State Highlights: Fla. Tests ‘Infected’ Mosquitoes To Slow Zika; New Strategies For Frostbite Shine At Minn. Hospitals
February 9, 2018
Morning Briefing
Media outlets report on the news from Florida, Minnesota, Maryland, Massachusetts, Kansas, New Jersey and Vermont.
Reporter’s Notebook: Pregnant And Caught In Zika Test Limbo
By Sammy Mack, WLRN
September 22, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Pregnant women in South Florida can get free Zika tests through the state’s health department. But delays in getting back the results are heightening worries and may affect medical options.
In Battle Against Zika, Researchers Seek Foolproof Test For Infection
By John Pope
September 19, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Most people who have been infected don’t have symptoms, so they don’t know they have the virus.
CDC Deploys New Rapid Response Teams To Fight Zika
By Virginia Anderson
September 14, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Based on lessons learned in the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the federal agency has designated teams to help identify patients and health care workers who have been exposed to the virus.
Where Education Campaigns Fail To Improve Vaccination Rates, Small Behavioral Nudges Found To Help
April 5, 2018
Morning Briefing
A new study finds that the most common reason people don’t get vaccines is perceived obstacles. So instead of focusing on persuading anti-vaccination activists, the study recommends solutions like automatically scheduled vaccination appointments and monetary incentives from employers. In other public health news: SARS, diabetes, gene-editing, macular degeneration, Zika, and running recovery.
‘It’s Heartbreaking’: As Zika Babies Age, Devastating Health Effects Become More Clear
December 15, 2017
Morning Briefing
Fifteen of the 19 children, who ranged from 19 months to 2 years of age, had not met the developmental milestones — like being able to sit up by themselves — that a healthy 6-month-old would meet.
Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Split A Straw-Poll Vote In The Florida Keys
By Rachel Bluth and Emily Kopp
November 10, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A plan to test the effectiveness of so-called “Frankenflies” is being closely watched by nearby Miami-Dade County as a possible way to combat the spread of Zika.
En riesgo programas de salud en “ciudades santuario”
By Shefali Luthra
May 1, 2017
KFF Health News Original
La dura posición del gobierno de Trump sobre inmigración podría estimular recortes en la financiación federal y complicar una amplia variedad de programas de salud en estas ciudades.
Experts Say Stepped-Up Monitoring Is Crucial As Zika’s Threat Lasts Beyond A Baby’s Birth
By Shefali Luthra
September 6, 2016
KFF Health News Original
A Brazilian case report indicates the virus may cause brain impairment after a child is born, increasing the need for tracking the development of children who may have been exposed.
Zika Is ‘Game-Changer’ For OB-GYN Doctors In Florida
By Sammy Mack, WLRN
August 5, 2016
KFF Health News Original
For doctors in obstetrics and gynecology, discussions with pregnant patients now include mosquito protection, testing options and the risks of microcephaly and other long-term effects in babies.
CDC Urges Doctors To Aggressively Test Pregnant Women For Zika
By Shefali Luthra
July 25, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also directs that all pregnant women in the U.S. and its territories should be “assessed for possible Zika virus exposure” whenever they get a prenatal care visit.
How A Caribbean Island Became Prime Source Of U.S. Zika Cases
By Phil Galewitz
July 22, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Many Dominican Republic immigrants in Florida and New York City brought Zika home after visiting the island, one of many destinations outside the U.S. where Zika has been active, say public health officials.
As Aerial Spraying Continues In Miami’s Zika Fight, Effectiveness Up In Air
By Emily Kopp
September 14, 2016
KFF Health News Original
As Miami-Dade doubles down on aerial spraying of the insecticide naled to combat the mosquitoes that spread Zika, experts question that approach.
Researchers Identify A Key Weapon of Zika Virus
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
August 11, 2016
KFF Health News Original
University of Southern California scientists determined the virus uses certain types of protein to interrupt the brain development of fetuses. The finding is a step toward the possible development of an intervention that could prevent the infection from leading to microcephaly.
Type Of Book You Read To Your Baby May Be Just As Important As Book Reading Experience Itself
January 2, 2018
Morning Briefing
Not all books are created equal when it comes to boosting babies’ brains. In other public health news: a secret psychiatry experiment; suicide at colleges; excessive screening; the hazards of rushing off to the gym in the new year; Zika; needle-phobia; and much more.
Genetic Sleuths Pinpoint Moment Zika Turned So Deadly
September 29, 2017
Morning Briefing
It used to be a relatively harmless pathogen.
Zika Traveling Tips: Some Issues To Consider
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez
July 11, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Organizations ranging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Pan American Health Organization offer a range of resources regarding the Zika virus to help keep travelers safe and informed about risks.
Unintended Consequence: Blood Banks Could Feel The Squeeze From Zika Advisories
By Shefali Luthra
July 6, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Public health officials are wrestling with how to safeguard and maintain blood bank reserves in the face of concerns that the Zika virus can be spread through transfusions.
Most Americans Want More Federal Money To Stop Zika: Poll
By Phil Galewitz
June 30, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Almost two-thirds say federal funds should help women in Zika-affected areas get access to abortion, family planning and contraception services, a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds.
Burwell Says HHS Trying To Bring More Insurers Into Marketplaces
By Mary Agnes Carey
September 1, 2016
KFF Health News Original
The administration is working to maintain competition on the health law exchanges to help keep premium prices lower.