Top in ID: Flu activity significantly elevated; RFK Jr. confirmed as HHS secretary
As of Feb. 1, there have been at least 24 million illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths across the United States related to influenza during the 2024-2025 season, according to the CDC.
“To my recollection, this is the most severe flu season we've had in the last 15 years,” Aaron E. Glatt, MD, MACP, FIDSA, FSHEA, chairman of the department of medicine and chief of the division of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau and professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Healio.
“Flu is a fatal disease — not for everybody, but it can be,” he said. “Therefore, it's very important that people get vaccinated and take the appropriate precautions.”
It was the top story in infectious disease last week.
In another top story, the Senate voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next U.S. health secretary; the vote to confirm was 52-48.
Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:
Flu at highest level in 15 years, CDC data show
CDC data show that seasonal influenza activity is significantly elevated across the United States, and that influenza activity is at its highest level in more than 15 years. Read more.
Senate confirms RFK Jr. as HHS secretary
The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next HHS secretary. Read more.
Kansas’ response to TB outbreak challenged by lack of resources
An unprecedented yearlong outbreak of tuberculosis in Kansas has officials and residents concerned about lack of resources and additional cases that may occur under the radar. Read more.
Stand-alone sequencing identifies hospital pathogen transmission clusters
A stand-alone sequencing approach was accurate, cost effective and efficient for analyzing resistant pathogens and determining their health care-associated transmission, researchers found. Read more.
NIH trial to test safety, efficacy of monoclonal antibody for dengue
The NIH announced that it is launching a phase 2 human challenge trial of AV-1, an investigational monoclonal antibody to ease dengue virus symptoms when given before and after infection. Read more.