Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Measles Cases Rise In Florida As State Surgeon General's Advice Is Criticized
NBC News: Florida Measles Cases Rise As Experts Oppose State Surgeon General’s Decisions
The Florida measles outbreak is expanding. On Friday, health officials in Broward County confirmed a seventh case of the virus, a child under age 5. The patient is the youngest so far to be infected in the outbreak, and the first to be identified outside of Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, near Fort Lauderdale. ... Cases are “not going to stay contained just to that one school, not when a virus is this infectious,” said Dr. David Kimberlin, co-director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. (Edwards, 2/24)
Click On Detroit: Michigan Reports First Measles Case Since 2019 Outbreak: What To Know
Michigan has reported its first case of measles since the 2019 outbreak. On Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, Michigan health officials said that a child in Oakland County has measles. The child’s case is believed to be linked to international travel and officials do not believe anyone outside of the child’s home was exposed to the virus. The last time someone in Michigan had measles was during the 2019 outbreak. That year there were 46 cases confirmed across the state. (Clarke, 2/25)
Minnesota Public Radio: Minnesota Reports Third Measles Case
The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the third measles case in the state since the beginning of the year. The two other cases were reported last week, and all have been in the Twin Cities. There were zero measles cases in Minnesota in 2023 and 22 cases in 2022. Since 2000, there have been a total of 149 cases in Minnesota, largely driven by several spikes of cases. (Gawthrop and Clary, 2/23)
The Guardian: ‘Not A Disease You Want To Relive’: Why Is The US Seeing Outbreaks Of Measles?
“It’s a worrisome disease for a number of reasons, so I’m worried,” said Dr Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the division of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Chop). Describing measles symptoms, Offit said: “the rash starts at the hairline and spreads to the face … It’s like you sort of had a bucket of rash poured on your head,” which spreads down the body. “It’s invariably associated with cough, conjunctivitis and runny nose,” Offit said, adding, “and kids are sick – they look sick, they’re miserable.” A child of the 1950s, Offit was infected with measles himself (the first vaccine was introduced in 1963), and has personally treated cases of neurological devastation related to measles infections. (Glenza, 2/25)
WLRN 91.3 FM: How To Protect Yourself, Your Kids And Other In Case Of A Measles Outbreak
As of Friday, seven measles cases have been reported at a Broward County elementary school. The outbreak is raising questions and concerns about the highly contagious, viral respiratory infection. (Ramos and Hernandez, 2/25)
In other public health alerts —
CNN: Norovirus Cases Continue To Climb In The US, Especially In The Northeast, CDC Data Shows
Cases of norovirus are on the rise in the US, on par with seasonal trends, according to the most recent data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Sealy, 2/24)
USA Today: Bedbugs Spotted At Las Vegas Strip Hotels In Recent Months
At least four guests staying at four separate hotels along the Las Vegas Strip saw bedbugs crawling in their rooms between Sept. 2023 and Jan. 2024, local outlet KLAS reported. The sightings came months before millions of visitors traveled to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. ... A guest's complaint on Dec. 5, 2023, led to a bedbug-sniffing dog being used at the Encore, where a live bedbug was found, the TV station said. The hotel then closed the room so it could be thoroughly cleaned. (Limehouse, 2/24)
Reuters: Mauritius Stops Norwegian Cruise Line Ship From Docking, Cites Health Risk
Mauritius stopped a ship belonging to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings from docking at its ports due to what it said was a health risk and took samples from about 15 passengers who were in isolation on board, its port authority said on Sunday. ... A spokesperson for the U.S.-headquartered Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement that during the ship's trip to South Africa on Feb. 13, some passengers had experienced mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness. (Anganan, 2/25)
