Kennedy defends measles record: ‘I have never been anti-vaccine’ The HHS secretary completes his second day of testimony before a House committee. Read more: ow.ly/omZb50YLq3X 📷: The White House / Flickr

The CDC warns that extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella is on the rise in US. The prevalence of XDR Shigella isolates in US surveillance data rose from 0% during 2011-2015 to 8.5% in 2023. Read more: ow.ly/VXee50YLphl 📷: CDC, Stephanie Rossow

Flu activity continues to decline across the country. ⬇️ The season remains classified as high-severity for children, with 4 new flu deaths in kids. Rotavirus activity is high across the country, with levels on the rise since January. ⬆️ Read more: ow.ly/OhSQ50YLoB8

A recent report details tetanus in 4 unvaccinated US kids, including the refusal of post-exposure prevention. Only one patient later completed the recommended tetanus toxoid–containing vaccine series. Read more: ow.ly/U0u250YLnFr

US measles outbreak shows signs of slowing as WHO notes millions of lives saved in Africa by vaccination. The 34 new US infections represent the smallest weekly measles increase so far this year. Read more: ow.ly/FFox50YLmhy 📷: Julien Harneis / Flickr cc

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), an outbreak of a mystery illness in Burundi has killed at least five people and sickened 35 others since March 30. Read more: ow.ly/7aEO50YLiLl.

View a recording of our April 15, 2026, webinar Advancing CWD Outreach: Strategies That Work and Build Trust. Experts discussed recent work with the Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, followed by a Q&A session. www.cidrap.umn.edu/chronic-wast...

🦟 Dengue may pose similar risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome as flu or Campylobacter. In endemic areas, dengue-related GBS could be a 'substantial and underrecognized component of the neurologic burden attributable to the disease,' the authors say. Read more: ow.ly/2Bva50YLhP3.

Study links long COVID in kids to worse grades, attention span, and social life. School-aged children with long COVID had more than double the risk of decreased academic performance than those without the condition. 📝 Read more: ow.ly/uLlh50YLc1t

Trump nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to head CDC ow.ly/l3WB50YKFxG 📷: Wikimedia Commons/ Mike Olliver

Researchers identify higher risk of heart disease in syphilis patients as US infections climb. Read more: ow.ly/RojN50YKFtf

Report spotlights invasive Hib disease outbreaks among homeless The 2 clusters of cases were genetically distinct and sickened 44 individuals from 2023 through 2025. Read more: ow.ly/1X2E50YKFry

A recent meta-analysis suggests hearing loss affects 1 in 5 Lassa fever survivors. Read more: ow.ly/hU4y50YKFns 📷: NIAID/Flickr cc

A recent poll claimed vaccine skepticism is widespread. However, a careful reading of the poll data tells a different story. @drhigginsmd.bsky.social takes a closer look at the survey questions and what the data actually say. Here's what you need to know: ow.ly/oRIi50YKELC.

The latest on the state of US vaccine policy shows: -A nomination for a new CDC director -A new ACIP charter -States going their own way on vaccine policy Read more on the current landscape of US vaccine policy: ow.ly/EH8v50YKCSG @unbiasedscipod.bsky.social

Avian flu was detected in Idaho dairy cows. The milking cows were the first avian flu detections in cattle since a Wisconsin report in December 2025. Researchers are studying the role of virus RNA detection in bovine semen. Read more: ow.ly/cRON50YKBGI

Only 6 symptoms, conditions appear to be unique to long COVID, suggesting overlap with other post-viral infections. Read more: ow.ly/LLwJ50YKAj4

New study: The longer a wild mammal is traded, the greater the risk is to public health. Wild mammals that are traded are 50% more likely to share pathogens with humans when compared with mammals that are not traded. Read more: ow.ly/uMXM50YKzli

Hidden supply-chain risks threaten 100 essential US medicines. Injectable drugs account for 63% of the vulnerable medicines on the list. Read more: ow.ly/GPfX50YKtbF

CIDRAP Op-Ed: Measles, misinformation, & what's actually in the MMR vaccine RFK Jr. has said the MMR vaccine contains "millions of particles that were created from aborted fetal tissue, millions of DNA fragments." It does not. Full Op-Ed by @jakescottmd.bsky.social: ow.ly/n39O50YKoOP

New poll shows support for MAHA is ‘highly vulnerable’. Half of Republicans and 40% of swing district voters say they support many tenets of Make America Healthy Again but do not identify with the movement. Read more: ow.ly/TGx150YK7rR 📷: Gage Skidmore / Flickr cc

Study shows that AI chatbots provide poor answers to medical questions half the time. Chatbot performance was strongest in regard to questions about vaccines and cancer and weakest on stem cells, athletic performance, and nutrition. Read more: ow.ly/Es5750YK6MG

Study findings: Shorter antibiotic treatment durations may be as safe and effective as longer ones for a small subset of patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Read more: ow.ly/1POT50YK5MH

Utah measles outbreak surpasses 600 cases and is now the most active outbreak in the US. Read more: ow.ly/tEzZ50YK4r7

Tetanus still occurs among all ages in US, mainly in undervaccinated. From 2009 to 2023, 402 tetanus infections and 37 deaths were reported from 47 states and Washington, DC. Read more: ow.ly/RFLx50YK3zu

