People gather on the beach in Miami Beach, Florida on June 16. EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / AFP / Getty Images
By Heather Grey
Earlier this month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 at community events and gatherings.
The agency has also issued recommendations to help people manage the risk during other personal and social activities.
<p>In these guidelines, the CDC emphasizes the importance of staying home when sick, maintaining physical distancing, wearing face masks, and practicing good hand hygiene.</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/cdc-gives-guidelines-for-travel-cookouts" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
<p>The agency also advises event organizers to take local circumstances into account when deciding whether or not to host, cancel, postpone, or otherwise adjust an event or gathering.</p><p>"[The CDC guidance] is very much based on the desire to give everybody an idea of what the risks are and help people make informed decisions on how to reduce the risks as low as possible," <a href="https://www.northwell.edu/find-care/find-a-doctor/emergency-medicine/dr-eric-christopher-cioe-pena-md-11363430" target="_blank">Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena</a>, an emergency physician and director of global health at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York, told Healthline.</p><p>"It's based on the best available evidence on what we know about how this virus is spread, with the understanding that people are going to have different risk tolerances," he added.</p>
Some Activities Pose Higher Risk
<p>Some types of community events, gatherings, and activities pose greater risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission than others, warns the CDC.</p><p>Virtual events and gatherings held online or over the phone provide the safest option for connecting with other people, the agency advises.</p><p>When it comes to in-person activities, smaller outdoor gatherings tend to pose lower risk than larger gatherings and those held indoors.</p><p>The less time that people spend in close contact with each other, the less likely they are to contract the virus or pass it to others — especially if everyone wears a face mask.</p><p>"The most effective way to reduce risk is to avoid large indoor gatherings altogether. This setting poses the highest risk of exposure and potential transmission of the virus," <a href="https://www.northwell.edu/find-care/find-a-doctor/emergency-medicine/dr-robert-glatter-md-11353725" target="_blank">Dr. Robert Glatter</a>, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told Healthline.</p><p>"Outdoor events while wearing a mask represent a safer option," he continued.</p><p>"Virtual meetings are the best way to have a meeting in this context," he said.</p>Risk Varies From Place to Place
<p>When someone is assessing the risk that an event, gathering, or other activity may pose, the CDC encourages them to take their local circumstances into account.</p><p>Some municipalities and states have issued stricter guidelines and rules around events, gatherings, and other activities, compared with others.</p><p>The rate of transmission and how likely you are to get the virus also vary from place to place, both within and between states.</p><p>If an event or gathering is held in an area where virus transmission rates are high, that raises the risk that someone with SARS-CoV-2 will attend and pass it on to others.</p><p>If someone travels to an event or gathering from outside the local area, they may carry the virus with them or pick it up in transit and pass it to other attendees after they arrive.</p><p>"Having a family reunion where people are flying in from 30 different states is much riskier than having a cookout with your neighbors," Cioe-Pena said.</p>Some People More Vulnerable
<p>Some community members face heightened risk of developing severe illness if they do contract SARS-CoV-2.</p><p>For example, older adults and people with underlying health conditions may be more likely to develop a severe infection or complications.</p><p>The CDC advises people to take those personal risk factors into account when planning an activity or deciding whether to participate in one.</p><p>"If it's a family gathering where there are a fair number of older persons who are over age 60, many of whom likely have underlying illnesses, that's a group I'd be much more cautious about," <a href="https://www.vumc.org/health-policy/person/william-schaffner-md" target="_blank">Dr. William Schaffner</a>, an infectious disease specialist at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told Healthline.</p><p>"If the COVID virus got to that gathering and spread among them, it could make a lot of them very seriously ill," he said.</p>Protect Yourself and Others
<p>To lower your risk for contracting or transmitting SARS-CoV-2, the CDC recommends keeping at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and members of other households.</p><p>When you can't maintain 6 feet of distance from members of other households or you're spending time around those people indoors, the CDC recommends wearing a face mask.</p><p>If you're helping to host an event, gathering, or other activity, you may need to limit attendance, make changes to the layout of your venue, or use other strategies to enable attendees to keep their distance from each other.</p><p>If your guests or event attendees will be eating with each other, consider asking them to bring their own food and drinks or take steps to limit the number of people who touch food containers, condiments, and serving ware.</p><p>For example, designate one person to serve all of the food.</p><p>Frequent handwashing is also important for reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, the CDC advises. So is regularly cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs and light switches.</p>When in Doubt, Stay Home
<p>If you've tested positive for the virus or have symptoms of COVID-19, or you've had close contact with someone who has symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days, the CDC advises you to stay home.</p><p>If you're hosting an event or gatherings, ask attendees to stay home if they've tested positive for the virus, have any symptoms, or been in close contact with someone with symptoms in the past 2 weeks.</p><p>"I think we have to be very mindful that social distancing has flattened the curve in many parts of this country, and if we want to keep it flat, we have to keep doing that," Schaffner said.</p><p>"I know it's tedious, I know it's disruptive, I know it's uncomfortable. I know it makes many people unhappy — but it's necessary," he added.</p>From Your Site Articles
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As CDC Says 'Do Not Go to Work,' Trump Says Thousands With Coronavirus Could Go to Work and Get Better
05 March
Health + Wellness
US President Donald Trump looks on next to Anthony Fauci, director of the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during a meeting at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland on March 3, following up on the COVID-19, coronavirus, outbreak. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP / Getty Images
By Jake Johnson
Running roughshod over the advice of trained medical professionals and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, President Donald Trump Wednesday night suggested to millions of Fox News viewers that people infected with coronavirus could still go to work and recover, comments that were immediately condemned as irresponsible and dangerous.
