Tragic news has emerged regarding the MV Hondius cruise ship, with three passengers confirmed deceased, two of whom tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus. This strain is believed to have been contracted in South America, with human transmission a possibility. While six individuals, including Britons and Australians, remain on board in the Canary Islands, many passengers are being repatriated, with four Canadians already having returned home and placed under self-isolation. Despite the fatalities, officials deem the risk of a wider outbreak to be very low.
Read More
More than two dozen passengers disembarked from a cruise ship experiencing a deadly hantavirus outbreak without undergoing contact tracing, raising concerns about potential spread. The vessel, which departed from Argentina, has seen at least three passenger deaths, including a Dutch man whose wife later died in South Africa. While the exact movements of all disembarked passengers are unclear, one individual who returned to Switzerland later tested positive for the virus. Experts, however, maintain that the risk of wider public transmission remains low.
Read More
A recent study links two common plasticizing chemicals, DEHP and DiNP, to nearly 2 million premature births and 74,000 newborn deaths globally in 2018. These phthalates, known endocrine disruptors, interfere with hormone production and are associated with numerous developmental and health problems. Despite industry claims of safety for DiNP, the widespread use of these “everywhere” chemicals in consumer products raises significant public health concerns, particularly as prematurity rates rise internationally.
Read More
A measles outbreak has been confirmed at Camp East Montana, the nation’s largest ICE detention facility, with at least 14 individuals testing positive for the highly contagious disease. To prevent further spread, those infected have been separated from the general detainee population. This outbreak comes amidst ongoing concerns about the facility, which has also experienced multiple detainee deaths since its opening last year. Representatives have called for the shutdown of Camp East Montana and an investigation into its contractor, Acquisition Logistics LLC.
Read More
John Q. Hosedrinker