Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Genetic Legacy Of Medieval Plague: Outbreak Still Shapes Our Immunity
AP: Genetic Twist: Medieval Plague May Have Molded Our Immunity
Our Medieval ancestors left us with a biological legacy: Genes that may have helped them survive the Black Death make us more susceptible to certain diseases today. It’s a prime example of the way germs shape us over time, scientists say in a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. (Ungar, 10/19)
CNN: The Black Death Is Still Affecting The Human Immune System Today
Analysis of centuries-old DNA from both victims and survivors of the Black Death has identified key genetic differences that helped people survive the plague, according to a study published in the journal Nature. These genetic differences continue to shape human immune systems today, with genes that once conferred protection against the plague now linked to a greater vulnerability to autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s and rheumatoid arthritis, the study said.(Hunt, 10/19)
In news about monkeypox, cholera, and salmonella —
CIDRAP: Study Shows Low Antibody Response To Monkeypox Vaccine
A new study in Nature Medicine from a group of researchers at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands shows a low antibody response to the two-dose Jynneos monkeypox vaccine in non-primed people, or those who had not previously received a smallpox vaccine. (Soucheray, 10/19)
Axios: WHO Switches To One-Dose Cholera Vaccine Strategy As Outbreaks Spread
The World Health Organization will temporarily switch from a two-dose cholera vaccine regimen to a one-dose approach due to an "unprecedented rise in cholera outbreaks worldwide" and a shortage in vaccine supply, the global health body said Wednesday. (Gottbrath, 10/19)
CIDRAP: Two New Multistate Salmonella Outbreaks Linked To Bearded Dragons
The CDC yesterday said it and its state health partners are investigating two multistate Salmonella outbreaks linked to pet bearded dragons. The outbreaks involve two different subtypes that have sickened 23 people in 15 states since the end of March. (10/19)
And a new rapid test can help decide if your infection is viral or bacterial —
CIDRAP: Rapid Test Could Help Distinguish Bacterial From Viral Infections
The study evaluated the FebriDx bacterial and viral test, a disposable point-of-care immunoassay designed to detect and differentiate bacterial- from viral-associated host immune response by measuring myxovirus resistance protein (MxA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) biomarkers in finger-prick blood samples. (Dall, 10/19)
