Bird Flu News:
- H5N1 is confirmed in 145 dairy herds now, with more domestic cats positive in Minnesota and Michigan. (CIDRAP)
- There’s growing belief among experts that the U.S. should follow Finland’s lead and start offering bird flu vaccines for vets and farm workers. (KFF Health News)
- If bird flu sparked a human pandemic, our past immunity would help us. Older people might be more protected due to similar strains in childhood. (Nature)
Health News:
- The FDA is investigating 26 cases of the very rare Salmonella Irumu; the ongoing Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak is up to 83 cases. (FDA)
- Extreme heat has caused at least 28 deaths this week. (Washington Post)
- When Houston’s main electricity provider had no power outage tracker, people turned to Whataburger’s map of open restaurants after Hurricane Beryl. (NY Times)
- Houston hospitals are stretched thin after the hurricane, in part because of power outages; many patients couldn’t be discharged due to extreme heat. (NY Times)
- The CDC released a new in-depth toolkit for restaurants to conduct foodborne illness investigations. (FSM)
- People infected during pregnancy were more likely than the general population to develop long COVID. (Washington Post)
- Ozempic’s popularity is leading to shortages for people with Type 2 diabetes. (NPR)
- More Salmonella cases are linked to raw milk from a California farm. (AP)
- There is more confirmed foodborne illness in the U.S. in 2023 than there was in 2018, but it’s likely just due to increased testing. (MMWR)
- The UK is urging vaccination amid a steady rise in pertussis (whooping cough). (CIDRAP)
- A worker at a sandwich shop in the NY suburbs tested positive for Hepatitis A, and the local health department is offering free vaccine clinics. (SYR)
Mental Health & Substance Use News:
- The U.S. Navy has had a record-high number of deaths by suicide this year amid reports of high stress and quality-of-life issues. (Military.com)
- Elmo is helping kids (and their grown-ups) with their ‘big feelings’ amid a mental health crisis. (STAT)
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or need help, call or text 988.
Best Questions:
We’re concerned about liability due to extreme heat. Any ideas?
Extreme heat seems like it’s poised to become one of the biggest workplace health issues in our lifetimes. Just last week, OSHA proposed a new heat standard requiring employers to develop a heat illness prevention plan, including water and rest breaks - and, importantly, control of indoor heat, which is likely to affect restaurants, industrial laundries, and many more workplaces with high-temp areas. California recently passed a similar indoor heat standard for most workplaces where indoor temps reach 82°F. A good first step if you’re considering how to limit liability is to consider training managers to understand the risks and signs of heat illness. If you need support finding resources for developing a heat training, ZHH can help, just let us know!
Sources: NYT, OSHA, CalOSHA
Our restaurant got a guest complaint and we expect the health department to visit soon. What can we do to prepare?
Especially if your restaurant has received a guest complaint related to a major foodborne illness, like Salmonella or E. coli, it’s smart to prepare for an inspection. First, pull up your most recent health inspection and make sure that any violations are addressed. If you have specific info about the guest complaint (for example, only one person in a party of four got Salmonella, and they’re the only one who ate salad), pay special attention to that prep area, including a visual inspection of the food in question, if possible.
Once you’ve done that, you can turn to more general high-stakes violations in a potential outbreak situation. Make sure your handwashing sinks aren’t blocked, have hot water, and that your paper towels and soap dispensers are filled. These are common hand hygiene issues that can really escalate an inspection if the health department thinks there might be an infectious food handler. Make sure the back of house is visibly clean, with food properly stored and labeled. Check your hot and cold hold temperatures and do a quick check for cross-contamination risks and any other obvious issues. When the health inspector shows up, you’ll be in good shape to walk them through with minimal surprises and work with them to get to the bottom of the issue.
Sources: ZHH App
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