Bird Flu News:
- The Michigan Department of Agriculture is offering financial assistance to dairy farms for participating in real-time H5N1 research. (CIDRAP)
- Studies found that Americans may have little to no pre-existing immunity to the H5N1 virus, according to initial findings from ongoing testing done by the CDC. (CDC)
- Slow bird flu testing is raising concerns about repeating COVID-19 mistakes. With over a million tests ready, only 45 people have been tested, potentially impacting outbreak detection and response. (KLF)
Health News:
- A new CDC study shows 12% of people who got Omicron developed long-Covid and a persistent cough was the most common symptom. (CDC)
- Norovirus has been lab-confirmed as the illness that visitors to Havasupai Falls near the Grand Canyon have been experiencing. (Fox News)
- Upstate New Yorkers who tried food samples from a demo at an Ace Hardware are being advised to get Hep A shots after exposure to a sick chef. (WKTV)
- Merck’s new vaccine for pneumococcal pneumonia, which sends about 150,000 adults to the hospital in the US each year, was approved. (STAT)
- Scientists now know more about why some people didn’t get Covid, and the answer is in their noses. (The Guardian)
- There have been more than 1,000 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) in Japan in the first half of 2024, more than all of last year. (Washington Post)
- At least 86 people in the UK have been hospitalized due to an E. coli outbreak now linked to lettuce on pre-made sandwiches. (The Standard)
- Vaping is about as effective as Chantix at helping people quit smoking. (STAT)
- While illness cases and hospitalizations have nearly doubled, Diamond Shrummz, the manufacturer of micro-dosing chocolates, refuses to recall their products. (Ars Technica)
- A shigella outbreak initially detected in a homeless encampment in San Jose appears to be spreading rapidly. (CBS News)
- The FDA reported yet another Salmonella outbreak, this time Typhimurium, with 46 confirmed cases and no source yet identified (FDA)
Mental Health & Substance Use News:
- Substance use experts are concerned about a rise in gambling addiction and its link to opioid abuse. Both are driven by stress and severely impact mental health and well-being. (STAT)
- A debate is growing to redefine fentanyl overdose deaths as "poisonings" to highlight the unintentional nature of these deaths and reduce stigma. (NY Times)
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
Best Questions:
We have an employee whose mental health affects his physical health, specifically causing anxiety-induced vomiting. Can they safely work?
Unfortunately, this is an issue that our ZHH Clinical Team sees regularly. GI symptoms can be high risk in the workplace, especially in the foodservice industry, and it can be hard without a doctor assessing someone to know if they’re contagious. In general, if what they’re experiencing is consistent with their typical anxiety symptoms and nothing is new or changed, we think it’s reasonable for them to work in the short term, but if it occurs regularly, we recommend asking for a doctor’s note that clears them to work in a foodservice setting with ongoing vomiting. If any symptoms are new or changed (including if they get more intense), we recommend keeping them out of work until they provide a doctor’s note or until they’re symptom-free. We also recommend checking in with this employee and offering resources like your EAP. Supporting the employee with the root cause of mental health issues may go a long way in reducing absenteeism and retaining this person.
Source: ZHH
We have locations that flooded in last week’s storms in South Florida and this week’s first hurricane of the season. What should we know about flooding?
Floodwater presents a health risk, in part because it’s so murky you can’t see hazards (like downed power lines or sharp, rusty metal) and in part because it’s a breeding ground for bacteria and other contaminants. It’s best to stay out of floodwater, and if the only way to open your business is to go through it, consider closing until the water recedes. Floodwater may be contaminated with sewage, which means the risk of diarrheal illnesses like E. coli and Salmonella is higher, so it’s important to focus on handwashing and remind employees to stay home if they have vomiting or diarrhea. If your business itself is flooded, it’s best to fully close until you can clear the water and do a thorough sanitizing, which may require outside services.
Sources: CDC, QSR
Best Watch:
Here’s NFID’s avian flu update with Sonja Olsen, PhD, Associate Director for Preparedness and Response, Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Ruth Lynfield, MD, State Epidemiologist and Medical Director, Minnesota Department of Health.
