Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
RFK Jr. Directs Woman To Remain In Hantavirus Quarantine Unit Weeks After Others Went Home
The New York Times: Kennedy Orders Woman To Stay In Hantavirus Quarantine, Despite C.D.C. Recommendation
A cruise ship passenger who was exposed to hantavirus in early May is still being held at a quarantine facility in Nebraska, against her wishes and against the recommendation of a medical review from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Monday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a staunch proponent of medical freedom, signed an order to continue quarantining Angela Perryman, 47, even though others who had been held at the facility have, since May 31, been allowed to return to their homes if they wished to do so. (Mandavilli, 6/15)
Bloomberg: USDA Steps Up Screwworm Monitoring As Cases Expand In Texas
The US Department of Agriculture is stepping up its surveillance of New World screwworm, seeking to work with the Department of Homeland Security to contain a growing outbreak threatening the nation’s cattle herd. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a Monday press conference that the two agencies were planning to enter into an official memorandum of understanding this week, which will establish a formal framework for greater collaboration on response efforts to a deadly parasite. The agency is also looking into utilizing dogs, drones and artificial intelligence to detect larvae and assess where animals may need inspection. (Peng and Elkin, 6/15)
Regarding the "fox tapeworm," Ebola, and influenza —
Fox News: Deadly Parasitic Tapeworm Detected In West Coast Wildlife For First Time
A parasitic tapeworm known as Echinococcus multilocularis — often called the "fox tapeworm" — has been detected for the first time in West Coast wildlife. University of Washington researchers discovered the tapeworm, which can cause a rare but potentially deadly disease in humans, in 37 out of 100 coyotes sampled near Puget Sound in Washington State. The findings were published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases earlier this year. (Sudhakar, 6/15)
CBS News: American Doctor Who Recovered From Ebola Arrives Back In U.S., Says He's 'Feeling Well'
The American doctor who contracted Ebola while working on a humanitarian mission in Congo has returned to the United States and said he's feeling well after recovering from the potentially deadly disease. Dr. Peter Stafford, his wife, Rebekah Stafford, and their four children all arrived safely on Monday, according to Serge, a Pennsylvania-based Christian missions organization. Stafford has been Ebola-free since May 30, the organization said. (Intarasuwan, 6/15)
Bloomberg: Ebola Cases In Congo Surpass 800 As Aid Groups Warn Outbreak May Be Wider
Ebola treatment centers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are becoming overwhelmed as confirmed cases surge past 800 and health workers struggle to track transmission chains, aid groups warned ahead of an emergency summit of African leaders. A month after the outbreak was declared, surveillance, testing and contact tracing are struggling to keep pace with transmission in eastern Congo, where conflict and displacement have left almost 1 million people uprooted, health officials and aid groups said. (Gale, 6/16)
CIDRAP: Head-To-Head Comparison Suggests Flu Was Much More Likely To Lead To Hospitalization Than COVID Last Winter
During the most recent respiratory virus season, the risk of hospitalization was higher for influenza than for COVID-19, per a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study of nearly 13,000 patients. The authors, from the VA Saint Louis Health Care System, noted that while COVID-19 was tied to a substantially greater risk of hospitalization than flu early in the pandemic, data showed an increase in flu cases and hospitalizations in 2025-26 compared with previous seasons. The findings were published last week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. (Van Beusekom, 6/15)
