#public-health-officials

#public-health-officials

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

With summer just ahead, federal safety officials are warning people about the risk of children drowning, and offering tips and precautions designed to prevent such tragedies.Summertime drowning deaths and nonfatal injuries are most common between May and August, with the majority of such deaths happening in swimming pools, according to a report released last week by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

(Mary Altaffer / Associated Press)

Late last summer, the mpox outbreak in California peaked, with the state reporting an average of nearly 100 new cases per day in August.Amid a robust vaccination campaign, new infections dropped sharply and quickly.By September, California was reporting an average of about 50 new cases per day, with that rate dropping below 10 by the end of the next month.

State and federal officials are investigating an outbreak of 26 cases of salmonella infections in northeastern Illinois linked to ground beef.The source of the ground beef has not yet been identified, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Wednesday.The cases have been in Chicago and Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, with people falling ill between April 25 and May 18.

A large snapping turtle dubbed Chonk has become a viral favorite of Chicago residents after the enormous reptile has been spotted repeatedly lounging by the once-toxic Chicago River.Look at the size of that thing!Joey Santore said as he filmed Chonkosaurus, or Chonk, as the giant creature lay atop of what appears to be an old rusty chain and tree snags.

The Chicago Department of Public Health announced on Friday it has begun monitoring for the polio virus in wastewater.No cases of polio have been identified in Chicago or Illinois, but the department said it's proactively testing the water from plants in the city and surrounding suburbs with several partnering agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

17 minutes ago17 minutes ago Myths and superstitions about HIV and AIDS are causing the disease to spread, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.HIV/AIDS is a viral infection that attacks the immune system, specifically immune cells, which are crucial for fighting off infections and diseases.The virus is primarily transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse or sharing contaminated needles.

NEW YORK CITY - Two cases of a highly contagious, drug-resistant form of ringworm have been detected in New York City, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The detections reported Thursday in a study are the first cases of Trichophyton indotineae - a fungal infection that has spread through South Asia - in the U.S.
"Health care providers who suspect T. indotineae infection should contact their state or local public health department for assistance with testing, which is available at certain public health laboratories and specialized academic and commercial laboratories," the study states.

Editor's Note: Want to sleep better?During Sleep Awareness Week, sign up for CNN's Sleep, But Better newsletter series.Our seven-part guide has helpful hints to achieve better sleep.One of the keys to keeping your child happy and healthy is making sure they get enough sleep consistently, a new study has found.

US health agencies have sent a letter to the surgeon general of Florida, warning that his claims about Covid-19 vaccine risks are harmful to the public.The letter was sent to Joseph Ladapo on Friday by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Cronobacter sakazakii, the bacteria that contaminated a major infant formula manufacturing plant and led to a nationwide shortage, is a common natural pathogen.It's harmless for most people, but it can be life threatening for infants, especially those who are born prematurely or with weakened immune systems.

A deadly fungus that is considered an urgent public health threat by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spread at an alarming rate during the pandemic, the C.D.C. said on Monday.The fungus, called Candida auris, preys primarily on older people with weakened immune systems and is particularly dangerous because it resists treatment by common antifungal medications.

Johnny Thai, 11, receives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a pediatric vaccine clinic for children ages 5 to 11 set up at Willard Intermediate School in Santa Ana, Calif., Nov. 9, 2021.Jae C. Hong (AP) Children in California won't have to get the coronavirus vaccine to attend schools, state public health officials confirmed Friday, ending one of the last major restrictions of the pandemic in the nation's most populous state.

A few weeks ago, there was cautious optimism that this winter would not see a significant COVID-19 surge.But in Los Angeles County, that outlook is in jeopardy.Case counts are climbing rapidly, sending increasing numbers of Angelenos to the hospital and raising the possibility of a renewed public indoor mask mandate that could arrive shortly after the new year.

Narcan, a prescription nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses, can now be sold over the counter, the Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday, authorizing a move long-sought by public health officials and treatment experts, who hope wider availability of the medicine will reduce the nation's alarmingly high drug fatality rates.

A Toronto mayoral candidate is promising to harness a program that helped the city address the COVID-19 pandemic and use it as a tool to help improve seniors' health.Ana Bailao said if she's elected in this spring's mayoral byelection, she will pivot hundreds of community ambassadors who were used to boost vaccine rates in many Toronto neighbhourhoods.

A federal judge has put a hold on a new California law aimed at combating disinformation spread by doctors about COVID-19 and the masks and vaccines public health authorities urge to protect against it, which critics called a suppression of free speech and professional judgment.California physicians, some of whom practice in the Bay Area, sued over the law, AB 2098 by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Cupertino, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it last fall, arguing it violates their free speech and due process rights.

A cold weather alert has been issued for parts of Los Angeles County that are expected to dip into freezing conditions this week.Lancaster, Mt.Wilson, Pomona, the Santa Clarita Valley and Woodland Hills are expected to dip under 32 degrees this week, continuing in most areas until Friday, officials said.

