epidemic and pandemic — Main Street Independent

Four medical groups issue vaccine guidance as federal process remains frozen

Four major U.S. medical groups simultaneously issued independent vaccination guidelines for COVID-19, influenza and RSV on Wednesday, recommending Americans continue to get immunized as the newest versions of the vaccines become available…

2026-09-02 · 3 MIN READ

CDC excludes two Pennsylvania measles deaths from national count

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not including two measles-related deaths reported by Pennsylvania in its national count while it reviews the cases, according to an agency note posted Sunday and reported by The…

2026-08-31 · 3 MIN READ

U.S. Forest Service injects 6,000 young elms with Dutch elm disease spores

The U.S. Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy Vermont spent the summer injecting 6,000 young elm trees with Dutch elm disease spores near Montpelier, Vermont, testing which specimens can survive a fungal epidemic that has killed tens…

2026-08-31 · 5 MIN READ

Trump signs order seeking to scale back childhood vaccines

Trump signed an executive order urging parents to spread out childhood vaccines in more visits to pediatricians' offices.
The order encourages states to mandate fewer vaccines for school attendance, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The administration will seek alternatives to aluminum, a common vaccine ingredient, under the order.
Trump at an Oval Office event repeated previous comments linking childhood shots and autism — a connection that scientists have said is unfounded, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal reported it was unclear how the vaccine recommendations would be implemented.

2026-08-10 · 3 MIN READ

USDA shutters two cyclospora research projects as outbreak tops 17,000 cases

The US Department of Agriculture is shuttering two of three federal research projects studying cyclospora after the parasite sickened more than 17,000 Americans since May 1, according to a Sunday Politico report cited by The Guardian. The…

2026-08-30 · 3 MIN READ

RFK Jr. suggests two Pennsylvania measles deaths were 'fabricated'

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote on X late Wednesday that two measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania may have been "fabricated," prompting Governor Josh Shapiro to call the claims "inaccurate and misleading." The two…

2026-08-28 · 4 MIN READ

FDA confirms cyclospora cases from recalled lettuce reach 11,458 in 20 states

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that cyclospora cases linked to recalled iceberg lettuce have been confirmed in 20 states, with the case count rising to 11,458 from about 10,900 a week earlier. Three states — Georgia,…

2026-08-27 · 4 MIN READ

Two unvaccinated die of measles in Pennsylvania, first state deaths in 35 years

Two unvaccinated Lancaster county residents died of measles, Pennsylvania health officials announced Tuesday, marking the first measles deaths in the state in 35 years. The deaths came one day after Maryland declared a measles outbreak in…

2026-08-25 · 3 MIN READ

Cava rebounds from cyclospora dip, credits advisory council and menu variety

Cava Group finance chief Tricia Tolivar said the Mediterranean fast-casual chain's sales slipped late in the quarter ended July 12 as summer cyclospora outbreaks weighed on restaurant traffic, before recovering to mid-single-digit growth…

2026-08-25 · 4 MIN READ

CDC links multi-state food poisoning outbreak to alfalfa sprouts

US health officials have linked a food poisoning outbreak to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts, a Minnesota grower, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The agency reported at least 55 cases across 15…

2026-08-24 · 3 MIN READ

Two die in Michigan cyclospora outbreak, marking first US deaths

State health officials in Michigan announced two deaths in the state's cyclospora outbreak, the first confirmed deaths in the United States related to the microscopic parasite.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said both people who died had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration.
The department said it will not provide additional information about the deaths.
Federal health officials identified lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations across five U.S. states as a source of the widespread outbreak.

2026-08-03 · 3 MIN READ

Ebola infections in DRC exceed 5,290, deaths reach 2,516

A U.N. coordinator said Friday that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has infected more than 5,290 people and killed 2,516 since it was declared on May 15.

