Lifestyle

New Mexico agencies are focusing on outreach as the New World screwworm approaches, raising concerns among ranchers about livestock health and economic impacts. This headline matters because the screwworm, eradicated from the U.S. decades ago, has resurged in Mexico and threatens to cross the border.

New Mexico lawmakers spotlighted healthcare after hearing directly from patients, emphasizing urgent concerns about access, affordability, and workforce shortages.

New Mexico's health officials have emphasized that the state's Hantavirus (Sin Nombre Virus) is not transmitted from person to person, which differs from the Andes virus that was responsible for an outbreak aboard a cruise ship. There have been many reports around the world about the Andes virus being transmitted by other people, and this caused people to worry about being able to contract the Andres virus from residents of New Mexico. The Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to be transmitted by another person in South America. The Sin Nombre Virus can only be contracted by contact with infected rodents, or their excrement. There are several ways to help to prevent hantavirus exposure, including disinfecting rodent nests and debris, ensuring that all points of entry into the home are sealed and practicing safe cleanup methods.

A newborn in New Mexico died after contracting listeria from raw milk consumed by the mother during pregnancy, state health officials confirmed. This case highlights the severe risks of drinking unpasteurized dairy products, especially for pregnant women and infants.

Health officials in New Mexico received valuable early warning information from wastewater testing during an outbreak of measles in 2025. Five days prior to the first cases being confirmed in hospitals, the virus was identified in wastewater, providing health officials with enough time to develop vaccines, alert providers and strengthen an emergency response.