Timely and relevant global health security news curated by GCHS
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Featured Headlines
- What to Know About the Hepatitis A Outbreak in L.A. CountyNYT A highly contagious liver infection is surging among groups who are not typically at risk. At least seven people have died. Public health officials in Los Angeles County have declared an outbreak of hepatitis A, a highly contagious liver infection driven by a virus that can, in rare cases, cause severe illness. The condition,… Read more: What to Know About the Hepatitis A Outbreak in L.A. County
- Staff exodus at US farm agency leaves fewer experts to battle bird fluReuters Hundreds of veterinarians, support staff and lab workers at the animal health arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture have left under the Trump administration’s push for resignations, according to three sources familiar with the situation, leaving fewer specialists to respond to animal disease outbreaks. The departures come as the country battles its longest-ever… Read more: Staff exodus at US farm agency leaves fewer experts to battle bird flu
- RFK Jr. defends widespread HHS cuts, response to measles outbreak during House hearingABC News Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., before a House committee Wednesday morning, defended the massive cuts to the department’s workforce and laid out his priorities for the Trump administration’s proposed budget — all while he is expected to field questions about his history of promoting conspiracy theories and controversial comments about vaccines.… Read more: RFK Jr. defends widespread HHS cuts, response to measles outbreak during House hearing
Updates on ongoing disease outbreaks
- New model reveals H5N1 is spreading undetected in US dairy herdsMedical News A powerful simulation of H5N1 transmission across 35,974 US herds shows that the virus is far more widespread than reported, raising urgent calls for better farm surveillance and stronger disease control. In a recent study in the journal Nature Communications, researchers developed and tested a novel stochastic metapopulation transmission model to predict the scale,… Read more: New model reveals H5N1 is spreading undetected in US dairy herds
- How Close Is H5N1 to Reaching the Goal?ISDE If H5N1 were on a soccer team, as one expert described it, it just might be able to score a goal: human-to-human transmission. With each mammal that becomes infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus, the concern for a human pandemic grows, especially since it has appeared in dairy cows because these animals do not normally get influenza (Viruses 2019;11[6]:561).… Read more: How Close Is H5N1 to Reaching the Goal?
- Discover What’s Next in Bird Flu: Must-Know Lessons from Last YearDairy Herd As the dairy industry moves into the second year of combating H5N1, maintaining momentum and commitment to biosecurity remains crucial. The past year has been a tumultuous period for the dairy industry, grappling with the onset of the H5N1 bird flu virus in dairy cattle. Dairy farmers have significantly strengthened biosecurity measures, and… Read more: Discover What’s Next in Bird Flu: Must-Know Lessons from Last Year
- Bird flu detection in tigress after her death prompts Indian state to shut down zoosAA.com Uttar Pradesh state government orders closure of zoos in Lucknow and Kanpur, a day after similar precautionary measures implemented in Gorakhpur and Etawah following discovery of bird flu in tigress. The northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh closed its zoos to the public for a week on Wednesday, a day after bird flu was… Read more: Bird flu detection in tigress after her death prompts Indian state to shut down zoos
- USDA declares Vermont dairy farms are ‘unaffected’ by the bird flu epidemic: How they knowBurlington Press Vermont dairy farmers have achieved what the Agency of Agriculture called a “critical benchmark” from the U.S. Department of Agriculture − a declaration by USDA that Vermont is unaffected by bird flu, according to a news release. This winter, the Agency of Agriculture began a new milk sampling program mandated by the USDA to identify avian influenza-infected dairy… Read more: USDA declares Vermont dairy farms are ‘unaffected’ by the bird flu epidemic: How they know
- Cardiovascular Implications of Long COVID, Severe COVID: What to Know, How to ManageMedScape As cases of long COVID — often defined as symptoms that weren’t present before persisting for 3 or more months after the infection — became more prevalent and alarming, researchers began to zero in on the commonly reported cardiovascular symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath,… Read more: Cardiovascular Implications of Long COVID, Severe COVID: What to Know, How to Manage
- Genetic Study Retraces the Origins of Coronaviruses in BatsNYT As China and the United States trade charges of a lab leak, researchers contend in a new paper that the Covid pandemic got its start, like a previous one, in the wildlife trade. In the early 2000s, a coronavirus infecting bats jumped into raccoon dogs… Read more: Genetic Study Retraces the Origins of Coronaviruses in Bats
- Measles outbreak in North Dakota prompts local health officials to quarantine unvaccinated schoolchildrenCNN Measles cases continue to accumulate in the United States in what is already the second-worst year since the disease was declared eliminated a quarter-century ago. Now, a recent outbreak in one North Dakota county has led local health officials to quarantine nearly 200 unvaccinated students. North Dakota has reported nine measles cases this year, and a… Read more: Measles outbreak in North Dakota prompts local health officials to quarantine unvaccinated schoolchildren
- Texas measles outbreak rises by eight cases to 717, hits three new countiesHouston Chronicle Texas health officials reported eight new measles cases on Tuesday, with the outbreak spreading to three new counties. The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported 717 measles cases amid the largest outbreak in the United States in at least 25 years. But the outbreak has appeared to slow recently; Texas reported 26 cases… Read more: Texas measles outbreak rises by eight cases to 717, hits three new counties
- The Rapid Spread of MeaslesReuters (Interactive) How a small drop in vaccination can lead to outbreaks. Continue reading
- Measles is making a comeback: Can we stop it?Harvard Health Seven things to know about the recent measles outbreaks. Has the recent news about measles outbreaks in the US surprised you? Didn’t it seem like we were done with measles? In the US, widespread vaccination halted the ongoing spread of measles more than 20 years ago, a major public health achievement. Before an effective vaccine… Read more: Measles is making a comeback: Can we stop it?
