Outbreak News Radio

Pan-resistant superbugs, world travel, a love story and the use of a virus to treat a life-threatening infection–and its all absolutely true. The makings of a great book. On this week’s program, I am joined by the authors of The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: A Memoir, Steffanie Strathdee […]

Pan-resistant superbugs, world travel, a love story and the use of a virus to treat a life-threatening infection--and its all absolutely true. The makings of a great book.

On this week's program, I am joined by the authors of The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: A Memoir, Steffanie Strathdee and Tom Patterson.

During the segment we look at the timeline, the research, the players and the wonderful outcome.

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/

The University of Michigan health blog recently reported on a Acanthamoeba case in a Lansing , Michigan woman.

She was initially diagnosed as having pink eye; however, things got worse and after going to six doctors, she was referred to the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center where she was diagnosed with the parasitic infection.

Joining me today to talk about Acanthamoeba and this case is Shahzad Mian, M.D.

Dr. Mian is a professor of ophthalmology at Michigan Medicine.

This week, Sepsis Alliance launched Pediatric Sepsis Week to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis in children and to recognize the tens of thousands of children that develop sepsis every year in the U.S.

Joining me today to talk about pediatric sepsis and the importance of this week is Niranjan Kissoon, MD.

Dr Kissoon is Vice-President of Medical Affairs at BC Children's Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics and Surgery with the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC.

In addition, he is the vice chair of the Global Alliance for Sepsis

Virology blog was the first science website I followed, its been quite a few years now and it was an inspiration to me in using the internet to disseminate information on infectious diseases and up-to-date outbreak news.

Because of my guest today, I saw real value in this type of reporting or blogging.

He is a pioneer in science communication online, podcasting and generally disseminating very important and useful information.

In addition, he is a world renown virologist, particularly in the research of poliovirus.

Please welcome to the show, Professor of Microbiology & Immunology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, Earth's Virology Professor–Vincent Racaniello, PhD.

April 21 marks the beginning of Lab Week 2019, an annual celebration of medical laboratory professionals who play a vital role in health care and patient advocacy!

Joining me today to discuss the medical laboratory profession and the importance of this week is Associate Dean for Research, College of Health Professions & Chair & Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at Texas State University , Rodney E. Rohde, PhD.

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is arguably the most common, preventable cause of neonatal disability in the United States, affecting more than 30,000 children a year.

My guest today started a Change.org petition advocating for congenital CMV to be added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP).

Here to talk more about CMV, the petition and the work of the National CMV Foundation is the President & CEO of the CMV Foundation, Kristen Hutchinson Spytek.

On this weekends show I look at the most controversial news story of the past week--the public health emergency in select zip codes in the neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn in light of the rapidly growing measles outbreak primarily among the Orthodox Jewish community.

In addition, the health order says unvaccinated individuals living in those ZIP codes who may have been exposed to measles will be required to receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in order to protect others in the community and help curtail the ongoing outbreak. Under the mandatory vaccinations, members of the City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will check the vaccination records of any individual who may have been in contact with infected patients. Those who have not received the MMR vaccine or do not have evidence of immunity may be given a violation and could be fined $1,000.

I look a little at the legal and ethical considerations with this order. Also, what is the Jewish community saying about it?

This morning, I was a guest for a segment on the Venezuela health and outbreak crisis on the Captain’s America: Third Watch with Capt. Matt Bruce. During the ~7-8 minute segment, I discussed the outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable diseases, measles and diphtheria and the vector-borne disease, malaria affecting Venezuela and other countries in the region. […]

This morning, I was a guest for a segment on the Venezuela health and outbreak crisis on the Captain's America: Third Watch with Capt. Matt Bruce.

During the ~7-8 minute segment, I discussed the outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable diseases, measles and diphtheria and the vector-borne disease, malaria affecting Venezuela and other countries in the region.