2-Year-Old Killed By Brain-Eating Amoeba In Nevada

Kansas City Star: Brain-Eating Amoeba Kills 2-Year-Old Nevada Boy: Family 
A brain-eating amoeba killed a Nevada child possibly exposed during a visit to a hot spring, state health officials reported. The child died following a trip to Ash Springs, a natural hot spring on federal land in Lincoln County, the state Division of Public and Behavioral Health said in a July 20 news release. Testing by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Naegleria fowleri, commonly called a brain-eating amoeba, as the cause of death, officials said. (Sweeney, 7/23)

USA Today: Nevada Two-Year-Old Dies From Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba, Naegleria Fowleri
A Las Vegas toddler passed away from a rare brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) said in a statement. Woodrow Bundy, 2, died Wednesday morning after being treated at Sunrise Children's Hospital in Las Vegas, KTLA reported. (Louallen, 7/21)

Meanwhile, in Texas —

Houston Chronicle: Harris Health Patient Information Exposed In Cyberattack
The attack, which came to light last month, involved a Russian ransomware group that gained access to the file transfer software MOVEit. The compromised information at Harris Health varied by patient but may have included Social Security numbers, immigration status and information related to treatment, such as procedure information, treatment cost and diagnosis. The information did not involve Harris Health medical records or patient financial information, Friday's release said. (Gill, 7/21)

The Texas Tribune: Medicaid Removal In Texas Brings Stress As 500,000 People Dropped
For seven years, Maricela Delcid has guided Texans through the Medicaid application minefield, working past language barriers and documentation issues out of a community center in Houston. But her clients have never been more confused or frustrated than now, since the state began booting people from the program after a years-long period of continuous coverage. (Bohra, 7/21)

In other news from across the country —

Las Vegas Review-Journal: North Vista Hospital Sued For Alleged Medical Malpractice
A 65-year-old woman was abandoned on the side of the road in sweltering heat after being discharged from a North Las Vegas hospital last summer, according to a new medical malpractice lawsuit. Nancy Mando was released from North Vista Hospital around 1:40 p.m. on July 12, 2022, and put into a vehicle for transport to a recovery facility. Her family was not told about the transfer, according to a complaint filed this month in District Court. (Wilson, 7/23)

Bloomberg: Heat-Related Illnesses Spike As 100F Temperatures Scorch US South
The proportion of emergency-room visits linked to heat skyrocketed in Texas and surrounding states starting in June, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, with some weeks surpassing levels seen last year. Rates soared in other parts of the country, including the Southwest, in late June and July. Doctors in Arizona and Texas said it’s the worst summer they’ve experienced, with a higher number of patients coming in and some needing treatment for severe conditions like heat stroke, when high body temperatures can damage vital organs and sometimes lead to death. (Griffin, 7/21)

AP: Democratic Governor Pushes Back Against Transgender-Related Attacks By GOP In Kentucky Campaign
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is pushing back hard against Republican efforts to cast him as an advocate of gender reassignment surgery for minors, saying his detractors have misrepresented his position and invoking his Christian faith and support for parental rights to explain why he vetoed a measure that banned gender-affirming care for children. Beshear, a Democrat seeking a second term in a race that could test the political potency of Republican messaging on transgender issues, said in an interview that he has always opposed gender reassignment surgery for children. (Schreiner, 7/24)

San Francisco Chronicle: Martinez Refinery Releases Toxic Dust For 3rd Time Since November
The Martinez refinery spewed toxic coke dust into the air Saturday evening for the third time since November, but Contra Costa County health officials found no threat to the surrounding community. “CCH has been notified of a release of coke dust from Martinez Refining Company this evening. A hazardous materials team is responding to determine if the release is affecting nearby neighborhoods,” a tweet from health officials stated. (Parker, 7/22)

AP: Democrats Eye Wisconsin High Court's New Liberal Majority To Win Abortion And Redistricting Rulings
Democrats in the perennial battleground state focused on abortion to elect a liberal majority to the court for the first time in 15 years. The Democratic Party spent $8 million to tilt the court’s 4-3 conservative majority by one seat with the election of Janet Protasiewicz, who spoke in favor of abortion rights and against the Republican-drawn map in a campaign. Her April victory broke national spending records for a state Supreme Court race. (Bauer, 7/23)

AP: Judge Orders Montana Health Clinic To Pay Nearly $6 Million Over False Asbestos Claims
A health clinic in a Montana town plagued by deadly asbestos contamination must pay the government almost $6 million in penalties and damages after it submitted hundreds of false asbestos claims, a judge ruled. The 337 false claims made patients eligible for Medicare and other benefits they shouldn’t have received. The federally funded clinic has been at the forefront of the medical response to deadly pollution from mining near Libby, Montana. (Brown, 7/23)

AP: Minneapolis Backs Off Arrests For Psychedelic Plant Use
Minneapolis is backing away from enforcing laws that criminalize buying psychedelic plants or using them in private. Mayor Jacob Frey on Friday ordered police to stop using taxpayer dollars to enforce most laws against hallucinogenic plants. Minneapolis still prioritizes enforcing laws against selling psychedelic plants, bringing them to schools or using them while driving. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara in a statement said he stands by the mayor’s decision. (7/24)

NBC News: Top Arkansas Psychiatrist Accused Of Falsely Imprisoning Patients And Medicaid Fraud
William VanWhy says he was feeling emotionally overwhelmed when he checked himself into the mental health unit at Northwest Medical Center in Arkansas last year. Four days later, he was still in the locked unit but desperate to leave. “I was not receiving any medical care at all,” VanWhy, 32, said. (Strickler and Gosk, 7/23)

Philadelphia Inquirer: CDC Budget Cuts Could Take Money Away From Philly Health Department
When parents bring their children to get vaccinated at Ala Stanford’s health clinic in Swampoodle, it’s crucial for the pediatric surgeon to know which shots they’ve already received. She relies in part on databases like PhilaVax, a federally funded system that helps local physicians track their patients’ vaccine records and recommend which shots they should get next. (Whelan, 7/21)

The Colorado Sun: Colorado Would Not Ban Abortion Pill “Reversal” Under Draft Rule
Under a draft rule released last week, Colorado’s regulatory board for doctors would not automatically consider so-called medication abortion “reversal” to be unprofessional conduct, a blow to Democrats in the legislature who hoped the state would become the first in the nation to ban the practice. (Ingold and Paul, 7/21)

WUSF Public Media: Johns Hopkins All Children's Facility In Tampa Evacuated After Hazmat Call
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Outpatient Center in Tampa remained closed Friday following a hazmat incident. According to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, about 80 people were evacuated Thursday after employees called 911 when they smelled an odor coming from the MRI room. When emergency personnel arrived, they found 30 lithium-ion batteries — weighing about 100 pounds each — were swelling and releasing gas, according to a release. Two of those batteries had ruptured, fire officials said later Thursday. (Lisciandrello, 7/21)

Columbia Missourian: Missouri's Fentanyl Epidemic Hits Record Number Of Overdoses
The fentanyl epidemic is getting worse in Missouri, with record numbers of overdoses in the last four years and 2023 on course to be another record year. Data points to a nearly 75% increase in overdoses in Missouri since 2019, and last year was the second consecutive year that fentanyl accounted for over two-thirds of overdoses in Missouri. Trends in Missouri match what the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration describes as a “nationwide overdose epidemic” fueled by the spread of fentanyl. (Vickers and Abovyan, 7/21)