Infectious Information 2/8/2026

At least two measles cases Were confirmed inside the Dilley, Texas detention center. Do not expect ICE to act responsibly about this.

And Ave Maria University in Florida is having a major Outbreak of measles.  Because when you let “religion” override science, this sort of thing happens.

Some of the children hospitalized with measles In South Carolina are suffering encephalitis.  But complications like this are not “reportable” so we don’t have actual numbers.

It is possible that the diabetes drug metformin May help prevent long Covid. Which doesn’t help those who already have it. And the symptoms Persist for years, even in patients who were not hospitalized with Covid.

But the vaccine was about 80% effective at preventing death from Covid last year. And living in a blue area means You are more likely to take the vaccine.  Even red people benefit from living in blue regions.

RSV hospitalization Is tied to higher risks of cardiovascular events and COPD exacerbation in the following six months.

An emerging bat virus was found in stored throat swabs from patients with suspected Nipah virus infection. New viruses might be co-circulating with Nipah and flying under the radar.

Kids are having a lot Of adverse reactions to antibiotics, more than other classes of drugs.

Oh lordy. HHS is making an AI tool to come up with hypotheses about vaccine injury claims.  We are about to see bullshit go off the charts.  The VAERS site now has a banner saying it is being redesigned to comply with the president’s orders.

Other conspiracy theories are not panning out:

Infants given acetaminophen (also called paracetamol; brand name, Tylenol) for pain or fever relief in their first year were no more likely to develop eczema or bronchiolitis by age 1 than those given ibuprofen (eg, Advil), according to a randomized controlled trial published last week in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. 

A newborn has died of listeria, and the suspected source is raw milk consumed by the mother During the pregnancy.

More Avian flu outbreaks.  And it was much more Widespread in dairy cattle than we knew when it first jumped.  Avian flu has Killed dozens of skuas in Antarctica.

Invasive E. coli infections Are becoming more widespread and harder to treat.

Meanwhile, US biodefense efforts are lagging as biological threats are increasing.  Gee, wonder why that is.

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