After a relatively quiet fall, there’s been another spike in cases of bird flu in Michigan. When state officials announced on Dec. 16, 2024, that bird flu had been found…
Tag: Infectious diseases
Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer’s claims threaten public health
Vaccinations provide significant protection for the public against infectious diseases and substantially reduce health care costs. Therefore, it is noteworthy that President-elect Donald Trump wants Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a…
Infectious diseases killed Victorian children at alarming rates — their novels highlight the fragility of public health today
Modern medicine has enabled citizens of wealthy, industrialized nations to forget that children once routinely died in shocking numbers. Teaching 19th-century English literature, I regularly encounter gutting depictions of losing…
Is it COVID-19? Flu? At-home rapid tests could help you and your doctor decide on a treatment plan
A scratchy, sore throat, a relentless fever, a pounding head and a nasty cough – these symptoms all scream upper respiratory illness. But which one? Many of the viruses that…
Airdropping vaccines to eliminate canine rabies in Texas – two scientists explain the decades of research behind its success
Rabies is a deadly disease. Without vaccination, a rabies infection is nearly 100% fatal once someone develops symptoms. Texas has experienced two rabies epidemics in animals since 1988: one involving…
Half of Black gay men will be diagnosed with HIV, despite highly effective preventive treatments − why?
At a pharmacy in Iowa, a 42-year-old Black gay man couldn’t find a medication he needed. The pharmacist, a white woman, told him they didn’t stock that medication. But while…
Avian flu has infected dairy cows in more than a dozen states – a microbiologist explains how the virus is spreading
The current strain of avian flu, H5N1, is responsible for the culling of millions of domestic birds and has sickened more than a dozen farmworkers in 2024, most recently in…
West Nile virus season returns − a medical epidemiologist explains how it’s transmitted and how you can avoid it
West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne illness in the continental U.S., with an average of 2,464 reported cases per year. Every August, West Nile season ramps up, primarily…
What is mpox? A microbiologist explains what’s known about this smallpox cousin
On Aug. 14, 2024, the World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. There have been over 15,600 cases and over 530 deaths reported in the…
Infectious diseases spike when kids return to school − here’s what you can do about it
Ready or not, back-to-school season is here, and kids will be bringing home more than homework. They’ll be carrying germs, too. These viruses and bacteria will be agents that cause…