2026-08-23 · 3 MIN READ

Delaware beach patrols report hundreds of jellyfish stings each day

Delaware beach patrols are reporting hundreds of jellyfish stings each day, with Rehoboth Beach recording 150 to 200 daily stings since the end of July and Lewes Beach averaging about 100. State officials advise beachgoers to rinse stings…

2026-08-22 · 3 MIN READ

CDC reports 55 cases tied to alfalfa sprouts across 15 states

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday that 55 people across 15 states have been sickened in a foodborne illness outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts, with four patients hospitalized. State health authorities…

2026-08-21 · 3 MIN READ

Taylor Farms contacts White House to delay cyclospora recall announcement

Produce supplier Taylor Farms contacted the White House in an attempt to delay the announcement of a recall tied to a multistate cyclospora outbreak, according to people familiar with the matter. The call, facilitated by a former senior…

2026-07-25 · 3 MIN READ

WHO estimates nearly 11 million measles cases globally in 2026

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 11 million people will contract measles in 2026, with most cases concentrated in Africa and Asia and resurgences now reported across the Americas and Europe, according to analysis by…

2026-08-21 · 4 MIN READ

Illustration accompanying article: Taylor Farms contacts White House to delay cyclospora recall announcement

CDC identifies jalapeños as likely source of 431-case salmonella outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 431 salmonella infections across 32 states on Wednesday, with the agency identifying jalapeño peppers distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors as the likely source of the outbreak.…

2026-08-20 · 3 MIN READ

Screwworm response halts Texas shelter adoptions, raises euthanasia risk

Adoptions are on hold for thousands of dogs and cats in Texas shelters, potentially putting the animals at risk of being euthanized, as state movement restrictions imposed to contain the New World screwworm leave facilities overcrowded.…

2026-08-19 · 3 MIN READ

FDA traceability rule delayed until 2028 as cyclosporiasis outbreak spreads

The FDA's food traceability rule — a regulation designed to let investigators more quickly and accurately pinpoint where tainted food came from, all the way down to the farm — will not be enforced until July 2028 under a provision Congress…

2026-08-16 · 5 MIN READ

Federal cuts and policy rollbacks leave US facing multiple crises

The US is confronting overlapping public health outbreaks, environmental vulnerabilities, and weakened election-security infrastructure as the Trump administration's staffing cuts, funding reductions, and policy rollbacks have diminished…

2026-07-19 · 3 MIN READ

Schwartz faces Senate as Trump’s third CDC director nominee

Dr. Erica Schwartz, a retired Public Health Service rear admiral, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing to lead the Centers for Disease Control and…

2026-07-15 · 3 MIN READ

Trump signs vaccine order; CDC guidance remains, pediatricians report confusion

President Donald Trump's executive order on vaccines does not change federal vaccine recommendations, according to public health experts and pediatricians, who say it is instead sowing confusion that may lead parents to delay their…

2026-08-13 · 4 MIN READ

Louisiana urges beach caution as Vibrio infections surge

Louisiana health officials are urging beachgoers to take precautions during a summertime surge in infections from Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters. The state has confirmed nine infections this year — all…

2026-08-09 · 3 MIN READ

Senate committee sets Fauci contempt vote as experts warn of fallout

A U.S. Senate committee is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after the former public health official invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during a hearing focused on his actions during the…

2026-08-06 · 3 MIN READ

Oldest plague evidence found in Siberian hunter-gatherer teeth

Scientists have found the oldest known evidence of plague-causing bacteria, dating back about 5,500 years, in the teeth of ancient hunter-gatherers buried near Siberia’s Lake Baikal.

2026-06-17 · 3 MIN READ

US lawmakers urge Trump administration to halt plan moving Afghans to DRC

More than 80 House lawmakers — including three Republicans — appealed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday to scrap any plan to move 1,100 Afghan nationals who worked alongside U.S. forces from temporary housing in Qatar to a…

2026-06-11 · 3 MIN READ

US charters $750K yacht to evacuate American exposed to hantavirus

The Trump administration committed $750,000 to charter a private yacht to evacuate a single American citizen from a remote South Pacific island after she had been aboard a cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak,…

2026-06-11 · 3 MIN READ

FDA approves mFlusiva, Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine for older adults

The Food and Drug Administration has approved mFlusiva, Moderna’s flu vaccine for adults age 50 and older, the company said. It is the first flu vaccine made with the mRNA technology that was key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic.

