Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Eastern Equine Encephalitis Found In Mass. For First Time Since 2020
The Boston Globe: EEE Found In Mass. For First Time Since 2020, Just Ahead Of Labor Day Weekend
State public health officials have detected eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, in mosquitoes in Massachusetts for the first time since 2020, the Department of Public Health said Friday. Mosquito samples collected Wednesday in Douglas and Southbridge in Worcester County were confirmed to contain EEE by the State Public Health Laboratory, according to a statement from the DPH released just as the Labor Day three-day weekend was beginning, with many local families planning outdoor activities. (Little Endara, 9/1)
CIDRAP: Florida Reports New Dengue, Eastern Equine Encephalitis Cases
In its latest arbovirus surveillance report, the Florida Department of Health (Florida Health) reported one more locally acquired dengue cases and a second infection involving eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus. The report covers the epidemiologic week ending August 26. The dengue case is in Miami-Dade County, where most previous cases have been from. The new illness raises the total for the year to 16. Florida often reports sporadic local dengue infections, and Florida Health has noted that infected travelers can pass the virus to local mosquito populations. (Schnirring, 8/30)
In other outbreaks and health threats —
AP: New Mexico Reports Man In Valencia County Is First West Nile Virus Fatality Of The Year
New Mexico has seen its first fatal case of West Nile virus this year, health officials said Friday. The state Department of Health reports a Valencia County man’s recent death is related to the virus. Statewide, 36 people have been diagnosed in 2023 with West Nile virus, which typically spreads to humans through a bite from an infected mosquito. (9/1)
The Washington Post: CDC Warns Doctors To Look Out For Rare, Deadly Flesh-Eating Bacteria
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday issued a national alert warning health-care professionals to watch out for infections of Vibrio vulnificus, a rare flesh-eating bacteria that has killed at least 13 people on the Eastern Seaboard this year. ... Friday’s warning urges health-care providers to consider the bacteria as a possible cause of infected wounds, particularly if patients were exposed to warm coastal waters during hotter months. (Jeong, 9/2)
USA Today: Meningococcal Disease: Vaccine, Symptoms, Details Amid VA Outbreak
An outbreak of meningococcal disease in Virginia is growing, state health officials announced this week, and nearly a half-dozen people have died as a result of the eruption. According to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), 27 cases of the disease, caused by a bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis type Y, have been identified in eastern, central, and southwest Virginia since June 2022. "This development is three times the expected number of cases during this time period," the department said in a news release. (Neysa Alund and Calello, 9/1)
CIDRAP: Meningococcal Group B Vaccine Associated With Reduced Gonorrhea Incidence
A study conducted at two universities in Oregon suggests meningococcal group B vaccine (MBV) may offer protection against gonorrhea infection, researchers reported today in JAMA Network Open. In the study, researchers with the Oregon Public Health Division analyzed gonorrhea incidence among more than 30,000 students ages 18 to 29 at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University who received one or more doses of MBV following group B meningococcal outbreaks on the two campuses in 2015 and 2016. (Dall, 8/31)
CIDRAP: Report Describes MDR-TB Outbreak In Kansas, Neighboring State
Investigators say a rare outbreak of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in a social network in Kansas provides a "cautionary tale" for areas with low TB incidence. The outbreak, described today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, involved 13 people in Kansas and one in a neighboring state and was initially identified in a hospitalized infant in Kansas in November 2021. Resistance to the four drugs that constitute first-line TB therapy was confirmed by DNA sequencing and drug-susceptibility tests. Investigation by public health officials identified four additional members in the infant's household with MDR-TB. (Dall, 8/31)
On ultraviolet light and infections —
CIDRAP: Study: Ultraviolet Light Has No Measurable Impact On Healthcare-Associated Superbug Infections
A systematic review and meta-analysis found that room disinfection with ultraviolet-C (UV-C) devices had little impact on the incidence of healthcare-associated multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) infections, researchers reported today in Epidemiology & Infection. The study, conducted by Chinese researchers, analyzed nine previously studies that examined the impact of UV-C devices on the incidence of Clostridioides difficile, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria. (Dall, 8/30)
