LATEST NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
New Toolkit: Engaging Business Leaders in Public Health Partnerships
The de Beaumont Foundation’s new toolkit on engaging business leaders in public health partnerships highlights research-driven strategies to strengthen collaboration between public health agencies and the private sector.
Drawing on interviews and focus groups with business leaders, the resource identifies key barriers to engagement, including perceptions that public health is overly regulatory, politically risky, or disconnected from immediate business priorities such as workforce stability and profitability.
The toolkit provides actionable guidance for assessing when health departments should lead, support, or convene partnerships; offers messaging “do’s and don’ts”; and emphasizes the role of trusted validators, data, and technical expertise in building sustainable, mutually beneficial collaborations. Find the toolkit here.
Arclet Access Fund: One Year Access
A recent study published in the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice found that nearly half of government public health workers contribute to communications activities, while only 11% identify communications as their primary role, underscoring persistent workforce and capacity gaps in public health messaging.
In response, Arclet has opened applications for the second cohort of its Access Fund, which provides selected local health departments, community health centers, rural hospitals, and community-based organizations with one year of no-cost platform access, unlimited user seats, onboarding support, and participation in AI-enabled health communications tool development.
Applications close June 15. Learn more and apply here.
Hantavirus Response Raises Readiness Concerns
Public health experts say the federal response to the hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship exposed gaps in outbreak readiness, particularly in communication and coordination. Former CDC officials and local health leaders cited delays in public briefings, provider alerts, and direct communication with states after potentially exposed passengers returned to U.S. communities.
The first provider alert was issued May 8, despite some passengers returning April 24. Experts also raised concerns about reduced federal public health capacity following agency layoffs, leadership turnover, and the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization.
Several states, including Minnesota, Kansas, and California, continue monitoring potential exposures. Read more from Axios here.
FEATURED TOPICS
CDC Data Show Weekly ER Visits for Tick Bites Higher than Usual
CDC's Tick Bite Data Tracker shows weekly emergency department visits for tick bites are currently above historical norms in most U.S. regions, with rates in all areas except the South Central U.S. at their highest for this time of year since 2017.
CDC is urging preventive measures ahead of Lyme Disease Awareness Month in May, citing risks of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome. Recommended actions include EPA-registered repellents, permethrin-treated clothing, and routine tick checks. Prompt tick removal — within 24 hours — is identified as a key intervention for reducing Lyme disease transmission. Read more from the CDC here.
CDC Reports Emergence of Extensively Drug-Resistant Shigella
CDC analysis published in MMWR reports a marked rise in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella infections in the United States. Among 16,788 isolates collected from 2011–2023, 3% were XDR, increasing from 0% in 2011–2015 to 8.5% in 2023.
Most cases occurred in adult men, with limited travel history, suggesting domestic transmission. XDR strains are resistant to five key antibiotics, and no FDA-approved oral treatments are available.
CDC highlights the need for strengthened surveillance, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and rapid reporting, along with targeted prevention strategies to limit further spread and address growing antimicrobial resistance concerns. Read more in Food Safety Magazine here.
Fertility Rate Drops to New Record Low: CDC
The CDC reports that the U.S. general fertility rate declined 1% in 2025 to 53.1 births per 1,000 females ages 15–44, marking another record low and a continued long-term downward trend since 2007.
Teen birth rates fell sharply, including a 7% decline among ages 15–19. The total fertility rate remains below replacement level, and increasing proportions of adults report delaying or forgoing parenthood.
Census data show rising childlessness among women ages 25–29. Public health analysts note that financial pressures, including housing and childcare costs, are frequently cited barriers shaping reproductive decisions. Read more from The Hill here.
The White House Wants to Cut WIC Fruit and Vegetable Benefits by 75%—Here’s What Dietitians Warn
The White House’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal includes significant reductions to the WIC program’s fruit and vegetable benefits, lowering monthly allowances from $52 to $13 for breastfeeding mothers and from $27 to $10 for families with young children.
Public health and nutrition experts emphasize that WIC is strongly associated with improved child diet quality and health outcomes, largely due to its support for produce access during critical early-life stages. Dietitians warn that reducing benefits could widen existing nutrition gaps for low-income families, despite evidence that food access programs help reduce diet-related chronic disease and strengthen population health outcomes. Read more from Eating Well here.
