Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Washington Resident Is First To Die From Bird Flu This Year After Exposure To Infected Dairy Cattle
CNN: First US Bird Flu Death Of 2026 Reported In Washington; Risk To Public Is Low
A person in Yakima County, Washington, who caught bird flu after being exposed to infected dairy cows has died following a severe illness, county health officials said Sunday. This is the first known person in the US to die from complications from avian influenza in 2026 and the third in the US to die from bird flu since February 2024, when the virus jumped into dairy cattle for the first time. (Goodman, 11/2)
On measles, dengue, covid, flu, and Ebola —
ABC News: New York State Reports 1st Measles-Associated Death In Over 30 Years
New York state health officials reported a measles-associated death in a child on Monday amid an ongoing outbreak. It's the first known measles-associated death in the state in over 30 years, health officials said. "We are deeply saddened by the death of a child in Lewis County associated with the ongoing measles outbreak," the New York State Department of Health and Lewis County Public Health said in a joint statement on Monday. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to the child's family and loved ones and ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time." (Deliso, 11/3)
CIDRAP: With 60 New Cases In The Past Week, Florida’s Dengue Total Jumps To 485
Florida’s Department of Health recorded 60 more locally acquired dengue cases in the past week, bringing the state total to 485. This is the highest case count in decades, and significantly higher than last year’s total, which was 62 cases. Of the 485 cases, 385 confirmed cases come from Hillsborough County, where a local emergency has been extended through this week. Eleven other counties in the state have also reported infections, and 20 mosquito pools have been reported. (Soucheray, 11/2)
Bloomberg: Long Covid Recovery Varies Sharply by Symptoms, Study Finds
People whose long Covid affects multiple body systems are far less likely to improve than overall recovery estimates suggest, with fewer than one in five experiencing sustained improvement within three years of infection, according to a US study. Researchers followed 1,019 adults who still had probable long Covid a year after their initial infection. About half experienced sustained symptom improvement over the following three years, while roughly a quarter had complete symptom remission, the study, published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine, found. (Gale, 11/2)
CIDRAP: ‘Shocking And Eye-Opening’: Mom Who Lost Young Daughter To Flu Hopes Others Choose Vaccination
When Cayden Smith, age 3, developed a low-grade fever and congestion one Thursday evening in December 2014, her family first thought it was a cold. The following day, they visited an urgent-care center. “We did let them know that she had been scheduled to get a flu shot a couple weeks before, but she had an ear infection,” Jessica Richman, Cayden’s mom, 41, from Newport News, Virginia, told CIDRAP News. “She had a little fever at the time, so they said we needed to reschedule the flu shot.” (Holohan, 11/2)
Reuters: Ebola Survivors Comfort Sick Children In Congo's Isolation Wards
Whenever Jerkis Mahamba hears a child cry out in the Ebola ward in Butembo, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, he puts on protective gear and rushes to their side. He has a very good idea of what they are going through. Mahamba caught the highly infectious disease himself in September and recovered after 18 days of treatment at the same centre. His ordeal gave him immunity from the strain of the virus coursing through Congo, meaning he can work with young patients when their own parents aren't allowed to touch them. (11/3)
