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Scientists and doctors have suspected for years that one cause of the mysterious condition known as long COVID may be reservoirs of the virus that remain hidden in the bodies of its victims long after their acute infections have passed. Earlier this month, a research team led by Boston-area scientists unveiled a study suggesting that this is true for almost half of those suffering from the condition. (Piore, 10/15)

KP.3.1.1 is still the dominant COVID-19 variant in the United States as it accounts for nearly 60% of positive cases, but the XEC variant is not far behind, recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows. "CDC is monitoring the XEC variant," Rosa Norman, a CDC spokesperson told USA TODAY. "XEC is the proposed name of a recombinant, or hybrid, of the closely related Omicron lineages KS.1.1 and KP.3.3." (Forbes, 10/15)

British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline sued Moderna in U.S. federal court in Delaware on Tuesday, accusing it of violating GSK patent rights in messenger RNA technology with its blockbuster COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax and RSV shot mResvia. According to the two lawsuits, Moderna's lipid nanoparticles for transporting fragile mRNA into the human body infringe several GSK patents covering similar innovations. (Brittain, 10/15)

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials have reported two additional cases of locally acquired dengue, a mosquito-borne illness that has been located in several other nearby cities in recent weeks. The two cases reported Tuesday, both in Baldwin Park, now make the total five for that area after a cluster was discovered in September. Since then, cases have been reported in Panorama City and El Monte. (Fioresi, 10/15)

A gathering in North Carolina last year resulted in 10 probable cases of a parasitic infection from undercooked bear meat, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outing in the western region of the state in November culminated in a presumed outbreak of trichinellosis, a rare parasitic disease linked to wild game meat, the CDC said in the report published last week. Trichinellosis occurs when people eat undercooked or raw meat harboring dormant roundworm larvae, the report said. (Planas, 10/15)

If you’re aware of the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cattle — you may have seen some headlines or read something on social media — perhaps you are wondering what the fuss is about. Yes, there have been nearly a couple dozen human cases, but all have had mild symptoms. The virus does not decimate herds in the way it does poultry flocks; most — though not all — of the infected cows come through the illness OK. If, however, you are more familiar with the history of this form of bird flu, you might be getting anxious. (Branswell, 10/16)

October is the prime time to get a flu vaccine to protect yourself through the worst of the respiratory season. However, keep your expectations in check. This year’s shot may be less effective than last year’s at preventing severe disease. Newly released data from the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season typically runs from April through September, suggests that this year’s flu vaccines offer 34% efficacy against hospitalization, compared to 50% last year. (Goodman, 10/15)

A mushroom farm has recalled packages of enoki mushrooms due to possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced. The manufacturer, Enoki King Mushroom Farm of Ventura, California, made its own announcement that same day. The recall includes lot 4877 of the farm’s 5.3-ounce packages of Enoki Mushroom. The recalled mushrooms were sold from California and New York, as well as through produce distributors or wholesalers to retail locations all around the country, the FDA said. (Martin, 10/15)

Zoo authorities in Hong Kong are keeping close watch on a monkey that is behaving unusually a day after the ninth death this week of one of the animals, while hastening tests to find out what killed them. ... The ninth monkey, belonging to the white-faced saki species, died a day after Sunday's deaths of a De Brazza’s monkey, a common squirrel monkey, three cotton-top tamarins and three white-faced sakis. (10/15)