Public Health

Kenya confirmed its first case of Ebola. The man, who had arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo, died of the infection Oct. 5, The New York Times reported Oct. 6. Here is what to know. 1. The man, a…

Nurse staffing and supportive nurse work environments should be at the core of hospital’s extreme heat emergency preparedness, an editorial from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s  Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research said. “Extreme heat is no…

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency Oct. 5 in response to a growing measles outbreak in rural New York and neighboring states. The executive order lets the state respond more quickly and expands who can administer measles vaccines…

Flu is spreading unusually early across the western U.S., with some hospitals reporting activity levels typically seen in early winter, The Washington Post reported Oct. 4. About 150 children tested positive for influenza across the Seattle Children’s system in the…

So far in 2026, Florida health officials have recorded 497 dengue cases, including 245 acquired internationally and 252 locally.  With 252 locally acquired cases, Florida — which often reports a high number of these mosquito-borne infection cases every year —…

The CDC is planning a major redesign of its National Health Interview Survey, one of the federal government’s primary ways of measuring population health, to take effect in 2028. The survey would shift from in-person interviews to a “sequential mixed-mode”…

A pivotal year for cancer blood tests An FDA advisory panel voted Sept. 23 in favor of approving Grail’s Galleri multi-cancer early detection blood test, marking the first time a blood test of this kind has reached that stage of…

In 2025, three U.S. residents died from measles. Within the last two months, Pennsylvania officials have reported three measles-associated deaths in the same county, plus two other deaths.  Since Aug. 25, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has reported five measles-associated…

The CDC has raised its count of 2026 measles deaths from one to two. The agency has not said where either death happened, and it says the number “is subject to change” as it finishes reviews.  The national count is…

Heart disease, cancer and unintentional injuries ranked among the 10 leading causes of death for every age group in 2024, and unintentional injuries were the top cause of death for people ages 1 to 44, according to a CDC report. …