven with history, virology and public health.
The name of the newly published book is titled Animal Viruses and Humans--A Narrow Divide and the author is Dr Warren Andiman.
In addition to authoring this book, Dr Andiman is Professor emeritus of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Public Health at the Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health. He’s been on their faculties for 42 years.
In the final podcast in our short series on malarial parasites, we’re look at the two less common species–P. malariae and P. ovale. In addition, we will spend some time talking about the so called “monkey malaria”or the more common than we thought, Plasmodium knowlesi. Joining me is out go-to parasitology expert, author, Rosemary Drisdelle. […]
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In the final podcast in our short series on malarial parasites, we’re look at the two less common species--P. malariae and P. ovale.
In addition, we will spend some time talking about the so called “monkey malaria” or the more common than we thought, Plasmodium knowlesi.
Joining me is out go-to parasitology expert, author, Rosemary Drisdelle.
In a follow-up to the podcast last week, Malaria: A general introduction and Plasmodium vivax, I continue the series on the malaria species. On today’s show, Parasitology teacher and author, Rosemary Drisdelle, joins me to talk about the deadliest species of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum. P. falciparum can cause severe malaria because it multiples rapidly in the blood, and […]
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In a follow-up to the podcast last week, Malaria: A general introduction and Plasmodium vivax, I continue the series on the malaria species.
On today's show, Parasitology teacher and author, Rosemary Drisdelle, joins me to talk about the deadliest species of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum.
P. falciparum can cause severe malaria because it multiples rapidly in the blood, and can thus cause severe anemia. In addition, the infected parasites can clog small blood vessels. When this occurs in the brain, cerebral malaria results, a complication that can be fatal.
We’ve discussed the use and misuse of antibiotics and antibiotic stewardship a number of times on this show and today we are going to look at the use of vancomycin. Infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD joins me to talk about vancomycin, evaluating the need to use it, the use of a loading dose and […]
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We’ve discussed the use and misuse of antibiotics and antibiotic stewardship a number of times on this show and today we are going to look at the use of vancomycin.
Infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD joins me to talk about vancomycin, evaluating the need to use it, the use of a loading dose and vancomycin dosing and exposure.
On today’s show, I talk about Lyme disease, the effects of climate change on the tickborne illness and issues of Lyme medical and public policy with the author of the book, Lyme: The First Epidemic of Climate Change, Mary Beth Pfeiffer. Check out more at The First Epidemic Zika, West Nile, Lyme and other vector-borne diseases […]
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On today's show, I talk about Lyme disease, the effects of climate change on the tickborne illness and issues of Lyme medical and public policy with the author of the book, Lyme: The First Epidemic of Climate Change, Mary Beth Pfeiffer.
Check out more at The First Epidemic
Malaria is probably the most important parasitic disease affecting man. The parasite belongs to the class Sporozoa and the genus Plasmodium, a name which means multinucleated mass. There are scores of named species of Plasmodium which infect various species of vertebrates. Four species are considered true parasites of humans, as they utilize humans almost exclusively […]
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Malaria is probably the most important parasitic disease affecting man. The parasite belongs to the class Sporozoa and the genus Plasmodium, a name which means multinucleated mass.
There are scores of named species of Plasmodium which infect various species of vertebrates. Four species are considered true parasites of humans, as they utilize humans almost exclusively as a natural intermediate host: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae.
On today's podcast, I talk to author, Rosemary Drisdelle about some of the basics of malaria and jump into the most common species, Plasmodium vivax.
In a follow-up to an interview on the dwarf tapeworm, Hymenolepsis nana last week, this week we look a related cestode, the rat tapeworm. Hymenolepis diminuta is a tapeworm that occurs throughout the world. Its principal definitive hosts are rodents. Nevertheless, in rare instances, it can infect humans, typically by accidental ingestion of infected arthropods, often grain beetles. […]
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In a follow-up to an interview on the dwarf tapeworm, Hymenolepsis nana last week, this week we look a related cestode, the rat tapeworm.
Hymenolepis diminuta is a tapeworm that occurs throughout the world. Its principal definitive hosts are rodents. Nevertheless, in rare instances, it can infect humans, typically by accidental ingestion of infected arthropods, often grain beetles.
I was joined by parasitologist and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity's Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle.
As the title of the podcast indicates and as regular listeners know, the majority of the time I focus of infectious diseases. However, I do like to dedicate air time to other important health issues, and today’s topic is indeed important and unfortunately, all too common– and thats skin cancer. In fact, skin cancer is […]
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As the title of the podcast indicates and as regular listeners know, the majority of the time I focus of infectious diseases.
However, I do like to dedicate air time to other important health issues, and today's topic is indeed important and unfortunately, all too common-- and thats skin cancer. In fact, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States.
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and joining me to discuss the ins and outs of skin cancer is Dr. Edi Kaminska. Dr Kaminska is a board-certified dermatologist with the American Academy of Dermatology.
In our running series on parasites, we’re going to look at another tapeworm--The dwarf tapeworm or Hymenolepis nana.
Joining me is parasitology expert, author and friend of the show, Rosemary Drisdelle.
Lyme disease season is here. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States, and 300,000 Americans are infected with Lyme disease each year. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and today we’ll be discussing Lyme disease prevention, signs and symptoms, […]
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Lyme disease season is here. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States, and 300,000 Americans are infected with Lyme disease each year.
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and today we’ll be discussing Lyme disease prevention, signs and symptoms, and diagnosis and treatment.
Joining me to look at these important topics is Infectious Disease Specialist, Paul Nee, MD. Dr Nee practices at the Danbury Hospital in western Connecticut.
On today’s podcast we are going to finish up talking about human lice. On the last podcast we looked at head and body lice and we’ll tackle pubic lice or crabs on today’s show. It doesn’t matter what’s your status in life, crabs can be found on anyone, anywhere. The pubic louse, Phthirus pubis, is typically […]
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On today’s podcast we are going to finish up talking about human lice. On the last podcast we looked at head and body lice and we’ll tackle pubic lice or crabs on today's show.
It doesn't matter what's your status in life, crabs can be found on anyone, anywhere.
The pubic louse, Phthirus pubis, is typically found on pubic hair, but can also be found in armpit hair, eyebrows or mustaches and beards.
It is strictly a human infection; you cannot get them from animals.
They get the nickname "crabs" from its appearance in the adult or nymph stage. They have six legs with the two front ones having the resemblance of pincher claws.
Joining me as always is Parasitologist and author, Rosemary Drisdelle to answer questions about crabs.
On today’s show we are going to look at some common ectoparasites–lice. According to the CDC, lice are parasitic insects that can be found on people’s heads, and bodies, including the pubic area. Human lice survive by feeding on human blood. Lice found on each area of the body are different from each other. The three […]
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On today's show we are going to look at some common ectoparasites--lice.
According to the CDC, lice are parasitic insects that can be found on people's heads, and bodies, including the pubic area. Human lice survive by feeding on human blood. Lice found on each area of the body are different from each other. The three types of lice that live on humans are head, body and public louse.
Head and body lice will be today’s topic and parasitology expert and author of Parasites, Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle is here discuss it with me.
Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in the US and testing and treatment, if necessary, is important to prevent the spread of disease. Making lab testing more accessible, reliable and affordable with no need to drive, schedule appointments or wait in line is what myLab Box is all about. myLab Box co-founder, Lora Ivanova […]
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Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in the US and testing and treatment, if necessary, is important to prevent the spread of disease.
Making lab testing more accessible, reliable and affordable with no need to drive, schedule appointments or wait in line is what myLab Box is all about.
myLab Box co-founder, Lora Ivanova joined me on the show to talk about the business, how it works and the convenience and cost advantages.
Trichomoniasis is the most common curable sexually transmitted infection. It is caused by the protozoan parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 3.7 million people have the infection. Joining me today to discuss this protozoa is Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites, Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome […]
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Trichomoniasis is the most common curable sexually transmitted infection. It is caused by the protozoan parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 3.7 million people have the infection.
Joining me today to discuss this protozoa is Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites, Tales of Humanity's Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle.
On today’s show, we talk about schistosomiasis. Health authorities say more than 200 million people are infected worldwide and in terms of impact, this disease is second only to malaria as the most devastating parasitic disease. My guest, Parasitology teacher and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me […]
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On today's show, we talk about schistosomiasis. Health authorities say more than 200 million people are infected worldwide and in terms of impact, this disease is second only to malaria as the most devastating parasitic disease.
My guest, Parasitology teacher and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me to discuss the complex life cycle and disease of this neglected tropical disease, among other important information.
Nurse practitioner and President and CEO of Passport Health of Tampa, Dr. Duellyn Pandis joined me in this interview from last summer to catch up on various topics of travel health and medicine. We discussed several travel destinations and the travel issues and advice for each. Dr. Pandis went over in detail the issue with the […]
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Nurse practitioner and President and CEO of Passport Health of Tampa, Dr. Duellyn Pandis joined me in this interview from last summer to catch up on various topics of travel health and medicine.
We discussed several travel destinations and the travel issues and advice for each. Dr. Pandis went over in detail the issue with the yellow fever vaccine shortage and the alternatives.
In addition, prevention of mosquito bites and the numerous diseases you can contract during travel was emphasized.
In this podcast, I pull out two interviews from the past couple years concerning organ donation.
The first interview, from June 2016, I am joined by President and Founder of the Living Kidney Donors Network (LKDN) and two-time kidney transplant recipient, Harvey Mysel to discuss kidney paired donations, or paired exchanges and how they work.
In the second interview, I speak to LifeLink Foundation’s Sr. Public Affairs Coordinator, Betsy Edwards and donor family member, Carlos Ruiz during Donate Life Month 2017 to discuss the very important topic of organ donation.
In this January 2017 interview, Professor of Law at UC Hastings College of Law, Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, PhD joined me to discuss the types and issues of vaccine exemption, the role and purposes of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act and the corresponding National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and other topics of vaccine law. Related: Thoughts on the […]
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In this January 2017 interview, Professor of Law at UC Hastings College of Law, Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, PhD joined me to discuss the types and issues of vaccine exemption, the role and purposes of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act and the corresponding National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and other topics of vaccine law.
