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An outbreak of the disease-causing parasite cyclospora has infected thousands of Americans from coast to coast and has given rise to a dangerous trend called “cyclospora skinny.“ What began as a joke about the infection symptoms like weight loss and low appetite is now prompting warnings from health professionals. Dr. Dhaval Desai, pediatric physician and internal medicine doctor, joined NewsNation to talk about the trend. (Whiteside, 7/31)

The parasites go straight for the lining of the small intestine, where they burrow in, taking over the cells to make copies of themselves. (Huang, 8/2)

Joshua Hargrove had sworn off leafy greens, berries and just about anything else that grew in the ground. The 24-year-old Howard University law student has spent weeks steering clear of produce, unnerved by cyclospora outbreaks that have made thousands of people sick this summer. (McKee and Davis, 8/2)

New York City health officials confirmed a seventh death in connection with the Legionnaires’ outbreak on the Upper East Side, matching the number of lives lost in a similar outbreak in Harlem in 2025. The seventh death was announced Thursday evening, one of the six people who were still hospitalized from the illness, according to the Health Department. The silver lining of good news: Officials have repeatedly said no new cases had been found since July 21. (Shea and Siff, 7/31)

The source of bacteria that caused a cluster of Legionnaires' disease on Manhattan's Upper East Side has been "eliminated," the New York City Health Department said on Friday. As of July 30, there were 92 cases and seven deaths, primarily affecting three ZIP codes, including the neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville. At least 79 people were hospitalized and five remain in the hospital, the department said. (Kekatos, 7/31)

The Maryland Department of Health announced Friday an individual living in Maryland tested positive for the West Nile virus. This is the first confirmed human case in the state this year, said MDH officials. (Whirley, 7/31)

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has expanded to become the country’s largest ever, with infections continuing to accelerate and the virus spreading across five provinces despite an extensive response by health authorities and international partners. As of July 30, a total of 3,605 cases and 1,587 deaths had been reported, the World Health Organization said on Saturday, with both climbing 13% from a week earlier. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has now surpassed the country’s devastating 2018-20 epidemic, which was previously its biggest outbreak, it said. (Kew, 8/1)

A plan to repurpose an existing Ebola vaccine to help protect frontline health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo is moving ahead as researchers seek ways to blunt a fast-spreading outbreak for which no approved shot exists. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention plans to present evidence to the World Health Organization’s vaccine advisers next week as it seeks to test whether Merck & Co.’s Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, can provide at least partial protection against the Bundibugyo virus driving the outbreak. (Kew and Gale, 7/31)

Esther Lutula stopped going for prenatal checkups shortly after the current Ebola outbreak was declared in eastern Congo. Midway into her pregnancy, the 26-year-old feared being put into isolation simply for having a fever, a common misconception. “That’s why I’m waiting until the disease is no longer widespread,” she told The Associated Press from her home in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province and epicenter of the outbreak declared on May 15. But that could be a deadly mistake. (Kabumba and Asadu, 8/3)

It’s been three years since the World Health Organization declared an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency, but COVID still circulates worldwide. Does that mean the pandemic is still going on, just in a non-emergency phase? Or has COVID become an endemic virus, like the flu? CIDRAP News talked with Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) Director Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, to understand what defines a pandemic, if we’re still in one, and what gives a pathogen pandemic potential. (Bergeson, 7/31)

Air purifiers had a moment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interest in the devices spiked when research found that high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters could reduce levels of the virus that causes COVID-19 up to 99%. Many schools, medical facilities, and businesses installed air purifiers to reduce the risk of illness. Studies of air filters in the real world, however, have been less promising. A new study from the United Kingdom found that portable air purifiers didn’t prevent respiratory infections in nursing home residents. (Szabo, 7/31)