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In parts of the country, including southeast Michigan and northern Ohio, clinicians are tracking scores of cases of sudden, explosive diarrhea and gastrointestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensi. Michigan now has 1,251 cases of cyclosporiasis, according to state officials today, more than doubling the case count reported over the July 4 weekend. Typically, Michigan reports around 50 cases per year, but during the last week of June state officials first noted an outbreak of 170 cases that has since skyrocketed. Of the 1,251 patients, 44 have been hospitalized, according to the case count. (Soucheray, 7/9)

Cases of cyclosporiasis are continuing to rise across the United States, with infections confirmed in at least 18 states. As of Thursday, there have been 1,251 reported cases in Michigan and another 177 cases reported in Ohio. Testing for Cyclospora -- the parasite that causes cyclosporiasis -- is not typically included in routine U.S. laboratory stool testing and must be specifically requested by a healthcare provider, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Sharma and Miao, 7/9)

A Legionnaires' disease cluster in New York City is growing, with 46 cases now confirmed, according to health officials. As of Thursday, there have been at least 22 hospitalizations and no deaths, according to the New York City Department of Health (NYC Health). The cluster has affected the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, the department said. (Kekatos, 7/10)

More than half of New York City's free-roaming cats are infected with parasites that can spread to people, according to a new study, with young male cats shedding the highest numbers of parasite eggs into the environment. Researchers tested 87 free-roaming cats captured through a Trap Neuter Return (TNR) program in New York City between May and July 2023. Fecal flotation testing found that 57.5 percent of the cats carried at least one parasite species. (Fleur Afshar, 7/10)

At least eight dairy cows in Utah have been hit with H5N1 avian flu in the past two weeks, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) most recent updates on the virus in livestock. In the past 30 days there have been 26 confirmed detections in dairy cows, with Idaho reporting 15 cases in the past 30 days and Texas reporting three cases. (Soucheray, 7/9)

Migrants deported from the U.S. and detained in a hotel in Equatorial Guinea say that authorities there also have used the facility to quarantine at least one suspected Ebola patient, deportees and lawyers representing them said Thursday. The hotel on a tropical island off the country’s coast, owned by the country’s powerful President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, is being used to house 17 migrants from countries including Angola, Mauritania and Ethiopia under an opaque third-country deportation deal with the Trump administration. (Pronczuk, 7/9)

New suspected cases of Ebola have been reported in parts of Congo that were previously unaffected, the government said Thursday, as the death toll in the country’s latest Ebola outbreak reached 600. According to the Congolese health ministry, suspected cases have now been recorded in the provinces of Tshopo and Haut-Uele, signaling the continued spread of the disease beyond the epicenter in Ituri. (Kamale and Kabumba, 7/9)

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is working with the Democratic Republic of Congo to speed overdue payments to striking Ebola responders as the labor dispute threatens efforts to contain the world’s fastest-growing outbreak of the deadly disease. Health workers in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and neighboring Rwampara remain on strike over unpaid benefits and deteriorating working conditions, Congo’s National Institute of Public Health said in a report Thursday, noting that continuity of essential health services has been compromised. (Kew and Gale, 7/9)

ARPA-H, the U.S.’ “moonshot” agency for health research, announced Thursday that it will spend up to $160 million to push forward custom gene editing treatments for a spate of rare diseases. The program, called THRIVE, will back seven different teams pursuing various groups of conditions affecting different organ systems. (Mast, 7/9)

The Trump administration’s proposed overhaul of federal grantmaking has drawn nearly 99,000 public comments, with the July 13 deadline to submit comments now days away. The Office of Management and Budget’s proposal, published in the Federal Register on May 29, would update how the federal government awards and manages grants across more than 40 agencies, including HHS, the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. The proposal includes more than 320 changes to the government’s existing grant guidance, according to the Association of American Universities. (Bean, 7/9)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had big plans for his much touted “Take Back Your Health” campaign last year. The Health Department he leads requested bids for “bold, edgy” pitches for TV and digital ads warning about the dangers of processed foods. Kennedy wanted to appear in ads wearing a device used by diabetics to track blood sugar. None of it ever came together. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had rained on Kennedy’s parade. (Winfield Cunningham, 7/9)

