Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
E. Coli Outbreak Possibly Linked To Pumpkin Patch In California Leaves 3 Kids In PICU
San Francisco Chronicle: California Pumpkin Patch Closes After E. Coli Puts 3 Kids In ICU
A popular California pumpkin patch temporarily closed just days before Halloween as health officials investigate five confirmed E. coli infections potentially linked to visits to the farm. The San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Health said Tuesday that it was investigating Brookshire Farms, a longtime fall attraction on the Central Coast, as a potential source of the infections. (Vaziri, 10/28)
More health news from California —
AP: LA Fire Smoke Exposed Millions To Toxic Metals, Study Finds
At the height of the Los Angeles fires in 2025, millions of residents were exposed in a 24-hour period to toxic lead levels from smoke that were 80 times higher than the typical background level, according to a new study. Researchers from the California Institute of Technology compared the chemical composition of smoke from the Eaton Fire with that of a wildfire and found that the urban plume had more lead, arsenic and halogens (which include chlorine and bromine) linked to burning vehicles, building materials and electronics. (Pineda, 10/28)
Bloomberg: Los Angeles Bans New Oil Wells, Orders Phaseout Of Old Ones
Los Angeles voted to ban new oil and gas drilling and to phase out existing wells, becoming the largest US city to move toward ending extraction within its borders. The Los Angeles City Council approved the ordinance in a final vote Wednesday after local officials cast it as a public-health necessity. The measure describes oil and gas extraction near homes, schools and other sensitive sites as a “credible, immediate and ongoing threat” to residents’ health and safety, one that falls hardest on disadvantaged communities. (Ma, 10/28)
San Francisco Chronicle: Genentech Employee Is SF's First Fatal Overdose Victim Of MGM-15
A 37-year-old Genentech scientist died in his San Francisco home last month of an overdose from a dangerous new opioid found in products sold openly in smoke shops and gas stations, according to a medical examiner’s report. The report identified Robert Schuldt as the first person in the city to die of an accidental overdose from MGM-15, a synthetic drug derived from kratom, a psychoactive plant. MGM-15 was detected in Schuldt’s blood, and investigators found an empty package of a product called “cat’s claw botanical extract” among his belongings. (Vân Neely and McFadden, 10/28)
Other news from across the U.S. —
AP: Oregon Needs More Youth ‘Respite’ Homes
Megan Miller knew she and her son needed breaks, but for a long time, she didn’t know how to get one. As a single mom in Eugene, Oregon, caring for her neurodivergent — or “neurospicy,” as she calls it — 8-year-old left her feeling overwhelmed and isolated. A standard childcare or after-school program wouldn’t accept him given his special needs, and Miller doesn’t have family nearby. Her son’s Medicaid plan for people with an intellectual and developmental disability covers two weeks of “relief” overnights per year, but she said she has never been able to use it because the benefit only covers limited situations and there are few providers. (Dawson, 10/28)
Modern Healthcare: PACE Programs Boost Enrollment Through Ethnic, Cultural Groups
Some Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly are boosting enrollment by targeting certain ethnic and cultural groups. PACE operators are tailoring activities, meals and some clinical services to attract Asian, Hispanic, Muslim and LGBTQ+ older adults in communities with large populations of those groups. (Eastabrook, 10/28)
CIDRAP: Avian Flu Activity Increases In Midwestern, West Coast Poultry
H5N1 avian flu activity is increasing across the United States, with 29 confirmations in the past 30 days, including 11 commercial flocks and 18 backyard flocks. A total of 1.32 million birds have been affected in the past month, according to the most recent update from the US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). (Soucheray, 10/28)
