Latest news with #HealthOfficials
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Middle Eastern Headlines at 11:34 a.m. GMT
Israeli strikes kill at least 20 in Gaza, health officials say Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
15-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Deadly flesh-eating bacteria in Florida waters: Vibrio cases decline, but danger persists, data show
Four people in Florida have died this year from Vibrio vulnificus, a rare flesh-eating bacterium found in warm, brackish seawater, among 11 confirmed cases, according to state health officials. That number is down from 2024, when infections peaked with 82 cases and 19 deaths. Health officials linked that spike to Hurricane Helene. Since 2016, Florida has recorded 448 cases and 100 deaths tied to the bacteria. The 2025 deaths have been reported in Bay, Broward, Hillsborough, and St. Johns counties. Additional cases have also been confirmed in Duval, Escambia, Lee, Manatee, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties, as well as a second case in St. Johns. Vibrio vulnificus infections are uncommon, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 80,000 Vibrio cases and 100 related deaths occur each year in the United States. The bacterium poses a heightened risk to individuals with weakened immune systems or chronic health conditions. Here are some key facts about Vibrio vulnificus, according to the CDC: For more information, visit the CDC's Vibrio page.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Arizona resident dies from pneumonic plague, health officials say
A person has died from pneumonic plague in Coconino county, Arizona, the first such death there since 2007 – though officials are saying the death is unrelated to a recent die-off of prairie dogs in the area that may also be plague-related. Health officials in Coconino county, which incorporates part of the Grand Canyon national park and lies north of Flagstaff, confirmed the death on 11 July. Pneumonic plague, a severe lung infection, is rare in humans, with only about seven cases reported annually in the US. Unlike bubonic plague, which killed millions in medieval Europe, it can be spread through airborne droplets. While both are caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, bubonic plague is transmitted through rodent flea bites or contact with contaminated material – and it primarily affects the lymph nodes while pneumonic plague causes pneumonia and respiratory symptoms. Authorities said the person, whose age, name and gender have not been released, had entered the Flagstaff Medical Center emergency department and died on the same day. Hospital operator Northern Arizona Healthcare said in a statement that 'despite appropriate initial management and attempts to provide life-saving resuscitation, the patient did not recover'. The death of the Coconino county resident marks the first recorded pneumonic plague death in the county in 18 years but not the most recent human plague case in Arizona – the state has recorded seven cases of plague since 2006. Nationally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about seven human cases of plague are reported annually across the country, but only 15 plague deaths have been recorded in a 23-year period beginning in 2000. Most cases have been seen in rural areas in the west. Typically, the CDC says, Yersinia pestis cycles naturally among wild rodents. And while most people contract the disease though flea bites, they can become infected through exposure to sick pets, especially cats. The plague death comes as officials in the county are investigating a sudden die-off of prairie dogs north-east of Flagstaff that may be caused by plague. County officials have said they do not think the human plague death and the prairie dog mortalities are related. But they also issued guidelines about how to avoid contracting the plague, including avoiding contact with wild animals, touching sick or dead animals, camping near rodent burrows, or sleeping directly on the ground. They advise using insect repellent and tucking the cuffs of your trouser leg into your socks. Coconino county health officials said the risk of human-to-human transmission of pneumonic plague is low. The last such transmission was in Los Angeles in 1924, according to National Institutes of Health (NIH) data. Still, the symptoms of the Black Death – named for black spots that appeared on infected bodies – remain present. US health officials say plague symptoms typically appear within eight days after exposure and may include fever, chills, headache, weakness and muscle pain, and some may develop swollen lymph nodes (called 'buboes'), most commonly in the groin, armpits or limbs. But the timing of the human plague death, and the prairie dog die-off, is raising concerns. Plague is one of many diseases endemic to the south-western US, including West Nile virus, hantavirus and rabies. Trish Lees, communications manager for Coconino county, told the Arizona Republic the number of prairie dogs that have died was unknown.