An explosion of Covid-19 cases in China as the country lifts its zero-Covid measures could create a potential breeding ground for new variants to emerge, health experts warn.China announced this week that incoming travellers would no longer have to quarantine from January 8, the latest major reversal of strict restrictions that have kept the country largely closed off to the world since the start of the pandemic.

Diphtheria cases among asylum seekers in the UK have risen, as the Home Office said the death of a man held at the Manston processing centre may have been from an infection of the bacteria.Officials are expected to confirm on Monday that the number of infections has risen to about 50, amid concerns about the spread of the disease as migrants were moved from the Kent facility to hotels around the country.

AUSTIN, Texas  On Monday, Austin-Travis County received 9,900 doses of naloxone, or Narcan, the life-saving drug that reverses opioid overdoses.The drug is currently in high demand and short supply.The shipment came from Direct Relief, a humanitarian organization.The injectable doses will go to Texas Harm Reduction Alliance.

It's no secret that air pollution is a serious problem facing the world today.Just how serious?A new study on global daily levels of air pollution shows that hardly anywhere on Earth is safe from unhealthy air.About 99.82% of the global land area is exposed to levels of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5)

No matter how well you free chocolates from their aluminum wrappers, there's a good chance you're still ingesting some metal.Not because any of the aluminum has stuck around, however, but because research has shown that cadmium and lead - two heavy metals connected to a bevy of health problems, especially for growing children - are notorious for showing up in dark chocolate.

A child under age 10 is the first flu-related death of the season in Riverside County, public health officials said Thursday, Dec. 1.The child, who lives in the county's western half, died at a hospital after being taken there with respiratory problems, a public health department news release states.

Respiratory viruses are sending a surge of kids to local hospitals in the Bay Area, and Santa Clara County public health officials sounded the alarm on Wednesday, asking residents to take extra precautions heading into holiday season with pediatric beds already filling up and flu activity off to an early start.

Lucia Romero Herranz / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm After two perilous winters of surging COVID-19, it's the last news you want to hear - this year's flu season is hitting early, and it could be the worst in many years.Flu hospitalizations are ramping up this year earlier than they have in a decade, according to the latest federal health data.

The release of 24,000 gallons of untreated sewage prompted the closures of several Los Angeles County beaches Wednesday, public health officials said.A blocked main line led to the sewage entering the storm drain system near Admiralty and Palawan ways in Marina del Rey, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a news release.

Public health officials warned of high bacteria levels at all beaches in Los Angeles County on Wednesday after a rainstorm swept through Southern California.As officials tested coastal waters, concerned that bacteria levels had exceeded state standards, the county Department of Public Health advised people to avoid swimming or any contact with the water, due to the risk of illness.

China's "zero covid" policy initially saved lives, kept hospitals from being overwhelmed and gave the country time to disseminate vaccines.But it essentially pushed much of the pandemic's impact into the future.Now, that future has arrived.When China ended the drastic lockdowns and restrictions that were in place for the past three years, it triggered a surge of cases and deaths in a population with little natural immunity and low levels of vaccine boosting.

Epidemiology-and turning research findings into policy-are both key to improving public health, says German health minister Karl Lauterbach at Cutter Lecture December 15, 2022 - One day in the mid-1980s, when then-medical student Karl Lauterbach was learning the ropes in the operating room at the University of Texas-San Antonio, he came to the realization that for every ten patients, eight or nine of them had diseases or injuries that could have been prevented.

The Covid-19 pandemic has carried a key lesson for public health officials, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday: When talking to Americans, be clear that science is often a moving target.What we knew [about Covid-19] in January was very different from what we knew at the end of January, the beginning of February, and then very different from March, Fauci, who is stepping down next month after 38 years at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, told CNN's Jake Tapper.

Photo: Public Domain Images
Editor's note: this article originally appeared on Public Square: A CNU Journal and is republished with permission.New-urbanist-type zoning codes rose 53 percent across the US over the previous decade, according to research by the CDC-funded Physical Activity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (PAPREN).

The US Food and Drug Administration is charting a plan to enhance its surveillance of infant formula for Cronobacter bacteria.The agency said in a statement Tuesday that it would like to see Cronobacter infections added to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's list of national notifiable diseases, which would mean doctors would be required to report cases to public health officials.

Moderna said on Monday its updated Covid-19 booster generated significantly higher neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants than its earlier shot.The bivalent booster used in the United States is known as mRNA-1273.222;it contains Moderna's original vaccine and a vaccine specifically designed against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

Contra Costa will begin sharing its monkeypox case data with the California Public Health Department to improve the efficiency of surveillance and early detection of the infectious viral disease.The move highlights lessons learned from HIV and the COVID-19 pandemic and the advantage of gathering data quickly and accurately to support the epidemiological understanding of the origins and transmission dynamics of monkeypox.

PALO ALTO - Palo Alto's outdoor restaurant scene could look dramatically different next year after city leaders voted to require "letters of consent" from neighboring businesses before restaurant parklets and outdoor seating continue on public streets - something the eatery owners say is bad move for downtown.

Where's Nancy?Where's Nancy?The chilling question that the violent home invader reportedly demanded of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband before attacking him with a hammer early Friday is the same one that echoed through the halls of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 when insurrectionists stormed the building.