More Mosquito-Linked Deaths; Historic Cannabis, Hallucinogen Use; Vandy Doc in Space

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Two people in Wisconsin and one in Illinois died of West Nile virus, according to health officials. (AP)

Over in Massachusetts, the state documented its second confirmed case of eastern equine encephalitis, an often-deadly mosquito-borne illness. (AP)

At least half of Republican voters in Arizona and Nevada said they would vote for ballot initiatives that protect abortion access. (The Hill)

It’s not just maternity wards in rural areas that are closing. (STAT)

Cannabis and hallucinogen use remained at historically high levels in 2023 among adults, according to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future survey.

The U.S. — and the entire planet, in fact — are on track for the most humid summer on record. (Washington Post)

Meanwhile, microbiologists warned that higher humidity may increase the risk of food poisoning via Salmonella. (Applied and Environmental Microbiology)

The infant mortality rate fell slightly in the 12-month period ending in March 2024, according to provisional data from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Many clinicians embrace “nudge theory.” But do these interventions work? (Undark)

More than one in five people who died of a drug overdose in 2022 had a non-substance-related mental health disorder, most commonly depression or anxiety. (MMWR)

A federal appeals court upheld Alabama’s ban on gender-affirming care. (Alabama Reflector)

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chair of the House Oversight Committee, threatened leaders of the nation’s three largest pharmacy benefit managers with steep fines or jail time for alleged perjury during a recent congressional hearing. (Healthcare Dive)

The CDC detailed the cluster of H5N1 cases in Colorado farmworkers conducting “poultry depopulation” in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR); all had mild illness, with conjunctivitis being the most common symptom.

In related news, California, the largest milk producer in the U.S., is investigating a possible H5N1 bird flu outbreak in cattle at three dairy farms. (STAT)

Vanderbilt University cardiologist Eiman Jahangir, MD, MPH, is set to become the first Iranian-American in space. (The Tennessean)

The FDA approved the Minima Growth Stent for treating aortic coarctation and pulmonary artery stenosis in neonates, infants, and young children, maker Renata Medical announced.

A WHO deal will allow for pauses in the Israel-Hamas war for childhood polio vaccinations, following a confirmed case in the Palestinian territory. (AP)

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