Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Hasn't Inspected Farm Cited In Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Since 2019
CBS News: Farm Linked To Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Hadn't Been Inspected In 7 Years As FDA Lags On Foreign Inspection Targets
The Food and Drug Administration conducted just under 1,000 foreign food safety inspections in 2025, and the farm in Mexico believed to be at the center of the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S. was not one of them. (Ingram, 8/11)
Reuters: Mexican Authorities Find No Cyclospora At Caribbean Tourist Hub
Mexico's health ministry said on Tuesday that tests carried out at over a dozen hotels in the Riviera Maya, a Caribbean tourist hub, came in negative for the cyclospora parasite. British health authorities had reported cases of cyclosporiasis, a stomach illness spread by contaminated food or drink, in travelers who had stayed there. (8/11)
San Francisco Chronicle: Why California’s Cyclospora Rise Isn’t Being Called An Outbreak
Cases of cyclosporiasis — gastrointestinal illness caused by the foodborne parasite cyclospora — are rising in California, but are not related to the major outbreak in the Midwest and Northeast, state health officials said Tuesday. (Ho, 8/11)
On salmonella, drug-resistant fungus, Vibrio, West Nile virus, and arboviral disease —
Bloomberg: Chipotle Salmonella Outbreak: Company Pulled Jalapeños Before Nationwide Recall
The moment Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. figured out it was the jalapeños, its automated recall system began calling restaurants, again and again and again. With diners falling ill with salmonella across the country, Chipotle kept at it, flooding its stores with alerts until someone responded and confirmed the tainted peppers had been destroyed. This was while health agencies were still investigating a handful of ingredients as the potential source. They’d sent the company a “guac signal,” warning there was trouble with something in the guacamole. (Sirtori, 8/11)
Fox News: Candida Auris Cases Top 3,437 Across 27 US States, CDC Data Shows
Thousands of cases of a potentially deadly, drug-resistant fungus have been reported across 27 states so far this year, according to provisional CDC data. As of the week ending July 25, a total of 3,437 clinical cases of Candida auris (C. auris) had been documented in the U.S. so far in 2026. (Rudy, 8/11)
CIDRAP: Florida Records Its Second Flesh-Eating Bacteria Death This Year
Florida officials said a second person has died from a Vibrio vulnificus infection this year. The death occurred in an adult from Marion County and follows a late-July death recorded in Palm Beach County, also in an adult, according to a new update from the Florida Department of Health (Florida Health). So far this year, Florida has tracked 14 cases of the flesh-eating bacteria, which thrive in warm, brackish water. Last year, the state saw 33 cases and 15 deaths. In 2024, there were 82 cases and 19 deaths. (Soucheray, 8/11)
CIDRAP: Pee Dee, South Carolina, Reports West Nile Virus Outbreak
The Pee Dee, a region in the northeastern corner of South Carolina, is reporting a West Nile virus outbreak. “Two human cases of West Nile virus were diagnosed in the Pee Dee within a similar time frame and geographic radius, indicating sustained West Nile virus activity in the area and meeting the definition of an outbreak,” the South Carolina Department of Public Health announced. (Soucheray, 8/11)
MedPage Today: CDC Warns Of Severe Arboviral Disease With B-Cell Drugs
The CDC on Tuesday warned doctors about the risk for severe arboviral neuroinvasive disease in patients on B cell-depleting or modulating agents, calling out anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies in particular. Published case reports indicate an overall mortality of about 40% for patients on anti-CD20 antibodies with arboviral neuroinvasive disease, and neurologic sequelae were common in survivors. The most common virus involved in the reports was West Nile, but severe cases also involved eastern equine encephalitis, Powassan, La Crosse, and others. (Ingram, 8/11)
On the beef supply and screwworm —
The Washington Post: 30,000 Pounds Of Beef From Argentina Recalled In Two States
About 30,000 pounds of Argentine beef has been recalled by the U.S. Agriculture Department because it wasn’t inspected before entering the country. The different cuts of raw beef from the company Corte Argentino USA were shipped to retailers and grocery distributors in Florida and Texas. The meat was produced from May 15 to May 20 and had freeze-by dates of Sept. 15-20. The recalled meat included cuts of top sirloin and eye round. (Canino-Quiñones, 8/11)
The Hill: USDA Speeds Opening Of Texas Sterile Fly Facility Amid Screwworm Outbreak
A sterile fly facility is set to open in Texas next spring amid a New World Screwworm (NWS) outbreak that has affected two states, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Monday. The USDA social media account dedicated to providing updates on the federal response to the NWS spread said the facility will open seven months ahead of schedule at the Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. (Davis, 8/11)
BorderReport: Heat-Sensing Drones Help Find Deadly New World Screwworm On The Border
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott looked up at the clear blue Texas sky Monday as Border Patrol agents launched drones that are now being used to find New World screwworm infections. (Sanchez, 8/10)
The Ebola death toll keeps rising —
AP: Congo Says 2,000 People Have Died In Its Ebola Outbreak, The Fastest Growing On Record
At least 2,000 people have died among the confirmed cases in Congo’s Ebola outbreak that is the fastest growing on record, according to the latest government data, as health authorities struggle to get help quickly to remote localities due to rebel conflict, bad roads and work stoppages over payment issues. Data published overnight into Tuesday showed the outbreak has recorded a total of 4,381 confirmed cases, including 2,011 deaths. A total of 704 patients are in admission and isolation. (8/11)
