Topics in Clinical Biosecurity: Disease Transmission

Listed below are all CBN articles on Disease Transmission published since 2005

• 01-22-2020: A Novel Coronavirus – Determining Its Spread and Severity The last several days of infectious disease headlines have been focused on a mysterious outbreak in Wuhan, China, that has many concerning characteristics.
• 09-12-2019: Organ Transplantation-related Tularemia A new report from the CDC, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, details 3 tularemia cases who acquired infection via organ transplantation.
• 09-09-2019: Respiratory Protection in the Outpatient Setting: The ResPECT Trial A new study attempts to answer the question of whether N95 masks offer greater protection than medical masks to healthcare workers in an outpatient setting.
• 05-14-2019: Understanding the Human-to-Human Transmissibility of Nipah A new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, aims to identify risk factors for human-to-human transmission of Nipah virus in Bangladesh.
• 09-12-2018: Early Vaccinations and Waning Immunity Create Dilemma for Flu Season A review describe rates of waning immunity in a single season among individuals vaccinated against seasonal influenza using the traditional inactivated vaccine.
• 04-13-2018: Monkeypox: Spread in Nonendemic Countries Report on the reemergence of monkeypox in Nigeria after a nearly 40-year absence. The disease has been facilitated by the ending of routine smallpox vaccination
• 01-05-2018: Culture-Negative Septic Shock: Equally Deadly New research shows that the cause of sepsis is often unclear but the outcome is similar whether cultures are positive or not.
• 09-29-2017: Critical Illness and MERS A new retrospective multicenter cohort study focused on critically ill MERS patients in Saudi Arabia and provides important information.
• 07-14-2017: CCHF in Spain: Geographic Dynamics, Nosocomial Spread Two cases of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever due to an African strain were recently in Spain one of which involved nosocomial transmission.
• 01-27-2017: Seoul Virus Outbreak Highlights Ongoing Risk of Zoonotic Viruses CDC has alerted clinicians about an outbreak of Seoul hantavirus in the Midwest related to home-based rat breeding.
• 10-21-2016: Significant Reduction in Hospitalizations Despite Influenza Vaccine Mismatch A study demonstrates that even during a year of influenza vaccine “mismatch,” vaccination may decrease the incidence of hospitalization.
• 09-23-2016: Livestock-associated MRSA: A Foodborne Illness? One of the main fronts in the battle against antimicrobial resistance involves the presence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the food supply.
• 09-02-2016: Vertical Transmission of Zika: Of Epidemiologic Significance? We discuss the epidemiological significance of a new study that suggests that Zika may be passed from one generation of mosquitos to another through their eggs.
• 08-05-2016: Learning from the First Autochthonous Zika Outbreak This issue provides an update on the local transmission of Zika in Florida and speculates on the risk of further transmission in the US.
• 02-19-2016: Zika Virus: Known Unknowns and Unknown Unknowns The apparent explosive spread of the Zika virus and its association with apparent rises in cases of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome is alarming.
• 01-08-2016: An Influenza Viral Swarm infections are actually made up of a swarm of related but distinct virus and that many different variants may be transmitted from one individual.
• 11-06-15: Diminishing Returns with Healthcare Worker Influenza Vaccination? A new study shows limited incremental reduction in nosocomial influenza infections when healthcare worker vaccination rates exceed 50%.
• 06-12-15: West African Travel-Related Illnesses: Not Just Ebola A new study highlights the importance of travel histories—not just for Ebola or MERS. The most frequent cause of fever in travelers from West Africa is malaria.
• 05-01-2015: Asymptomatic H5N1 Avian Influenza Infections A new, well-designed and well-controlled study in Egypt demonstrates a low level of asymptomatic infection in people exposed to backyard poultry.
• 02-06-15: The Role of Camels in MERS Transmission The MERS-CoV, which has been spreading in the Middle East, is likely to have originated in bats, spread to camels, and then spilled into the human species.
• 12-05-2014: Nosocomial Transmission of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) from a US Soldier The case of a US soldier who was fatally infected with CCHF illustrates several important points about caring for hemorrhagic fever patients.
• 11-14-2014:Chagas Disease in the US: An Underestimated Emerging Infectious Disease Threat While many emerging infectious diseases are characterized by rapid, explosive outbreaks, some may be marked by an insidious, unrecognized spread.
• 10-10-2014: Containing Marburg in Uganda Understanding how Uganda responds to this Marburg epidemic will be an example of outbreak management principles that are equally applicable to Ebola.
• 09-26-2014: Tularemia Cases in Colorado Recent reports of cases of tularemia in Colorado should prompt clinicians to consider the diagnosis of tularemia in the right context.
• 09-12-2014: Severe Respiratory Illness due to Enterovirus D68 There are many strains of EV, most cause simple colds but a few have been known to cause outbreaks of severe respiratory disease.
• 08-29-2014: Asymptomatic MERS Cases A study found that a small proportion of individuals exposed to MERS cases may become silently infected. This information is key to controlling the outbreak.
• 05-02-2014: Update on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Over the past several weeks, the pace of the MERS-CoV epidemic, which had been slow but sustained, has increased dramatically.
• 12-20-2013: SARS: Beyond Amoy Gardens A research team revisited the Amoy Gardens SARS outbreak to assess whether the airborne spread of SARS extended beyond the housing complex.
• 08-09-2013: Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Spotlights Risk of Uncommon Pathogen A multistate outbreak of more than 400 cases of Cyclospora infection has thrust a relatively rare—and seldom tested for—protozoan pathogen into the headlines.
