LATEST NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Blood Test Added to Colorectal Cancer Screening Options by Cancer Group
The American Cancer Society has added the FDA-approved Shield blood test to its colorectal cancer screening recommendations, aiming to increase screening uptake among the roughly one-third of Americans who are not current with screening guidelines.
The test, which detects tumor DNA fragments in blood, was shown to identify 83% of colorectal cancers but is less effective at detecting early-stage cancers and precancerous polyps than colonoscopy.
Experts emphasize that colonoscopy remains the most effective screening method; however, expanding screening options may help reach more eligible adults, particularly as colorectal cancer rates continue to rise among younger populations. Read more from NBC here.
UnitedHealthcare Removing Prior Approval for Most Pediatric Services
UnitedHealthcare announced it will eliminate approximately two-thirds of prior authorization requirements for members under age 18 by the end of 2026, removing preapproval requirements for many diagnostic services, routine surgical procedures, and specialty care across pediatric fields including cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, and orthopedics.
The insurer said authorization will still be required for higher-complexity services, such as experimental treatments and specialty drugs. The change is part of a broader effort to reduce prior authorization requirements, a process associated with care delays; according to a 2024 American Medical Association survey, 93% of physicians reported delays in patient care while awaiting insurer approval for necessary treatment. Read more from The Hill here.
Americans Exposed to Ebola Won't Immediately Return to U.S.
Senior U.S. administration officials said Americans exposed to Ebola in Africa will be quarantined in Kenya and, if they test positive, transferred to treatment facilities in Europe rather than returning directly to the United States.
Officials said the approach is intended to expedite access to care while CDC and the State Department identify appropriate high-level treatment sites. A 50-bed quarantine facility at Kenya’s Laikipia Air Base is scheduled to become operational, with medical officers determining transport for symptomatic individuals.
More than 30 U.S. Public Health Service officers are being deployed. WHO reports nearly 1,000 suspected cases in the outbreak area. Read more from Axios here.
FEATURED TOPICS
Fruit-Flavored E-cigarettes for Adults OK'd By FDA
The FDA authorized its first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adult smokers, marking a significant shift in federal vaping policy amid declining youth vaping rates, which are now at a 10-year low. The newly authorized products include mango and blueberry flavors and incorporate smartphone-based age verification and Bluetooth access controls intended to reduce youth access.
FDA officials emphasized that authorization is not an endorsement and stated the agency will monitor youth uptake and marketing practices closely.
The decision follows years of FDA denials for flavored products and ongoing concerns that fruit and candy flavors remain widely used in unauthorized products popular among U.S. teens. Read more from CBS News here.
Americans Aren't Sleeping Enough
A May 2026 CDC data brief reports that 30.5% of U.S. adults surveyed in 2024 are sleeping fewer than the recommended seven hours per night, a figure largely unchanged since 2020. Sleep insufficiency is clinically associated with cardiometabolic conditions including diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
Approximately 15% of adults report difficulty falling asleep and 18% struggle to stay asleep. A concurrent publication indicates that roughly 13% of U.S. adults use sleep aids nightly — including prescription medications, OTC supplements, and cannabis-derived products — prompting clinical guidance that habitual self-medication warrants physician evaluation to identify potential underlying sleep disorders. Read more from NPR here.
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.
