Updates ·
Health notices · Saturday 17 October
3 notices from the agencies today, in plain words, each with the original linked.
FDA approves Jentadueto XR for type 2 diabetes
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) · Approval
If you have type 2 diabetes, the FDA has approved Jentadueto XR as an add-on to diet and exercise to help improve blood sugar control.
Jentadueto XR is not recommended if you have type 1 diabetes. It also hasn’t been studied in people with a history of pancreatitis, so that history’s risk is uncertain.
The medicine is taken by mouth and combines two ingredients: linagliptin (a DPP-4 inhibitor) and metformin (a biguanide).
MERS-CoV cases reported in Saudi Arabia
World Health Organization (WHO) · Outbreak
If you are in Saudi Arabia, or recently were there, this matters because MERS is a zoonotic viral respiratory disease. That means it can spread from animals to people.
The eight cases were spread across Al Jouf, Arar, Hafr Al-Batin, Riyadh, Tabuk, and Taif. No epidemiological links were found between cases, suggesting sporadic infections rather than a single outbreak cluster.
Most cases had symptoms such as fever, dyspnea (shortness of breath), and cough. Seven of eight people had underlying comorbidities, and some reported direct contact with camels.
CDC updates current A(H5) bird flu situation information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · Guidance
If you work with animals, the CDC reports sporadic A(H5) bird flu cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers. The CDC says the current public health risk is low.
CDC is using flu surveillance to monitor for A(H5) bird flu activity in people and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures.
This page was updated Oct. 15, 2026, including changes to where some monitoring data and animal-detection data are posted.