TheRepublic.com - Epidemics News

Cholera outbreak hits Malian refugee camp in Niger

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:55:04 -0400

NIAMEY, Niger - The United Nations refugee agency said that they are working to contain a cholera outbreak in Niger in a refugee camp for people fleeing the conflict in Mali.

After a decade, global AIDS program looks ahead

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:11:23 -0400

WASHINGTON - The decade-old law that transformed the battle against HIV and AIDS in developing countries is at a crossroads. The dream of future generations freed from epidemic is running up against an era of economic recovery and harsh budget cuts.

Maley recommends ways to combat painkiller abuse

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:29:29 -0400

COLUMBIA, South Carolina - Prescription painkiller abuse is rampant in South Carolina, but there's no statewide effort to combat it, the state inspector general said Monday.

Measles surges in UK years after flawed research

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:44:00 -0400

LONDON - More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of now discredited research that linked the vaccine to autism. Now, health officials are scrambling to catch up and stop a growing epidemic of the contagious disease.

Correction: New Virus story

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:10:55 -0400

NEW YORK - In a story May 15 about a new SARS-like virus spreading from patients to health care workers in Saudi Arabia, The Associated Press reported erroneously the location of the 20 deaths attributed to the virus. There have been no deaths reported in France and Qatar, only in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Germany and Britain.

Swine flu found in elephant seals off California

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:02:22 -0400

DAVIS, California - Researchers have detected swine flu in elephant seals off the Central California coast, saying it was the first time a human pandemic strain has been found in marine mammals.

2 new diseases could both spark global outbreaks

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:43:19 -0400

LONDON - Two respiratory viruses in different parts of the world have captured the attention of global health officials - a novel coronavirus in the Middle East and a new bird flu spreading in China.

Tenn. hospital treats drug-dependent babies

Sun, 12 May 2013 13:23:51 -0400

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee - He's less than two weeks old, but he shows the telltale signs of a baby agitated and in pain: an open sore on his chin where he's rubbed the skin raw, along with a scratch on his left check. He suffers from so many tremors that he's been placed in a special area so nurses can watch him around the clock in case he starts seizing -or worse, stops breathing.

Lawyers: Haiti cholera lawsuit threatened at UN

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:03:13 -0400

UNITED NATIONS - A Boston-based human rights group said Wednesday it will sue the United Nations in 60 days if the world body does not agree to compensate Haitian cholera victims, apologize to the Caribbean nation for introducing the disease through its peacekeeping force, and launch a major effort to improve sanitation.

Political leaders join Urban Outfitters initiative

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:34:35 -0400

FRANKFORT, Kentucky - Political leaders in Kentucky are calling on retailer Urban Outfitters to stop selling flasks, shot glasses and pint glasses that look like prescription pill bottles.

Ex-Ind. governor, HHS head Otis Bowen dies at 95

Sun, 05 May 2013 17:53:05 -0400

INDIANAPOLIS - Otis R. Bowen, who overhauled Indiana's tax system as governor before helping oversee the federal response to the burgeoning AIDS epidemic during President Ronald Reagan's second term, has died. He was 95.

Weld County reports whooping cough epidemic

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:24:09 -0400

GREELEY, Colorado - For the second year in a row, Weld County is reporting an outbreak of whooping cough that health officials call an epidemic and the worst in 20 years.