Category: Health

(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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(NEW YORK) — At least 55 people have been sickened in a salmonella and E. coli outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts in 15 states, health officials said Friday.

At least 4 people have been hospitalized.

The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have posted an official outbreak notice on their websites.

Forty-six people were infected with E. coli, seven people were infected with salmonella and two individuals were infected with both salmonella and E. coli, officials said.

Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 31 to Aug. 8, officials said. The true number of people sick is likely higher than the numbers reported.

“The illnesses have been linked to eating alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts, a Minnesota grower, and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands to restaurants and grocery stores,” Minnesota’s Department of Health said in a statement. “Health officials recommend people check for alfalfa sprouts from Calco or Everything Sprouts, not eat them, and throw them away.”

On Aug. 19, the FDA initiated an inspection and sample collection at Everything Sprouts, recommending the company conduct a recall. The FDA is warning consumers and retailers not to eat or serve the contaminated products.

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.

ABC News has reached out to Everything Sprouts for comment.

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(NEW YORK) — Merck and Moderna announced Wednesday that a personalized mRNA-based cancer vaccine succeeded in a large, late-stage trial among high-risk patients with melanoma.

The individualized vaccine, when paired with the existing immunotherapy, Keytruda, is the first and only combination regimen that demonstrated success in potentially extending melanoma patients’ lifespans.

In Phase 3 trials, the regimen significantly reduced the risk of cancer returning or spreading. The trial was conducted among patients whose high-risk melanoma had been surgically removed.

The combination treatment regimen pairs the personalized vaccine with Merck’s Keytruda, which had previously been used to treat the cancer alone.

The treatment showed a 49% reduction of melanoma return after patients underwent surgery and a 59% reduction of metastasization of the cancer to distant organs.

Key questions surrounding regulatory review of the vaccine remain.

The Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved the vaccine. The agency will review the full data once it has been collected and submitted.

While the FDA has already approved other cancer vaccines, this new treatment represents a step forward in the field as it uses mRNA technology and personalized treatment for each patient.

Merck and Moderna plan to present data at an upcoming international medical meeting where they hope to engage regulators on filing submissions for approval of the regimen, the companies said in a joint press release.

Dr. Ahmad Tarhini, an oncologist at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, told ABC News that he expects the treatment to be approved based on very positive trial results and made available to patients likely by early 2027.

The vaccine uses genetic information from patients’ individual tumors to identify and attack the cancer.

“It’s what we call individualized neoantigen therapy, where we take the cancer itself, we do genetic sequencing and try to define a unique mutational fingerprint of the cancer itself,” Tarhini said.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, with about 112,000 new cases expected in 2026, according to the American Cancer Society.

The treatment is considered relatively safe, according to the companies. The most common side effects include fatigue, sore arm and chills.

Treatments utilizing mRNA technologies are being used in trials for other forms of cancer, including that of the bladder, kidney, lungs, stomach and pancreas, according to Tarhini.

“I think it will certainly improve the outcome of our patients,” Tarhini said. “We are, you know, excited about this development. My expectation is this will eventually change the standard care of our patients.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seeking more information about what she called the administration’s “calamitous” response to the cyclosporiasis outbreak and expressing concern that politics could be to blame.

“I write regarding the administration’s calamitous response to the biggest outbreak of cyclosporiasis in U.S. history, and the extent to which the outbreak and botched response may be the result of incompetence and corruption. As Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), you are responsible for overseeing the federal government’s response to this outbreak. Yet, the administration’s handling of this crisis has been marred by missteps that raise serious questions about its decision-making,” Warren wrote in the letter.

ABC News has reached out to HHS for comment on the letter.

Nationwide, there are now at least 24,000 cases of confirmed or suspected cyclosporiasis across 47 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two people have died from the parasitic gastrointestinal illness and at least 740 people have been hospitalized. Typically, there are about 3,000 cases in a given year.

The Food and Drug Administration has now traced almost 10,000 cases to recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms across 17 states.

In her letter, Warren asserts that Taco Bell, where some of the tainted lettuce was traced, “provided earlier and seemingly clearer guidance to consumers than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CDC, and other federal food safety agencies.”

