Apr 07, 2026
3 min read
- So far, evidence suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 BA.3.2 strain is not the cause of the threat, the Global Virus Network asserted in a news release late last week.BA.3.2 was initially of concern because of its immune evasion properties, possibly due to mutations in its spike.transmission," the network said. This strain is informally known as the "cicada" strain because it reemerges after a limited circulation time.
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) continues to spread later this spring than usual, prompting 48 states to extend the vaccination window for infants and toddlers to the end of April instead of March, according to the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Association of ManagersVaccination.As of March 28, 6.9% of tests for respiratory infections were positive for RSV, compared to 3.8% in the same period last year.A single dose of the immunosuppressive monoclonal antibody nirsevimab is recommended for infants born during the RSV season to mothers who did not receive the maternal RSV vaccine.The remaining babies born to unvaccinated mothers should receive one dose before the start of the next season.
- California's Los Angeles County has documented 17 cases of flea-borne typhus (FBT) so far this year, infecting a record number of residents in 2025, according to the county's public health department.FBT is a febrile illness caused by the bacteria Rickettsia typhi, which is spread when contaminated flea feces gets into cuts or scratches on the skin or is rubbed into the eyes.The disease, which is usually transmitted from fleas to animals such as mice rather than from person to person, "FBT has been increasing in LA County since 2010," the department's website said.
Quick shot: Resurgent strain of COVID, extended USRSV season, typhoid in California
The Trump administration is seeking additional cuts to the NIH
A budget proposal released last week by the Trump administration proposed cutting $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The cuts in President Donald Trump's fiscal 2027 budget are part of an overall $15.8 billion cut the administration is seeking for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the NIH.An Office of Management and Budget (OMB) document says the budget cuts will be achieved through reforms and the elimination of several NIH centers, including the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, of which OMB said, "DEI [deterrence, equity and inclusion] is burdened by costs."
"The NIH has corrupted the trust of the American public with wasteful spending, misleading information, dangerous research, and the promotion of dangerous ideologies that undermine public health," OMB said.
Other agencies expected to face budget cuts are the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (-$129 million) and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR, -$356 million).OMB said ASPR was overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic and strayed from its mission to coordinate the federal emergency response.
Congress rejects previous budget proposal
The budget also shows that the restructuring of many agencies under the administration proposed for America's health will save about $5 billion by eliminating and supporting programs that "redirect other federal expenditures, promote radical DEI ideas, or use taxpayer funds to support non-profit organizations that are not in line with the administration's policies."
The budget is the second the administration has released with huge cuts to health and science.Congress rejected the proposed 2026 cuts earlier this year.Critics say the proposed cuts represent a threat to public health.
"Donald Trump's budget plan is a road map to destroy nearly every public health protection and invite deadly preventable diseases like measles to run wild," Kayla Hancock of Protect Our Care's Public Health Project said in a statement.
Under protest, Raw Farm pulls unpasteurized cheddar from market after 3-week delay
After a three-week wait and "under protest," Raw Farm recalled a cheddar cheese linked to an E. coli outbreak that sickened nine people, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a report.
Late last week, the California company relented after initially refusing to recall the cheese because it contested the FDA's epidemiological links between infections and its products."We 100% disagree with the FDA's false 'possible links' and outrageous claims," Raw Milk said in a statement on its website.
The CDC, however, did not find the pathogen in the samples collected by the FDA. All eight people interviewed by the FDA and state and local health officials said they ate cheese or raw milk, including seven identified as Raw Farm brand. Whole-genome sequencing shows that the bacteria from the infected people got sick from the same food.
The products were sold at retail chains nationwide, including Sprouts Farmers Market and H-E-B, but other stores may also have sold them, the FDA said.
More than half of those infected were young children.
Cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli linked to unpasteurized block and peeled cheese in California, Florida and Texas between September 1, 2025 and February 20, 2026 prompted the investigation as far back as March.More than half of the cases were in children under the age of five.Three were hospitalized, and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can lead to fatigue.of the kidneys.Research is still ongoing.
Choosing pasteurized milk and milk products is the best way to safely enjoy the nutritional benefits of milk.
"Choosing pasteurized milk and dairy products is the best way to safely enjoy the nutritional benefits of milk," the CDC said in its latest research update."This is especially important for children under 5 because they are more likely to get sick from raw dairy products."
