Category: Health

(NEW YORK) — Prior to this year, Dr. John Goldman said he’d only seen two cases of measles throughout his career: one in the late 1980s and one in the early 1990s.

Now, Goldman said measles patients are being admitted to the hospital on a regular basis.

“We’ve had patients that have shown up in our outpatient offices. We’ve had patients show up in the hospital. We’ve had patients that have come in for other problems and then develop measles while they’re in the hospital,” Goldman, an infectious disease specialist for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in central Pennsylvania, told ABC News.

He went on, “So, we’ve gone from seeing this as an extremely rare disease, one that I literally have not seen in 30 years, to something that is now common, where we’re seeing it literally every day.”

Pennsylvania is facing one of its worst measles outbreaks in recent years, recording 693 cases so far this year with 133 hospitalizations, according to the state department of health.

The epicenter of the outbreak is in Lancaster County, in southeastern Pennsylvania, with 296 cases reported.

At least four measles deaths have been confirmed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which is the highest number of deaths recorded in the U.S. since 1992.

‘Almost certainly underestimating cases’

Goldman, who supports about seven hospitals in the greater Harrisburg area, said UPMC Lititz in Lancaster County has had about 50 measles patients this year.

However, he believes the number of cases, both in Lancaster County and in Pennsylvania overall, is an undercount.

“The worst part is we’re almost certainly underestimating the cases,” Goldman said. “What often happens is someone shows up in the emergency room or shows up in the hospital, and they’ll report that they have five or six people at home who were sick with what they think is measles … so we don’t test everybody.”

Dr. Patrick Gavigan, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital in Dauphin County, which borders epicenter Lancaster County, said about 10 children have been admitted to the hospital with complications from measles in 2026.

Similarly, Gavigan said most of the children admitted to the hospital with measles came from families where everyone was previously sick with the disease.

“I would say fever, rash and respiratory distress are probably the most common [symptoms],” he told ABC News. “We’ve seen some more like gastrointestinal symptoms with some of our cases as well, including like hepatitis.”

Most of the children are unvaccinated and have come from communities that “don’t vaccinate,” Gavigan said.

He added that hospitals are getting more calls each week about patients infected with measles.

Increasing interest in vaccination

The CDC currently recommends two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, the first between ages 12 and 15 months and the second between ages 4 and 6. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.

Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health shows that 6,725 MMR doses have been administered by health department staff in 2026. Fewer than 1,000 doses were administered each month from January through July but August saw about 3,500 doses administered.

This correlates with a spike in measles cases recorded in August, according to health department data.

The doctors told ABC News there has been an increase in MMR vaccinations at their respective hospitals.

“Talking with our general pediatricians, I think there has been [an] increased desire to get MMR even potentially in some people who aren’t getting other vaccines,” said Gavigan.

Gavigan said pediatricians in the area have also been answering questions from parents about whether their child should get an early third dose.

The CDC said early vaccination for infants living in outbreak areas. This would result in three doses overall: an early dose between age 6 months and 11 months and then the two regularly scheduled doses.

“I think there is definitely more of a perceived threat based on people hearing about all the cases and hearing about cases nearby and potentially even getting letters that they’ve been exposed to measles when they’ve been at the hospital or various places,” Gavigan said.

Local communities have also been offering opportunities to get vaccinated.

In Chester County, which also borders Lancaster and 65 confirmed measles cases, the county government has hosted free MMR clinics for children and adults, some in conjunction with the state health department.

Jeanne Franklin, public health director of the Chester County Health Department, told ABC News that local health care professionals have gone into people’s homes or businesses to vaccinate them with the MMR shot.

“We basically just said, ‘We’ve got to do some at-home vaccinations,'” Franklin explained. “It’s not an everyday type of service … but we’re doing it now and that has been a huge success.”

And some individuals say they’re more comfortable receiving the vaccine at home, she noted.

As of Monday, the Chester County Public Health Department has administered 538 MMR doses, according to Franklin.

The ChildProtect program at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health has continued to provide free vaccinations for uninsured children in Lancaster County usually at in remote, rural areas.

Goldman said he and colleagues have seen an increase in people visiting UPMC hospitals and clinics for the MMR vaccine, particularly since the measles outbreak began.

Some UPMC staff have partnered with healthcare providers in communities with lower vaccination rates and have offered the vaccine in those areas, Goldman said.

Goldman said he’s heard anecdotally about cases of “semi-clandestine vaccination,” meaning people receiving the MMR vaccine without telling their friends, family or neighbors.

“Neighbors might judge them, or they’re in communities which discourage vaccination, and so they sometimes don’t want to know, let their friends or neighbors know that they’ve been vaccinated,” Goldman said.

More ‘aggressive’ screening

Goldman said UPMC hospitals and clinics are beginning to more aggressively screen people who arrive with measles-like symptoms so other patients aren’t exposed.

This includes patients with symptoms including rash, fever, cough and conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye.

“The problem is that there are some people who will just have a fever and we later find they test positive for measles,” Goldman said. “It will surprise me if we can catch every case.”

avigan said Golisano Children’s Hospital has put signage outside the hospital to increase awareness that there’s a measles outbreak in the hopes of identifying potentially infected patients.

