On April 23, the FDA said remnants of the bird flu virus have been detected in samples of pasteurized milk in the U.S. The agency said the finding does not change its assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe. 

While emphasizing that no human-to-human transmission has occurred, global health officials are urging countries to closely track bird flu to detect any potential changes in the virus that may make it more adept at spreading to and among humans.

Health officials are now investigating at least 22 reports of harmful reactions linked to counterfeit or mishandled Botox injections in 11 states, the CDC said in an April 19 update. The agency first announced the probe earlier this. At that time, it was investigating illnesses in five states. 

Starting in 2026, CMS could ask hospitals to report emissions.

Following several years of collaboration with major public health agencies, the World Health Organization has broadened its classification of airborne diseases — a move that could have significant influence over infection control policies in countries around the world. 

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists updated its syphilis screening guidelines April 18, encouraging physicians to screen for the sexually transmitted infection three times during pregnancy.  

July and August 2023 had the highest rates of heat-related illness emergency department visits across the nation, and the risk was three times higher than in other warm months — demonstrating a rising trend in heat-related illnesses compared to the previous five years, the CDC said in an April 18 report.

The Commonwealth Fund released a new report April 18 examining racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare access, quality and outcomes across the U.S.

Children's Mercy Kansas City (Mo.) researchers found a way to reduce the time to diagnosis for rare disease by 5.5 months.

Nature walks. Dance classes. Volunteering. These are among the social activities being prescribed across at least 30 programs in the U.S. Social prescribing — or the practice of connecting people with nonclinical activities that target underlying concerns such as isolation, stress and access to healthy foods — is a well-known concept in Britain and is increasingly stirring interest in the U.S., experts told The New York Times in an April 17 report. 

For the first time, the majority of U.S. adults say they are not getting enough sleep, a recent Gallup poll found.

In recent months, parts of the U.S. have reported outbreaks of pertussis, or whooping cough. While some regional outbreaks are expected each year, health officials are underscoring the importance of boosters in adults to protect infants from severe illness, NBC News reported April 17. 

The Biden administration launched a new global health security strategy April 16 to prepare for future outbreaks, pandemics or biological threats. 

The FDA has removed social media posts decrying the use of ivermectin for treating COVID-19 following a court ruling, Bloomberg News reported April 16.

Vaccines are in development that target the bird flu strain that infected a Texas resident, an HHS official told Politico in an April 12 report. Earlier this month, state and federal officials confirmed a person in Texas who had worked on a dairy farm tested positive for H5N1. 

The CDC is working with the FDA to investigate at least 19 reports of harmful reactions linked to counterfeit or mishandled Botox injections in nine states. Nine of the patients were hospitalized, the agency said. 

 Last year, New York City saw 24 cases of human leptospirosis — the highest number in a single year. Six cases have been reported so far this year, the city's department of health and mental hygiene said in an April 12 health advisory. 

Viral hepatitis is the second leading cause of death among non-COVID-19 communicable diseases in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

Nearly one-third of U.S. measles cases reported since 2020 have occurred this year, the CDC said in an April 11 report. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders on April 9 released a draft proposal for legislation that calls for $10 billion in mandatory funding over the next 10 years to address long COVID-19, which affects millions of Americans.