Disease

Measles - France - Update

In a follow-up on the measles outbreak in France, health officials continue to report a decrease in cases in the current outbreak. During the past month, an average of 50 cases have been reported weekly. As of June 24, 2018, 2567 cases reported since November 6, 2017. In addition, health officials have reported a second measles death.

Parasitic infection, Strongyloidiasis - Northern Australia

A life-threatening parasitic worm could be quietly infecting up to 60 percent of vulnerable Australians in remote northern communities. Flinders University researchers are warning it should be listed as a nationally notifiable disease because the true extent of its spread remains unknown because basic testing isn’t widespread. Strongyloidiasis is an infection caused by parasitic worms which crawl in through human skin and reproduce inside stomachs and digestive organs indefinitely.

Leprosy - Brazil

The bacteria that causes leprosy, a chronic disease that can lead to disfigurement and nerve damage, is known to be transmitted to humans from nine-banded armadillos. A new study in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases reports that 62% of the armadillos in the western part of Pará state in the Brazilian Amazon are positive for the leprosy bacteria.