Outbreak News Radio

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and on today's show, we are going to look at four mental health issues -anxiety, adult ADHD, PTSD, and depression. Joining me today to discuss these issues and his personal story is author & social psychologist, Jamie Hughes. Managing Mental Health Watch the video version on YouTube

The warm weather of summer is upon us, people will spend more time doing outdoor activities, as will potentially dangerous pathogens carrying critters like mosquitoes and ticks. My guest today will discuss the risks mosquitoes and ticks pose to Americans across the country. In addition, she'll explain how the public can best protect ourselves and family members from these bloodthirsty pests. Joini...

Antimicrobial resistance is a rising global threat. When these become ineffective, infections can become difficult or impossible to treat, leading to an increase in the spread and severity of disease. In a new study, published in Nature Medicine, a team of researchers at the Center for Phage Biology and Therapy at Yale discovered a novel approach that may revolutionize the fight against antimicrob...

On today's show, I want to take a look at three news stories about rabies recently and have my expert guest break them down. I want to look at the fatal case in a organ transplant recipient, catching rabies from cow's milk and the upsurge in positive raccoons in Quebec. Joining me today is Charles E. Rupprecht, VMD, MS, PhD. Dr Rupprecht is the CEO of Lyssa LLC, a biomedical consulting company and...

Today I want to take a look at the Basic Reproduction Number, or R0 (r-naught). We saw this term become more commonplace in the news and other talk during the COVID-19 pandemic. What is R0 and what does it mean? How do public health officials come up with this number? What are the limitations? And how is it used in everyday public health? Joining me to offer some clarity on R0 is Chandana Bala. Ch...

On today's Livestream special, the topic will be polio. We'll look at, among other things- history, vaccines and the current global situation and the challenges. Joining me will be two great guests to look at this important topic I have first time guest, Andrea Prinzi, PhD. Dr Prinzi is a field medical director of U.S. medical affairs with bioMérieux, Inc And I also have returning guest and friend...

Researchers from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences are closer to developing an oral vaccine for anthrax as demonstrated in a study published earlier this year in the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife medicine. Joining me to discuss this development is Chase Nunez, MS PhD, Jamie Benn, PhD, AWB and Walter Cook, Phd, DVM. To watch the video version- go to Outbreak News TV

My guest today asks the question, What should be done with Obamacare? This comes as Democratic subsidies and the Trump tax cuts are getting closer to expiring. He makes a case for reform. Joining me today is John C Goodman, PhD. Dr Goodman is president and CEO of the Goodman institute for Public Policy Research, a think tank focused on public policy issues. He is also author of a number of notable...

A recent Pew Research Center survey found nearly a third of American adults have a tattoo and almost a quarter have more than one. Today, I'd like to look at some things to consider when deciding on a tattoo-- what risks are there when getting a tattoo and how should you take care of it afterwards? Joining me today to discuss these issues is Adam Friedman, MD. Dr Friedman is a professor and the ch...

The recent Listeria outbreak linked to Boar's Head deli meats have received much national attention. Besides a massive recall of more than 7 million pounds of deli meat, this has been the largest Listeria outbreak in the US in more than a decade. Joining me today to talk about listeria and the outbreak is Brenda Wilson, PhD. Dr Wilson is a professor of microbiology and adjunct professor of pathobi...

A few weeks ago, the CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify healthcare providers, public health authorities, and the public about current increases in human parvovirus B19 activity in the United States. So what is Parvovirus B19 and why this alert? Joining me today to discuss the viral disease is Judy Stone, MD. Judy is an infectious disease specialist and a longtime con...

On today's podcast, we're going to look at a parasite that is relatively common in people, however, and fortunately, actual disease is rare. And that parasite is Toxoplasma gondii. Joining me today for a Toxoplasmosis 101 is Fatima Khan. Fatima is a parasitologist who hails from Islamabad , Pakistan and she has written about parasites for several media outlets.