<p>"A lot of people will have this and it's very mild. They'll get better very rapidly," Trump told Fox's Sean Hannity. "They don't even see a doctor, they don't even call a doctor. You never hear about those people."<em></em></p>
<p>"So you can't put them down in the category of the overall population in terms of this corona flu and/or virus," Trump continued. "So you just can't do that. So, if, you know, we have thousands or hundreds of thousands of people that get better just by, you know, sitting around and even going to work. Some of them go to work, but they get better."</p><p>The CDC has <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html" target="_blank">advised</a> that anyone exhibiting <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html" target="_blank">symptoms</a> of coronavirus such as a fever, coughing, and/or shortness of breath stay home from work, avoid public areas as much as possible, and seek medical attention.</p><p>"You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care," the CDC's website states. "Do not go to work, school, or public areas. Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis."</p><p>Trump also claimed in the interview with Hannity that the World Health Organization's (WHO) estimate of a 3.4% global death rate from coronavirus is a "false number."</p><p>"This is just my hunch," the president said.</p>
<div id="a8c5c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="V9Z3NC1583421934"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1235411751950221312" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">In this clip, Trump:
1. Denies WHO's coronavirus death rate based on “hunch"
2. Calls coronavirus "corona flu"
3. S… https://t.co/mkSwCySBr0</div> — Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar)<a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/statuses/1235411751950221312">1583380089.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"These are really dangerous lies," <a href="https://twitter.com/HeerJeet/status/1235412718787547138" target="_blank">tweeted</a> The Nation's Jeet Heer.</p><p>"Trump has had briefings from the nation's best doctors and scientists on COVID-19 and he still spouts total, dangerous bullshit," <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterGleick/status/1235424496896573440" target="_blank">added</a> climate scientist Peter Gleick.</p><p>Trump's remarks came just hours after California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency following the death of a 71-year-old man, the first U.S. coronavirus fatality reported outside of Washington state.</p><p>"This is not something that I say hyperbolically," Newsom said of the emergency declaration during a press conference Wednesday. "The proclamation is to serve to help advance our resources."</p>
<div id="c337a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="KMDAL11583421934"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1235379032302084097" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">LATEST: Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency after announcing California had 53 confirmed cases of novel… https://t.co/f17kNyu699</div> — ABC News (@ABC News)<a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/statuses/1235379032302084097">1583372288.0</a></blockquote></div><p>As Trump and other White House officials have attempted to downplay the severity of the outbreak and hurled <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-identifies-the-real-coronavirus-victim-his-presidency" target="_blank">accusations of fearmongering</a> — the president <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/feb/28/trump-calls-coronavirus-outbreak-a-hoax-and-links-it-to-immigration-at-rally#maincontent" target="_blank">said</a> at a rally last week that Democrats' criticism of his handling of the health crisis is a "new hoax" — coronavirus has spread to at least 15 states in the U.S. and killed 11 people.</p><p>"The death rate so far—which includes more than 3,000 deaths [globally]—is many times higher than the mortality rate of the seasonal flu, which is 0.1%," the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-04/coronavirus-hits-critical-moment-in-u-s-more-death-but-still-time-to-contain" target="_blank">reported</a> Wednesday. "WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that is at least partly because COVID-19 is a new disease, and no one has built up an immunity to it."</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/05/cdc-says-do-not-go-work-trump-says-thousands-coronavirus-could-go-work-and-get?cd-origin=rss">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- As Coronavirus Infections Rise, CDC Is Criticized - EcoWatch ›
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A researcher works in a lab that is developing testing for the COVID-19 coronavirus at Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation on Feb. 28 in Nutley, New Jersey. Kena Betancur / Getty Images News / Getty Images
By Michael Halpern
The Trump administration is scrambling to reconcile the president's contradictions of statements made by federal health scientists about the emerging coronavirus crisis. Their solution: muzzle scientists, require that all statements be politically vetted through Vice President Pence, and punish federal employees who draw attention to gross negligence. This is a highly dangerous power grab that undermines both emergency response and public faith in the reliability of information coming out of the government. And it speaks to the incompetence and incoherence of the response to this crisis so far.
<p>It's hard to keep track of the number of Trump appointees <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/opinion/coronavirus-trump.html" target="_blank">who should know basic facts about the coronavirus but don't</a>. Then yesterday, we learned that the actual public health experts in government <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/us/politics/us-coronavirus-pence.html" target="_blank">would no longer be allowed to speak publicly about the outbreak</a> without the vice president's blessing. Via The New York Times:</p><blockquote><em>"Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, one of the country's leading experts on viruses and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told associates that the White House had instructed him not to say anything else without clearance."'</em></blockquote>
<p>CDC <a href="https://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/ppt/CERC_Crisis_Communication_Plans.pdf" target="_blank">already has a 65-page manual for communicating complex scientific information</a> to the public in times of crisis. "Clearance" by the White House will not improve this function.</p><p>Later yesterday afternoon, the Washington Post reported that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/27/us-workers-without-protective-gear-assisted-coronavirus-evacuees-hhs-whistleblower-says/" target="_blank">government health officials were sent to take in evacuees without proper training or protective gear</a>. An employee who raised concerns has filed a whistleblower complaint after facing retaliation. According to the Post:<span></span></p><blockquote><em>"The whistleblower is seeking federal protection because she alleges she was unfairly and improperly reassigned after raising concerns about the safety of these workers to HHS officials, including those within the office of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. She was told Feb. 19 that if she does not accept the new position in 15 days, which is March 5, she would be terminated."</em></blockquote><p>As chronicled by UCS's Anita Desikan, previous Trump administration actions <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/anita-desikan/trump-administration-has-hindered-ability-to-respond-to-coronavirus" target="_blank">have already compromised government response</a>. The State Department <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-diamond-princess-cruise-americans/2020/02/20/b6f54cae-5279-11ea-b119-4faabac6674f_story.html" target="_blank">overruled objections by CDC scientists</a> and allowed 14 people who tested positive for the virus to fly together with non-infected people. Global disease surveillance systems were weakened. Initiatives to better understand viruses in animals were shuttered. And National Security Council global health security experts were pushed out the door.</p><p>We already know that this White House prioritizes the president's ego over giving the public the information it needs. Remember <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/tag/sharpiegate#.XlkL-pNKhp8" target="_blank">Sharpiegate</a>? The president erroneously claimed that Hurricane Dorian would hit Alabama. The professional civil service staff at the National Weather Service clarified that the state was not in the path of the storm. That's their job.</p><p>Rather than admit a mistake, White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/11/us/politics/trump-alabama-noaa.html" target="_blank">ordered the acting NOAA administrator to repudiate the experts</a> and prevent other scientists from talking about the path of the storm. <em>During the hurricane.</em> Under termination threats, NOAA political appointees buckled, telling professional staff that the even when public safety is concerned, the president is always right.</p><p>We know that the president will fire anyone who crosses him, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/responding-to-news-of-russian-interference-trump-sends-chilling-message-to-us-intelligence/2020/02/22/1c63faec-5502-11ea-929a-64efa7482a77_story.html" target="_blank">even leaders within the intelligence services</a>, with nary a whimper from his allies in Congress who claim to care about the Constitution. The emperor will be sure that nobody will tell him when he has no clothes.</p><p>What will happen now that the White House has a compelling self-interest in downplaying the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in light of the plummeting stock market? Don't count on Pence, who was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/us/politics/us-coronavirus-pence.html" target="_blank">overheard complaining</a> that he had "nothing to do."</p><p>There is no substitute for experienced government professional staff who are focused on the public interest. That becomes even more critical in times of emergency. If this censorship and retaliation trend continues, we can expect more gross incompetence in handling the virus' spread. More people will get needlessly sick and more people will needlessly die.</p><p>If the White House has no qualms about misleading the public about weather forecasts, how can we possibly expect them to tell the truth about a major public health crisis? Enough with the political vetting. We need to hear directly from the experts.</p>
<p><em><a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/author/michael-halpern#.XlpqOJNKg6U" target="_blank">Michael Halpern</a> is an expert on political interference in science and solutions to reduce suppression, manipulation, and distortion of government science.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Coronavirus ›
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Female doctor pediatrician with baby patient. Lordn / iStock / Getty Images
By Julia Ries
- The measles virus was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.
- But if more cases of the measles virus are detected next month, it could mean an end of that elimination status.
