Measles Surge, Listeria Recalls, and Early Flu Warnings

In this episode of Thermometer HQ, I sit down with Dr. Jon Epstein to unpack a week of outbreak signals that cut across clinics, kitchens, and classrooms—and to translate them into practical steps for families and decision-makers.

We open in Utah, where measles has resurged after years of near-quiet. Most of this year’s 59 cases have been in the south of the state, but a newly reported case in Salt Lake City comes with a troubling twist: the individual declined testing and contact tracing. That refusal isn’t just a bureaucratic hurdle; it’s a direct threat to infants, cancer patients, and others who rely on the community’s immunity and cooperation. As I’ve seen during outbreaks in New York City, trust is a public health tool. When it’s missing, disease gets room to run. Agencies must invest in relationships long before a crisis and meet communities where they are, with messengers they trust.

From airborne to foodborne, we next discuss a widening, multi-state Listeria outbreak tied to pre-cooked pasta meals produced by a single manufacturer and sold under many brands at major chains. Confirmed illnesses and deaths continue even after recalls—an unfortunate pattern with long-shelf-life, ready-to-eat products that may still be sitting in home freezers. This is precisely why well-resourced surveillance and clear, repeated public communication matter. Fragmented media makes it easy to miss a recall; a freezer clean-out is still one of the most effective interventions a household can make.

We then examine a Salmonella Richmond cluster linked to moringa-based “super greens,” including a product sold at Sam’s Club. Supplements occupy a regulatory gray zone: national distribution, long shelf lives, and less stringent pre-market review can combine to make outbreaks harder to detect and end. Many bacteria tolerate dry environments and spring back when rehydrated—another reason to view powders marketed for “immune support” with caution. If you want to strengthen immunity, start with tools that are rigorously tested: vaccines.

Turning abroad, Japan is experiencing an unusually early H3N2 influenza wave—school closures and pediatric hospitalizations included. Seasonality still matters, and an early, intense season in East Asia often foreshadows a tougher winter in the U.S. That makes now the moment to remove friction from flu vaccination: get it where you already go (pharmacies, clinics), normalize staying home when sick, and layer common-sense protections during peaks. Flu vaccine messaging sometimes gets derailed by anecdotes—“I got the shot and then got sick.” Correlation isn’t causation. The vaccine can’t cause influenza; what it reliably does is reduce severity, keeping kids in school and adults out of the hospital.

Our focus segment this week addresses a question I hear often: “If COVID vaccines don’t fully prevent infection, why get one?” Two bodies of evidence matter here. First, data from a large health system cohort suggests that maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental diagnoses in children. The implication is straightforward: preventing infection in pregnancy—through vaccination and other measures—may protect fetal brain development. Second, a comprehensive meta-analysis reinforces what cardiologists and infectious disease clinicians have long observed: acute respiratory infections, including influenza and COVID-19, elevate the short- and long-term risks of myocardial infarction and stroke. Vaccination blunts infection, tempers inflammation, and lowers those downstream cardiovascular risks.

The connective tissue across these stories is responsibility: individual and institutional. Individuals can check their freezers for recalled prepared meals; pause or scrutinize supplements, especially powders; stay home when ill; and prioritize flu, COVID-19, and (when appropriate) RSV vaccination. Health agencies and healthcare systems must continue to invest in surveillance, transparent communication, and long-term community partnerships that make cooperation the default, not the exception.

Practical takeaways for the week:

• Freezer audit: if you buy pre-cooked pasta or frozen prepared meals, match lot numbers against current recalls and when in doubt, discard.
• Supplements: treat “super greens” and other powders as food products with contamination risk; avoid or source from vendors with robust quality controls.
• Vaccination: get the seasonal flu shot now; stay current on COVID-19 vaccination; discuss RSV prevention options with your clinician for infants, older adults, and pregnant people.
• Sick-day culture: normalize masking in crowded indoor spaces during surges and staying home at the first sign of fever or cough—habits that protect your household and your community.

Public health works best when it’s a team sport. The decisions you make at home and the infrastructure we build in government are both essential to keeping outbreaks “inside” the news and “out” of our hospitals and schools.

👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3Awt2hW-nJI