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The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today announced that they are tracking a rise in tularemia cases in humans and in companion animals, especially in Twin Cities residents and in cats. Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, which can be found in wildlife, particularly rabbits, squirrels, beavers, muskrats and other rodents, MDH said. (Soucheray, 7/24)

An out-of-country traveler who passed through Los Angeles International Airport this month and stayed in a local hotel was confirmed to have measles, health officials announced Thursday. L.A. County Department of Public Health officials are investigating two sites in Los Angeles the man visited while infectious, according to a news release. Public spaces where others may have been exposed to the infection are LAX and the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, at 5711 W. Century Blvd. (Buchanan, 7/24)

A new study from the University of Minnesota found that SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater accurately predicted the subsequent COVID-19 case count the following week in the community, adding further evidence to the usefulness of wastewater detection. The observational study was published today in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. The authors said the study was conducted to assess the usefulness of wastewater detections for COVID-19 now that widespread community immunity has been obtained through infection and vaccination.  (Soucheray, 7/24)

Although the number of human infections with H5N1 avian flu rose last year, along with outbreaks in dairy cows and poultry, the illnesses were mostly mild, raising the possibility that immunity from seasonal flu virus infection might play a role. Now, new evidence from ferret experiments suggests that earlier exposure to the 2009 H1N1 seasonal flu virus may provide some immunity. (Schnirring, 7/24)

With the school year fast approaching and the United States grappling with its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, Bay Area public health officials urged families on Thursday to make childhood vaccinations a top priority. Their warning comes amid a surge of vaccine misinformation and a troubling decline in immunization coverage. (Vaziri, 7/24)

Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News: Fearing Medicaid Coverage Loss, Some Parents Rush To Vaccinate Their Kids

For two decades, Washington, D.C., pediatrician Lanre Falusi has counseled parents about vaccine safety, side effects, and timing. But this year, she said, the conversations have changed. ... Throughout the country, pediatricians say anxious parents are concerned about access to routine childhood immunizations, especially those with children on Medicaid, the government insurance program for low-income families and people with disabilities. Medicaid covers 4 in 10 children in the U.S. (Fortiér, 7/25)

A consortium consisting of Nordic Capital and Permira is in talks for a potential takeover of Bavarian Nordic A/S, a Copenhagen-listed vaccine maker. The private equity firms and Bavarian are having ongoing discussions, the Danish company said in a statement on Thursday that confirmed an earlier Bloomberg News report. There’s no certainty an offer will be made, it added. (Nair, Brown, Gopinath, and David, 7/24)