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Data models estimate that the number of coccidioidomycosis (valley fever) cases reported through US surveillance in 2019 was 10 to 18 times higher, with 18,000 to 28,000 related hospitalizations and 700 to 1,100 deaths, suggesting that the burden of the fungal lung infection is substantially higher than thought. The findings come from a study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 6/4)

Yesterday an unvaccinated adult in Bell County, Texas, located in the central part of the state, became the county's first measles case. The route of exposure is unknown, and county health officials said they are investigating any potential community exposures, including identifying whether the person recently traveled internationally or domestically. (Soucheray, 6/4)

As measles cases rise to precipitously high levels in the US this year, there’s a new tool to help track the spread: wastewater. Wastewater surveillance rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, as testing sewage for virus particles helped provide early warning signs of increased transmission and fill the gaps as case reporting scaled back. (McPhillips, 6/4)

Ground beef that was distributed nationwide may be contaminated with E. coli, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. In a public health alert issued Wednesday, the agency said the one-pound, vacuum-packed packages of "ORGANIC RANCHER ORGANIC GROUND BEEF 85% LEAN 15% FAT" were produced on May 22 and 23 this year. The packaging is labeled with "Use or Freeze By 06-19-25" and "Use or Freeze By 06-20-25" and has "EST. 4027" inside the USDA mark of inspection. (Moniuszko, 6/4)