“It’s essentially a sign that lists common symptoms, asks if you’ve been exposed and, if you have, to call into the hospital where they could triage you over the phone so that you’re not sitting in a waiting area potentially spreading measles,” Gavigan said.

Penn Medicine said signs are displayed outside hospitals and some outpatient offices requesting certain individuals to call for guidance before entering, including those who are not vaccinated or have measles symptoms.

Spreading awareness

Penn Medicine said two pediatricians in its Lancaster facilities wrote a series of op-eds for their local newspaper explaining how vaccine-preventable diseases can be dangerous and how vaccines protect both the recipient and those around them.

The two pediatricians said some of the patients have brought printed copies of the articles to discuss at appointments.

Gavigan said he occasionally meets children in clinic who are unvaccinated — not just against measles — and he using this as an opportunity to talk about the importance of vaccination.

“We’ve had lots of, I think, different conversations about the MMR vaccine in different populations,” he said. “It does seem like there has been, at least anecdotally, more willingness to think about vaccines in general and MMR.”

Franklin, from Chester County, said members of the public health department have gone into various communities to meet residents and assess where they are in terms of their knowledge on the disease or vaccination.

“If they think they want the vaccine, then we’re focusing on the vaccine,” Franklin said. “If nobody has talked to these folks, then, we’re going to start at the beginning: ‘What is measles? What does it look like? How does it impact you, et cetera’ And then we’ll get to the vaccine.”

She added, “If we’re not hitting the right avenues and meeting them where they are at the start, they’re not hearing it, and it’s no fault of their own. So we meet them where they’re at in their understanding.”

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(NEW YORK) — Pennsylvania health officials confirmed two additional measles-associated deaths in the state on Tuesday, bringing the total number of deaths in 2026 to four.

The health department said it would not share any additional details about the deaths. 

The last time the U.S. reported 4 measles deaths was in 1992. Last year, Texas reported two deaths and New Mexico reported one. 

This is a developing story.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the cyclospora outbreak that plagued thousands of people across the country during the summer months has ended.

The outbreak, which was eventually tied to iceberg lettuce distributed by Taylor Farms, sickened almost 13,000 people in 21 states. Two people died and at least 570 people were hospitalized due to cyclospora illness.

The FDA announced in July that it was investigating cyclospora illnesses linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia after several cases of cyclospora had been reported in late June.

The CDC said Friday more than 1,000 cases were reported in a single day at the height of the outbreak, before the contaminated lettuce was recalled by Taylor Farms on July 17. The illness notably made headlines for causing “explosive diarrhea.”

Citing a decline in infections linked to the outbreak — fewer than two per day in August — and all contaminated Taylor Farms products being taken out of circulation, the CDC said it considers this specific outbreak over. It notes the best-by dates for all products linked to the outbreak have passed and are no longer available in stores or restaurants.

The FDA will continue to investigate the cause of the contamination, which has not yet been identified.

 

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(NEW YORK) — New York City is experiencing another cluster of Legionnaires’ disease just weeks after a cluster exposure in Manhattan was declared over.

So far, five cases and one death have been recorded, the New York City Health Department said on Thursday. Health officials said they are waiting for results for other potential cases.

Cases have been detected in the 10451 and 10456 ZIP codes, which includes parts of Melrose and Morrisania in the South Bronx.

The health department said it is actively investigating the cluster and that testing is underway for samples collected among cooling towers in the area.

Health officials are advising clinicians to be on the lookout for possible cases and to conduct testing if the disease is suspected.

An outbreak earlier this summer on the Upper East Side saw more than 90 cases and 11 deaths, which health officials found was linked to bacteria in some buildings’ cooling towers.

“I understand that New Yorkers may have heightened concerns following the recent Upper East Side cluster,” Dr. Alister F. Martin, NYC health commissioner, said in a press release. “We are taking immediate action. Water ecologists have sampled cooling towers in the affected area. Any cooling tower that tests positive will be directed to undergo full cleaning and disinfection immediately.”

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling the Legionella bacteria in small droplets of water mixed in the air or contaminated water accidentally going into the lungs.

The bacteria are found naturally in freshwater but amounts generally don’t lead to disease. The bacteria typically grow best in warm water and in warm to hot temperatures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The disease does not generally spread from person to person, but infections can occur if the bacteria get into a building’s water supply, including in shower heads, sink faucets, hot water tanks, heaters, cooling towers and other plumbing systems.

Legionnaires’ disease has increased in prevalence over the last decade, reaching a peak of 2.71 cases per 100,000 in 2018, the CDC said. Cases dropped during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and then rebounded in 2021.

Although most people recover from Legionnaires’ disease with antibiotics, certain patients — including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases — can develop complications that can be fatal.

About one in 10 people who develop Legionnaires’ disease will die from complications, according to the CDC. Among those who develop Legionnaires’ disease during a stay in a healthcare facility, about 1 out of every 4 people will die, the federal health agency added.

