Latest news with #infectiousdisease
National Post
a day ago
- Business
- National Post
Fujirebio Announces Strategic Collaboration with Stanford Medicine to Advance Infectious Disease Research
Article content TOKYO & SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Fujirebio, a leading innovator in in-vitro diagnostics, today announced a collaboration with Stanford Medicine (Location: Palo Alto, California, USA) to advance research and innovation in the field of infectious disease testing. This collaboration aims to accelerate the adoption of ultrasensitive immunoassays that incorporate single-molecule counting technology developed by Fujirebio's Silicon Valley wholly-owned subsidiary, Fluxus, Inc. Greater test sensitivity can better inform treatment decisions in the clinic, as well as accelerate studies towards therapeutics and preventive strategies against infectious disease threats worldwide. Article content 'Infectious diseases remain one of the greatest global health challenges of our time,' says Goki Ishikawa, President and CEO of Fujirebio Holdings, Inc. 'By working with the Stanford Clinical Virology Laboratory under the direction of Professor Benjamin Pinsky and the Stanford Clinical Microbiology Laboratory under the direction of Professor Niaz Banaei, we are bringing together world-class scientific expertise, cutting-edge technology, and global health insights. This collaboration underscores our shared vision to create a healthier, more resilient world.' Article content Article content 'This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our mission to improve public health globally, by combining Fujirebio's global IVD expertise and Fluxus' ultrasensitive detection systems with Stanford's world-renowned research,' says Dr. Peter Wagner, President and CEO of Fluxus, Inc. 'We are thrilled to be working with Stanford University's prestigious infectious disease experts.' Article content About Fujirebio Article content Fujirebio, a member of H.U. Group Holdings Inc., is an R&D-driven company constantly developing new IVD testing technologies and unique biomarkers with high clinical value. Our group mission is to create new value in healthcare and thereby contribute to human health and the future of medical care. Our global teams located in Japan, Asia, Europe, and the US focus on delivering products with the highest quality standards to our customers and partners. We value partnerships with other leading companies in the industry, sharing knowledge, capabilities, and critical materials to supply, develop, or manufacture diagnostic solutions on a wide variety of platforms. For more information, please visit Article content About Fluxus Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Urgent health warning as most contagious disease on Earth is detected at Mall of America
An urgent warning has been issued following the discovery of world's most infectious disease at America's largest shopping mall. Health officials have revealed that a child who visited the Mall of America - which is about the size of 78 football fields - in Minnesota on May 24 has tested positive for measles. The unvaccinated child from Dakota County, who has not traveled outside of Minnesota in the last month, visited the mall's theme park and they were infectious at the time. People who were at the mall on May 24 between 5pm and 9pm may have been exposed as a result. The state's health department warned symptoms of measles - including a blotchy rash, fever and cough - could develop as late as June 14 in those who were exposed. They highlight that unvaccinated people are most at risk and should watch for signs of the viral disease. Another case of measles has also been confirmed in Minnesota but it is not said to be related. This case involves a Washington County adult whose vaccination status is unverified. The individual was exposed to the virus during domestic air travel outside of Minnesota and is currently recovering at home, as is the child who was infected. These incidents bring Minnesota's confirmed measles cases up to four in 2025. The Minnesota Department of Health is now working with local health departments and other Twin Cities locations to contact those who were exposed to either case. Jessica Hancock-Allen, the infectious disease division director at MDH, says the case detected at the Mall of America is particularly concerning as there is currently 'no known source'. She explained: 'Anytime we confirm a case of measles unrelated to travel that has no known source it is worrying. 'This is because it could be a sign that measles is spreading in the community undetected by public health and healthcare systems. 