Latest news with #WastewaterSCAN
San Francisco Chronicle
15-07-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
COVID cases rise in California. Is this the start of 2025's summer wave?
COVID-19 is again on the rise in California, likely marking the beginning of an anticipated summer wave, according to the latest public health data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that infections are now increasing in about half of U.S. states. The agency's latest update, released Friday, pointed to rising activity across more than two dozen states in the Southeast, South and along the West Coast — including California. Nationally, COVID-19 levels remain in the 'medium' category based on wastewater monitoring. That's up from 'very low' just a week earlier, signaling a clear upward trend. In California, wastewater surveillance confirmed the virus is spreading. WastewaterSCAN, a national program that tracks viruses in sewage, reported Monday that 95% of the sites tested in the state showed traces of the virus. The amount detected has increased since June. 'As we have seen in recent years, levels may increase during the summer months,' researchers noted in a July 14 report. Last month, an average of 150 people died each week from COVID-19, according to the CDC. Public health experts said the summer rise in cases is likely driven by a mix of factors, including increased travel around the July 4 holiday, large gatherings such as concerts and sporting events, people spending more time indoors during heat waves, and waning immunity among those who were last infected or vaccinated more than six months ago. Current virus levels are slightly below those recorded at this time last year. While no sharp spike has emerged, the steady rise mirrors familiar seasonal patterns. Genetic sequencing from wastewater samples shows the LP.8.1 variant is currently dominant, making up 33.2% of sequenced samples, followed by XFG at 24.6%. The NB.1.8.1 variant — nicknamed 'nimbus' and informally referred to as the 'razor blade throat' variant due to reports of painful sore throats — accounts for 7.5%. Despite its nickname, there is no strong evidence that NB.1.8.1 causes more severe illness or higher hospitalization rates. Still, public health officials continue to recommend vaccination, testing when symptomatic, and mask use in high-risk settings. 'For those who are older than 65, those who are very immunocompromised, and for pregnant persons and infants— especially under 2 — I would make sure you have received a COVID vaccine at least in the past year,' said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. A CDC analysis published Thursday suggests that COVID-19 has now settled into a twice-yearly pattern of surges, typically peaking from July through September and again from December through February. Scientists attribute this cycle to genetic changes in the virus's S1 region, a key part of the spike protein that enables the virus to bind to human cells. 'Our analysis revealed biannual COVID-19 peaks in late summer and winter, a pattern that is expected to persist as long as the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and cyclical S1 diversity continues,' the report stated.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wastewater is now helping track measles spread around the US
As measles cases rise to precipitously high levels in the US this year, there's a new tool to help track the spread: wastewater. Wastewater surveillance rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, as testing sewage for virus particles helped provide early warning signs of increased transmission and fill the gaps as case reporting scaled back. Now, WastewaterSCAN has developed the first national wastewater monitoring program to detect measles in places where people are infected with the virus. It has the potential to identify possible cases days before an individual shows symptoms or seeks care. The new tool is available for use in nearly 150 wastewater treatment facilities across 40 states. At least 1,157 measles cases have been reported in the US this year, according to a CNN tally using data from state health departments. A large multistate outbreak centered in West Texas accounts for the vast majority. Texas has reported 742 outbreak-associated cases, New Mexico reported 81 cases, and Oklahoma reported 18 cases – 15 confirmed and three probable – as of Tuesday. Cases in Kansas, which the state health department says may also be linked to the outbreak, have reached 71 as of Monday. Experts say these numbers are all a severe undercount because many cases are going unreported. However, the nation is now fewer than 120 cases away from the total reported for all of 2019, the year with the highest number of measles cases – 1,274 - since the disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000. South Dakota reported its first measles case of the year Monday, bringing the total number of states that have reported at least one case in 2025 up to 33. The new case in South Dakota is in an adult who travelled internationally, according to a news release from the state health department. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its measles guidance for travelers. 'Travelers can catch measles in many travel settings including travel hubs like airports and train stations, on public transportation like airplanes and trains, at tourist attractions, and at large, crowded events,' a CDC advisory says. 