2026-08-06 · 3 MIN READ

Jalapeño peppers are linked to 345 Salmonella cases across 27 states

Federal health officials are investigating a Salmonella Javiana outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, after 345 people in 27 states became ill. The FDA said 36 people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported.

2026-08-06 · 3 MIN READ

Kennedy urges measles vaccination as US outbreak reaches 2,371 cases

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told American parents on Sunday to have their children vaccinated against measles, stating the vaccine prevents the disease in about 97% of cases. Kennedy's appeal, made during an interview on CNN's…

2026-08-02 · 3 MIN READ

WHO: DR Congo Ebola outbreak surpasses 2018-2020 record

The World Health Organization said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the largest the country has ever recorded, with 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths as of July 30. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo…

2026-08-01 · 4 MIN READ

Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment, Rand Paul threatens contempt

Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions during a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday, prompting Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to threaten contempt-of-Congress proceedings.…

2026-07-30 · 3 MIN READ

Yum Brands profit more than doubles amid cyclospora outbreak affecting Taco Bell sales

Yum Brands reported second-quarter profit of $853 million, more than double the $374 million from a year earlier, as an outbreak of cyclosporiasis linked to shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell affected U.S. sales.

2026-07-30 · 3 MIN READ

Genetic study of Chilean mummies traces smallpox's arrival in Americas to colonization

Colonial-era records have long documented that smallpox devastated Indigenous populations in the Americas after European contact. New genetic evidence from mummies in Chile has now confirmed that connection, said geneticist Shigeki…

2026-07-30 · 3 MIN READ

US blood inventory drops 25% as heat, wildfires and illness curb donations

The American Red Cross has declared a national blood supply "crisis" for only the second time in its 150-year history, as extreme weather and a widespread foodborne illness have left supplies low at the peak of summer demand. Inventory…

2026-07-29 · 4 MIN READ

Cyclosporiasis case count may exceed 11,000, CDC tracking shows

A cyclosporiasis outbreak that has potentially sickened more than 11,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's count, is revealing differences in how US states and the federal government track foodborne…

2026-07-28 · 3 MIN READ

How U.S. aid cuts are reshaping HIV/AIDS efforts in Africa

Trump administration cuts to foreign assistance have destabilized long-running HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa and Mozambique, where NPR reporters documented closed clinics, unpaid health workers, and widespread uncertainty about the…

2026-06-07 · 3 MIN READ

WHO chief visits Ebola epicenter in eastern Congo as cases surge past 900

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday visited the eastern Congolese city of Bunia, the epicenter of a rare Ebola outbreak that has accelerated beyond the capacity of health responders, as the number of suspected cases…

2026-06-01 · 3 MIN READ

FDA delays food traceability rule, CDC ends FoodNet before Taylor Farms cyclospora outbreak

The Food and Drug Administration delayed enforcement of a food traceability rule by 30 months, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention terminated its mandatory FoodNet tracking program, before a cyclospora outbreak linked to…

2026-07-27 · 3 MIN READ

FDA identifies second cyclospora cluster of 72 cases; North Carolina adds parsley and cilantro to investigation

The Food and Drug Administration has identified a new cluster of 72 cyclospora infections from an unknown source, adding a second active investigation to a multistate outbreak that has sickened thousands across at least 41 states,…

2026-07-24 · 3 MIN READ

Taco Bell rushes to contain Cyclospora after July 14 alert

Taco Bell executives convened late-night virtual meetings, set up a war room at the chain's Irvine, California, headquarters, and diverted supply trucks to pull potentially contaminated lettuce from stores after federal health officials…

2026-07-23 · 4 MIN READ

CDC reports more than 4,100 cyclosporiasis cases in 41 states

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 4,100 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis across 41 states on Wednesday, more than double the total from a week earlier, including 308 hospitalizations and no deaths.

