Outbreak

As Australia prepares for the H5 bird flu to potentially rip through hundreds of species, residents of the Limestone Coast are already seeing the impactsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt’s only been three weeks since H5 bird flu was detected on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, and already encounters with sick or dead birds are becoming commonplace.Maureen Christie, who lives in the seaside town of Carpenter Rocks, has been observing and protecting birds in the region for decades. She is now witnessing many stricken and suffering. Continue reading...

• Two people in Michigan have died following a cyclospora outbreak, marking the first confirmed fatalities related to the microscopic parasite in the United States. • State health officials noted that while cyclosporiasis is rarely life-threatening, these deaths involved individuals with significant underlying health conditions. • The fatalities were attributed to severe dehydration caused by diarrhea, which exacerbated the patients' existing medical vulnerabilities.

Six additional states caught up in investigation after Michigan reported first two US deaths linked to diseaseThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reportedly expanded the largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states.The alleged expansion includes the addition of six states, according to the Washington Post, which cited three people familiar with the matter. Those states include Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina, according to a fourth person familiar who spoke to the paper. Continue reading...

Restaurant chain pulls peppers ‘out of an abundance of caution’ as salmonella outbreak sickens 100 peopleChipotle said on Tuesday ⁠it had removed jalapeños from some of the chain’s restaurants after identifying ⁠the peppers as ⁠a ​potential ingredient tied to a salmonella outbreak, replacing them ⁠with supplies from different growers.The company said it ​began tracing ‌ingredients through its supply ‌chain after learning of a ‌potential outbreak and identified jalapeños from a common lot as a possible source. Continue reading...

US sees first fatalities due to intestinal illness, though both had significant ​underlying health conditionsTwo people have died from cyclosporiasis in Michigan, the state’s health department said on Monday, marking the first fatalities in the largest US outbreak ⁠of the intestinal illness.Both ⁠individuals had significant ​underlying health conditions that may have been affected by cyclosporiasis and dehydration, according to medical records. Continue reading...

Health secretary, longtime vaccination skeptic, spent years boosting misinformation about vaccines including MMRRobert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, on Sunday told American parents that they should get their children vaccinated against measles, as the surge in infections has reached numbers not seen in the past 35 years.Kennedy, a leading vaccination skeptic who has spent years amplifying misinformation about vaccines, including the shot that protects against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), made his call in the course of a contentious interview with CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday morning. Continue reading...

• A Cyclosporiasis outbreak has been reported across 17 states, with 145 confirmed cases of the gastrointestinal disease caused by the Cyclospora parasite. • The CDC has issued an alert to health care workers to ensure rapid diagnosis and proper response, as the infection spreads via contaminated food or water. • This outbreak is critical for infection prevention and control (IPC) teams to manage, as timely identification is necessary to protect patients and contain the spread.

Data by one test-maker shows a positivity drop, but rate could be influenced by number of people taking testSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe maker of a popular laboratory test said the cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US may be slowing. An outbreak of infections from the single-celled parasite has grown to more than 18,000 suspected and confirmed cases in late July, the nation’s largest on record.The midwest has been hit particularly hard in the outbreak, where public health officials have linked infections in nine states to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms’ Mexico operations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said people in at least nine states appear to have connected cases. Continue reading...

As the death toll rises to almost 1,500, and with a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain potentially still months away, health workers face a battle to slow the outbreakThe latest numbers of confirmed cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has made this latest outbreak the fastest growing in the known history of the virus.At 3,360 confirmed cases, the disease is now affecting people in five provinces in the east of the DRC, with 1,487 deaths recorded, representing an overall case fatality rate estimated at about 45%, according to Congolese health officials. Health responses to the outbreak have been badly hampered by conflict in many of the affected areas. Continue reading...

• An infectious disease specialist is debunking common misconceptions about measles as U.S. cases reach a 35-year high. • The doctor draws on professional experience treating patients during the 2014-2015 Disneyland outbreak, which spread across six U.S. states and into Canada. • This effort highlights the ongoing risk of preventable crises and the critical need for public health literacy to combat misinformation.

• Former CDC chief medical officer Debra Houry links current outbreaks of measles and foodborne cyclosporiasis to significant public health funding cuts. • Houry resigned from her position one year ago to protest political interference and the leadership of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. • The current administration has reportedly slashed billions of dollars in public health funding, which Houry argues has weakened the nation's ability to manage disease.

• MannKind announced that the FDA has approved Furoscix ReadyFlow, an autoinjector form of the diuretic furosemide designed to provide IV-equivalent therapy for adults with chronic kidney disease or heart failure. • Merck agreed to permit the production of generics for alimatravir, an investigational once-monthly HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis pill, specifically for low-income nations that approve the drug. • Dr. Craig Spencer argued in The Atlantic that public health strategies should incorporate elements from the "Make America Healthy Again" movement to improve outcomes.

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) delayed the enforcement of a critical policy intended to improve the tracking and removal of contaminated foods prior to a cyclosporiasis outbreak. • This policy failure specifically impacted the ability to monitor and recall dangerous produce, including iceberg lettuce, which is often linked to such outbreaks. • The incident highlights how weakened regulatory policies and reduced funding can compromise food safety systems and increase public health risks.

