My first guest on the new YouTube program, Outbreak News TV is public health scientist, infectious disease expert and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, or CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota, Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH.

Dr. Osterholm, who has been a guest on the podcast and radio show several times, joined me to discuss his mentors and intellectual heroes, some of the unique and interesting public health roles over the years, the great work being at CIDRAP and a number of public health issues like the current issues with vaccine-preventable diseases, the government dysfunction and health crisis in Venezuela and his constant concern with pandemic influenza, among other topics.

On today’s show, I want to continue my discussion with experts on the measles situation in the US and vaccines and the antivaccine movement. But I also want to look at the Ebola outbreak in DRC.

Joining me today to look at these issues and more is Rob Cohen, MD. Dr. Cohen is a physician, board-certified in preventive medicine, Army veteran, international development worker, and host of the Democrises Podcast.

Outbreaks of measles are currently being reported in Washington state, Oregon, Texas and New York.

In fact, the CDC reported that in 2018, 349 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 26 states and the District of Columbia. This is the second-greatest number of annual cases reported since measles was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.

Much of this can be attributed to people not getting their children or themselves vaccinated.

Joining me today to discuss the importance of vaccinations is Elizabeth “Libby” Richards, PhD. Dr Richards is a professor at the Purdue University School of Nursing.

On this weekend's show I look at several topics in the world of infectious diseases. The measles outbreaks here and abroad are a concern for many and I look at the latest from the US and the Philippines.

I also do a segment of the various infectious disease risks related to dogs.

In the second half, I take a look at the high cost of rabies post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and the appropriate way of dealing with bats and other wild and domestic animals that could be a danger to you and your family.

The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/

I just finished a must read book--a very important book in this day and age. It's called Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism: My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad.

Author, Peter Hotez, MD, PhD joined me to discuss a number of important topics to include autism, the debunked vaccine-autism link, the huge public health success vaccines are and today's anti-vaccine movement.

Despite the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases and public awareness of vaccine importance, why is it so challenging to boost population vaccination coverage to desired levels especially in the wake of declining vaccine uptake?

A new study from Dartmouth College shows that past problems with vaccines can cause a phenomenon known as hysteresis, creating a negative history that stiffens public resolve against vaccination.

Joining me today to talk about this phenomena is lead author, Xingru Chen. Ms. Chen is with the Department of Mathematics at Dartmouth.

On today's show on have two great interviews. First, Metabiota’s director of epidemiology, Patrick Ayscue, DVM joins me to discuss their predictions for the industries that are most likely to be impacted by a healthcare crisis in 2019.

In addition, the Agricultural Program Manager with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Gary Flory joins me for a thorough discussion on the safe management of animal carcasses following an outbreak on a farm.

The Outbreak News This Week Radio Show, the first and only radio program dedicated to infectious disease and health news and information, airs every Sunday at 1 pm ET in the Tampa Bay area on AM 1380 The Biz and online at http://1380thebiz.com/

Last week we learned of the emergence of yet another mosquito-borne virus. It's called Madariaga virus and the human cases were confirmed in several schoolchildren in Haiti--the first time reported in the northern Caribbean.

The cases were documented in a study in the journal, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Joining me to discuss Madariaga virus, the study and what this all means is lead author, J. Glenn Morris, MD. Dr. Morris is the director at the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida at Gainesville.

Earlier this month, the pioneer in epidemic risk modeling, Metabiota, unveiled its predictions for the industries that are most likely to be impacted by a healthcare crisis in the year ahead. I was joined by Metabiota’s director of epidemiology, Patrick Ayscue, DVM to discuss these 2019 predictions.   Related: The Global Virome Project: Providing timely […]

Earlier this month, the pioneer in epidemic risk modeling, Metabiota, unveiled its predictions for the industries that are most likely to be impacted by a healthcare crisis in the year ahead.

I was joined by Metabiota's director of epidemiology, Patrick Ayscue, DVM to discuss these 2019 predictions.