Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Team Denied Ebola-Infected Doctor's Return To US For Treatment, Insiders Say
The Washington Post: White House Resisted Letting Doctor With Ebola Return To U.S.
The White House resisted allowing an American doctor exposed to Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo to return to the United States, according to five people familiar with the Ebola response who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions, delaying the evacuation and care of Peter Stafford, who was ultimately transported to Germany. (Sun and Weber, 5/20)
CIDRAP: At Least 600 Ebola Cases Suspected As US Pledges To Fund 50 Treatment Clinics
There are now 600 suspected cases and more than 160 deaths in a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today, with numbers expected to rise. "Our absolute priority now is to identify all the existing chains of transmission," Chikwe Ihekweazu, MBBS, MPH, WHO emergencies chief, said today at a press conference. (Soucheray, 5/20)
The New York Times: Uganda Says It’s Not Aware Of Ebola Clinics Promised By U.S.
The State Department said it would fund up to 50 clinics in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. “I don’t know the ones they are talking about,” a top Ugandan official said. (Bigg and Chutel, 5/21)
Bloomberg: US Ebola Spending Plunged 99% In Five Years Since Last Outbreak
As the world’s leading public health officials gathered for emergency meetings in Geneva to discuss a deadly form of Ebola that’s likely circulated undetected for months in Africa, one group was missing from the table: a formal US delegation. In past outbreaks, the US often led surveillance, laboratory support and emergency response efforts through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the now-dismantled US Agency for International Development. The large field teams and hundreds of millions of dollars the US once deployed during health emergencies are also absent. (Nix and Inampudi, 5/20)
Bloomberg: US Enlists Small Biotech For Experimental Ebola Treatment
US officials are working with a small biotech company to provide an experimental treatment that may be used in patients exposed to Ebola, according to a person familiar with the matter. The closely held firm, Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., is working with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, to deliver its drug for potential use in patients, said the person, who asked not to be identified. (Smith, 5/20)
NBC News: Detroit-Bound Flight Diverted To Canada After Congolese Passenger Boarded ‘In Error’ Amid Ebola Outbreak
An Air France flight bound for Detroit was redirected to Canada after a passenger from Congo boarded “in error” amid the Ebola outbreak in central Africa, officials said Wednesday. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said the agency took “decisive action” by prohibiting the flight from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. (Kottke and Lo, 5/21)
On hantavirus —
CIDRAP: Public Health Alert Gives More Detailed Information About Andes Hantavirus On Cruise Ship
A Public Health Alerts report today provides detailed information on 10 of the 11 cases of Andes hantavirus infection on passengers of the MV Hondius cruise ship, including the first passenger who contracted the disease after the index patient. (Wappes, 5/20)
Politico: What Ebola And Hantavirus Are Revealing About America’s Public Health System
Public health experts say neither virus poses an immediate threat to most Americans. But the trust deficit the viruses are exposing could be catastrophic when crisis arrives. (Messerly, Gardner and Haslett, 5/21)
On Lyme disease, measles, and malaria —
Newsweek: Lyme Disease Warning As Map Shows Tick Bite Surge Across US
Scientists have issued fresh warnings about Lyme disease as tick bites continue to climb across the United States. Emergency room visits for tick bites have climbed to the highest levels for this time of year since 2017 in every U.S. region except the South Central states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in warning earlier this morning. (King, 5/20)
HealthDay: Study Finds Ticks Can Live Indoors On Floors And Carpets For Weeks
Here’s a creepy-crawling fact as summer fun approaches – ticks can survive indoors for up to three weeks on hard-surface or carpeted floors, according to a study. This means folks can have a tick latch onto them despite taking proper precautions outdoors, if one of the pests hitchhikes into their home on a person or a pet, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Vector Ecology. (Thompson, 5/19)
CBS News: Why A Deadly, Massive Measles Outbreak In Bangladesh Has Some U.S. Health Experts Concerned
A measles outbreak in Bangladesh that has killed almost 400 people is spreading fast, and health experts say it could carry risks even for the U.S. Most of those killed by the measles outbreak in Bangladesh in recent weeks have been children. The country's Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) says the number of suspected cases has surged to over 56,000, with regional media outlets saying many hospitals across the country are overwhelmed. (Ellery, 5/20)
MedPage Today: No Infants Developed Measles After Utah Prophylaxis Regimen
After 11 infants were exposed to measles at a pediatric clinic in Utah, the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) helped administer intramuscular immunoglobulin (IMIG) as postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) and ultimately developed a protocol for statewide use amid the ongoing outbreak. None of the infants' parents declined IMIG for their child, and there were no serious or localized systemic adverse events during administration or reported in follow-up calls, reported Anna Jones, MD, of DHHS and the CDC, and colleagues. Notably, none of the infants contracted measles during the 21-day monitoring period. (Henderson, 5/20)
CIDRAP: Malaria Reintroduction Into US Is Possible: CDC Report
The United States eliminated malaria in the 1950s, but that doesn't mean this parasitic disease is gone for good, warns a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.) The report points to a 2023 outbreak in which 10 people across four states—Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, and Texas—were infected with locally acquired mosquito-transmitted malaria. These cases were not associated with travel, which poses serious public health implications, as malaria can be a life-threatening or life-altering disease, especially for young children. (Boden, 5/20)
Also —
The New York Times: 3 Die After Suspected Exposure To Unknown Substance In New Mexico
Officers from the state police and the Torrance County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home in Mountainair, N.M., for what was initially reported as a possible drug overdose. They found four unresponsive people inside around 11 a.m., the state police said in a statement. Three of the four have died, authorities added. ... While responding to the incident, 18 emergency officials were exposed to the substance and began experiencing symptoms including nausea and dizziness, the state police said. Those officials, and the fourth person found inside the home, were taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital for quarantine and monitoring, the state police said, adding that two officials are in serious condition. (Zhuang, 5/21)
