• Illinois: Chicago's Department of Public Health has officially declared an end to the measles outbreak that began in the city in March, according to a report released by the department on Thursday. Between March and April, there were a total of 64 measles cases, with the most recent case reported on April 20. According to the report, Thursday marks two full incubation periods for measles having passed without any new cases. (Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 5/30)
• Maryland: Alternatives to nicotine used in vapes — specifically 6-methyl nicotine — could be more potent and addictive than nicotine itself, according to recent data from FDA. These synthetic substances aren't currently subject to tobacco and vaping regulations designed to control traditional nicotine in the United States, meaning manufacturers can sell vapes containing synthetic nicotine without seeking authorization from FDA. In a statement, FDA said that while more research is needed, "some emerging data show these nicotine analogs may be more potent than nicotine — which is already highly addictive, can alter adolescent brain development, and have long-term effects on youth's attention, learning and memory." FDA added it was considering the use of these synthetic compounds from an "agency-wide perspective" and would use all of its resources to protect youths from products that could harm their health. (Rumney, Reuters, 5/29)
• Michigan: A third case of bird flu tied to the ongoing outbreak in cattle in the United States has been detected in a farmworker in Michigan, according to state health officials. The individual, who has not been identified, worked on a dairy farm and was in close contact with infected cows, according to the state health department. An earlier human case was detected at a different farm in May. "With this case, respiratory symptoms occurred after direct exposure to an infected cow," said Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Both Michigan and federal government officials added that the risk of bird flu to the general public remains low. (Branswell, STAT, 5/30)

The fight against COVID-19 has pushed healthcare to quickly adopt virtual tools at a rate much faster than normal. Some of the most promising pandemic-related health technologies go beyond just telehealth — for example, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). Read on to learn three ways AI can be used to help with future pandemics.