Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Epidemiologists, CDC Rethinking What Should Qualify As A Measles Death
MedPage Today: CDC, Epidemiologists Work On Definition For Measles Deaths
The CDC is indeed working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) on a definition for measles deaths, but the initiative was launched earlier this year and it was not at the request of the CDC. That's according to CSTE spokesperson Amy Heldman, MPH, who explained that a CSTE workgroup was launched earlier this summer "to develop future guidance to inform measles epidemiology case investigations associated with deaths." (Fiore, 9/22)
San Francisco Chronicle: Amtrak Passenger With Measles Traveled On These California Trains
A detailed California itinerary of the person who may have exposed other Amtrak passengers to measles this month included train travel from Sacramento to Emeryville on Sept. 13, and a departure from Emeryville on Sept. 14, Alameda County health officials said Tuesday. The passenger, who was unvaccinated and later hospitalized with measles, had been traveling through six California counties on their way to Colorado, state health officials said last week. They originally arrived in Los Angeles on Sept. 10, by train from Chicago. (Ho, 9/22)
STLPR: Possible Measles Exposure At Busch Stadium, Other St. Louis Locations
Health officials are warning of possible measles exposures this month at Busch Stadium and several bars and businesses in the St. Louis area. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Monday that people may have been exposed to measles at several locations between Sept. 12 and Sept. 14. (Edwards, 9/21)
In other outbreaks and health threats —
ABC News: LA County Sees Highest Number Of West Nile Virus Cases In Nearly A Decade
Los Angeles County is seeing the highest number of West Nile virus cases in nearly a decade, health officials said Monday. The county has reported 100 cases so far this year. This is the highest figure since 2017 when 268 cases were recorded for the entire season. The number of current cases is also greater than the five-year average during the same period, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LA County DPH). (Benadjaoud and Kekatos, 9/22)
CIDRAP: Lyme Patients 4 Times More Likely To Have Antibodies To Other Tick-Borne Pathogens
People with laboratory evidence of Lyme disease were more than four times more likely as those without it to have antibodies to other tick-borne pathogens, according to a study published late last week in JAMA Network Open. Lyme disease is the most frequently reported tick-borne disease in the United States. It’s caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by infected blacklegged (deer) ticks (Ixodes scapularis). Blacklegged ticks can also carry other pathogens, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which causes anaplasmosis, and Babesia microti, which causes babesiosis. (Bergeson, 9/21)
The Washington Post: What To Know About Covid Vaccines — And If You Need One This Fall
If you haven’t given much thought to covid-19 lately, that’s understandable. The impact of the coronavirus has “substantially diminished” since the early pandemic years, said William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. As a result, “people are perhaps less attentive to covid.” That’s probably due in part to the fact that most people have had some prior protective exposure to covid-19, either through vaccination, infection or both. But covid-19 “hasn’t gone away,” said Schaffner. “It’s still apt to produce serious illness.” (Felton, 9/22)
CIDRAP: Data Reveal Higher Rates Of Severe RSV, Death In Medically Complex Kids Not Targeted For Immunization
Older children diagnosed as having complex critical conditions (CCCs) carry a greater burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)–related serious illness and death, suggesting the need for preventive interventions, researchers write in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 9/22)
Take heed if you eat clams or pasta —
CIDRAP: CDC Confirms 37-Case Multistate Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked To Frozen Clams
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced late last week that a multistate hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen clams has sickened at least 37 people. So far cases have been identified in four states, Massachusetts (three cases), Minnesota (three), New York (27), and Pennsylvania (four). No deaths have been reported but 30 people have required hospitalization. Illness-onset dates range from July 30, 2025, to June 23, 2026. (Soucheray, 9/22)
The Hill: Walmart Recalls Pasta Due To Listeria Concerns
Pasta sold at Walmart locations nationwide is being recalled over possible listeria contamination, according to a notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration. New York-based Gias Foods said it is recalling two lots of bettergoods brand Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine, distributed nationwide at Walmart Inc. stores. The product, which is frozen in 22-ounce packages with the UPC number 194346442706, has lot numbers L6079C or L6080C and expiration dates of Sept. 19, 2027, or Sept. 20, 2027. (Swaim, 9/22)
