Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Minn. Man Dies From Rabies Despite Post-Exposure Treatment
Fox News: Rabies Patient Becomes First Fatal Case In US After Post-Exposure Treatment, Report Says
A Minnesota man is the first reported fatality due to rabies in the United States despite receiving appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis, according to a recent article published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. He was an 84-year-old man who died in 2021 about six months after waking up in the morning while a rabid bat was biting his right hand. (Sudhakar, 4/3)
In other health and wellness news —
Bloomberg: Infertility Affects One In Six People Globally, WHO Urges Countries To Do More
Infertility affects one in six people globally, according to a report from the World Health Organization, which urged countries to do more to help people conceive. Researchers found little difference between high, middle and low-income countries in the report published Tuesday. Treatment must be funded privately in most nations, leaving many people struggling with mental health issues or financial hardship, according to the WHO. (Ring, 4/3)
CIDRAP: CDC Says Listeria Outbreak Linked To Deli Meat And Cheese Is Over
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last week that a multistate Listeria outbreak that began in 2021 is now over after 16 cases and 1 death. The CDC said in an investigation notice that the outbreak was tied to meat and cheese from deli counters, including a deli in Brooklyn, New York, where five case patients bought sliced deli meat and cheese. Whole genome sequencing showed that bacteria from patient samples were closely related genetically, indicating that people got sick from the same food source, and identified the outbreak strain in sliced meat and environmental samples from the Brooklyn deli. But no single food source was identified. (Dall, 4/3)
The Washington Post: More Than 1 In 4 U.S. Adults Suffers From Seasonal Allergies
More than 1 in 4 adults — 26 percent — has seasonal allergies, the most prevalent allergic condition afflicting U.S. residents, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A companion report, on allergies in children, found that a smaller percentage — 19 percent, or nearly 1 in 5 children — has a seasonal allergy. Also known as allergic rhinitis or hay fever, seasonal allergies can occur throughout the year but are most common in spring, when the body’s immune system reacts to pollen from grasses and trees. (Searing, 4/3)
KHN: Raincoats, Undies, School Uniforms: Are Your Clothes Dripping In ‘Forever Chemicals’?
There could be more than just fashion risks involved when buying a pair of leggings or a raincoat. Just how much risk is still not clear, but toxic chemicals have been found in hundreds of consumer products and clothing bought off the racks nationwide. Thousands of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, exist since the first ones were invented in the 1940s to prevent stains and sticking. PFAS chemicals are used in nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, and firefighting foam. (Norman, 4/4)
KHN: Fatigue Is Common Among Older Adults, And It Has Many Possible Causes
Nothing prepared Linda C. Johnson of Indianapolis for the fatigue that descended on her after a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer in early 2020. Initially, Johnson, now 77, thought she was depressed. She could barely summon the energy to get dressed in the morning. Some days, she couldn’t get out of bed. But as she began to get her affairs in order, Johnson realized something else was going on. However long she slept the night before, she woke up exhausted. She felt depleted, even if she didn’t do much during the day. (Graham, 4/4)
On Marburg virus —
The New York Times: New Marburg Outbreaks In Africa Raise Alarm About The Deadly Virus’s Spread
Two concurrent outbreaks of the Marburg virus, a close cousin of Ebola that can kill as many as 90 percent of the people it infects, are raising critical questions about the behavior of this mysterious bat-borne pathogen and global efforts to prepare for potential pandemics. Marburg, a hemorrhagic fever, is rare: Just a handful of outbreaks have been reported since the virus was identified in 1967. But a steady uptick in occurrences in Africa in recent years is raising alarm. (Nolen, 4/3)