'Infected travelers can bring the disease back to their home communities where it can spread rapidly among people who are not immune. CDC recommends that all travelers be fully vaccinated against measles before traveling to any international destination.' Other recent examples include a case in Minnesota that was reported in an adult who was exposed during domestic air travel, and the New Jersey health department has warned of potential measles exposure in the Newark airport. There have been at least 14 outbreaks in the US this year, according to the CDC, accounting for 90% of cases. The CDC's data is limited to confirmed cases and lags behind CNN's tally for this year. The vast majority of cases in the US this year have been in people who are unvaccinated; only about 5% of confirmed cases have been in people who had received one or two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to the CDC. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles. The CDC recommends two doses as the best protection against the disease, with the first dose given at 12 to 15 months of age and the second between ages 4 and 6. Childhood vaccination rates have been declining across the US for years, with MMR vaccination coverage among kindergartners falling below the recommended 95% threshold for at least four years. New research from Johns Hopkins University, published Monday in the journal JAMA, emphasizes how widespread the decline has been. MMR vaccination rates among children have dropped in more than three-quarters of US counties, with an average drop of 2.7% between 2017 and 2024, according to the study. Vaccination rates have surged in some places that are experiencing measles outbreaks, however. In New Mexico, nearly twice as many MMR vaccines have been administered this year than there were at this point last year, according to data from the state health department. And a recent analysis of health records by Truveta, a health-care data and analytics company, shows that early vaccination rates jumped among infants in Texas. MMR vaccination rates among 6-month-olds in Texas this year are more than eight times higher than they were in 2019, and in March and April, about 1 in 5 children who received their first measles shot in Texas had gotten it early, before their first birthday. At least 133 people with measles have been hospitalized this year, according to the CDC, and there have been three deaths: two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico, all of whom were unvaccinated.
CNN
04-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Wastewater is now helping track measles spread around the US
Vaccines Children's health Pollution Federal agenciesFacebookTweetLink Follow As measles cases rise to precipitously high levels in the US this year, there's a new tool to help track the spread: wastewater. Wastewater surveillance rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, as testing sewage for virus particles helped provide early warning signs of increased transmission and fill the gaps as case reporting scaled back. Now, WastewaterSCAN has developed the first national wastewater monitoring program to detect measles in places where people are infected with the virus. It has the potential to identify possible cases days before an individual shows symptoms or seeks care. The new tool is available for use in nearly 150 wastewater treatment facilities across 40 states. At least 1,157 measles cases have been reported in the US this year, according to a CNN tally using data from state health departments. A large multistate outbreak centered in West Texas accounts for the vast majority. Texas has reported 742 outbreak-associated cases, New Mexico reported 81 cases, and Oklahoma reported 18 cases – 15 confirmed and three probable – as of Tuesday. Cases in Kansas, which the state health department says may also be linked to the outbreak, have reached 71 as of Monday. Experts say these numbers are all a severe undercount because many cases are going unreported. However, the nation is now fewer than 120 cases away from the total reported for all of 2019, the year with the highest number of measles cases – 1,274 - since the disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000. South Dakota reported its first measles case of the year Monday, bringing the total number of states that have reported at least one case in 2025 up to 33. The new case in South Dakota is in an adult who travelled internationally, according to a news release from the state health department. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its measles guidance for travelers. 'Travelers can catch measles in many travel settings including travel hubs like airports and train stations, on public transportation like airplanes and trains, at tourist attractions, and at large, crowded events,' a CDC advisory says. 'Infected travelers can bring the disease back to their home communities where it can spread rapidly among people who are not immune. CDC recommends that all travelers be fully vaccinated against measles before traveling to any international destination.' Other recent examples include a case in Minnesota that was reported in an adult who was exposed during domestic air travel, and the New Jersey health department has warned of potential measles exposure in the Newark airport. There have been at least 14 outbreaks in the US this year, according to the CDC, accounting for 90% of cases. The CDC's data is limited to confirmed cases and lags behind CNN's tally for this year. The vast majority of cases in the US this year have been in people who are unvaccinated; only about 5% of confirmed cases have been in people who had received one or two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to the CDC. