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The cause of death for an Air Force trainee who died last month at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio was influenza, according to Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat. Keon Talik McDaniel, 25, died June 16, according to his obituary. Influenza swept the air force base in June, one month after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the flu shots voluntary, rather than mandatory, for American troops. Nearly 300 troops have been sickened by influenza, Castro said in a press release. (Szabo, 7/1)

A record number of West Nile virus cases have been recorded for this time of year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned on Wednesday ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend. At least 48 cases of West Nile have been reported so far this year compared to an average of 10 typically by the end of June. This is the highest number of infections reported at this point in year since 2004, according to the federal health agency. Additionally, at least 23 states are reporting West Nile activity, which is the highest number recorded over the last 10 years, CDC data shows. (Benadjaoud, 7/1)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to find the source of a parasitic illness that’s spreading across the country. At least 145 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported across 17 states. About 20 people have been hospitalized after suffering severe symptoms. Public health teams are investigating several clusters of cases reported in New York, Illinois and Texas. (Sitz, 7/1)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: New Disease Threats Follow Trump Administration’s Health Program Cuts

As beachgoers flock to water during the busy July Fourth weekend, danger could be lurking in some areas. Researchers this spring discovered flesh-eating bacteria in water in several coastal locations across New York’s Long Island, and town officials in the Hamptons vacation destination posted an alert about the findings. Eight people in Florida have been infected this year, and Mississippi health officials in June urged people to take precautions. (Armour, 7/2)

Casualties of the Ebola Bundibugyo virus outbreak in Africa continue to mount, with a total of at least 1,354 infections and 401 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as investigators track potential spread to new DRC provinces and Uganda confirms a Marburg infection in a child who died of the virus. Like Ebola, the closely related Marburg virus causes a hemorrhagic fever. (Van Beusekom, 7/1)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new “blueprint” to help countries respond to the growing threat of fungal infections and antifungal resistance. Released yesterday, the document provides a framework to strengthen national and regional responses to fungal diseases, which affect more than 300 million people each year yet remain widely under-recognized, underdiagnosed, and poorly managed. (Dall, 7/1)

An 11-year-old Canadian boy has died from rabies after waking up with a bat on his nose and mouth. The episode occurred during a visit to a cottage in northern Ontario in 2024, according to a report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday. (Orie, 7/1)

A comprehensive review of the billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses made with mRNA technology shows that these vaccines are safe and effective. (Boden, 7/1)

Getting the flu vaccine and COVID shot on the same day doesn't increase the risk of adverse reactions, according to a review of the medication records of 2.5 million adults who receive medical care across the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system. (Boden, 6/30)

Vaccine myths are not new. They have circulated for decades, surviving retracted studies and countless public health campaigns. Now, a new poll suggests that, while relatively few Americans fully believe those falsehoods, many remain uncertain about them—a finding that suggests opportunities to counter vaccine misinformation.  (Bergeson, 6/30)

If the next coronavirus pandemic were to begin today, the wait for a vaccine could be much shorter because of artificial intelligence (AI), said Lbachir BenMohamed, PhD, an immunologist at the University of California, Irvine, and vice president of research at California-based TechImmune. (Boden, 6/30)