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July 2025

Arboviral Diseases
The graphic shows a tick and a mosquito. Text reads, “Cases of arboviral diseases more than doubled in 2023 compared to 2022. Top viruses reported: West Nile, Powassan, La Crosse, Jamestown Canyon. Consider testing patients with acute febrile or neurologic illnesses for arboviruses when mosquitoes and ticks are active.”

In 2023, arboviral disease cases were reported from all contiguous U.S. states; most occurred during April–December. West Nile virus (WNV) cases (n = 2,628) were most common, followed by Powassan virus disease cases (n = 49), which increased from the previous record high in 2022. Three WNV disease cases were reported among patients infected through organ transplantation from two donors. La Crosse virus was the most common cause of arboviral disease among children, with most cases classified as neuroinvasive.

Bottom Line:
  • Consider arboviral testing for patients with acute febrile or neurologic illnesses, including recipients of organ transplants or blood transfusions, particularly when ticks and mosquitoes are active.
  • Report positive test results to health departments.
  • Management is supportive because no prophylactic agents (e.g., human vaccines) or specific treatments (e.g., antiviral medications) are currently available to prevent or treat domestic arboviral infections.
  • Counsel patients to prevent insect bites by using EPA-registered insect repellent and wearing protective clothing.
Learn more:

MMWR: West Nile Virus and Other Nationally Notifiable Arboviral Diseases — United States, 2023 | MMWR

Other:
Guidelines for West Nile Virus Surveillance and Control | West Nile Virus | CDC
Preventing Mosquito Bites | Mosquitoes | CDC
Preventing Tick Bites | Ticks | CDC
Blood Safety Basics | Blood Safety | CDC

 

Obesity Medications
The graphic shows a graph representing obesity medications in teens with obesity.

Obesity medications are recommended as part of evidence-based, multicomponent treatment for obesity in adolescents. In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration expanded its approval of extended-release phentermine/topiramate and of semaglutide in adults to include use in adolescents aged 12–17 years. Then in January 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a clinical practice guideline recommending that clinicians offer obesity medications for adolescents with obesity as an adjunct to health behavior and lifestyle treatment. This report found that despite increased prescribing of obesity medications among adolescents with obesity, fewer than 1% received a prescription in 2023. Most of those who did – 83% – had severe obesity. Prescribing prevalence was higher for girls, White adolescents, those aged 15–17 years, and adolescents with severe obesity.

Bottom Line:
Continued monitoring of the use of obesity medications could guide strategies to ensure that all adolescents have access to evidence-based obesity treatment, including medications and health behavior and lifestyle interventions.
Learn more:

MMWR: Prescriptions for Obesity Medications Among Adolescents Aged 12–17 Years with Obesity — United States, 2018–2023 | MMWR

Other: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics

 

Mycoplasma pneumonia
The image shows the chest X-rays of a patient with Mycoplasma pneumoniae with text that reads, “Pediatric hospitalizations for M. pneumoniae pneumonia surged in Summer-Fall 2024. Consider testing in children of all ages during periods of high transmission. Use macrolides as first-line antibiotic treatment.”

The number of hospital discharges of children with M. pneumoniae–associated community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) from U.S. pediatric hospitals increased sharply in 2024, accounting for approximately half of hospitalized children with CAP. The increase included children aged <5 years, a group in which M. pneumoniae infections have historically been less commonly reported. Data on length of hospitalization and intensive care unit admissions indicate that M. pneumoniae infections in 2024 were not more severe than 2018–2023 infections. Health care providers should be aware of increases in M. pneumoniae CAP, which might occur in summer and fall when circulation of other common respiratory pathogens is low.

Bottom Line:
  • Consider and test for M. pneumoniae as a cause of respiratory illness among children of all ages, especially during periods of high transmission, and in CAP patients unresponsive to treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics.
  • Laboratory testing helps guide patient treatment because first-line antibiotic treatment of M. pneumoniae CAP differs from that for CAP of other bacterial etiologies.
Learn more:

MMWR: Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections in Hospitalized Children — United States, 2018–2024 | MMWR

Other: About Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection | M. pneumoniae | CDC

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