In a call with disability rights advocates Thursday, officials from the U.S. Department of Education tried to ease concerns about plans to move the agency's special education offices to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The effort seemed to fail. (Mehta, 7/9)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: They Harvest The Nation’s Food, But A New Rule May Strip Them Of Health Insurance

Seasonal work. Inconsistent hours. Frequent moves. Cash payments and informal jobs. For farmworkers who rely on Medicaid, these common employment patterns could put their health coverage at risk. It’s a heightened concern for the estimated million-plus farmworkers who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, as new work requirements kick in for the federal-state healthcare program that serves low-income and disabled Americans. (Andalo, 7/10)

The US Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed rolling back emission standards for new heavy-duty trucks, including buses, garbage trucks and semis. Under the proposal, EPA is looking to scale back future warranty mandates from 10 years to 5 and to delay requirements to extend the period in which the vehicles are subject to pollution limits. If finalized, this action could result in lower costs for truck manufacturers while potentially also boosting air pollution. (Hirji, 7/9)

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to set up new monitoring rules for hospices to root out discrimination against vulnerable populations in the provision of medically assisted suicide. In a letter sent to Kennedy on Thursday, Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Reps. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) and Luis Correa (D-Calif.) recommended that Kennedy’s HHS establish reporting requirements in the hospice program to better monitor the provision of medically assisted suicide for discrimination against people with disabilities, older adults and other vulnerable populations. (Huiskes, 7/9)

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R) on Wednesday said ObamaCare might as well be renamed “Trumpcare” as premiums increase and Republicans haven’t moved to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). “Might as well call it Trumpcare now. Our party has made no serious effort to repeal Obamacare and legalize affordable health insurance after taking control of the House, Senate & White House,” Massie wrote Wednesday on the social platform X. “Why? Because the current system enriches insurance and hospital companies,” he added. (Fields, 7/9)

Planned Parenthood is investing a near-record $47 million into the November midterm elections aiming to unseat the Republicans who voted to cut off the organization from federal funding last year. The “We Decide” campaign from Planned Parenthood Votes — an independent Super PAC affiliated with Planned Parenthood — will target ads and voter outreach in battleground House races in Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. (Weixel, 7/9)

A year ago, abortion opponents were celebrating one of their biggest victories under the Trump administration: Planned Parenthood, the movement’s arch-villain, had been temporarily kicked out of Medicaid, one of the nation’s largest health insurance programs. (Luthra, 7/9)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: �������ýҕ�l Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: The Politics Of Health At Midyear

As health costs rise and insurance coverage falls, Democrats appear to be doubling down on the healthcare issue as they press their case to take control of Congress in November’s midterm elections. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Republicans — and some Democrats — are taking aim at nonprofit hospitals and whether they are delivering enough “community benefit” to justify not having to pay taxes. (Rovner, 7/9)

Emergency responders took Sen. Mitch McConnell to an ambulance on a stretcher after being called to his home last month for a report of an unconscious person, according to new video of the incident and an eyewitness account. (Grayer, 7/10)

Two Chinese studies related to liver transplantation published more than a decade ago in the Journal of Hepatology were retracted by the journal's editors. The editors said concerns were raised that the transplants described in both studies may have involved organs "procured unethically." (Bassett, 7/9)

Analysis of hundreds of thousands of patient records showed differing risks for autoimmune disorders for new users of the more recent types of antidiabetic medications. (Gever, 7/9)

Treatment with setmelanotide (Imcivree), a melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) agonist, led to significant reductions in body mass index (BMI) and hunger in individuals with acquired hypothalamic obesity, the phase III TRANSCEND trial showed. (Monaco, 7/9)

