OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS +++ +++ ++

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS MedPage Today: Many States Not Prepared To Respond To Public Health Emergencies, Report Finds Even as hantavirus cases on a cruise ship continue to cause concern, about one-fourth of states are not fully prepared to manage a public health emergency if one should come their way, a report found. "The nation faced the most severe flu season in nearly a decade, the highest annual measles case count since 1991, and devastating weather-related emergencies, even as federal public health funding, staffing, and operational support were destabilized," J. Nadine Gracia, MD, president and CEO of the Trust for America's Health (TFAH), which sponsored the report, said in a press release. (Frieden, 5/15) https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/publichealth/121298?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9NSocOrumXA8tocMh04yJm0BWQBFL-dbqoILY8_XeOvkZggYFkxdWDuXQqFBdd1lSCLfRTW2BX28zsJpQS5jzDHVflCQ&_hsmi=419243754&utm_content=419243754&utm_source=hs_email Bloomberg: CDC To Escalate Ebola Response After WHO Declares Emergency The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is escalating its response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, after the World Health Organization labeled the outbreak a public health emergency. The agency plans to deploy additional staff to the affected countries and will provide technical support including laboratory testing, contact tracing and surveillance through its country offices, said Satish Pillai, the CDC’s Ebola response incident manager, on a call with reporters Sunday. It has also activated its emergency response center. (Nix, 5/17) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-17/cdc-to-escalate-ebola-response-after-who-declares-emergency?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_c8-lU84zilVQubGWBwWh8jYcB0lmSypRUR_xnANLoiqe-Z4XF9Fcq5tQuDkroTCGESifouIeuEwTXuvPJR5McVAkvMw&_hsmi=419243754&utm_content=419243754&utm_source=hs_email Newsweek: How Ebola Compares To Hantavirus As 'Small Number' Of Americans Impacted In DRC A “small number” of Americans are being withdrawn from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda after exposure to an Ebola outbreak, U.S. health officials said, not long after the hantavirus outbreak aboard an Antarctic expedition cruise ship, which has left dozens of Americans under monitoring following possible exposure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is assisting those “directly affected” by the outbreak following the World Health Organization’s declaration of a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak has so far included 10 confirmed cases and 336 suspected cases—88 of them fatal—in the DRC, along with two confirmed cases and one death in Uganda. (Laws, 5/18) https://www.newsweek.com/how-ebola-compares-to-hantavirus-as-small-number-of-americans-impacted-in-drc-11961711?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_AfzeqzEx5UhxqXv0xwxpB9PAZPrSe8V30XxZmgpYLOH9X-0p1ncRonFP-0lvxws7YcAJ4e6MFmneOnwmp1tIezmHwxw&_hsmi=419243754&utm_content=419243754&utm_source=hs_email The Hill: Donald Trump's Health Cuts Complicate Federal Messaging On Hantavirus The federal hantavirus response has laid bare the impact of the Trump administration’s cuts to U.S. and global health, renewing concerns among public health experts that the U.S. is not prepared for a bigger health crisis. Career scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been fired or left the agency, and there are far fewer people available to respond to outbreaks and to communicate with the public. That has largely left political appointees in charge of updating the public. (Weixel, 5/16) https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5880824-hantavirus-trump-cdc-response/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_DS3tRmW5OvZOcYHZreFH9uSsUeC5JKEHkWVzcny8qApJQcNV5zuvW78vXdiCuhe_NKP4nSl6AIIzqc1cZssbDk3ojSA&_hsmi=419243754&utm_content=419243754&utm_source=hs_email CIDRAP: Hantavirus Outbreak Reduced To 10 Cases As Ship Passengers Return To Home Countries The World Health Organization (WHO) today reduced the number of reported hantavirus cases from the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius from 11 to 10. WHO officials said at a press briefing this morning that the 11 cases reported in a disease outbreak update on May 13 included one inconclusive test in a passenger from the United States. But the agency learned yesterday that the patient has tested negative. Eight cases have been confirmed, and two are probable. (Dall, 5/15) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/misc-emerging-topics/hantavirus-outbreak-reduced-10-cases-ship-passengers-return-home-countries?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--_y2dQB6pU9U9_ElwVIV2rHUZzVqK0mOq9vJ_OKtp-POWURhhLIutXNCzN18lMQlkaHUIIq8VScV9onY0V9Xu1NeA-9A&_hsmi=419243754&utm_content=419243754&utm_source=hs_email CIDRAP: Salmonella Outbreaks Linked To Backyard Poultry Send 54 To The Hospital The number of people sickened by three multistate outbreaks of the Salmonella bacterium has rocketed to 184. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday there are 150 new cases since April 23, though the true number of sick people is likely higher. At least 54 people have been hospitalized and one person died in Washington state, according to the CDC. Over a quarter of people sickened in this outbreak are children under 5 years old, with a median age of 31 years. (Boden, 5/15) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/salmonella/salmonella-outbreaks-linked-backyard-poultry-send-54-hospital?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9cSgwvEQ0htlqk5WnVq6k19PJvs6uO-PJqsGEV489ZYXHJs9JWot6Krsqpp4VuNxqAE7pyGgQUuhRL2vWLGERfJKfUbA&_hsmi=419243754&utm_content=419243754&utm_source=hs_email CIDRAP: Survey: A Third Of US Backyard Flock Owners Don’t Know Signs, Symptoms Of Avian Flu While most respondents to a survey of US backyard flock owners had heard of avian influenza, about one third didn’t know the signs or symptoms of infection in birds or people, highlighting the need for risk messaging and educational resources. The online survey was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with state and agricultural officials from July to December 2025. The aim was to learn more about flock owners and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding the H5 strain of avian flu that has affected millions of US poultry. Of 638 respondents, about half had an advanced degree. (Van Beusekom, 5/15) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/survey-third-us-backyard-flock-owners-don-t-know-signs-symptoms-avian-flu?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8QsmRJxGmQMlfDY1PLNDlQ0pUQH92O1HQEQX0eqJyZoUHNoO02X05qp5EWRj4dxyQ4VN32i2agMUDq9Fc-OtmbQIPo1w&_hsmi=419243754&utm_content=419243754&utm_source=hs_email CIDRAP: US Measles Total Nears 1,900, With 51 New Cases The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today confirmed 51 new measles cases in a nationwide outbreak that has now reached 1,893 infections. All but nine cases are locally acquired, with the rest related to international travel. The agency reported two new outbreaks, for a total of 27. Last year the nation saw 48 outbreaks and 2,288 cases for the entire year. The United States could top that total in the coming months. (Wappes, 5/15) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/us-measles-total-nears-1900-51-new-cases?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Ro8uFZDGi5Z4uhwYRYLAjN0zpqzS5rHmkAB3Ei82i-y8wgFfvfNaALVbegWBKlMr3osyrge0BSvMtzrBZQGJ2gtE7dw&_hsmi=419243754&utm_content=419243754&utm_source=hs_email