Health/Fitness

San Diego County leaders share concerns ahead of World TB Day

East County News Service

March 23, 2026 (San Diego County) --While tuberculosis (TB) is often dismissed as a disease of the past, San Diego County health officials warned Monday, March 23, that the region is currently a hotspot for the infection, with local rates now outpacing state and national averages.

In an event held at Waterfront Park on Monday morning, County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre and top health officials, including County Public Health Officer Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan and Dr. Jeffrey Percak, Medical Director for County TB Prevention and Care, highlighted a concerning trend: after years of decline, the number of people diagnosed with TB in San Diego has been rising steadily since 2020.


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Health and Science Highlights

 

March 20, 2026 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

SCIENCE AND TECH

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County warns of measles exposure at Sharp Memorial Hospital’s emergency room

Photo courtesy County of San Diego

East County News Service

March 18, 2026 (San Diego) -- Local public health officials have issued an urgent exposure alert following a confirmed case of measles on Wednesday, March 11, at the Sharp Memorial Hospital Emergency Department at 7901 Frost St. in San Diego.

A traveler from out of state -- who was unvaccinated and infectious at the time of their visit -- has tested positive for the virus.
 
While the individual was evaluated for a fever at the Frost Street facility, they did not display the characteristic rash or other respiratory symptoms that typically signal a measles infection, potentially leaving dozens of patients and staff exposed.

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Aerial treatments starting to halt mosquitoes

East County News Service
 
March 18, 2026 (San Diego County) -- Helicopters will soon become a familiar sound over San Diego County wetlands as San Diego County Vector Control begins its first routine aerial larvicide drop of the year on March 24.
 
Vector Control is focusing on up to 50 local waterways where mosquitos commonly breed. The treatments happen monthly through October at sites across the county. The larvicide used is a solid, granular product that is safe for people, pets and wildlife but is also effective at controlling mosquito larvae before they can grow into biting mosquitoes.
 

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Record-breaking March heat wave gripping San Diego County

Photo of Lake Murray on March 17 by Karen Pearlman
 
East County News Service
 
March 17, 2026 (San Diego County) -- Baby, it's hot outside!
 
An unusually powerful high-pressure system has settled over Southern California, ushering in a period of dangerously hot conditions that threaten to shatter both daily and monthly temperature records across San Diego County.
 
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for the desert regions beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 18, and extending through 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21.
 
The NWS warns that residents in the low deserts should prepare for blistering highs between 104 and 112 degrees Fahrenheit, with the most intense heat expected on Thursday and Friday. Overnight relief will be minimal, as temperatures are only projected to dip into the mid-70s.

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Peak rattlesnake s-s-s-s-season slithering up

Photo courtesy County of San Diego

East County News Service

March 17, 2026 (San Diego County) -- As the marine layer thins and temperatures climb across the region, San Diego’s original residents are beginning to stir.

From the coastal sage scrub of Torrey Pines to the rocky canyons of Mission Trails Regional Park, the Southern Pacific rattlesnake is officially back on the move, the County of San Diego warns.

Rattlesnake season in Southern California typically spans from March through October, but experts warn that the peak "shaking" occurs between April and June.


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Inaugural Wellness 5K to fund expansion for Native Boys & Girls Club

East County News Service
 
March 16, 2026 (East County) -- The Boys & Girls Club of Kumeyaay Nation Wellness will host its inaugural Wellness 5K Walk & Run later this month at Naval Training Center Park.
 
A fundraising effort to expand services for Native youth across San Diego County, the event begins at 8 a.m., Sunday, March 29, at the old NTC-headquartered park at 2455 Cushing Road. Organizers say the event will help fund a new safe space and enhanced programming for the Boys & Girls Club of Kumeyaay Nation Wellness.
 
Currently based on the La Posta Band of Mission Indians Reservation in Boulevard, the BGCKNW holds the distinction of being the first Native Services Boys & Girls Club established in California.

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CERT makes emergency preparedness fun

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 11, 2026 (San Diego) - Preparing for emergencies is serious, but it doesn’t have to be dull.

San Diego County Fire’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a volunteer group trained to help their neighbors during a disaster. Members also attend community events to share information about disaster preparedness.

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Brain-eating Rat Lungworms found in wildlife across region, including East County

Residents, gardeners should take precautions to protect against deadly disease transmitted by snails, slugs, and animals that ingest them

By Miriam Raftery

March 9, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – Rat lungworm (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), a brain-eating parasite, has been found for the first time in San Diego County. It can be transmitted to humans, pets and wildlife with potentially deadly results. It was found in 10 opossums taken in by wildlife rescuers across the county that were euthanized after falling ill. The locations where the opossums were found include La Mesa, the College Area, Bonita, Peñasquitos, Cardiff by the Sea, Carlsbad, Point Loma, and San Diego. In addition, rat lungworm was also found in three rats and a wallaby at the San Diego Zoo.


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County begins construction on Edgemoor Acute Psychiatric Unit

 

By Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office

Video by Alex Aguirre
 
March 9, 2026 (San Diego) - Construction is underway to renovate a 13,500 square-foot wing at the County’s Edgemoor Distinct Part Skilled Nursing Facility campus in Santee to convert it into a new Acute Psychiatric Unit. 

