Congratulations To FluTrackers For 10 Years Of Tracking Infectious Diseases

#10,980Today is the 10th anniversary of the opening of FluTrackers, a flu forum comprised of dedicated volunteers who spend countless hours finding, translating, posting and analyzing infectious disease items from sources all over the world.  I've said it before, but it deserves repeating, I couldn't cover near the territory I have in this blog were it not for the hardworking...

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Sandman & Lanard On Zika Risk Communications

#10,979When it comes to designing effective risk communications, Dr. Peter Sandman & Dr. Jody Lanard are about as good as it gets – which is why their services have been used by corporations, organizations, and agencies around the globe – often in the midst of a crisis.Their website is an invaluable repository of risk management advice, that quite frankly, should be...

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Transcript & Audio For Today's CDC Zika Briefing

# 10,978I know many of my readers were not able to listen to today's CDC press briefing on Zika, so I'm happy to report a preliminary transcript and the audio have been quickly posted on the CDC's Media Center website. Transcript for CDC Telebriefing: Zika ...

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WHO Zika SitRep - February 5th

#10,977The World Health Organization has published a 6 page PFD SitRep report on Zika' spread, and concurrent increases in Microcephaly, and Guillain-Barré syndrome in the Americas.Download the full situation report HERE .   I've only excepted the summary. SummaryNeurological syndrome and congenital anomalies Read the full situation report 5 February 2016 An...

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CDC Issues Updated Guidelines For Preventing Sexual Transmission Of Zika

Credit CDC #10,976CDC Director Thomas Frieden held an hour long press conference this morning (a transcript & audio should be  posted on the CDC site later) to announce two new sets of guidance on the Zika virus.  While there is still much that isn't known about the Zika virus and its effects on human health, Dr. Frieden noted in his opening that with each...

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FIOCRUZ: Statement On Detection Of Zika Virus In Saliva and Urine

UPDATED (Feb 6th 0700hrs): Illustrating the risks of proclaiming `Eureka!',  Dr. Ian Mackay on his VDU blog has turned up at least one other instance of live Zika virus detected in urine in Urine found to contain infectious Zika virus...again...# 10,975It isn't news that traces of the Zika virus can be found in urine or saliva, as viral RNA has been detected using RT-PCR...

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The Lancet: Indentification Of Zika Virus Vectors

# 10,974The accepted wisdom - which is echoed in virtually every Zika story - is that the Aedes Aegypti mosquito is the primary vector for the virus. The Aedes Albopictus mosquito is also a suspected Zika vector, but its actual impact on the virus's spread is still unknown. There are, however, more than 3,500 species of mosquito around the globe, and as least 175 can be found...

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