- Sierra Leone Reports More Than 2,000 Mpox Cases, 11 DeathsTV 360 Nigeria Sierra Leone has recorded a total of 2,045 confirmed cases of mpox since the start of the year, with 11 reported deaths, according to a new report released by the country’s… Read more: Sierra Leone Reports More Than 2,000 Mpox Cases, 11 Deaths
- Multi-country outbreak of mpox, External situation reportWHO This is the 52nd situation report for the multi-country outbreak of mpox, which provides details on the global epidemiological situation for mpox with data as of 31 March 2025, including an update on… Read more: Multi-country outbreak of mpox, External situation report
- Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome May Be Driven by Remnants of InfectionNorthwestern Scientists learn why the body may continue to respond to an invisible threat long after bacterial death. Symptoms that persist long after Lyme disease is treated are not uncommon — a 2022 study found that 14 percent of patients who were diagnosed and treated early with antibiotic therapy would still develop Post Treatment Lyme Disease (PTLD). Yet… Read more: Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome May Be Driven by Remnants of Infection
- A Potentially Life-Threatening Disease Caused by Ticks Is Expanding to New Parts of AmericaSmithsonian Magazine Babesiosis typically occurs in the Northeast and the Upper Midwest, but new research suggests rare cases are emerging in the mid-Atlantic region including Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Babesiosis is a rare, tick-borne disease caused by a parasite that attacks the red blood cells and can lead to flu-like symptoms such as fever, body… Read more: A Potentially Life-Threatening Disease Caused by Ticks Is Expanding to New Parts of America
- A man died from a tick bite in Massachusetts. His family wants to prevent it from happening again.CBS News The family of a Massachusetts man who died after a tick bite wants everyone to take ticks seriously and, if you get bitten by one, go see a doctor. Erin Boyce remembers the day her brother Kevin Boyce got sick after being bitten by a tick in April 2024. Kevin Boyce’s story “It… Read more: A man died from a tick bite in Massachusetts. His family wants to prevent it from happening again.
Emerging Infectious Disease Headlines
- Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome May Be Driven by Remnants of InfectionNorthwestern Scientists learn why the body may continue to respond to an invisible threat long after bacterial death. Symptoms that persist long after Lyme disease is treated are not uncommon… Read more: Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome May Be Driven by Remnants of Infection
- A Potentially Life-Threatening Disease Caused by Ticks Is Expanding to New Parts of AmericaSmithsonian Magazine Babesiosis typically occurs in the Northeast and the Upper Midwest, but new research suggests rare cases are emerging in the mid-Atlantic region including Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Babesiosis… Read more: A Potentially Life-Threatening Disease Caused by Ticks Is Expanding to New Parts of America
- A man died from a tick bite in Massachusetts. His family wants to prevent it from happening again.CBS News The family of a Massachusetts man who died after a tick bite wants everyone to take ticks seriously and, if you get bitten by one, go see a… Read more: A man died from a tick bite in Massachusetts. His family wants to prevent it from happening again.