Outbreaks of previously unknown viral and other diseases have the potential to inflict serious and massive negative health and economic impact on the world. A new program, a really big idea, is set to start this year and looks to stay one step ahead of this situation identifying viruses in advance and provide timely data for […]
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Outbreaks of previously unknown viral and other diseases have the potential to inflict serious and massive negative health and economic impact on the world. A new program, a really big idea, is set to start this year and looks to stay one step ahead of this situation identifying viruses in advance and provide timely data for public health interventions against future pandemics.
It’s called the Global Virome Project and joining me to discuss this massive and important endeavor is Chief Scientific Officer with Metabiota, Eddy Rubin, MD, PhD.
13-year old Olivia Goodreau has been living with Lyme disease for half her life. She joined me today to tell her story from the tick bite to a myriad of symptoms to visiting 51 doctors before being diagnosed with the tick-borne disease.
Olivia also talked about her nonprofit organization, LivLyme Foundation, which supports the work of researchers and scientists who are dedicated to finding the effective treatment for Lyme disease and ultimately finding the cure.
We also talk about the TickTracker app, her idea which allows you to track & report ticks in real-time with geolocation.
Jeff Stauffer, Founder of The Plan also joined the discussion. Jeff led the design and strategy for the app.
NSF International, a global public health and safety organization, is hosting Legionella Conference 2018 – Managing Legionella and Other Pathogens in Building Water Systems on May 9-11, 2018, in Baltimore, Maryland. The three-day conference is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and marks the first time experts from industry, academia, public health, medicine and government […]
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NSF International, a global public health and safety organization, is hosting Legionella Conference 2018 – Managing Legionella and Other Pathogens in Building Water Systems on May 9-11, 2018, in Baltimore, Maryland.
The three-day conference is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and marks the first time experts from industry, academia, public health, medicine and government will meet to discuss Legionella and other pathogens found in water distribution systems, building water plumbing systems and cooling towers.
Legionella Conference attendees will discuss and learn the latest monitoring, treatment and management approaches for successfully preventing the spread of Legionella in buildings, hospitals and other at-risk facilities.
General Manager of Building Water Health Programs at NSF International, Chris Boyd, joined me to discuss Legionella and the upcoming conference.
Nigeria is currently experiencing what is described as an “unprecedented outbreak” of Lassa fever. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and partners like the World Health Organization (WHO)are intensifying the outbreak response. So what is Lassa fever? I was joined by infectious disease physician, Dr Judy Stone in this Mar. 2016 interview to learn the […]
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Nigeria is currently experiencing what is described as an "unprecedented outbreak" of Lassa fever. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and partners like the World Health Organization (WHO)are intensifying the outbreak response.
So what is Lassa fever?
I was joined by infectious disease physician, Dr Judy Stone in this Mar. 2016 interview to learn the ins-and-outs of this serious viral disease.
On today’s podcast, we ventured back into the world of trematodes, or flukes and discussed the sheep liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica. Parasitology teacher and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me to talk about this parasite. Podcasts on other flukes: Dicrocoelium dendriticum: The lancet liver fluke Paragonimus: A look […]
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On today's podcast, we ventured back into the world of trematodes, or flukes and discussed the sheep liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica.
Parasitology teacher and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me to talk about this parasite.
According to the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS), Medical laboratory science professionals, often called medical laboratorians, are vital healthcare detectives, uncovering and providing laboratory information from laboratory analyses that assist physicians in patient diagnosis and treatment, as well as in disease monitoring or prevention (maintenance of health). Professor and Program Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at […]
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According to the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS), Medical laboratory science professionals, often called medical laboratorians, are vital healthcare detectives, uncovering and providing laboratory information from laboratory analyses that assist physicians in patient diagnosis and treatment, as well as in disease monitoring or prevention (maintenance of health).
Professor and Program Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at Texas State University in San Marcos, Rodney Rohde, PhD joined me in this Dec. 2016 interview to discuss the profession, educational paths, shortages and other current issues and some thoughts on the future of medical laboratory science.
“If you induce a back of the envelope calculations given the hundreds of thousands of people who died every year of smallpox prior to when the campaign was started and looking at it now that its gone, D.A.’s work has saved literally tens of millions of lives. You can argue that he’s may of saved more […]
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“If you induce a back of the envelope calculations given the hundreds of thousands of people who died every year of smallpox prior to when the campaign was started and looking at it now that its gone, D.A.’s work has saved literally tens of millions of lives. You can argue that he’s may of saved more lives than any other single human being in human history.
“That’s the magnitude of his accomplishment.”- Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, on the accomplishments of DA Henderson after his death on Aug 19, 2016.
In 2009, infectious disease physician and University of South Florida professor, Dr. Sandra Gompf and her husband lost their son Philip to the parasite , Naegleria fowleri. In this 2015 interview, Dr Gompf joined me to discuss the amoeba, Philip’s infection, awareness campaigns she is involved in, new developments at the time in diagnostics and treatment and some prevention advise for other parents.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic–history’s worst epidemic which killed more people than all the military deaths in World War I and World War II combined. Historian and author of the book, The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, John M. Barry joined me to discuss several […]
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This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic--history’s worst epidemic which killed more people than World War I and World War II combined.
Historian and author of the book, The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, John M. Barry joined me to discuss several topics on the history of this unusually deadly influenza pandemic.
On today’s show we talke about a 3rd intestinal coccidian parasite and least common (remember we already discussed Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora), Cystoisospora belli, or you may remember it as Isospora belli. Joining me as always to talk about parasites is Parasitology teacher and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle. Travel Deals […]
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On today's show we talke about a 3rd intestinal coccidian parasite and least common (remember we already discussed Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora), Cystoisospora belli, or you may remember it as Isospora belli.
Joining me as always to talk about parasites is Parasitology teacher and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle.
Writer and author, Bob Arnebeck once wrote in A Short History of Yellow Fever in the US–From 1793 to 1822 yellow fever was one of the most dreaded diseases in the port cities of the United States. Statistically, one can dismiss it as inconsequential in comparison to tuberculosis and smallpox. Yellow fever did not kill that […]
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Writer and author, Bob Arnebeck once wrote in A Short History of Yellow Fever in the US--From 1793 to 1822 yellow fever was one of the most dreaded diseases in the port cities of the United States.
Statistically, one can dismiss it as inconsequential in comparison to tuberculosis and smallpox. Yellow fever did not kill that many people, but during that period, it struck with such ferocity in principal cities that it spread gloom and fear throughout the country.
Bob joined me for this interview concerning the history of yellow fever in the US in the late 18th century into the 19th century.
During 2005–2008, more than 1 billion live animals were legally imported into the United States for food or pet trade markets. One such animal, the swamp eel, can carry parasites (worms) called gnathostomes. If those eels are eaten undercooked or raw, this parasite can cause mild to serious (blindness, paralysis, and even death) consequences. This […]
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During 2005–2008, more than 1 billion live animals were legally imported into the United States for food or pet trade markets. One such animal, the swamp eel, can carry parasites (worms) called gnathostomes.
If those eels are eaten undercooked or raw, this parasite can cause mild to serious (blindness, paralysis, and even death) consequences. This parasite is native to Southeast Asia but not to the United States.
Rebecca A. Cole, PhD, Parasitologist with the US Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center discusses a study concerning Gnathostomes in Asian swamp eels here in the US in this 2014 interview.
An average 274 people in the US die from blood clots each and every day, according to data on the National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) website.
Former Chair of Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Hofstra-NorthShore/LIJ School of Medicine, Dr. Jack Ansell joined to discuss the most important medical issue.
Dr. Ansell went through a number of topics concerning deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) including the differences between DVT and PE, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment and several others.
What is a cannibal sandwich?
A cannibal sandwich is by definition, raw ground beef typically served on rye bread or crackers with onions. Occasionally, a raw egg will be mixed with the meat. It is a traditional winter holiday specialty in certain regions of the upper Midwest.
These are also called "tiger meat" sandwiches.
In this 2013 interview, I speak with CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, Abbey Canon, DVM, MPH, LT, about an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Wisconsin that year and the health risks with consuming raw ground beef.
In this radio interview from March 2015, my guest reminds us all that bedbugs are “still out there” despite the recent lack of media attention. Assistant professor of entomology at the Kansas State University Research and Extension Center, Sarah Zukoff, PhD joined me to answer some of the most common questions concerning these nuisance creatures: Where are bedbugs found?, […]
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In this radio interview from March 2015, my guest reminds us all that bedbugs are “still out there” despite the recent lack of media attention.
Assistant professor of entomology at the Kansas State University Research and Extension Center, Sarah Zukoff, PhD joined me to answer some of the most common questions concerning these nuisance creatures: Where are bedbugs found?, Do they spread disease? What are the signs of infestation? and how do you get rid of bedbugs?
In this episode in the series, Parasites 101, I talk to Parasitology teacher and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity's Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle about the protozoa Cryptosporidiosis (or "Crypto" for short).
Rosemary answers the question, "How common is it", along with discussing the symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment of the parasite.
In recent weeks, two high profile individuals– a televangelist and the newly appointed Health commissioner of Milwaukee, WI–made very troubling anti-vaccine statements that garnered critiques by health experts. Charismatic televangelist Gloria Copeland basically told followers to skip the flu shot in favor of prayer and Milwaukee’s new Health commissioner, Dr Patricia McManus, the person responsible for […]
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In recent weeks, two high profile individuals-- a televangelist and the newly appointed Health commissioner of Milwaukee, WI--made very troubling anti-vaccine statements that garnered critiques by health experts.
Charismatic televangelist Gloria Copeland basically told followers to skip the flu shot in favor of prayer and Milwaukee's new Health commissioner, Dr Patricia McManus, the person responsible for that city's public health, told a radio caller who asked whether the MMR vaccine causes autism--"I don’t know. I think the science is still out".
Senior Associate with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD joined me to give his thoughts and strong criticism of the statements made by both women.
According to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), a food allergy is a serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition affecting up to 15 million Americans.
One in every 13 children has a food allergy—that’s about 2 in every U.S. classroom. And every 3 minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room.
Scott Riccio, senior vice president of education and advocacy at Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) joined me in this 2016 interview to give the ABCs of food allergies and the work of FARE.
The Lupus Foundation of America says lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body. Their research estimates that at least 1.5 million Americans have lupus. The actual number may be higher; however, there have been no large-scale studies to show the actual number of people in the U.S. living with lupus. […]
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The Lupus Foundation of America says lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body.
