A mystery illness in Congo has killed more than 50 people hours after they felt sick

Health experts say an unknown illness first discovered in three children who ate a bat has rapidly killed more than 50 people in northwestern Congo over the past five weeks. A medical director of a regional monitory center says the interval between the onset of symptoms – which include fever, vomiting and internal bleeding – and death has been 48 hours in most cases and “that’s what’s really worrying.” These “hemorrhagic fever” symptoms are commonly linked to known deadly viruses, such as Ebola, dengue, Marburg and yellow fever, but researchers have ruled these out based on tests of more than a dozen samples collected so far. The latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on Jan. 21, with 419 cases recorded and 53 deaths.

AP News
Judge tells agencies to restore webpages, data removed after Trump's executive order

A federal judge has told government agencies to restore public access to health-related webpages and datasets they removed to comply with an executive order by President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge John Bates in Washington agreed Tuesday to issue a temporary restraining order requested by the Doctors for America advocacy group. The judge instructed the government to restore access to several webpages and datasets the group identified as missing from websites. Agencies removed the material after the Republican president signed an order for them to use the term “sex” and not “gender” in federal policies and documents. The scrubbed material includes reports on HIV prevention and a webpage for providing clinicians with guidance on reproductive health care.

AP News
CDC ordered to stop working with WHO immediately

U.S. public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately. The surprise decision is focused on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A CDC official sent a memo to senior leaders at the agency on Sunday night telling them that all agency staff who work with the WHO must immediately stop their collaborations and “await further guidance.” The Associated Press viewed the memo. Experts say the sudden stoppage is a surprise and will set back work on investigating and trying to stop outbreaks of Marburg virus and mpox in Africa.

AP News
Bird flu costs pile up as outbreak enters second year

The ongoing bird flu outbreak has cost the government roughly $661 million and added to consumers' pain at the grocery store as officials slaughtered more than 58 million birds to help limit the spread of the virus

ABC News
What we know about the Ohio measles outbreak

A measles outbreak in Ohio is raising concerns about the spread of the disease and how a decline in vaccination rates among children might be leading to additional outbreaks. Eighty-five cases have been reported in Ohio as of Friday, mainly in Columbus and other parts of Franklin County, according to Columbus Public Health. Most of…

The Hill