- There have been more than 1,200 measles cases this year so far. That's the largest number of cases since 1992.
<p><br></p></div>
<p>The United States was declared to have eliminated the measles virus in 2000, meaning it was no longer endemic to the country.</p><p>But now ongoing outbreaks of the measles virus threaten that elimination status. There have been <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html" target="_blank">1,241 cases</a> of the measles in the United States since January.</p><p>The last time there was well over a thousand cases of measles was 27 years ago, in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00020688.htm" target="_blank">1992</a>. At least 2,200 people reported having the measles that year, and, while that may seem steep, it was a 77 percent drop in the number of measles cases the United States saw the year prior.</p><p>After 1992, the measles finally started to lose steam — all the way until 2000, when a vaccination program was declared successful. Health officials were able to officially declare the United States to have eliminated measles.</p><p>This year, as measles cases continue to climb, the country may lose its elimination status by early October if the disease continues to appear.</p><p>"That loss would be a huge blow for the nation and erase the hard work done by all levels of public health," Kristen Nordlund, a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told Healthline.</p><p>According to Nordlund, the measles elimination goal — which was first announced in 1996 — was a monumental task.</p><p>Before the vaccine came around, which successfully wiped out measles, about 3 to 4 million people contracted the virus each year, with nearly 48,000 of them being hospitalized and around 500 dying.</p>
New York State’s Measles Outbreak
<p>Just last week, New York City <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/409-19/mayor-de-blasio-health-officials-declare-end-measles-outbreak-new-york-city" target="_blank">announced</a> their 11-month <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/measles.page" target="_blank">outbreak</a> — which infected 654 and led to the controversial <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1905941" target="_blank">mandatory vaccinations</a> in Brooklyn — came to a close.</p><p>Though promising, it's not enough to keep elimination status.</p><p>"Measles elimination status is lost immediately if a chain of transmission in a given outbreak is greater than 12 months," Nordlund explained.</p><p>If transmission continues in New York state — specifically, <a href="http://rocklandgov.com/departments/health/measles-information/" target="_blank">Rockland</a> and <a href="https://www.health.ny.gov/press/releases/2019/2019-08-08_doh_wyoming_county_measles_joint_release.htm" target="_blank">Wyoming</a> counties, where there've been a combined 317 cases of the measles since October 2018 — elimination status will end.</p><p>It would just take one case to be reported in the area on or after Oct. 2, Nordlund says.</p>Measles Is on Its Way to Becoming Endemic Again
<p>Aside from being a disappointing blow to the United States, losing elimination status means measles could become endemic again.</p><p>"We can, if this continues, go back in time to before the 1960s era when 3 to 4 million cases occurred every year. So many died and developed serious consequences from this disease," said <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/doctors/marietta_vazquez/" target="_blank">Dr. Marietta Vazquez</a>, a pediatrician and infectious disease expert with Yale Medicine.</p><p>Granted, the virus wouldn't be quite as destructive as it was decades ago. Since many people do get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, the level of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths would likely be nowhere near what the country saw pre-vaccine, according to Nordlund.</p><p>The virus, however, is extremely contagious. It infects about <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/transmission.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/transmission.html" target="_blank">90 percent</a> of nonimmune people who come into contact with it.</p><p>"While many germs require skin-to-skin contact, or that someone sneezes or coughs on you, or that you consume contaminated food or water, measles is broadcast into the air so easily that merely being in the same room with an infected person — or even where that person recently spent time — is enough to cause transmission," said <a href="https://www.northwell.edu/find-care/find-a-doctor/pediatrics/dr-michael-b-grosso-md-11314712" target="_blank">Dr. Michael Grosso</a>, the chief medical officer and chair of pediatrics at Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital.</p><p>It also doesn't take many virus particles for someone to get sick. Infected people typically start spreading the virus about four days before they even begin to notice symptoms.</p><p>Because of this, the measles virus is perfectly suited to cause an epidemic, Grosso says.</p>Here’s What It Will Take to Reclaim Elimination Status
<p>If the United States loses elimination status, the country will have to restart all over again to achieve elimination status yet again. And it might not be as easy this time around.</p><p>"Honestly, it would be even harder than when [the] original measles campaign started in the U.S., given globalization and how easy it is to move from country to country," Vazquez said.</p><p>To reclaim the status, the United States will need to keep measles at bay for another year.</p><p>"Just like elimination loss is defined as greater than 12 months of endemic transmission, gaining elimination status back would be the inverse — showing that we didn't have endemic transmission for more than 12 months," Nordlund said.</p><p>Healthcare officials have made it extremely clear that to beat measles, the <a href="http://ecowatch.com/tag/vaccines" rel="noopener noreferrer">vaccination</a> rate must increase — and quickly.</p><p>"Getting control of measles again involves nothing more or less than what our nation did the first time around: Immunize enough persons to prevent the chain of transmission," Grosso said.</p><p>Right now, approximately <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/immunize.htm" target="_blank">91 percent of infants</a> are receiving the MMR vaccine. In certain close-knit communities, though, this vaccination rate is much, much lower.</p><p>About 93 to 95 percent of the population needs to be immune to prevent transmission. The big question is, how do we get there?</p><p>The anti-vaccine movement, which circulates inaccurate information and false theories about vaccines, has prevented thousands of people from getting the MMR vaccine.</p><p>For the country's immunization rate to go up and for the outbreaks to stop, these myths need to be broken down, and community attitudes need to change.</p><p>For now, all eyes are on New York. Sure, we may still have new importations or other outbreaks, Nordlund notes, but it's really that long, consistent outbreak in New York that must be stopped.</p>The Bottom Line
<p>If the New York state measles outbreak continues, the United States could lose its measles elimination status by early October.</p><p>The loss of elimination status would be a huge disappointment for the country, which fought to immunize people and wipe out the virus in 2000.</p><p>To get control of measles, vaccination rates across the country need to increase. Otherwise, measles could easily become endemic again.</p>
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Fuse / Corbis / Getty Images
The U.S. government expanded a recall of ground beef Tuesday as an outbreak of salmonella has quadrupled to 246 people in 25 states since the first recall was announced in October, NBC 4 New York reported.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) announced that the Arizona-based JBS Tolleson, Inc. was recalling an additional 5,156,076 pounds of raw beef that were packaged between July 26 and Sept. 7. When added to the approximately 6,937,195 pounds originally recalled Oct. 4, it makes for a total of around 12,093,271 pounds recalled by the company.