'It is uncertain where the child was exposed and whether others may have been exposed.' The Minnesota cases come as measles cases in the US continue to spike. Currently there have been 1,088 confirmed measles cases and at least three deaths reported by 33 states. Of these cases, three-quarters are in children under the age of 19. In an updated advisory, the CDC is warning that people can get infected with measles during travel or at crowded events, unless they are fully vaccinated or have had the disease. The notice reads: 'Travelers can catch measles in many travel settings, including travel hubs like airports and train stations, on public transportation like airplanes and trains, at tourist attractions, and at large, crowded events. 'Infected travelers can bring the disease back to their home communities where it can spread rapidly among people who are not immune.' The government agency recommends that all travelers be fully vaccinated against measles before traveling to an international destination. The last time measles was this rife in the US was in 2019, when there were 1,274 cases reported for the entire year. Prior to that, the biggest outbreak was in 1990, with numbers spiking to more than 27,000. Measles was officially eradicated in the US in 2000 amid a successful vaccination campaign. At the time, the CDC described achieving measles elimination status in the US as a 'historic public health achievement'. However, a recent study found uptake of the vaccine among children declined in eight in 10 US counties last year, which is being signaled as the cause of the measles resurgence. Overall, vaccine rates fell three percent across the country. It means that merely 91 percent of children are vaccinated against measles, which is well below the 95 percent need to prevent the disease from spreading and causing death. The Johns Hopkins University researchers warned that if vaccination rates continue to fall, measles is likely to completely return and become a common infection among Americans. A majority of those infected as well as the all of the deceased had not received their MMR vaccine - primarily due to vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, experts say. Without the MMR vaccine, which is 97 percent effective at stopping infections, measles is thought to be the most infectious disease in the world. It causes tiny white spots inside the mouth, flat red spots on the neck, torso, arms, legs, and feet, ear infections and an intense fever. In terms of when to get vaccinated, experts say children need two doses of MMR vaccine: the first dose at age 12-15 months, and the second dose at age 4-6 years. Babies ages 6-11 months should get an early dose if traveling internationally. Adults should also check to see if they are immune to measles.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Trump's WHO withdrawal could cost the US dearly
While the Covid-19 pandemic is firmly in the past for many Americans, US households continue to bear the costs of infectious-disease outbreaks. A few months ago, the price of eggs in the US soared to a record high, largely owing to the spread of H5N1 bird flu. Since March 2024, the virus has ravaged US chicken farms, leading to tens of millions of poultry deaths from infection or culling. More ominously, at least 70 human cases of bird flu have been identified in the US, with one death reported in Louisiana. In a recent report about enhancing the response to H5N1 in America and globally, the Global Virus Network, a consortium of the world's top virologists, warned of 'the terrible consequences of underreacting to current threats'. But while bird flu poses the most immediate risk to Americans, it is by no means the only one. Virulent infectious-disease outbreaks in other countries, such as mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ebola in Uganda, Marburg in Tanzania, and multi-country outbreaks of cholera, do not respect borders, and thus are a threat to people everywhere – including in the US. Without the efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO) to contain these outbreaks, the risk of wider transmission would be much greater. This underscores the need for a global agency like WHO to supervise cross-border cooperation – and the shortsightedness of President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the organisation. Despite being the world's richest and most powerful country, America is not immune to another Covid-style calamity, and abandoning multilateralism and neglecting pandemic preparedness (such as the stockpiling of treatments and vaccines) will make it all the more vulnerable. One might think that the deadly spread of Covid-19, prolonged by the emergence of new virus strains, would convince policymakers to strengthen the world's public-health architecture – especially as experts warn that future pandemics could be even worse. But with other leaders indicating that they may follow Trump's example and leave WHO, the resources for pandemic prevention and control could dwindle to the point that global outbreaks become