• Georgia: CDC has issued a Dengue fever warning to U.S. travelers as cases continue to rise. In 2024, there were 3,484 cases of Dengue fever among U.S. travelers, a record number and an 84% increase from 2023. "This trend is expected to continue with increased dengue activity in endemic areas in 2025," CDC said. Currently, transmission of the disease remains high in the Americas, as well as the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Dengue fever also spreads more easily in warmer months, which means spring and summer travelers are at an increased risk. In Puerto Rico, cases of dengue fever have been above the outbreak threshold since February 2024, and a public health emergency is still in effect. A public health emergency of dengue fever was also declared in the U.S. Virgin Islands in August 2024 and is still in effect. According to CDC, the highest numbers of travel-associated cases of dengue fever in 2024 were in Florida, California, and New York. (O'Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 3/19)
• Maryland: Johns Hopkins University, one of the leading centers of scientific research in the country, will eliminate close to 250 workers in the United States and nearly 2,000 workers overseas due to significant funding cuts from the Trump administration, particularly to international aid programs. These terminations will affect the university's Bloomberg School of Public Health, its medical school, and an affiliated nonprofit Jhpiego. An additional 78 U.S. workers and 29 international workers will also see reduced hours. According to the New York Times, almost half of the school's total revenue last year was from federally funded research, including $365 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Due to funding cuts from the Trump administration, Johns Hopkins has lost over $800 million in USAID funding. (Saul, New York Times, 3/13; DeSilva, Modern Healthcare, 3/19)
• Texas: Maria Margarita Rojas, a 48-year-old midwife in Texas, has been arrested and charged with illegally performing abortions in the state. According to Axios, the case is believed to be one of the first charging a healthcare provider with violating a state abortion ban since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In a statement from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's (R) office, Rojas was accused of illegally operating a network of clinics in the Houston area. "[I] will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state's pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted," Paxton said. "Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable." (Habeshian, Axios, 3/17)

Over time, climate change has caused several disease-carrying species to become more widespread in the United States, significantly increasing the risk of certain diseases, such as West Nile virus and Lyme disease. However, experts say the United States isn't prepared for future outbreaks, Sara Van Note writes for STAT.