COCA Email Updates: July 05-18, 2011

COCA News & Announcements CERC Webinar; Upcoming COCA Call; New COCA pages
CDC News & Announcements
Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID)
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
Natural Disasters & Severe Weather Fire Mapping
Infectious, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Disease
Travelers’ Health Updated Travel Warning
Food, Drug & Device Safety

If you have any questions on these or other clinical issues, please write to us at coca@cdc.gov

Available for download: July 18, 2011 COCA Email Update

COCA News and Announcements

Upcoming CERC Webinar
Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication: Radiation
Date/Time: July 21, 3:00 – 4:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time)
Register for this Webinar

This webinar will take you through the key elements of communicating during a radiation disaster. In addition, your host Leeanna Allen of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) will share CDC research on messaging during a radiation disaster and lessons learned from Japan’s ongoing nuclear emergency.

Upcoming COCA Call
Emergency Preparedness: Considerations in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Date/Time: August 18, 2:00 – 3:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time)
Webinar audio by phone or Web
Call Number: 888-829-8675
Passcode: 3189025
Register:
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complex illness characterized by disabling fatigue and accompanying case-defining symptoms that are medically unexplained. CFS can impair an individual’s ability to prepare for, respond to, or recover from a public health disaster.
For more information on this call:

New COCA Pages
Conference and Training Opportunities page: For federal and COCA Partner conference and training information for the upcoming 6 months.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Training Resources page: Find online and in-person training centers.

CDC Health Partners Outreach Facebook Page
CDC’s Facebook page for Health Partners provides real time updates, guidance, and situational awareness for public health partners about how to prepare and respond to public health emergencies and disasters. Become a fan today! “Like” the page to receive updates, participate in future conversations, and more.

COCA Calls/Webinars Available Online – CE Credit Available
Archived COCA Conference Calls are available on the COCA Web site. Free CE credit/contact hours (CME, CNE, ACPE, CEU, and CECH) are available for most COCA calls.

COCA Home Page

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CDC News and Announcements

CDC Public Health Matters Blog: Borders, Budgets, and the Rising Risk of Disease – July 6 (CDC)
The US border with Mexico, disease vulnerability of the underserved populations living nearby, and possible collaborative disease surveillance between the two countries are up for discussion in this public forum.

Science Clips – July 12 (CDC)
This week’s top scientific articles, selected on the basis of potential for population impact and practical implementation, include: Transmission dynamic of primary pneumonic plague in the USA and Disaster preparation: lessons from Japan.

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Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID)

EID is prepared by the CDC. EID Home Page
Vol 17, Number 7 – July 2011 - Highlights in this issue include:

Understanding the Cholera Epidemic, Haiti

Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Southwestern Colombia

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Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

MMWR weekly reports and publications are prepared by the CDC. To electronically subscribe, go to http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html.
July 15, 2011 / Vol. 60 / No. 27 Download .pdf of this Issue

July 8, 2011 / Vol. 60 / No. 26 Download .pdf of this Issue

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Natural Disasters and Severe Weather

Extreme Heat (CDC)
Guidance for prevention and treatment of heat-related illness.

Podcast: Beat the Heat When Working Outdoors
Each year in the US, lives are lost to heat-related illness.

Health and Safety Concerns for Natural Disasters and Severe Weather (CDC)
“Information for Specific Groups” on this page provides guidance for human and veterinary response workers, volunteers, and evacuation center personnel about Illnesses, injuries, carbon monoxide poisoning, animals and insects, food, water, cleanup, mold, environmental concerns, mental effects of disasters, and other consequences of these events.

Hurricane Information for Health Care Professionals (CDC)
Clinical guidance for Carbon Monoxide poisoning and environmental health and toxicology, infection control, and reopening healthcare facilities are among the features on this page.

Tornado Cleanup and Response Web Page Features Preventive Measures for Occupational Hazards (CDC)
This page includes CDC immunization recommendations for disaster responders, health recommendations for relief workers, and interim assessment tools for occupational safety and health in various healthcare settings, as well as guidance for hazards and disaster site management.

Guidance on Microbial Contamination in Previously Flooded Outdoor Areas (CDC)
Bacterial and viral microbial contamination of flood waters in previously flooded outdoor areas; harmful organisms can persist in the environment up to 6 months.

Guidelines for Fire Service Operations in a Hurricane Response (CDC)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provides guidelines for preventing injury, illness, and death among fire fighters during responses to hurricanes, floods, and other large scale natural disasters.

Wildfires (CDC)
The Wildfires page includes links to guidance for responders, evacuation center personnel, veterinary evacuation centers, and relevant health care topics.

Active Fire Mapping Program (US Forest Service)
Maps and reports of current US large fires.

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Infectious, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

Weekly Flu View – July 29 (CDC)
During week 29, 6.4% of all deaths reported through the 122-Cities Mortality Reporting System were due to pneumonia and influenza. This percentage was below the epidemic threshold of 6.5% for week 29.

Seasonal Flu: International Situation Update – July 22 (CDC)
This report is a summary of key influenza-related updates created from regional World Health Organization (WHO) reports, country reports, CDC field staff updates, and other sources. Updates are listed by region.

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Travelers’ Health

Outbreak Updates for International Cruise Ships – July 15 (CDC)
Cruise ships participating in the Vessel Sanitation Program are required to report the total number of gastrointestinal (GI) illness cases (including zero cases) evaluated by the medical staff before the ship arrives at a U.S. port, when sailing from a foreign port.

Current Travel Warnings – July 29 (US Department of State)
Warnings are issued when long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable lead the State Department to recommend that Americans avoid or consider the risk of travel to that country, or when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff.

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Food, Drug and Device Safety

Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts – July 14 (FDA)
For information on recent FDA recalls, market recalls, and safety alerts for food, drugs, and medical devices:

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The CDC and HHS logos are the exclusive property of the Department of Health and Human Services and may not be used for any purpose without prior express written permission. Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organizations.

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