Since late 2023 and throughout 2024, an Oropouche virus (OROV) outbreak in the Americas has left many public health officials unprepared to respond due to the unprecedented number of confirmed cases.
In the WHO region of the Americas, OROV outbreaks and thousands of cases have been confirmed across Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Cuba, and imported cases have been detected in travelers in the USA and Europe.
Oropouche is spread primarily by the bite of infected midges and mosquitoes.
Oropouche Outbreaks Often Detected Outside Large Cities
Pandemic Preparedness Research Network Launched
The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently established a pandemic preparedness research network to research high-priority pathogens most likely to threaten human health to develop effective vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.
The Research and Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic Preparedness network (ReVAMPP) will focus its research efforts on “prototype pathogens,” representative pathogens from virus families known to infect humans, and high-priority pathogens that have the potential to cause deadly diseases.
President-Elect Trump to Pick Mehmet Oz to Head CMS
Oz worked as a heart surgeon before helming a hugely successful daytime talk show, focused on health and medicine
Antiviral Treatment Underutilized for Children, Teens With Flu
Since 2017 to 2018 season, there has been a decrease in the proportion of hospitalized children receiving antiviral treatment
Global Coverage With Measles Vaccine Declined During COVID-19
From 2022 to 2023, there was a 20 percent increase in estimated measles cases worldwide, from 8,645,000 to 10,341,000
Tirzepatide Yields Sustained Weight Reduction in Obesity, Prediabetes
Three years of tirzepatide also reduced risk for progression to type 2 diabetes compared with placebo
One-Dose HPV Vaccinations Save More Women from Cervical Cancer
Four years ago to the day, 194 countries resolved to eliminate cervical cancer, with the World Health Organization (WHO) leading a global strategy. Since then, significant progress has been made.
According to the WHO, on November 17, 2024, at least 144 countries had introduced a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and over 60 countries now include HPV testing in their cervical screening programs, the fourth most common cancer in women.
One STD is Decreasing As Off-Label Vaccine Use Increases
The U.S. CDC recently published a Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance Report for 2023, which provides the latest data on trends for nationally notifiable sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including gonorrhea.
Published on November 13, 2024, this report revealed a total of 601,319 cases of gonorrhea were reported in 2023, making it the second most common nationally notifiable STI in the U.S.
This CDC report shared some good news.
The overall gonorrhea rate declined 7.7% from 2022 to 2023.
America's Dengue Cases Increase 280%
As the global dengue fever outbreak of 2024 reaches new records, the United States, its Territories, and freely associated states are unfortunately exceeding past milestones.
As of November 15, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in the continental U.S., 2,495 dengue cases have been confirmed this year. This compares with 1,540 in 2023.
RSV Hospitalizations Linked to Considerable Burden in Adults
Substantial burden seen in terms of hospitalizations, ICU admissions, in-hospital deaths, especially in those aged 75 years and older