2026-07-22 · 3 MIN READ

CDC staff down 30% as concurrent outbreaks strain response, former officials say

The United States is in worse shape to prevent and respond to infectious disease outbreaks than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, former top CDC officials told The Guardian, as a series of concurrent health threats expose widening gaps…

2026-07-22 · 3 MIN READ

Taylor Farms recalls shredded iceberg lettuce in 27 states

Taylor Farms on Friday expanded a voluntary recall of shredded iceberg lettuce produced at its Guanajuato, Mexico, facility to 27 states, citing potential contamination with the Cyclospora parasite. The recall covers products shipped as…

2026-07-18 · 3 MIN READ

Ugandans bristle at name “Bundibugyo” tied to rare Ebola type

Ugandan officials and residents are reacting to a recent Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo that has led to the rare Ebola virus type being tied to Bundibugyo, a district in western Uganda. The government says Uganda is not the epicenter of…

2026-05-23 · 3 MIN READ

Ugandans brace for stigma after Ebola subtype name linked to Bundibugyo

Kampala said there is no Ebola in Bundibugyo as authorities reported Uganda’s first cases linked to an outbreak in eastern Congo, while officials urged WHO to clarify the tally and took steps to limit travel and gatherings.

2026-05-22 · 3 MIN READ

Congo Ebola outbreak prompts WHO emergency as cases cross into Uganda

Health authorities confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo this week, with more than 300 suspected cases and at least 88 deaths already recorded. The World Health Organization declared the situation a public…

2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READ

FDA traces Cyclospora outbreak to single Mexican farm; Taylor Fresh Foods pulls all central-Mexico iceberg lettuce

Produce supplier Taylor Fresh Foods is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market, after the Food and Drug Administration traced a Cyclospora outbreak to shredded lettuce produced in the…

2026-07-17 · 3 MIN READ

Taylor Farms lettuce supplied to Taco Bell linked to Cyclospora outbreak

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing a person familiar with the matter, that shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms to Taco Bell restaurants has been linked to a multistate Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened…

2026-07-16 · 3 MIN READ

Michigan IDs bagged salad kits as possible Cyclospora source

Michigan health officials have identified bagged, prewashed salad kits as a possible culprit in a rapidly expanding Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigates more…

2026-07-15 · 3 MIN READ

US bars Americans in Congo from direct travel home amid Ebola spread

The Trump administration has barred American citizens who have recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo from flying directly to the United States, requiring them to spend 21 days in another country before boarding a flight home.…

2026-07-14 · 4 MIN READ

Syphilis cases surge across Latin America as PAHO reports 4.2 million new infections

A sustained rise in syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections has drawn concern across Latin America and the Caribbean, with the Pan American Health Organization reporting that the region accounted for 90% of the 4.2 million new…

2026-07-14 · 4 MIN READ

Taco Bell pulls fresh ingredients as Cyclospora outbreak spreads

Some Taco Bell locations have posted signage that they have stopped serving lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro and onion as an ongoing outbreak of the Cyclospora parasite has sickened hundreds across the country.

2026-07-09 · 3 MIN READ

Legionnaires' disease cluster on Upper East Side rises to 14 cases

New York City health officials reported Sunday that a Legionnaires' disease cluster on Manhattan's Upper East Side has grown to 14 confirmed cases, with the investigation area expanded to include a third ZIP code. No deaths have been…

2026-07-05 · 3 MIN READ

Evacuated cruise ship passenger tests positive for hantavirus as travelers fly home

Passengers evacuated from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius began flying home Sunday after the vessel anchored in the Canary Islands, Spanish authorities said. One American passenger tested positive for hantavirus but had no…

2026-05-10 · 3 MIN READ

Health officials track dozens who left virus-stricken ship after first fatality

Health authorities across four continents are tracking and monitoring passengers who disembarked a cruise ship stricken with hantavirus before its deadly outbreak was detected, and are tracing others who may have come into contact with…

