Four Outbreaks, One Weakness: Surveillance That Reaches Too Late
Cyclospora, H5N1, Ebola and mpox produced very different problems this week, and exposed the same gap between detection capability and detection reach.
Health
FDA Authorises Emergency Mpox Diagnostic as Outbreak Response Scales
An emergency use authorisation for an in vitro diagnostic device is the standard early move in an outbreak, and the one that determines what everything else can do.
Cyclospora Cases Run More Than Six Times Last Year's Level
The CDC has confirmed 1,645 domestically acquired cases since 1 May and is aware of more than 5,100 more awaiting analysis, against 249 by this point last year.
A Quarter of Cats Near an H5N1 Dairy Outbreak Carried Antibodies
A CDC study in Tulare County found 25% of cats living within two kilometres of an infected dairy had been exposed, against 4.1% of all cats sampled.
Uganda Hit Every 7-1-7 Benchmark in a Cross-Border Ebola Response
A CDC review found the Bundibugyo virus outbreak was detected in six days, notified the same day and had early response actions completed within two.
Medicare's $50 Obesity Drug Pilot Sees Rapid Uptake
Many Medicare beneficiaries can now get coverage for obesity drugs such as Wegovy. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Starting in July, Medicare began allowing eligible beneficiaries to get obesity drugs for $50 a month.
Cyclospora Outbreak Exposes Strain on Public Health System
Environmental health expert Bob Custard spent four decades working with local governments on things like clean water, rabies prevention and food safety. He also represents 160 others doing that kind of work as president of the West Virginia Association of Sanitarians.
Debate Over 'Death by Organ Donation' Proposal
Mininyx Doodle/iStockphoto//Getty Images For stories on healthy living, subscribe to NPR's health newsletter . Should surgeons be allowed to perform euthanasia by removing patients' hearts and other organs while they're still alive?
Mitch McConnell Hospitalized; Details Not Disclosed
Sen. Mitch McConnell has been using a wheelchair in the U.S. Capitol in recent months. Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America hide caption toggle caption Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America Former Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell was admitted to a hospital on Sunday.
Eroded Public Health Powers Heighten Outbreak Risks
Demonstrators at a rally with truckers protest against COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates in Adelanto, Calif., in February 2022. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images For stories on healthy living, subscribe to NPR's Health newsletter .
WHO Chief: Ebola Has a 'Big Head-Start' — Act Faster
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday, said the Ebola virus in central Africa has had a "big head-start" and warned that health authorities were still behind.
Trump to undergo routine Walter Reed exam amid health scrutiny
President Donald Trump departs after speaking during the 158th National Memorial Day Observance coinciding with the nation's 250th anniversary, at the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Va. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP WASHINGTON — President Trump has a doctor's appointment on Tuesday.