Dengue fever map: Where the mosquito-driven disease is confirmed, spreading fastest

NEXSTAR) – Federal health officials warned doctors around the U.S. this week to look out for signs patients may have dengue fever, a virus spread by mosquitoes that’s surging worldwide. Cases in the U.S. are three times higher than this time last year.

Most of the cases in the U.S. are in people who recently traveled abroad to regions where dengue is spreading quickly. Only one state so far, Florida, has evidence of local transmission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. U.S. territories Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are also seeing local spread of the disease.

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Justice Department charges nearly 200 people in $2.7 billion health care fraud schemes crackdown The Justice Department has charged nearly 200 people in a sweeping crackdown on health care fraud schemes nationwide with false claims topping $2.7 billion. AP News

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Reminders—but not free rides—boost COVID-19 booster uptake Text messages increased 30-day COVID-19 booster uptake by 21%. CIDRAP

Nature has published a large study showing that text message reminders to receive a COVID-19 booster worked to increase vaccine uptake, but that offering free rides to pharmacies did not. 

CDC Recommends Updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines for Fall/Winter Virus Season | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC

CDC Newsroom Press releases, advisories, telebriefings, transcripts and archives. CDC

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A summer wave of Covid-19 has arrived in the US | CNN Covid-19 levels have been rising in the United States for weeks as new variants drive what’s become an annual summer surge. Deidre McPhillips CNN

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Exclusive: Congo authorities approve mpox vaccines to try to contain outbreak Authorities in the Democratic of Congo have approved the use of two mpox vaccines to try to tackle an upsurge in cases and a dangerous new strain spreading in the country. Jennifer Rigby Reuters

...The Congo has seen 20,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths from mpox, mainly among children, since the start of last year.

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German vaccine panel endorses Astra-Sanofi's RSV shot for infants Germany's influential vaccine advisory panel said on Thursday all infants in the country should receive AstraZeneca and Sanofi's antibody therapy to protect them against the common respiratory infection RSV. Reuters Reuters

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US CDC narrows age recommendation for RSV shots in US The U.S. CDC on Wednesday narrowed its recommendation for use of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines in older adults this year and held off on recommending their use for adults under age 60. Michael Erman Reuters

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Remdesivir tied to 54% lower risk of death among hospitalized COVID patients A comparison study based on two large, open-label studies links the antiviral drug remdesivir (Veklury) to a 54% lower risk of all-cause death and shorter hospital stays compared with standard of care (SOC) alone in hospitalized COVID-19 patients requiring supplemental oxygen in 2020.  CIDRAP

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Three months into bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cows, experts see deep-rooted problems in response Three months into the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cows, experts see deep-rooted problems in the government's response. Andrew Joseph STAT

Three months since an outbreak of avian influenza in U.S. dairy cattle was declared, the country is failing to take the necessary steps to get in front of the virus and possibly contain its spread among cows, according to interviews with more than a dozen experts and current and former government officials.

Supreme Court rejects COVID-19 vaccine appeals from nonprofit founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The Supreme Court has rejected two appeals related to COVID-19 vaccines from Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine nonprofit founded by independent presidential candidate Robert F. AP News

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The justices did not comment in letting stand rulings against the group from the federal appeals courts in New Orleans and Philadelphia.