Zika In America: One Mother’s Saga
By JoNel Aleccia
Photos by Heidi de Marco
June 13, 2017
KFF Health News Original
So far, 72 affected babies have been born in the continental U.S. One young mother, infected in Mexico last year, and her infant face an uncertain future in rural Washington.
A New Zika Threat Hovers As Summer’s Mosquitoes Get Bzzzzy
By Shefali Luthra Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
May 30, 2017
KFF Health News Original
The Zika virus, which made its appearance in the U.S. last summer, is still not well understood, and federal and state officials are not sure what to expect this year.
First Look At How Zika Babies Are Faring As They Grow Up Is Sobering In Breadth Of Health Problems
August 8, 2018
Morning Briefing
About one out of every seven babies who were exposed to Zika in the womb have health complications, with some of the problems emerging well after birth. “We are still early in the Zika story, and we still have lot to learn about how these children will grow and develop,” said Margaret Honein, director of the CDC’s Division of Congenital and Developmental Disorders.
‘We Never Give Up’: When Illnesses Are Mystifying, Researchers In The Undiagnosed Disease Network Look For Answers
January 8, 2019
Morning Briefing
Doctors in 12 clinical centers pull out all the stops to try to find a diagnosis and treatment for thousands of patients looking for miracles. Public health news also focuses on a mosquito-borne virus worse than Zika; the Dunning-Kruger effect; the poor’s smoking rates; race and Alzheimer’s disease; stroke risk; the birth of a podcast; the future of newborn DNA testing; what it’s like to have nut-allergies; the upside of breakups; and good news about braces.
Sperm Counts Have Been Dropping For Decades — And Companies Are Seizing Opportunity To Ease Men’s Concerns
July 26, 2018
Morning Briefing
Where there’s a potential health crisis, there comes a way to make money from it. Companies are popping up with at-home sperm tests, sperm health scores and sperm cryobanking services. In other public health news: Zika’s destructive power, physician-assisted suicide, brain injuries in soldiers, eating disorders, and more.
Federal Money For State-Level Zika Tracking, Prevention May End This Summer
By Ana B. Ibarra
May 2, 2017
KFF Health News Original
California has reported more than 500 travel-related Zika infections, and five babies have been born in the state with birth defects related to the mosquito-borne disease.
Hurricane’s Health Toll: A Texas Doctor Taps Lessons From Katrina
By Shefali Luthra
September 6, 2017
KFF Health News Original
After weathering the catastrophe in New Orleans 12 years ago, Dr. Ruth Berggren moved to Texas, where she again finds herself in the center of a hurricane crisis. In a Q&A, she draws parallels between the harrowing events and pinpoints risks in Harvey’s aftermath.
Neighborhoods Just One Street Apart Can Lead To Vastly Different Economic Futures For Poor Children
October 2, 2018
Morning Briefing
Detailed research reveals just how important location is for lifting a child out of poverty, and it can be the difference of just a few streets. Now city official and philanthropists are trying to move families into those areas. In other public health news: suicide, cholesterol, Zika, medical research, postpartum care by doulas, and end-of-life care.
Research Roundup: Pain Management; Zika Testing In Blood Donations
May 11, 2018
Morning Briefing
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Following Brazil’s Zika Outbreak In 2015, Severe Health, Developmental Difficulties Persist In Toddlers
June 6, 2018
Morning Briefing
Some of the more than 260,000 children infected with the virus are making slow progress, according to scientists studying the impacts of microcephaly and other deficits.
Sprint To Find Zika Vaccine Could Hinge On Summer Outbreaks
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
February 23, 2017
KFF Health News Original
In a paradox, researchers say testing for a vaccine will depend on the outbreak recurring this year.
Zika: brotes por el calor pueden acelerar una vacuna
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
February 23, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Mientras las temperaturas más cálidas anuncian la llegada de mosquitos molestos, los investigadores están trabajando febrilmente en varias vacunas prometedoras contra el zika… pero hace falta un brote para probarlas.
The Superbug Era: Big-Gun Antibiotics Being Used To Treat Gonorrhea Which Used To Be Taken Out By Single Pill
July 9, 2018
Morning Briefing
A case study of a man who traveled to Thailand and picked up a strain paints a grim picture of what lays ahead in terms of treatment. The only drugs that worked were expensive and intensive to administer. In other public health news: egg freezing, relationships and health, nutrition, aphasia, Zika, retirement communities, and more.
Zika Screening Test With $137M Price Tag Only Detected 8 Units Of Infected Donated Blood
May 10, 2018
Morning Briefing
The current policy requires the Red Cross and other blood suppliers to test each donation they receive individually, which accounts for the high cost, and the blood system operators would like to be able to dial back that screening.
Risk For Zika Through Sexual Transmission May Last For Shorter Time Than Originally Thought
April 12, 2018
Morning Briefing
A new study finds that the risk appears to dissipate after one month. But experts say they’re not willing to change guidelines just quite yet.
Much-Hyped Easy-To-Take Flu Drug Could Be Approved By FDA Before Next Season’s Peak
June 27, 2018
Morning Briefing
People are buzzing about the single-dose drug that could revolutionize the way the flu is treated. Not only is it easy to take, but it’s been shown to reduce the duration of flu symptoms by a little more than a day and reduce the duration of fever by nearly a day. In other public health news: contagious rudeness, osteoporosis, Zika, end-of-life care, and walking.
Inexpensive Blood Test That Could Predict Due Date, Help Prevent Premature Birth Shows Promising Results
June 8, 2018
Morning Briefing
The test — which detects changes in RNA circulating in a pregnant woman’s blood — estimates due dates within two weeks in nearly half the cases, making it as accurate as the current, more expensive method. In other public health news: vaping, tonsillectomies, HPV vaccines, depression, the plague, e-cigarettes and Zika.
In Puerto Rico, The Joy Of Pregnancy Is Tempered By Fear Of Zika
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
January 9, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Because of the fears about devastating birth defects, carrying a child to term can be daunting for women in the commonwealth.
En Puerto Rico persiste el rechazo al aborto, a pesar del zika
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
January 9, 2017
KFF Health News Original
La Isla enfrenta una epidemia de Zika que pone a sus habitantes frente a dilemas médicos y religiosos.
In Light Of Zika Findings, Stepped-Up Monitoring Of Children’s Symptoms Urged
By Shefali Luthra
December 14, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Three different studies highlight the challenges ahead for the health system as it attempts to address the damage done to children who were exposed to it in utero.
