3 Dead in Listeria Outbreak; Flea Bite Ends in Amputation; Mandy Cohen’s CDC Plan

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A listeria outbreak in Washington state from an unidentified source is responsible for three deaths and two hospitalizations in recent months, according to state officials. (NBC News)

One in six children with COVID-19 had persistent symptoms 3 months after an infection, a systematic review found. (Pediatrics)

A shooter killed a security guard at a hospital in Portland, Oregon, and injured another hospital staffer, according to authorities; the suspect was later killed by police. (AP)

Meanwhile, U.S. homicides appear to be on the decline after a pandemic surge, data from 30 American cities suggested. (AP)

Retired Maj. Gen. Paul Friedrichs, MD, has been tapped by the Biden administration to run its new Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy. (NBC News)

The next pandemic could potentially spring from the U.S. meat supply, a Harvard Law School and New York University report warns. (USA Today)

Congress is up in arms over the Veterans Affairs Department’s rollout of its new electronic health record system, which is billions over budget and has been tied to four patient deaths. (Politico)

How a flea bite ended in the amputation of a Texas man’s arms and feet. (USA Today)

A judge ordered a Montana health clinic to pay $6 million in penalties and damages for filing false asbestos claims. (The Hill)

A giant health system in California nearly saved a small community hospital from financial ruin, but now it’s lobbying to liquidate and reclaim the money it invested. (KFF Health News)

U.S. clinicians are still reluctant to prescribe buprenorphine despite recent changes meant to expand access to the drug, according to a study in JAMA Health Forum.

The FDA again dismissed a citizen petition calling on the agency to consider banning certain chemicals in food packaging. (Reuters)

Gilead Sciences delayed the release of a potentially safer HIV drug to protect the patent of and profits from an already available HIV drug, according to internal documents made public during a lawsuit. (New York Times)

CDC Director Mandy Cohen’s new plan to rebuild the public’s trust in the agency. (NBC News)

Some medical groups have started to tailor recommendations on tests and treatment to life expectancy rather than age. (New York Times)

Persistent exposure to heat can cause a range of chronic illnesses. (Washington Post)

Artificial intelligence tools are popping up to help detect, diagnose, and treat cancers at earlier, more treatable stages. (ABC News)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was discharged after an emergency heart procedure. (AP)