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Tap water for about 1 in 3 Americans could contain a byproduct from the decontamination process that may be toxic, according to a study published Thursday. For over a century, public water systems have used chemical compounds to kill pathogens that cause waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever, saving countless lives. This purification process has been carried out using chlorine. In the 1970s, researchers found chlorine could react to organic compounds in water to produce chemical reactions that cause cancer, low birth weight babies and miscarriages. (Cuevas, 11/21)

Just 17.9 percent of U.S. adults have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, and 34.7 percent have received an influenza vaccine during the 2024-25 respiratory disease season, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The report, published Thursday, notes that 35 percent of adults are open to receiving an influenza vaccine, 41 percent are willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine and 40 percent are open to getting a vaccine for RSV.  (O'Connell-Domenech, 11/21)

With the holiday season upon us and families gathering for Thanksgiving, public health officials are preparing for the respiratory virus season to ramp up and for January — when Donald Trump will return to the White House. Several public health officials joined forces Thursday to discuss the importance and efficacy of routine vaccines, as flu and RSV start to increase nationally, with COVID almost certain to follow suit. (Blair Rowan, 11/21)

With winter approaching, seasonal illnesses like the flu are already surging. There is another to add to the long list of illnesses to look out for – Valley fever. Cases of Valley fever are spiking across the southwest. Infections in Arizona have jumped 45% from what they were this time last year, an uptick of almost 4,000 cases. California cases have increased by about 600 since last year, according to the state's health department. (De Young and Rodriguez, 11/22)

A little-known virus is getting a lot of attention this year. It's called Oropouche, and it's been making headlines because of a notable increase in diagnoses. So far in 2024 there have been over 10,000 cases, mainly in South America and the Caribbean. The vast majority are in Brazil. By contrast, the total Oropouche count in Brazil recorded between 2015 and 2022 was 261. (Barros Guinle, 11/20)

Floods are emerging as a major health hazard with inequitable global effects -- both short and long term -- as climate change alters weather patterns. Flooding is the most common climate hazard, affecting more than 1.65 billion people from 2000 to 2019, with approximately 104,614 lives lost, reported Yuming Guo, MD, PhD, and Shanshan Li, MD, PhD, both of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues, in a special report in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Putka, 11/21)

A slower walking pace could be a sign of cognitive decline or dementia, a new study suggests. Researchers assessed more than 16,800 healthy people over the age of 65 in the U.S. and Australia during a seven-year period (2010 to 2017), according to the published study in JAMA Network Open. ... Those who demonstrated a decrease in walking speed by at least 2 inches per second a year — along with slower cognitive ability — had a higher risk of dementia, as compared to individuals considered to be "non-decliners, cognitive-only decliners or gait-only decliners," according to the report. (McGorry, 11/21)

Wolverine Packing Co. is recalling more than 167,000 pounds of ground beef shipped to restaurants due to possible E. coli contamination. Fifteen cases have been reported in Minnesota, with illnesses starting from November 2 to November 10, the US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service said Wednesday. (Gumbrecht, 11/21)

Methanol poisoning has long been a well-known issue across South East Asia, particularly in the poorer countries along the Mekong river. But despite foreign governments posting warnings about alcohol consumption in these places, there is still little awareness among the backpacker party scene. (Mao, 11/221)