Yap Boum, Mbarara University of Science and Technology Walking through the crowded streets of the Pakadjuma neighbourhood in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, I am struck by the vibrant atmosphere around me. Children play happily in puddles, surrounded by piles of plastic bags and open ditches of sewage. Shacks patched
Yap Boum, Mbarara University of Science and Technology The Ebola virus devastated west Africa in 2014, claiming over 11,000 lives in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. It was the largest Ebola outbreak since the virus had first been discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976. Ebola is a terrifying virus which,
3D illustration of Hepatitis C virus. fotovapl/Shutterstock Ashwin Dhanda, University of Plymouth Demand for hepatitis C tests has surged in the UK following the publication of the infected blood inquiry findings in May 2024. According to the BBC, “1,750 people in the UK are living with an undiagnosed hepatitis C infection after being
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that dairy cows in nine states have been infected with bird flu in 2024. U.S. Department of Agriculture, CC BY Jason Lombard, Colorado State University Colorado has highly pathogenic avian influenza – also known as HPAI or bird flu – on a dairy farm, the ninth
ph. Lightspring/Shutterstock Suman Majumdar, Burnet Institute; Brendan Crabb, Burnet Institute; Emma Pakula, Burnet Institute, and Stuart Turville, UNSW Sydney Since it was detected in August 2023, the JN.1 variant of COVID has spread widely. It has become dominant in Australia and around the world, driving the biggest COVID wave seen in many jurisdictions
by Alice Mũrage, Haaris Tiwana, Julia Smith. Originally published on Policy Options With COVID-19 no longer considered a public health emergency of international concern, the federal government is engaging in efforts to improve pandemic preparedness both domestically and globally, recognizing the need to learn from COVID-19 and prepare for the next potential infectious
A 62-year-old man was bitten by a tick while hiking through fields in Spain. Two days later he began to feel ill and was taken to a hospital in Madrid, where his condition deteriorated rapidly. He died on the ninth day of his illness. This was in 2016 and proved to be the
Avian influenza (AI) is a zoonotic viral endemic disease that affects poultry, swine, and mammals, including humans. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is caused by influenza type A virus subtypes H5, and H7 which are naturally carried by a wild bird and often affect domestic poultry. Avian influenza (AI) is a major problem
Avian influenza (AI) is a zoonotic viral endemic disease that affects poultry, swine, and mammals, including humans. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is caused by influenza type A virus subtypes H5, and H7 which are naturally carried by a wild bird and often affect domestic poultry. Avian influenza (AI) is a major problem
Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus (KFDV), discovered in 1957, is a member of the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) complex. Diseases caused by members of the TBEV complex occur in many parts of the world. KFDV produces a hemorrhagic fever in humans in South India and fatal illnesses in both species of monkeys in the