Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Emerging Bat-Borne Virus Found In Suspected Nipah Virus Patients' Swabs
CIDRAP: Emerging Bat Virus Found In Stored Throat Swabs From 5 Patients With Suspected Nipah Virus Infection
Bangladeshi researchers have uncovered an emerging bat-borne virus in archived throat swabs and viral cultures from five patients initially thought to be infected with Nipah virus (NiV). The discovery of Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV), which raises the concern that dangerous bat viruses may be silently co-circulating with NiV, prompted the authors to recommend the consideration of PRV in the diagnosis of patients with NiV-like illness. (Van Beusekom, 2/2)
More global news —
Bloomberg: More Formula Recalls Likely After EU Sets Toxin Limit
The European Union’s food safety regulator said almost no amount of the toxin cereulide is considered safe in infant formula, guidance that could prompt further product recalls. The little-known toxin has become the focus of a global infant formula safety scare that has engulfed food giants like Nestlé SA, Danone SA and Groupe Lactalis. The reference dose for cereulide in infant formula should be set at 0.014 micrograms per kilogram of body weight, the European Food Safety Authority said Monday in what it called “a cautious approach.” (Deutsch, 2/2)
Bloomberg: Sanofi Rebuked In UK Over RSV Claims Targeting Rival Pfizer
A UK regulator reprimanded Sanofi for making misleading claims about its RSV shot and disparaging rival Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine. The French drugmaker breached the industry’s own code of practice by making unsubstantiated claims that its RSV antibody shot Beyfortus was more effective than Pfizer’s maternity vaccine, the UK’s Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority said Monday, responding to a complaint from the US company. (Furlong, 2/2)
CIDRAP: Guinea Worm Disease Nears Worldwide Elimination, With Only 10 Cases In 2025
Only 10 human cases of Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) were reported worldwide in 2025, the fewest ever recorded, bringing the parasitic disease closer than ever to eradication, according to a new statement from the Carter Center. Two of the 10 provisional human Guinea worm cases in 2025 were detected in South Sudan and four each in Chad and Ethiopia. “President Carter always said he wanted to outlast the last Guinea worm. While he didn’t quite get his wish, he and Mrs. Carter would be proud to know there were only 10 human cases reported in 2025. And they would remind us that the work continues until we reach zero,” said Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander. (Soucheray, 2/2)
CNN: China To Ban Hidden Car Door Handles Made Popular By Tesla In World First
China is banning hidden door handles on all cars sold in the country, becoming the first country in the world to target the feature – which was popularized by Tesla but has for years drawn concern over safety risks. (Young and staff, 2/3)
AP: British Soccer Union Wants Fewer Headers For Pros, And None For Kids, To Protect Players' Brains
The union representing British soccer players will announce on Tuesday the first comprehensive protocol for preventing the brain disease CTE, expanding the heightened concern over concussions to include the damage that can be caused by the less forceful blows from heading the ball. The guidelines from the Professional Footballers’ Association ... recommend no more than 10 headers per week – including practice – for professionals. Children under 12 shouldn’t head the ball at all, the PFA said, part of a chronic traumatic encephalopathy prevention protocol designed to reduce head impacts across a player’s lifetime. (Golen, 2/3)
The New York Times: Psychosis Diagnoses Have Risen Among Young Canadians, Data Shows
A new analysis of birth cohorts in the Canadian province of Ontario has found a striking rise in the incidence of psychotic disorders among young people, a finding that its authors said could reflect teens’ increasing use of substances like cannabis, stimulants and hallucinogens. The study, published on Monday in The Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that the rate of new diagnoses of psychotic disorders among people ages 14 to 20 increased by 60 percent between 1997 and 2023, while new diagnoses at older ages plateaued or declined. (Barry, 2/2)
On the effects of U.S. foreign aid cuts —
Roll Call: ‘Mexico City’ Policy Expansion To Affect Estimated $40B In Aid
The Trump administration’s expansion of the so-called Mexico City policy restricting reproductive care around the world, to now cover gender ideology and diversity efforts, will impact billions of dollars in foreign aid not previously covered, according to health experts. (Cohen, 2/2)
Bloomberg: WHO Is Being Forced To Cut Jobs After US, Argentina Pull Funding
The World Health Organization has been forced to slash its staff after the US and Argentina decided to pull funding, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday, characterizing 2025 as “one of our most difficult years.” The Geneva-based organization lost its top donor with hundreds of millions of dollars in annual funding when the US completed its withdrawal last month. Argentina has also announced its intention to withdraw from the WHO, with the exit expected to take effect in February. (Kinzelmann, 2/2)
The Washington Post: Global Aid Cuts Could Lead To 9.4 Million Deaths By 2030, Lancet Study Says
Over the past year, sharp aid cuts have forced the closure of soup kitchens in war-riven Sudan, led to medicine shortages across sub-Saharan Africa, and resulted in reductions in food rations in places such as Somalia and Haiti. A new study published Monday in the Lancet puts a number on the potential human toll as the global humanitarian system cracks apart, projecting an extra 9.4 million deaths by 2030 if the current trends persist. (Harlan, 2/2)
