Sam Ogozalek, Tampa Bay Times

Florida’s RSV Season Has Started, and It’s Coming Soon to the Rest of US. Here’s a Primer.

KFF Health News Original

Florida’s RSV season begins earlier and runs longer than anywhere else in the U.S., according to the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute. New vaccines can help, but most older adults, who are vulnerable to RSV, haven’t gotten them yet.

The Case of the Armadillo: Is It Spreading Leprosy in Florida?

KFF Health News Original

A single Central Florida county reported 13% of all U.S. leprosy cases in 2020. Researchers have teamed up to investigate whether armadillos are passing the bacteria that cause the disease to humans — which is especially concerning as the animals expand their range farther north.

Mood-Altering Mushroom Sales Bloom Despite Safety Concerns

KFF Health News Original

The well-known “Amanita muscaria” mushroom is legal to possess and consume in 49 states. The market for gummies, powders, and capsules containing extracts of the fungus is raising eyebrows, though, amid concerns from the FDA and in the absence of human clinical trials.

A Lot of Thought, Little Action: Proposals About Mental Health Go Unheeded

KFF Health News Original

A recent report detailing problems with Florida’s patchwork mental health system had reached conclusions nearly identical to those of a similar report from more than 20 years ago. The echoes between the findings are unmistakable. And Florida isn’t the only state struggling with the criminalization of mental illness, a lack of coordination between providers, and insufficient access to treatment.