Warren also noted that Taylor Farms made donations to political organizations aligned with President Trump last year.

Federal Election Commission records show Taylor Fresh Foods, Inc., the parent company of Taylor Farms, made a $1 million donation in March 2025 to MAGA Inc., a PAC aligned with Trump.

The letter also raises concerns that the White House may have worked with Taylor Farms to delay warnings to the public about the tainted food supply. The letter points to a Wall Street Journal report that Taylor Farms lobbyists engaged with the White House to ask for more time and more proof before federal agencies implicated the company in the outbreak.

A source familiar with the situation told ABC News the FDA contacted Taylor Farms on July 14 to request a call; the company indicated it wasn’t available until July 15. The source said Taylor Farms did not meet the established 24-hour timeline from the FDA to determine whether it would take voluntary action. ABC News has reached out to Taylor Farms for comment.

Taylor Farms announced the voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce across several states on July 17. The company also said it suspended production from that distributor.

Taylor Fresh Foods, when asked by ABC News for comment on Warren’s letter, said it “acts in the interest of science and consumer health, not politics.”

“We categorically reject suggestions that we attempted to receive or received favorable regulatory treatment due to political contributions or other improper influence. Any such allegations are false,” said a spokesperson for Taylor Fresh Foods.

“Taylor Fresh Foods is a pioneer and industry leader in traceability. We fully support and endorse the Food Traceability Rule and have already implemented traceback protocols across our operations ahead of the compliance deadline,” the spokesperson added.

ABC News has also reached out to the White House for comment on the letter.

On July 21, ABC’s Elizabeth Schulze asked Kennedy about the cyclosporiasis outbreak and whether the federal government had it under control.

“We do have the outbreak under control,” Kennedy responded. “We have an extensive forensics, epidemiological forensics, and we’ve identified the source of the outbreak. We and the companies that are involved have implemented a recall.”

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(NEW YORK) — Cases of cyclosporiasis have topped 24,000, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are at least 13,895 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, including 740 hospitalizations, the data shows.

The agency is also aware of at least 10,455 additional cases that have not yet been laboratory confirmed.

The rate of increase appears to have slowed, with only about 2,000 more cases recorded over the last week. The previous week saw more than 22,000 cases recorded, a jump of over 10,000 from the week prior.

The CDC data, which was released on Tuesday, shows the ages of those who have fallen ill range between 1 and 98 years old.

There is a six-week reporting lag between when people feel sick and case reporting to the CDC, indicating that numbers will likely continue to rise. 

It comes amid an outbreak now linked to now-recalled iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms that has spread to at least 15 states.

A total of 6,358 illnesses has now been reported across those states amid the outbreak, and at least 278 hospitalizations.

“The true number of sick people in this multistate outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” a notice from the Food and Drug Administration investigation reads.

Two deaths have been reported in Michigan in the cyclosporiasis outbreak, both individuals with significant underlying health conditions, health officials in the state said this week.

Originally, illnesses were isolated to shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell in nine states. However, health officials have found that the lettuce was also distributed to food services, retail stores and restaurants.

The lettuce was sourced in central Mexico and distributed by Taylor Farms. Last month, Taylor Farms issued a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.

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(NEW YORK) — Louisiana health officials on Thursday urged residents to take precautions following an uptick in severe cases of a type of dangerous flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus.

So far this year, the state has reported nine cases, five of them fatal. During the same period in previous years, Louisiana averaged seven cases and one death.

The Louisiana Department of Health said all nine cases reported this year were linked to wounds exposed to seawater and that all of the patients had underlying health conditions.

“Vibrio bacteria occur naturally in warm coastal waters and are found in higher numbers from May to October, when water temperatures are warmer. Infection can occur when an open wound is exposed to brackish or salt water or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters,” the Louisiana Department of Health said in a statement.

Vibrio infection can result in gastrointestinal illness, wound infection, or blood poisoning, officials said.

“Some species, including Vibrio vulnificus, can cause severe and life-threatening infections. People with severe infections may require intensive care or limb amputation,” health officials added. “About one in five people with Vibrio vulnificus infection dies, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.”

Authorities said that people should seek medical care “immediately if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm, or discolored,” and that the health care provider should be told about water exposure.

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