Lessons from Ebola in the Age of Zika

Mike Magee In the run up to the Olympics, and now as they have drawn to a close, Zika has been top medical news when it comes to exotic infectious diseases. It’s story has been so compelling that the mosquito borne disease has pushed Ebola to the sidelines – an epidemic which infected 28,616 Africans […]

ZIKA – What We Know and What We Don’t Know.

CDC source Mike Magee How much do we know about Zika? Natural History: Zika is a neurovirus transmitted across species by mosquitos. It was first described in the Zika Forest of Uganda, in 1947. Thus the name. Compared to two other viral infections endemic to the area – dengue and chikungunya – […]

The Microbial Threat: Why The White House Is Engaged.

Image Credit:Medical Daily.com Mike Magee Infectious diseases are all the rage these days. Bird flu and MERS outbreaks are back in the news. Hepatitis C is pervasive in the Appalachian states, tick-borne Lyme disease is heading north and coliform bacteria is finding its way onto college toothbrushes in CT. Water is being boiled in Utah, Blue Bell ice […]

Ebola Crisis Communications Out Of Control: Time Again For Tony Fauci

Ashoka Mukpo, source/DailyMail UK Mike Magee With the announcement this morning that Nancy Snyderman and her Ebola infected free lance photographer, Ashoka Mukpo, are on their way back to the states from Liberia in a private corporate jet, fundamental questions about transmission of Ebola are being raised. The current situation rings the same crisis communication […]

Why Paper Towels Are Better Than Air Drying In Public Restrooms.

Mike Magee While you wouldn’t know it from the weather on the Eastern seaboard, it’s flu season. The CDC sounded the alert this week that the season has started early.(1) The main three strands are pretty severe, they say, and the flu vaccine is effective against the main culprits. Beyond getting a vaccine, most Americans […]

What Can 4 Million Old Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Teach Us?

Mike Magee Over the years, I’ve had exposure to basic science researchers focused on infectious diseases both in academia and industry. In both environments, I witnessed legitimate concern regarding the inappropriate and overuse of antibiotics and the link to increasing resistance to antibiotics among human pathogens. The issues include exposing patients to long term danger, […]

CDC Focuses On Outpatient Infection In New Guide

The CDC just released a guide of infection prevention recommendations for outpatient services.The guide’s recommendations focus on outpatient (ambulatory care) settings. They emphasize the foundation steps for preventing transmission of infectious agents in all healthcare settings. Links to full guidelines and source documents are provided.

keep looking »