Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Confirms 4,588 Measles Cases So Far This Year, More Than Double From All Of 2025
CIDRAP: US Measles Cases Hit 4,588, More Than Twice Last Year’s Total
The number of confirmed US measles cases has hit 4,588, more than doubling its total from last year, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An additional 178 measles cases were reported this week, and over the past two weeks, 508 new measles infections have been confirmed. That’s more than the nation experienced from 2022 through 2024, when a total of 465 measles cases were reported. (Dall and Szabo, 10/23)
More outbreaks and health threats —
The Hill: New Florida Counties Report Dengue Cases As Statewide Total Passes 400
Florida’s Pinellas County is continuing to see a spike in dengue fever cases as the state’s outbreak shows no sign of slowing. Across the state of Florida, 425 locally acquired dengue fevers have been reported since the year began, with the majority of cases being reported in Hillsborough County. (Rodriguez, 10/23)
WUSF: Sarasota County Woman Contracted Dengue. Her Case Wasn’t Counted By Local Officials
The discrepancy raises questions about how the Department of Health determines where infections originate and whether the state's official numbers accurately reflect the risk of transmission in the county. (Engelberger, 10/23)
NBC News: Early Flu Season Is Here. What To Know About Mutated Virus H1N1
If you’re surprised to hear about people getting sick with the flu before Halloween, you’re not alone. The 2026-2027 flu season appears to be off to an early and strong start, experts say. Influenza activity is still low nationally, but cases are rising quickly in many parts of the country, especially the West, and two states, Louisiana and Hawaii, are already reporting moderate levels. (Kee, 10/23)
Chicago Tribune: Illinois County Investigates E. Coli Cases Linked To Pumpkin Farm
The Will County Health Department is investigating five confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC, that may have been connected to patrons who visited Bengtson’s Pumpkin Farm in Homer Glen in the past month. The Health Department was made aware of five cases of people who became ill and were confirmed to have the pathogen, officials said. (Mullins, 10/23)
Chicago Tribune: Mold In Chicago-Area Schools A Growing Issue With Climate Change
Instead of returning to familiar hallways and classrooms, hundreds of students from John H. Kinzie Elementary School in Garfield Ridge began their first week of classes this year at the adjacent John F. Kennedy High School. The students had been moved while the school underwent environmental testing and remediation after mold was discovered in several parts of the building at 5625 S. Mobile Ave. (Perez, 10/25)
On the spread of Ebola —
AP: Kenya Reports 2nd Ebola Death As Relative Of First Patient Dies
Kenya’s Health Ministry announced the country’s second Ebola death Friday, saying a 65-year-old woman who was a close relative of the first patient died after developing symptoms while in quarantine. The woman began showing symptoms 10 days ago and began receiving supportive care at an infectious disease unit in the capital, Nairobi. The ministry said medical personnel “did everything possible to save her life,” but she died Friday evening. (Musambi, 10/24)
AP: Attackers Kill Nurse, Injure Health Worker Responding To Ebola Case In Eastern Congo
A nurse was killed and a health worker severely injured after being attacked while responding to an Ebola alert in Congo, according to the World Health Organization. It was the latest in a series of attacks on health workers and responders that authorities say is hampering efforts to slow the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in the world. The attack took place Saturday in the town of Bafwasende in the country’s eastern Tshopo province, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X on Sunday. (Kitsa Musayi, 10/26)
The Washington Post: The Most Important Things To Do To Stay Healthy While Traveling
When people go to a doctor before an international trip, vaccines usually dominate the conversation. And while those are important, many of the health problems most likely to derail a trip cannot be prevented with a vaccine: diarrhea, respiratory infections, motion sickness and flare-ups of existing medical conditions — none of which can be headed off with a shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between 43 percent and 79 percent of travelers to low- and middle-income countries become ill during or after their journey. (Henao, 10/24)
