Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
2 People In Michigan Have Died In Cyclosporiasis Outbreak
AP: Michigan Reports First 2 US Deaths In Cyclospora Outbreak
Two people have died in the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan, state health officials announced Monday, the first deaths confirmed in the U.S. related to the microscopic parasite. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said both people had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration. The department said it would not provide additional information about the deaths. (Householder and Thanawala, 8/3)
Bloomberg: Taco Bell Met With Michigan on Parasite Weeks Before Recall
Michigan health authorities were in touch with Taco Bell’s parent company, Yum! Brands Inc., about a parasitic outbreak in early July, weeks before the company officially alerted consumers. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services held a call with Yum on July 2 to discuss cyclospora, according to documents obtained by Bloomberg News through a public records request. In a follow-up email, officials asked to connect with the company’s supply chain quality assurance and communications teams “for a discussion about any intervention or notification that could be taken this week to aid in reducing the number of cases in the future.” (Sirtori, 8/3)
STLPR: Missouri Reports More Than 1,000 Cyclosporiasis Cases
More than 1,000 Missourians have now been diagnosed with cyclosporiasis, as health officials continue investigating the source of the foodborne parasite. (Edwards, 8/3)
WUSF: Florida Records Nearly 100 More Cases Of Cyclosporiasis In A Week
Florida added nearly 100 cases of the foodborne parasitic infection cyclosporiasis in the most recent week of reporting data available by the state health department. (Mayer, 8/4)
KFF Health News: Nurses Chase Cyclospora, Aided By Interviews, Fast-Food Receipts — And The Messy Details
More than 900 people in Washtenaw County, Michigan, have been sickened with cyclosporiasis since mid-June. Linda Kim, a public health nurse, has called more than 100 of them. Almost everyone has said the same thing: It’s excruciating, and one of the worst illnesses they’ve experienced. But on a Wednesday in July, she called one man who said he wouldn’t mind having it again, actually. (Wells, 8/4)
On rabbit fever, dengue, and West Nile virus —
NBC News: What Is Rabbit Fever? Cases Of Rare Tick-Borne Illness Reported In NYC
Health officials in New York are warning residents about a rare tick-borne illness after three cases were reported on Long Island. Three people in Suffolk County were confirmed to have come down with tularemia, also known as rabbit fever. The disease can cause high fevers and extreme fatigue, and doctors say symptoms can be more severe than those of more common tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease. (Maxfield, 8/3)
WUSF: Locally Acquired Cases Of Mosquito-Borne Dengue Reported In Palm Beach, Miami-Dade
Florida health officials have confirmed locally acquired cases of dengue fever in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, prompting mosquito surveillance and prevention efforts. (Mayer, 8/3)
CIDRAP: West Nile Accounted For Most US Arboviral Cases In 2024 As Powassan Cases Hit Record High
West Nile virus (WNV) was the most commonly reported mosquito-borne disease in the United States in 2024, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report published last week. Powassan virus infections, which are transmitted to humans from ticks, hit a new record high that same year. The findings, published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, identified 1,955 cases of confirmed and probable arboviral disease cases in 48 states and the District of Columbia in 2024. Arboviral diseases are infections caused by viruses transmitted to humans through tick and mosquito bites. (Bergeson, 8/3)
The latest on the Ebola outbreak —
NBC News: Ebola Outbreak Accelerates In DR Congo As Trump, Musk Aid Cuts Hinder Response, Health Officials Say
Dr. Sam Mbalivula has already lost one of his clinic’s nurses to Ebola. From his practice in Bunia, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s northeastern Ituri province, he has watched the virus tear through the epicenter of the country’s worst outbreak in years. Five of his fellow healthcare workers and friends in the city have also died, he told NBC News. (Clayton and Williams, 8/3)
Reuters: Treatment Trials For Ebola Strain Behind Congo Outbreak Show Promise, WHO Says
Testing of experimental treatments, preventive medicines and vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola behind Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing outbreak is advancing rapidly, the U.N.'s World Health Organization said on Tuesday. (Le Poidevin, 8/4)
