Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Cyclosporiasis Cases Top 1,250, Tracking That Pathogen Remains Optional For CDC
CIDRAP: US Cyclospora Cases Mount As CDC Lags On Tracking
In parts of the country, including southeast Michigan and northern Ohio, clinicians are tracking scores of cases of sudden, explosive diarrhea and gastrointestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensi. Michigan now has 1,251 cases of cyclosporiasis, according to state officials today, more than doubling the case count reported over the July 4 weekend. Typically, Michigan reports around 50 cases per year, but during the last week of June state officials first noted an outbreak of 170 cases that has since skyrocketed. Of the 1,251 patients, 44 have been hospitalized, according to the case count. (Soucheray, 7/9)
ABC News: Why Cyclosporiasis Testing Is Challenging As The Intestinal Disease Spreads
Cases of cyclosporiasis are continuing to rise across the United States, with infections confirmed in at least 18 states. As of Thursday, there have been 1,251 reported cases in Michigan and another 177 cases reported in Ohio. Testing for Cyclospora -- the parasite that causes cyclosporiasis -- is not typically included in routine U.S. laboratory stool testing and must be specifically requested by a healthcare provider, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Sharma and Miao, 7/9)
On Legionnaires’ disease, parasites, and avian flu —
ABC News: Legionnaires' Disease Cluster In New York City Grows To 46 Cases
A Legionnaires' disease cluster in New York City is growing, with 46 cases now confirmed, according to health officials. As of Thursday, there have been at least 22 hospitalizations and no deaths, according to the New York City Department of Health (NYC Health). The cluster has affected the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, the department said. (Kekatos, 7/10)
Newsweek: NYC Stray Cats Found Carrying Parasites Linked To Serious Human Illness
More than half of New York City's free-roaming cats are infected with parasites that can spread to people, according to a new study, with young male cats shedding the highest numbers of parasite eggs into the environment. Researchers tested 87 free-roaming cats captured through a Trap Neuter Return (TNR) program in New York City between May and July 2023. Fecal flotation testing found that 57.5 percent of the cats carried at least one parasite species. (Fleur Afshar, 7/10)
CIDRAP: Cattle, Egg-Laying Poultry In Utah Hit With H5N1 Avian Flu
At least eight dairy cows in Utah have been hit with H5N1 avian flu in the past two weeks, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) most recent updates on the virus in livestock. In the past 30 days there have been 26 confirmed detections in dairy cows, with Idaho reporting 15 cases in the past 30 days and Texas reporting three cases. (Soucheray, 7/9)
The latest about the Ebola outbreak in Africa —
AP: Deportees From US Housed In Same Hotel In Equatorial Guinea As A Suspected Ebola Case, Lawyers Say
Migrants deported from the U.S. and detained in a hotel in Equatorial Guinea say that authorities there also have used the facility to quarantine at least one suspected Ebola patient, deportees and lawyers representing them said Thursday. The hotel on a tropical island off the country’s coast, owned by the country’s powerful President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, is being used to house 17 migrants from countries including Angola, Mauritania and Ethiopia under an opaque third-country deportation deal with the Trump administration. (Pronczuk, 7/9)
AP: Death Toll From Congo's Ebola Outbreak Reaches 600
New suspected cases of Ebola have been reported in parts of Congo that were previously unaffected, the government said Thursday, as the death toll in the country’s latest Ebola outbreak reached 600. According to the Congolese health ministry, suspected cases have now been recorded in the provinces of Tshopo and Haut-Uele, signaling the continued spread of the disease beyond the epicenter in Ituri. (Kamale and Kabumba, 7/9)
Bloomberg: Africa CDC Calls On Congo To Settle Payments For Striking Ebola Workers
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is working with the Democratic Republic of Congo to speed overdue payments to striking Ebola responders as the labor dispute threatens efforts to contain the world’s fastest-growing outbreak of the deadly disease. Health workers in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and neighboring Rwampara remain on strike over unpaid benefits and deteriorating working conditions, Congo’s National Institute of Public Health said in a report Thursday, noting that continuity of essential health services has been compromised. (Kew and Gale, 7/9)
