Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
With Bird Flu Threat On Horizon, Drugmakers Prepare Vaccines For Humans
Reuters: Vaccine Makers Prep Bird Flu Shot For Humans 'just In Case'; Rich Nations Lock In Supplies
Some of the world's leading makers of flu vaccines say they could make hundreds of millions of bird flu shots for humans within months if a new strain of avian influenza ever jumps across the species divide. One current outbreak of avian flu known as H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has killed record numbers of birds and infected mammals. Human cases, however, remain very rare, and global health officials have said the risk of transmission between humans is still low. (Rigby, 3/20)
Reuters: Two New Vaccines Against Bird Flu Effective In Dutch Lab -Govt
Two vaccines tested by a Dutch veterinary research centre have proved effective against highly infectious bird flu in a first experiment conducted under a controlled environment, the Dutch government said on Friday. "Not only did the vaccines give poultry used in the lab protection against disease symptoms but they also countered the spreading of the bird flu," the government said in a statement. (3/17)
CIDRAP: H5N1 Avian Flu Found In UK Dolphins, Swedish Porpoise
Two European countries reported more H5N1 avian flu detections in sea mammals, including two dolphins found dead in the United Kingdom and a stranded porpoise showing symptoms in Sweden. The detections follow outbreaks in seals in North America and sea lions in Peru. (Schnirring, 3/17)
In other health threats —
CIDRAP: Report Describes Locally Acquired Dengue Cases In Arizona
Local scientists and their colleagues from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detail two cases of locally acquired dengue virus (DENV) infection in November 2022 in Maricopa County, Arizona, according to a report today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). (Wappes, 3/17)
KUNM: Mountain West’s Dry Climates Allow Some Airborne Viruses To Live Twice As Long, Study Finds
Humidity can play a big role in how long airborne viruses can survive, according to a new study out of the University of Colorado Boulder. Researchers released airborne particles of a coronavirus similar to the one that causes COVID-19 into chambers with different levels of humidity. They found the particles remained infectious for twice as long in dry environments – like those in much of the Mountain West. (Gibson, 3/17)
The Boston Globe: Tick-Borne Disease Babesiosis Now Considered Endemic In Northern New England
Cases of a tick-borne disease called babesiosis have significantly increased in three New England states, where the illness is now considered endemic, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC concluded that babesiosis is now endemic in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont based on case numbers documented between 2011 and 2019. (Crimaldi, 3/19)
Axios: What To Know About The Antibiotic-Resistant Shigella Bacteria
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month warned about an increase in cases of the drug-resistant bacterial infection Shigella. There are an estimated 450,000 infections in the U.S. each year. The percentage of shigellosis that were resistant to antibiotic treatments increased from 0% in 2015 to 5% in 2022, per the CDC. (Doherty, 3/19)