Health officials said any New Yorkers who live or work in the affected area, or visited since late August, should contact a healthcare provider immediately if they develop symptoms, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath or muscle aches.

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(NEW YORK) — A new drug appeared to show promise in reducing rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms in former and current smokers, according to results from late-stage clinical trials.

The medication, called tozorakimab and developed by AstraZeneca, is the first biologic drug to show efficacy in treating COPD symptoms, according to Dr. Frank Sciurba, professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, in an AstraZeneca press release.

The results were presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress conference on Tuesday and set to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Patients taking inhaler regimens for COPD management, which is the current standard of care, were randomized to receive either 300 milligrams of tozorakimab once every four weeks via injection or a placebo in two separate clinical trials sponsored by AstraZeneca.

The results from the two clinical trials demonstrated a significant reduction in moderate and severe COPD symptoms in the form of exacerbations compared to placebo, according to data released by AstraZeneca.

The reductions ranged from 29% to 34% in former smokers and 29% to 30% among current and former smokers.

Tozorakimab is being developed by AstraZeneca as a first-in-class monoclonal antibody binding interleukin-33, a protein released by damaged cells that triggers inflammation in conditions such as COPD.

There are other ongoing investigations sponsored by the company to evaluate tozorakimab for potential use in asthma and lower respiratory tract disease.

Tozorakimab has been accepted for priority review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an add-on maintenance drug for adults with COPD, AstraZeneca said. This means the agency will expedite the review for potential FDA approval.

Nearly 16 million U.S. adults have COPD, a group of lung diseases that get worse over time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The most COPD types are emphysema and bronchitis, the CDC says. There is no cure for COPD and treatment requires lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, or therapies such as medications. Tobacco smoke is the main cause of COPD in the U.S., according to the CDC.

COPD is one of the top 10 leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the CDC. The American Lung Association says that in 2021, more than 138,825 people died from COPD.

COPD is often called a”smokers’ or former smokers’ disease,” but as many as one in four patients with COPD have never smoked, according to the CDC.

Dr. Jennifer Miao is a board-certified cardiologist and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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(NEW YORK) — Everything Sprouts, the company linked to a salmonella and E. coli outbreak from alfalfa sprouts, has voluntarily expanded its recall to include radish sprout mix due to contamination concerns.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shared in an update on Monday that the radish sprout mix had the potential for “cross-contamination” with bacteria from the alfalfa sprouts.

No illnesses have been traced back to the radish mix, and no new illnesses have been reported in the outbreak overall. 

The recalled Robust Radish Sprout Mix was sold in 5-ounce cups with LOT numbers 223, 226, 230 and 233. The mix was distributed from Aug. 13, 2026 to Aug. 26, 2026 to wholesale distributors and to grocery stores located in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Last week, the Minneapolis-based company issued a voluntary recall of its 5-ounce containers of alfalfa sprouts distributed since May 27 due to potential E. coli and salmonella contamination.

At least 55 illnesses involving salmonella or E. coli have been reported across 15 states as of Aug. 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Of those sickened, two individuals had both salmonella and E. coli and at least four people have been hospitalized, according to an official outbreak notice posted by the FDA and CDC. No deaths have been reported.

Everything Sprouts said at the time that it is coordinating with the FDA and CDC on the recall.

“Everything Sprouts became aware of reports of illnesses from federal and state agencies,” the company said in its notice. “During this outbreak we have tested our products daily and have not received any positive lab results. We continue to work closely with public health officials to investigate the source of this potential issue and will provide updates as they become available.”

The FDA shared on Monday that its traceback investigation found at least one additional sprout grower that received and used the same lot of alfalfa sprout seeds under investigation in the current outbreak from a common seed supplier.

“The common seed supplier has instructed its customers not to use, grow, sell, transfer, or redistribute the implicated seed lot, and to return or dispose of any remaining seed,” the FDA said.

The FDA had warned Everything Sprouts last year of “serious violations” following an inspection the agency had conducted at its facility. Inspectors determined the company had “insanitary conditions whereby [produce] may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby they may have been rendered injurious to heath.”

FDA inspectors said they had found multiple problems, including roof leaks with water dripping onto produce and clean employee smocks. There was also “build-up of black organic matter” on a hose of the overhead irrigation system for produce, inspectors said.

The agency’s letter acknowledged that the company responded to say it was going to take corrective action, but noted that it wouldn’t evaluate the adequacy of its actions until its next inspection. It didn’t say when that inspection would happen.

The company didn’t immediately respond to ABC News’ request for further comment.

 

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(NEW YORK) — Two people have died in Pennsylvania from measles, the state health department said Tuesday. Both were unvaccinated.

These the first deaths related to measles within the state in 35 years, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the first deaths reported this year in the U.S.

“My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss,” Dr. Debra Bogen, the state’s secretary of health, said in a statement. “Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness.”

In late July, the number of confirmed measles cases in the U.S. surpassed the total reported for all last year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last year’s total of 2,289 was the highest number of recorded measles cases in more than 30 years, CDC data shows. However, the 2,777 total marks the highest number of cases recorded since 1991.

The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.

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