Online survey findings highlight the challenge of effectively communicating the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to the public and explaining how unnecessary antibiotic use makes the problem worse. Read more: ow.ly/OaKC50YJZtb

According to a recent review, antiseptic umbilical cord care reduces infection risk in low-income settings. Using chlorhexidine, a simple antiseptic, cut umbilical cord infection rates by 29% in low- and middle-income countries. Read more: ow.ly/CExy50YJZ9g

An ultrasensitive test detects tuberculosis DNA in an unexpected number of US patients. 🧬 Up to 16% of respiratory samples collected at 2 Boston hospitals tested positive for tuberculosis DNA. Read more: ow.ly/SRU050YJZ6l

Valley fever is increasingly prevalent in California, but cases in kids are not as well described as those in adults. For more than 60% of pediatric patients, the fungus will cause no symptoms/very mild respiratory symptoms. ow.ly/hTzQ50YJ3Wc 📷: Dr. Yale Rosen/ Flickr cc

A new poll suggests that vaccine skepticism now the norm for many Americans. Read more on the poll results: ow.ly/WZhL50YJ5Gk

Two new H9N2 avian flu cases reported on mainland China. Read more: ow.ly/igB950YJ5k2 📷: Garrett Heath / Flickr cc

💊 Tylenol during pregnancy is not tied to increased risk of autism in children. Researchers initiated the study after President Trump’s 2025 remarks discouraging pregnant women from using acetaminophen because of a purported link to autism. Read more: ow.ly/Nk0l50YJ56G

A recent study suggests that HPV vaccination cuts cancer risk in men by about half. ⬇️ Read more on the study: ow.ly/kO9p50YJ50k

20 years later: New research highlights strong benefits of HPV vaccines beyond helping to prevent cervical cancer. Read more: ow.ly/1Iw050YJ4eT

CIDRAP's Vaccine Integrity Project posted protocols for their systematic reviews of 3 immunizations against respiratory pathogens. Research protocols show methodological rigor & transparency. 🧵1/3

CIDRAP Op-Ed: Don’t be distracted—ACIP was never the only play While we were distracted, vaccine-injury lawyer Aaron Siri submitted a petition demanding that hundreds of conditions be added to the Vaccine Injury Table. Full Op-Ed from @unbiasedscipod.bsky.social's Jess Steier: ow.ly/OqV650YIT9m

Long COVID costs Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries up to $135 billion each year. A report last week by the OECD projects that long COVID’s significant social & financial costs will continue well into the next decade. ow.ly/e35t50YIuaX

Quick takes: -Tick-borne allergy alert in Massachusetts -Deadly Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria Read more: ow.ly/N7uq50YIsGa

COVID revaccination early in pregnancy is not linked to a higher risk of major birth defects. Read more on the study: ow.ly/B5uN50YIq1f

Two TB vaccine candidates offered limited protection in a phase 3 trial. The two vaccines, VPM1002 and Immuvac, were evaluated in a trial involving 12,717 household contacts of recently diagnosed TB patients in India. Read more: ow.ly/lCvb50YIpF9

According to a new study, RSV is associated with high rates of complications and death among older adults hospitalized with the condition, and older RSV patients may have worse health outcomes than older adults hospitalized for influenza. Read more: ow.ly/Cf9E50YIpwo

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝑵𝑬𝑱𝑴 𝑬𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆! A new Public Health Alerts report, published in partnership with @cidrap.bsky.social: Emergence of Medetomidine in New York’s Illicit Drug Supply eviden.cc/4tCd1RC #InfectiousDisease

New study: Long COVID is tied to a higher risk of heart disease, even after mild infection. The study also reveals that women with long COVID experience more heart problems than men. Read more: ow.ly/UfV850YHftb

New Public Health Alert: Emergence of Medetomidine in New York’s Illicit Drug Supply The report highlights state, local work to detect emerging substances of concern in the illicit drug supply & implement data-guided programmatic responses. Full alert from NEJM Evidence & CIDRAP: ow.ly/78F750YHifR

The United States measles case count total surpassed 1,700 cases this past week. ⬆️ The US measles case count grew by 43 cases, reaching 1,714 infections. The US is on pace to top last year’s measles total by summer. Read more: ow.ly/6Kbl50YHekR Map source: CDC

New study: A substantial proportion of survivors of Nipah virus infection experience long-term neurologic deficits and fatigue. More on the study: ow.ly/48qB50YHgVa 📷: Jan Arendsz/Flickr cc

The US flu season is receding but still deadly, as CDC documents 12 more pediatric deaths. So far this season, 139 children have died from the virus, and about 85% with a known vaccination status were unvaccinated. Read more: ow.ly/aqxk50YHfNZ

Quick takes: -Revised ACIP charter -Human avian flu case in Italy -Federal health agencies continue to investigate the source of a Salmonella outbreak. -New polio cases in Africa Read more: ow.ly/4zQk50YHb9y.

Is it measles or the flu? 🤧 With measles becoming more common, experts recommend learning to recognize the symptoms and taking precautions to protect yourself and others. Read more: ow.ly/MCGz50YHaUa

🦇 Vampire bats in Mexico may feed on CWD-positive deer 🦌, spreading disease and posing species-jump threat. The bats' range is expanding northward, while CWD is creeping southward, creating a worrisome overlap. Read more: ow.ly/nOtI50YGMLo 📷: Peter E / Flickr cc