People with long COVID often report fatigue and other symptoms that make it challenging for them to enjoy life like they once did. A study published recently in JACC: Advances found that people with more long-COVID symptoms are less active and have poorer cardiovascular health measures. But more investigation is needed to understand the relationship between activity levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD) for those with long COVID. (Holohan, 7/9)

Long-lasting vision problems following mild cases of COVID-19 may stem from persistent inflammation and nerve damage, even as the results of standard eye examinations appear normal, according to a study today in Nature Communications. Although less well-known than other long-COVID symptoms, ocular symptoms like pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, and difficulty reading affect up to 31% to 35% of people with the condition, the study authors note. But this abnormal eye behavior can’t be detected by standard methods, making it difficult for patients to get a diagnosis or treatment. (Bergeson, 7/9)

The number of Texans who paid for the first month of their Affordable Care Act coverage dropped 4% this year, the state’s first year-over-year decline since 2019, according to a first nationwide glimpse at how coverage through the federal marketplace is shaking out this year. (Birenbaum and Keemahill, 7/9)

More than 22,000 people enrolled in Affordable Care Act health plans in Connecticut in 2026 lost coverage in the first six months of the year after failing to make their premium payments — a 75% increase over the same period last year, according to data from Access Health CT. (Golvala, 7/10)

Alameda Health System, Alameda County’s safety net healthcare provider, has rescinded its decision to lay off 92 employees — a cost-cutting move that doctors and other workers had decried for months — after the county allocated $19.3 million to avoid the cuts. The county Board of Supervisors last month passed a budget for fiscal 2026-27 that includes $19.3 million to prevent the layoffs and extend a behavioral health program that had been slated to close. (Ho, 7/9)

Sturgis Hospital shuttered its doors June 19, citing “years of ongoing financial challenges” facing rural health care providers. The facility had 84 licensed beds and about 300 associates working, according to the hospital. There were warning signs. The facility had been winding down services in recent years, even as it obtained a city-issued pandemic relief loan, a state lifeline and new federal status — Sturgis Hospital became Michigan’s first designated rural emergency hospital in 2023, which allows for increased support from the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It’s not the only rural hospital in Michigan to be impacted by a shifting health care landscape. (Newman, 7/9)

A longtime Anne Arundel County philanthropic family has donated $10 million to Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis. The donation, announced Wednesday, is one of the hospital’s largest philanthropic investments in its nearly 125-year history. (Bhat, 7/9)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: A New Option For Long-Term Care Costs

Kelly Haggett figures that a mandatory surcharge added to Washington state’s payroll tax cost her about $500 last year. But she doesn’t really mind. “On a scale of 1 to 10 of my annoyance with taxes in general, this one is about a 2,” she said. “I see the benefits.” The small surcharge on wages provides the funding for Washington Cares, the nation’s first state-operated program for long-term care insurance. It was set to begin distributing benefits July 1. (Span, 7/10)

One of the head-scratchers in California’s attempt to levy a one-time wealth tax is why Planned Parenthood, which usually links arms with other progressive institutions, is siding with California billionaires and Gov. Gavin Newsom in opposing the measure. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Santa Clara, who supports the tax, called it “the moral fight of our time for the party.” (Garofoli, 7/9)

A couple of years ago, a reporter approached the Boys’ Club of New York looking to interview some of its middle-schoolers for a story about the mental health crisis in boys. (Merelli, 7/10)

New York makes an unusual promise to its residents: Its constitution says the state must provide “aid, care and support for the needy.” But for at least the fourth time in almost 40 years, the state is being sued for failing to live up to this commitment by putting impoverished families at risk of homelessness. (Norris, 7/9)

