In The News: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

VeryWell Health

Rats in New York City are becoming more than a nuisance. The New York City Department of Health has released a health advisory after recording six cases of human leptospirosis, an infection with Leptospira bacteria that can be spread through rat urine. In 2023, the city recorded 24 cases, the highest number in a single year.

USA Today

Ticks are the worst kind of pest. Tiny and hard to spot on bare skin, they look like freckles or moles to the naked eye but latch onto hosts, sucking their blood and possibly spreading diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Rabbit fever (tularemia) and Lyme disease.In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported approximately 63,000 cases of Lyme disease.

MDLinx

Earlier this month, an assortment of Planters peanuts and mixed nuts were recalled over concerns they contained Listeria. Similarly, a variety of chocolate-covered pretzels and cookies were recalled due to fears the snacks were riddled with Salmonella. Recently, over 16,000 pounds of raw ground beef sold at Walmart were pulled from the shelves due potentially being contaminated with E. coli.

KENS 5: San Antonio

Many follow home remedies that are not effective. We Verify three of them.

Parade

Get ready for a noisy summer: Double the normal amount of cicadas are predicted to emerge this year. Melodramatically dubbed by some as a "cicada apocalypse," there is a reason why we're going to see so many of them in 2024. Find out everything to know about why there will be so many cicadas in 2024 (AKA a double-brood!), how many cicadas to expect and which states they'll hit the hardest.

Parade

Get ready for a noisy summer: Double the normal amount of cicadas are predicted to emerge this year. Melodramatically dubbed by some as a "cicada apocalypse," there is a reason why we're going to see so many of them in 2024. Find out everything to know about why there will be so many cicadas in 2024 (AKA a double-brood!), how many cicadas to expect and which states they'll hit the hardest.

MSN

Understanding long Covid remains tricky for doctors. There’s no standard clinical definition for the condition or test to diagnose it. It can even go by different names, like post-Covid conditions, long-haul Covid, post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection (PASC), or chronic Covid.

Desert Companion

The infectious diseases defining Nevada’s public health landscape, and the simple solution that eludes officials

KNPR News

We’re in the heart of the holiday season, people are going on vacation. They’re gathering with friends in homes, bars, restaurants; maybe seeing shows in crowded Strip venues. It really is a time for fun and relaxation. And, unfortunately, it’s also a time for something we don’t want to think about after three years of COVID-19: disease. But the reality is, Nevada does seem to be something of a hotbed for communicable disease and infections.

Verywell Health

At one point in 2021, there was a playful culture war pitting #teampfizer against #teammoderna, with social media tags eliciting posts of loyalty for which brand of vaccine eager adults received. Fast forward two years and the brand loyalty has faded, herd immunity has taken hold, and staying up to date on your vaccines can be confusing.

Healthline

The virus is most prevalent in semi-tropical and tropical areas, such as Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Tropical diseases could spread more widely in the U.S. as the climate changes.

Health

Travelers may have an additional step at the airport this holiday season. The CDC is expanding its testing of international air travelers for flu, RSV, COVID-19, and other viruses.