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Health and Science Highlights

March 4, 2026 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

SCIENCE AND TECH

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.


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Sexually transmitted infections continue to fall in San Diego County

By Anita Lightfoot, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 2, 2026 (San Diego) - For the second consecutive year, San Diego County has reported a decline in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a trend mirrored across California, according to newly released 2024 data from the California Department of Public Health.  


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Donating blood in March could save YOUR life, too

East County News Service
 
Feb. 26, 2026 (San Diego County) -- The American Red Cross is turning a routine blood donation into a lifesaving health diagnostic in March.
 
Amid a severe national blood shortage which saw supply levels plummet by 35% in early 2026 due to winter blizzards and a heavy flu season the organization is offering a dual incentive: a $15 Amazon Gift Card and a free A1C test for all successful donations between March 1 and March 31.
 
The move comes as new data reveals a startling trend: 1 in 5 blood donors -- individuals who are generally considered healthy enough to give -- are walking around with elevated A1C levels.

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Cognitive decline disproportionately affects Black Americans–why this is happening and how you can help

By Kristen Romea, LCSW, Director of Supportive Services, and leaders of the Encanto 4th Thursday Caregivers Support Group: Linda Cochran-Johnson, Naomi Rogers-Bea, and Roberta Stokes

 

Photo courtesy Alzheimer's San Diego

 

February 18, 2026 (San Diego) -- Black History Month is a time to celebrate the culture and contributions of Black Americans. However, these celebrations are also an opportunity to examine the disparities many Black Americans experience, especially when it comes to their cognitive health.


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Health and Science Highlights

February 14, 2026 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

SCIENCE AND TECH

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.


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With measles at Disneyland and LAX, San Diego County urges residents to update vaccines: some adults may need boosters

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Child with measles, via CDC (public domain)

February 7, 2026 (San Diego) – Measles, declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, has made a comeback, with 2,267 cases last year—nearly all in unvaccinated people. So far this year, 588 cases are confirmed so far—including Los Angeles County. An international traveler with measles visited crowded venues including Disneyland Jan. 28 and Los Angeles International Airport Jan. 26-27, raising fears that Southern California including San Diego County could experience an outbreak of the highly contagious disease.


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Trump administration’s new version of food pyramid draws criticism from health experts on fats and alcohol, praise for advice to “eat real foods” and avoid processed products

By G. A. McNeeley 

February 6, 2026 (Washington D.C.) -- Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last month announced new dietary guidelines for Americans that are focused on promoting whole foods, proteins and healthy fats, according to NPR.  Health and nutrition experts have praised portions of the new guidelines, but sharply criticized other changes as lacking a scientific basis.


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'Coalition of Lifesavers' hits milestone of 750,000 trained in CPR

Photo courtesy County of San Diego

East County News Service

Jan. 25, 2026 (San Diego County) -- A local movement to turn bystanders into lifesavers is in the home stretch.

Since its launch in January 2024, the Revive & Survive San Diego initiative has successfully trained more than 750,000 people in hands-only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, moving San Diego County closer to its goal of 1 million trained residents.
 
A joint effort between the County of San Diego and UC San Diego's Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and County Emergency Medical Services, the program has been designed to create a "coalition of lifesavers" across the county.

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Health and science highlights

January 22, 2026 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

SCIENCE AND TECH

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.


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What to know about flu and cold season

By Alexander J. Schorr

Photo via CDC.gov

January 21,  2026 (San Diego) — The current 2025–2026 flu season in the United States has seen high activity, primarily driven by a dominant influenza A(H3N2) strain known as subclade K. According to the latest CDC preliminary estimates as of January 12, at least 7,400 deaths have occurred due to flu so far this season. Last year alone ,288 children in the U.S. died of flu. Approximately 180,000 individuals have been hospitalized, and an estimated 15 million people have been sickened.


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Cans of tuna recalled due to botulism sent to major retailers including California

East County News Service

January 20, 2026 (San Diego) – Cans of Genova yellowfin tuna that were recalled due to potentially fatal botulism were inadvertently shipped to stores by a distributor, including Safeway, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions in California. An earlier recall included some sold under the Trader Joe’s label in California.


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Navy officials meet with Warner Springs community to address PFAS in water

By Karen Pearlman with additional reporting by Miriam Raftery
 
Jan. 14, 2026 (Warner Springs) -- Dozens of local residents and business owners visited the CAL Fire Station in Warner Springs on Jan. 12 to glean information from the United States Navy and several other federal groups as well as state and county water agencies about PFAS and their impact on the waterways in the region.
 
The U.S. Navy announced late last year that PFAS were detected in groundwater in Warner Springs, with contamination believed to be linked to a former landfill, wastewater treatment site and spray aeration field at the Navy’s Remote Training Site in Warner Springs,at 34567 State Route 79. The Navy most recently sampled the groundwater in 2024 and is now offering testing of wells for residents in approximately a one-mile radius near the site.
 
