Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Wisconsin Infant Dies Of Measles As US Cases Notch 35-Year High
Bloomberg: Measles Kills Infant In Wisconsin, Marking State’s First Measles Fatality In 36 Years
Wisconsin reported its first measles death in more than three decades on Thursday, the latest state to suffer a fatality from a virus that was long eradicated in the US but recently surged back amid a wave of anti-vaccine sentiment. The death occurred in an infant, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said in a statement. It is the third US measles death within the last week — matching the number of deaths in all of 2025. In the preceding 25 years, the US typically had no deaths. (Nix, 11/5)
CIDRAP: Canada's 2025 Measles Outbreak Offers A Cautionary Tale For The US
A measles outbreak at an October 2024 wedding in New Brunswick contributed to the virus reestablishing itself in Canada, according to a recent analysis in The BMJ, a London-based medical journal. The outbreak began after several wedding guests from Ontario were exposed to measles by another guest from Thailand. The Ontario residents brought the virus home, where it continued to spread, ultimately resulting in a multijurisdictional outbreak that lasted almost a full year, with 2,064 confirmed infections and 313 probable cases. (Boden, 11/5)
More about infant health —
The Washington Post: Infant Bleeding Surged Last Year As Parents Refuse Vitamin K Shot For Newborns
Cases of infant bleeding surged last year as more parents refused critical vitamin K injections for their newborns, according to new research released Thursday in JAMA Pediatrics. While the research does not point to a cause, scientists note some of the change comes during a time of growing skepticism around public health fueled partly in recent years by President Donald Trump’s administration. (Wu, 11/4)
On bird flu, screwworm, Ebola, and covid —
The New York Times: Bird Flu Death In Washington State Renews Concern Over The Virus
The death, in Yakima County, Wash., is the first related to bird flu in the country this year, and the third since 2024. But it was only on Thursday, one day after an inquiry from The New York Times, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its website. It still has not made any statements to the public about the death. Documents obtained by the Animal Welfare Institute, an advocacy group, showed that federal and state officials also have done little to stem the outbreak at the mink farm, where the virus, called H5N1, had been circulating for weeks before it was detected. (Mandavilli and Anthes, 11/5)
CIDRAP: New World Screwworm Cases In US Animals Jump To 113
The number of confirmed New World screwworm (NWS) cases in the United States jumped to 113 yesterday, as the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported an additional 42 cases since last week. The latest cases—in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona—involve horses, cattle, sheep, dogs, and a chicken, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. While Texas and New Mexico reported their first animal infestations with the parasitic fly in early June, Arizona confirmed its first case October 28, with an infested dog in Cochise County. (Szabo, 11/5)
AP: British Doctor With Ebola Evacuated To London From Congo
A British doctor who was working on the Ebola epidemic in Congo was evacuated Thursday to a London hospital for treatment for the virus, the U.K. government said. The man is the first British patient evacuated from the current outbreak of the deadly virus, and the third person to have tested positive to return to Europe. The doctor was flown to the U.K. on a medical evacuation arranged by the governments of Britain and Congo, and their international health partners. (11/5)
CIDRAP: As Ebola Cases Near 10,700, WHO Recommends Adding 2 Bundibugyo Vaccines To Clinical Trial
As the Ebola case and death total in the African outbreak continue to rise, expert groups convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) have recommended adding two candidate Bundibugyo Ebola virus vaccines to the ongoing Tumaini clinical trial. The outbreak case total now stands at 10,699, including 5,202 deaths, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today. (Van Beusekom, 11/5)
CIDRAP: New Evidence Affirms COVID Vaccine Is Safe During Pregnancy
Expecting moms have another reason to be reassured about the COVID-19 vaccine's safety for their unborn kids. An analysis published this week in JAMA Pediatrics found that in utero exposure to the immunization had no effect on a child's neurodevelopmental outcomes. The study matched women who received the COVID vaccine during or within 30 days before pregnancy with those who did not, resulting in 217 pairs of participants. Factors considered were delivery site, delivery date, insurance status, race, and ethnicity. (Boden, 11/5)