Their research estimates that at least 1.5 million Americans have lupus. The actual number may be higher; however, there have been no large-scale studies to show the actual number of people in the U.S. living with lupus.
More than 16,000 new cases of lupus are reported annually across the US. It is believed that 5 million people throughout the world have a form of lupus.
President and CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America, Florida Chapter, Amy Yalden joined me in this 2016 interview to talk about lupus, Lupus Awareness Month and the work of the chapter.
Lyme disease was first described in the US in 1975– it’s a vector borne illness caused the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans primarily by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis and other species. Is the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum, also a vector of the Lyme bacteria? My guest today says it is not. Ellen […]
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Lyme disease was first described in the US in 1975-- it's a vector borne illness caused the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans primarily by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis and other species.
Is the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum, also a vector of the Lyme bacteria? My guest today says it is not.
Ellen Stromdahl, BCE joined me on the show to discuss this topic and an article recently published in the Journal of Medical Entomology-- Amblyomma americanum Ticks Are Not Vectors of the Lyme Disease Agent, Borrelia burgdorferi: A Review of the Evidence.
Ellen is an entomologist at the U.S. Army Public Health Center and the lead author of the study.
The CDC Yellow Book says the number of people traveling internationally has continued to grow substantially in the past decade. According to the World Tourism Organization, there were 1.2 billion worldwide international tourist arrivals in 2015, an increase of 4% from 2013; 50 million more people spent a night at an international destination than in […]
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The CDC Yellow Book says the number of people traveling internationally has continued to grow substantially in the past decade. According to the World Tourism Organization, there were 1.2 billion worldwide international tourist arrivals in 2015, an increase of 4% from 2013; 50 million more people spent a night at an international destination than in 2014.
In 2015, US residents made more than 73 million trips with at least 1 night outside the United States. The importance of protecting the health of individual travelers, as well as safeguarding the health of the communities to which they return, cannot be overstated.
No interview in this episode. Instead, I want to look at the topic of travel health and my first destination is the archipelago made up of over 7,000 islands--the Philippines.
Last week it was reported in a number of media outlets that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would be dramatically downsizing its epidemic prevention activities in 39 out of 49 countries because money is running out–That money is slated to run out by September 2019. The program is called the Global Health […]
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Last week it was reported in a number of media outlets that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would be dramatically downsizing its epidemic prevention activities in 39 out of 49 countries because money is running out--That money is slated to run out by September 2019.
The program is called the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).
Joining me today to talk about the GHSA and the implications of the budget cuts is Mike Osterholm, PhD. Dr Osterholm is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy or CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota.
In this June 2016 interview, I talk to the author of Lyme Madness: Rescuing My Son Down The Rabbit Hole of Chronic Lyme Disease, Lori Dennis about the book, chronic Lyme disease and the multi-layers of issues surrounding it. In addition to being a writer, Lori is a Registered Psychotherapist and the mother of an adult son who […]
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In this June 2016 interview, I talk to the author of Lyme Madness: Rescuing My Son Down The Rabbit Hole of Chronic Lyme Disease, Lori Dennis about the book, chronic Lyme disease and the multi-layers of issues surrounding it.
In addition to being a writer, Lori is a Registered Psychotherapist and the mother of an adult son who has been suffering from Chronic Lyme Disease for more than four years.
Dennis talked about the complexity of the disease and the problems encountered for sufferers to include the medical establishment, the media and the politics.
In this podcast, that was actually recorded in early November 2014, I started by giving some thoughts on Ebola in the US. This segwayed into a discussion with Associate Professor with the Department of Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, and Epidemiology at Kent State University’s College of Public Health, Tara Smith, PhD. Dr. Smith addressed topics of how […]
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In this podcast, that was actually recorded in early November 2014, I started by giving some thoughts on Ebola in the US. This segwayed into a discussion with Associate Professor with the Department of Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, and Epidemiology at Kent State University’s College of Public Health, Tara Smith, PhD.
Dr. Smith addressed topics of how the situation in West Africa got to the point of where it was–unprecedented high numbers of cases and deaths dwarfing all previous Ebola outbreaks. What factors led to the enormous, in Ebola terms, outbreak; how did “patient zero” likely get infected and what did Nigeria do so well to squash a potential disaster in Africa’s most populous country?
Taenia solium is a tapeworm that people get from eating raw or undercooked “measly pork”. The pork meat has cysticerci (the larval stage) which in the human intestine mature to an adult tapeworm. Here the tapeworm attaches to the intestine and produces thousands of eggs. Human cysticercosis occurs either by the direct transfer of Taenia […]
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Taenia solium is a tapeworm that people get from eating raw or undercooked “measly pork”. The pork meat has cysticerci (the larval stage) which in the human intestine mature to an adult tapeworm. Here the tapeworm attaches to the intestine and produces thousands of eggs.
Human cysticercosis occurs either by the direct transfer of Taenia solium eggs from the feces of people harboring an adult worm to their own mouth (autoinfection) or to the mouth of another individual, or indirectly by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the eggs. When the person ingests the eggs, the embryo escape from the shell and penetrates the intestinal wall, gets into the blood vessels, where they spread to muscle, or more seriously, the eyes, heart or brain.
Parasitology teacher and author of the book Parasites: Tales of Humanity's Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joins to discuss the cestode.
My guest on today’s podcast says that while there were many successes in human development in 2017, arguably, the most significant achievements of the last 12 months were in global health. Public health physician and a vaccinologist, Dr Melvin Sanicas wrote in an article in Project Syndicate that he counted at least 18 unique successes in […]
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My guest on today's podcast says that while there were many successes in human development in 2017, arguably, the most significant achievements of the last 12 months were in global health.
Public health physician and a vaccinologist, Dr Melvin Sanicas wrote in an article in Project Syndicate that he counted at least 18 unique successes in 2017 and on today’s show, we’ll touch on several to include India's elimination of trachoma, the battle against polio and the new typhoid vaccine, to name a few.
This podcast is from a February 2015 radio interview with Sybil Meister. Sybil is the mother of Koral Reef Meister Pier, a young lady from California who contracted the rarely encountered parasite, Balamuthia mandrillaris in March 2013. Unfortunately, Koral lost her battle against the 95% fatal amoeba in Oct. 2014. I had the opportunity and honor to talk to Sybil and […]
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This podcast is from a February 2015 radio interview with Sybil Meister. Sybil is the mother of Koral Reef Meister Pier, a young lady from California who contracted the rarely encountered parasite, Balamuthia mandrillaris in March 2013.
Unfortunately, Koral lost her battle against the 95% fatal amoeba in Oct. 2014.
I had the opportunity and honor to talk to Sybil and their family friend, Ebony Parker about Koral’s life and her Balamuthia infection.
The internet has been flooded by every possible news source covering a story about a man, who claimed he ate sushi daily, who presented to his doctor a 5 ½ ft long tapeworm. This is from a podcast called “This won’t hurt a bit” where a Fresno California physician told the story. What was this parasite […]
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The internet has been flooded by every possible news source covering a story about a man, who claimed he ate sushi daily, who presented to his doctor a 5 ½ ft long tapeworm.
This is from a podcast called “This won’t hurt a bit” where a Fresno California physician told the story.
What was this parasite and what other parasitic and bacterial risks are associated with raw sushi?
Joining me to answer these questions is Bobbi Pritt, MD, Dr Pritt is a Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Director of Clinical Parasitology Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota.
Sadly, as many of you may know, a 6-year-old Eustis, Florida boy lost his battle with rabies earlier this week after contracting the lethal virus through a scratch from a bat. A Orlando hospital and the team of providers attempted the experimental Milwaukee protocol in an attempt to save his life but unfortunately it fell […]
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Sadly, as many of you may know, a 6-year-old Eustis, Florida boy lost his battle with rabies earlier this week after contracting the lethal virus through a scratch from a bat.
A Orlando hospital and the team of providers attempted the experimental Milwaukee protocol in an attempt to save his life but unfortunately it fell short.
This is the second human rabies death in the state since October.
So what is rabies and what should you do if you are exposed?
Joining me to answer these questions and more is Peter Costa, MPH. Peter is the rabies immune globulin brand director with Kedrion Biopharma.
Last year, CIDRAP Director Michael Osterholm, PhD along with Mark Olshaker released the very interesting and relevant book, Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs. I talked to “Bad News Mike” last April on the radio show about some of the most important public health issues addressed in the book to include bioterrorism, vaccines, antibiotic resistance and pandemic […]
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Last year, CIDRAP Director Michael Osterholm, PhD along with Mark Olshaker released the very interesting and relevant book, Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs.
I talked to "Bad News Mike" last April on the radio show about some of the most important public health issues addressed in the book to include bioterrorism, vaccines, antibiotic resistance and pandemic influenza, to name a few.
A great storyteller with vast experience in infectious disease epidemiology, Osterholm covered these topics with experience, zeal, knowledge and never pulling any punches.
As one Amazon reviewer writes: Fabulous read from a great writer/scientist/public health warrior!
It is estimated that as many as 1 in 200 children are affected by PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections), according to the PANDAS Network.
In this Feb. 2016 interview, Executive Director for the PANDAS Network, JC Konecny joined me to talk about PANDAS and PANS, the course of the illness, and the diagnosis and treatment of this pediatric disease.
Many experts say a flu pandemic is clearly on the horizon, so the question is– Are we ready for a flu pandemic? My guest today says- not so much -as he outlined in a NY Times op-ed earlier this week. CIDRAP director, Michael Osterholm PhD joined me to discuss his views on why he believes […]
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Many experts say a flu pandemic is clearly on the horizon, so the question is-- Are we ready for a flu pandemic?
My guest today says- not so much -as he outlined in a NY Times op-ed earlier this week.
CIDRAP director, Michael Osterholm PhD joined me to discuss his views on why he believes we are woefully unprepared for the coming flu pandemic.
Taeniasis is a parasitic disease due to infection with tapeworms belonging to the genus Taenia.
Three tapeworm species cause taeniasis in humans, Taenia solium, Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica.
On today's show, I will be talking to my guest, Parasitology teacher, author and friend of the show, Rosemary Drisdelle about the beef tapeworm, Taenia saginata.