2026-05-08 · 3 MIN READ

CDC probes Cyclospora outbreak with over 400 cases across 18 states

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a parasitic outbreak of Cyclospora that has caused more than 400 cases of the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis across 18 states. Cases have been reported hardest in New…

2026-07-03 · 3 MIN READ

Norovirus sickens over 100 on Princess Cruises Ruby Princess

More than 100 passengers and about 23 crew members aboard the Princess Cruises vessel Ruby Princess fell sick from suspected norovirus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ship docked in San Francisco on…

2026-07-03 · 3 MIN READ

Ebola treatment trial begins in Congo as Bundibugyo outbreak grows

Researchers began a clinical trial of two possible Ebola treatments on Thursday in eastern Congo, the World Health Organization said, as the Bundibugyo-strain outbreak continues to spread and has now infected more than 1,400 people.

2026-07-02 · 3 MIN READ

Norovirus sickens 125 on Princess Cruises Ruby Princess

More than 120 passengers and crew aboard the Princess Cruises ship Ruby Princess fell ill with norovirus during a 20-day Alaska voyage that ended Thursday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2026-07-02 · 3 MIN READ

Kenya halts U.S.-backed Ebola facility after contempt ruling

Kenyan Health Minister Aden Duale on Monday halted construction of a U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine facility after a High Court judge found him in contempt of court for defying an earlier order that blocked the project, officials said.

2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READ

Hantavirus quarantine ends for eight Americans held six weeks in Nebraska

The last eight Americans quarantined for six weeks after exposure to a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship were released Monday, as the U.S. Health and Human Services Department ended the mandatory isolation that one passenger…

2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READ

AIDS Memorial Quilt: World’s largest communal art project

The AIDS Memorial Quilt, described by the Library of Congress as the largest communal art project in the world, weighs more than 50 tons and is stitched from the lives of those lost to an epidemic that many in government and the public…

2026-06-22 · 3 MIN READ

Flu outbreak sickens nearly 160 at Air Force base after Hegseth ends mandatory vaccine

At least 159 recruits at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, have fallen ill in an influenza outbreak weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended mandatory flu vaccination for U.S. troops, according to the New York Times…

2026-06-18 · 3 MIN READ

RFK Jr. Orders Woman Exposed to Hantavirus to Stay in Quarantine Against CDC Advice

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered Angela Perryman, a 47-year-old American exposed to hantavirus on a cruise ship, to remain in quarantine in Nebraska on Monday, overruling a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control…

2026-06-16 · 3 MIN READ

Utah measles outbreak nears one year, threatening US elimination status

A measles outbreak in Utah has been spreading for nearly 12 months, putting the United States on track to lose its measles-elimination status — a designation the country held since 2000. The Utah outbreak, now at 679 cases, has spread…

2026-06-13 · 4 MIN READ

Health officials track dozens after hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship

Health authorities across four continents are tracking people who disembarked from a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship before the outbreak was confirmed, and trying to trace others who may have come into contact with them, the World Health…

2026-05-08 · 3 MIN READ

Too young for measles vaccine, babies are ‘sitting ducks’ in outbreaks

In South Carolina, an ongoing measles outbreak has left some infants too young for the MMR shot to rely on community protection. The Associated Press reports that state guidance and pediatric protocols have pushed some MMR doses earlier…

2026-04-14 · 3 MIN READ

Top health official urges US public to get the measles vaccine

A leading U.S. health official urged Americans to get inoculated against measles as outbreaks have spread across several states and the country risks losing its measles elimination status. CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, speaking Sunday,…

2026-02-07 · 3 MIN READ

Texas Ranchers Fight Return of Long-Eradicated Cattle-Killing Parasite

The New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasitic fly that was eradicated from the United States six decades ago, has re-emerged in Texas cattle, threatening the livestock industry with more than $700 million in potential annual losses and…

2026-06-12 · 3 MIN READ

US urges Europe to tighten Ebola travel measures, hints at World Cup restrictions

