COCA Email Updates: July 18-August 01, 2011

COCA News & Announcements Upcoming CERC and SOPHE Webinars; 3 Upcoming COCA Calls
CDC News & Announcements Public Health Emergency Response Guide 2.0; Water Supply Planning for All Hazards
Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID)
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
Natural Disasters & Severe Weather
Infectious, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Disease
Travelers’ Health
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: August 01, 2011 COCA Email Update

COCA News and Announcements

Upcoming CERC Webinar Training
Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Basic Principles
Date/Time: Thursday, August 4; 2:00 pm (EST)
CERC draws from lessons learned during public health emergencies, and incorporates best practices from the fields of risk and crisis communication. This webinar will give participants essential knowledge and tools to navigate the realities of communicating to the public, media, partners and stakeholders during a public health emergency.

Upcoming SOPHE Webinar
Incorporating the Cultural & Linguistic Needs of Individuals with Limited English Proficiency in Disaster Preparedness (Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE)/CDC)
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 9; 2:00 pm (EST)
The challenges of meeting the health care needs of individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) are often magnified during disaster response. This session will provide background and recommendations for how emergency responders should address the cultural and linguistic needs of individuals with LEP as well as the response planning process for this population.

3 Upcoming COCA Calls
Ready, Willing, and Able: An Update for Clinicians on Evidence-based Strategies to Strengthen Mental Health and Behavioral Capacity for Public Health Preparedness
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 16; 2:00-3:00 pm (EST)
Call Number: 888-829-8675
Passcode: 3189025
Register
Join this call and interact with 3 subject matter experts from John Hopkins University as they consider behavioral and psychological preparedness for response to disasters, from the clinicians and first responders to the community as a whole.

Emergency Preparedness: Considerations in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Date/Time: August 18, 2:00-3:00 PM (EST)
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.

Brucellosis in the United States - Current Perspectives
Date/Time: Thursday, August 25; 3:00-4:00 pm (EST)
Call Number: 888-790-6180
Passcode: 1281914
Register
Diagnosis and treatment of brucellosis is challenging because of nonspecific symptoms, limited availability of validated tests, and variety of antimicrobials regimens and duration of therapy. Join us for this COCA call where a subject matter expert will review the current status of brucellosis, available diagnostics, and treatment regimens.

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 and resources at

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

Return to Top of Page

CDC News and Announcements

CDC Vital Signs Town Hall Teleconference
The Link Between Breastfeeding and Childhood Obesity
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 9; 12:00-4:00 pm (EST)
The Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support (OSTLTS) will present a town hall teleconference to discuss the link between breastfeeding and childhood obesity.

UPDATED Public Health Emergency Response Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Public Health Directors – Version 2.0
State, local, and tribal health departments play an extremely important role in all-hazards emergency preparedness and response. To provide public health professionals within these agencies with immediate access to appropriate guidance and information, CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services (EEHS) has developed an all-hazards public health emergency response guide to address this need.

Emergency Water Supply Planning Guide for Hospitals and Health Care Facilities (AWWA/CDC)
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and CDC have released a new guide to help hospitals and health care facilities operate during water supply emergencies. The 94-page guide covers the establishment of response teams, assessment of typical water usage, analysis of emergency water supply alternatives, and other critical considerations.

Planning for an Emergency Drinking Water Supply (EPA/AWWA)
Because multiple government agencies and other entities are involved in emergency response, advanced planning is necessary for efficient collaboration. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and American Water Works Association (AWWA) collaborated on this guide outlining critical planning steps in the event of a drinking water disruption and reviewing the roles and responsibilities among various levels of government.

When Every Drop Counts: Protecting Public Health During Drought Conditions - A Guide for Public Health Professionals (CDC/AWWA/EPA/NOAA)
A collaborative effort between CDC/NCEH, the American Water Works Association (AWWA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this publication examines the relationship between drought and public health. It is intended to assist public health officials, practitioners, and other stakeholders understand and prepare for drought.

CDC Public Health Matters Blog: Tornado Survivors Battle Deadly Fungus Outbreak – August 1 (CDC)
Read and comment on this description of how CDC teams collaborate with each other and the community to identify and control outbreaks in response to disaster.

Science Clips – July 26 (CDC)
This week’s top scientific articles, selected on the basis of potential for population impact and practical implementation, include: When the facts are just not enough: credibly communicating about risk is riskier when emotions run high and time is short and Impacts of climate change on public health in India: future research directions.

Return to Top of Page

Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID)

EID is prepared by the CDC. EID Home Page
Vol 17, Number 8 – August 2011
Highlights in this issue include

Return to Top of Page

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 29, 2011 / Vol. 60 / No. 29 Download .pdf of this Issue

July 22, 2011 / Vol. 60 / No. 28 Download .pdf of this Issue

Return to Top of Page

Natural Disasters and Severe Weather

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

Extreme Heat Media Toolkit
Brochures, posters, and other materials to share with patients to remind them how to avoid succumbing to extreme heat while performing normal activities.

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.

Return to Top of Page

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.

Return to Top of Page

Travel Safety

Outbreak Updates for International Cruise Ships – July 26 (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)
Currently, travel warnings are in effect for 34 countries. 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.

Return to Top of Page

Food, Drug and Device Safety

Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts – July 30 (FDA)
Information on recent FDA recalls, market recalls, and safety alerts for food, drugs, and medical devices.

Return to Top of Page

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.

Return to Top of Page