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Five people in the greater Tampa Bay region have died this year because of the so-called “flesh-eating” bacterium found in warm, brackish seawater and undercooked seafood. The Florida Department of Health said this past week that 26 cases of Vibrio vulnificus were reported in the state so far in 2023, with two deaths in Hillsborough County, and one each in Pasco, Polk and Sarasota counties. (Mayer, 8/22)

The Connecticut Department of Public Health announced Monday that four Connecticut residents have tested positive for Powassan virus. These are the first such cases to be identified in the state this year. ... All of the patients became ill following a known tick bite and were hospitalized with a central nervous system infection. All patients have been discharged and are recovering from the infection. (Gabrielle, 8/21)

A ninth case of malaria diagnosed in a person who had not traveled out of the U.S. has experts on alert — and calling for more surveillance of the mosquitoes that spread the illness. "The time to think about the next mosquito-borne disease is not when we find a sick person. It's now," said Dan Markowski, technical adviser to the American Mosquito Control Association, a nonprofit organization representing groups that monitor mosquito activity. (Edwards, 8/22)

Controversial language in a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration would effectively require small airports to continue selling leaded gasoline, despite the health hazards of lead, a powerful neurotoxin. The provisions have sparked a fierce debate among lawmakers, public health advocates, pilots and fuel producers. The debate isn’t over whether to ditch leaded aviation gas, but how quickly to do so in light of safety concerns. (Joselow and Montalbano, 8/22)

No harmful levels of carcinogenic PCBs were found inside the missile launch facilities at F.E. Warren Air Force base in Wyoming, the service said Tuesday, as it looks for possible causes for cancers being reported among its nuclear missile community. (Copp, 8/22)