outbreak

MMR — the modern combination vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella — provides stronger, longer-lasting protection against measles than the stand-alone measles vaccine typically given in the U.S. in the early 1960s.

Measles Shots Aren't Just For Kids: Many Adults Could Use A Booster Too

7:31pm April 29, 2019

by Allison Aubrey

With U.S. measles cases at record highs, doctors say adults who got vaccinated prior to 1968 should consider getting revaccinated to make sure they and their neighbors are protected.

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This bacterium is the cause of the mystery illness in Liberia. We don't want to give it away ... so you'll have to read the story to find out what it is.

When A Mystery Outbreak Strikes, Who You Gonna Call?

2:33pm May 04, 2018

by Jason Beaubien

It all started with a funeral in Liberia. Guests fell ill but no one knew why. Time to summon the "disease detectives."

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A girl is vaccinated against yellow fever in Rio de Janeiro.

Yellow Fever Encroaches Megacities, Straining Global Vaccine Supply

4:34pm April 12, 2018

by Jason Beaubien

Brazil has launched a massive vaccination campaign to protect against a disease that has killed hundreds of people. But it's facing huge challenges, including a shortage of the yellow fever vaccine.

A measles vaccine, such as the one shown here from a Los Angeles clinic, is highly effective in preventing the spread of measles.

Europe Saw 4-Fold Increase In Measles Cases In 2017

9:08pm February 20, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

In 2017, the disease affected 21,315 people, compared to 5,273 in 2016. Last year, 35 people died in Europe because of measles. The World Health Organizations says unvaccinated people are a factor.

Scientists say low chlorine levels in Flint's water system during the city's water crisis in 2014 and 2015 led the bacterium Legionella pneumophila to proliferate, causing a deadly outbreak of Legionnaire's disease.

Lethal Pneumonia Outbreak Caused By Low Chlorine In Flint Water

11:26pm February 05, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

Two new studies confirm that an outbreak of deadly Legionnaires' disease in Flint, Mich., was caused by the city's water crisis in 2014 and 2015.

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Workers spray to kill fleas in a public school in Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital. A bite from an infected flea can spread the plague, which has stricken 157 people in the island nation since August.

Why 'Plague Season' Is A Big Worry In Madagascar This Year

2:36pm October 04, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

The number of cases has prompted a ban on public gatherings — and concern from the World Health Organization. The disease is spreading in cities and has claimed 30 lives so far.

Health & Safety

Do You Know What 'Vector' And 'Endemic' Mean? We Can Help — Sort Of

6:14am February 07, 2016

by Maanvi Singh

When it comes to talking about infectious diseases, researchers have their own special jargon. But even they aren't always 100 percent sure of the definitions.

A farm in Iowa plans to slaughter more than five million chickens in response to an outbreak of bird flu.

National

Iowa Farm To Kill 5 Million Chickens In Effort To Contain Avian Flu

3:04pm May 12, 2015

by Miles Parks

This is the worst outbreak since the H5N2 influenza was first detected in December. The disease has been found in seven other states over the past five months.

Health & Safety

Poll Finds Support For Mandatory Vaccinations

8:11pm February 25, 2015

North Carolinians take a harder line on requiring vaccinations than the overall US population. That's according to a just-released Elon University poll.

Kenyan health officials take the temperatures of passengers arriving at the Nairobi airport on Thursday. Kenya has no reported cases of Ebola, but it's a transportation hub and so is on alert.

A Virtual Outbreak Offers Hints Of Ebola's Future

8:07pm August 14, 2014

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

As the Ebola outbreak rages in West Africa, it is also unfolding — in a virtual sense — inside the computers of scientists trying to predict how far the outbreak will spread and when it will end.

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