<p>"FSIS is concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers' freezers. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase," the agency warned in the recall announcement.</p><p>The recalled beef has the label "EST. 267" inside its USDA mark of inspection and was sent to stores across the country including Walmarts in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico Nevada and Texas and Sam's Clubs in 26 states. You can find the full list of recalled products <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/a4f60fdc-5155-4253-b1d1-d57893ec8359/Tolleson+labels+12.03.18.pdf?MOD=AJPERES" target="_blank">here</a> and the full list of impacted retailers <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/d198b5f7-e009-4654-8195-5d61009d361f/RC-085-2018-Retail-List.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url&CACHEID=d198b5f7-e009-4654-8195-5d61009d361f" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODk2ODkxMy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MTUxMTE1Mn0.6FdDTEvHf6DbJRCiVHlJstTieNJPdHvwMBxlYrlLrdI/img.png?width=980" id="8a8d6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3cd89ff7288a147ad30ab0187d5fa921" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">The label of one of the recalled ground beef products</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">USDA FSIS</small></p><p>The beef has been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Newport that first started Aug. 5. The last case reported was on Oct. 16. So far, 59 people have been hospitalized and no one has died, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/newport-10-18/index.html" target="_blank">Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported</a>.<br></p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODk2ODkxNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTk5NjAzOH0.Kw_FWrbCHvPnALU3ex6bX6HWGOrDWnIB5PbAb0VfpsE/img.jpg?width=980" id="61368" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4ab73c486236a8d56cbeee2f3dd46aae" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">A timeline of Salmonella Newport cases so far</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CDC</small></p><p>Salmonella usually causes diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. It usually clears up after four to seven days without treatment, but children under five, older adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems could be more vulnerable.<br></p><p>All of the cases in the current outbreak might not have been reported yet, the CDC explained, because it can take up to two to four weeks for someone to report their illness after getting sick. So far, cases have been reported in 25 states, as this map shows.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODk2ODkxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODU1NTQ5N30.oc1n313uPk3GQrThF4kttbISvLCpml2uVZ1-g8AHmJU/img.jpg?width=980" id="73952" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e7429467461fe0b02a123c88fe186345" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">A map of Salmonella Newport cases as of November 15</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CDC</small></p><p>Officials source outbreaks by interviewing infected people about what <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/food/" target="_self">food</a> they ate the week before. In this case, 90 percent of respondents said they ate ground beef at home.<br></p><p>The CDC further explained the sleuthing that went into uncovering the cause of this particular outbreak: </p><blockquote>Officials in Arizona collected an unopened package of ground beef from an ill person's home. The outbreak strain of <em>Salmonella</em> Newport was identified in the ground beef. Whole genome sequencing showed that the <em>Salmonella </em>identified in the ground beef was closely related genetically to the <em>Salmonella</em> in samples from ill people. The ground beef was one of the products recalled on October 4, 2018.</blockquote><p>The CDC recommends that anyone eating ground meat always cook it or order it cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit and always wash hands and any equipment that came in contact with the raw meat with soap and water.</p><p>"No one should be eating partially cooked or raw meat," FSIS warned.</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Meat Producers Issue Massive Recalls after Salmonella, Listeria ... ›
- Nearly 43,000 Pounds of Ground Beef Recalled Over E. Coli Fears - EcoWatch ›
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Invasive Tick Spreads to Ninth State, CDC Warns of 'New and Emerging Disease Threat'
30 November 2018
Health + Wellness
The Asian longhorned tick has been found in nine states. CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned of a "multistate infestation" with the Asian longhorned tick—the first new tick species to enter the U.S. in 50 years.
New Jersey was the first state to report the Haemaphysalis longicornis on a sheep in August 2017. Since then, it has been found in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, according to Friday's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
<p>
"The presence of H. longicornis in the United States represents a new and emerging disease threat," the report said.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODk0MDczMS9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNzczMTgxMn0.VdaMclBlBZ9O4N6aFOr-MhO0zCvFzLsygyuOIgZZXWM/img.gif?width=980" id="bca2a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5443d60b6c91674d510bb1e8301cc95a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">The ticks were reported from 45 counties in nine states from August 2017 to September 2018.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CDC</small>
</p><p>
As
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/asian-long-horned-tick-spreads-2593977156.html" target="_self">EcoWatch previously mentioned</a>, in Asia the species carries a disease that kills 15 percent of those infected, but no human diseases have been linked to the species in the U.S. since it was first found in New Jersey.
</p><p>
The CDC is currently working with public health, agricultural and academic experts to understand the possible threat posed by the insect.
</p><p>
"The full public health and agricultural impact of this tick discovery and spread is unknown," said Ben Beard, Ph.D., deputy director of CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in a
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p1129-tick-spreading-widely.html" target="_blank">press release</a>. "In other parts of the world, the Asian longhorned tick can transmit many types of pathogens common in the United States. We are concerned that this tick, which can cause massive infestations on animals, on people, and in the environment, is spreading in the United States."
</p><p>
<span></span><a href="https://www.livescience.com/64198-longhorned-tick-spreading-us.html" target="_blank">LiveScience</a> further reported:<br>
</p><blockquote>
<span></span>"In other parts of the world, longhorned ticks are known to spread diseases, including the bacterial infections <a href="https://www.livescience.com/14763-babesiosis-tick-disease-rising.html" target="_blank">babesiosis</a>, ehrlichiosis, theileriosis and rickettsiosis, as well as certain viral diseases. In China and Japan, the longhorned tick transmits a disease called severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), which can be deadly."
</blockquote><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="3f186" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9UDOVH1576662467"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1068525061718437888" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Asian longhorned tick is new to the United States and has the potential to spread germs. People should take ste… https://t.co/P34DHHTsTa</div> — Dr. Robert R. Redfield (@Dr. Robert R. Redfield)<a href="https://twitter.com/CDCDirector/statuses/1068525061718437888">1543591201.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
Unlike most tick species, a single female Asian longhorned tick can reproduce offspring without mating and lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time.
</p><p>
This means hundreds to thousands of ticks can be found on a single animal, person or in the environment, the CDC said.
</p><p>
Earlier this month, the CDC
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/data-summary/index.html" target="_blank">reported</a> that in 2017, state and local health departments reported a record number of tickborne illnesses like Lyme disease.
</p><p>
"Tick-borne diseases like Lyme hit an all-time high this year, just as a new tick capable of spreading disease rears its ugly head," Connecticut U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal
<a href="https://twitter.com/SenBlumenthal/status/1068537694064713728" target="_blank">tweeted</a> Friday in reaction to the report. "It's clear, urgent federal action is needed to fight the debilitating & growing public health threat of tick-borne diseases."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="d3f4c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="KL71J51576662467"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1068537694064713728" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Tick-borne diseases like Lyme hit an all-time high this year, just as a new tick capable of spreading disease rears… https://t.co/U536hH5A5d</div> — Richard Blumenthal (@Richard Blumenthal)<a href="https://twitter.com/SenBlumenthal/statuses/1068537694064713728">1543594213.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>
You can protect yourself from tick-borne diseases by using
<a href="https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents" target="_blank">insect repellents</a>, wearing protective gear and clothing, checking your body and clothing for ticks after returning from potentially tick-infested areas and showering soon after being outdoors, the CDC advises.
</p><p>
The CDC also advised livestock producers and pet owners to work with their veterinarians to maintain regular tick prevention and report any unknown tick species to their local department of agriculture.