• 06-20-2013: New Information on MERS Highlights Need for Infection Control and Broad Case Definition Our evolving understanding of MERS-CoV now makes clear that clinicians and public health authorities should not be too rigid with case definitions.
• 12-21-2012: A Prospective Study of Influenza Shedding in the Community A new paper from the Robert Koch Institute, published in PLOS ONE, offers important insights into viral shedding of influenza.
• 05-11-2012 H5N1 Transmission in Ferrets Two studies of genetically modified H5N1 influenza viruses have sparked debate about the biosecurity risks of increased mammalian droplet transmissibility.
• 02-17-2012: Genetic Susceptibility to Anthrax Study suggests that susceptibility to anthrax toxins may be genetic. This sheds light on the relationship between anthrax toxins and human cell receptors.
• 12-16-2011: Transmission of 2009 Pandemic Influenza to Healthcare Workers A recent study reinforces the importance of droplet precautions, PPE, and other prevention measures during a flu pandemic.
• 01-21-2011: Airborne Transmission of Prions The assumption that prion diseases spread exclusively by ingestion or direct inoculation has been challenged by results of a study by Haybaeck et al.
• 12-03-2010: Cholera in Haiti and Beyond There have been 7 distinct cholera pandemics during the last 2 centuries. The current pandemic, caused by the El Tor biotype, has been occurring since 1961
• 09-17-2010: Hundreds of Cutaneous Anthrax Cases in Bangladesh More than 400 cases of cutaneous anthrax have been reported in Bangladesh. None have been fatal, and all have been linked to infected cattle.
• 09-03-2010: Typhoid Fever: A Reemerging Threat? Salmonella is known for causing gastroenteritis. Organisms of the Salmonella genus also cause the more serious illness typhoid (or enteric) fever.
• 07-30-2010: Is Rift Valley Fever Virus a Real Risk for the United States? With extensive travel occurring between SA and the U.S. during the World Cup, a reappraisal of the risk of RVFV disease in the U.S. is warranted.
• 07-22-2010: Pertussis Resurgent in California Whooping cough, or pertussis, a disease thought by many to be of historical significance only, has steadily resurged and, in a few cases, has been deadly.
• 05-14-2010: Airborne Spread of Clostridium difficile Patients who are infected with C. difficile can shed large amounts of spores; a recent study demonstrates that the spores may also be spread through the air.
• 06-19-2009: Healthcare Workers at Risk for H1N1 Infection There have been cases of H1N1 influenza (A) among HCWs. It appears that all could have been prevented had standard infection control measures been taken.
• 04-29-2009: Can the Current Swine Flu Outbreak Be Contained? In A Word, No Both the WHO and the CDC have concluded that it is no longer possible to contain the outbreak of swine influenza.
• 04-28-2009: Border Restrictions: Not an Effective Means of Preventing the Spread of Swine Flu There have been several news reports that nations have begun to employ thermal fever screens at the border to limit the importation of swine flu.
• 04-17-2009: Adenovirus 14: An Emerging Threat The Journal of Infectious Diseases has just published 2 papers by teams of researchers describing separate, severe outbreaks of Adenovirus 14 (Ad14).
• 01-22-2099: Is Airborne Spread of Influenza Possible? A new study from researchers demonstrates that the influenza virus is able to remain suspended in the air, thus enabling airborne transmission.
• 09-26-2008: Hong Kong Study Finds that Closing Schools May Not Have Helped Slow the Spread of Flu Hong Kong’s efforts to close schools for two weeks during the 2008 influenza season may have done little to limit the community-wide spread of influenza.
• 06-07-2007: Learning from the XDR-TB Experience: Policy Priorities Going Forward Careful examination of government and public responses to the recent case of Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is critical.
• 05-24-2007: OSHA Releases Pandemic Guidance for Healthcare Personnel This 104-page document provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of the occupational health issues related to hospital pandemic preparedness.
• 05-11-2007: CDC Issues Interim Guidance for the Use of Facemasks and Respirators in Non-Occupational Settings during an Influenza Pandemic. Surgical masks and N 95 respirators have been recommended for use by healthcare workers during an influenza pandemic.
• 04-20-2007: WHO Releases Summary of Second Consult on Human H5N1 Infection On April 19, 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) posted a summary of its second expert meeting on clinical aspects of H5N1 infection in humans.
• 02-15-2007: Surgical Masks May Provide Significant Aerosol Protection The relative protection afforded by surgical and N-95 masks is an important issue that is prompting much debate in the process of planning for outbreaks.
• 09-28-2006: Contrary to Prevailing Beliefs, Aerosol may be Significant Mode of Flu Transmission Raymond Tellier examines the assumption that influenza is transmitted from person to person by large respiratory droplets rather than small aerosols.
• 03-09-2006: Recent Avian Flu News: Pay Attention to the People, Not the Cats Against a backdrop of reports of outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza, attention has been most focused in the past week on the discovery of H5N1 in cats in Europe.
• 02-07-2006: Bad Bug II: Community Acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus [CA-MRSA] Community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has become an epidemic problem of serious concern in the U.S. and much of the world.
• 01-06-2006: Bad Bug: The New Epidemic of Clostridium difficile Bad Bug—The New Epidemic of Clostridium difficile: C. difficile was described as the agent of antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis in 1978
• 10-31-2005: Disease Control Measures for Flu Do Public Health and Infection Control Measures Work to Prevent the Spread of Flu? Not much is known about influenza transmission or ways to prevent it.
• 05-02-2005: Marburg Virus Originating in the northern province of Uige in October 2004, the outbreak was not diagnosed as MHF until March 2005.