Outbreak News Radio

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 so...

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? an...

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...

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...

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 th...

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 Me...

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...

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 also addressed to President Trump. To answer some questions about ri...

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...

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, PLo...

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 joi...

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. entero...

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 differe...

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 cases were report...

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...

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 pos...

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 f...

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 Afric...

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 i...

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 Ada...

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 an entomology profess...

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...