The Trump administration on Tuesday pressed European leaders to tighten travel restrictions on people arriving from Ebola-hit African countries, warning that a failure to act could lead to new U.S. travel limits on Europe — including for…

2026-06-09 · 3 MIN READ

CDC models project Central Africa Ebola outbreak could reach 20,000 cases

A new analysis by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa could grow to as many as 20,000 cases or more, depending on how quickly infected people are isolated to slow…

2026-06-05 · 3 MIN READ

Measles surge in Americas threatens World Cup travel with 20,000 cases, 25 deaths

The Pan American Health Organization warned this week that a resurgent measles outbreak across the Americas, which has produced more than 20,000 confirmed cases and 25 deaths this year, poses a growing public health threat as millions…

2026-06-03 · 3 MIN READ

Michigan loosens school vaccine waiver rules amid measles outbreak, rising exemptions

Michigan has shifted away from requiring parents to attend in-person vaccine education sessions before obtaining school immunization waivers, adopting a hybrid online process as the state faces a measles outbreak and a record-high rate of…

2026-06-02 · 3 MIN READ

Challenges in Congo as it fights to rein in an Ebola outbreak

Congolese authorities are working to stem an Ebola outbreak centered in Ituri Province, but insecurity, aid shortfalls and local anger are complicating the response. On Sunday, authorities said suspected cases in eastern Congo had passed…

2026-05-25 · 3 MIN READ

Attacks on Ebola treatment centers hamper outbreak response in eastern Congo

Attacks on Ebola treatment centers, including the storming of a hospital in Mongbwalu, are complicating the response to an outbreak that has now surpassed 900 suspected cases in eastern Congo, health authorities said Sunday.

2026-05-24 · 3 MIN READ

Suspected Ebola cases top 900 in eastern Congo as aid cuts and rebel violence hamper response

Suspected Ebola cases in eastern Congo have topped 900, Congolese authorities said Sunday, amid a volatile mix of armed conflict, mass displacement and international aid cuts that continues to hobble the response to an outbreak declared a…

2026-05-24 · 4 MIN READ

CDC studies show wastewater detected measles weeks before diagnoses as funding faces deep cuts

Illustration accompanying article: CDC studies show wastewater detected measles weeks before diagnoses as funding

Two studies published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that wastewater surveillance detected measles outbreaks weeks to months before clinical diagnoses in Colorado and Oregon, adding to evidence that sewer…

2026-01-15 · 3 MIN READ

DR Congo Ebola cases rise as WHO warns risk is “very high”

Health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo say an Ebola outbreak declared May 15 has grown to more than 900 suspected cases, with 220 suspected deaths, and could spread across borders as officials investigate why it went undetected…

2026-05-24 · 3 MIN READ

COVID is shaping Americans’ reaction to Ebola and hantavirus

Global health emergencies are back in headlines, with recent outbreaks of hantavirus on a cruise ship and Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo drawing online fear and fascination. Infectious disease experts and public health…

2026-05-21 · 3 MIN READ

WHO Declares Global Health Emergency as Ebola Outbreak Spreads in Congo and Uganda

The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency Sunday as an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda continues to grow, with more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths reported. The rare…

2026-05-17 · 4 MIN READ

New Ebola outbreak suspected of causing 15 deaths in Congo

A new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 15 people among 28 suspected cases, the country’s health minister said Thursday, marking the 16th such epidemic in the central African nation.