New York’s attorney general sued several large chemical and agricultural companies on Thursday, alleging they knowingly sold harmful so-called forever chemicals used in cosmetics, non-stick cookware and other products. The lawsuit against 3M, DuPont de Nemours, The Chemours Company and Corteva and other manufacturers is the latest legal action over PFAS, which have been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers and developmental delays in children. (7/9)

A report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) shows Iowa had 36 nitrate-related drinking water violations in 2025, which is more than double the number reported in 2024. (Koons, 7/9)

At age 15, Jessica Kahigian was playing nearly every sport she could: soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. So she said she was surprised when she went in for routine blood work and found out she needed a kidney transplant. (Richardson, 7/9)

When it comes to personal protective equipment, medical gloves are much harder to make than, say, a mask or isolation gown. While the latter use widely available fibers, the main ingredient in medical gloves — nitrile butadiene rubber — is another level of complicated. That’s one reason there isn’t an American-made medical glove, despite almost $1 billion in taxpayer funds doled out to a handful of companies since the Covid pandemic. The goal was to bolster domestic glove production and reduce reliance on imports. None of those companies are making gloves or NBR now. The US government stopped funding the effort. (Fay Cortez and Edney, 7/9)

CVS Health and its embattled Omnicare unit have agreed to pay $440 million to the Department of Justice to satisfy a nearly $950 million judgment against the company as part of an ongoing fraud case. In April 2025, a federal jury ruled that Omnicare submitted more than 3.3 million fraudulent prescription claims between 2010 and 2018, earning $135.6 million in overpayments as a result. Then, in July 2025, a judge ordered Omnicare to pay $948.8 million in fees and damages as part of the case. (Minemyer, 7/9)

Memorial Hermann Health Plan is winding down its commercial insurance business in response to industry challenges. The subsidiary of Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System will shut down the commercial group health plans it offers to employers, according to a fact sheet posted to its website. Financial headwinds and difficulty expanding its commercial division to meet member needs led the system to axe the plans, the organization said in the fact sheet. (DeSilva, 7/9)

Health systems are buying up hundreds of acres in fast-growing markets with two goals — extend their reach by adding hospitals and ensure competitors don’t get there first. Building a hospital is a yearslong commitment requiring extensive due diligence. Systems evaluate sites based on several factors: Will the property have to be rezoned? Is there room for parking? Is there easy road access? (Hudson, 7/9)

Not sure what type of bug bit you or what caused that rash? Many Americans hashtag their questions and turn to social media for health information, whether they are looking up symptoms, researching a diagnosis or learning about a treatment. (Hetter, 7/9)

More physicians are looking to incorporate patients’ consumer wearables, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, into their care — but barriers to wider usage remain. Increased interest varies across specialties. Some cardiologists and endocrinologists already review data from the devices and are more optimistic about potential care benefits. Other physicians, such as those working in primary care, are more hesitant to add wearable devices to the mix, according to a survey from the American Medical Association. (DeSilva, 7/9)

Jeremy Faust cuts through a hallway of Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital on his way to see a patient who is struggling to breathe. It’s the start of his evening shift, and the emergency department hums with ambient sound: bleeping monitors, the rumbling wheels of medical carts, the squeaky soles of hustling staff. People on gurneys line the corridor, some wincing in pain, others chatting with relatives. (Kuchment, 7/10)

The term “phubbing” was conceived several years ago to describe the modern-day phenomenon of a person ignoring the social setting in front of them in favor of their phone. That act has long-term negative effects when parents do it around their children, according to new research. A study titled, “Mommy, do you love your phone more than me?”, published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology in June, found that parents and caregivers’ attachment to screens can exacerbate anxiety and insecurity in children and teens. (Kerr, 7/9)

Millions of bottles of eye drop medication widely used to treat allergies and inflammation have been recalled across the country, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Prednisolone Acetate Ophthalmic Suspension eye drops were recalled due to the potential presence of a foreign substance, according to the recall notice. Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc., the manufacturer of the prescription drug, is voluntarily recalling more than 2.5 million bottles of its product. (Euzarraga, 7/9)

