If the good lady, Lynn does not object to an addition of another disturbing disease outbreak to this thread? I have yet to come across it mentioned here. Forgive me if I have missed a relevant post.

Playing politics with Leishmaniasis disease?

I found this to be a little more accurate than other sites reporting of this story.

Poor sanitary conditions can increase the number of places for sandflies to breed, according to the World Health Organization. So ISIS' practice of dumping bodies in the streets could directly increase the risk for Leishmaniasis infection.

But the disease was already spreading through Syria as the health system collapsed after civil war broke out in 2011. Tens of thousands of doctors have since left the country, and by 2013, two out of five hospitals were not in service, according to an article in the BMJ.

By 2012, nearly 53,000 cases of cutaneous Leishmaniasis (the most common type) were reported in Syria, and that's the last official number available. The situation may be even worse now.

The local news story that the State Department tweeted out says the first case was reported in 2013, which is inaccurate, and that by mid-2014, 500 people were infected, which is likely an underestimate.

Leishmaniasis has been a terrible disease native to Syria since at least 900 BC. Worldwide, the WHO estimates that 1.3 million new cases are reported every year; between 20,000 and 30,000 of them are fatal.

I've never heard of this disease. Thanks for the post, Sir Rodney!

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Iran swine flu outbreak kills 33

An outbreak of swine flu in two south-eastern provinces of Iran has killed at least 33 people over the last three weeks, state media report.

Iran's Deputy Health Minister Ali-Akbar Sayyari told the official IRNA news agency 28 had died in Kerman province and five in Sistan-Baluchistan.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35031527

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First Dengue Fever Vaccine Approved by Mexico

A dengue fever vaccine developed by the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has been approved for use by Mexico, the first approval in the world for any vaccine for the disease, which afflicts tens of millions of people around the world and is becoming an increasing threat.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/10/business/first-dengue-fever-vaccine-approved-by-mexico.html

Great!

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Liberia’s Ebola outbreak largely traced to one source

A single introduction of the Ebola virus led to most cases of the deadly disease in Liberia, a new genetic study suggests.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/liberia%E2%80%99s-ebola-outbreak-largely-traced-one-source

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Iran's health minister: Swine flu kills 42 across country

Iran's healthy minister says an outbreak of swine flu has killed at least 42 people in the country over the past month.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/12/10/irans-health-minister-swine-flu-kills-42-across-country.html

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Scientists have found a new strain of bacteria that is resistant to all antibiotics

FOR years experts have warned there would come a day when antibiotics would cease being effective.

And it seems that day could be sooner than first thought after scientists discovered a new superbug that is not just impervious to the last line of defence medication, but has the ability to infect other bacteria.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/scientists-have-found-a-new-strain-of-bacteria-that-is-resistant-to-all-antibiotics/news-story/f643ea45c989c63365c0e50ea4a5f3e0

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80 Children Get Chicken Pox At School With Low Vaccination Rate

An Australian elementary school that calls for "tolerance" of anti-vaxxers is seeing a chicken pox outbreak that's crippling attendance.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chicken-pox-low-vaccination-outbreak_5669d5d4e4b0f290e5227559

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80 Children Get Chicken Pox At School With Low Vaccination Rate

An Australian elementary school that calls for "tolerance" of anti-vaxxers is seeing a chicken pox outbreak that's crippling attendance.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chicken-pox-low-vaccination-outbreak_5669d5d4e4b0f290e5227559

That's 80 children who are now sentenced to getting shingles when they get old.

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80 Children Get Chicken Pox At School With Low Vaccination Rate

An Australian elementary school that calls for "tolerance" of anti-vaxxers is seeing a chicken pox outbreak that's crippling attendance.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chicken-pox-low-vaccination-outbreak_5669d5d4e4b0f290e5227559

That's 80 children who are now sentenced to getting shingles when they get old.

I got them in my early twenty's, not that old.

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Liberia's last Ebola contacts finish quarantine

MONROVIA (Reuters) - More than 160 people deemed at risk of catching Ebola in Liberia finished their mandatory surveillance period on Friday, taking the worst affected country a step closer to ending the epidemic.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN0TV09020151212

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350 Infants Possibly Exposed to Tuberculosis by California Hospital Employee, Says Hospital

More than 300 infants may have been exposed to tuberculosis at a San Jose, California, hospital by one of the employees, the hospital said.