2026-05-17 · 3 MIN READ

Canada confirms positive hantavirus test in cruise passenger; risk to public low

The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed Sunday that one of four Canadians who returned from an Andes hantavirus-hit cruise ship has tested positive for the virus, making the patient the 10th confirmed case linked to the MV Hondius…

2026-05-17 · 3 MIN READ

Ebola suspected outbreak in Congo kills 15 among 28 with symptoms, health ministry says

Congo’s health ministry said Thursday that a new suspected Ebola outbreak in the central African country has left 15 people dead among 28 people showing symptoms. The ministry said a provisional report includes suspected cases in Boulapé…

2026-05-17 · 3 MIN READ

South Carolina measles outbreak surpasses Texas 2025 total with 789 confirmed cases

Illustration accompanying article: South Carolina measles outbreak surpasses Texas 2025 total with 789 confirmed

The South Carolina measles outbreak has grown to 789 confirmed cases since September, health officials said Tuesday, surpassing the total recorded in Texas' 2025 outbreak and showing little sign of slowing. The outbreak, centered in…

2026-01-13 · 4 MIN READ

OMS declara emergencia global de salud por ébola en RD Congo y Uganda

La Organización Mundial de la Salud declaró el domingo el brote de ébola en la República Democrática del Congo y la vecina Uganda como una emergencia de salud pública de importancia internacional. En un anuncio, la OMS informó que se han…

2026-05-17 · 3 MIN READ

Canadian health agency confirms a positive hantavirus test from MV Hondius

Canada’s national public health agency confirmed Sunday that one of four Canadians who returned from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive for the virus, and reported that a traveling partner tested negative. Both…

2026-05-17 · 3 MIN READ

South Carolina measles outbreak surpasses Texas 2025 total

South Carolina’s measles outbreak has surpassed the case count from Texas’ 2025 outbreak, with health officials logging nearly 600 additional cases over just over a month, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. The outbreak, centered in…

2026-01-13 · 3 MIN READ

Death toll in Congo’s new Ebola outbreak reaches 87, Africa CDC says

Congo’s Ebola outbreak in the eastern province of Ituri has killed at least 87 people, the Africa CDC said, warning of “active community transmission” as health teams expand screening and contact tracing. The deaths are concentrated in the…

2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READ

WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a global health emergency

The World Health Organization declared the Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, as the case count reached 336 suspected infections and 88 deaths. The outbreak is driven by…

2026-05-16 · 4 MIN READ

WHO declares global health emergency over rare Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda

The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak that has spread across eastern Congo and into Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, after more than 330 suspected cases and nearly 90 deaths were…

2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READ

New Ebola outbreak confirmed in eastern Congo, 65 deaths recorded

Africa's top public health body on Friday confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's remote Ituri province, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and…

2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READ

Deaths in eastern Congo’s new Ebola outbreak climb to 87

At least 87 people have died in a new Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, health officials said Saturday, as the disease spread to three health zones and neighboring Uganda confirmed its first imported case.

2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READ

Canadian cruise passenger tests presumptive positive for hantavirus after ship outbreak

A Canadian cruise passenger in their 70s has tested presumptively positive for hantavirus after returning home from a ship that experienced an outbreak of the rare rodent-borne virus, British Columbia health officials said Saturday. The…

2026-05-16 · 4 MIN READ

Canadian cruise passenger tests positive for hantavirus

One of four Canadians who returned home from a cruise ship where there was a hantavirus outbreak received a “presumptive positive” test result for the virus, Canadian officials said Saturday. Results from the National Microbiology Lab in…

2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READ

Africa CDC confirms new Ebola outbreak in remote Congo province

Africa’s public health agency confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo’s remote Ituri province on May 15, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far. The African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the…

2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READ

Pediatricians warn federal vaccine guidance changes sow confusion, could harm kids

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week removed universal federal recommendations for childhood vaccines against six diseases, drawing immediate condemnation from pediatricians who said the changes will deepen vaccine hesitancy…

2026-01-10 · 4 MIN READ

New Ebola outbreak in Congo declared PHEIC; a quick guide to the virus

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have reported a new Ebola outbreak, with more than 300 suspected cases and at least 88 deaths, and the World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency of…

2026-05-16 · 4 MIN READ

WHO declares Congo and Uganda Ebola outbreak a global health emergency

The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern for an Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda, warning the response needs urgent scale-up. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention first…

2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READ

WHO declares Congo, Uganda Ebola outbreak public health emergency

The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo and neighboring Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths were reported. WHO said a laboratory-confirmed…

2026-05-16 · 3 MIN READ