Sarah-Jane O'Connor • Mar 14, 2020 •
At a time when our news headlines are saturated with COVID-19, it could be helpful to look back at a previous disease outbreak for hints of what’s happening now. Back in 2016, the infectious disease of the hour was Zika. Remember the Rio Olympics and fears that Olympians would be infected (there wound up being no cases linked … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 01, 2020 •
With reports that someone in Auckland is being tested for the novel coronavirus, and the WHO declaring the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern here’s my first round-up of some of the week’s coronavirus-related news. New Zealand’s first case? Update 02/02/2020: Test came back negative. Also in the RNZ report is the information that so … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Apr 25, 2018 •
A new study shows that menstrual cups and cotton tampons may not be as safe as people are being led to believe. Diva, Fleur, JuJu, Kiko, Lunette, Me Luna, Mooncup, My Cup, Sckoon, Tāti, Wā, Yuuki. All cutesy names for the same thing: the menstrual cup – a ‘cup’ people insert into their vagina to collect blood during their … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 05, 2016 •
Scientists have just reported that in the lab, the Zika virus can infect and destroy neural stem cells that give rise to the brain’s cerebral cortex. Updated 6/3/2016 to include links to new papers Zika is the virus spread by mosquitoes (and more rarely by sexual transmission) that is currently causing concern across … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 04, 2016 •
Earlier this week the WHO declared the Zika virus outbreak in the Americas a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and yesterday the CDC reported that someone in Dallas had become infected with the virus by having sex with someone infected overseas. Meanwhile, the internet is awash with claims that genetically-modified mosquitoes are to blame for the outbreak in Brazil. In … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Nov 24, 2014 •
With Ebola now moving into Mali, I thought it was time for a quick update and some links. According to the CDC and WHO, as of the 16th November 2014 there have been an estimated 15145 cases, including 5420 deaths. Since the end of October there have been 6 cases in neighbouring Mali; all cases have died. American … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Oct 01, 2014 •
In a press conference earlier today, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that the US has diagnosed its first case of Ebola, in a man who travelled from Liberia to Dallas, Texas, on the 20th of September. The man was asymptomatic while in transit and only developed symptoms around the 24th of September. He sought medical help … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Aug 19, 2012 •
According to to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is currently an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium going on associated with eating cantaloupe melons grown in southwestern Indiana. Infection with S. Typhimurium results if diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after ingesting the bacteria. In most cases, the … Read More
Jim McVeagh • Oct 03, 2009 •
Centre for Disease Control in the US has announced that the H1N1 virus’ genetic makeup now “appears to be stable”. The cynical side of the MacDoctor finds the juxtaposition of this pronouncement on the back of the FDA announcing their approval of the first Swine flu vaccine just a little too convenient. Especially when the [...] … Read More