The latest report from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative shows that 21 wild poliovirus cases were reported in 2017 from two countries–Afghanistan and Pakistan. The question some are asking is –Is 2018 the year we make history and see zero cases of polio? Rotary International has been integral in this amazing success in the battle […]
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The latest report from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative shows that 21 wild poliovirus cases were reported in 2017 from two countries--Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The question some are asking is --Is 2018 the year we make history and see zero cases of polio?
Rotary International has been integral in this amazing success in the battle against polio.
The Director of the PolioPlus program at Rotary International, Carol Pandak joined me to discuss Rotary International’s role in this success then and now.
Fads and movements on what we do and don’t put in our bodies seem to plague the US and latest one has originated out of California.
There has been a huge demand in Silicon Valley for very expensive “raw water”. Raw water is supposedly unfiltered, untreated, unsterilized spring water according to a NY Times report.
The rationale is that the existing water supply and tap water has many chemicals and pollutants and naturally occurring minerals that are filtered out when water is treated.
What about this trendy fad and what are the health risks?
Amesh Adalja, MD joined me to talk about raw water. Dr Adalja is a Senior Associate with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
In this podcast from a Outbreak News This Week Radio Show interview from Jun. 2016, we examine the ABCs of the extremely contagious viral disease, measles. I am joined by registered nurse, infection control specialist and a freelance writer, Erin Archer Kelser. Erin discusses the history of measles in the United States, symptomology, complications, the vaccine and […]
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In this podcast from a Outbreak News This Week Radio Show interview from Jun. 2016, we examine the ABCs of the extremely contagious viral disease, measles.
I am joined by registered nurse, infection control specialist and a freelance writer, Erin Archer Kelser. Erin discusses the history of measles in the United States, symptomology, complications, the vaccine and much, much more.
The successes of vaccines in the battle with infectious diseases is quite clear with the dramatic drop in measles deaths, the elimination of smallpox and the near elimination of polio, just to name a few. However, there is a growing anti-vaccine movement despite this and my guest, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at […]
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The successes of vaccines in the battle with infectious diseases is quite clear with the dramatic drop in measles deaths, the elimination of smallpox and the near elimination of polio, just to name a few.
However, there is a growing anti-vaccine movement despite this and my guest, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, Peter Hotez, MD, PhD says the gains made by the use of vaccines is fragile and has been "sounding the alarm" over this.
Dr Hotez talks about his concerns over this movement in the US and fears the export to large middle- and low-middle income nations such as Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Russia.
He also talks about what steps need to be taken to "snuff it out".
Antibiotic resistance, Sexually transmitted diseases,Vaccine preventable diseases and septic shock. These important infectious disease topics and others were featured in a recent "Year-in-review"article on Forbes entitled, Infectious Disease Roundup 2017 -- The Year In Review .
The author, infectious disease physician Judy Stone, MD, joined me to give her thoughts-- scientific, medical and political-- on these issues.
Nearly one year ago, an infectious disease physician named Dr. Steven Beutler wrote a piece in the New Republic where he asked the speculative question–Many mental health professionals believe the president is ill. But what if the cause is an untreated STD? In a Feb. 2017 interview from the radio show, infectious disease physician, Amesh Adalja, MD joined […]
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Nearly one year ago, an infectious disease physician named Dr. Steven Beutler wrote a piece in the New Republic where he asked the speculative question--Many mental health professionals believe the president is ill. But what if the cause is an untreated STD?
In a Feb. 2017 interview from the radio show, infectious disease physician, Amesh Adalja, MD joined me to discuss neurosyphilis and to give his thoughts on the article.
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is caused by a dangerous tick-borne virus, (Nairovirus) of the Bunyaviridae family, that is endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asian countries south of the 50th parallel north – the geographical limit of the principal tick vector. In Sept. 2016, we reported on the first local transmission of the tick-borne infection, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic […]
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Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is caused by a dangerous tick-borne virus, (Nairovirus) of the Bunyaviridae family, that is endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asian countries south of the 50th parallel north – the geographical limit of the principal tick vector.
In Sept. 2016, we reported on the first local transmission of the tick-borne infection, Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Spain.
In an radio interview that month, infectious disease physician and Forbes contributor, Dr. Judy Stone, joined me to discuss the ABCs of CCHF and how climate change and the destruction of the environment put us at risk for the spread of emerging infections like CCHF and others.
Syphilis numbers are growing around the US and around the world as more and more states and countries release data. In this interview from Apr. 2016, I speak to the Director of Communications for the American Sexual Health Association/National Cervical Cancer Coalition, Fred Wyand to discuss the syphilis situation.
We go over the ABC's of syphilis, why the number of cases are increasing, the reported link to apps like Tinder and Grinder and much more.
In this podcast, I pulled out a radio interview from the 4th of July 2016 weekend where the discussion was on foodborne parasites found in the United States. I was joined by microbiologist and the man behind the website, Parasitology Illustrated, Wilson Vientos. We spent at least a half hour talking about the Centers for Disease Control […]
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In this podcast, I pulled out a radio interview from the 4th of July 2016 weekend where the discussion was on foodborne parasites found in the United States. I was joined by microbiologist and the man behind the website, Parasitology Illustrated, Wilson Vientos.
We spent at least a half hour talking about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) list of the top foodborne (and may are primarily waterborne) parasites in the United States– protozoa such as Cryptosporidium spp.,Giardia intestinalis, Cyclospora cayetanensis, and Toxoplasma gondii; roundworms such as Trichinella spp. and Anisakis spp.; and tapeworms such as Diphyllobothrium spp. and Taenia spp.
In this podcast episode, originally from the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show in Mar. 2017, I look at the rare condition, usually brought on by medications or infections, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) with a person that actually went through this painful immune-complex–mediated hypersensitivity complex. Donna Rushing of Tampa was diagnosed with SJS one year ago and talks about the […]
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In this podcast episode, originally from the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show in Mar. 2017, I look at the rare condition, usually brought on by medications or infections, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) with a person that actually went through this painful immune-complex–mediated hypersensitivity complex.
Donna Rushing of Tampa was diagnosed with SJS one year ago and talks about the beginnings of the syndrome, symptoms, diagnosis, the treatment and her long recovery.
About three years ago, the website, VacTruth.com published an article entitled, “10 Reasons Not To Vaccinate”, which laid out such arguments like “Vaccine do NOT work”, “Are vaccines cause a host of ‘chronic, incurable, and life threatening diseases’? and “Vaccines have never been proven safe or effective”. The theme of my Jan. 2015 interview with Director of the […]
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About three years ago, the website, VacTruth.com published an article entitled, “10 Reasons Not To Vaccinate”, which laid out such arguments like “Vaccine do NOT work”, “Are vaccines cause a host of ‘chronic, incurable, and life threatening diseases’? and “Vaccines have never been proven safe or effective”.
The theme of my Jan. 2015 interview with Director of the Vaccine Education Center and a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Paul A. Offit, MD was to examine many of the "10 reasons" and for him to offer his rebuttal.
According to the USGS, White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emergent fungal disease of hibernating bats that has spread from the northeastern to the central United States at an alarming rate. Since the winter of 2007-2008, millions of insect-eating bats in 31 states and five Canadian provinces (as of September 2017) have died from this devastating disease. Bat Conservation International Director […]
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According to the USGS, White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emergent fungal disease of hibernating bats that has spread from the northeastern to the central United States at an alarming rate. Since the winter of 2007-2008, millions of insect-eating bats in 31 states and five Canadian provinces (as of September 2017) have died from this devastating disease.
Bat Conservation International Director of Communication and Public Engagement, Micaela Jemison joined me in this Apr. 2017 interview to discuss WNS, general information about bats and the work of Bat Conservation International.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States with some 200,000 cases reported annually. It is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies directed against the thyroid gland lead to chronic inflammation.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis occurs most commonly in middle aged women, but can be seen at any age, and can also affect men, and children.
Founder and President of the Engelman Health Institute and permanent Clinical Consultant for Cyrex Laboratories, Mark Engelman, MD joined me to go over the nuts and bolts of Hashimoto’s disease in this Aug. 2016 interview.
According to a paper published in AIMS Public Health earlier this year–We estimate the number of lives saved and morbidity reduction associated with the discovery of the first human cell strain used for the production of licensed human virus vaccines, known as WI-38. The diseases studied include poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chicken pox), herpes […]
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According to a paper published in AIMS Public Health earlier this year--We estimate the number of lives saved and morbidity reduction associated with the discovery of the first human cell strain used for the production of licensed human virus vaccines, known as WI-38. The diseases studied include poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chicken pox), herpes zoster, adenovirus, rabies and Hepatitis A.
The number of preventable cases and deaths in the U.S. and across the globe was assessed by holding prevalence rates and disease-specific death rates constant from 1960–2015. Results indicate that the total number of cases of poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, adenovirus, rabies and hepatitis A averted or treated with WI-38 related vaccines was 198 million in the U.S. and 4.5 billion globally. The total number of deaths averted from these same diseases was approximately 450,000 in the U.S., and 10.3 million globally.
“Living legend in the infectious disease world” and creator of the cell strain WI-38, Leonard Hayflick, PhD joined me in this March 2017 interview to discuss the history and development of the WI-38 cell strain, some of the controversy surrounding it and the vaccines that were produced because of it.
Lyme disease is one of the most common infectious diseases in the United States with about 329,000 new cases each year, according to statistics released in 2015 by the CDC. Lyme disease is a potentially disabling infection caused by bacteria transmitted through the bite of an infected tick to people and pets. The efficacy and accepted regimen […]
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The efficacy and accepted regimen of antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease has been a point of significant contention among physicians and patients.
Newly published research finds that the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi survive a 28-day course of antibiotics when treated months after infection. In addition, the study also measured the antibody immune response to the bacteria both pre- and post- treatment, as this is how current diagnostics typically evaluate Lyme disease in humans.
Lead author of the study, Monica Embers, PhD joined me to discuss the research and it's implications. Dr Embers is an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine and an adviser for the Bay Area Lyme Foundation.
Naegleria fowleri is a protozoan parasite , more specifically an amoeba. This lethal parasite is commonly referred to as the “brain eating amoeba” in mainstream media. It is generally considered a rare cause of human infections in the US with a handful of cases (2-3) reported annually on average, almost universally fatal. However, researchers in […]
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Naegleria fowleri is a protozoan parasite , more specifically an amoeba. This lethal parasite is commonly referred to as the “brain eating amoeba” in mainstream media.
