Outbreaks

Florida is now facing an outbreak of leprosy (otherwise known as Hansen’s disease) a rare condition caused by a bacteria called mycobacterium lepra. Leprosy is a complex condition. For one, many humans are not even susceptible to the bacteria that causes it. Because of a lengthy incubation period, those who are susceptible can aquire the […]

Hospital infections are on the decline, according to a new report by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It’s the result of an exhaustive campaign to raise awareness about the dangers posed by hospital-acquired conditions, including catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line bloodstream infections, and surgical site infections. The federal government began […]

An outbreak of plague has reportedly killed forty people on the island nation of Madagascar. In total, more than one hundred people have been infected with the bacterial disease since August 2014. In an effort to prevent the spread of the virus, the World Health Organization is cooperating with the Red Cross and Madagascan health […]

It’s feared that up to 75 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) workers may have been exposed to anthrax, a lethal disease. Officials at the CDC are blaming a lax attitude towards safety procedures for the scare. Anthrax is actually caused by a germ known as bacillus anthracis, which lives in the soil. Anthrax […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) — a United Nations agency — has expressed serious concerns about emerging “superbugs” which are resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics. In a new report issued today, WHO says viruses are rapidly developing resistances to antibiotics, making many drugs ineffective against them. “The world is headed for a post-antibiotic […]

The first case of white-nose syndrome (or WNS) was discovered West of Charlottetown, near Bonshaw, earlier this month. The dead bat was sent to Charlottetown’s Atlantic Veterinary College and diagnostic tests have confirmed the bat died of WNS. WNS is a fungal infection that causes bats to die wake up during hibernation and die due […]