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  Infections on the rise, whooping cough cases reach a worrisome high in Texas, and how pathologists can better detect drug-resistant bacteria in the laboratory. These stories and more coming up. Welcome to the Path News Network Daily Edition from the College of American Pathologists. I'm Elizabeth McMahon. It's Friday, November 14th, and here are the headlines. Pertussis cases in Texas have reached an 11-year high, with 3,500 cases reported this year. Pertussis, or whooping cough, is especially contagious in children, and with two months left in the year, disease experts are particularly concerned about the increase. CAP spokesperson Leilani Valdez, who is also chair of pathology and laboratory medicine at Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, Texas, told the Texas Tribune that, Quote, While an increase isn't completely unexpected, the size of this one is unusual and something public health officials are keeping a close eye on. A 2024 Centers for Disease Control report found that vaccination rates for pertussis, measles, and other preventable diseases declined to less than 93 percent of the 3.8 million kindergartners enrolled for the 2023-24 school year. It was the fourth consecutive year under 95%. considered a target rate under the U.S. government's Healthy People 2030 plan. The laboratory team at Marshall Health Network Rivers Health, based in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, has successfully completed their CAP reaccreditation. The biennial CAP inspection includes an on-site assessment of the lab's quality management system, technical competency, and operational practices. The Marshall Health Network serves residents of four counties on the West Virginia Ohio border. When you get a bacterial infection, whether it's in your sinuses or your urinary tract, antibiotics can usually eliminate the problem. But drug-resistant bacteria, known as carbapenemase producing organisms, are surging according to the CDC, presenting added challenges for laboratories. In a new interview in the Pathologist magazine, CAP Microbiology Committee member Dr. Teresa Austin-Karr urged laboratory professionals to stay on top of the diagnostic and screening technologies that are effective in detecting antimicrobial resistance patterns, though she warns there's no one-size-fits-all approach. Dr. Austin-Karr encourages laboratories to integrate surveillance into their clinical workflows and share data and samples with public health authorities. And finally this Friday, more good news for the bowhead whale, the world's second largest mammal. As if having the longest lifespan on the planet wasn't good enough, it averages 200 years, the bowhead has very low incidence of cancer. A new study in the journal Nature, led by scientists at the University of Rochester, suggests the whale's low cancer rate may stem from enhanced DNA repair mechanisms rather than tumor suppressor genes. Central to their finding was an RNA-binding protein that promoted repairs and helped minimize genetic damage over time. Though humans aren't close to living as long as bowhead whales, understanding the molecular mechanisms behind their disease susceptibility and long life can inform human studies on aging and cancer prevention. And, by the way, in case you're wondering, the blue whale is the largest animal in the world. That's a wrap on today's Daily Edition. You can find more details on all these stories in our show notes. Don't miss our advocacy newsletter on Tuesdays and our weekly edition newsletter on Thursdays. We'll be back Monday at 5 a.m. Eastern. You can subscribe to this show on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. I'm Elizabeth McMahon. Have a good weekend.