Tag Archives: Disease

State Officials Report: Oregon Teen Girl has Bubonic Plague

Oregon health officials state that a 16-year-old girl in Crook County has been diagnosed with the bubonic plague.

According to USA Today, the teen is currently in an intensive care at a local hospital and her status isn’t known at this time. The Oregon Health Authority believes the girl contracted the disease via flea bite while she was on a hunting trip. So far, no one else in Crook County has been infected with the plague.

“Many people think of the plague as a disease of the past, but it’s still very much present in our environment, particularly among wildlife,” state public health veterinarian Emilio DeBess told KGW. “Fortunately, plague remains a rare disease, but people need to take appropriate precautions with wildlife and their pets to keep it that way.”

Federal and state health officials are working with local authorities to investigate the disease.

The Bubonic plague is the disease heard of during the medieval times that wiped out the majority of the population, however, it is rare today. CBS News reports that there is an average of seven human plague cases a year. In Oregon, there have only been eight human cases since 1995 with no reported deaths.

If caught early enough, the plague can be treated with antibiotics. There is currently no vaccine for the plague.

Ebola Can Persist in Survivors

Science has discovered a new and scary fact about ebola: it can survive in body parts such as eyes, breasts, and testicles long after leaving the blood stream, making scientists wonder if the disease can even be beaten.

People who contract and supposedly beat the disease can suffer from complications that lead to “post-Ebola syndrome.” This is the case with the recent reported incident with a Scottish nurse, Pauline Cafferkey. Cafferkey recovered from Ebola last year, but is now in “serious condition.” She has been admitted to an isolation unit in London.

Dr. Ben Neuman, a virologist from the University of Reading, told the BBC that the outlook for Cafferkey is good.

“The odds are that she has actually inherited a lucky set of genes and these are probably what protected her the first time and probably what will keep her safe the second time regardless of any treatment. The outlook’s good,” Neuman said.

Post-Ebola syndrome can cause serious health problems, particularly to eyes and joints, according to Neuman.

“The newly discovered twist on this post-Ebola syndrome is that in some cases the health problems – often including damage to the eyes and joints – are caused by live Ebola virus growing in fluids in some of the less accessible compartments of the body,” he added.

Meanwhile in Nigeria, ten people have been quarantined after coming into contact with a person who showed Ebola-like symptoms, a year after the country declared it was Ebola free. Local media states the patient has since died, but no official confirmation has been given.

Ebola is one of the deadliest diseases known to humans. It infected 28,000 people and killed more than 11,300 people in the unprecedented outbreak in West Africa that was declared in March 2014.

Legionnaires’ Disease Closes Three Chicago-Area Schools

Students were sent home and three schools were closed when higher than normal amounts of Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, were found in cooling towers.

The schools were located in the U-46 school district, located 45 miles northeast of Chicago. Officials found the high level of bacteria during an annual air quality check.

The district stated in an alert on their website: “While risk of exposure to the bacteria was low, we decided, in consultation with the Kane County Health Department, to evacuate staff and students to safe locations as a precaution.”

Reuters reported that the district was properly cleaning and sanitizing all 19 water cooling towers. So far, there have been no reports of anyone within the schools contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

Illinois has been concerned with the disease after 12 residents of a western Illinois veteran home died of Legionnaires’ last month. USA Today reports that dozens of home residents have contracted the disease. Legionnaires’ also infected 119 people and killed 12 in the New York City Outbreak earlier this year.

Legionnaires’ disease is a pneumonia-like disease that is caused by inhaling bacteria infected vapor. The vapor can come from air conditioners, showers, or hot tubs. The disease can lead to kidney failure, respiratory failure, and septic shock. Most people recover, but the CDC reports that 5% to 30% who contract the disease will die. It cannot be transmitted between people.

Dengue Fever Outbreak in India

The capital of India is facing a serious outbreak of dengue fever.

Health officials in New Delhi have said the outbreak of the disease is the worst in five years.  They are also putting steps in place to make sure all patients can receive treatment after two children died when hospitals turned them away.

The government said they will be stripping the license of any private hospital that refuses to treat a dengue fever victim.  Also, the government has restricted the cost of tests for the disease to $9 after some private labs were charging more than four times that amount.

The death of one of the boys lead to the suicide of their parent.  The note left behind cited the child’s death and said five private hospitals turned the family away before he was finally admitted at a sixth for treatment, but by then it was too late.

The government confirmed death toll from the disease since the outbreak began has reached 11.  Over 1800 cases have been confirmed by health officials.

The country is experiencing the rainy season and most cases of Dengue Fever happen near the end and in the months right after the rainy season.

Michigan Patient Tests Positive for Plague

A Michigan resident who had been vacationing in Colorado has tested positive for bubonic plague.

The Michigan Department of Health says the unnamed resident is the state’s first ever recorded case of the disease.  They said it’s likely the contracted the disease in Colorado because they visited an area “with reported plague activity.”

The confirmed infection is the 14th case of the life threatening disease this year.  Three people have died from the plague this year: two in Colorado and one in Utah.

The Centers for Disease Control said that the plague has been reported almost exclusively in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado since 1970.  Only one infection has been confirmed to have taken place outside of those states, and that was in a lab environment.

Doctors say the disease is still extremely rare.

