Michigan
Federal appeals court rules Michigan’s newborn blood screening program constitutional
A federal appeals court has reversed a 2022 ruling that found parts of the state’s newborn blood screening program unconstitutional.
The program collects blood samples from newborn babies and screens them for diseases. Three years ago, a district court judge ruled in favor of four parents who raised concerns regarding the leftover dried blood spots, which are kept at the Michigan Neonatal Biobank in Detroit. Scientists can pay a fee to use the spots for research.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that those practices do not violate constitutional protections regarding privacy and illegal searches and seizures.
“The Newborn Screening Program saves lives,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “I want to thank the Court for its decision and the dedicated attorneys in my office who litigated this case for years to ensure Michigan can continue early detection of serious diseases while also advancing medical research through privacy-protected de-identified data.”
Attorney Philip L. Ellison, who represented the parents, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The parents who sued argued that the taking and keeping of their babies’ blood for state profit violated the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments.
The 2022 ruling in their favor included an injunction that required the state to mail each plaintiff parent a notice allowing them to request their child’s samples to be returned to them or destroyed.
Both parties agreed to a partial stay of the injunction pending appeal, in which the state agreed to return or destroy all the blood spots but not to destroy the associated data. According to Wednesday’s ruling, the state complied with the injunction.
The state requires parental permission for the leftover spots to be used for outside research. But the plaintiffs argued the program still violated the Constitution. They said the consent form and a related brochure were vague and made no reference to the state collecting fees from scientists for research, the Associated Press reported at the time.
In a press release, Nessel said the Sixth Circuit ruling reaffirmed that the program’s post-screening practices, including analyzing blood spots and making them available to “vetted health researchers,” does not violate constitutional protections.
The ruling also vacated the lower court’s injunction.
“With this ruling, MDHHS can continue to fulfill its commitment to protect the health and well-being of Michigan families, particularly its youngest and most vulnerable residents,” said Elizabeth Hertel, director of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the screening program.
“Michigan’s newborn screening program is designed to quickly diagnose babies who may look healthy but have rare and often serious disorders that require early treatment,” Hertel said. “Since 1965, this program has ensured thousands of families were quickly provided information about their baby’s condition, allowing for early interventions and healthier outcomes.”
State officials said newborn screening looks for more than 50 disorders that can affect blood cells, brain development, how the body breaks down nutrients from food, lungs and breathing, hormones and how the body fights infection.
The samples are stored using a randomized numeric code — not the patient or their parent’s name — minimizing any risk to privacy, the state said.
In its ruling, the appeals court wrote that the newborn screening program diagnoses more than 250 Michigan babies each year with a rare disorder. Every U.S. state, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, has a similar program in place, according to MDHHS.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
@max_detroitnews
Michigan
3 dead after vehicle collides with semitruck on Interstate 94 in Wayne County, Michigan State Police say
Three people are dead after a vehicle hit the back of a semitruck on Interstate 94 in Southeast Michigan late Friday, state officials said.
The Michigan State Police responded to the crash on eastbound I-94 near Michigan Avenue in Wayne County around 11:44 p.m. Investigators said the semitruck was stopped in traffic due to flooding when it was struck by the vehicle.
Three passengers in the vehicle that crashed into the semi died at the scene, according to the state law enforcement agency, and the driver was taken into custody.
The ages of the individuals involved in the collision have not yet been disclosed by officials.
As of Saturday afternoon, the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Michigan
What to know about cyclosporiasis as Michigan health officials investigate 300+ cases in outbreak
Over 300 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported within a week in Southeast Michigan, and Michigan health officials are investigating.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) are actively investigating the potential source of the “large and growing outbreak” of cases confirmed in Monroe, Lenawee, Washtenaw, Wayne, Shiawassee, Jackson and Livingston counties.
Health officials also reported 24 cases across 11 other Michigan counties, including in the city of Detroit. Typically, Michigan only gets around 50 cases per year.
On July 1, MDHHS reported there were at least 170 cases. On Thursday, the number of cases jumped to at least 300.
Read more –> Michigan health officials warn of ‘large and growing outbreak’ of cyclosporiasis
The age range of individuals who were diagnosed with the illness ranges from 8 years old to 84 years old, with a median age of 41, according to MDHHS.
Health officials are working to determine the common exposure of the outbreak in Michigan.
Here’s what to know about cyclosporiasis:
What is cyclosporiasis?
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by a parasite and infects the small intestine.
Healthcare providers can diagnose the illness by testing a stool sample.
Signs and symptoms
If infected with cyclosporiasis, people may experience watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.
The illness can last from a few days to over a month if the illness is not treated. Symptoms could relapse.
The timeframe from becoming infected to becoming sick usually takes about one week but can range from two days to two weeks or more.
In the US, outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce. People can get infected with Cyclospora more than once.
Anyone who experiences symptoms of cyclosporiasis should see their healthcare provider.
How it spreads
The illness can spread when people eat food or drink water that was contaminated with feces.
The CDC said it can take at least one or two weeks outside the body for Cyclospora to become infectious after passing in a bowel movement, making direct person-to-person transmission unlikely.
How to prevent cyclosporiasis
According to the CDC, people can prevent infection by avoiding food or water that may contain feces and by following food safety recommendations for safe preparation and storage.
The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water before and after handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables.
Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking. Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating.
Read more on prevention here.
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A shooting altercation between two groups of young people at a shopping mall in Dearborn, Michigan, left two people dead and a third injured over what is typically the most violent weekend of the year in the US, police said.
The shooting occurred as the US began celebrating the Fourth of July, historically a holiday weekend that sees higher rates of gun violence across the country. In 2024, the Gun Violence Archive reported more than 500 shootings over Independence Day weekend.
The shooting at Fairlane Town Center on Friday sent mall patrons scrambling, including a person who was hit by a vehicle outside the mall while attempting to flee, said Issa Shahin, the Dearborn police chief.
People believed to be linked to the fight were being questioned at the police station, but no one was immediately taken into custody, he said.
Shahin said the altercation was not a random act: the two groups knew each other and after they came into contact at the mall a fight started that escalated into gunfire. Members of both groups had handguns, he said.
One of the victims died inside Fairlane Town Center and the other died at a nearby hospital. Details on the third person who was shot were not released.
The mall was evacuated after the shooting and police planned to keep it closed while they investigated.
A video posted to social media appeared to show people running from the shopping center after gunshots could be heard.
Fairlane Town Center has more than 125 stores and restaurants, according to its website.
Dearborn is a suburb of Detroit with a population of more than 100,000 people about nine miles west of Detroit.
Tyhrann Howard, Michigan state police specialist lieutenant, said the agency was assisting with the investigation and referred questions to the Dearborn police.
A person who answered the phone at the telephone number for mall security declined comment.
Associated Press contributed reporting
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