Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Fourth Infant Has Botulism In Outbreak Linked To Powdered Formula
CIDRAP: One More Infant Sickened With Botulism In Outbreak Tied To Powdered Formula
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there are now four cases of infant botulism illnesses from three states, up from three last month. The new case is in California. California now has two cases, while Pennsylvania and Washington state each have one. (Soucheray, 7/7)
The New York Times: As Parents Reject Vitamin K Shots, Some Babies Develop Devastating Bleeding
Doctors described treating brain and abdominal hemorrhages in infants who hadn’t received the routine injection. Several said the images of those patients were seared in their minds. (Astor, 7/8)
More health and wellness news —
MedPage Today: Younger Teens May Be Unaware Of The Dangers Of Fentanyl, Survey Says
A considerable proportion of younger adolescents may be unaware of the dangers of fentanyl use, according to a cross-sectional survey study. Among the adolescents surveyed, 47.8% of 8th graders attributed great risk to experimental use of fentanyl, while 57.2% and 66.5% attributed great risk to occasional or regular use, respectively, reported Richard Miech, PhD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues in JAMA Network Open. (Firth, 7/7)
CIDRAP: 1 In 4 Adults In Tick-Heavy States Test Positive For Alpha-Gal Antibodies
In five states with high rates of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), nearly one in four adults test positive for antibodies associated with the condition, according to a study published last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The findings suggest that the presence of the molecule that triggers AGS may be far more common than the syndrome itself. (Bergeson, 7/7)
The Guardian: Catnip Lotion As Effective As Deet At Repelling Mosquitoes, Study Finds
A homegrown catnip lotion has proven “just as effective as Deet” as a mosquito repellant in trials carried out in Uganda. Catnip, or Nepeta cataria, is a common herb from the mint family. The chemical in the plant that causes feline euphoria – nepetalactone – also has insect-repelling properties but this has not previously been commercialised. (Lay, 7/7)
The Denver Post: A Few Years Of Healthy Eating And Exercise Influences Health 2 Decades Later, New Study Shows
Even a few years of healthier eating and exercise can show up in better health outcomes two decades later, a new national study found — but most people need significant support to make those changes. (Wingerter, 7/7)
The Wall Street Journal: How Panic Pouches Became The New Way To Soothe Anxiety
When Isabella Banos’s anxiety gets triggered, she tends to pick at her fingers and break the skin. So Banos, who works in communications, has started to “carry a magnetic ball fidget toy so I don’t,” she said. She also totes lavender oil, a portable fan, a rosary and sour candies in a small bag she takes everywhere. This kind of carryall has become known to her and others as a “panic pouch.” (Valdesolo, 7/7)
In sports news —
The New York Times: Marshawn Kneeland Diagnosed With CTE Months After Death By Suicide
Boston University researchers diagnosed former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who died in November 2025 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, with Stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the Concussion & CTE Foundation announced Tuesday. Police officers found Kneeland dead in the early-morning hours of Nov. 6, 2025, in Frisco, Texas. He was 24 years old. (Bardahl, 7/7)
CIDRAP: Ad Hoc Organization Relies On Creativity, ‘Scrappy’ Funding To Monitor Public Health During World Cup
While scanning social media, Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, MPH, noticed a lot of people talking about gastrointestinal symptoms in the Seattle area, one of the North America host cities during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “We’re like, ‘Oh that’s weird. There’s an uptick of people chattering about this,’” Jetelina, the CEO of Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE), told CIDRAP News. “We gave that to the wastewater people at HSCO [Health Security Operations Center], and lo and behold, there was a very big spike of adenovirus around the Seattle area. Then we handed that over to the local and the state public health departments.” (Holohan, 7/7)
