Past Updates from the Clinician Registry Listserv
Update Sent March 24, 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:
- COCA Conference Call - A "Never" Event: Unsafe Injection Practices
- World TB Day
- Midwest Flooding
- National Response Framework
- Pandemic Influenza
- Seasonal Influenza
- Avian Influenza
- Heparin Recall
- Food Safety
COCA Conference Call - A "Never" Event: Unsafe Injection Practices
Title: A "Never" Event: Unsafe Injection Practices
Speakers: Joe Perz DRPH, Arjun Srinivasan MD and Priti Patel MD MPH
DATE: Thursday, March 27, 2008
TIME: 3:00 PM ET – 4:00 PM ET
Please visit our website for the call-in information, objectives, and Continuing Education Credit information. The PowerPoint presentation will be posted by the date of the call: http://www.emergency.cdc.gov/coca/callinfo.asp.
World TB Day
World TB Day - March 24, 2008 - CDC - MMWR Weekly - March 21
World TB Day is observed each year on March 24 to commemorate the date in 1882 when Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Worldwide, TB remains one of the leading causes of death from infectious disease. An estimated 2 billion persons (i.e., one third of the world's population) are infected with M. tuberculosis. In 2005, approximately 8.8 million persons became ill from TB, and 1.6 million died from the disease. World TB Day provides an opportunity for TB programs, nongovernmental organizations, and other partners to describe problems and solutions related to the TB pandemic and to support worldwide TB-control efforts. Additional information about World TB Day and CDC TB-elimination activities is available at http://www.cdc.gov/tb/worldtbday.
Links to other TB articles in this week's MMWR:
Trends in Tuberculosis - United States, 2007
Revised Technical Instructions for Tuberculosis Screening and Treatment for Panel Physicians
Midwest Flooding
Health and Safety Information concerning Floods - CDC
Due to the ongoing flooding in the Midwest, we would like to provide you with the following link to resources concerning health and safety in the aftermath of severe flooding: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/
National Response Framework
National Response Framework in Effect - FEMA - March 21
The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is advising stakeholders and partners that the National Response Framework (NRF), successor to the National Response Plan went into effect on Saturday, March 22, 2008. On January 22, 2008, the NRF was initially released following an extensive process of outreach and coordination between the Department and key stakeholders representing federal, tribal, state and local governments, non-governmental agencies and associations, and the private sector. The NRF was posted in the Federal Register for sixty days, as required by law. Now that the timeframe has passed, the NRF goes officially into effect. For more information and links to NRF documents and trainings please follow this link: http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema
Pandemic Influenza
HHS Releases Pandemic Planning Update V Report - HHS - March 19
This report includes updated information on the following topics: Monitoring and Surveillance, Medical Countermeasures, Antiviral Drugs, State and Local Preparedness, and Communications and Outreach. Please follow this link for html and PDF views of the entire update report: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/panflureport5.html
Seasonal Influenza
Weekly Report: Influenza Summary Update - March 21
During week 11 (March 9 - 15, 2008), influenza activity continued to decrease in the United States. One thousand one hundred ninety-five (22.0%) 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 tenth consecutive week. The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was above national baseline levels, while the proportion of outpatient visits for acute respiratory illness (ARI) was below national baseline levels. ILI decreased in eight of the nine regions compared to week 10, and was below the region specific baseline in the Mid-Atlantic and Pacific regions, but remained above region-specific baselines in the remaining seven regions. The proportion of outpatient visits reported for ARI was below all region-specific baselines. Thirty-two states reported widespread influenza activity; 17 states reported regional influenza activity; the District of Columbia reported local influenza activity; and one state did not report.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
Weekly US Map - March 21
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm
Provisional ACIP recommendations for 2008-2009 Influenza Season - CDC - PDF - March 21
Provisional recommendations for the prevention and control of influenza (2008-2009 influenza season) - PDF File
Avian Influenza
Avian, human flu coinfection reported in Indonesian teen - CIDRAP - March 18
An Indonesian teenager has been brought forward as a case of simultaneous infection with seasonal and avian strains of influenza. In a paper presented at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vivi Setiawaty of Indonesia's Center for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research and Development described the case of a 16-year-old girl who was tested for flu in Jakarta in April 2007. "This is the first case-report of a human with both influenza A/H5N1 and H3N2 co-infection," the paper states. "Such infections are of great concern due to the possibility of genetic reassortment leading to the emergence of a H5N1 strain that is more easily transmitted human to human, and emphasizes the importance of advanced laboratory-based surveillance in geographic regions where both human and avian influenza viruses are co-circulating." Please follow this link for the complete CIDRAP article: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/news/mar1708coinfect.html
Update on the Situation in Viet Nam - WHO - March 18
The Ministry of Health in Viet Nam has confirmed a new case of human infection of H5N1 avian influenza. The case has been confirmed by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE). The case is an 11 -year old male from Thanh Liem district, Ha Nam province. He developed symptoms on 4 March was hospitalized on 9 March and died on 14 March. The case had contact with sick and dead poultry prior to his illness. Control measures have been implemented and close contacts have been identified. All remain healthy and will continue to be monitored. Of the 106 cases confirmed to date in Vietnam, 52 have been fatal.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2008_03_18/en/index.html
Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/H5N1- WHO - March 18
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2008_03_18/en/index.html
Heparin Recall
B. Braun’s Supplier Recall of Heparin API Prompts Voluntary Recall of Heparin Solutions - FDA - March 21
B. Braun Medical Inc. was recently notified by its supplier, Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC (SPL) of a nationwide recall of Heparin Sodium USP active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The voluntary recall affects 23 Finished Product (FP) lots manufactured and distributed by B. Braun Medical Inc. nationwide and to Canada. Please follow this link for more information and a detailed listing of the 23 recalled lots: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/bbraun03_08.html
Food Safety
Salmonella Risk with Cantaloupes from Agropecuaria Montelibano - FDA - March 22
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an import alert regarding entry of cantaloupe from Agropecuaria Montelibano, a Honduran grower and packer, because, based on current information, fruit from this company appears to be associated with a Salmonella Litchfield outbreak in the United States and Canada. The import alert advises FDA field offices that all cantaloupes shipped to the United States by this company are to be detained. The FDA also advises consumers who have recently bought cantaloupes to check with the place of purchase to determine if the fruit came from this specific grower and packer. If so, consumers should throw away the cantaloupes. To date, the FDA has received reports of 50 illnesses in 16 states and nine illnesses in Canada linked to the consumption of cantaloupes. No deaths have been reported; however, 14 people have been hospitalized. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. For more information please follow this link: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01808.html
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