Bird Flu News:
- The U.S. hit a grim milestone - 100 million chickens and turkeys killed in this H5N1 outbreak, nearly twice the number from the 2014-15 outbreak. (Vox)
- There is increasing concern that doctors may be missing symptoms of bird flu in people who drink raw milk regularly - 1% of Americans drink it at least once a week. (Med Page)
- Colorado is now requiring dairy farms to test their milk supply for bird flu weekly. (Reuters)
- Three additional cases of bird flu in humans were reported, all in poultry workers culling sick flocks in Colorado. (CDC)
Health News:
- The CDC issued a critical alert for a severe shortage of blood culture bottles, used in diagnosis and treatment for most serious blood infectious diseases like wound infections or sepsis. (CDC)
- Without confirming if it’s related to the recent outbreak linked to deli meat, Boar’s Head recalled liverwurst and other deli products manufactured on the same date due to possible Listeria contamination. (FSIS)
- Dengue fever has hit an all-time high this year, spreading to new areas, and public health experts are racing to control it. (NPR)
- Arizona has 7 cases of the deadly hantavirus already this year, usually spread by rodents - with only 11 total cases in the prior six years. (Yahoo News)
- A new bill proposes creating a specialized Federal Food Administration (FFA) to take over the FDA’s food safety and inspection duties. (FSM)
- Oysters from Recompense Cove, Maine, are recalled for Campylobacter, and bulk walnuts sent to TX and CA were recalled for Listeria (FDA)
- Scientists have discovered a way to speed up testing for life-threatening sepsis from 2-3 days down to just 13 hours - getting potentially life-saving proper treatment faster. (CIDRAP)
Mental Health & Substance Use News:
- A mobile methadone van in NYC is providing effective treatment for those who want to quit fentanyl. (NY TImes)
- While suicide rates are dropping for white young adults, they are rising among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the same age categories. (JAMA Network)
Best Questions:
How can I support employees struggling with substance use or addiction?
Nearly 27 million Americans go to work each week with a substance use disorder (SUD), and those numbers are even higher in hospitality industries. Often, the first step happens at a policy level; if you’re in a position to impact your corporate policies, consider using the federal Recovery Ready Workplace toolkit as a place to start. Evidence shows that adoption of these types of policies can lower employee costs by reducing absences, increasing productivity, and reducing workers comp claims. Consider allocating some budget for an employee resource group, or sharing info about local support options, like Ben’s Friends, a restaurant-industry specific support group. Be sure to loop in your HR team if you have specific concerns about an employee’s performance or safety, but creating a culture of support for those struggling with substance use can be as simple as having info about resources on a QR code outside the manager’s office, like a list of services that employees can access through your EAP for free, local recovery meetings, or simply an offer to talk if anyone needs it.
Sources: DOL, SHRM, Ben’s Friends
Do we need to be as concerned about an employee reporting a type of E. coli other than a shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC)?
It’s not nearly as concerning from a foodborne illness perspective if an employee tests positive for a non-shiga-toxin-producing E. coli. The worst outbreaks are generally from E. coli O157:H7 or other STEC type E. coli. California is one example of a state that only requires reporting for STEC, also known as enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) or vero-toxin producing (VTEC). For some state and county health departments, all E. coli cases are reportable, but different health departments respond differently to non-STEC E. coli. If the employee had GI symptoms and tested positive for E. coli, you should assume that there’s a foodborne illness risk and act accordingly, but it may not require the same level of response as O157:H7, for example. When in doubt, give ZHH a call and we can support you in figuring out the right next steps with the sick employee and the health department.
Source: CDPH, CDC
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