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles. The CDC recommends two doses as the best protection against the disease, with the first dose given at 12 to 15 months of age and the second between ages 4 and 6. Childhood vaccination rates have been declining across the US for years, with MMR vaccination coverage among kindergartners falling below the recommended 95% threshold for at least four years. New research from Johns Hopkins University, published Monday in the journal JAMA, emphasizes how widespread the decline has been. MMR vaccination rates among children have dropped in more than three-quarters of US counties, with an average drop of 2.7% between 2017 and 2024, according to the study. Vaccination rates have surged in some places that are experiencing measles outbreaks, however. In New Mexico, nearly twice as many MMR vaccines have been administered this year than there were at this point last year, according to data from the state health department. And a recent analysis of health records by Truveta, a health-care data and analytics company, shows that early vaccination rates jumped among infants in Texas. MMR vaccination rates among 6-month-olds in Texas this year are more than eight times higher than they were in 2019, and in March and April, about 1 in 5 children who received their first measles shot in Texas had gotten it early, before their first birthday. At least 133 people with measles have been hospitalized this year, according to the CDC, and there have been three deaths: two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico, all of whom were unvaccinated.
CNN
04-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Wastewater is now helping track measles spread around the US
As measles cases rise to precipitously high levels in the US this year, there's a new tool to help track the spread: wastewater. Wastewater surveillance rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, as testing sewage for virus particles helped provide early warning signs of increased transmission and fill the gaps as case reporting scaled back. Now, WastewaterSCAN has developed the first national wastewater monitoring program to detect measles in places where people are infected with the virus. It has the potential to identify possible cases days before an individual shows symptoms or seeks care. The new tool is available for use in nearly 150 wastewater treatment facilities across 40 states. At least 1,157 measles cases have been reported in the US this year, according to a CNN tally using data from state health departments. A large multistate outbreak centered in West Texas accounts for the vast majority. Texas has reported 742 outbreak-associated cases, New Mexico reported 81 cases, and Oklahoma reported 18 cases – 15 confirmed and three probable – as of Tuesday. Cases in Kansas, which the state health department says may also be linked to the outbreak, have reached 71 as of Monday. Experts say these numbers are all a severe undercount because many cases are going unreported. However, the nation is now fewer than 120 cases away from the total reported for all of 2019, the year with the highest number of measles cases – 1,274 - since the disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000. South Dakota reported its first measles case of the year Monday, bringing the total number of states that have reported at least one case in 2025 up to 33. The new case in South Dakota is in an adult who travelled internationally, according to a news release from the state health department. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its measles guidance for travelers. 'Travelers can catch measles in many travel settings including travel hubs like airports and train stations, on public transportation like airplanes and trains, at tourist attractions, and at large, crowded events,' a CDC advisory says. 'Infected travelers can bring the disease back to their home communities where it can spread rapidly among people who are not immune. CDC recommends that all travelers be fully vaccinated against measles before traveling to any international destination.' Other recent examples include a case in Minnesota that was reported in an adult who was exposed during domestic air travel, and the New Jersey health department has warned of potential measles exposure in the Newark airport. There have been at least 14 outbreaks in the US this year, according to the CDC, accounting for 90% of cases. The CDC's data is limited to confirmed cases and lags behind CNN's tally for this year. The vast majority of cases in the US this year have been in people who are unvaccinated; only about 5% of confirmed cases have been in people who had received one or two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to the CDC. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles. The CDC recommends two doses as the best protection against the disease, with the first dose given at 12 to 15 months of age and the second between ages 4 and 6. Childhood vaccination rates have been declining across the US for years, with MMR vaccination coverage among kindergartners falling below the recommended 95% threshold for at least four years. New research from Johns Hopkins University, published Monday in the journal JAMA, emphasizes how widespread the decline has been. MMR vaccination rates among children have dropped in more than three-quarters of US counties, with an average drop of 2.7% between 2017 and 2024, according to the study. Vaccination rates have surged in some places that are experiencing measles outbreaks, however. In New Mexico, nearly twice as many MMR vaccines have been administered this year than there were at this point last year, according to data from the state health department. And a recent analysis of health records by Truveta, a health-care data and analytics company, shows that early vaccination rates jumped among infants in Texas. MMR vaccination rates among 6-month-olds in Texas this year are more than eight times higher than they were in 2019, and in March and April, about 1 in 5 children who received their first measles shot in Texas had gotten it early, before their first birthday. At least 133 people with measles have been hospitalized this year, according to the CDC, and there have been three deaths: two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico, all of whom were unvaccinated.