</p><p>
<span></span>Here's the agency's advice on what you should do if you think you have found an Asian longhorned tick:
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html" target="_blank">Remove</a> any tick from people and animals as quickly as possible.</li>
<li>Save the ticks in rubbing alcohol in a jar or a ziplock bag, then:
<ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Contact your <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/stltpublichealth/healthdirectories/healthdepartments.html" target="_blank">health department</a> about steps you can take to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_people.html" target="_blank">prevent tick bites</a> and tickborne diseases.</li>
<li>Contact a veterinarian for information about how to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_pets.html" target="_blank">protect pets</a> from ticks and tick bites.</li>
<li>Contact your state agriculture department or local agricultural extension office about ticks on livestock or for tick identification.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODk0MDc2NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTQwMzM0OX0.PXR_-0X_EF3N79iKtuA5bXNhANmG2ivT4oBnX8vR51Y/img.jpg?width=980" id="0cdca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="425c36faf207283b605c06b4925cdb28" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Longhorned tick. Nymph and adult female, underside</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CDC</small>
</p>
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Health agencies say avoid romaine lettuce as they investigate an E. coli outbreak. Agricultural Resources Service / USDA
If you're hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow, be sure to leave romaine lettuce off the menu! The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are warning everyone to avoid the classic salad green until investigators can pinpoint the exact source of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 32 people in 11 states.
The FDA advised Americans to stop eating romaine and to toss any that's left in the fridge. Restaurants and retailers should also stop serving it until more is known.
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="7cde6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7UKS881576663059"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1065079773360209921" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">FDA, @CDCgov, & partners are investigating a new multistate outbreak of E. coli likely linked to romaine lettuce. C… https://t.co/0fHwLJxDr5</div> — U.S. FDA (@U.S. FDA)<a href="https://twitter.com/US_FDA/statuses/1065079773360209921">1542769780.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>"The quick and aggressive steps we're taking today are aimed at making sure we get ahead of this emerging outbreak, to reduce risk to consumers, and to help people protect themselves and their families from this foodborne illness outbreak. This is especially important ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, when people will be sitting down for family meals," FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a <a href="https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/ucm626351.htm" target="_blank">press release issued Tuesday</a>. "We want to get this information out to consumers early. While we've made progress, it's still early in this investigation and work remains to pinpoint the source of contamination that contributed to this outbreak and allow us to employ more targeted measures to reduce future risk."<br></p><p>Cases so far have been reported in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. The particular strain causing the outbreak is called Shiga toxin-producing <em>E. coli </em>O157:H7, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-11-18/index.html" target="_blank">CDC alert</a>. It has sent 13 people to the hospital so far, and no one has died.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODkxODYyNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTEzMjExNn0.bgF6b4Hdhc4HGG7NEvbDDcG3P6X_QE8GUaw63yLYgZg/img.jpg?width=980" id="3182e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="06c52fc3c960703be07f7b9e60c8e066" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">A map of states where illness has been reported</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CDC</small></p><p>Illnesses began on Oct. 8, and the last reported case was on Oct. 31. It usually takes about two to three weeks for someone to report an illness after first getting sick, so more people might have been infected since then, the CDC said. Public health workers believe romaine is the culprit because 79 percent of the 14 infected people interviewed so far said they ate romaine lettuce in the week before getting sick, but researchers have not yet been able to pinpoint a specific grower, supplier, brand or distributor to issue a recall. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODkxODYzMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNTIyNzYxNH0.Vy-RyhHvMFBnql4Vaj86_E59_BL-VAM15ENObjOAAIc/img.jpg?width=980" id="55127" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="940a2ebe2afb613b4eb39844beba15f9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">A timeline of the outbreak so far</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">CDC</small></p><p>The outbreak has also crossed the border into Canada, where 18 people in Quebec and Ontario have been infected so far.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="e942a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="G8K1YL1576663060"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1065062380252684288" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Recent illnesses reported in Ontario and Quebec suggests that there is a risk of E. coli infections associated with… https://t.co/FYYXdHXKUS</div> — GovCanHealth (@GovCanHealth)<a href="https://twitter.com/GovCanHealth/statuses/1065062380252684288">1542765634.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>This isn't the first time salad has made people sick in the U.S. and Canada. The strain of this outbreak has a similar DNA fingerprint to one in 2017 that was linked to leafy greens in the U.S. and romaine lettuce in Canada.<br></p><p>The symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing <em>E. coli</em> kick in two to eight days after initial infection. They usually include stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea, and sometimes a fever of 101 degrees or lower, according to the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm626330.htm" target="_blank">FDA</a>. It usually clears up after five to seven days, but 5 to 10 percent of people who get it develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially life-threatening condition. The FDA explains:</p><blockquote>Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Most people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent damage or die. People who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately. Persons with HUS should be hospitalized because their kidneys may stop working (acute renal failure), but they may also develop other serious problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems.</blockquote><p>If you think you are coming down with <em>E. coli, </em>the CDC advises that you:</p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Talk to your doctor.</li><li>Write down what you ate the week before you got sick.</li><li>Alert the health department.</li><li>Answer any questions public health employees ask you about your illness.</li></ol>
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An Aedes albopictus female mosquito obtaining a blood meal from a human host. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Image Library
By Joyce Sakamoto and Shelley Whitehead
Cases of vector-borne disease have more than doubled in the U.S. since 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported, with mosquitoes and ticks bearing most of the blame.
Mosquitoes, long spreaders of malaria and yellow fever, have more recently spread dengue, Zika and Chikungunya viruses, and caused epidemic outbreaks, mainly in U.S. territories. The insects are also largely responsible for making West Nile virus endemic in the continental U.S.
<p>
Ticks, which are not insects but <a href="http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/ticks" target="_blank">parasitic arthropods</a>, actually cause more disease in the U.S. than mosquitoes do, accounting for <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6717e1.htm?s_cid=mm6717e1_w" target="_blank">76.51 percent of total U.S. vector-borne disease cases</a>. These include Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever and newer diseases as well.
</p><p>
Why the uptick in vector-borne disease, and more importantly, how can we protect ourselves from potentially serious diseases? As researchers of these types of diseases, we have some answers.
</p><p><strong>Blood: The High Cost of Living</strong></p><p>
Both mosquitoes and ticks transmit disease-causing pathogens through bites.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzcxNzY5MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODc0MTc4N30.uoAP_l7foa5sNjdGrnXdiz_n4pnrubevPlA9id9r3_Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="c2a9c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cbe2802ac75ac9f8f0a1b85b7bdb1897" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Shelley Whitehead</small></p><p>Only the female mosquito takes a blood meal to make eggs, but almost all life stages of ticks need blood to survive.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzcxNzY5NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzI0NDgxMX0.MJADLI_UVItTR8RduWHI4jdCH95bCN16sUAGy4hVioA/img.jpg?width=980" id="6ac72" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="17d530bfda30572158dcac3795bc7919" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Joyce Sakamoto</small></p><p>Although mosquitoes were first demonstrated to have the ability to transmit diseases <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/24/5/pdfs/17-1609.pdf" target="_blank">in 1889</a>, mosquitoes have been transmitting diseases for far longer. Written records as early as 2700 B.C. suggest <a href="https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/1756-3305-3-5" target="_blank">malaria plagued humans in China</a>.<br></p><p>
The first suspected dengue outbreak occurred in the early 1600s, but it took three centuries for the first three mosquito-borne diseases—malaria, dengue and yellow fever—to invade the Americas. Yet, in the past two decades alone, we've experienced a wave of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/zika/reporting/case-counts.html" target="_blank">three more mosquito-borne diseases</a>—<a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs40475-013-0008-1.pdf" target="_blank">West Nile, Chikungunya and Zika viruses</a>. This marked increase in disease spread is due to several factors, including advances in air and water travel and <a href="https://theconversation.com/global-warming-to-expose-more-people-to-zika-spreading-mosquito-aedes-aegypti-58908" target="_blank">warming temperatures</a>.
