Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Reports 4th Case Of Rabbit Fever
ABC News: 4th Case Of 'Rabbit Fever' Reported In New York. Here's What To Know
A fourth case of a rare bacterial illness has been detected on Long Island, health officials in New York said on Thursday. Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS), confirmed the latest case of tularemia, also known as "rabbit fever," to ABC News in a statement. (Kekatos, 8/6)
On the salmonella and cyclosporiasis outbreaks —
TODAY.com: Qdoba Joins Chipotle in Pulling Jalapeños From Stores Due to Risk of Salmonella
Qdoba has joined Chipotle in removing jalapeños from its restaurants as public health authorities investigate a salmonella outbreak that has spread across 27 states. “Out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed jalapeños from all our restaurants at this time,” the Mexican-style food chain said in a statement on Aug. 5. According to the CDC’s epidemiologic and traceback data, jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors may be contaminated with salmonella. The CDC said the company has agreed to recall the jalapeños. NBC News reached out to Coast Citrus Distributors and did not receive a response. (Jacoby and Stump, 8/6)
WGCU: Florida Cyclospora Surges Again With 87 New Cases. More States Link The Cause To Lettuce
Nearly 90 new cases of cyclosporiasis were reported in Florida during the most recent week of data released Thursday by the state health department. The 87 cases recorded from July 25 to Aug. 1 bring the 2026 state total to 342 cases since May 1, a benchmark date tied to the first U.S. outbreaks. (8/6)
ABC News: Michigan Health Officials Say People Can Resume Regular Lettuce-Eating Habits As New Cases Of Cyclosporiasis Slow
Michigan health officials said on Thursday that people can resume regular lettuce- and salad greens-eating habits as new cases of cyclosporiasis slow. It's one of nine states in a multi-state outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants. The iceberg lettuce was supplied by Taylor Farms and sourced from central Mexico. Taylor Farms issued a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. (Benadjaoud and Kekatos, 8/6)
The Hill: Salmonella Vs. Cyclospora: How To Tell What You Have
It’s been a tough summer for the nation’s food supply, with multiple outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, including what appears to be the largest outbreak of the “explosive” diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora. As of Wednesday, there have been more than 20,000 suspected cases of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. Two residents of Michigan, the hardest-hit state in the outbreak linked to recalled iceberg lettuce, died after becoming ill. Health officials noted, though, that “both individuals had significant underlying health conditions.” (Bink, 8/6)
NBC News: Cyclospora And Salmonella Outbreaks Put Produce From Mexico In The Spotlight
Two of this summer’s largest foodborne illness outbreaks have one thing in common: Both have been traced to produce imported from Mexico. (Lovelace Jr., 8/6)
On measles and covid —
ABC News: Measles Exposure Reported At Universal Studios Hollywood
Los Angeles County health officials said a person infected with measles visited Universal Studios Hollywood last month and potentially exposed others to the virus. The county's Department of Public Health said Wednesday that it is investigating the case involving the visitor who was at the theme park on July 26. Other possible locations within the county are being probed, according to the health department. (Pereira, 8/6)
Jackson Hole Community Radio: Teton County, Wyoming Lifts Measles Emergency
Signs are improving for the measles outbreak that started in Colter Bay concessionaire employee housing in Grand Teton National Park. Teton County commissioners on Tuesday voted to rescind an emergency declaration they issued on July 13. (Boyd-Fliegel, 8/6)
CIDRAP: Severe COVID May Awaken Dormant Viruses, Leading To Autoimmune Disease, Long COVID
Most people carry eight to 12 generally harmless viruses at any given time. But now, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin conclude that severe COVID-19 infections can reactivate these viruses, leading to worse clinical outcomes, autoimmune diseases, and other long-term conditions such as long COVID. Published yesterday in Nature, the observational analysis used longitudinal data from 1,154 hospitalized COVID-19 patients participating in the observational Immunophenotyping Assessment in a COVID-19 Cohort (IMPACC) study. (Van Beusekom, 8/6)
Also —
The New York Times: This A.I. Just Created Viruses Not Found In Nature
For the first time, scientists have used artificial intelligence to create new kinds of viruses, raising hopes for medical advances while also raising the disturbing possibility that the technology could someday be used to invent dangerous pathogens. Synthesizing viruses from scratch is hardly new. Researchers long ago learned how to manufacture viral genomes; they are used to investigate antiviral drugs and vaccines, as well as to learn how viruses work. (Zimmer, 8/6)
