First Human Bird Flu Case in U.S.; Okla. Nears Abortion Ban; Ebola Outbreak in DRC

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CDC confirmed the first human case of the H5N1 bird flu in the U.S., in a Colorado man with direct exposure to birds.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) is expected to sign a “Texas-style” bill that bans abortion after six weeks after it passed the House without discussion. (AP)

The FDA approved ravulizumab-cwvz (Ultomiris) for anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive adults with myasthenia gravis, AstraZeneca announced.

The agency also alerted healthcare providers about a potential defect in the Medtronic HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device System that may cause patients to appear to present with pump thrombosis.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced a new plan to make affordable health care coverage accessible to more Americans.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo officially declared another outbreak of Ebola, the country’s sixth since 2018, the World Health Organization announced.

In a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court upheld a decision to toss out a lawsuit that a deaf and blind woman filed against a physical therapy business for not providing a sign language interpreter for her appointments. (The Wall Street Journal)

As of Friday at 8:00 a.m. EDT, the unofficial U.S. COVID toll reached 81,282,152 infections and 994,306 deaths, increases of 68,523 and 386, respectively, from this time yesterday.

New Hampshire’s Senate slapped down an attempt to erase the medical tech registry system originally created to prevent a hepatitis C outbreak some years ago. (AP)

After the FDA lifted its clinical hold, Pfizer announced plans to forge ahead with its phase III study of the investigational mini-dystrophin gene therapy, fordadistrogene movaparvovec, for ambulatory patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

From 2017-2019, prevalence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy increased from 13% to 16%, and the condition now affects 1 in 7 hospital deliveries. (MMWR)

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine is the latest to speak out against state anti-LGBTQ bills. (NPR)

Canada plans to lift a decades-long ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men. (Reuters)

Former Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, who passed away last week, left behind a lengthy health policy legacy. (NPR)

Italy will stay masked up on public transportation and in some indoor establishments through mid-June. (Reuters)

After struggling with kidney failure and having to find a matched kidney donor, one patient’s phlebotomy technician stepped up to the plate. (People)