Patients undergoing cataract surgery are often given the choice of a standard lens that's covered by insurance, or "upgrading" to a multifocal lens that uses newer technology -- at a much steeper out-of-pocket price, often around $5,000 per eye. There's a perception that the more expensive version is better, but ophthalmologists are warning that's not necessarily the case. (Fiore, 7/9)

Men had a higher likelihood than women for late-stage diagnosis of 20 different types of cancer, data from a national registry network showed. The analysis of 30 nonreproductive organ cancers showed men had higher odds ratios for regional or distant metastasis at diagnosis in two-thirds of the cancer types. Men had a significantly higher risk of regional spread at diagnosis for 16 cancers and distant metastasis for 17. The largest male/female disparity was for tongue, thyroid, and salivary gland cancers, as later-stage diagnosis occurred twice as often. Only for bladder cancer did men have significantly lower odds of later-stage diagnosis (for both regional and distant spread). (Bankhead, 7/9)

Today’s firefighters in Virginia and across the nation are expected to do far more than extinguish blazes — they are also a critical part of the emergency medical response system. In fact, contrary to what the job they’re named for implies, the majority of calls to which firefighters respond are to provide emergency medical services. (Solorzano, 7/10)

Journalist Katie Couric recently shared her experience of sudden memory loss that persisted for several hours during a recent trip to Colorado. Doctors diagnosed the episode as transient global amnesia, a temporary condition that stops new memories from forming for a short period of time. (George, 7/9)

Longevity entrepreneur Bryan Johnson shared some bad news on social media recently. “I have an autoimmune disease. My stomach is eating itself,” he wrote on X. The good news? “I’m going to try and solve it.” (Todd, 7/8)

The health app on your phone’s home screen has many uses, even if you don’t have a smartwatch or fitness tracker. With a little manual effort, you can use the app to get a better idea of your general wellness. For example, you can keep a food-and-fitness diary there. Most phones provide a free basic step-counting function. And you can link other exercise and diet apps you use to streamline your data. Many medical providers let you import records from your doctor, and you can create a “medical ID” for your phone’s lock screen in case of emergency. (Biersdorfer, 7/9)

For 26 years, Joe Davis has been a one-man support system for people who work daily with death. He was a volunteer chaplain in the county Medical Examiner’s Office, providing help for staffers and grieving families. He also picked up a rather unexpected duty: removing brains to be donated for science. By his count, he’s removed around 800 of them. (Kucher, 7/5)

So far, 89 countries have banned smoking from airports completely, according to the World Health Organization’s most recent data. But as of 2025, indoor smoking rooms — the most contentious variety — are still allowed in more than 100 countries. (Meaker, 7/2)

Emma Waters, pregnant with her third child, is crafting policy to encourage early parenthood. Some think she is pushing an ideology that does not meet reality. (Hartocollis, 7/8)

Marketed for longevity and wellness benefits, the unproven therapies are sold through a grey market online. Compounding pharmacies say they should be able to make them legally to meet demand. (Stone, 7/8)

The human microbiome is essential to our health, but scientists have only begun to understand why. Two researchers set out to map this largely uncharted terrain. (Interlandi, 7/8)

The government encourages higher prices through policy. (7/10)

It isn’t just the U.S. Heat waves have rocked Europe, but these inconveniences to most are nothing compared to what lies ahead if we don’t change course. (Elizabeth Shackelford, 7/10)

In March, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its annual report to Congress on Medicare payment policy. The data related to physician payment are clear: By every metric we track, primary care in America is succeeding, and it has been for years. (Christopher P. Childers and Thomas C. Tsai, 7/10)

The new interpretation of work requirements creates too many administrative hurdles. (7/10)

Decline in old age isn’t inevitable. Here’s what older adults can do to prevent it. (Leana S. Wen, 7/9)