LATEST NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
CDC Resource – Andes Virus Outbreak on a Cruise Ship: Frequently Asked Questions
An outbreak of Andes virus, a rare hantavirus variant associated with severe respiratory illness, has been identified among passengers and crew aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, prompting a coordinated international response involving CDC, HHS, the U.S. State Department, and state health departments.
Federal agencies are supporting repatriation efforts and conducting exposure assessments, contact tracing, and clinical evaluations at specialized treatment centers.
To support public communication and response efforts, CDC released a new FAQ resource outlining key information on transmission, risk levels, monitoring recommendations, and public health actions. The guidance emphasizes that overall risk to the public remains extremely low and that person-to-person spread is rare and typically limited to close-contact settings. Find the FAQs here.
Ready or Not 2026: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) new report, Ready or Not 2026, evaluates U.S. public health emergency preparedness across 10 indicators, including workforce mobility, funding stability, laboratory surge capacity, paid sick leave access, and community infrastructure.
It finds preparedness is uneven across states, with 20 in a high-performance tier, 17 plus the District of Columbia in a middle tier, and 13 in a low tier. Strengths include widespread Nurse Licensure Compact adoption (41 states), strong accreditation participation, and near-universal laboratory surge planning.
Key gaps include declining federal workforce and funding stability, reduced state public health investments in 12 states, low flu vaccination coverage, and persistent inequities in paid sick leave access. Read the TFAH report here.
Fruit-Flavored E-cigarettes for Adults OK'd By FDA
The FDA authorized its first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adult smokers, marking a significant shift in federal vaping policy amid declining youth vaping rates, which are now at a 10-year low. The newly authorized products include mango and blueberry flavors and incorporate smartphone-based age verification and Bluetooth access controls intended to reduce youth access.
FDA officials emphasized that authorization is not an endorsement and stated the agency will monitor youth uptake and marketing practices closely.
The decision follows years of FDA denials for flavored products and ongoing concerns that fruit and candy flavors remain widely used in unauthorized products popular among U.S. teens. Read more from CBS News here.
FEATURED TOPICS
CDC Reports Emergence of Extensively Drug-Resistant Shigella
CDC analysis published in MMWR reports a marked rise in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella infections in the United States. Among 16,788 isolates collected from 2011–2023, 3% were XDR, increasing from 0% in 2011–2015 to 8.5% in 2023.
Most cases occurred in adult men, with limited travel history, suggesting domestic transmission. XDR strains are resistant to five key antibiotics, and no FDA-approved oral treatments are available.
CDC highlights the need for strengthened surveillance, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and rapid reporting, along with targeted prevention strategies to limit further spread and address growing antimicrobial resistance concerns. Read more in Food Safety Magazine here.
The White House Wants to Cut WIC Fruit and Vegetable Benefits by 75%—Here’s What Dietitians Warn
The White House’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal includes significant reductions to the WIC program’s fruit and vegetable benefits, lowering monthly allowances from $52 to $13 for breastfeeding mothers and from $27 to $10 for families with young children.
Public health and nutrition experts emphasize that WIC is strongly associated with improved child diet quality and health outcomes, largely due to its support for produce access during critical early-life stages. Dietitians warn that reducing benefits could widen existing nutrition gaps for low-income families, despite evidence that food access programs help reduce diet-related chronic disease and strengthen population health outcomes. Read more from Eating Well here.
MMWR: Kratom-Related Poison Center Reports Surge 1,200%
Published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, new data show kratom-related exposures reported to U.S. poison centers increased approximately 1,200% from 2015 to 2025, reaching a record high.
The findings highlight a shift toward higher-potency products and expanding use across demographic groups. Although many cases involved kratom alone, co-use with substances such as alcohol, opioids, and antidepressants was linked to more severe outcomes, including hospitalizations and deaths.
The report underscores the importance of continued surveillance, targeted public health education, and clinical awareness, particularly around polysubstance use. Read the MMWR here.
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