Oropouche fever is piercing the sphere of mainstream media this year as thousands of cases of the vector borne disease have been reported in the Caribbean and South America. Joining me today for a Q&A on Oropouche fever is Karina Mondragon-Shem, PhD. Dr Mondragon-Shem is a vector biologist who specializes in the ecoepidemiology and social impact of tropical diseases. Oropouche fever: from rainfore...

On today's podcast the topic is meningococcal meningitis. A new article by Drs. Andrea Prinzi and Rodney Rohde published on the American Society for Microbiology website discusses several aspects of the dangerous bacterial disease, plus it is chock full of interesting history. Joining me today to talk about meningococcal meningitis is Rodney Rohde, PhD. Dr Rohde is the Associate Director of the Tr...

On today's podcast I am joined by Scott O'Neill, PhD, scientist and CEO of the World Mosquito Program. In this interview, Dr. O'Neill discusses the ins and outs of the Wolbachia Method and the work of the World Mosquito Program in the battle against mosquito-borne diseases. World Mosquito Program

In Manatee County, Florida, county animal welfare is warning the community about a rise in canine parvovirus, or parvo recently. On today's show, we'll be looking at the ABCs of parvo. Joining me today is Jennifer Miller, DVM. Dr. Miller is the Veterinary Technical Marketer, US Pet Health with Elanco Animal Health .    

A cluster of "atypical" pneumonia cases in Buenos Aires, Argentina has been reported recently and among the cluster, there have been reports of parrot fever. And today we'll answer the question, What is parrot fever? Joining me today to talk about psittacosis, or parrot fever is Chandana Bala. Chandy is the President of Global Insight Advisory Network and writes on the intersection of healthcare a...

My guest today writes that norovirus is known as the perfect pathogen and we'll find out why. In addition, she writes that your blood type could be a factor in your susceptibility for the disease. Joining me today to look at norovirus and some other interesting things abis Madeline Barron, Ph. D. Dr Barron is the Science Communications Specialist at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). Sus...

Pertussis, or whooping cough cases have been on the rise in many places of the world this year, and the Philippines is one of those countries. During the first three months of the year, Philippines health officials have reported well over 1,100 cases, which is a more than 30 fold increase over the same period in 2023. In addition more than 50 deaths have been reported, all in young children Here t...

A vaccine against the bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, that causes melioidosis was tested in a mouse study and found to be highly protective against the disease, according to UCLA researchers. What is Burkholderia pseudomallei? What is melioidosis? And what about this vaccine study? Joining me today to answer these questions and more is Marcus Horwitz, MD. Dr Horwitz is a Distinguished Profes...

It's not a worm, it's a fungus among us. Today's topic is ringworm. Joining me today is Regents Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at Texas State University and author of an article published in The Conversation last year, but a topic still worth discussing. Ringworm fungal infections are common in the US and are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that norovirus infections are sweeping the United States. While all regions have seen an uptick, the Northeast region is being hit particularly hard. So what is norovirus and how can you protect yourself? Joining me today to look at these questions and more is Adriana Glenn, PhD. Dr. Glenn is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursi...

Glaucoma affects over 3 million people in the United States and is often called the "silent thief of sight" because it robs people of vision slowly and without early symptoms. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, a great time to emphasize the importance of regular eye check-ups for early detection of glaucoma and other eye diseases. Joining me today to discuss the ABC's of glaucoma and the importa...

A few weeks ago, Alaska health officials reported the first fatality due to an Alaskapox infection, the first such known case. On today's show, we'll dive into the ABC's of Alaskapox with Bradley Perkins, MD. Dr. Perkins is the Chief Medical Officer at Karius. In addition, he is a former top CDC official who led the anthrax bioterrorism investigation. He was also a leading expert in the more recen...

In 2024 to date, dozens of measles cases have already been reported from multiple states herein the US, according to the CDC. And cases are increasing worldwide as the World Health Organization announced recently reporting more than 300,000 cases in 2023, a 79% increase from the year prior. My guest today writes about measles and immune amnesia: The risk associated with measles infection is much g...