Public Health

U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell and nine fellow House Democratic colleagues want to know why the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has put two research projects related to cyclospora on hold. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

The Washtenaw County Health Department has issued an information warning after two bats with rabies were discovered locally. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

Michigan’s attorney general is joining another multi-state lawsuit against the Trump Administration. Colin Jackson reports this one concerns public health grants.

The mid-July Canadian wildfires released intensive amounts of smoke, resulting in days of hazardous air quality in Washtenaw County and all across Southeast Michigan. Studies have shown that climate change remains a major factor in these extreme conditions. Dr. Stuart Batterman, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Health Sciences and Global Public Health at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, joined Rebekah Warren to discuss these studies in detail and what future precautions should be taken.

Residents in the Middle Huron River Watershed are facing an escalating environmental challenge as warmer summers and severe storm events increasingly trigger harmful cyanobacteria blooms, which threaten recreational water use, local wildlife, and the health of our regional impoundments like Ford Lake. Rebekah Warren discussed the matter and the actions being taken to fight it with Ric Lawson, director of programs for the Huron River Watershed Council.

The Washtenaw County Health Department will continue to uphold its recommended childhood vaccine schedule, regardless of the new executive order from President Trump. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

Health officials have closed Independence Lake County Park in Webster Township because the water contained high levels of E. coli. The beach has experienced more closures than any other public swimming area in Washtenaw County. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

Annual opioid-related overdose deaths continue to decline in Washtenaw County. That’s according to the most recent numbers released by the County Health Department. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

An outbreak in cyclosporiasis recently spread all over Michigan, and a large number of cases were identified here in Washtenaw County. Kristen Schweighoefer, Director of the Washtenaw County Health Department's environmental health division, joined Rebekah Warren to discuss the source of the outbreak and what precautions residents should take to prevent another.

Medical staff who patrolled the streets during the Ann Arbor Art Fair saw a slight uptick in incidents compared to last year’s event. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.