1/ It looks like one of the largest Cyclospora outbreaks in U.S. history is slowing. The U.S. has now reported over 17,000 cases. And we are largely flying blind, but one of the only data points— percentage of tests that are positive—is declining, which is a cautiously optimistic sign.

1/ Over the weekend, RFK Jr. was interviewed on CNN, and as I'm sure many of you have seen, he made a number of inaccurate statements. The conversation covered Covid-19, RSV, measles, vaccines, and autism. Let's fact-check some of the biggest claims.

1/ We're back with our New York public health update for the week. First up, Covid is starting to increase again in New York. Hospitalizations remain low, but wastewater, ER visits, and hospital admissions are all beginning to trend upward, suggesting a summer wave is underway.

1/ There’s an interesting disconnect in how we judge health risks online. Peptides are a great example of this. Why are some people skeptical of vaccines, but very trusting of peptides that often have less human evidence? Let’s unpack what might be going on here.

1/ We're back with another California public health update. This week, we're looking at how West Nile virus is accelerating, Covid-19's summer wave, and a dangerous heat that's headed our way this weekend. We're also checking in on Cyclospora, which is still sparing CA. Here's what you need to know👇

One day in 2020, I went to a coffee shop. I was so sick of working 100-hour weeks from home with a newborn that I loaded up the stroller, grabbed my laptop bag (the one with the big World Health Organization logo on it), and headed out. When I got there, I started typing a YLE post.

1/ The U.S. has now reached 2,318 measles cases in 2026, setting a 35-year record. We still have five months left in the year. This is an incredibly strong signal that health in the U.S. is going backward, not forward.

With all the wildfires recently, we've started to see loads of conversations about causes, prevention, long-term effects, etc. circling around. What have you heard about wildfires, online or from someone you know, that you weren't sure was true or that you'd like clarified? Let us know!

1/ Dr. Matt Willis here, back with another California health update! West Nile virus is showing early signs of a potentially serious season, Covid-19 is climbing again, along with a reminder that public health only works when communities trust the people delivering it. Let’s get into it 👇

1/ Right on cue, Covid-19 is starting to stir. Every summer, we see a bump in cases around mid-July, and this year appears to be following the same pattern. Levels of spread and infection are still very low, but they’re beginning to climb.

1/ We need to talk about the Cyclospora outbreak in New York, because it's a bit different than most states. New York is not one of the states affected by the iceberg lettuce recall, and no NYC cases have been linked to the recalled lettuce. But NY does still have elevated Cyclospora activity.

1/ The cyclosporiasis foodborne outbreak continues to grow, and there’s A LOT of conflicting information out there. So the YLE team compiled answers to some of the top questions we’re seeing to bring the nuance you may be looking for.

1/ Over the weekend, the FDA announced that a lettuce sample from Taylor Farms tested positive for Cyclospora. Within 24 hours, the FDA backtracked, calling the result a false positive. Taylor Farms quickly deleted its own posts about its bagged lettuce and boasted the FDA had apologized to them.

1/ What's been going on with seed oils? A few months ago, Steak ‘n Shake officially switched to using butter & beef tallow. They called the move: “RFK’ing the fries,” and many restaurants have followed. But does that really make us healthier? What does the science say? Let’s break it down. 🧵

1/ Explosive diarrhea cases from a microscopic parasite (cyclospora) are climbing fast. This is now the largest cyclosporiasis outbreak in U.S. history, passing 4,000 cases and still rising. For context: the U.S. normally sees about 3,000-4,000 cases in a WHOLE year.

1/ Medicare just got access to reduced price GLP-1s. Although this is a great start for access, it still comes with some caveats. Which raises the same old question: why are drug prices so high, and can we actually fix it? I partnered with Dr. Aaron Kesselheim to get to the bottom of them 🧵

1/ Summer is here, and like many parents, I'm spending a lot of time making sure my kids wear sunscreen. But if you've been online lately, you've probably seen claims that mineral sunscreen is safer than chemical sunscreen. So I teamed up with @labmuffin.com to see what the evidence actually says.

Hope you're enjoying the start of July! YLE is off for the week, but don't worry, we still have a few things planned for you! For now, hopefully these make you smile as you start the week. Love, The YLE Team 💖

1/ We're back with your public health update for New York. This week, as we're sure you're aware, there's a major heat wave, but there's also a statewide blood emergency. Here's what New Yorkers should know before the holiday weekend. 🧵

1/ I'm starting the holiday weekend off with some good vibes. I’m not giving bad news any headspace right now, so let's pause and celebrate some public health wins that have happened recently!

1/ Alright everybody, I don't know about you, but I didn't ask to feel like a rotisserie chicken when I stepped outside today. But I guess that's what we're living in for the next few days, so I wanted to jump on here and share 6 things everyone should know going into this heat wave.

1/ Ticks are showing up in NYC parks, mosquito season is getting underway, rabies is still circulating in wildlife, and a toxic plant in Central Park recently killed a carriage horse. We're back with your New York summer health update. 🧵

1/ The hantavirus cruise nightmare is over for the 40-ish people. The 42-day monitoring window has now passed. The final toll was 13 infections and 3 deaths. By every public health metric, containment was a success. A lot of quiet, unglamorous work by public health teams made that possible.

1/ The Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights has been burning for over a week. The flames are nearly out, but there are so many unanswered questions. What are people breathing? What health risks remain? And what does this say about the safety of communities living next to industrial facilities?

We’re spending an awful lot of time undoing lessons that previous generations already learned the hard way... and then putting them back because we re-learned the reason they were there in the first place.

Pentagon restores mandatory flu shots for all recruits as boot camp outbreak sickens nearly 300

The Pentagon says military boot camps are once again requiring flu vaccinations for all recruits. This change comes amid a flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base boot camp, which has sickened nearly ...

apnews.com

1/ Every week, we get questions about cancer and some new prevention strategy, miracle cure, or treatment making the rounds online. So I teamed up with @matthewfacciani.bsky.social, a misinformation researcher at Yale, to dive into what causes cancer rumors to spread and what actually helps stop it.

1/ Rabies remains one of the deadliest infections on earth. Yet in California, almost every human case is preventable. With summer wildlife activity increasing and bats accounting for more than 90% of our animal rabies cases, here's what you need to know along with a few other public health updates👇

1/ You likely saw the national news: a flu outbreak hit the military just two months after Hegseth’s policy change made flu vaccination optional for active-duty service members. This was a scientifically and economically terrible decision.

1/ It's peak outdoor season, which means it's also peak bug season. We're in the heart of tick season across much of the U.S. Activity started earlier than usual this year but is now tracking close to previous seasons. Fortunately, we may see activity begin tapering in the coming weeks.

1/ The World Cup is officially underway, and the good news is there have been no major health events so far. Overall risk remains low. But we're watching three signals closely this week: heat, measles, and what fans are telling us they're worried about. Let's take a look🧵