more frequent and difficult to overcome. If Trump follows through with the move, his administration will become increasingly isolated and impotent. American officials, including at US military installations abroad, will lose access to WHO-led and -facilitated global networks that collect and share information about infectious-disease threats and respond to outbreaks. Moreover, the US government will have no say in developing new solutions (which will almost invariably be less effective) for controlling the spread of diseases across borders – including its own. Trump has suggested that he may change his mind, presumably if the grievances set out in his executive order to withdraw the US from the organisation are addressed. This implies that WHO should apply pressure on China to identify the pandemic's origins. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for his part, has refused to accept the Chinese government's prevarications. If Trump can propose a way to determine the cause of Covid-19, I am sure that WHO's leadership would gladly hear it. Trump's second condition is that WHO undertakes reforms and uses its resources more effectively at the local level, with a greater focus on stopping the spread of infectious diseases. This is a demand that can and should be met. To that end, Tedros has already promised more targeted use of funds and implemented other measures to transform the organisation. In addition, under Tedros, WHO has transformed the way it raises funds. Its member states have sharply increased their annual contributions, and it has diversified its donor base to share the funding load more widely. This is all part of WHO's drive to be more sustainably financed, a plan launched as part of Tedros's effort to transform the organisation's operations after he took office in 2017. Back then, he and member states assessed that the departure of a major donor could leave WHO's programmes and independence vulnerable to funding shocks. Who knew it would be the US. But, had those changes not been made, we can only imagine how much more challenging WHO's current financial situation would be. The Trump administration should welcome these changes, not least because it benefits from having a seat at the table. If the US ultimately abandons WHO, developing evidence-based guidance and regulations for chronic-disease prevention and management will be significantly harder, undermining the administration's goal of addressing America's chronic-disease epidemic. The US will also no longer be a part of WHO's medicine prequalification process, a programme that opens a host of new markets for drug producers in a cost-effective manner. Instead, US pharmaceutical companies will be forced to sell their prequalified products to each country individually, putting them at risk of losing access to highly profitable multibillion-dollar markets. Twenty-first-century trends – including more mobility and international travel, greater urbanisation, and increasing human encroachment on nature – fuel the global spread of infectious diseases, to the detriment of everyone. US officials would be better positioned to protect their citizens if they joined – and perhaps even led – a discussion on how WHO and other global health organisations, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, can meet the world's needs. One such initiative, in which the US had been a strong partner until Trump took office, was to negotiate a WHO Pandemic Agreement, which was adopted by consensus by WHO member states at the World Health Assembly on May 20. This historic compact, based on the principles of equity, collaboration, and the reaffirmation of national sovereignty in public-health decision-making, will make the world safer from future pandemics. The US, bolstered by its world-class medical professionals and substantial public investment in medical research, has long exerted considerable influence on global health priorities. But withdrawing from WHO places America on the outside, unable to shape the agency's policy agenda and reforms. When the next pandemic strikes, the US will be left watching from the sidelines, as WHO and its remaining member countries manage the global response and pick up the pieces as they see fit. Gordon Brown, a former prime minister of the UK, is UN special envoy for global education and chair of Education Cannot Wait. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Measles can be a risk during air travel. Here's how to stay safe.
People with measles, a highly contagious disease, are traveling on airplanes, raising concerns about the spread of the respiratory virus as global cases rise and summer travel season gets underway in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that people can get infected with measles during travel or at crowded events, unless they are fully vaccinated or have had the disease.