• Researchers have developed an experimental antiviral pill that successfully prevented a measles-like virus from spreading via air or close contact in ferrets. • The drug proved effective when administered shortly before or after exposure, while also reducing the duration of illness and the window of contagiousness. • This development is significant as it provides a potential medical intervention to stop outbreaks from escalating, especially for those who cannot be vaccinated.

• A diarrhea bug outbreak has expanded to four additional states, while Dr. Anthony Fauci is scheduled to testify before Congress. • In legislative developments, momentum is growing for the creation of a dedicated office of men's health within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). • Congressional Democrats have urged an appeals court to maintain current regulations regarding the abortion pill mifepristone, specifically opposing the reinstatement of in-person requirements.

• A multistate outbreak of Cyclospora has been linked to the consumption of iceberg lettuce across nine U.S. states. • Health officials are tracking cyclosporiasis cases and urging affected individuals to report symptoms to their local health departments. • This outbreak highlights the risks of foodborne illness associated with leafy greens, which can lead to severe gastrointestinal distress.

Over 11,500 people this summer are suspected to have been sickened by disease that can cause explosive diarrhea, CDC saysInvestigations into the largest cyclosporiasis outbreak on record expanded to nine states this week, as more than 11,500 people are suspected to have been sickened this summer, according to reports and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Data released by the CDC this week said the agency is looking into 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases of the disease and investigating an additional 7,400. Continue reading...

Explosive diarrhea infection spreads to 41 states with at least 72 sickened by new, as yet unknown source of parasiteConfusion abounds in the cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands in at least 41 states, as officials identify a new cluster of cases and more potential products come under scrutiny.The recall of products during this outbreak of explosive diarrhea has been an unusual one, complicated by poor communication, politicization and the delay of a new regulatory rule could have helped trace the cyclosporiasis outbreak faster. Continue reading...

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has sickened at least 72 people. • The agency posted the update to its official website late Wednesday, though it has not yet identified the specific location of the outbreak. • Health officials have not yet determined the source or the specific food product causing the infections.

• Recent outbreaks of measles in the US, Cyclosporiasis, and Ebola in Africa are spreading at unprecedented levels, exposing critical vulnerabilities in global public health infrastructure. • The resurgence of measles in the US has reached record levels, primarily driven by vaccine hesitancy and declining vaccination rates that have eroded herd immunity. • These concurrent crises highlight systemic failures in disease surveillance and the fragility of preventative healthcare systems worldwide.

• Health officials have launched an investigation into a second cyclosporiasis outbreak as cases of the diarrhea-causing illness continue to rise. • Authorities are currently working to identify the specific food source, though historical outbreaks have been linked to imported produce like raspberries, cilantro, and basil from Latin America. • The severity of such outbreaks is highlighted by a 1996 event linked to Guatemalan raspberries, which caused over 1,400 cases across 20 U.S. states, D.C., and Canada.

• A multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasite causing severe diarrhea, has spread across 41 U.S. states. • Health officials have linked the surge in cases to contaminated shredded lettuce, with specific mentions of products used at Taco Bell. • This outbreak highlights the risks of foodborne parasites in fresh produce, which can lead to prolonged illness and dehydration.

• Morning Rounds reports on several critical health updates, including the legal and administrative status of service members who refused the Covid-19 vaccine. • The briefing highlights a current Ebola outbreak, which is described as the fastest-growing in history, signaling an urgent public health crisis. • These stories underscore the ongoing tension between military mandates and personal health choices, as well as the volatility of global infectious disease containment.

• Johns Hopkins Medicine is coordinating with regional public health partners to respond to a cyclosporiasis outbreak in 2026. • The institution is urging immunocompromised individuals who suspect they have the infection to contact their physicians immediately for diagnosis. • Early detection through stool testing is critical to ensure patients receive necessary antibiotic therapy to treat the parasite.

Outbreak has been traced to Upper East Side cooling towers, but Mamdani says source of exposure has been eliminatedA fifth person has died in New York City in connection with the legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhood, according to the city’s health department.In an update issued Tuesday, the department said that 82 cases of legionnaires’ disease have now been identified and five people have died. Eight people remain hospitalized, while 56 have been discharged. Continue reading...

As measles, hantavirus and cyclospora spread, experts say lost staff and expertise are slowing the responseA series of health challenges – hantavirus, screwworm, Ebola, cyclospora, measles, whooping cough, bird flu – are exposing the widening gaps in America’s ability to prevent, identify and halt infectious disease outbreaks.The rapid dismantling of the US public health system at all levels means the US is in worse shape than it was before the Covid pandemic, former top CDC officials say. Continue reading...

Health secretary says source has been identified despite experts warning infections are likely to keep risingHealth secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said the ongoing outbreak of cyclosporiasis – the illness caused by the cyclospora parasite that causes watery and explosive diarrhea – is “under control”.Kennedy made the remarks one day after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did an about-face on a 27-state recall of shredded iceberg lettuce, calling the reported product a “false positive”. Continue reading...

US health officials say source of Upper East Side cluster has likely been eliminated after 76 people fell illAn outbreak of legionnaires’ disease in New York City has claimed a fourth life, officials have said, as they again expressed confidence the source of the exposure had been eliminated.A statement from the city’s health department on Monday said the outbreak, which was traced to cooling towers in buildings in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, had sickened 76 people – with 53 discharged after hospital treatment, and 12 others managing their recovery at home. Continue reading...