CNN
04-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Wastewater is now helping track measles spread around the US
As measles cases rise to precipitously high levels in the US this year, there's a new tool to help track the spread: wastewater. Wastewater surveillance rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, as testing sewage for virus particles helped provide early warning signs of increased transmission and fill the gaps as case reporting scaled back. Now, WastewaterSCAN has developed the first national wastewater monitoring program to detect measles in places where people are infected with the virus. It has the potential to identify possible cases days before an individual shows symptoms or seeks care. The new tool is available for use in nearly 150 wastewater treatment facilities across 40 states. At least 1,157 measles cases have been reported in the US this year, according to a CNN tally using data from state health departments. A large multistate outbreak centered in West Texas accounts for the vast majority. Texas has reported 742 outbreak-associated cases, New Mexico reported 81 cases, and Oklahoma reported 18 cases – 15 confirmed and three probable – as of Tuesday. Cases in Kansas, which the state health department says may also be linked to the outbreak, have reached 71 as of Monday. Experts say these numbers are all a severe undercount because many cases are going unreported. However, the nation is now fewer than 120 cases away from the total reported for all of 2019, the year with the highest number of measles cases – 1,274 - since the disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000. South Dakota reported its first measles case of the year Monday, bringing the total number of states that have reported at least one case in 2025 up to 33. The new case in South Dakota is in an adult who travelled internationally, according to a news release from the state health department. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its measles guidance for travelers. 'Travelers can catch measles in many travel settings including travel hubs like airports and train stations, on public transportation like airplanes and trains, at tourist attractions, and at large, crowded events,' a CDC advisory says. 'Infected travelers can bring the disease back to their home communities where it can spread rapidly among people who are not immune. CDC recommends that all travelers be fully vaccinated against measles before traveling to any international destination.' Other recent examples include a case in Minnesota that was reported in an adult who was exposed during domestic air travel, and the New Jersey health department has warned of potential measles exposure in the Newark airport. There have been at least 14 outbreaks in the US this year, according to the CDC, accounting for 90% of cases. The CDC's data is limited to confirmed cases and lags behind CNN's tally for this year. The vast majority of cases in the US this year have been in people who are unvaccinated; only about 5% of confirmed cases have been in people who had received one or two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to the CDC. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles. The CDC recommends two doses as the best protection against the disease, with the first dose given at 12 to 15 months of age and the second between ages 4 and 6. Childhood vaccination rates have been declining across the US for years, with MMR vaccination coverage among kindergartners falling below the recommended 95% threshold for at least four years. New research from Johns Hopkins University, published Monday in the journal JAMA, emphasizes how widespread the decline has been. MMR vaccination rates among children have dropped in more than three-quarters of US counties, with an average drop of 2.7% between 2017 and 2024, according to the study. Vaccination rates have surged in some places that are experiencing measles outbreaks, however. In New Mexico, nearly twice as many MMR vaccines have been administered this year than there were at this point last year, according to data from the state health department. And a recent analysis of health records by Truveta, a health-care data and analytics company, shows that early vaccination rates jumped among infants in Texas. MMR vaccination rates among 6-month-olds in Texas this year are more than eight times higher than they were in 2019, and in March and April, about 1 in 5 children who received their first measles shot in Texas had gotten it early, before their first birthday. At least 133 people with measles have been hospitalized this year, according to the CDC, and there have been three deaths: two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico, all of whom were unvaccinated.
