Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Leprosy Cases Growing In Florida; Reasons Are Unclear
The Hill: Leprosy Cases Surging In Central Florida: CDC
Health officials say that cases of leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, are surging in Central Florida. In a news release Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that Central Florida has accounted for 81 percent of reported cases in the state and almost one-fifth of reported cases nationwide. (Oshin, 7/31)
CBS News: Leprosy Could Be Endemic In Central Florida, CDC Says. What To Know About The Disease
"Leprosy has been historically uncommon in the United States; incidence peaked around 1983, and a drastic reduction in the annual number of documented cases occurred from the 1980s through 2000," the letter's authors wrote. "However, since then, reports demonstrate a gradual increase in the incidence of leprosy in the United States. The number of reported cases has more than doubled in the southeastern states over the last decade." (Moniuszko, 7/31)
USA Today: As Florida Leprosy Cases Rise, What To Know About Causes, Spread, Cure
The number of reported leprosy cases across the country has doubled over the past decade, according to the CDC. Citing data from the National Hansen’s Disease Program, the CDC says there were 159 new cases reported in the U.S. in 2020. Nearly 70% of these new cases were reported in Florida, California, Louisiana, Hawaii, New York and Texas. (Girod and Crowley, 7/31)
On mpox, smallpox, and hep C —
CIDRAP: Study Shows Proctitis As Predictor Of Mpox Among Symptomatic Men
Proctitis was the strongest predictor of clinically confirmed mpox in thousands of patients with suspected illness who presented for testing, according to a new study in Clinical Microbiology and Infection. (Soucheray, 7/31)
KFF Health News: 'Epidemic': Do You Know Dutta?
By the mid-1970s, India’s smallpox eradication campaign had been grinding for over a decade. But the virus was still spreading beyond control. It was time to take a new, more targeted approach. This strategy was called “search and containment.” Teams of eradication workers visited communities across India to track down active cases of smallpox. Whenever they found a case, health workers would isolate the infected person then vaccinate anyone that individual might have come in contact with. (8/1)
The Washington Post: The Hepatitis C Cure Rate Is Far Behind U.S. Goal For 2030, CDC Says
Just 34 percent of Americans diagnosed with the most common type of hepatitis — hepatitis C — are being cured of the liver infection, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The finding stems from the analysis of data on more than 1.7 million people who tested positive for hepatitis C from 2013 through 2022. (Searing, 7/31)
