Outbreak News:

• Pennsylvania's measles outbreak continues to grow, with 91 new cases in the past seven days... (ABC News)
  
  
  
• …and Rochester, NY is tracking multiple measles cases, with exposures reported at the train station and the largest local ER. (WHEC)
  
  
  
• The WHO says staffing and funding shortages are dramatically impacting the Congo Ebola response, which continues to grow rapidly. (Reuters)
  
  
  
• The CDC is reporting nearly 20,000 confirmed cyclospora cases tied to recent outbreaks, with nearly 10,000 more awaiting testing, confirmation, or interviews...and at the same time has declared the outbreaks over. (CDC) (NY Times)

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Health News:

• Four major medical groups are recommending Americans continue to get vaccinated against COVID, flu, and RSV, despite changes to federal guidance. (NPR)
  
  
  
• The CDC issued an alert about a 16% spike in rabies cases spread over a dozen states, with six deaths in the past year compared with the usual one or two. (NBC)
  
  
  
• Turns out, THC gummies and driving are not a great mix. The effects can linger for hours, even after you feel sober. (NY Times)
  
  
  
• Planning to get a flu or COVID vaccine doesn’t always mean people actually get one, and access to healthcare and food or housing insecurity are some of the biggest reasons why. (CIDRAP)
  
  
  
• Some norovirus cases may not be norovirus at all. One test can mistake gut bacteria for the virus. (UW Medicine)
  
  
  
• A study of cardiac arrests found that defibrillator pads placed on the front and back of the chest were more likely to restart the heart than the usual front-and-side placement. (JAMA)
  
  
  
• An Arizona State hockey player suffered severe heat stroke during an outdoor team workout. There are still a lot of questions about what heat protocols were in place that day. (ESPN)
  
  

Best Question:

Should I get an RSV vaccine this fall? 

RSV is a common respiratory virus in the fall, but it can be serious, especially if you’re older, pregnant, or have certain medical conditions. 

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If you’re 50+ and you’ve already gotten an RSV vaccine in the past few years, you’re set. The current recommendation is for a one-time vaccine for all adults 75 and older and for ages 50-74 if you have additional risk factors like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, or other immunocompromising conditions. 

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If you’re pregnant, this is where RSV vaccine recommendations have become a bit murky, since the CDC removed most vaccination recommendations for pregnant people last year without scientific evidence and then was forced to restore it via court order. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Medical Association (AMA) both recommend an RSV vaccine for pregnant patients during weeks 32-36 of pregnancy if that falls between September and January. Otherwise, they recommend monoclonal antibodies for infants who are 8 months or younger during their first RSV season. 

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Anyone else under 50 generally isn’t recommended to get an RSV vaccine unless they’re immunocompromised. If you think you might have a condition that puts you at higher risk, be sure to discuss with your doctor. 

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Sources: AMA, ACOG

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Best Read:

We’ve spent a lot of this summer talking about foodborne illness, so is it actually worse this year? The answer is mostly…no, except for Cyclospora - obviously the very big exception. But with cuts to some of the research and teams that help track these outbreaks, it’s hard not to wonder what happens if the next big one is Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria instead.

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The Atlantic - The Truth About American Food Safety

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