It is generally considered a rare cause of human infections in the US with a handful of cases (2-3) reported annually on average, almost universally fatal.
However, researchers in a new study estimate that the number of N. fowleri deaths in the US may be higher than the confirmed cases reported.
Lead author of the research letter published in the CDC journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases and infectious disease doctor in the CDC’s Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch, Dr Jennifer Cope joined me to discuss the study and some other topics concerning N. fowleri and primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).
What is health promotion and what is its role and importance in disease outbreaks? Author of the new book, Health Promotion in Disease Outbreaks and Health Emergencies, Glenn Laverack, PhD joined me on the show to answer these questions and more. He discussed the role of community involvement, communications and social media in a health emergency. In […]
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What is health promotion and what is its role and importance in disease outbreaks?
Author of the new book, Health Promotion in Disease Outbreaks and Health Emergencies, Glenn Laverack, PhD joined me on the show to answer these questions and more.
He discussed the role of community involvement, communications and social media in a health emergency.
In addition, Dr. Laverack discussed in some detail health promotion in specific outbreaks like the West Africa Ebola outbreak, avian influenza and the Zika virus outbreak.
Topics such as rumors and the importance of post outbreak response were also examined.
Tens of millions of animals are used for scientific and commercial research in the US that benefits humans and animals alike. Despite the obvious benefits, animal research draws much criticism in some circles with the most common argument revolving around the case that it is cruel and inhumane.
Director, Center for Comparative Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, Cindy Buckmaster, PhD joined me to look at the whats behind the scenes with animal research and some of the arguments, pro and con.
Dr Buckmaster discussed how animal research benefits human health, your pet's health, the various regulations and protections in place and much, much more.
Meningitis is an inflammation or swelling of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Bacterial meningitis is very serious and potentially deadly. In recent weeks we’ve reported on cases on college campuses like Oregon State University and UMass Amherst. In addition, we’ve seen outbreaks in […]
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Meningitis is an inflammation or swelling of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.
Bacterial meningitis is very serious and potentially deadly.
In recent weeks we’ve reported on cases on college campuses like Oregon State University and UMass Amherst. In addition, we've seen outbreaks in several major cities in the men who have sex with men or MSM population.
Vice President, Director Scientific Affairs and Public Health, Vaccines North America at GlaxoSmithKline, Dr. Leonard Friedland joined me on this podcast to discuss this very important public health issue.
Dracunculus medinensis. The “fiery serpent”. Guinea worm. It is set to become the second human disease in history, after smallpox, to be eradicated. It will be the first parasitic disease to be eradicated and the first disease to be eradicated without the use of a vaccine or medicine. Joining me to discuss this parasite is Parasitology […]
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Dracunculus medinensis. The “fiery serpent”. Guinea worm.
It is set to become the second human disease in history, after smallpox, to be eradicated. It will be the first parasitic disease to be eradicated and the first disease to be eradicated without the use of a vaccine or medicine.
Joining me to discuss this parasite is Parasitology teacher, author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests and friend of the show--Rosemary Drisdelle.
A measles outbreak investigation can be a very expensive task as was demonstrated in the Minnesota outbreak earlier this year when some 79 mostly children were infected costing the health department $2.3 million during the five-month outbreak. Recently in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), an analysis was published looking at the Public Health […]
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A measles outbreak investigation can be a very expensive task as was demonstrated in the Minnesota outbreak earlier this year when some 79 mostly children were infected costing the health department $2.3 million during the five-month outbreak.
Recently in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), an analysis was published looking at the Public Health Economic Burden Associated with Two Single Measles Case Investigations.
I was joined by Grace Marx, MD to discuss the MMWR report. Dr Marx is with the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and is the lead author of the paper.
On today’s show we will be talking about a trematode or fluke that is not seen often in humans, but is fascinating just the same Dicrocoelium dendriticum, or the lancet liver fluke. Joining me to lend her expertise in answering questions about this flatworm is Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome […]
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On today’s show we will be talking about a trematode or fluke that is not seen often in humans, but is fascinating just the same Dicrocoelium dendriticum, or the lancet liver fluke.
Joining me to lend her expertise in answering questions about this flatworm is Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle.
This week is World Antibiotic Awareness Week (Nov 13-19). It's an annual observance to raise awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and use.
Chair and Professor of Medical Laboratory Science at Texas State University, Rodney Rohde, PhD joined me to discuss a variety of issues concerning antibiotic resistance, what's being done at the global/national level and and in the agriculture sector to get this under control and what individuals can do to prevent and control the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Today on the podcast we'll look at the parasitic lung fluke, Paragonimus. Parasitology teacher and author, Rosemary Drisdelle joins me to discuss the life cycle, the geography of a couple of the species and how people contract this food borne trematode, or fluke.
In addition, we talk about disease and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this flatworm.
As always, Rosemary includes an interesting nugget about the parasite, like she does in every episode.
November is Clostridium difficile Awareness Month . The C. diff foundation says over 41 individuals lose their life to a Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the United States of America alone every day — It has no boundaries — It can be acquired by anyone – at any location and at any age.
Infectious disease physician and returning expert guest, Steven LaRosa, MD joined to to discuss several aspects of CDI to include diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), new treatments in the pipeline and the future of vaccines were examined.
With all eyes on Nigeria as they battle a monkeypox outbreak that has affected at least 38 people to date, which even prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to send a team, I wanted to touch on something some may have never heard of, or may have forgotten--the 2003 Monkeypox outbreak in the US.
In this short podcast, I discuss who and how many were affected, how this virus found its way to Middle America (the first known cases reported outside Africa) and why researchers say their were no fatalities (monkeypox has a fatality rate in the ballpark of 10 percent).
Today in our running series on parasites, the topic will be the trematode or fluke, Clonorchis sinensis. Clonorchis sinensis, also known as the “Chinese liver fluke” or “Oriental liver fluke”, is found only in Asia.
When clonorchiasis has been reported in non-endemic areas, the infection was found in Asian immigrants, or following ingestion of imported, undercooked or pickled freshwater fish containing metacercariae.
Joining me as always to lend her expertise in answering questions about Clonorchis is Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle.
What’s the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic and why is this difference important?
What is the difference in pandemic preparedness vs epidemic preparedness?
These questions were raised after a recent PATH publication, "Healthier world, safer America: A US government roadmap for international action to prevent the next pandemic" in a commentary by CIDRAP director, Michael Osterholm, PhD.
Dr Osterholm joined be to answer these and other important questions in this show.
In 2016, more than 7,000 diphtheria cases were reported worldwide with about half reported in India. In addition, diphtheria hasn't been seen in Venezuela in decades; however, under a socialist, dictatorial regime, Venezuela has seen the comeback of this vaccine preventable killer to the tune of 450 cases since the summer of 2016.
In this podcast, I briefly talk a little about the history of diphtheria and some recent epidemics.
I was also joined by Senior Associate with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD who answered questions about transmission, pathology, complications, treatment and the vaccines.
There are three main genera of free living amoeba that infect humans -- Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia, Naegleria that are are important causes of disease in humans and animals.
The topic for today’s podcast will be one of them-- Acanthamoeba. Acanthamoeba is a microscopic, free-living amoeba that can cause rare, but severe infections of the eye, skin, and central nervous system.
Joining me to talk about Acanthamoeba is Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle.
On today's podcast, my special expert guest, Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle and I continue our look into the wonderful world of human parasites sticking with the intestinal nematodes--Trichuris trichiura or whipworm.
Along with the other soil-transmitted helminths we've discussed, hookworms, and Ascaris lumbricoides, they infect more than 1.5 billion people globally, or 24% of the world’s population, accounting for a major burden of disease worldwide.
Today we learned that the Madagascar plague outbreak is spreading rapidly throughout the country with UN health officials now reporting some 1300 cases and more than 100 deaths since August.
Last time I did a podcast on plague just a few short days ago, I gave a short history on the plague--the pandemic through current days. Today, I will look at the transmission, disease and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of human plague.
I also discuss briefly the plague vaccine situation.
Nigeria has over 120 million people at risk nationwide for the mosquito borne parasitic disease, lymphatic filariasis. The most populous country in Africa follows only India as far as endemicity.
Last week, the Carter Center announced after years of work, two states, Plateau and Nasarawa, have eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem- an incredible achievement.
Epidemiologist for health programs with the Carter Center, Gregory Noland, Ph.D. joined me to talk about the disease, the partners and the work that went into this success and what’s next with the Carter Center and the lymphatic filariasis battle in Nigeria.
Plague has a long and storied history throughout the centuries, rivaled by only smallpox.
In this podcast, I look briefly at the three major plague pandemics-The Justinian Plague, the Black Death and the Modern Plague.
In addition, I look at plague in more recent history as it still infects thousands and kills hundreds in several countries across the globe annually.
As many of you know, I’ve been doing a series on the podcast titled Parasites 101. I thought I’d something similar with virology and viruses and I reached out to who I feel is clearly one of the best virologists and virology educators to help me out with this.
So here is the 1st episode of Virology 101 with Professor of Microbiology & Immunology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, Vincent Racaniello, PhD.
Dr. Racaniello answers question like--What is a virus? Are viruses living organisms? and other similar topics in this episode.
With Halloween about two weeks away, people are getting prepared putting together the most detailed costumes, much different than when I was a kid, I might add. While they are transforming themselves into goblins and ghouls using all manner of costume, one item needs to be looked at with some caution--that's novelty contact lenses.
There are some definite health risks associated with the use of novelty contacts and the damage they can do to the eye.
Assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Baylor College of Medicine, Christina Weng, MD, MBA joins me to discuss novelty contacts and the risks involved.
To date we’ve covered several different types of parasites on the podcast--protozoa, tapeworms and roundworms.On today’s episode of Parasites 101 on Outbreak News Interviews, we’ll be looking another soil transmitted helminth--the hookworms.
Joining me as always to answer some questions about the hookworm is Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle.
While most tick bites do not transmit infectious disease, some very serious infections can be contracted from the bite of this vector. There are more than a dozen tickborne diseases in the United States and several others that are found only in other countries.
Massachusetts-based infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa joined me on the show to go over the laboratory testing and findings and treatment of several of the most common tickborne infections seen in the US--anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever and tularemia.
Dr LaRosa also gave his thoughts on some Lyme disease topics to include antibiotic prophylaxis and some testing issues.
