Measles News:

• There are 10 counties with extensive, ongoing community transmission in TX, plus the recent uptick in cases in El Paso. TX has 683 confirmed cases. (TX DSHS)
• Even a small uptick in measles vaccination could prevent millions of U.S. measles cases. (ABC)
• 2 measles cases were confirmed in the Chicago area, including one at O’Hare airport. In Dallas, TX an infectious person attended a Texas Rangers game. (CIDRAP)

Bird Flu News:

• The CDC cancelled a workshop on preventing human bird flu infections... (Reuters)
• …meanwhile, top virologists from 40 countries published a call to action in the Lancet urging world leaders to act on the rising threat of bird flu. (CIDRAP)
• Upheaval in Washington is hindering bird flu response, leaving some experts worried. (NY Times)

Health News:

• The FDA is debating whether it will approve fall COVID booster shots, while the CDC debates whether it will significantly narrow recommendations for who should get them. (CBS)
• An active TB case was identified at a Fort Lauderdale school. (Health News FL)
• USDA and FDA are working together to investigate a Listeria outbreak with 10 cases so far. (FDA)
• Nearly 20,000 lbs of sausage and prepared meat and poultry products from Smith Packing, LLC were recalled due to high sodium nitrite levels. (USDA)
• Florida is poised to ban fluoride from its drinking water after a bill passed the state legislature and is expected to be signed into law shortly. (NPR)
• RFK Jr. has said he will require all new vaccines to undergo placebo testing; in well-studied diseases like measles or polio, withholding effective intervention has previously been considered unethical. (Washington Post)
• There have been 16 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships in the first four months of 2025, compared to 18 for all of last year combined. (USA Today)

Best Questions:

We have outdoor employees. When should we worry about thunderstorms?

It’s thunderstorm season. If you hear thunder, it’s time to act—because lightning is close enough to strike. In the U.S., about 300 people per year are struck by lightning. Around 10% of those strikes are fatal, and many survivors face life-altering injuries. Florida, known as the lightning capital of the country, has seen over 2,000 lightning injuries in the past 50 years.

The safest approach? Bring outdoor employees indoors at the first sound of thunder or sight of lightning, and don’t send them back out until 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder. That half-hour wait is critical—many injuries happen when people return outdoors too soon. To keep your employees safe and your business protected, it’s better to be safe than sorry with thunderstorms.

Sources: CDC, OSHA

What’s going on with the rollback of salmonella regulations? Are chicken and turkey safe?

You may have seen headlines about the USDA pulling back on proposed salmonella rules — and yes, it's true. The agency recently scrapped a rule that would’ve banned the sale of poultry products if they tested positive for certain high-risk salmonella strains, or if overall levels of the bacteria exceeded a set limit.

Why does this matter? Salmonella causes about 1.3 million infections in the U.S. every year, and poultry is a major source. Supporters of the rule argued it could’ve made a real dent in those numbers. But critics, including some industry groups, said the science behind the rule wasn’t solid enough and that it could have crushed small producers with cost and complexity — and that consumers would ultimately foot the bill.

The rule is off the table for now, which means it’s still largely up to producers, inspectors, and restaurant teams to keep poultry safe through careful sourcing, handling, and cooking.

The bottom line: Chicken and turkey are safe to serve when handled correctly. But the rollback means there’s less regulatory pressure on producers to reduce contamination before it reaches your kitchen — so food safety training, cooking and holding temps, and supplier standards are more important than ever.

Sources: Washington Post, CBS

Best Read:

For anyone who has worked in restaurants or retail long enough, patrons having a medical emergency is bound to happen. When it does, having an AED and someone nearby who has been recently trained in CPR can make a huge difference in survival rates for those in cardiac arrest.

Fast Action From Bystanders Can Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival. Many Don’t Know What To Do. - KFF Health News

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