Past Updates from the Clinician Registry Listserv
Update Sent April 07, 2008
NOTE: This document is provided for historical purposes only and may not provide our most accurate and up-to-date information. The most current Clinician's information can be found on the Clinician Home Page.
Today's topics Include:
- National Public Health Week
- Disaster Preparedness
- Formaldehyde Exposures
- Seasonal Influenza
- Avian Influenza
- Influenza Prophylaxis
- Food Safety
- Heparin Recall
- Clostridium difficile
National Public Health Week
National Public Health Week - April 7-13, 2008 - CDC - MMWR Weekly - April 4
Since 1995, the first full week of April has been designated in the United States as National Public Health Week. This year's observance focuses on climate change and public health. During April 7-13, 2008, CDC, the American Public Health Association, and members of the public health community will conduct activities and host events that encourage the public, policy-makers, and public health professionals to take steps that will have positive effects on their individual health, the health of the nation, and the climate.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5713a6.htm
Disaster Preparedness
Possible changes to the Stafford Act - Request for Issue Papers - FEMA - April 4
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Advisory Council has created a subcommittee to look at possible changes to the Stafford Act. To begin the process, the subcommittee is seeking any existing issue papers or reports that address possible changes to the Stafford Act. You are invited to submit any documents you are willing to share with the subcommittee to Alyson Price, the Designated Federal Officer for the National Advisory Council at Alyson.Price@dhs.gov by April 10, 2008.
FEMA for Kids: Preparing Kids and their Families - FEMA - April 4
Play games, enjoy stories, do puzzles, go through mazes, watch videos - welcome to FEMA for Kids, the Web site that is all fun and games…sort of. Underneath all the fun is a lot of good information that makes kids and their families better prepared in the event of a disaster.
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema
Direct link to FEMA for Kids website: http://www.fema.gov/kids/index.htm
Formaldehyde Exposures
What You Should Know about Formaldehyde in Mobile Homes - CDC, FEMA, EPA - PDF
This document is aimed toward residents and includes information about protecting oneself from formaldehyde exposure.
Click here for a PDF file of this document
Formaldehyde Exposure in Homes: A Reference for State Officials to Use in Decision-making - CDC, FEMA, & EPA
This is a more detailed document than the one presented above, aimed at informing officials involved in decision-making. It also includes a section on resources for evaluating formaldehyde concentrations in indoor environments. Please follow this link to access this document: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehhe/trailerstudy/compendium.htm
Seasonal Influenza
Weekly Report: Influenza Summary Update - April 4
During week 13 (March 23 - 29, 2008), influenza activity continued to decrease in the United States. Seven hundred three (17.7%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories were positive for influenza. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza was above the epidemic threshold for the twelfth consecutive week. The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was at national baseline levels, while the proportion of outpatient visits for acute respiratory illness (ARI) was below national baseline levels. ILI was above the region specific baselines in the East North Central, Mountain, New England, Pacific, and West North Central regions. The proportion of outpatient visits reported for ARI was below all region and age-specific baselines. Seven states reported widespread influenza activity; 27 states reported regional influenza activity; 11 states reported local influenza activity; and five states and the District of Columbia reported sporadic influenza activity.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
Weekly US Map - April 4
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm
Avian Influenza
Update on the situation in Pakistan - WHO - April 3
Two additional H5N1 cases were confirmed by serological testing, thus providing final H5N1 infection test results on a previously reported family cluster in Peshawar. These tests were conducted by the WHO H5 Reference Laboratory in Cairo, Egypt and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Atlanta, USA. To see a table summarizing the results please follow the link below. The preliminary risk assessment found no evidence of sustained or community human to human transmission. All identified close contacts including the other members of the affected family and involved health care workers remain asymptomatic and have been removed from close medical observation. These laboratory test results support the epidemiological findings from the outbreak investigation in December 2007, and the final risk assessment that suggested limited human to human transmission likely occurred among some of the family members which is consistent with some human-to-human transmission events reported previously. This outbreak did not extend into the community, and appropriate steps were taken to reduce future risks of human infections.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2008_04_03/en/index.html
Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Reported to WHO - April 3
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2008_04_03/en/index.html
Influenza Prophylaxis
Changes to the WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Sections of Prescribing Information for Relenza about Postmarketing Reports of Neurologic and Behavioral Symptoms - FDA - April 2
GlaxoSmithKline informed healthcare professionals of changes to the WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS sections of prescribing information for Relenza regarding information from postmarketing reports (mostly from Japan) of delirium and abnormal behavior leading to injury in patients with influenza who are receiving neuraminidase inhibitors, including Relenza. These events were reported primarily among pediatric patients and often had an abrupt onset and rapid resolution. The contribution of Relenza to these events has not been established. Influenza can be associated with a variety of neurologic and behavioral symptoms which can include seizures, hallucinations, delirium, and abnormal behavior, in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes. These events may occur in the setting of encephalitis or encephalopathy but can occur without obvious severe disease. Patients with influenza should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behavior. If neuropsychiatric symptoms occur, the risks and benefits of continuing treatment should be evaluated for each patient.
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2008/safety08.htm#Relenza
Food Safety
FDA seeks comments on food safety plan - FDA - April 1
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that it is establishing a public docket to receive information and comments related to its comprehensive Food Protection Plan (the Plan) released in November 2007. The new Plan presents a robust strategy to protect the nation's food supply from both unintentional contamination and deliberate attack. FDA is establishing this docket for the purpose of soliciting comments from its stakeholders on the Plan and the questions set forth in this notice.
Link to FDA's Food Safety Plan website: http://www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/advance/food.html
Link to submit comments:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main
Link to the Federal Register Notice:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-6833.htm
Recall of Frozen Salted Croaker because of Possible Contamination with Clostridium botulinum - FDA - April 1
Grand Supercenter, Inc. of Lyndhurst, NJ is recalling the following product because they have the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum:
HC Fresh, Frozen Salted Croaker
Net. Wt.: 16.9 oz (480 gram)
Item # HC 0500402
Expiration Date: Aug 02. 2009
Consumers are warned not to use these products even if they do not look or smell spoiled. HC Fresh Frozen Salted Croaker was distributed through H Mart stores including H Mart and Super H Mart in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Texas area.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/grandsupercenter04_08.html
Heparin Recall
Covidien Initiates Voluntary Recall of Pre-Filled Syringes Containing Heparin - FDA - April 2
Covidien, formerly Tyco Healthcare, was recently notified by its supplier, Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC (SPL), of a nation-wide recall of Heparin Sodium USP active pharmaceutical ingredient. Covidien began recalling the lots as a precautionary measure. This product recall was initiated due to a notification received from the supplier, SPL, disclosing that two lots of Heparin Sodium USP Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient acquired by Covidien had a heparin-like contaminant. To date, Covidien has not received any adverse event reports related to this issue. Please follow the link below for the entire list of recalled lot numbers.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/covidien03_08.html
Clostridium difficile
Surveillance for Community-Associated Clostridium difficile - Connecticut, 2006 - CDC - MMWR Weekly - April 4
In 2006, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) implemented a statewide surveillance system to assess the burden of community-associated C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CA-CDAD) and to determine the descriptive epidemiology, trends, and risk factors for this disease. This report describes that surveillance system and summarizes results from the first year of surveillance. The findings indicated the presence of occasionally severe CDAD among healthy persons living in the community, including persons with no established risk factors for infection. Clinicians should consider a diagnosis of CA-CDAD in outpatients with severe diarrhea, even in the absence of established risk factors. In addition, continued surveillance is needed to determine trends in occurrence and whether more toxigenic strains are having an increasing impact in the community and in the hospital setting.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5713a3.htm
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Page last modified April 07, 2008
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