Infectious Diseases

Travel Advisory - 10/30/2024

Thorough questioning on trip history can save patients, improve public health

Respiratory Illness Rates Likely Stable for 2024-25, Vaccines Could Lower Peak - 10/25/2024

This year’s respiratory illness season is likely to bring a similar or lower number of combined peak hospitalizations due to COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus compared with last season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention telegraphed in its 2024-25 Respiratory Disease Season Outlook.

Spread of Travel-Related Illnesses Tracks Increase in International Travel - 09/17/2024

As international travel has picked up, so too has the spread of travel-related infectious diseases and physicians' responsibility to more thoroughly investigate patients' travel plans and history during visits.

CDC: Drinking Raw Milk Doesn’t Protect Against Avian Flu - 08/07/2024

The spread of the A(H5N1) virus, or avian flu, has forced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to warn people away from drinking raw milk contaminated with the virus as a way to acquire antibodies against the disease. The unsupported practice significantly increases risk of illness. Read more.

Long COVID Definition Created to Help Physicians, Patients - 08/01/2024

To better understand and manage “long COVID”, physicians must first be able to define the condition – so far impossible with no set parameters or qualifications. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently moved to rectify that problem as a committee of experts created a consensus definition.

Evidence of Zika Infection Found in More Than 250 Texas Mothers - 07/22/2024

Officials have identified 265 Texas women who had evidence of a Zika infection while pregnant, a new report from the Texas Department of State Health Services says.

Physicians Sound Alarm to Curb Rising Congenital Syphilis Rates - 05/16/2024

Texas physicians are raising the alarm as cases of congenital syphilis, a dangerous illness for fetuses and newborn babies, are surging. Texas has the fourth highest congenital syphilis case rate in the nation, with cases skyrocketing 148% from 2017 to 2022, according to Texas Department of State Health Services data.

The Great Masquerader: Congenital Syphilis Plagues Texas - 05/06/2024

Since beginning her career at the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in 2017 as the infectious disease medical officer, Jennifer Shuford, MD, has been closely monitoring syphilis.

New 24/7 Hotline to Assist in Treatment for Infected Newborns - 02/23/2024

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio recently debuted a 24/7 telehealth help line to assist pediatric infectious disease specialists in treating neonatal illnesses, namely congenital syphilis, whose rates continue to rise in Texas.

Measles: Updated Information and Resources Available to Fight Rising Cases - 02/21/2024

As measles cases continue to rise in Texas and across the U.S., the Texas Medical Association and Texas Hospital Association have created a document to help physicians and other health care professionals combat the highly contagious respiratory illness. The document provides the latest recommendations for diagnosing and reporting measles, immunizations, infection prevention and control, and post-exposure prophylaxis and exclusion.

Talk to Patients About: Measles - 02/20/2024

Few Americans today remember when measles was deadly. But before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, the disease killed about 2.6 million globally each year. By 2016, vaccination programs cut that number to about 89,000.

DSHS Introduces Interactive Respiratory Illness Dashboard - 02/08/2024

The Texas Department of State Health Services has developed an interactive dashboard to help physicians across the state combat respiratory illness during its peak season, which typically runs from October through May in Texas.

TMA FAQ Addresses Child and Maternal RSV Treatments - 01/19/2024

With respiratory syncytial virus season well under way, complicated by a temporary shortage of a new treatment, the Texas Medical Association has compiled a frequently-asked-questions document to help inform physicians on available preventive treatments for mothers and infants at risk of the illness.

Talk To Your Patients About: Mumps - 09/11/2023

The March issue of Texas Medicine highlights mumps, which spreads easily through sneezing and coughing, or just touching infected surfaces. A vaccine, first introduced in 1967, reduced U.S. cases by 99 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Watch Herd Immunity at Work - 09/11/2023

A new simulation  shows the brutal intensity of a measles outbreak after the introduction of just one sick person to a community.

Multiple Mumps Cases Reported in Immigrant Detention Centers Across Texas - 09/06/2023

Texas physicians should be on the lookout for mumps as health officials investigate multiple cases of the infectious disease in immigration centers throughout the state.  

You Can Prescribe Mosquito Repellent Again to Help Curb Zika - 09/06/2023

To help curb the spread of the virus, which is transmitted through mosquito bites, mosquito repellent prescriptions will be covered through Medicaid and other state programs, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Healthy Texas Women program.

Novavax COVID Vaccine Available to Help Reach Patients Hesitant About mRNA Vaccines - 07/17/2023

The recently introduced COVID-19 vaccine Novavax gives physicians another tool for combating the disease, and it enjoys two important differences from previous vaccines that are potential advantages, says San Antonio infectious disease specialist Charles Lerner, MD, a member of the Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Task Force.

Reporting Redesign: Disease Surveillance Relies on Physicians - 06/05/2023

Infectious disease reporting relies on close ties between physicians and local public health entities, especially as COVID surveillance relaxes.

Monkeypox Cases Resurface; CDC Urges Vigilance - 01/05/2023

With cases of monkeypox recently reported in several countries that don’t normally have that virus – including at least one confirmed case in the U.S. – federal health authorities are advising physicians to be on the lookout for the characteristic rash usually associated with monkeypox.

Health Officials Wind Down Monkeypox PHE, Urge Prevention - 12/13/2022

Given the downturn in monkeypox cases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra recently announced the agency does not expect to renew the public health emergency declaration regarding the infectious disease when it ends on Jan. 31.

Flu, RSV Outbreaks Worsen as “Tripledemic” Threatens - 12/02/2022

Texas Medicine Today recently reported that influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and other respiratory ailments are poised to overwhelm hospitals and clinics. The big question then was, would this problem get worse?

Flu and RSV Patients Filling Up Texas Hospitals - 11/08/2022

Two viral respiratory diseases – influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – have made an unwelcome early appearance this fall, causing cases to rise sharply weeks earlier than normal across the U.S.

Talk to Patients About: The New York Polio Outbreak - 11/02/2022

A recent polio outbreak in New York state highlights the importance of vaccination.

CDC: “Brie” Mindful of Listeria Outbreak Linked to Cheese - 11/01/2022

Don’t cut, bake, or serve recalled cheeses this holiday season.