Japan Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Trump's WHO withdrawal could cost the U.S. dearly
While the COVID-19 pandemic is firmly in the past for many Americans, U.S. households continue to bear the costs of infectious-disease outbreaks. A few months ago, the price of eggs in the United States soared to a record high, largely owing to the spread of H5N1 bird flu. Since March 2024, the virus has ravaged U.S. chicken farms, leading to tens of millions of poultry deaths from infection or culling. More ominously, at least 70 human cases of bird flu have been identified in the U.S., with one death reported in Louisiana. In a recent report about enhancing the response to H5N1 in America and globally, the Global Virus Network, a consortium of the world's top virologists, warned of 'the terrible consequences of underreacting to current threats.' But while bird flu poses the most immediate risk to Americans, it is by no means the only one. Virulent infectious-disease outbreaks in other countries, such as mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ebola in Uganda, Marburg in Tanzania and multicountry outbreaks of cholera do not respect borders and thus are a threat to people everywhere — including in the U.S. Without the efforts of the World Health Organization to contain these outbreaks, the risks of wider transmission would be much greater. This underscores the need for a global agency like the WHO to supervise cross-border cooperation — and the shortsightedness of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the organization. Despite being the world's richest and most powerful country, America is not immune to another COVID-19-style calamity and abandoning multilateralism and neglecting pandemic preparedness (such as the stockpiling of treatments and vaccines) will make it all the more vulnerable. One might think that the deadly spread of COVID-19, prolonged by the emergence of new virus strains, would convince policymakers to strengthen the world's public-health architecture — especially as experts warn that future pandemics could be even worse. But with other leaders indicating that they may follow Trump's example and leave the WHO, the resources for pandemic prevention and control could dwindle to the point that global outbreaks become more frequent and difficult to overcome. If Trump follows through with the move, his administration will become increasingly isolated and impotent. American officials, including at U.S. military installations abroad, will lose access to the WHO-led and -facilitated global networks that collect and share information about infectious-disease threats and respond to outbreaks. Moreover, the U.S. government will have no say in developing new solutions (which will almost invariably be less effective) for controlling the spread of diseases across borders — including its own. Trump has suggested that he may change his mind, presumably if the grievances set out in his executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the organization are addressed. This implies that the WHO should apply pressure on China to identify the pandemic's origins. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for his part, has refused to accept the Chinese government's prevarications. If Trump can propose a way to determine the cause of COVID-19, I am sure that the WHO's leadership would gladly hear it. Trump's second condition is that the WHO undertake reforms and use its resources more effectively at the local level, with a greater focus on stopping the spread of infectious diseases. This is a demand that can and should be met. To that end, Tedros has already promised more targeted use of funds and implemented other measures to transform the organization. In addition, under Tedros, the WHO has transformed the way it raises funds. Its member states have sharply increased their annual contributions and it has diversified its donor base to share the funding load more widely. This is all part of the WHO's drive to be more sustainably financed, a plan launched as part of Tedros's effort to transform the organization's operations after he took office in 2017. Back then, he and member states assessed that the departure of a major donor could leave the WHO's programs and independence vulnerable to funding shocks. Who knew it would be the U.S. But, had those changes not been made, we can only imagine how much more challenging the WHO's current financial situation would be. The Trump administration should welcome these changes, not least because it benefits from having a seat at the table. If the U.S. ultimately abandons the WHO, developing evidence-based guidance and regulations for chronic-disease prevention and management will be significantly harder, undermining the administration's goal of addressing America's chronic-disease epidemic. The U.S. will also no longer be a part of the WHO's medicine prequalification process, a program that opens a host of new markets for drug producers in a cost-effective manner. Instead, U.S. pharmaceutical companies will be forced to sell their prequalified products to each country individually, putting them at risk of losing access to highly profitable multibillion dollar markets. Twenty-first-century trends — including more mobility and international travel, greater urbanization and increasing human encroachment on nature — fuel the global spread of infectious diseases, to the detriment of everyone. U.S. officials would be better positioned to protect their citizens if they joined — and perhaps even led — a discussion on how the WHO and other global health organizations, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, can meet the world's needs. One such initiative, in which the U.S. had been a strong partner until Trump took office, was to negotiate a WHO Pandemic Agreement, which WHO member states adopted by consensus at the World Health Assembly on May 20. This historic compact, based on the principles of equity, collaboration and the reaffirmation of national sovereignty in public-health decision-making, will make the world safer from future pandemics. The U.S., bolstered by its world-class medical professionals and substantial public investment in medical research, has long exerted considerable influence on global health priorities. But withdrawing from the WHO places America on the outside, unable to shape the agency's policy agenda and reforms. When the next pandemic strikes, the U.S. will be left watching from the sidelines, as the WHO and its remaining member countries manage the global response and pick up the pieces as they see fit. Gordon Brown, a former prime minister of the United Kingdom, is U.N. Special Envoy for Global Education and Chair of Education Cannot Wait. © Project Syndicate, 2025.