The Santa Clara Valley Medical Center learned in mid-November that an employee who worked in the newborn nursery was suspected of having active tuberculosis, the hospital said in a news release Friday, and the employee was placed on leave.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/350-infants-possibly-exposed-tuberculosis-california-hospital-employee/story?id=35731011

Prays for the infants.

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If the varicella vaccine stopped you getting shingles

Vaccine's don't stop you from getting something you already have! They can help prevent you for getting it in the first place however.

Perhaps you don't realize chickenpox is shingles. One in the same. So chickenpox as kid = shingles as adult, if you live long enough. As you age your immune system quits. As a human you never get over chicken pox, your body just keeps it mowed down so you don't notice it. Age and it comes back. Shingles.

Oh and notice, no chicken pox as kid = no possibility of shingles as adult. No virus in your body!

Then again maybe the anti-vax crowd would like smallpox back.

Oh that stuff about being exposed again and again, that is vaccinate and vaccinate again. Live stuff or deactivated, same immune response, just less chance of complications with deactivated.

BTW humans are terrible at evaluating risk. Compare and contrast the risk of all the travel to/from school (car, bus, walking) with the risk rate of the vaccine. One you accept because it is everyday, the other you don't understand so it is black magic and bad.

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Paracetamol for the flu 'has no effect', say scientists

Official NHS advice which advises flu sufferers to take paracetamol has been contradicted by a new medical study.

The popular drug – which is a key ingredient in many cold and flu remedies – had no success reducing fever or other symptoms like aches and pains, academics found.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/12048064/Paracetamol-for-the-flu-has-no-effect-say-scientists.html

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http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/12/14/liberias-last-ebola-contacts-finish-quarantine.html

Liberia's last Ebola contacts finish quarantine

MONROVIA – More than 160 people deemed at risk of catching Ebola in Liberia finished their mandatory surveillance period on Friday, taking the worst affected country a step closer to ending the epidemic.

Liberia was the first of West Africa's three most badly hit countries to be declared Ebola-free, once in May and again in September, but each time new cases have mysteriously re-emerged.

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First flu death of the season reported in Idaho

A north Idaho woman over the age of 60 has died from an influenza-related illness reports the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

:-)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/state/idaho/article49694835.html

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Brazil reports 1,761 microcephaly cases as mosquito virus spreads

Brazil has reported 1,761 cases of babies born with unusually small brains, or microcephaly, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, as a mosquito-borne disease linked to the condition spread across Latin America.

Brazilian health authorities said last month there was a link between the mosquito-borne Zika virus and a surge in babies born with microcephaly, which can cause developmental and intellectual difficulties and limit intelligence and muscle coordination for life.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-brazil-idUSKBN0TY29R20151215

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Liberia thanks Israel for helping to wipe out its Ebola outbreak

Visiting Liberian senate president says his nation has great admiration for Israel and “can learn much from you in the fields of innovation, technology, agriculture and medical research.”

http://www.statnews.com/2015/12/15/ebola-vaccine-trial/

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Hawaii hit with outbreak of dengue fever, also known as 'breakbone fever'

Hawaii has been hit by an outbreak of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness also known as "breakbone fever" because of the debilitating joint pain it causes.

At least 157 people on the island — known as the Big Island — have been diagnosed with dengue, which causes fever, a rash, intense headaches, severe muscle aches and serious joint pain, according to the Hawaii state health department.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/12/17/outbreaks-tropical-viruses-hit-hawaii-texas-americas/77445906/

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Female survivor may be cause of Ebola flare-up in Liberia

An outbreak of Ebola in Liberia months after the country was declared free of the virus could have stemmed from a survivor who became infectious again after her immune system was weakened by pregnancy, experts investigating the case said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-ebola-liberia-idUSKBN0U02EJ20151217

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Most states unprepared to handle disease outbreak

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Less than half the states in the United States score a five or higher on 10 indicators experts say are key to detecting, diagnosing and responding to outbreaks, according to a new report.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2015/12/18/Most-states-unprepared-to-handle-disease-outbreak/4591450444988/

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