</p><p><strong>The High Cost of International Travel and Trade</strong></p><p>
The international tire trade has made <em>Aedes albopictus</em>, the Asian tiger mosquito, a global traveler. This mosquito gains passage on <a href="https://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2001/mar/010309.disease.html" target="_blank">cargo ships</a> and gets unlimited access to man-made containers, which it needs for breeding, in the thousands of tires on board these ships. Rainwater collecting in the tires are ideal breeding sites. Even though it is not a major vector of dengue, Chikungunya and Zika viruses, this invasive species is still especially dangerous. It is able to outcompete most other mosquito species that live in similar habitats.
</p><p>
We humans serve as hosts for many vector-borne diseases, and our own movement can aid transmission. We can hop on a plane and be in a different country within hours. Diseases once quarantined to other regions of the globe can now be easily transported within an infected human. Some people don't even realize they are sick. Researchers have estimated that up to 80 percent of individuals infected with Zika virus are <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05013-9.pdf" target="_blank">symptomless</a>. Yet, if the right vector feeds on a symptomless but infected person, transmission can still occur.
</p><p>
Increased <a href="https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article/364/19/fnx186/4107775" target="_blank">climate fluctuations</a>, largely due to human activity, can also affect how vector-borne diseases spread. <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">Warmer climates</a> may allow mosquitoes to survive in areas previously too cold to support them.
</p><p>
Predicting the outcome of warming on overall vector populations can be difficult. If, for example, summer in the deep Southeast becomes too hot and dry for mosquito development, peaks in transmission and mosquito numbers could shift to the fall. Higher temperatures may shorten the time it takes for pathogens to develop within mosquitoes, so mosquitoes may become <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/106/33/13844.full.pdf" target="_blank">infectious faster</a> and transmit pathogens sooner.
</p><p><strong>Tick-Borne Diseases</strong></p><p>
<a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/fulltext/S1471-4922(12)00121-3?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1471492212001213%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank">Five percent of 900 tick species</a> are known to transmit disease-causing microorganisms. Because <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7497-1" target="_blank">38 percent of all tick species</a> have been known to bite humans, researchers will likely find more tick-borne diseases. Since 2004, there have been nine new vector-borne diseases described in the U.S., and seven of these are tick-transmitted, including the two potentially fatal Bourbon and Heartland viruses.
</p><p>
Most, or <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6717e1.htm?s_cid=mm6717e1_w" target="_blank">82 percent</a> of tick-borne disease cases, are Lyme disease, which is caused by the bacteria <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em>, and transmitted by the blacklegged, or deer, tick. <a href="https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6717e1" target="_blank">Cases</a> of Lyme, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis have increased two-and-a-half to six-and-a-half fold.
</p><p>
Tick-borne diseases may be rising due to global travel, animal transport, habitat fragmentation and changing climate. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030478" target="_blank">Climate change</a> is correlated with range expansion of several important tick species. Ticks previously limited by cold winters are now becoming established farther north. In response to the arrival of Lyme disease to Canadian soil, the Public Health Agency of Canada responded with a <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease-canada-federal-framework.html" target="_blank">Federal Framework on Lyme Disease</a> focused on disease surveillance, education and awareness, and best practices for control, prevention and treatment of Lyme disease.
</p><p><strong>What Can You Do?</strong></p><p>
To lower your risk of transmission from mosquitoes:
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Check backyards for anything that could hold water and empty such vessels. This includes children's toys, bird baths, empty soda cans and flower pots.</li>
<li>Use mosquito repellents that are <a href="https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents" target="_blank">EPA</a> approved. Avoid natural repellents that haven't been verified for their effectiveness.</li>
</ul><p>
To prevent tick bites:
</p><p>
One sure way to prevent tick bites is to avoid suitable habitats for ticks, but this isn't always possible. Large-scale habitat control or acaricide (tick-killing) treatment of wildlife, though possible, can be difficult or not cost-effective for homeowners. The best preventative measures are:
</p><ul class="ee-ul">
<li>Use CDC-recommended repellents such as DEET or picaridin.</li>
<li>Shower and do a thorough tick check.</li></ul><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzcxNzY5NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjM1NTA0NH0.T7QA2P8Eb-ayLBO8G9qzNblCx0Qg3D5U-kYpOXQ_efY/img.jpg?width=980" id="0a767" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="901b2f7a57262c0fdf64b377c10b3ef8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Joyce Sakamoto</small></p><p>Tick checks are absolutely crucial. People usually follow this routine after going outdoors, but sometimes forget. And they often avoid places that ticks love, such as between your legs. Hard-to-reach areas are prime real estate for blood-feeding parasites that don't want to be dislodged, so make sure to check: the hairline (especially on children), torso, belly button and groin. If necessary, get assistance or a mirror and a bright light.<br></p><p>
If you find an embedded tick, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html" target="_blank">correctly dislodge it</a> with fine-tipped tweezers, grasping the part closest to the skin and pulling straight up. Do not burn, squeeze, twist or smother the tick, since this may cause it to regurgitate. Gross-out alert: Any pathogens they have in their saliva can then be dumped into the bite site.
</p><p>
After removal, keep the tick for identification; different species transmit different pathogens. Finally, see a doctor after finding an embedded tick or if you think you have been bitten. In addition to getting medical attention, your data will be added to the national list of reported tick-borne diseases.
</p><p>
The CDC has several pages dedicated to vector-borne disease control and prevention. Local state health departments, general practitioners and veterinarians will also have recommendations for prevention, treatment and vector control. Talk to your veterinarian about repellents or agents that will kill mites called <a href="https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=25533" target="_blank">acaricides</a> for pets, since some can be toxic to cats.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="267ee" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5B1SWW1576663060"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="928320233810644992" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#EPA Approves Release of Mosquito-Killing #Mosquitoes in 20 States https://t.co/FYN3EBTLz7 @SierraClub @GMWatch… https://t.co/kMCr7jjeGh</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/928320233810644992">1510163765.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://theconversation.com/ticks-and-mosquitoes-bringing-more-diseases-what-can-we-do-96688" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em><br></p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96688/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
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Trending
Aedes aegypti mosquito obtaining a blood-meal. Public Health Image Library
The number of diseases transmitted by mosquito, tick and flea bites more than tripled in the U.S. from 2004 through 2016, according to a report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
More than 640,000 cases were reported during those 13 years. There were more than 96,000 cases in 2016, a massive jump from the 27,000 cases in 2004.