The site reportedly was used by the Navy as a Survival Invasion Resistance Escape School, using what they learned from Vietnam era prisoners of war. There, pilots are taught thow to survive if you crash or must eject, how to navigate, not be found, or if found how to resist interrogation.
 
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are "forever chemicals" that have been found in water as far away as the Arctic Ocean and as near as the Sweetwater Reservoir locally, as well as in Warner Springs.

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County public health officials urge childhood and adolescent vaccine schedule

By Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office

Image credit:  Shutterstock

January 9, 2026 (San Diego) - County public health officials continue to encourage childhood and adolescent vaccinations recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 

The County’s vaccine schedule aligns with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the West Coast Health Alliance. These recommendations follow a recent decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to modify its vaccine schedule. 

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services changes recommended vaccine schedule for children

HHS justifies its decision, but health experts  including American Academy of Pediatrics criticizes action

By G.A. McNeeley

January 8, 2026 (Washington D.C.) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services  on January 5 announced that it is slashing the number of diseases for which vaccines are recommended for children from 17 to 11. 

The action drew swift condemnation from the American Academy of Pediatrics.  In a press release, the professional organization representing children’s doctors calls the changes “dangerous and unnecessary.”


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Helix High cheer team reaches summit -- and looking for support

La Mesa squad wins first CIF championship, now sets sights on national competition in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy Helix High Cheer Team
 
East County News Service
 
Jan. 7, 2026 (La Mesa)  — After three consecutive years of finishing as runners-up, the Helix Charter High School competitive cheer team finally reached the top of the podium, capturing first place in the Division 2 Large group at the San Diego Section CIF Traditional Competitive Cheerleading Championships competition in Carlsbad.
 
The event was held Dec. 13 at Carlsbad High School.
 
East County we well represented on the winners' podium. Other East County winners include Granite Hills (Division 1 Large), Steele Canyon (Division 1 Large coed), Grossmont (Division 3 Large), Santana (Division 3 Medium), Valhalla (Division 3 Small) and West Hills (Division 3 Large Coed).
 
For Helix head coach Heather Meyers and her 24-member squad, the victory represented the culmination of five years of steady progress and unwavering determination.
 
"It's hard to even find words for this feeling," Meyers said about the team's success. "For years, Helix Cheer climbed the same hill, coming so close but never quite reaching the top. Three years of second place could've broken us. Instead, it shaped us. It taught us patience, resilience, and how to keep believing when the outcome wasn't guaranteed."

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Calif. Attorney General Bonta wins permanent injunction against Trump administration over unlawful NIH funding cuts for universities and research institutions

East County News Service

January 6, 2026 (San Diego) – A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has unanimously affirmed a lower court decision which permanently barred the Trump administration from decimating funds that supported cutting-edge research and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country — including at the University of California and at the California State University. As part of a coalition of 22 attorneys general, Attorney General Bonta sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on February 10, 2025 to block the attempted funding cuts from taking effect.


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Sycuan Tribe unveils new Sycuan Health Center to serve East County residents, including tribal members and broader community

East County News Service

Photos courtesy of Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

December 31, 2025 (El Cajon) -- The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation held a ribbon cutting ceremony on December 19 at its new, expanded and relocated healthcare facility. The state-of-the-art healthcare center is located at 4921 Dehesa Road in El Cajon, continuing Sycuan’s commitment to high-quality, culturally responsive care.

 “This remarkable facility is more than a building. It is an investment in the well-being of our people and those in the community. This celebration is a powerful testament to who we are as a tribe and what we value,” Cody Martinez, Chairman of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation said at the ceremony. 


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County warns residents about deadly wild mushrooms

By Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo courtesy California Department of Public Health

December 30, 2025 (San Diego) - County public health officials are urging residents to avoid foraging for, or eating, wild mushrooms as some could contain a dangerous toxin called amatoxin that causes severe liver damage and can even lead to death.  


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House Republicans pass healthcare bill without extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire December 31: costs set to double or triple for many Californians

By G.A. McNeeley and Miriam Raftery

Image: CC via bing

December 28, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – With both houses of Congress adjourned until January, 22 million Americans can expect to see large increases in Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare premiums, since subsidies will expire on December 31.

 While Democrats fought to extend the subsidies, House Republicans passed their own version of a healthcare bill on December 17 and sent it on to the Senate, however it does not include extending the subsidies, according to CNN.


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Federal cuts and reversals upend California health care in 2025

Photo:  CC by NC-ND via Bing
 
This story was originally published by Cal Matters. Sign up for their newsletters.
 
By Ana B. Ibarra for CalMatters
 
Dec. 27, 2025 (San Diego County) -- After a decade of expanding health coverage and safety net programs, the Golden State took a sharp detour in 2025. As federal funding reductions and policy changes rippled through the health care system, California confronted service cuts, coverage losses and growing uncertainty.
 
During the summer, a congressionally-approved spending plan slashed nearly a trillion dollars from the Medicaid program over the next decade. Funding cuts and new rules – such as work requirements – are expected to push 3.4 million Californians off their Medicaid coverage as changes take effect.

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