Last month, The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a three-year, $800,000 grant to explore predictive analytic techniques using data collected by the MyLymeData patient registry.
LymeDisease.org CEO, Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA joined me to talk about MyLymeData and the NSF grant.
On Sept 20, Hurricane Maria pulverized Puerto Rico, the worst hit the island had taken since 1928. Access to drinking water has been restored to 45% of Puerto Rico — but more than half of the U.S. territory of 3.4 million is still going without.
Reports of some disease outbreaks have already been published, including false reports of cholera.
What are the infectious disease risks we’ll be seeing in Puerto Rico in the near and the distant future post Hurricane Maria?
Joining me to give us his thoughts is Michael Osterholm PhD, Dr Osterholm is the director of CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota.
This week we got the latest data on sexually transmitted infections from a CDC’s annual Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report which told of some serious problems we’re having with STDs in this country.
More than two million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported in the United States in 2016, the highest number ever.
Perhaps most tragic is the continued increase in congenital syphilis. In 2016, there were a total of 628 reported cases of congenital syphilis, including 41 syphilitic stillbirths, and the national rate was 15.7 cases per 100,000 live births. This is nearly double the 334 cases reported in 2012.
Senior Associate with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD joined me to discuss congenital syphilis what’s behind the increase we are seeing.
Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA is a bacteria that is resistant to many common antibiotics. It can cause a variety of problems ranging from are skin infections and sepsis to pneumonia to bloodstream infections.
Monday is World MRSA Day, a day to raise the awareness of MRSA around the globe and to activate survivors, communities, governments, healthcare officials and personnel to join together to stop the spread of this preventable disease.
Founder of MRSA Survivors Network , Jeanine Thomas joined me to discuss MRSA, World MRSA Day and to tell her personal story as a MRSA survivor.
In the latest installment of the Parasites 101 series on the podcast, Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me to discuss the protozoan parasite, Dientamoeba fragilis.
"The unflagellated human flagellate", D. fragilis is a pathogenic protozoan parasite with a world-wide distribution. Interestingly, a resistant cyst stage has not been demonstrated and it is unlikely that its trophozoites can survive successfully outside the human host.
D. fragilis infection may be acute or chronic, and has been reported in both children and adults.
In this podcast, which is a short segment from a comprehensive interview about sepsis I had with infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD this past weekend on the radio show, I pulled out an interesting segment on his views of what laboratory tests he found useful in the diagnosis of sepsis.
In the segment, LaRosa goes into quite a bit of detail on the Complete Blood Count, or CBC and looks at all the useful information a physician can get out of the very common laboratory test.
According to the Sepsis Alliance, sepsis has been named as the most expensive in-patient cost in American hospitals costing billions each year with forty percent of patients diagnosed with severe sepsis not surviving.
September is Sepsis Awareness Month and infectious disease physician and returning guest, Steven P. LaRosa, MD joined me for a comprehensive discussion on this very important topic.
Dr. LaRosa discussed a variety of issues surrounding sepsis to include symptoms, laboratory testing, fluid resuscitation and post-sepsis syndrome to name but a few.
I woke up to this headline in my inbox from the WHO--"The world is running out of antibiotics, WHO report confirms"....Yikes!
A new WHO report was published today Antibacterial agents in clinical development – an analysis of the antibacterial clinical development pipeline, including tuberculosis which shows a serious lack of new antibiotics under development to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Most of the drugs currently in the clinical pipeline are modifications of existing classes of antibiotics and are only short-term solutions. The report found very few potential treatment options for those antibiotic-resistant infections identified by WHO as posing the greatest threat to health, including drug-resistant tuberculosis which kills around 250 000 people each year.
The report identifies 51 new antibiotics and biologicals in clinical development to treat priority antibiotic-resistant pathogens; however, only 8 are classed by WHO as innovative treatments that will add value to the current antibiotic treatment arsenal.
I asked Dr Mike Osterholm, director of CIDRAP to come on the show to share his thoughts on this alarming topic.
In the spring of 2012, a Saudi Arabian man developed symptoms resembling severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. However, it wasn’t caused by the SARS coronavirus. Instead it was identified as a new coronavirus named the Middle East Respiratory syndrome or MERS coronavirus.
Globally, 2080 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV including at least 722 related deaths have been reported to WHO.
Director of CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota and author of the book, Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs, Michael Osterholm, PhD joined me to talk about the threat of MERS on a larger scale and what can be done to prevent it.
One of the bigger stories in recent weeks is the situation of human infections with a strain of Brucella, known as RB51, linked to the consumption of raw, or unpasteurized milk.
Senior Associate with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD joined me to talk about this specific situation, the process of pasteurization, why people choose raw milk and the risks associated with drinking unpasteurized milk.
In this interview from the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show in May 2017, we looked at this amazing story of an individual with a multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infection and the use of an experimental therapy involving bacteriophages — viruses that target and consume specific strains of bacteria.
Case study lead author and the primary physician of the patient, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, Robert Schooley,MD joined me to share the details of the remarkable story.
CDC epidemiologist and author of a recent study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, Dr. Jennifer McQuiston joined me to talk about the tick borne disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and the importance of timely treatment with the drug of choice, doxycycline.
Because the antibiotic carries the warning of tooth staining in children under 8 years of age, some physicians hesitate to treat suspected cases of RMSF in young children putting them at risk of serious infection and possibly death.
McQuiston says, based on the study, “This shouldn’t be a reason to avoid this life-saving drug. Changing the drug’s label may encourage physicians to use doxycycline earlier to treat suspected RMSF in children, which will help save lives.”
This originally aired on the Outbreak News This Week Radio Show on March 29, 2015
In an interview from the radio show in March 2015, I spoke to pediatric infectious disease specialist and research associate professor at the University of the Philippines in Manila, Dr Anna Lena Lopez about the mosquito borne viral disease, Japanese encephalitis (JE).
Besides talking about the ABCs of JE, Dr Lopez also talked about the findings from a study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical diseases about Japanese encephalitis in the Philippines, which she was a lead author.
In addition, in the study Lopez and her colleagues concluded the need to put the JE vaccine on the national vaccination schedule in the Philippines, which she also discussed.
The annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is among the largest mass gatherings in the world draws about 2 to 4 million Muslim pilgrims every year; at least 1.5 to 2 million pilgrims are foreign visitors. This event is happening this week.
For observant Muslims, the Hajj is a religious duty and important act of faith. For public officials in Saudi Arabia and internationally, the Hajj poses serious challenges in the prevention and control of infectious diseases.
Applied epidemiologist at Metabiota, Jaclyn Guerrero, MPH joined me discuss several issues surrounding the Hajj and infectious diseases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on any given day, about one in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection (HAI).Did you know that hospital-acquired infections are the nation’s eighth leading cause of death, just behind diabetes and just ahead of flu and pneumonia?
Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is life-threatening, and without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Each year in the U.S., more than 1.5 million people develop sepsis, and at least 250,000 Americans die as a result.
I had the opportunity to have speaker, advocate and sepsis survivor, Mary Millard on the show to tell the story of her battle against HAI's and sepsis.
In an earlier episode of the podcast we discussed the giant intestinal roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides--a nematode parasite.
Today, we'll look at a nematode that is about the size of a staple--Enterobius vermicularis, or the pinworm.
Pinworm is the most common worm infection in North America, in fact, it is estimated that there are 40 million infections at any one time in the U.S. and 500 million infections worldwide.
Joining me to shed some light on this common parasite is friend to the show, Rosemary Drisdellle, Rosemary is a Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests.
In early 2013, the first reported human cases of H7N9 avian influenza were reported in China. Since that time, more than 1500 cases have been reported with about half the cases reported since last October. About 40% of those infected died.
A study was published this summer in PLoS Pathogens showing the virus being three mutations away from changing into a form that’s easily transmitted between humans.
How worried should we be about this influenza type, it’s potential adaptability to spread among humans and its pandemic potential?
Michael Osterholm, PhD joined me for The Story Behind the Story. Dr Osterholm is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota.
With record amounts of rain and unprecedented flooding, Houston and the southeastern part of Texas have their hand full with rescues, shelters and numerous public safety issues. What about the infectious disease situation that goes along with a natural disaster like this? Waterborne diseases? Mosquito borne diseases? Concerns about tetanus?
I had the opportunity to talk about these issues with the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, Michael Osterholm, PhD on the podcast.
The treatment of Lyme disease is one of the most contentious issues in medicine with people coming from two very different sides of the topic.
In his blog, My thoughts on the future of infectious disease and medicine, Infectious disease physician, Dr Steven LaRosa described some "soul searching" he did recently concerning "the sizable number of poor souls who continue to suffer symptoms after what is considered standard of care treatment".
In a segment from the radio show, Dr LaRosa talks to me about Lyme treatment and the need for more clinical trials.
Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is one of the world’s most pressing public health problems. Infectious organisms adapt to the antimicrobials designed to kill them, making the drugs ineffective. People infected with antimicrobial-resistant organisms are more likely to have longer, more expensive hospital stays, and may be more likely to die as a result of an infection.
What about penicillin allergies? How common are they and how does it impact antibiotic stewardship?
Infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD writes in his blog, My thoughts on the future of infectious disease and medicine, that it is time we get serious about penicillin allergies as part of stewardship.
Dr. LaRosa explains his position in this segment.
In his blog, My thoughts on the future of infectious disease and medicine, Infectious disease physician, Steven LaRosa, MD writes in one post of 21 infectious disease "pearls" or teaching points concerning treatment and diagnosis of infections.
During this interview, I ask Dr. LaRosa to expand on several of them (from the use of Vancomycin to the treatment and interpretation of laboratory results for Babesiosis) in a very informative discussion.
What’s happened to Zika and is the outbreak in the Americas over?
Michael Osterholm, Phd, joined me now to look at the "The Story Behind the Story" on Zika in the Americas. Dr Osterholm is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota.
Montezuma's revenge - Aztec Two Step - whatever nicknames it may be called, if you've experienced it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Traveler's diarrhea is the most common medical issue that people complain of while traveling in less developed countries.
One of parasitic causes of travelers diarrhea is amebiasis, caused by the protozoan parasite, Entamoeba histolytica.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Entamoeba histolytica is well recognized as a pathogenic ameba, associated with intestinal and extraintestinal infections.
