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Environmental Health News Update
From Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (CDC) [coca@cdc.gov]
Food Safety | FEMA Trailers | Potential Public Health Impact of Satellite Re-entry | Seasonal Influenza | Avian Influenza | Travelers' Health |
Recall of Beef products - USDA - Feb. 17
Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. (Chino, California) is voluntarily recalling approximately 143,383,823 pounds of beef products from cattle that did not receive complete and proper FSIS inspection. The raw and frozen beef products have been determined to be unfit for human food because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection. Through evidence obtained by FSIS, the establishment did not consistently contact the FSIS public health veterinarian in situations in which cattle became nonambulatory after passing antemortem inspection, which is not compliant with FSIS regulations. This recall is designated as Class II due to the remote probability that the beef being recalled would cause adverse health effects if consumed. FSIS made this determination because the animals passed antemortem inspection but should have been identified as suspect requiring additional inspection after slaughter to determine if there is evidence of disease, injury, or other signs of abnormalities that may have occurred after antemortem inspection. To view a PDF of the USDA Recall Release please follow this link: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Recall_005-2008_Release.pdf
FEMA Plan of Action on Formaldehyde Findings to be Implemented Immediately - FEMA - Feb. 14
The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today its intent to expedite the agency's plan to provide for the safety and well being of residents living in FEMA provided temporary housing units. The re-doubling of efforts come amid preliminary findings from formaldehyde testing of temporary housing units in the Gulf Coast conducted for the agency by the CDC. FEMA is taking steps to expedite the relocation of residents from temporary housing units to apartments or other alternative housing such as hotels, motels, and "Katrina cottages." In providing proper health information to residents, FEMA will coordinate with CDC to provide occupants with additional public health information. Specifically, CDC and FEMA teams will also visit "each" of the 519 CDC tested units to provide occupants with the specific results for their home and advise them on a course of action. The two agencies have established toll-free hotlines to respond to public inquiries. FEMA employees are available to discuss housing concerns at 1-866-562-2381, or TTY 1-800-462-7585. CDC specialists will respond to health-related concerns at 1-800-CDC-INFO.
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema
Information on Hydrazine - CDC
The following link is to information on hydrazine, the hazardous component of the rocket fuel in the de-orbiting US Satellite the Department of Defense is planning to shoot down in the coming weeks.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/hydrazine/
Update: Influenza Activity - United States, September 30, 2007- February 9, 2008 - MMWR Early Release - Feb. 15
This report summarizes U.S. influenza activity since the beginning of the 2007-08 influenza season (September 30, 2007) and updates the previous summary. From September through early December, influenza activity remained low in the United States. Activity increased from early December through the end of the year and has continued to increase in January and February. This article contains specifics on viral surveillance, antigenic characterization, outpatient illness surveillance, state-specific activity levels, pneumonia and influenza-related mortality, influenza-associated pediatric hospitalizations, and resistance to antiviral medications.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm57e215a1.htm
Updated information on Influenza vaccines - CDC - Feb 15
New and updated Question and Answer sections have been added to the CDC Seasonal Influenza website. The following topics are addressed:
Weekly Report: Influenza Summary Update - Feb. 15
During week 6 (February 3 - 9, 2008), influenza activity continued to increase in the United States. Two thousand one hundred twenty-six (33.3%) 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 fifth consecutive week. The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory illness (ARI) was above national baseline levels. ILI increased in eight of the nine regions compared to week 5, and was above region-specific baselines in all nine regions. The East North Central, East South Central, Mountain, Pacific, West North Central, and West South Central regions reported ARI above their region specific baselines. Forty-four states reported widespread influenza activity; five states reported regional influenza activity; one state and the District of Columbia reported local influenza activity; and Puerto Rico reported sporadic influenza activity.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
Weekly US Map - Feb. 15
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm
H5N1 cases rise in China - CIDRAP - Feb. 18
Chinese health officials said today that a 22-year-old man died of H5N1 avian influenza in the country's first reported case this year, as health ministries in Indonesia and Vietnam reported three more H5N1 infections, two of them fatal. China's health ministry announced on its Web site today that the man, from Hunan province in central China, got sick on Jan 16, was hospitalized several days later, and died on Jan 24, according to a report from Reuters. If the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms the report, he will be listed as China's 28th case-patient and 18th fatality.
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/news/feb1807cases.html
Man's death raises Vietnam's H5N1 fatalities to 50 - CIDRAP - Feb. 15
An official from Vietnam's health ministry said today that a 27-year-old man whose samples recently tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza died of the disease last night, the country's second fatality in as many days. Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the health ministry's preventive medicine department, said the man died in a Hanoi hospital, according to an Associated Press (AP) report. If the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms the man's illness and death, he will be listed as Vietnam's 104th case-patient and its 50th fatality from the H5N1 virus.
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/news/feb1508vietnam.html
Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/H5N1- WHO - Feb. 15
Please note that these numbers have not yet been updated to reflect the cases described above.
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2008_02_15/en/index.html
H5N1 avian influenza: timeline of major events - WHO - PDF - Feb. 11
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/Timeline_08 02_1.pdf
Updated Case Numbers for Yellow Fever Outbreak in Brazil - CDC - Feb. 15
On January 8, 2008, the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MOH) announced a yellow fever disease alert for tourists and diplomats residing in Brazil, due to a number of suspected and confirmed human yellow fever cases during December 2007 and January 2008. As of February 12, 2008, 30 confirmed cases of Yellow Fever have been reported, including 15 deaths. The Brazilian MOH alert states that travelers to “areas of risk” for yellow fever should be vaccinated 10 days before going to such areas. In addition to areas previously identified in CDC’s guidance to travelers, the Brazilian MOH has identified two additional states with yellow fever risk: the northern part of Espiritu Santo and the western part of Santa Catarina.
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowFeverBrazil.aspx?s_cid=ccu021908_yellowfever1_e
Updated Yellow Fever Risk Map for Brazil:
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentUpdatedYFMapBrazil.aspx
NOTE: NCSL provides links to other Web sites from time to time for information purposes only. Providing these links does not necessarily indicate NCSL's support or endorsement of the site.
 Environmental Health
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