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Happy 96th birthday actor and director John Astin. 🎂

Corn tortillas in California now must contain folic acid. More states are looking at it California is the first state to require food makers to add folic acid, a crucial vitamin, to corn masa flour used to make tortillas and other foods.

Fascinating to report on the long arc of folic acid fortification of corn masa to prevent devastating birth defects. My first stories more than a decade ago traced the FDA's path to allow voluntary action. It's taken this long for real change to take effect.
apnews.com/article/foli...

RFK Jr. makes food sound like a miracle drug. Researchers say he often overstates the science Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting food as medicine, but experts say he's overstating what diet can do for serious illness.

New with @aliswenson.bsky.social: RFK Jr. has said diet can "cure" schizophrenia and diabetes, and allow people to "lose" bipolar disorder diagnoses.

Researchers say he's overstating evidence about the real & promising role that food can play in managing illness. apnews.com/article/robe...

We had to let our kitty, Tulip, go yesterday and it’s just so sad.

What to know about how GLP-1 medications might fight addiction A new study finds that popular GLP-1 drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity show new promise in fighting multiple substance use disorders.

These new results suggest — but don’t prove — that the medications may be able to target the underlying source of cravings that affect the more than 48 million Americans with substance use disorders.
apnews.com/article/ozem...

Huge S.C. measles outbreak slows, fueling cautious optimism it may end earlier than predicted New measles cases in South Carolina are falling, but upcoming spring break travel worries state epidemiologist. “This is not over yet," she said.

Measles cases slowing in S.C. has health official cautiously optimistic. She credits long hours from front-line epidemiologists but still worries about approaching spring break. www.healthbeat.org/2026/02/25/m... #EpiSky #MedSky #publichealth #IDsky

Here’s how 5 measles cases grew to 979 in South Carolina South Carolina’s measles outbreak – which has put hundreds in quarantine – continues to grow. Here's how it happened.

Some good news out of South Carolina: After spiking in January, the state’s measles outbreak has just 6 new cases reported since Friday. How did this huge outbreak begin and where is it headed? We’re keeping track of ongoing developments here 👇 www.healthbeat.org/2026/01/27/s... #EpiSky #IDSky

Dentists still write millions of prescriptions a year for an antibiotic with life-threatening risks

“Clindamycin is notorious for causing C diff infections,” which kill nearly 30,000 people a year in the US, @ameshaa.bsky.social said. Yet “clindamycin is one of the go-to antibiotics for dentists.”

Read one woman's story, and how it happened:
www.cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobia...

After botulism treatment, babies get a treasured birthday card from California program The California program that identifies and treats cases of dangerous infant botulism also comforts families by sending silly cards on their babies' first birthdays.

Parents said this was a surprisingly meaningful gesture.
Because not everything is terrible all the time.
apnews.com/article/infa...

So well-deserved!

A chonky brown tabby cat with a white stripe down her nose, white chest and white paws. She has sad eyes because she wants to live at your house

Have a kitty. This sweet girl is Elsa. She’s available for adoption in Minnesota through Pause for Paws. You can learn more about her here: www.petfinder.com/cat/elsa-41a...

Boar's Head reopens Virginia deli meat plant tied to deadly listeria outbreak Company and federal officials said the Boar's Head deli meat plant tied to a deadly 2024 listeria food poisoning outbreak is back in business.

The Jarratt, Virginia, Boar's Head plant tied to a deadly food-poisoning outbreak in 2024 has reopened, even as new inspection reports document sanitation issues at another site.
apnews.com/article/boar...

Here’s how 5 measles cases grew to 789 in South Carolina The South Carolina measles outbreak is far from over. With Tuesday's update, it has surpassed the number of cases in last year’s deadly outbreak in Texas. Here's how it happened.

This detailed timeline shows how South Carolina’s measles outbreak smoldered for months before it surged to 789 cases this week. It began with just 5 known cases. www.healthbeat.org/2026/01/27/s... #publichealth #medsky #idsky #pediatrics #childhealth #vaccines

Two companies supplied dried milk powder linked to botulism in ByHeart baby formula Two suppliers provided dried milk powder that could be linked to the outbreak of botulism in ByHeart formula that has sickened dozens of babies.

Organic whole milk powder that tested positive for the type of bacteria that causes botulism was made from milk provided by Organic West Milk Inc., a California company, and processed at a Dairy Farmers of America plant in Fallon, Nevada, company officials said.
apnews.com/article/byhe...

The family of Ashaan Carter has launched a GoFund me page to help with expenses as he recovers:
gofund.me/f9037566d

Oregon baby is still battling infant botulism after ByHeart formula exposure A Portland, Oregon, baby got sick with infant botulism after drinking contaminated ByHeart formula donated through a program that helps poor and homeless families.