“Now, it’s very rare, especially in the U.S. There are only about 7 to 10 cases a year, but it still exists,” medical contributor Dr. Holly Phillips told “CBS This Morning.” “Think of rodents in very rural states — western states, southwest, ranches, farms — that’s likely what happened here.”

The number of overall infections this year is more than double the national average of seven cases.

Ebola Death Leads to Quarantine Zone in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone officials confirmed to world news outlets the death of a 67-year-old woman from Ebola and the quarantine of the entire village where she was living.

“Over 970 people are being monitored under quarantine as there is information that they had had some contact with the deceased woman who tested positive after her death,” the district Ebola response office said in a report distributed to reporters.

“From those under quarantine, 48 are considered as high risk and they are in various holding centers in the district and not treatment centers, as none of them have exhibited any signs and symptoms of Ebola.”

Local officials say that the woman lived in the village of Sella Kafta and was sick for 10 days without any officials being alerted to her symptoms.

Without any further victims of the disease, the quarantine will last three weeks.

A BBC correspondent on the ground the Sierra Leone said the government is using a stricter quarantine than in previous cases.  Residents are being prohibited from moving from house to house.

Soldiers and police are surrounding the town and allowing no one but authorized government officials and health workers to enter or leave the area.

Death Toll in Illinois Legionnaires’ Outbreak Climbs As Infection Spreads

Illinois officials have confirmed another death from Legionnaires’ disease in the same town where seven elderly veterans have died.

The Illinois Department of Public Health says the latest victim was elderly with other health issues like the seven veterans who died from the disease.  However, this woman was not in the care of the facility, just in the same town as the veteran’s home, Quincy.

Four other people are now confirmed to have been infected with Legionnaires’ who are not connected to the veteran’s home.

Illinois state public health director Dr. Nirav Shah said it’s possible more deaths will take place because of the two week incubation period of the disease.

The Centers for Disease Control rushed to the veteran’s home to help local officials deal with the outbreak and remain on site to assist the state in finding the source of the outbreak.

“[State officials] do not believe there is an increased risk of Legionnaires’ disease to the Quincy community,” Dr. Shah told reporters despite the new death and illnesses away from the veteran’s home.

Officials have also told residents of the area who are elderly or sick to avoid the veteran’s home.

Brain Eating Amoeba Results in the Death of 14-Year-Old Athlete

The deadly brain eating amoeba has taken another life.

The family of 14-year-old Michael Riley, Jr. confirmed their son died from naegleria fowleri, or the “brain eating amoeba”, at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

“It is with a heavy heart, that we let everyone know that Michael John Riley Jr. lost his battle on this earth but won a victory for his place in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ,” the family said in a statement on their Facebook page.  “Michael fought a courageous fight over the past week, allowing him to move on to be with the Lord for future heavenly tasks, a beautiful set of wings, and a pair of gold running shoes.”

The death is the fourth this month from someone contracting the deadly amoeba.

Riley was also the second child to die at Texas Children’s Hospital from naegleria fowleri this month.

Riley’s family said their son fell ill after a trip with his track team to swim at San Houston State Park.   Doctors couldn’t figure out why the young athlete was suffering from headaches that continued to worsen until they were unbearable until one doctor at Texas Children’s recognized the symptoms from the previous victim.

“It is unknown why certain persons become infected with (Naegleria fowleri) while millions of others exposed to warm recreational fresh waters do not, including those who were swimming with people who became infected,” the Centers for Disease Control said.

Only 3 of the 133 Americans known to be infected with the amoeba since 1962 have survived their infection.

Plague Claims Another Life

Another western U.S. resident is dead because of the plague.

Officials in Utah say an elderly woman has died after contracting the potentially fatal disease earlier this month.  They could not confirm how the woman was infected but speculated that she likely had contact with a dead animal or fleas.

Utah officials would not release the name of the woman or any demographic information other than she was “elderly.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says 11 plague cases have been found this year in the U.S. and three patients have died.

“It is unclear why the number of cases in 2015 is higher than usual,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated in a brief update.

The average number of cases per year is between 5 and 6.

“Health care providers should consider the diagnosis of plague in any patient with compatible signs or symptoms, residence or travel in the western United States, and recent proximity to rodent habitats or direct contact with rodents or ill domestic animals,” the CDC says in its report.

“In humans, plague is characterized by the sudden onset of fever and malaise, which can be accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.”

Second Yosemite Tourist Infected with Plague

The second tourist within a month to Yosemite National Park has been found to have contracted the plague.

The California Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday a “presumptive positive” for plague in a patient who visited Yosemite and the Sierra National Forest in August.  The Centers for Disease Control is now testing the patient, who’s demographic information is not being released to the press.

In late July, a child from Los Angeles County became infected with the plague after camping with their family at Crane Flat Campground in Yosemite National Park.  The child is still hospitalized but recovering from the infection.

“Although the presence of plague has been confirmed in wild rodents over the past two weeks at Crane Flat and Tuolumne Meadows campgrounds in Yosemite, the risk to human health remains low,” the state Department of Public Health said in a statement. “Action to protect human and wildlife health by closing and treating campgrounds was taken out of an abundance of caution.”

Health officials say that campers should never feed squirrels and other small animals.  They also said for campers to avoid making camp near rodent burrows and to wear long pants and use bug repellant to keep the fleas that carry the disease at bay.

The plague has killed two people so far this year in Colorado.  The Centers for Disease Control says there is an average of seven human plague cases per year in the United States.