Bird Flu News
- California, the nation’s largest milk producer, may have H5N1 outbreaks in 3 dairy herds. They’ll be CA’s first bird flu in cows if tests are positive. (STAT)
- Multilingual response teams were key in the response to H5N1 clusters in Colorado poultry cullers. (CIDRAP)
Mosquito-borne Disease News:
- 2 people in Wisconsin and one in Illinois died of West Nile virus this week. (AP)
- New Hampshire reported a fatal eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) case, a rare but serious mosquito-borne illness that can cause severe neurologic complications. (CIDRAP)
- Massachusetts confirmed a second human EEE case, both in the same area that’s since been sprayed to help control mosquitoes. (AP)
- 21 cases of Oropouche virus have been found in U.S. travelers returning from Cuba; CDC is warning pregnant people to consider deferring travel to parts of South America and Cuba where cases are high. (MMWR)
Health News:
- The FDA is investigating a new outbreak of E.coli O157:H7 with 25 cases so far. It’s not yet confirmed to be linked to a specific product. (FDA)
- 200,000+ Detroit households lost power due to storms this week, risking spoiled food for those whose fridges and freezers got warm. (CBS)
- Insects and mold were found at the meat processing plant linked to the Listeria outbreak that killed nine people and led to a nationwide recall of deli meats. (CBS)
- The obesity drug Wegovy prevented deaths from COVID, a new study shows. (NY Times)
- The WHO says Israel agreed to a limited daytime “humanitarian pause” in Gaza to allow polio vaccinations after a baby contracted the first case in 25 years there. (AP)
- The U.S. is on track for the most humid summer ever. (Washington Post)
- …and higher humidity may increase the risk of getting Salmonella from lettuce. (AEM)
- Asthma inhalers are a major source of greenhouse gas - emissions from U.S. inhalers could power all homes in a city the size of Milwaukee for a full year. (STAT)
Mental Health & Substance Use News:
- More than 1 in 5 people who died from a drug overdose had a non-substance-related mental health disorder, most commonly depression and anxiety. (MMWR)
- Cannabis and hallucinogen use among adults remained at historic highs last year. (NIH)
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or need help, call or text 988.
Best Questions:
What is West Nile virus?
West Nile virus is a disease spread by infected mosquitoes biting humans. It generally spreads in the summer and fall, at the height of mosquito season. In places where it’s warmer, like Florida and Puerto Rico, that season can extend longer. Unlike Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was in the news last week after being hospitalized for the virus, most people who are infected don’t feel sick at all. But about 1 in 5 develop a fever, and 1 in 150 develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. That’s the kind that Dr. Fauci developed, and he described it as the sickest he’s ever been. Unfortunately, there’s no vaccine or specific treatment, so there aren’t really ways to prevent West Nile other than preventing mosquito bites. Dr. Fauci wasn’t hiking - he thinks he probably got bit in his own backyard, so it’s important to take precautions any time you might be exposed. That includes long sleeves and pants, clothing treated with insecticides, and insect repellant. You should also take steps to remove standing water, where mosquitoes like to lay their eggs.
Source: CDC
How does Wegovy prevent COVID deaths?
This week, there was an exciting new study published that found that those taking the obesity drug Wegovy slashed their chances of dying from COVID by a whopping 33%. This is particularly compelling because Wegovy didn’t change their actual likelihood of getting COVID - and even more surprising, this worked shortly after they started taking the medication, even before they had any weight loss. In fact, the death rate from all causes was lower for those on Wegovy, which implies that a shorter life expectancy in people with obesity is actually caused by the disease of obesity, not the fact that they’re overweight. That means that treating obesity can lengthen people’s lives. Exactly how Wegovy prevents COVID deaths is unclear, though some doctors are looking at whether it might reduce inflammation as one possible explanation. It raises hopes that these GLP-1 drugs might help prevent death from other diseases like flu or RSV, though more research is needed before that’s confirmed. Certainly, we’re looking forward to seeing more research in the coming months and years.
Sources: NY Times, JACC
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