Health officials at the CDC have issued a health advisory warning clinicians to look out for cases of Vibrio vulnificus, a sometimes deadly flesh-eating bacteria.
Category: Public Health
NPR and KFF Health News Share the Story of Two Health Heroes Who Helped Stop Smallpox
Regina G. Barber from NPR’s “Shortwave” podcast speaks with physician-epidemiologist Céline Gounder about two men who were among the public health heroes who helped wipe out a 3,000-year-old virus, and the lessons that victory offers for the next public health emergency.
Workers Pay the Price While Congress and Employers Debate Need for Heat Regulations
Studies suggest official numbers vastly underestimate heat-related injuries and illness on the job. To institute protections, the government must calculate their cost — and the cost of inaction.
Biden Administration Proposes New Standards to Boost Nursing Home Staffing
The proposal would require major hiring at the most sparsely-staffed homes. But the proposal is already badly received by the nursing home industry which claims it can’t boost wages enough to attract workers.
CDC updates risk assessment on BA.2.86
The CDC updated its risk assessment on distant omicron relative BA.2.86 on Aug. 30, saying the strain — which has concerned experts over the large number of mutations it carries — has been detected in at least four states.
Patients cancel appointments at Ohio hospital over rumors of Legionnaires' outbreak
Patients have been canceling appointments at Chillicothe, Ohio-based Adena Regional Medical Center over rumors and concerns about a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, which the health system has since described as “misinformation.”
Activist Misuses Federal Data to Make False Claim That Covid Vaccines Killed 676,000
Anti-vaccine tech entrepreneur Steve Kirsch, whose wild assertions have been repeatedly debunked, wrongly attributes deaths following vaccination to the vaccines themselves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which runs the database, calls that inaccurate and irresponsible.
When Temps Rise, So Do Medical Risks. Should Doctors and Nurses Talk More About Heat?
The medical dangers of heat are real. But people often ignore public heat alerts or don’t realize how vulnerable they are. A new alert system prompts clinicians to talk about heat with patients.
Virginia health officials see 3x jump in meningococcal disease
Health officials in Virginia are warning clinicians about an outbreak of meningococcal disease, according to an Aug. 30 news release from the state’s department of health.
Brain eating amoeba kills one in Texas
A Texas resident died after being exposed to Naegleria fowleri — the bacteria that causes a brain eating amoeba infection — from swimming in a lake in Travis County near Austin, Texas, according to an Aug. 30 news release.