In this latest installment of the Parasites 101 series on the podcast, Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me to discuss amebiasis.
Rates of international travel continue to grow substantially. This increasing globalization in travel increases the risk of travel-related illnesses and other health exposures; therefore, health care professionals need to accurately advise travelers about these potential risks.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Global Health at the University of Washington and recognized expert in Tropical medicine, Christopher Sanford, MD joined me to discuss a number of travel health related issues to include vaccines, malaria, yellow fever, traveler’s diarrhea and others during the interview.
Discussions on North Korea's military arsenal -nuclear and conventional- has been headline news, particularly with threats coming from the Hermit Kingdom of missile launches towards Guam.
North Korea’s tight borders make it tough to know great detail on what capabilities they really have.
What about a biological weapons program? What do we know and not know?
Associate professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government’s biodefense program, at George Mason University, and the author of Barriers to Bioweapons: The Challenges of Expertise and Organization for Weapons Development, Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley, PhD joined me for a look at what is actually known about a North Korea bioweapon program.
Lyme disease is among the most contentious of topics in health and medicine. How did a bacterial infection turn into one of the the most controversial and virulent medico-political battles in medical history?
Associate Professor of Microbiology at SUNY Adirondack and co-founder of the Lyme Action Network, Holly Ahern, MS joined me for a discussion on the genesis of the Lyme controversy and new developments concerning Lyme research in diagnostics and other areas.
Diphyllobothrium latum and related species (the fish or broad tapeworm) are the largest known tapeworms that can infect people, can grow up to 35 feet long.
In the latest installment of the Parasites 101 series on the podcast, Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me to talk about Diphyllobothrium latum.
A study, originally published in January in the journal, PLoS One, looked at the differences in geographical distribution of Lyme disease.
Researchers suggests that under environmentally-realistic conditions, southern environments exert greater mortality pressure on ticks than is experienced by northern ticks, because of the increased desiccation stress under the warmer southern conditions.
They hypothesize that host-seeking nymphs in southern populations of Ixodes scapularis remain below the leaf litter surface, while northern nymphs seek hosts on leaves and twigs above the litter surface. This behavioral difference potentially results in decreased tick contact with humans in the south, and fewer cases of Lyme disease.
Howard Ginsberg, PhD, Professor with the Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology at University of Rhode Island joined me to talk about the USGS-led study.
Every year around this time we start to see reports of swimmer's itch around the country. Common lore in the media is that this is caused by "duck fleas" in freshwater and 'sea lice' in salt water; however, this is not correct.
Instead, swimmer’s itch is caused by the larvae of a parasite called schistosomes. A number of birds like ducks and gulls and some mammals like beavers can be infected with the parasite in their blood.
Parasitology teacher and author of Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me to go over the ins-and-outs of swimmer's itch.
Here in the state of Florida, dozens of confirmed cases of the bacterial infection caused by Vibrio vulnificus occur annually, along with dozens more in the other Gulf states.
My guest, Infectious Disease specialist, a Forbes contributor, Judy Stone, MD said in a recent piece, "Infections from Vibrio vulnificus are a summer staple, and are increasing along with global warming."
Dr. Stone joined me to discuss Vibriosis caused by Vibrio vulnificus and the effects of warming seawaters on it's presence in more parts of the world.
Everything in life carries some risk it seems and this includes becoming an inpatient in a hospital. There are a number of risks associated with hospitals and one is acquiring infections--Hospitals are loaded with nasty bugs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on any given day, about one in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection (HAI).
I was joined by Chair & Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) and the Associate Dean for Research, College of Health Professions at Texas State University, Rodney Rohde, PhD to discuss several topics concerning HAIs.
An anti-vaccine sentiment is alive and well in the US and abroad. This is not a new phenomena, but it has seen a resurgence in the past 20 odd years.
What are the arguments, who are the cast of characters and how can become more active in promoting vaccination to friends, family, and the public at large?
Associate Professor at the Kent State University College of Public Health and author of the recently published paper in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy: a Review and Call to Action, Tara C. Smith, PhD joined me on the show to answer these questions.
The modern lifestyle of those in the developed world and it’s emphasis on hyper-cleanliness, is taking a toll on children's lifelong health--Kids not being exposed to good microbes, the over-use of antibiotics and the like have resulted in rises in asthma, allergies and a lengthy list of other chronic conditions.
Coauthor of the book, Let Them Eat Dirt --Saving Your Child from an Oversanitized World and the Peter Wall Distinguished Professor at the University of British Columbia, B. Brett Finlay, PhD joined me to talk about several issues from the book.
Just in the past week, I reported on cyclospora outbreaks in Ontario, Canada and Texas and an increase in cases in New York City on the website, outbreaknewstoday.com.
Parasitologist and author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me to discuss Cyclospora in the latest installment of Parasites 101 on the Outbreak News Interviews podcast.
CIDRAP Director and author of the book, Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs, Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH discussed this investigation from nearly four decades ago.
In 1980, 890 cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) were reported and nine out of 10 cases were associated with menstruation and linked to the use of higher absorbency tampons.
Today, TSS is relatively rare, but but serious clinical syndrome typically caused by bacterial infection due to Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes. Toxic shock progresses quickly. Its symptoms include: sudden fever, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, muscle aches, low blood pressure, rash, and shock with multi-organ dysfunction. The case fatality rate is reported as four percent nationally.
Epidemiologist with the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ryan Maddox, PhD, joined me to discuss Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and other human and animal prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).
A relatively rare tapeworm has popped up in several patients in Alberta, Canada in the past few years, which may not sound like much; however, the only other human case in Canada was in 1928 in Manitoba.
The parasite is called Echinococcus multilocularis and it appearance in Alberta has caught the attention of some infectious disease specialists.
Professor of Medicine and infectious disease expert with the University of Alberta, Stan Houston, MD joined me to discuss this serious parasitic disease and the situation in Alberta.
Who said health care must be expensive and essentially dominated by the US government and insurance companies? Free market options are out there and this sector is growing as the government-insurance cartel crumbles before our eyes.
Wichita, Kansas family physician, Dr. Josh Umbehr joined me to talk about his Direct Primary Care Clinic, which is essentially a membership service, providing health care at a low cost and exceptional service.
Umbehr talks about how his practice works, services provided and patient and doctor savings. Fascinating stuff you don’t want to miss.
Parasitology teacher and writer and the author of the book, Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests, Rosemary Drisdelle joined me on the episode to discuss the soil-transmitted helminth, the giant intestinal roundworm--Ascaris lumbricoides.
Today’s episode will be the first of a series of podcasts I’d like to call Parasites 101, which we’ll try to on a weekly basis.
One of the main issues with Lyme disease is the testing, or the diagnostics as the current two-tier diagnostic approach can be inaccurate up to fifty percent of the time.
Professor in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and inventor of the Global Lyme Diagnostics platform, Richard Marconi, PhD joined me to discuss this new test for Lyme disease.
Learn more about the GLD Test at Global Lyme Diagnostics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says “Hepatitis” means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis. However, hepatitis is most often caused by a virus. In the United States, the most common types of viral hepatitis are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis A has been in the news with some frequency as significant outbreaks have been reported in the Detroit and San Diego areas and Europe is experiencing a big outbreak.
Senior Associate with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Amesh Adalja, MD joined me to answer some questions about hepatitis A.
Since the Haiti cholera outbreak began in October 2010, months after the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake, more than 800,000 cases have been reported, including about 9500 deaths.
Although the numbers have decreased dramatically over the years, the island nation still sees thousands of cases annually.
Today, cholera outbreaks are reported in Kenya, Nigeria, the DRC , Tanzania and most notably Yemen where more than 360,000 suspected cases, including 1800+ deaths have been reported in the past three months.
In fact, according to the humanitarian organization, Oxfam, the number of people with cholera in Yemen is now the largest ever in any country in a single year since records began, topping the previous annual record of 340,311 in Haiti in 2011.
Amesh Adalja, MD joined me to discuss cholera. Dr. Adalja is a Senior Associate with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Lyme disease is a tickborne disease caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferii in which antibiotics are the standard treatment. However, this type of treatment is not always effective and relapses occur.
Researchers in Connecticut have been studying the use of Stevia for the treatment of Lyme disease as an alternative to routine antibiotics.
Professor and Department Chair Department of Biology and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, Eva Sapi, PhD joined me to discuss her research. Dr. Sapi is also Director of the Lyme Disease Program at the school.
Visiting Scientist at the University of Guelph, Jason “The Germ Guy” Tetro, joined me to discuss mumps and the reasons it has made a comeback.
Jason gives a thorough talk on mumps and talks about why mumps has seen a resurgence, as he explains in his recent article in Huffington Post Canada, “The trouble wasn’t due to the vaccine. Instead, it was the virus. It had changed.”
In this Aug. 2013 interview following a correspondence published in the journal, Nature, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Columbia University and founder of Virology Blog, Vincent Racaniello, PhD explains what gain-of function experiments are and went on to make his case of why he was for doing it.
I also introduced some of the arguments against performing these experiments to the prominent virologist for his response.
H1N1, H7N9, H5N1--we hear this "alphanumeric" description of various influenza, or flu viruses all the time.
In this short clip from an older interview, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Columbia University and founder of Virology Blog, Vincent Racaniello, PhD explains more about the Hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA).
The Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Dr Peter Hotez is concerned about measles in his state of Texas, so much that he is raising the alarm by predicting a measles outbreak could happen as early as the winter or spring of 2018.
In an article published in PLoS Medicine last fall, Hotez writes: Measles vaccination coverage in certain Texas counties is dangerously close to dropping below the 95% coverage rate necessary to ensure herd immunity and prevent measles outbreaks.
He tells me during the interview, “Something awful is happening in Texas,” Dr Hotez said. “Texas is becoming the epicenter of what looks like, some neo-antivaxxer movement”. There have been some 50,000 nonmedical or “reasons of conscience” exemptions to school immunization laws, almost double the number of exemptions in 2010.
According to an American Cancer Society annual report, in 2017 there will be an estimated 1.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed and more than 600,000 cancer deaths in the US.
Of this total, a quarter million breast cancer diagnoses and 40,000 deaths are estimated in US women in 2017--the most common cancer reported in women, accounting for nearly a third of all cancers in women.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the American Cancer Society, J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD joined me to discuss a number of issues concerning breast cancer.