<p>
The bite of an infected mosquito, tick or flea can transmit illnesses including the Zika virus, West Nile, Lyme disease and chikungunya. The report also mentions that nine new germs spread by mosquitoes and ticks were discovered or introduced in the U.S. in the years studied.
</p><p>
This increase in insect-borne illnesses can be blamed on many factors, including overseas travel and commerce, the CDC said.
</p><p>
Lyle Petersen, the report's lead author and the agency's director of vector-borne diseases, also said warmer weather was a reason, as
<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/insect-borne-diseases-have-tripled-heres-why/" target="_blank">Wired</a> reported.
</p><p>
However, the official stopped short of using the highly politicized term "climate change," even though many scientists have established this
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-make-us-sick-2437944824.html" target="_blank">link</a>.
</p><p>
"I can't comment on why there's increasing temperatures, that's the job of meteorologists," Petersen told reporters, as quoted by Wired. "What I can tell you is increasing temperatures have a number of effects on all these vector-borne diseases."
</p><p>
The Natural Resources Defense Council
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/lyme-disease-climate-change-2558718285.html" target="_blank">explained</a> that warming winters and milder seasons are giving ticks, which carry Lyme disease, more opportunity to find hosts to dine on and survive in greater numbers. Additionally, rising temperatures have enabled ticks to spread to areas of the country that have historically been too cold to sustain them.
</p><p>
Similarly, the range of the <em>Aedes aegypti</em> mosquito, which can carry dengue and Zika, is largely limited to the hot, wet conditions of the tropics and subtropics. But a recent
<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-016-1679-0" target="_blank">study</a> suggested that as our world becomes warmer and wetter, the range of these bloodsuckers could spread, putting millions of people at risk to exposure.
</p><p>
Incidentally, as
<a href="https://www.salon.com/2018/05/02/the-cdc-wont-tell-you-one-reason-mosquito-borne-disease-is-on-the-rise/" target="_blank">Salon</a> observed, the CDC has an entire <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/default.htm" target="_blank">webpage</a> dedicated to how the impacts of climate change can impact human health. It even has a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/vectors.htm" target="_blank">subsection</a> on climate affecting the geographic and seasonal distribution of vector populations.
</p><p>
According to the new CDC report, wearing "long-sleeved shirts and long pants" and using insect repellant are among the list of measures the CDC offers to prevent insect-borne diseases.
</p><p>
The report said the nation needs better preparation to face this growing public health threat.
</p><p>
"Our nation's first lines of defense are state and local health departments and vector control organizations, and we must continue to enhance our investment in their ability to fight against these diseases," CDC Director Robert R. Redfield said in a statement.
</p><p>
<span></span>Urging the government to fight against climate change might be a good place to start.
</p>
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By Sandra Eskin
Three days before 2018 arrived, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced they were investigating a foodborne E. coli outbreak that ultimately resulted in one death and sickened at least 25 people in 15 states. "Leafy greens" were identified as the likely source, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to work with state and local partners to determine the specific products that made people ill and where they were grown, distributed and sold, all with the goal of finding points where the E. coli contamination might have occurred.
<p style="">This outbreak highlights the importance of the ongoing implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Food safety—overseen by FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture—should remain a priority for federal policymakers this year. We already saw a <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/analysis/2018/01/10/large-farms-must-act-to-reduce-fresh-fruit-and-vegetable-contamination" target="_blank">major step forward</a> in produce safety in January as FDA's first enforceable food safety standards for fresh fruits and vegetables took effect on large farms. </p><p style="">Here are four other food safety policy developments expected in 2018:</p><p style=""><strong>1. </strong><strong>Enhancements to FDA Recalls</strong> </p><p style="">The same week that the CDC announced its E. coli investigation, the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, of which FDA is a part, released a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/12/26/inspector-general-report-fda-food-recalls-dangerously-slow-procedures-deeply-flawed/975701001/" target="_blank">report</a> that concluded the agency "did not always have an efficient and effective food-recall process." These faults at times translated into delays in the removal of unsafe products from the marketplace. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb <a href="https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm590423.htm" target="_blank">responded</a>, in part, with a pledge that the agency would act in 2018 to speed up recalls, including the release of new guidance on recall communications with consumers. One change under consideration is publicly disclosing information about the retail and food service locations that sold or served recalled products. Currently, the agency often considers these details exempt from disclosure. The <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en" target="_blank">Pew Charitable Trusts</a> and other public health advocates have <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/analysis/2017/09/25/with-foodborne-outbreak-linked-to-imported-papayas-consumers-need-retailer-information" target="_blank">urged FDA</a> to adopt a clear and consistent policy to provide such facts so Americans can more easily determine if they may have bought or eaten contaminated foods and can take steps to protect their families.</p><p><strong>2. </strong><strong>Hog Slaughter Modernization</strong></p><p>On Jan. 19, USDA released a proposed rule that would shift how certain <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pork-regulations-2528276299.html">hog slaughterhouse duties</a> are divided between employees of the department's <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/" target="_blank">Food Safety Inspection Service</a> (FSIS) and the companies that own the hogs. Similar to a 2014 <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/00ffa106-f373-437a-9cf3-6417f289bfc2/2011-0012F.pdf?MOD=AJPERES" target="_blank">USDA rule</a> covering poultry plants, the proposal would allow FSIS inspectors in hog slaughter establishments that opt into the program to perform more duties away from the animal processing line, such as overseeing a facility's compliance with sanitation and prevention-based food safety regulations. The facility's employees would take on some of the duties previously handled by FSIS employees, such as carcass sorting and removal. <a href="http://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/business/stamp-approval-given-modernized-swine-inspection-proposal" target="_blank">Pork industry groups</a> have expressed strong support for the USDA's intent to make these changes, although some <a href="https://delauro.house.gov/sites/delauro.house.gov/files/Hog-HIMP-Letter-1-19-16.pdf" target="_blank">members of Congress</a> and <a href="https://consumerfed.org/in_the_media/deregulation-food-safety/" target="_blank">consumer advocates</a> have raised concerns that the proposal would jeopardize food safety, as well as the welfare of animals and slaughterhouse workers.</p><p><strong>3. </strong><strong>Food Safety Funding</strong> </p><p>In his fiscal year 2018 budget request, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/">President Trump</a> proposed a change in how meat and poultry inspections are funded from appropriated dollars to user fees collected from businesses overseen by FSIS. Congress rebuffed the idea in its fiscal 2018 spending bills, but the administration may again advance the proposition in the president's fiscal 2019 budget, scheduled for public release on Feb. 12. For many years, <a href="https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-farr-call-omb-and-hhs-nix-user-fees-and-fully-fund-fsma-0" target="_blank">lawmakers</a>, <a href="http://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/business/industry-opposes-new-user-fees-meat-and-poultry" target="_blank">meat and poultry companies</a> and <a href="https://consumerfed.org/press_release/statement-of-cfas-carol-tucker-foreman-on-settlement-of-nebraska-beef-case-and-funding-food-safety-with-user-fees/" target="_blank">consumer advocates</a> have strongly objected to any shift in the funding mechanism from a taxpayer-supported, general good to a program funded directly by the regulated industry. Meanwhile, with bipartisan support in Congress, FDA's food safety program has received funding increases for six years running as it implements FSMA. However, this portion of the budget could be targeted for cuts in fiscal 2019.</p><p><strong>4.</strong> <strong>Reauthorization of the Farm Bill </strong></p><p style="">Congress typically takes up a broad package of farm legislation that includes everything from crop insurance to nutrition assistance and conservation programs about every five years. The current law—the Agricultural Act of 2014—expires Sept. 30. In limited instances, a farm bill has included policies related to meat and poultry safety. That last happened in 2008, when the law created a program that allows facilities inspected by state authorities (rather than by FSIS) to ship products across state lines. At this time, it is unclear whether the next iteration of the federal law will contain meat and poultry safety-related provisions.</p><p style=""><em>Sandra Eskin directs The Pew Charitable Trusts' work on food safety.</em></p>
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The Trump Administration Word Ban Extends to Other Federal Agencies. Its Ongoing Assault on Science Is Much Worse.
