Melvin Sanicas, MD
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Conditions
In medicine, we are trained to react to alarms. A monitor beeps. A CT scan lights up. A lab value crosses a dangerous threshold. We move. Public health is harder. Sometimes the most important signal is not a siren, but…
In medicine, we are trained to react to alarms. A monitor beeps. A CT scan lights up. A lab value crosses a dangerous threshold. We move.
Public health is harder. Sometimes the most important signal is not a siren, but a persistent hum. That is where mpox appears to be now.
The latest World Health Organization situation report should not send clinicians into panic, but it should pull mpox back into …
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Mpox in 2026 no longer looks like 2022
Conditions
Dengue is often described as a tropical disease, but that label no longer captures the size of the problem. Over the past six months, dengue has continued to appear across continents, from the Americas and the Pacific to Asia, Europe-linked…
Dengue is often described as a tropical disease, but that label no longer captures the size of the problem. Over the past six months, dengue has continued to appear across continents, from the Americas and the Pacific to Asia, Europe-linked travel cases, and the Caribbean. Some regions are reporting fewer cases than during recent record-breaking years, but the overall message is clear: Dengue remains a major and growing public health …
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5 layers every dengue prevention plan now needs
Conditions
Tickborne diseases are the most common vector-borne infections in the U.S., and for decades Lyme disease has dominated the conversation in endemic regions. But ticks are carrying more than Lyme alone and co-infections are becoming harder to ignore. New research…
Tickborne diseases are the most common vector-borne infections in the U.S., and for decades Lyme disease has dominated the conversation in endemic regions. But ticks are carrying more than Lyme alone and co-infections are becoming harder to ignore. New research suggests ticks are harboring a wider mix of pathogens than previously recognized, and that co-infections are becoming an increasingly important part of the clinical picture.
A recent study published in Ecosphere …
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Why tickborne co-infections are changing Lyme disease care
Conditions
Tick-borne illnesses continue to rise across the U.S. and Europe, and clinicians are feeling the impact. More patients are showing up with early Lyme disease, more are asking about prophylaxis, and more travelers want advice about tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). At…
Tick-borne illnesses continue to rise across the U.S. and Europe, and clinicians are feeling the impact. More patients are showing up with early Lyme disease, more are asking about prophylaxis, and more travelers want advice about tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). At the same time, vaccine development is finally accelerating after years of stagnation. For busy clinicians, here is a concise update on what’s new and what to tell patients in 2025.
Lyme …
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Tick-borne disease vaccines: a 2025 update
Conditions
Three years after mpox shocked the world, a silent crisis is unfolding in Africa while the rest of the world seems to have moved on. When mpox (formerly called monkeypox) grabbed global headlines in 2022, it seemed like the next…
Three years after mpox shocked the world, a silent crisis is unfolding in Africa while the rest of the world seems to have moved on.
When mpox (formerly called monkeypox) grabbed global headlines in 2022, it seemed like the next big pandemic threat. Three years later, the story looks very different depending on where you are. In Africa, mpox is still spreading and cases are rising in some countries. In …
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Mpox isn’t over: A silent epidemic is growing
Conditions
The World Health Organization (WHO) first declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020, when, outside of China, there were fewer than 100 cases, and there were no deaths. This formal declaration…
The World Health Organization (WHO) first declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020, when, outside of China, there were fewer than 100 cases, and there were no deaths. This formal declaration by the WHO has been renewed 12 times, most recently last month the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee advised the WHO that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to be …
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COVID-19 is still a global health issue but we can responsibly live with it
Conditions
Breastfeeding provides ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits for both the mother and…
Breastfeeding provides ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits for both the mother and infant. Breast milk contains all the nutrients infants need in the first six months of life. Breastfeeding protects against diarrhea and common childhood illnesses such as pneumonia and may also …
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Breastfeeding is best, but why do some countries struggle?
Conditions
Measles outbreaks across the United States have been identified with Texas being the 11th state so far to report an outbreak. The Philippines with over 2 million unvaccinated children has declared an outbreak of measles after nearly 2,000 cases and…
Measles outbreaks across the United States have been identified with Texas being the 11th state so far to report an outbreak. The Philippines with over 2 million unvaccinated children has declared an outbreak of measles after nearly 2,000 cases and 26 deaths since January alone. In Madagascar, more than 50,000 people have been infected by the disease since October — more than the total number of …
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Measles outbreaks: Getting to the root of the problem
Conditions
Influenza is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in the United States. Influenza also tops the list of the burden of disease and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) according to a Eurosurveillance article. The flu is more likely to cause severe…
Influenza is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in the United States. Influenza also tops the list of the burden of disease and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) according to a Eurosurveillance article.
The flu is more likely to cause severe illness and harm pregnant women as compared to women who are not pregnant. Changes in the immune system, heart, and lungs during pregnancy make pregnant women (including …
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Flu vaccination in pregnant women reduces risk of hospitalization
Physicians
There is so much out there about vaccines — endless opinions and recommendations from doctors, experts, friends, family, celebrities, politicians — it can be challenging to identify who to trust and what to believe. Every parent’s only goal is to…
There is so much out there about vaccines — endless opinions and recommendations from doctors, experts, friends, family, celebrities, politicians — it can be challenging to identify who to trust and what to believe. Every parent’s only goal is to protect his or her child as best as they can. One of the most frequently asked questions is: “There are so many more vaccines than when I was a kid, …
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The data is in: Vaccines don’t “overload” children’s immune systems
Conditions
Days are getting shorter and evenings are getting cooler in temperate regions in the Northern hemisphere. This also means that the flu season will be around the corner soon. Most people group influenza (flu) and cold together and refer to…
Days are getting shorter and evenings are getting cooler in temperate regions in the Northern hemisphere. This also means that the flu season will be around the corner soon. Most people group influenza (flu) and cold together and refer to the “cold and flu season” as the time of the year when we expect to come down with a “flu bug” and consider it “normal” or customary. Some are even …
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