Health News:

• Pennsylvania reported its fifth measles-related death, again in Lancaster County. The CDC still isn’t counting all of the state’s reported deaths in its national total. (Ars Technica)
  
  
  
• Florida’s measles vaccination rate is already below the level needed to prevent outbreaks, and new modeling is showing how quickly cases could jump if it keeps dropping. (CIDRAP)
  
  
  
• Norovirus cases are rising nationally. (Huff Po)
  
  
  
• The FDA is reporting a Listeria outbreak with 11 cases so far, no source and traceback underway. (FDA)
  
  
  
• A new raw milk cheese E. coli outbreak has sickened 13 people and hospitalized 8 across 9 states. (FDA)
  
  
  
• Air pollution may be making people cough more at night, even at levels considered relatively low. (Guardian)
  
  
  
• About 1 in 8 cancers worldwide are linked to infections like HPV, hepatitis and H. pylori. (The Lancet)
  
  
  
• OSHA created a new national alliance focused on developing tools and training to help employers identify the workplace hazards most likely to cause serious injuries or deaths. (OSHA)
  
  

• Limes grown near poultry farms in Brazil had two potentially harmful bacteria on them, including some with antibiotic resistance. (Food Safety Mag)
  
  
  
• Epic, the company behind MyChart, put most new product development on hold for six weeks after AI testing uncovered security gaps in its software... (NY Times)
  
  
  
• ...while MyChart users are dealing with a different problem: really convincing phishing emails disguised as test-result notifications.(FOX)
  
  

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Best Question:

An HIV-positive employee just injured themselves at work. What should we do?   

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First, don’t panic. Workplace transmission of HIV is incredibly rare, even if blood is involved. And getting stuck with a needle used by someone with HIV has less than a 1% chance of transmission. There have only been 58 confirmed cases of workplace HIV transmission total  in the United States, and that includes healthcare workers. That’s not to say you shouldn’t exercise caution, but we want to reassure you that there are very few situations outside of healthcare where workplace transmission is likely to happen.

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You should always assume blood and other body fluids are infectious, and wear gloves and goggles when cleaning up blood, vomit, or any other body fluids. Read the instructions in your bloodborne pathogen clean-up kit, and always take the time to use proper PPE. Proper use of the kit with PPE effectively reduces your risk to zero. 

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In the extremely unlikely event that an employee is exposed to HIV at work (like they got blood in their eyes or mouth, or cleaned up with a cut on their un-gloved hand) get them medical attention right away, as post-exposure prophylaxis can reduce the risk of getting infected, and every hour counts. They must start treatment within 72 hours, but the sooner the better. 

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Then, call ZHH and your health department for follow-up. Be aware that an OSHA inspection may come next. 

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Sources: CDC, OSHA

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Best listen:

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We just got around to listening to Mike Osterholm’s excellent Osterholm Update from earlier last month. He focuses on some of the biggest misunderstandings around the current measles situation, including what the numbers actually tell us about where things stand. If you’ve been trying to make sense of all the measles information out there, it’s a really good listen.

Making Sense of Measles Misinformation - Osterholm Update