COCA Email Updates: July 18-August 01, 2011

COCA News & Announcements 3 Upcoming COCA Calls
CDC News & Announcements
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
Natural Disasters & Severe Weather Safe Rooms for Severe Weather
Infectious, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Disease West Nile Virus update
Travel Safety
Food, Drug & Device Safety FoodSafety.gov

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

Available for download: August 15, 2011 COCA Email Update

COCA News and Announcements

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: TOMORROW Tuesday, August 16; 2:00-3:00 pm (EST)
Call Number: 888-829-8675
Passcode: 3189025
Register
CDC funds Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers (PERRCs) to examine response capacity for public health threats and hazards. The Johns Hopkins PERRC focuses on mental and behavioral aspects of public health systems in preparedness and emergency response. This discussion features insights into strategies for building healthcare response capacity in public health emergencies.

Emergency Preparedness – Considerations in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Date/Time: Thursday, August 18; 2:00-3:00 pm (EST)
Call Number: 888-829-8675
Passcode: 3189025
Register
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) can impair the ability to prepare for, respond to, or recover from a public health disaster. Stress, lack of food or water, extreme temperatures, and exposure to infection can contribute to worsening of symptoms. Subject matter experts will review clinical guidance for evaluating CFS, discuss treatment and management options, and provide emergency preparedness considerations for CFS.

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.
For more information on this call:

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.

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

Using HealthMap's Web-based Risk Analysis Tools Before and During Public Health Emergencies: Leveraging Bilateral Information Flows During the Haiti Cholera Outbreak (CDC Health Partners Outreach Team)
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 17; 2:00-3:00 pm (EST)
Call Number: 800-857-5737
Passcode: 3296600
Register
HealthMap's experience during the 2010 cholera outbreak in Haiti will be used to examine emerging data sources for epidemic surveillance, the use of social and other media, and their relationships to emergency preparedness and response. HealthMap's experience suggests that leveraging bilateral information flows between networks will benefit information and communication efforts, especially in emergency preparedness and response.

Public Health Grand Rounds – Newborn Screening: Improving Outcomes
Date/Time: August 18; 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Location: Atlanta, GA; also Envision, IPTV, and Webcast
More than 4 million US newborns are screened each year for various conditions. Early identification and treatment provides opportunities to reduce morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Despite improvement and expansion in recent years, challenges remain. This session will address effective strategies for progress.

CDC Science Clips – August 10
This issue’s top scientific articles, selected on the basis of potential for population impact and practical implementation, include:

A national outbreak of Salmonella serotype Tennessee infections from contaminated peanut butter: a new food vehicle for salmonellosis in the United States; and
H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccine safety in the Vaccine Safety Datalink Project

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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.
August 12, 2011 / Vol. 60 / No. 31 Download .pdf of this Issue

Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication --- Nigeria, January 2010--June 2011

Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables

August 5, 2011 / Vol. 60 / No. 30 Download .pdf of this Issue

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Natural Disasters and Severe Weather

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.

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.

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.

Residential and Community Safe Rooms for Severe Weather (FEMA)
Resources for preparing storm shelters provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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.

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.

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

West Nile Virus – August 2 (CDC)
During the past 12 months, 156 blood donations in the US were positive for West Nile Virus. Access national and state maps of incidence, plus repellant recommendations and other resources for preventing contact with the mosquito vectors of this life-threatening disease.

Weekly Flu View – August 5 (CDC)
During week 30, 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 30.

Seasonal Flu: International Situation Update – August 10 (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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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 – August 8 (US Department of State)
Currently, travel warnings are in effect for 36 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.

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Food, Drug and Device Safety

Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts – August 12 (FDA)
For information on all recent FDA recalls, market recalls, and safety alerts for food, drugs, and medical devices.

Food Safety Inspection Service Recalls – August 9 (USDA)
For information on this and other USDA food recalls:

MI Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. Coli O157:NM Contamination

Food Recalls, Alerts, Reporting & Resources – (HHS/UDSA/FDA/CDC/NIH)
For recalls and alerts by both FDA and USDA, or to report a problem or make inquiries, visit FoodSafety.gov.

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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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