For more information, visit the American Cancer Society website or call the Cancer helpline at 800.227.2345
There is likely no bigger accomplishment in medicine and public health that has saved so many lives and prevented so much misery over the decades as the introduction of vaccines.
In the U.S. alone, between 1963 and 2015 nearly 200 million cases of polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, adenovirus, rabies and hepatitis A — and approximately 450,000 deaths from these diseases — were prevented by vaccination, researchers estimate.
Public health physician and a vaccinologist, Melvin Sanicas, MD joined me to discuss several topics on vaccines to include how they are made, how they work and a look at several misconceptions.
Dr. Sanica's professional experience spans the globe and for the past 10 years he has been involved in different stages of drug and vaccine development and research in Asia Pacific, US, Africa, and Europe. He was a Global Health Fellow at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. a fellow of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and a fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), group B strep is the leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in a newborn’s first week of life.
July is International Group B strep awareness month and retired obstetrician and infectious disease specialist, Dr James A McGregor joined me to discuss a variety of topics related to Group B strep.
Dr McGregor also serves on the board of the Group B Strep International , an awareness organization.
Scientist and engineer, Sarah Ferrari, who is a member of the Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease, a coalition of subject matter experts and stakeholders formed to promote best practices on Legionnaires’ Disease prevention joined me in the second part of this interview on Legionnaires' disease and Legionella.
Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the bacterium, Legionella. The bacterium was named after an outbreak in 1976, when many people who went to a Philadelphia convention of the American Legion got sick with pneumonia.
In the United States, approximately 5,000 cases of Legionnaires’ disease are reported annually. However, Legionnaires’ disease is likely underdiagnosed and the true numbers are likely higher.
I was joined by two experts on Legionnaires’ disease, Legionella and water systems–civil engineering/environmental engineer and the Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech, Dr. Marc Edwards and scientist and engineer, Sarah Ferrari, who is a member of the Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease, a coalition of subject matter experts and stakeholders formed to promote best practices on Legionnaires’ Disease prevention.
An article published last year in the European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology, an international, peer-reviewed online journal, was the first to demonstrate the presence of Borrelia biofilm in human infected skin tissues making the spirochete resistant to treatment as the allows it to “hide out” from antibiotics.
Study lead author and Professor and Department Chair at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, Dr. Eva Sapi joined me to discuss the research in this 2016 interview.
“A biofilm is a complex aggregation of microorganisms growing on a solid substrate,” Sapi, who has chronic Lyme disease, said. “Unlike the more familiar free-swimming bacterial forms, cells in biofilms surround themselves with a complex matrix, better known as ‘slime,’ to protect the cells from environmental stresses such as the attack of the immune system or the exposure to antibiotics.”
Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found evidence that the most difficult C. difficile cases, known as multiple recurring C. difficile infections (mrCDI), are rapidly becoming more common.
This is documented in a recent study published in the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine.
Lead author and Professor of Medicine in the Gastroenterology Division and Senior Scholar in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, James Lewis, MD to discuss the study, the findings and the use of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).
A recent study published in the Entomological Society of America’s Journal of Medical Entomology demonstrates the duration of attachment of a single nymphal blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) needed for the tick to be likely to transmit the bacterial species Borrelia mayonii, identified in 2016, is 48 hours or more, according to the study. By 72 hours, however, likelihood of transmission has risen significantly.
This timeframe aligns with existing research on Borrelia burgdorferi, previously the sole bacteria species known to cause Lyme disease in the United States.
Director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory in Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Bobbi Pritt, MD joined me in Feb. 2016 to discuss the discovery of Borrelia mayonii.
23andMe is a popular company that offers genomic analysis for customers using a saliva sample. They offer ancestry testing and health and ancestry testing for 100-200 dollars.
My guest for this show, health law professor at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, Katherine Drabiak, JD warns in a new article, “Caveat Emptor: How the Intersection of Big Data and Consumer Genomics Exponentially Increases Informational Privacy Risks” published in Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine that the consumer should also be aware of how their personal information could be shared.
Rabies is among the deadliest communicable diseases in the world with a case-fatality rate of ~100% with out post exposure treatment and vaccination. People usually get rabies from the bite of a rabid animal. It is also possible, but quite rare, that people may get rabies if infectious material from a rabid animal, such as saliva, gets directly into their eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound.
While human rabies deaths are rare in the US, with maybe 1-2 cases annually, according to the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, some 70,000 people die from this preventable viral disease each year.
Pamela Wilson, LVT, MEd, MCHES joined me for a comprehensive Q & A on rabies. Pamela works for Zoonosis Control with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in Austin and is the author of a number of articles on the topic of rabies.
Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, Durland Fish, PhD joined me to discuss the tickborne virus, Powassan. Dr. Fish talked about the history of Powassan, signs and symptoms, geography and some additional thoughts he had on the serious viral disease.
Baylisascaris procyonis is a roundworm found in the small intestines of raccoons. Humans get infected, albeit rarely (30-something cases have been reported; however, it is probably more common than documented), by accidentally ingesting eggs from the environment, from raccoon feces, contaminated water or fomites.
The three most common disease manifestations of Baylisascaris are larval migrations through the tissues, to the eyes (blindness) and the central nervous system (brain damage).
Professor Emeritus of Veterinary Parasitology at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Kevin Kazacos, DVM, PhD joined me for a comprehensive interview about this little known, but very dangerous parasite.
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new antibiotic into the arsenal for treating serious acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI).
Its called delafloxacin and goes by the trade name, Baxdela and its manufactured by Melinta Therapeutics.
Assistant Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, James McKinnell, M.D. joined me to discuss the importance of this approval.
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new antibiotic into the arsenal for treating serious acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI).
Its called delafloxacin and goes by the trade name, Baxdela and its manufactured by Melinta Therapeutics.
Assistant Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, James McKinnell, M.D. joined me to discuss the importance of this approval.
Lyme disease expert, Clinical Director for the Division of Infectious Diseases and Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Paul Auwaerter joined me to answer questions about Lyme disease diagnostic testing, treatment, chronic Lyme disease and Lyme literate physicians.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States and melanoma is the most dangerous type. In fact, Melanoma kills an estimated more than 10,000 people in the US annually.
Board-certified dermatologist and founder of Forman Dermatology and Skin Cancer Institute in Tampa, Seth Forman, MD joined me for a discussion on the ABC’s of melanoma to include risk factors, things to look for, prevention and treatment.
The parasitic infection, Chagas disease, was first discovered in 1909 by Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated more than 10,000 people die every year from clinical manifestations of Chagas disease, and more than 25 million people risk acquiring the disease.
It is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, and the disease is also referred to as American trypanosomiasis.
Hutchinson Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences at Loyola University New Orleans, Patricia Dorn, PhD joined me to discuss Chagas disease and her class trip to Guatemala.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory disease in humans caused by infection with a hantavirus. Since 1993, some 700 cases of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome have been reported in the United States, with 36 percent resulting in death.
State Public Health Veterinarian for the New Mexico Department of Health, Dr. Paul Ettestad joined me on the show to discuss the ins-and-outs of hantavirus. This interview was originally recorded in late 2014.
Tampa, FL-based dermatologist and founder of Forman Dermatology and Skin Cancer Institute, Seth Forman, MD joined me on the show to talk about the autoimmune condition, psoriasis. Dr. Forman discussed the types of psoriasis, the symptoms, triggers and diagnosis of of the condition.
He also went over the several treatment options available.
In addition, Forman talked about clinical trials taking place for a oral psoriasis treatment.
In 2010, I did an email interview with Blastocystis Research Foundation (BRF) director, Ken Boorom on the parasite Blastocystis hominis and the work done by the BRF. Several years after that, I did an audio interview with Ken to catch up o the latest research and developments concerning the protozoan parasite that afflicts so many.
The Chief Executive Officer of LymeDisease.org, Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA joined me to discuss the issues she has with the report--scientific and ethical. In addition, Ms. Johnson discussed issues concerning chronic Lyme to include treatment and diagnosis--two issues that divide Lyme advocates and the CDC and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
Richard W. Truman, Ph.D., Chief, Laboratory Research Branch with the National Hansen’s Disease Program joined me to talk about leprosy in the United States and recent research published in the journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases entitled “Zoonotic Leprosy in the Southeastern United States”
In the opinion of many, DDT is up there with vaccinations, antibiotics and sanitation as the most important public health measures ever.
Internist and President of Doctors for Disaster Preparedness, Jane Orient, MD joined for me for an interview on the history of DDT, the incredible effectiveness and lives saved, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and the eventual and controversial EPA ban. In addition, we looked at the effects on humans, birds and mammals.
Professor at Laboure College in Milton, MA and biodefense and bioterrorism researcher, Lawrence Roberge PhD joined me to discuss a number of topics in the area of bioterrorism such as a review of the history, some of the agents and much, much more.
Author of the new book, Dirty War: Rhodesia and Chemical Biological Warfare 1975-1980, Glenn Cross, PhD joined me to discuss the book, give some history on the government's long counterinsurgency against native African nationalists and the top secret use of chemical and biological weapons (CBW).
Ringworm. Is it a worm at all? No, in fact it is a fungus and a pretty common one at that. Board-certified dermatologist and founder of the Forman Dermatology and Skin Cancer Institute in Tampa, FL, Seth Forman, MD joined me to discuss the issue of "tinea" or “dermatophytosis" to include symptoms, risk, diagnosis and treatment.
Maddie’s® Clinical Assistant Professor of Shelter Medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Cynda Crawford, DVM, PhD joined me for a discussion on the ABC's of canine influenza, or "dog flu".
Dr Floron (Buddy) C. Faries, Professor & Extension Veterinarian, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and with the National Center for Foreign Animal & Zoonotic Disease Defense, joined Robert Herriman for a thorough look at anthrax for a 2013 interview.
Roger S. Nasci, PhD, Chief of the Arboviral Diseases Branch in the Division of Vector-Borne diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention joined me to discuss Chikungunya in late 2013, soon after the first locally transmitted cases were reported in the Americas.
CDC expert, Jennifer Cope, MD, MPH joined me for a discussion on the "brain-eating amoeba", Naegleria fowleri during the summer of 2013.
New Mexico State Public Health Veterinarian, Dr. Paul Ettestad joined me for this 2013 interview about the plague, specifically in the US.