Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Three More Poultry Farm Workers In Colorado Have Bird Flu
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Thursday announced three additional human cases of bird flu among poultry farm workers, bringing the total number of confirmed human cases in the U.S. this year to 13. The three new cases involved poultry farm workers who were killing infected chickens at a Weld County egg farm, the health department said. The workers are experiencing mild illness and have been offered antiviral drugs, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a statement. (Douglas, 7/25)
Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News: The CDC’s Test For Bird Flu Works, But It Has Issues
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a glitch in its bird flu test hasn’t harmed the agency’s outbreak response. But it has ignited scrutiny of its go-it-alone approach in testing for emerging pathogens. The agency has quietly worked since April to resolve a nagging issue with the test it developed, even as the virus swept through dairy farms and chicken houses across the country and infected at least 13 farmworkers this year. (Allen and Maxmen, 7/26)
On measles, long covid, and whooping cough —
Three unrelated measles cases in the Twin Cities this month have state health officials concerned that the viral infection is circulating locally and presenting a threat to anyone who isn't vaccinated. Investigators with the Minnesota Department of Health are continuing to search for connections, but so far have found none among the infected children in Anoka, Hennepin and Ramsey counties. All three cases were identified this week, and two involved children who were hospitalized. None had been vaccinated. (Olson, 7/25)
The risk of developing long COVID — enduring, sometimes punishing symptoms that linger well after a coronavirus infection — has decreased since the start of the pandemic, a new study found, with the drop particularly evident among those who are vaccinated. But the dip does not mean the risk of developing long COVID has vanished. (Lin II, 7/25)
As COVID continues to spread, there's another respiratory illness that's also increasing, and it has doctors sounding the alarm about a decline in vaccinations. Cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, are spreading. This sickness starts out like a cold, but then turns into a potentially dangerous cough. Juliette Osborne, who lives in South Jersey, said she was upset and worried when her 10-year-old daughter, who has special needs, was diagnosed with whooping cough. (Stahl and Nau, 7/25)
