Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Aid Worker Contracts Ebola Amid Ongoing Outbreak In Congo
The New York Times: U.S. Citizen Tests Positive For Ebola In Democratic Republic Of Congo
An American working for an evangelical aid group has tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where aid groups are struggling to contain a surging outbreak that has already killed over 600 people. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday the aid worker had contracted Ebola from the Bundibugyo virus, which is driving the current outbreak, already the third largest on record. Bundibugyo has no licensed vaccine or treatment, prompting a scramble by international researchers to develop one. (Walsh and Yoon, 7/11)
Reuters: German Hospital Treats US Ebola Patient Infected In Congo
U.S. citizen infected with the Ebola virus in Democratic Republic of Congo was admitted to Frankfurt University Hospital early on Monday, officials said. The patient arrived at the hospital's special isolation unit at around 3 a.m. after contracting the Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus in Congo, the hospital said. (Knolle, 7/13)
Bloomberg: US Warns Americans To Avoid Congo Over Ebola After Second Aid Worker Infected
The US advised its citizens to avoid all travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo because of Ebola after a second American aid worker was infected while responding to the country’s escalating outbreak. Travelers exposed to Ebola are required to quarantine outside the country for up to 21 days at their own expense, according to the health alert issued by the American embassy in Kinshasa Saturday. It outlined government assistance for life-saving medical care to citizens who are exposed, though it didn’t specify whether the guidance applies to humanitarian workers or medical personnel already deployed. (Gale, 7/13)
Reuters: Oxford Begins First Human Trial Of Bundibugyo Ebola Vaccine
The University of Oxford has launched the first human trial of a vaccine against Bundibugyo ebolavirus, seeking to accelerate efforts to combat an outbreak spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The early-stage trial, known as BD-Ebov, will evaluate the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine in 50 healthy adults aged 18 to 55 in Oxford, the university said on Monday. (7/13)
On the cyclosporiasis outbreak —
USA Today: 'Explosive Diarrhea' Parasite Prompts Some Restaurants To Change Menu
Some restaurants are removing risky ingredients from their menus as experts encourage caution. But major national chains have said little publicly about their response plans. The outbreak has unevenly hit the country with some states reporting hundreds or more cases — and others none at all. (Cuevas and Collins, 7/11)
The Washington Post: Why We Don’t Know What Food Is Spreading The Parasite Sickening Thousands
More than 2,000 Americans have been sickened this summer by a microscopic parasite that contaminates fresh produce and can cause days of diarrhea, creating an unusually large outbreak that, paradoxically, may give investigators their best chance to identify its source, public health officials said. Cyclospora is one of the hardest foodborne pathogens to trace to its source. There’s a lag between when people consume the parasite that causes the illness and when symptoms appear, making it tough for those infected to remember what they ate to pinpoint the problem. (Sun, 7/10)
On Legionnaires' disease, measles, screwworm, and long covid —
AP: Guggenheim And Other NYC Buildings Ordered To Clean After Positive Tests For Legionnaires’ Bacteria
New York City’s famed Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was among a number of Manhattan buildings that recently tested positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease amid the city’s latest outbreak. The city health department on Friday released a list of 31 buildings on the Upper East Side that have been ordered to clean and disinfect their cooling towers as the city deals with the latest outbreak of the disease, which is a serious form of pneumonia. (Marcelo, 7/11)
CIDRAP: With 61 New Cases, US Measles Outbreak Fast Approaching Last Year’s Total
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 61 new US measles cases today and 2,231 for the year, as Virginia has become the country’s latest hot spot. Last year the CDC recorded 2,289 infections for the entire year, so the nation is just 58 cases short of that as we pass the midpoint of the year. The 2025 total was the most since 1991, and the United States is now on track to lose its measles elimination status that it gained in 2000. (Wappes, 7/10)
CIDRAP: How To Prevent New World Screwworm Infestations In Cats And Dogs
Although the New World screwworm (NWS) mainly endangers livestock, the parasitic flies can also attack and kill pets. Two of the 34 animals sickened by NWS since early June are dogs. One dog was infested in New Mexico, and a second dog was sickened in Texas. Most animals in the United States have a low risk of being affected. Pets are at elevated risk if they live in areas with documented NWS cases, including Lea County, New Mexico, and the Texas counties of Brewster, Crocket, Edwards, Gillespie, Jim Hogg, LaSalle, Medina, Pecos, Sutton, Terrell, Tom Green, Uvalde, and Zavala. (Szabo, 7/10)
CIDRAP: 2 Common Drugs May Offer Short-Term Improvements In Long-COVID-Related Fatigue
Two inexpensive, widely available medications provided modest short-term relief from fatigue in people with long COVID, according to a large clinical trial published this week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. (Bergeson, 7/10)
On polio and the use of "iron lungs" —
AP: Martha Lillard, Last US Polio Patient Using Iron Lung, Dies At 78
Martha Lillard had just turned 5 when she was diagnosed with polio and depended on an iron lung to live. She died June 26 in Oklahoma, the last U.S. polio patient who used the machine, her sister said. She was 78. “They told her she wasn’t supposed to live past 20 years old,” Lillard’s younger sister, Cindy McVey, told The Associated Press on Friday. “She had the enthusiasm and the drive to continue living and make the best of her life.” McVey attributes her sister’s death to the effects of long-haul COVID-19. A death certificate lists causes as chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome, McVey said. (Sinco Kelleher, 7/11)
