United States: The county health department data shows that Multnomah County has had its largest number of Shigella infections during wintertime since 2012 for two consecutive years, where the January count reached multiple-year high levels. 

Know about Shigella 

The bacterial agent Shigella leads to a human illness that manifests as severe diarrhea alongside fever and fatigue because, historically, physicians referred to it as dysentery. 

The transfer of infected fecal bacteria from one person to the mouth of another person defines the transmission of Shigella based on county health officials. 

From November 2023 to January 2024, Multnomah County documented 72 Shigella infections, excluding those cases where patients contracted the disease overseas, kgw.com reported. 

During this period, 105 cases of Shigella were reported, with a specific total of 40 confirmed infections happening in January. 

Since 2012, the number of Shigella cases in Multnomah County has been growing, and the county recently recorded antibiotic-resistant strains among its local infections. 

Reasons for its spread 

The homeless population experienced most of the outbreaks because their limited access to sanitation services facilitates the transmission of diseases, as the majority of transmission-related infections happened in Old Town. 

The culprit bacteria originate in food outbreaks, but transmission mostly occurs between people through direct sexual contact and by touching unclean objects, which leads to mouth contamination. 

Mild to life-threatening illnesses exist, but individuals usually acquire fatal infections upon contracting Shigella dysenteriae only when it spreads from countries with deficient sanitation systems, kgw.com reported. 

Within Oregon, two main strains of Shigella bacteria exist: Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei, which produce lower severity of illness among infected individuals. 

More than 80 percent of cases in Multnomah County were contracted locally instead of any international connection involved, according to the city health reports. 

United States: Health authorities have declared an active measles outbreak risk at the New York JFK International Airport. 

Medical professionals have confirmed a highly contagious illness in a child who took China Airlines to reach his destination. 

More about the news 

After arriving at Terminal 4, the patient visited two medical facilities until being diagnosed with the illness. 

The shuttle bus route passengers need to undergo testing for a disease from the February 25 period starting at 9:30 pm through 3:15 am, according to public health officials. 

The officials are trying to determine which patients came into contact with the unvaccinated US citizen child, Daily Mail reported. 

One of two persons found with measles after arriving at LAX on the Korean Air flight from Seoul tested positive for the disease on February 19. 

Measles outbreak in US 

A substantial Texas measles outbreak affected at least 173 individuals along with two documented fatalities while becoming the first American reported deaths from measles within this decade. 

The newly appointed health chief, Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has persistently opposed vaccines, expresses his support for immunization. 

Multiple experts agree that declining vaccination levels have made the United States susceptible to increased occurrences of disease outbreaks. 

The transmission of measles occurs through contaminated airborne droplets spread by patient coughs and sneezes as well as breathing activities. 

This disease remains one of the most contagious illnesses in global society since an infected person can transmit it to nine out of ten people in the surrounding region. 

Hospitalization affects four out of ten patients in the US, while the disease proves fatal for approximately three persons out of one thousand treated patients who experience dangerous swelling of their brains. 

The time for infectious droplets to remain airborne reaches two hours, while the disease can show its symptoms between seven to 14 days following infection, Daily Mail reported. 

Most individuals develop a fever, cough, and runny nose, which further turns into a rash, starting at the hairline, to the neck and trunk, and leading its way to till feet. 

United States: Health authorities from New Jersey confirmed three active measles cases in New Jersey as a respiratory disease with contagious transmission that caused nationwide outbreak concerns. 

More about the news 

A resident from Bergen County became the first person to contract confirmed measles during January, and subsequently, two more cases manifested through contact with this original diagnosis. 

The individual has traveled throughout other countries lately. The appearance of two additional measles cases occurred during seven consecutive days. 

The two infected persons shared direct exposure to the patient who traveled. 

According to officials, neither of the patients received vaccination. Health authorities have restricted these three individuals inside their quarantine rooms to prevent new transmission of the virus, nbcnewyork.com reported. 

Reported cases by the authority= 

Seven measles cases were recorded in New Jersey during the previous year. The New York healthcare department has reported two measles cases for this year throughout the city region. 

The entire population of New York City (along with one other case) manifested all 15 confirmed measles cases in New York last year. 

Before medical science introduced the measles vaccination into widespread use, this condition affected children frequently. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that all people without vaccinations will acquire the virus when they encounter it. 

The most life-threatening of all childhood skin fever conditions exists in the form of measles, which stays active in the air for two hours. 

Most visible symptoms 

All symptoms related to measles result in high fever combined with cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes followed by rash development. 

When children contract measles, they usually recover, but several health risks, including pneumonia, blindness, and brain swelling, along with death, become possible dangerous complications, nbcnewyork.com reported. 

One to two children will fall victim to death among 1000 children who acquire measles. Measles causes miscarriages to develop in expecting mothers. 

The confirmed cases in New Jersey emerged while the measles outbreak in Texas rural areas caused its first child-related death. 

As per state health department reports on Tuesday, the outbreak now involves 124 cases across nine counties. 

As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Measles is a respiratory virus disease that can stay alive in the air for up to two hours. 

The reports suggest that almost nine out of ten people who are susceptible would catch the virus after exposure.