A baby in Portland contracted infant botulism after drinking ByHeart formula donated to nonprofits that serve poor and homeless families. The company had donated nearly 24,000 cans of formula to such groups since 2022.
lnkd.in/g8KpyHy5

apnews.com/article/infa...

Controversial CDC Vaccine Study in Guinea-Bissau May Be Canceled

This study is like the Schrodinger's Cat of vaccine research. The Africa CDC says it's been canceled. HHS says it's not.

Controversial CDC Vaccine Study in Guinea-Bissau May Be Canceled
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...

SNAP bans on soda, candy and other foods take effect in five states Jan. 1 Americans in five states who get government help paying for groceries will see new limits starting Thursday on soda, candy and other foods they can buy with those benefits.

Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia are the first of at least 18 states to enact waivers prohibiting the purchase of certain foods through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
apnews.com/article/snap...

What I Saw at a Maternity Ward in Kenya After the U.S. Cut Off Food and Foreign Aid Photographs tell a story of two mothers determined to help their babies gain enough weight to leave the hospital — only to face little to no food again.

Expectant mothers were left so hungry after the U.S. cut foreign food aid that one woman ate clay and charcoal.

Her baby struggled to gain weight after being born prematurely.

By @annamaria.bsky.social, photos by @storitellah.com & illustrations by Phoebe Ouma

Botulism outbreak sickens more than 50 babies and expands to all ByHeart products Federal health officials have expanded an outbreak of infant botulism tied to ByHeart baby formula to include any illnesses reported since the company began production in 2022.

The outbreak now includes at least 51 infants in 19 states. The new case definition includes “any infant with botulism who was exposed to ByHeart formula at any time since the product’s release,” according to the CDC.
apnews.com/article/byhe...

How a rare drug made from scientists' blood saves babies from botulism An infant botulism outbreak has sickened at least 39 babies across the U.S. and underscored the crucial role of a medication that treats the rare disease.

The development and use of BabyBIG, the sole treatment for infant botulism, is "almost like a miracle," a doc who treats these babies told me.
apnews.com/article/infa...

They Need a Ventilator To Stay Alive. Getting One Can Be a Nightmare. - KFF Health News Few nursing homes are set up to care for people needing help breathing with a ventilator because of ALS or other infirmities. Insurers often resist paying for ventilators at home, and innovative progr...

Only 347 of the nation’s roughly 14,500 nursing homes have specialized units dedicated to people on ventilators, forcing people with ALS or MS to move far from families. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

ByHeart baby formula from all lots may be contaminated with botulism bacteria, tests show The makers of ByHeart infant formula say tests of products tied to a botulism outbreak show that all of the company's products may have been contaminated.

Third-party lab testing showed 5 of 36 samples from three lots of ByHeart formula were positive for botulism bacteria, the company said.
apnews.com/article/byhe...

There is a post circulating on Bluesky encouraging the moving of a frozen turkey straight into a pot of hot oil. We are combating this misinformation the best way we know how - through the power of dance music.

FDA delays left recalled baby formula on store shelves, food safety expert says The leader of the Association of Food and Drug Officials told Healthbeat that the FDA has been slow to share distribution lists for recalled ByHeart formula. “I’m not sure they recognize the sense of ...

Top official at Association of Food and Drug Officials described what he says was FDA’s delayed, limited and disjointed sharing of critical information needed by state food safety officials about what stores received infant formula linked to botulism outbreak. www.healthbeat.org/2025/11/22/b...

Babies who drank ByHeart formula got sick months before botulism outbreak, parents say At least five families say their babies were treated for infant botulism after consuming ByHeart formula months before a current outbreak was detected.

California public health officials confirmed late Friday that six babies in that state who consumed ByHeart formula were treated for botulism between November 2024 and June 2025, up to nine months before the outbreak that has sickened at least 31 babies in 15 states.
apnews.com/article/byhe...

FDA delays left recalled baby formula on store shelves, food safety expert says The leader of the Association of Food and Drug Officials told Healthbeat that the FDA has been slow to share distribution lists for recalled ByHeart formula. “I’m not sure they recognize the sense of ...

FDA delays left recalled ByHeart baby formula on store shelves, food safety expert tells Healthbeat. Nearly a week was lost clearing bureaucratic hurdles before all state and local food safety officials were told where formula was being sold. www.healthbeat.org/2025/11/22/b... #IDsky #Medsky

Lab tests find contamination in ByHeart formula as botulism cases rise. Here's what to know The makers of ByHeart baby formula said laboratory tests confirmed that some samples were contaminated with the type of bacteria has sickened more than 30 babies in a growing infant botulism outbreak.

At least 31 babies have been sickened in 15 states.
apnews.com/article/byhe...