Bacterial Outbreak Kills Four; 'COVID War' Lessons; Health Alert on Meat Soups

— Health news and commentary from around the Web gathered by MedPage Today staff

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Morning Break over illustration of a syringe, Covid virus, and DNA helix over a photo of green vegetation.

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An outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria at a Seattle medical center has infected 31 patients, four of whom have died. (Seattle Times)

With the mifepristone (Mifeprex) case now back at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Department of Justice (DOJ) urged the court to overturn a Texas judge's ruling revoking FDA's 2000 approval of the widely used abortion pill. (The Hill)

Meanwhile, the DOJ said it's suing Tennessee to block a new state law restricting medical care for transgender minors.

In Montana, the state's House of Representatives has banned Zooey Zephyr, the state's only transgender legislator, from the House chamber for the remainder of the legislative session. (CNN)

Medicare issued duplicate checks to physicians to the tune of $128 million in recent years, according to a watchdog report. (AP)

California-based Kaiser Permanente is expected to acquire Geisinger Health as the first step towards forming a new multisystem valued-based care organization. (Fierce Healthcare)

In a new poll, most Americans say they want some restrictions on abortion, but disagree with the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade and believe states imposing restrictions are going too far. (NPR)

Weight-loss drugs are currently getting all the attention, but bariatric surgery remains the gold standard for treating obesity. (The Atlantic)

More and more U.S. adults are suffering from experiencing seasonal allergies for the first time. (NBC News)

A group of more than 30 policy, public health, biodefense, and other experts have written a book detailing the lessons learned from the "COVID war." (USA Today)

Researchers are split on how bad it is to get reinfected with COVID. (Nature)

SAB Biotherapeutics said its investigational therapy for COVID-19 outpatients at high risk for severe illness succeeded in a phase III trial.

Toni Braxton underwent a "traumatic" heart procedure after a life-threatening lupus complication resulted in an 80% blockage of her left main coronary artery. (People)

Convicted Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has delayed the start of prison with a last-minute appeal. (CNN)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a health alert over contamination concerns in a number of ready-to-eat meat soup products.

The city of Delray Beach, Florida is paying $818,500 to a city inspector to settle a whistleblower lawsuit after she was fired for reporting that the city's water supply was being contaminated with reclaimed sewer water. (Miami Herald)

Young doctors and medical students are working to incorporate the issue of climate change and its impact on health into medical education. (STAT)

The FDA approved injectable collagen stimulator poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra) for the correction of fine lines and wrinkles in the cheek area, maker Galderma announced.

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    Mike Bassett is a staff writer focusing on oncology and hematology. He is based in Massachusetts.