Senior Biden administration officials said Friday that the United States is preparing for the possible arrival of a more severe version of mpox, which has taken off in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries in Africa resulting in more than 600 deaths there.

US COVID activity remains elevated as some indicators decline Though most indicators showed downward trends, deaths were up compared to the previous week. CIDRAP

The nation's COVID activity remains high, but there are more signs of decline in many areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest updates.

Test positivity showed another small decline and is at 16.4% nationally, but is higher in the Midwest and Middle Atlantic. Emergency department visits declined 10.2% from the previous week, but are still at the moderate level in some of the southeastern states....

World sees hottest summer recorded for second consecutive year Summer temperatures broke records for the second consecutive year, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Newly released data found that 2023 experienced the hottest J… zbudryk The Hill

Summer temperatures broke records for the second consecutive year, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Global cholera deaths rise sharply The analysis also found high levels of community deaths in some countries, which highlights serious gaps in treatment. CIDRAP

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Forty-five countries reported cases last year, one more than in 2022. Though cases were up 13%, deaths rose 71% compared to the previous year. More than 4,000 people died from their infections from a disease that is preventable and treatable, the WHO said.

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H5 influenza vaccines: What needs to be done to reduce the risk of a pandemic As the global threat of H5N1 influenza looms with outbreaks across species and continents including the U.S., three international vaccine and public health experts say it is time to fully resource and ... Science X Medical Xpress

As the global threat of H5N1 influenza looms with outbreaks across species and continents including the U.S., three international vaccine and public health experts say it is time to fully resource and support a robust strategy to address this and future potential pandemic influenza threats, including to consider voluntary vaccination for those now at exposure risk.

RSV vaccine 75% effective against hospitalization in older adults, CDC study estimates The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for older adults was 75% effective against hospitalization in its first season of use, adding to the findings of prelicensure trials, according to a test-negative, case-control analysis published today in JAMA. CIDRAP

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An estimated 60,000 to 160,000 RSV hospital admissions occur each year among US adults aged 65 years and older.

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Wearable activity trackers could offer early clues on COVID-19 For COVID-19 diagnosis, wearables were accurate 88% of the time. CIDRAP

A new study from researchers at the University of South Australia reveals that wearable activity trackers, such as Apple Watches and Fitbits, show promise in detecting early signals of disease—particularly atrial fibrillation associated with stroke and COVID-19. The study is published in the journal JMIR mHealth and uHealth.

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Study puts understanding of long COVID and vaccination into question A new study from researchers at the Mayo Clinic suggests that being vaccinated against COVID-19 does little to prevent long COVID. CIDRAP

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Study: COVID increased gender mortality gaps in wealthy countries A new study in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases analyzed World Health Organization (WHO) data and found COVID-19 increased existing gender mortality gaps in high-income countries until 2021, when COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out. CIDRAP

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After age 45, men die at higher rates in nearly all places and at all ages, the authors wrote. While previous studies have shown men die at higher rates than women from COVID-19, the excess mortality gap has not yet been fully described based on the economic status of countries.

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