ED Doc's License Revoked; Bird Flu Fatality Rate in Humans; Pesticide Risk in Fruits

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New Jersey revoked the medical license of emergency department (ED) doctor Shar Kennett, MD, to resolve allegations she "engaged in gross negligence, gross malpractice, and gross incompetence" in the death of a 20-year-old patient in respiratory distress, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said.

And the California Medical Board placed an anesthesiologist on probation for stealing and using narcotics while on duty. (CBS8)

Under a new rule from the Environmental Protection Agency, polluters will have to pay to clean up perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) -- two so-called forever chemicals linked to serious health risks -- shifting responsibility for cleanup from taxpayers. (New York Times)

A World Health Organization (WHO) official said that with its high case fatality rate among people (52%), the risk of H5N1 bird flu spreading to humans is of "enormous concern." (The Guardian)

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is being faulted for not releasing more data on bird flu outbreaks that have infected 28 cattle herds across eight states. (STAT)

Federal agencies including HHS launched an online portal for the public to report anticompetitive practices in the healthcare sector, the U.S. Justice department announced.

Compared with previous years, heat-related ED visits during warm-season months substantially increased amid record-breaking temperatures in 2023, according to the CDC.

Meanwhile, wildfire smoke exposure contributes to nearly 16,000 excess deaths across the U.S. annually, a number projected to grow to more than 27,000 by 2050, according to an analysis from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

The growing rise in "health empowerment" is being accompanied by declining confidence in public health agencies, nonprofits, and the media. (Axios)

Racial discrimination in adolescence may predispose Black people to metabolic syndrome in adulthood, a study in JAMA Network Open found.

How is Medicaid unwinding playing out across the country? (NPR)

Drugmaker Merck will be unable to supply millions of promised doses of HPV vaccine to teenage girls in several African countries due to production issues. (New York Times)

An examination of 59 fruits and vegetables found that pesticides posed a significant health risk in 20%. (Consumer Reports)

Takeda announced the FDA approval of vedolizumab (Entyvio) subcutaneous administration maintenance therapy for adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease.

An 8-year-old boy was the first patient in New York to undergo an FDA-approved gene therapy for beta-thalassemia. (ABC7)

Scotland's National Health Service has stopped all new prescriptions of gender-affirming medications for minors. (BBC)

South Korea said it will slow down its plan to increase medical school admissions as a weeks-long physician strike there drags on. (AP)

Dengue cases have surged by 50% across the Americas in the past month, creating an "emergency situation," according to the Pan American Health Organization. (Reuters)

The WHO approved a version of a widely used cholera vaccine to help address a surge in cases that has depleted the global vaccine stockpile. (AP)

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