18 December 2017
Science
Springer, 2017
By Michael Halpern
A word ban extends beyond the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Washington Post reported last night, including at another, unnamed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agency that was told how to talk about the Affordable Care Act, presumably to discourage people from signing up for health care. The directive came from the White House Office of Management and Budget, which coordinates the president's budget proposal and rule-making agenda.
<p style="">On Friday, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-gets-list-of-forbidden-words-fetus-transgender-diversity/2017/12/15/f503837a-e1cf-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.357451344f20" target="_blank">the Washington Post broke the news</a>, and other outlets confirmed, that CDC officials were prevented from referring to seven words when putting together the agency's budget: vulnerable, entitlement, diversity, transgender, fetus, evidence-based and science-based.</p><img alt="" src="https://cdn.blog.ucsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Springer-300x200.jpg"><p style=""><em>If only the banning of "science-based" and "diversity" was the worst thing the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump">Trump administration</a> has done to science.</em></p><p style="">Additional terminology guidance given to the State Department suggests that the administration intends to pull funding from science-based HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives that work to promote abstinence-only programs instead, even though peer-reviewed research <a href="http://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(17)30260-4/fulltext" target="_blank">consistently finds</a> that abstinence-only programs do not delay sexual activity or change other sexual risk behaviors.</p><p>The CDC word ban was widely repudiated by <a href="https://twitter.com/aaas/status/941879122824921089" target="_blank">scientists</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJeffMerkley/status/942136932087336961" target="_blank">senators</a> and <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/cdc-ban-fetus-transgender-experts-alarmed-51837385" target="_blank">public health advocates</a>. The issue has attracted enormous attention—<a href="https://twitter.com/cher/status/942332954629599232" target="_blank">even from Cher</a>—as emblematic of a morally, scientifically and ethically corrupt style of governing.</p><p style="">In an email to staff last night, CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald said that the CDC "remains committed to our public health mission as a science and evidence based institution…science is and will remain the foundation of our work."</p><p>Yet recently, CDC scientists were <a href="https://www.axios.com/cdc-cracks-down-on-communications-with-reporters-2484371851.html" target="_blank">banned from responding to basic data requests from reporters without political approval</a>—a clear violation of the agency's scientific integrity policy.</p><p style=""><strong>Sidelining Science Since Day One</strong></p><p style="">This starts with words and communication, but it's just the tip of the iceberg. Just last week, Interior Sec. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/public-lands-fracking-2516878619.html">Ryan Zinke</a> summoned the head of <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/364994-zinke-reprimanded-park-head-after-climate-tweets" target="_blank">Joshua Tree National Park to his office for a tongue lashing</a> over tweets the park had sent out referencing climate change. That's right: the park director flew across the country to be reprimanded for a couple of tweets, in order to send a message to all park directors: talking about climate change is verboten.</p><p>And oh, if only word choice was the worst action this administration has taken to undermine the use of science in policy-making. They're not just trying to downplay the phrase "evidence-based." They're trying to ditch the whole idea of basing policy on evidence.</p><p>In July, we chronicled how <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/center-science-and-democracy/promoting-scientific-integrity/sidelining-science-from-day-one#.WjaON0zMzUo" target="_blank">the Trump administration has sidelined science since day one</a>. And since then the abuses of evidence have continued to flow.</p><p>The Treasury Secretary claimed that economists were working "around the clock" to come up with analysis justifying the tax bill. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/us/politics/treasury-analysis-tax-bill.html" target="_blank">They were not</a>. The EPA <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/michael-halpern/the-epa-science-advisory-board-is-being-compromised-heres-why-that-matters" target="_blank">banned scientists who receive EPA grants</a>—the ones the agency has decided do the most promising environmental and public health research—from providing science advice to the agency. The Department of Interior is <a href="https://www.americangeosciences.org/geotimes/23-science-organizations-urge-congress-continue-funding-usgs-library" target="_blank">trying to defund and prevent public access to</a> the U.S. Geological Survey library system.</p><p>The White House has no science advisor, and the president's Office of Science and Technology Policy is a ghost town. Numerous political appointees—including the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/12/11/new-cdc-head-faces-questions-about-financial-conflicts-of-interest/?utm_term=.bdb34ff0d9d6" target="_blank">CDC director</a> and the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/andrew-rosenberg/conflicts-of-interest-noaas-nominees-accuweather-ceo-barry-myers-and-dr-neil-jacobs-of-panasonic" target="_blank">nominee for NOAA administrator</a>—have financial conflicts of interest that <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/genna-reed/trump-six-months" target="_blank">lead many to question their ability to do the jobs</a>. The administration has shut down studies where it expects it won't like the outcome: on <a href="https://eos.org/articles/major-federal-tropical-research-project-to-cease-7-years-early" target="_blank">climate change in the tropics</a>, on <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/teen-pregnancy-researchers-regroup-after-trumps-hhs-pulls-funding/" target="_blank">teen pregnancy prevention</a> and on the <a href="http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=8212017" target="_blank">health risks of surface coal mining in West Virginia</a>. Science agencies are targeted across the board for severe budget cuts.</p><p style="">An exhaustive list is, quite frankly, impossible. President Trump's attacks on science harm our environment and make all of us sicker and less safe. If the Trump administration won't allow federal agencies to do their job, it's time to ask Congress to step up its game, engage in meaningful oversight and do its job.</p><p style=""><em><a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/author/michael-halpern#.WjfEaFQ-eTc" target="_blank">Michael Halpern</a> is an expert on political interference in science and solutions to reduce suppression, manipulation and distortion of government science.</em></p>
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