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Arizona resident dies from pneumonic plague, health officials say
A person has died from pneumonic plague in Coconino county, Arizona, the first such death there since 2007 – though officials are saying the death is unrelated to a recent die-off of prairie dogs in the area that may also be plague-related. Health officials in Coconino county, which incorporates part of the Grand Canyon national park and lies north of Flagstaff, confirmed the death on 11 July. Pneumonic plague, a severe lung infection, is rare in humans, with only about seven cases reported annually in the US. Unlike Bubonic plague, which killed millions in medieval Europe, it can be spread through airborne droplets. While both are caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, bubonic plague is transmitted through rodent flea bites or contact with contaminated material – and it primarily affects the lymph nodes while pneumonic plague causes pneumonia and respiratory symptoms. Authorities said the person, whose age, name and gender have not been released, had entered the Flagstaff Medical Center emergency department and died on the same day. Hospital operator Northern Arizona Healthcare said in a statement that 'despite appropriate initial management and attempts to provide life-saving resuscitation, the patient did not recover'. The death of the Coconino county resident marks the first recorded pneumonic plague death in the county in 18 years but not the most recent human plague case in Arizona – the state has recorded seven cases of plague since 2006. Nationally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say about seven human cases of plague are reported annually across the country, but only 15 plague deaths have been recorded in a 23-year period beginning in 2000. Most cases have been seen in rural areas in the west. Typically, the CDC says, Yersinia pestis cycles naturally among wild rodents. And while most contract the disease though flea bites, they can become infected through exposure to sick pets, especially cats. The plague death comes as officials in the county are investigating a sudden die-off of prairie dogs north-east of Flagstaff that may be caused by plague. County officials have said they don't think the human plague death and the prairie dog mortalities are related. But they also issued guidelines about how to avoid contracting the plague, including avoiding contact with wild animals, touching sick or dead animals, camping near rodent burrows, or sleeping directly on the ground. They advise using insect repellent and tucking the cuffs of your trouser leg into your socks. Coconino county health officials said the risk of human-to-human transmission of pneumonic plague is low. The last such transmission was in Los Angeles in 1924, according to National Institutes of Health (NIH) data. Still, the symptoms of the Black Death – named for black spots that appeared on infected bodies – remain present. US health officials say plague symptoms typically appear within eight days after exposure and may include fever, chills, headache, weakness and muscle pain, and some may develop swollen lymph nodes (called 'buboes'), most commonly in the groin, armpits or limbs. But the timing of the human plague death, and the prairie dog die-off, is raising concerns. Plague is one of many diseases endemic to the south-western US, including West Nile virus, hantavirus and rabies. Trish Lees, communications manager for Coconino county, told the Arizona Republic the number of prairie dogs that have died was unknown.
Malay Mail
12-07-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
‘I choose to shape up': Dzulkefly vows action as pressure on Health Ministry mounts
PUTRAJAYA, July 12 — Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said today that he was open to views and ready to explain any issues related to his ministry. He added that he accepted criticism as a challenge, not an attack, and that his ministerial post was not a privilege but a heavy duty entrusted by the people. 'Between 'Shape up or ship out', I choose to shape up, not with slogans but with work as I believe correcting the system is more important than building perceptions in leading the Health Ministry. 'I don't promise that everything can be solved, but I do promise, we will listen, we will act and we won't keep quiet,' he said in a statement after a news editor raised concerns about whether the Health Minister would be brave enough to answer all issues about his ministry, including the lack of nurses, the on-call allowance and the ePlacement system. He also shared that his ministry had completed the amendments to the Medicine Act 1971 and the Medicine Regulations 2025 and resolved the registration of Parallel Pathway specialists. The ministry also managed to enforce the the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 and created the Suka-Sama-Suka Posting Swap for ministry officers, he said. 'The ministry also approved additional allocations for hospitals, new and dilapidated clinics as well as strengthened permanent appointments of doctors, nurses and health officials,' he added. — Bernama
