Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda draws concern over possibility of international spread A large outbreak of Marburg virus in Rwanda is drawing international concern about the possibility of spread beyond the country’s borders. Helen Branswell STAT

The number of cases detected so far, 27, already makes the outbreak one of the biggest involving Marburg on record. Nine of those individuals have died. There are currently no licensed vaccines to combat the disease. 

Survey: COVID home test results can enhance disease tracking At least one household member and six healthcare workers who encountered the index case-patient are being investigated after showing symptoms of viral infection. CIDRAP

Online nonprobability survey estimates suggest that 54 million US COVID-19 infections went uncounted in official records after home tests were widely deployed and institutional testing waned starting in February 2022. ...

WHO recommends maternal shot and antibody therapy to prevent RSV in infants The recommendations, to administer both the shot and the antibody or either, come after the WHO's strategic advisory group on immunization met last week. For countries that decide to use a maternal vaccine, WHO said it recommends a single shot in the third trimester of pregnancy. Drugmaker Pfizer's shot is approved in the United States for use in women during the middle of the third trimester of pregnancy to protect their babies. Yahoo News

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Health dangers of flooding: Disease, injuries and mental health concerns | CNN Even after a hurricane’s immediate flooding threat goes away, residents could face a host of potential health problems from the water — and what it leaves behind. Jen Christensen CNN

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XEC, like countless others before it, is a part of the omicron family. The variant is closely related to KP.2, the strain targeted by the updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. And both XEC and KP.1 are descendants of the JN.1 strain, targeted by the updated Novavax vaccine.

“I think we have good reason to think that there will be substantial protection from the boosters that are available,” Hanage said.

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Older people should take a new vaccine to protect them against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) Older people should take a new vaccine to protect them against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), according to new research from the University of Aberdeen and the MRC-University of Glasgow Center for ... University of Glasgow Medical Xpress

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Sequencing wastewater material may be the key to getting a grip on the H5N1 bird flu outbreak Opinion: It’s time to take a new approach to monitoring the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows. Torie Bosch STAT

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COVID-19 reinfection ups risk of long COVID, new data show People who had 2 COVID infections were more than twice as likely to report long COVID as those with 1 infection, and the risk rose with more reinfections. CIDRAP

A new survey study reveals that people who had two COVID-19 infections were more than twice as likely—and those who had three or more COVID-19 infections were almost four times more likely—to report long COVID as those with one infection.

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