CDC issues bird flu infection health alert
A farm worker on a commercial dairy farm in Texas developed conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye, on March 27 and then tested positive for the “highly pathogenic avian influenza” (HPAI), the CDC said.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4578651-cdc-issues-bird-flu-infection-health-alert/
Study Finds ‘Shockingly’ High Lead Levels in Off-Price Fashion Accessories
Leather and faux leather handbags, wallets, shoes and belts from popular off-price retailers can harbor “shockingly” high levels of lead, a carcinogen and reproductive toxicant that can pose permanent and irreversible harm to babies and children, a new study warned this week.
The FACE of the Leprosy Outbreak!
After A Measles Outbreak, Florida Sees Leprosy Cases Spike To Highest In The Nation
The transmission of leprosy occurs through respiratory droplets, often through close and prolonged contact with untreated individuals who have the active form of the disease. However, leprosy is not highly contagious, and the majority of individuals exposed to the bacterium do not develop the disease.
Confirmed case of measles in unvaccinated child on Long Island: New York State Department of Health
#News #NewYork #Measles #VaccinesWork #PublicHealth
https://abc7ny.com/new-york-measles-nassau-county-unvaccinated-child/14560364/
CDC updates Covid isolation guidelines for people who test positive
The CDC’s new guidance now matches public health advice for flu and other respiratory illnesses: Stay home when you’re sick, but return to school or work once you’re feeling better and you’ve been without a fever for 24 hours.
Surge in syphilis cases drives some doctors to ration penicillin
The rise in syphilis has created demand for the injection that manufacturer Pfizer can't keep up with, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. "There is insufficient supply for usual ordering," the ASHP said in a memo.
Florida defies CDC
With a brief memo, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has subverted a public health standard that's long kept measles outbreaks under control.
On Feb. 20, as measles spread through Manatee Bay Elementary in South Florida, Ladapo sent parents a letter granting them permission to send unvaccinated children to school amid the outbreak.
#News #Measles #Florida #PublicHealth
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-measles-outbreak-unvaccinated-kids-school/
At least 10 people across four states — California, Colorado, Texas and Utah — have been made ill from an E. coli outbreak linked to raw cheddar cheese from the brand Raw Farm, according to health officials.
"The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," the CDC said.
#FYI #FoodSafety #News #PublicHealth
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/17/1232270919/e-coli-raw-farm-cheddar-cheese-recall
Oregon's first case of human plague in 8 years likely came from a pet cat
The person was likely infected by their pet cat, who had developed symptoms, according to Deschutes County Health Services.
Humans are commonly exposed to plague from the bites of fleas carrying Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the disease. Household pets can get also infected if they hunt rodents infected with plague or are similarly bitten by an infected flea.
Man dies from Alaskapox, first human fatality from newly identified viral disease
Aside from being the first fatal human case, it is the documented first human infection outside of the Fairbanks area, indicating that the virus, which is known to be harbored by small mammals, has spread beyond the wildlife populations in that Interior community.
Health officials notifying close contacts of UW-Madison student with tuberculosis
After the case was identified Jan. 30, UHS and Public Health Madison and Dane County started notifying roommates, classmates, friends, family and others who may have been exposed to TB and offering testing, Glapa said.
UHS has contacted more than 700 members of campus “out of an abundance of caution,” she said. No other active cases of TB have been identified.
Tests reveal "concerning" levels of plastics found in General Mills products
"Consumers should be very concerned, but they shouldn't panic," said Brian Ronholm, Consumer Reports' Director of Food Policy.
After testing dozens of supermarket products, Consumer Reports found plastic chemicals - known as phthalates in nearly all of them.
Rio de Janeiro declares dengue public health emergency ahead of Carnival
The outbreak wasn’t expected to derail Carnival, which officially starts Friday evening, but it has prompted a slew of special measures in hope of containing the illness.
Measles outbreaks a wake-up call for the unvaccinated
The virus, which was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, is a wake-up call for the importance of vaccination.
Unlike COVID-19 vaccines, which help prevent serious illness but don’t prevent infection, the measles vaccine is almost 100 percent effective in preventing infection. And almost everyone who has been recently infected in the U.K. and U.S. is not vaccinated.
#News #PublicHealth #VaccinesWork #Measles
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4432414-measles-outbreaks-unvaccinated/
Covid killed 170,000 in nursing homes. Most residents still haven’t gotten the latest shot.
Fewer than 4 in 10 nursing home residents have received the latest Covid shot — despite the carnage in the facilities since the disease first swept through in 2020.
The Biden administration and the care industry agree they share responsibility — but that hasn’t stopped them from blaming each other.
#News #PublicHealth #CommunityLiving #ElderCare #CovidVaccine
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/26/nursing-homes-residents-covid-shot-00137665
Cameroon starts world-first malaria mass vaccine rollout
The symbolic first jab was given to a baby girl named Daniella at a health facility near Yaoundé on Monday.
Every year 600,000 people die of malaria in Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Children under five make up at least 80% of those deaths.
Cameroon is offering the RTS,S vaccine free of charge to all infants up to the age of six months old.
Virginia warns of potential measles exposure at DC airports
Virginia is warning travelers that they may have been exposed to measles earlier this month at the two airports in the Washington, D.C., area.
The Virginia Public Health Department said it was notified of confirmed cases of measles at Dulles International Airport on Jan. 3 and Ronald Reagan National Airport on Jan. 4.
#News #Measles #VaccinesWork #HealthAndWellness #PublicHealth #Prevention
Lead-tainted applesauce pouches also contained another possible toxic substance, FDA says
Besides lead, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said investigators detected “a high level” of the chemical element chromium, which can be toxic, in WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree and in cinnamon collected from the Ecuador factory where the pouches were manufactured.
On January 3, 2024, Fratelli Beretta USA, Inc., recalled approximately 11,097 pounds of Busseto Foods brand ready-to-eat charcuterie meat products.
These items were shipped to Sam’s Club distribution centers in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas.
#FoodSafety #FoodRecall #News #PublicHealth #Health
https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/charcuterie-meats-01-24/index.html
What Is Legionnaires' Disease? 1 Dead, Another Hospitalized In New Hampshire; Know All About The Condition
A Massachusetts resident died and a person from Rhode Island contracted the infection after staying at the Mountain View Grand Resort in Whitefield. An investigation is underway to determine how and where they contracted the illness.
#News #PublicHealth #Massachusetts #Legionnaires #HealthAndWellness
Mom, Grandma, and proud nurse. Doing my part to make the 🌏a better place.
"I'm no better than anyone else, but I'm just as good" (#myGrandma)