Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Alarm Raised As Mpox Cases Surge In New York City
CIDRAP: Substantial Rise In Mpox Cases Prompts NYC Health Alert
Mpox cases in New York City have increased substantially since October 2023, mostly in people who haven’t been vaccinated or have only received one dose, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health) said in a May 3 health alert. For most of 2023, the city averaged about 2 to 20 cases per month, but since October, cases have averaged 36 per month, with a peak of 51 in January. Of 256 cases reported since October, 73% were unvaccinated or had only received one dose, and 94% involved men who have sex with men. Most were Black and Hispanic men ages 25 to 44. Most cases were mild, and 10 people were hospitalized. (Schnirring, 5/6)
CIDRAP: GAO Report Shows Strategic National Stockpile Challenges During COVID, Mpox
In a new report on the US Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted that, during recent public health crises such as COVID-19 and mpox, local officials weren't clear on how and from whom to request supplies, and some tribal officials cited a lack of the facilities to receive and store delivered supplies. (Soucheray, 5/6)
On bird flu —
CIDRAP: Studies Yield More Clues About H5N1 Avian Flu Susceptibility, Spread In Dairy Cows
Two new preprint studies shed more light on why high H5N1 avian flu viral loads have been seen in the milk of infected dairy cows and what the genetic sequences say about transmission among cattle and to other species, with one suggesting cows could be an influenza mixing vessel. (Schnirring, 5/6)
Fox News: Biden Admin Battle With State Officials In Texas, Idaho Over Bird Flu Outbreak: 'Bless Their Hearts'
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials attempting to investigate dairy farms and cows for bird flu are facing opposition from farmers and state officials. The CDC has warned that bird flu cases carry a risk of becoming another pandemic. But the agency, which became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic, is facing resistance from state officials and dairy farmers, especially in Republican-controlled states. "It’s overreach," Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller told Politico. "They don’t need to do that. They need to back off." (Clark, 5/6)
Stat: WHO's Farrar: Social Context Is Key To Halting Bird Flu Spread
Jeremy Farrar, now the World Health Organization’s chief scientist, was working in Vietnam 20 years ago when the H5N1 virus started to spread across Asia — at that point in poultry. He recalls there was a reluctance among farmers to cull their chickens because they weren’t being compensated for them. (Branswell, 5/7)
Also —
Axios: Exclusive: Report Urges Sustained U.S. Biodefense Buildup
A new report calls on all levels of government to strengthen U.S. biodefense measures and urges policymakers to codify parts of a national strategy to address an array of biological threats. Threats in the form of infectious disease outbreaks, lab accidents and biology-based weapons are expected to increase in the coming years, according to the report's authors and other experts. (Snyder, 5/7)
