Outbreaks

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they are scouring food supply chain for culprit, which may be lettuceWhat is cyclosporiasis, the parasitic illness causing ‘explosive’ diarrhea?Federal health officials said they expect the outbreaks of cyclospora – a parasite that causes watery, explosive diarrhea – across the US to continue through August as they scour the food supply chain for the culprit.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified 1,645 lab-confirmed cases of the parasite; reported that 145 people have been hospitalized; and reported that they have a backlog of 5,100 cases that require more analysis, including interviews. Continue reading...

• Two peer-reviewed reports published this week analyzed measles outbreaks in Texas and South Carolina to determine the primary barriers to disease control. • The findings reveal that a lack of community trust, rather than simply low vaccination rates, serves as the central obstacle to stopping the outbreaks. • This shift in understanding suggests that public health strategies must address social trust and communication to effectively increase vaccine uptake.

• Two new reports, including one from the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, analyze the difficulties in containing recent measles outbreaks within the U.S. • The studies focus on a major outbreak that began on October 2, 2025, in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, marking the largest U.S. outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. • Researchers identified complex social and cultural barriers that hinder essential public health efforts, specifically vaccination, testing, and education.

• The U.S. federal government has implemented funding cuts and personnel downsizing within biopreparedness programs dedicated to high-consequence infectious diseases (HCID). • These reductions occur while the U.S. is actively managing threats from Ebola and a Hantavirus cluster associated with cruise ship travel. • Although existing infrastructure and protocols are currently handling these outbreaks, experts warn that diminished resources will leave the nation less prepared for future pandemics.

• Health experts and epidemiologists will monitor U.S. wastewater and social media for disease-causing microorganisms during the upcoming World Cup. • By detecting pathogens in sewage, officials can identify potential outbreaks early and alert medical clinicians to specific symptoms to prevent misdiagnosis. • This proactive surveillance is designed to protect both international soccer fans and the general public from severe illnesses during the high-traffic event.

Ever-growing influence of social media and AI means such ideas spreading at faster rates than before, experts sayHantavirus and Ebola outbreaks carry with them familiar attendants in the US: extreme conspiracy theories about a planned pandemic, or “plandemic”, designed to upend midterms elections or push new vaccines or any one of a myriad of wild ideas.Ebola, which the World Health Organization warned Friday is spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and poses a “very high” risk at the national level. In the upside-down world of conspiracy theories it could be a bioweapon, a financial plot, or a scheme to extract national resources. Continue reading...

• As of April 30, 2026, the US reported 1,814 confirmed measles cases, including 12 among international visitors, per CDC data updated May 1. • 93% of cases (1,688) are outbreak-associated, with 25 new outbreaks in 2026 following 24 earlier ones. • This surge underscores ongoing vaccination gaps, contributing to public health challenges amid 2,288 cases in 2025.