- Panama’s Malaria Outbreak Produces Two FatalitiesVAX Before Travel In 1904, the Isthmus of Panama reported that tropical diseases such as malaria led to the death of an estimated 12,000 workers during the Panama Canal project.… Read more: Panama’s Malaria Outbreak Produces Two Fatalities
- The deadly riddle of blackwater fever: the search for answers over illness killing Uganda’s childrenThe Guardian A dangerous complication of malaria turns urine dark with blood – but only affects some young patients in rural areas and not others. Puzzled experts are trying to… Read more: The deadly riddle of blackwater fever: the search for answers over illness killing Uganda’s children
- New Mexico health officials: ‘One of the most severe’ flu seasons in recent yearsSource NM Mid-May marks the end of widespread influenza infections across the country, wrapping up a flu season New Mexico health officials described as “one of the most severe” in… Read more: New Mexico health officials: ‘One of the most severe’ flu seasons in recent years
Read more Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Genetic Study Retraces the Origins of Coronaviruses in BatsNYT As China and the United States trade charges of a lab leak, researchers contend in a new paper that the Covid pandemic got its start, like a previous one, in the wildlife trade. In… Read more: Genetic Study Retraces the Origins of Coronaviruses in Bats
- New Antimicrobial Paint Kills Flu, MRSA, and COVID-19 on ContactSciTechDaily A new bacteria-killing paint shows powerful promise in eliminating dangerous pathogens like MRSA and COVID-19 from hard surfaces. nfused with chlorhexidine, a trusted dental disinfectant, the coating works on plastics and metals and activates once dry.… Read more: New Antimicrobial Paint Kills Flu, MRSA, and COVID-19 on Contact
- A New UV Light May Help Stop Future PandemicsInfectious Disease Advisor Five years after COVID-19 first hit the United States, scientists are already brainstorming how to stop the next big virus. One possible solution? A special kind of ultraviolet light called far-UVC, CBS News reported.… Read more: A New UV Light May Help Stop Future Pandemics
- PET imaging reveals long-term heart and lung damage from COVID-19Health Imaging New PET imaging data highlight the long-lasting impact of COVID-19, revealing changes to the heart and lungs that are not detectable by standard medical assessments. The inflammatory alterations observed could indicate that individuals… Read more: PET imaging reveals long-term heart and lung damage from COVID-19
- Antiviral drug ensitrelvir shows promise in preventing household COVID spreadCIDRAP People who started taking the antiviral drug ensitrelvir within 72 hours after a household member tested positive for COVID-19 were significantly less likely to be infected, according to results from an international phase 3… Read more: Antiviral drug ensitrelvir shows promise in preventing household COVID spread
- What We Know About Covid’s Impact on Your BrainBloomberg Scientists worry that persistent cognitive issues caused by Covid signal that a surge in dementia cases and other mental conditions is on the horizon. Five years after the pandemic began, researchers are increasingly recognizing the… Read more: What We Know About Covid’s Impact on Your Brain
- US health officials advise older travelers not to get a chikungunya vaccineAP The U.S. government advised American travelers age 60 and older not get a chikungunya vaccine as it investigates possible side effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug… Read more: US health officials advise older travelers not to get a chikungunya vaccine
- Here’s Why Kennedy Says the Mumps Vaccine Doesn’t WorkMedPage Today During an interview with Dr. Philopens in a new tab or window in late April, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made the bold claim that “the mumps part” of the measles, mumps, and… Read more: Here’s Why Kennedy Says the Mumps Vaccine Doesn’t Work
- Trump administration’s universal flu vaccine project puzzles scientistsNPR Vaccine experts are perplexed by a project the Trump administration has launched to develop a universal flu vaccine, which has long been a goal, though an elusive one, in medical research. Dubbed Generation Gold… Read more: Trump administration’s universal flu vaccine project puzzles scientists
- Physicians Sound Alarm: Vaccine Misinformation and Policy Failures Threaten US Public HealthInfection Control Today We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in public health. On one side, we are experiencing an extraordinary wave of vaccine innovation, offering new platforms, protections, and avenues for disease prevention. Conversely, we face an unprecedented decline… Read more: Physicians Sound Alarm: Vaccine Misinformation and Policy Failures Threaten US Public Health
- The little-known database at the heart of Kennedy’s vaccine conspiracy theoryNBC News Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long claimed a secret database holds the truth about vaccines and autism. Now that he’s in charge, his anti-vaccine supporters wonder — can he deliver? For as long as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.… Read more: The little-known database at the heart of Kennedy’s vaccine conspiracy theory
- Office design isn’t keeping up with post-COVID work styles – here’s what workers really wantThe Conversation Flexible work has become the new norm, despite the best efforts of companies calling workers back to the office. Some employers assume that a return to the old ways of working is both possible and desirable. But for many… Read more: Office design isn’t keeping up with post-COVID work styles – here’s what workers really want
- Do You Have Your Cootie Shot?The Atlantic The classic kids’ game teaches a lesson about public health that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has failed to learn. A sudden and mysterious outbreak of communicable disease began recently in my apartment building in Manhattan. Three 7-year-olds, a… Read more: Do You Have Your Cootie Shot?
Interesting and Sometimes Funny
- Miss your flight? There’s a dance for that.Washington Post Dancer Blake McGrath missed his flight after creating an airport dance. It sparked a TikTok trend. Blake McGrath has danced all over: in his living room, on the lawn, in local grocery stores, on concert stages, on television sets, in the movies. And, perhaps most visibly of late, at the airport. A professional dancer for… Read more: Miss your flight? There’s a dance for that.