LATEST NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Join the July 29 CDC/NPHIC Monthly Communication Call
Join NPHIC and CDC for our next CDC/NPHIC Monthly Communication Call on Wednesday, July 29, from 2:00–3:00 p.m. ET, featuring practical guidance on website and digital accessibility for public health communicators.
The session will cover evolving federal accessibility requirements and implementation timelines, along with strategies for creating accessible web pages, PDFs, graphics, videos, and social media content. Participants will also explore accessibility testing tools, training resources, AI applications, and regional breakout discussions.
Calendar invitations have already been distributed, and those needing the Microsoft Teams invitation resent should contact Laura Espino at lespino@nphic.org.
Beginning in August, the CDC/NPHIC Monthly Communication Calls will return to their regular schedule on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 2:00–3:00 p.m. ET.
Michigan Says Diarrhea Outbreak May be Linked to Lettuce
A cyclospora outbreak linked to a suspected food source has surpassed 3,000 reported cases in Michigan and Ohio, with investigators identifying lettuce or salad greens as an early exposure signal while emphasizing that no specific product or supplier has been confirmed.
Michigan has reported 2,640 cases, including 44 hospitalizations, while Ohio has identified 361 cases and at least 46 hospitalizations; the CDC also reports increased activity across multiple states compared with the same period in 2025.
The prolonged incubation period, complex food distribution networks, and diagnostic challenges have complicated source identification. Read more from CNN here.
How Unaffordable is Health Care? A New Video Series from KFF
Health care affordability continues to shape public concern as rising costs affect coverage, access, and household finances across the U.S. KFF’s new three-part video series examines key drivers of health care spending, highlighting that the nation spends more on health care than other large, wealthy countries while costs continue to increase.
The series explores the full cost of employer-sponsored insurance and the Affordable Care Act’s impact on affordability, including how expiring enhanced premium tax credits could affect Marketplace coverage.
Together, the videos highlight the complexity of health care affordability and its implications for future health policy discussions. Watch the new three-part video series from KFF here.
FEATURED TOPICS
CDC releases 2026 Annual US Cancer Statistics Release
CDC’s latest United States Cancer Statistics release expands access to one of the nation’s most comprehensive cancer datasets, now including complete county-level cancer incidence data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
The new data reveal that rural communities experienced higher cancer incidence rates than urban areas from 2019–2023, with approximately 467 versus 451 new cases per 100,000 people. In 2023, nearly 1.94 million new cancer cases were reported nationwide, and cancer remained the second leading cause of death in 2024, accounting for 619,871 deaths.
The addition of county-level and rural–urban data can help public health professionals better identify disparities, target interventions, and inform cancer control planning and resource allocation. See the full report from the CDC here.
Survey Highlights Persistent Uncertainty on STI Vaccines
A nationally representative Annenberg Public Policy Center survey found that while most U.S. adults understand core STI transmission routes, knowledge gaps persist around less common pathways and vaccine availability.
Majorities correctly identified gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, HPV, and genital herpes as sexually transmitted, but far fewer recognized mpox (35%) or Zika (13%) as sexually transmitted infections.
Misconceptions included 20% believing STI transmission can occur via toilet seats and only 33% identifying breastfeeding as a possible HIV transmission route. While 68% recognized an HPV vaccine, only 42% were aware of an mpox vaccine, and most respondents were uncertain about vaccine availability for other STIs. Read the survey here.
Fake References in Medical Papers are Skyrocketing
A reference-integrity audit of 2.5 million biomedical papers and 125.6 million references in PubMed Central identified 4,046 fabricated references across 2,810 papers after multi-database verification and filtering.
Fabrication rates rose markedly, from 1 in 2,828 papers in 2023 to 1 in 458 in 2025, a more than 12-fold increase overall. Most affected papers contained one or two fabricated references, and review articles showed higher fabrication rates than other article types.
Notably, 98.4% of affected papers had received no publisher action at the time of the audit, highlighting gaps in oversight. Read the study in Lancet here.
The Condition PCOS is Now Called PMOS
Researchers and clinicians have renamed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) to better reflect the condition’s broader hormonal and metabolic impacts and improve patient care.
Affecting an estimated 1 in 8 women worldwide, the condition is associated with irregular menstrual cycles, elevated androgen levels, infertility, and increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Experts say the previous name contributed to confusion, missed diagnoses, and limited understanding of the disorder beyond ovarian symptoms.
The updated terminology follows 14 years of collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and patients and is intended to support more comprehensive diagnosis and treatment approaches. Learn more from AP here.
