Measles News:

• The CDC says measles cases may be plateauing, with nearly all new infections in unvaccinated people likely exposed by unvaccinated international travelers. (CDC)
• Michigan declared its measles outbreak over, but three new cases now indicate a new outbreak. (Detroit Free Press)
• This week, measles was detected in wastewater from California and Michigan. (Wastewater Scan)

Health News:

• The newly reformed ACIP met this week to mixed reviews - approving RSV and some flu vaccines, rejecting others and announcing plans to review all childhood vaccine schedules. (CNN)
• A freeze on federal funds for HIV prevention and surveillance programs has been lifted, following outcry from public health groups across the country.  (LA Times)
• A new RSV antibody just got the green light for babies under 8 months. CDC advisors say it’s a solid option to help protect the youngest kids this fall. (STAT)
• Heavy drinking is now linked to more deaths from high blood pressure in women than men, a shift researchers say we’ve been too slow to catch. (Science Direct) 
• Monitoring airborne fungal spores may accurately predict surges of flu and COVID. (CIDRAP)
• Millions of kids missed basic vaccines last year, and the U.S. is now one of the countries falling behind.  (The Guardian)
• Heart failure just overtook heart attacks as the leading cause of heart-related deaths in the U.S. (Medical Xpress)
• New travel restrictions and visa caps for foreign medical students could leave some hospitals without enough doctors to staff shifts…possibly as soon as next week. (NY Times)
• The newest data released this week showed overall high effectiveness for the 2023-2024 COVID vaccine. (JAMA)
• Doctors in Delaware are testing a new scoliosis treatment that uses magnets to straighten kids’ spines without repeated surgeries. (CBS)

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Mental Health & Substance Use News:

• People with autoimmune diseases are nearly twice as likely to develop mental health issues, and no one’s sure exactly why. (The Guardian)
• From stress to hopelessness, the emotional toll of climate change is hitting young people hard, and many are turning to activism as a way to cope. (ABC News)

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or need help, call 988 or message the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. 

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Best Questions:

Is there a way to tell if oysters are infected with vibrio or noro? 

Unfortunately, there’s no quick or easy way to tell if oysters are contaminated with Vibrio or norovirus just by looking at them - regardless of how carefully you manage your sourcing.  Both are invisible to the eye, tasteless, and odorless. Oysters can appear totally normal—even if they’re loaded with pathogens. And though Vibrio is more common in the warmer months and noro is more common in the winter, oysters can be contaminated in any month of the year. 

Testing them in-house isn’t a practical option for prevention, since most require being shipped off to a lab and then anywhere from hours to days to process. 

That’s why prevention is key. For Vibrio, which naturally occurs in warm coastal waters, the biggest risk comes from time and temperature abuse. Vibrio multiplies quickly if oysters aren’t kept cold, so proper refrigeration is your best defense. For norovirus, the problem is usually contaminated water or improper handling by sick harvesters or food workers. That’s why it’s so critical that employees stay out if they’ve had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 48 hours.

Bottom line: you can’t spot contamination, but strict time-temp controls and strong employee health policies for sick workers are the best ways to keep raw oysters safe.

Sources: CDC, MMWR

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We have an employee who tested positive for Hepatitis C. Is that a workplace health issue? 

Generally, no—hepatitis C isn’t something most employers need to be worried about day-to-day, especially in foodservice settings. Hepatitis C is a bloodborne virus, meaning it’s spread through direct contact with infected blood. It’s not transmitted through casual contact like shaking hands, sharing food, coughing, or using the same bathrooms. So if you find out an employee has hepatitis C, they don’t pose a risk to coworkers or customers through routine work activities.

Hepatitis C is primarily an issue if an employee or guest injures themself and bleeds in your workplace. In these cases, it’s important to always take proper precautions —wearing gloves when handling injuries, having proper biohazard cleanup kits, and training employees on what to do if someone is cut or bleeding. These same precautions protect against HIV and other bloodborne diseases, too. 

If an employee discloses they have hepatitis C, they can continue to work unless they’re too sick to do their basic job functions. Important reminder: you shouldn’t disclose their condition to others—hepatitis C is protected health information. The best course of action is to make sure your first aid protocols are solid, keep your body fluid cleanup kits stocked, and ensure managers know not to panic if someone discloses a chronic illness like this.

Clients can check out our Q&A on Hepatitis C in the ZHH app and share it with your managers to get them quality information quickly. 

Sources: CDC, ZHH

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Best Listen:

We haven’t heard from our good friend, Dr. Mike Osterholm in a while. In this new episode of the Osterholm update (#186!), he touches on the chaos in this week’s ACIP meeting, the latest COVID variant data, current measles trends in the US and Canada, and covers some good news about federal health agencies.

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Osterholm Update: Chaos Reigns

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