Measles News:

• South Carolina’s measles outbreak is slowing, with only 6 new cases reported over the past weekend and down to 91 people in quarantine. (CIDRAP)
  
  
• 17 measles cases have been reported in El Paso this week, including 13 at an ICE detention center. Earlier this month, 2 TB cases and 13 COVID cases were reported there. (TX Tribune)
  
  
• Georgia confirmed its second case in 2026, in someone with no travel history in Bryan County. (CBS)
  
  
• A new, not-yet-peer-reviewed study from Yale estimates that measles cost the U.S. more than $244 million in 2025 alone. (CIDRAP)

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Health News:

• Nearly 60,000 pounds of Willamette Valley Fruit Co. frozen blueberries were recalled due to potential Listeria contamination. (Hill)
  
  
• Flu season is still going strong, driven by a rise in flu B, and is expected to stretch well into spring. (Fox)
  
  
• Great Value Cottage cheese sold at Walmart has been recalled over concerns that it may not be fully pasteurized. (Hill)
  
  
• The ByHeart infant formula botulism outbreak is officially over, with 48 babies sickened. (AP)
  
  
• Despite withdrawing from the WHO, the U.S. will attend their flu meeting to help determine which strains are in next year’s vaccine. (NPR)
  
  
• Deadly bird flu has been found in California’s elephant seals for the first time. (LA Times)
  
  
• The American College of OB/GYNs withdrew from the ACIP this week, claiming the panel’s scientific integrity was compromised. (Medpage Today)
  
  
• Shoveling snow can be dangerous! The combination of cold temps and heavy exertion leads to a huge increase in heart attacks each winter. (NYP)
  
  
• Target will require every cereal it sells, including national brands, to be made without synthetic dyes by May of this year. (Axios)
  
  
• Demand for the 988 suicide prevention hotline is rising, but many states lack a clear plan to fund it. (STLPR)

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Best Question:

What can we expect from a health department if the person with measles is an employee, versus a guest? 

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You can expect a higher level of engagement from the health department if one of your employees has tested positive for measles in a lab-confirmed test, especially if they worked during their contagious window (4 days before and 4 days after the telltale red rash appears). If you’re not sure if your employee is actually positive, ZHH can help verify a test result - though you can take the health department’s word for it if they’re the ones you’re hearing it from. 

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They’ll likely want a full list of your employees and their contact info, to let them know they were exposed and check for symptoms. They may also ask for guest contact info on the days the employee worked, if you have it available. 

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In rare cases, a health department may ask to see employee vaccination records and require anyone who can’t provide proof to stay home for 21 days, which is the full incubation period. But don’t panic - we’re really not seeing this happen in practice anymore, and certainly not in areas with large outbreaks. It’s just not feasible for swamped departments with limited resources in most cases. 

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Just like with a guest exposure situation, they’ll likely move quickly - and you can expect to see your business’ name out there within a few hours of being contacted, if it’s not already. They’ll move quicker if it’s very recent, because any exposures in the past 72 hours can be given the vaccine to protect against contracting the virus. 

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A visit from the health department is much more likely if an actual employee was the sick one, versus a guest. Be sure to pull old inspections and address any prior or common violations before they arrive. They may also hold a press conference, especially if people were exposed in the past 3 days. 

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Overall, we’re not seeing local or state health departments overreact here. There is nothing foodborne about measles, so it’s just as likely that an employee at a big box store or any other local business could test positive, as well. If it happens to you, don’t panic. Reach out to ZHH for support if you need it! 

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Sources: ZHH, Mayo Clinic

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Best Read:

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We haven’t had a climate-focused health section during this busy flu season, but believe it or not (and you may not if you’re still digging out from a blizzard), warmer temperatures are right around the corner. In the South, extreme weather means a new employee health challenge: mold.

A hotter, wetter South becomes a breeding ground for mold | NC Health News

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