FDA has finalized new guidelines that allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood more easily, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Georgia, Maryland, and New York.

• Georgia: CDC on Wednesday said that it was working with multiple health departments nationwide to investigate a recent increase in new mpox cases. The news comes after health officials in Chicago announced they were tracking 13 new confirmed or probable cases in the city, with nine of them among fully vaccinated individuals. Aside from Chicago, there have also been 31 new cases in Texas and a handful of cases in Alabama, California, Florida, Louisiana, New York, and Oregon. "I don't think it's a very high risk right now for people, but it is something they need to be aware of and take action for as they plan for summer," said Demetre Daskalakis, a top federal official on the mpox response. Currently, CDC recommends all at-risk individuals to get two doses of the Jynneos vaccine to protect themselves against mpox. Doctors are also recommended to test all patients with symptoms regardless of vaccination status. "Getting vaccinated is still very important," CDC said. "No vaccine is 100% effective, and infections after vaccination are possible, but they may be milder and less likely to result in hospitalization." Even though mpox is no longer considered a public health emergency in the United States or by the World Health Organization, health experts continue to warn that people are still at risk of the virus and resurgences may occur as vaccine immunity wanes. (Tin, CBS News, 5/10; Nirappil, Washington Post, 5/12)
• Maryland: FDA on Thursday finalized updated guidelines that loosen restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. In the new guidelines, which were originally  proposed  in January, all potential blood donors are required to complete an individual risk assessment, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. Those who report having anal sex with new partners or more than one partner in the last three months will be asked to wait three months before donating blood. Previously, FDA had only allowed blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM) if they had been abstinent for three months, but the new guidelines will allow for MSM in monogamous relationships to donate. "The FDA has worked diligently to evaluate our policies and ensure we had the scientific evidence to support individual risk assessment for donor eligibility while maintaining appropriate safeguards to protect recipients of blood products," said Peter Marks, director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "The implementation of these recommendations will represent a significant milestone for the agency and the LGBTQI+ community." (Lovelace, NBC News, 5/11; Breen, CBS News, 5/11; Salzman, ABC News, 5/11; Jewett, New York Times, 5/11)
• New York: CDC on Thursday reported that cases of a highly contagious and drug-resistant ringworm infection have appeared for the first time in the United States. The cases, which were first reported in New York City in February, occurred in two female patients who were not connected to each other. According to NBC News, the patients' infections were caused by a relatively new species of ringworm fungus called Trichophyton indotineae, which has spread rapidly across South Asia over the last decade. Both patients had to undergo multiple rounds of different treatments before their rashes resolved. According to Avrom Caplan, an assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine who treated one of the patients, this kind of ringworm infection is "not a widespread problem" in the United States at the moment, but people with suspected infections should contact a dermatologist for evaluation. He also recommended people wash their linens, clothes, and towels regularly to reduce the risk of fungal infections. (Edwards, NBC News, 5/11; Breen, CBS News, 5/11)