COCA Email Updates: July 30 - August 13, 2012

COCA News and Announcements

Upcoming COCA Call/Webinar:

Date/Time: Tuesday, August 21, 2012; 2:00-3:00 PM (EDT

Call Number: 800-619-2685

Passcode: COCA

Join By Webinar:
Join this call and interact with a CDC subject matter expert and learn about the importance of disaster risk reduction for reducing adverse health effects of disasters and how application of the basic tenets of preventive medicine and public health can result in a more humane and cost-effective approach to emergency management.

Recent COCA Call/Webinar:

COCA Call/Webinar: Methadone for Pain Management: The Clinician’s Role in Reducing the Risk for Overdose

Date/Time: Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Earn FREE CE’s, review recorded call materials, and hear subject matter experts review the epidemiology of methadone overdoses in the United States and discuss guidelines for appropriate opioid prescribing.

Additional archived COCA Conference Calls
Free CE credit/contact hours (CME, CNE, ACPE, CEU, CECH, and AAVSB/RACE) are available for most COCA calls.

CDC News and Announcements

Recognizing National Immunization Awareness Month – July 27 (CDC)
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). NIAM highlights the need for improving national immunization coverage levels and encourages all people to protect their health by being immunized against infectious diseases. While CDC does not sponsor this month, CDC does support and encourage the efforts of state and local health departments and other immunization partners to celebrate NIAM. It is a great reminder to our nation that people of all ages require timely immunization to protect their health.

NCHHSTP Atlas – (CDC)
The NCHHSTP Atlas provides an interactive platform for accessing data collected by CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP). This interactive tool provides CDC an effective way to disseminate data, while allowing users to observe trends and patterns by creating detailed reports, maps, and other graphics.

“Did You Know?” is a weekly feature from the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support to highlight prevention activities. The series features research and program activity from CDC. Please access, use, and share this information broadly with your colleagues and partners.

CDC Science Clips: Volume 4, Issue 31 – August 3 (CDC)
Each week, to enhance awareness of emerging scientific knowledge, selected science clips will be posted for the public health community. The focus is applied public health research and prevention science that has the capacity to improve health now.

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Public Health Preparedness

NEW: Public Health Matters Blog: India in the Dark: A Call for Preparedness – August 2 (CDC)
Power outages and traffic jams are not unusual for India, but never before has half the country lost power all at once. The August 1, 2012 blackout in India was the worst electrical blackout in history, leaving 670 million people without power for about 15 hours. Do you remember the last time you experienced a power outage? Were you prepared? Share your thoughts by leaving us a comment.

Emergency Preparedness and Response – (CDC)
Find resources for All Hazards and Specific Hazards preparedness.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Training Resources for Clinicians – (CDC)
A resource for scheduled and on-demand emergency preparedness and response trainings offered by federal agencies and COCA partners.

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Natural Disasters and Severe Weather

Hurricane Information for Health Care Professionals – (CDC)
Resources for clinicians related to hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery.

Tornadoes: Being Prepared – (CDC)

Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety – (CDC)
Excessive heat wave is affecting the U.S. from the Rockies to the East Coast. Heat-related deaths and illness are preventable yet annually many people succumb to extreme heat. Learn how to stay safe.

Health and Safety Concerns for All Disasters – (CDC)

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Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

MMWR publications are prepared by the CDC. To electronically subscribe, go to http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html.
August 10, 2012 / Vol. 61 / No. 31 Download .pdf document of this issue

August 3, 2012 / Vol. 61 / No. 30 Download .pdf document of this issue

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Infectious, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

Influenza

Weekly Flu View – July 21 (CDC)
During week 31, 5.8% 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 31.

NEW: Interim Information for Clinicians about Human Infections with H3N2v Virus – August 10 (CDC)
From July 12 through August 9, 2012, a total of 153 infections with influenza A (H3N2) variant (H3N2v) viruses have been reported in four states (Hawaii [1], Illinois [1], Indiana [120], and Ohio [31]). So far during the current outbreaks, two persons have been hospitalized as a result of their illness; no deaths have occurred. CDC is monitoring the situation closely with state health departments and will issue updates accordingly as additional information is available.

NEW: Press Briefing Transcript for CDC Update on H3N2v Cases Telebriefing – August 9 (CDC)
CDC hosted a telebriefing to provide an update on the domestic influenza A (H3N2) variant (“H3N2v”) virus situation. A number of additional cases of human infection with H3N2v virus have been confirmed in the United States and were reported on Friday, August 10.

NEW: CDC Health Advisory: Increase in Influenza A H3N2v Virus Infections in Three U.S. States – August 3 (CDC)
Multiple infections with variant* influenza A (H3N2v) viruses have been identified in 3 states in recent weeks. From July 12 through August 3, 2012, 16 cases of H3N2v were reported and confirmed by CDC.

Vector-Borne

West Nile Virus (WNV) Human Infections Reported to ArboNET, by State, United States, 2012 – August 7 (CDC)

CDC Fact Sheet – West Nile Virus: What You Need To Know (CDC)
West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially serious illness. Experts believe WNV is established as a seasonal epidemic in North America that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall. This fact sheet contains important information that can help you recognize and prevent West Nile virus.

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Travel Safety

Current Travel Warnings – August 10 (US Department of State)
Travel 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. A Travel Warning is also issued 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.

NEW: Ebola in Uganda – August 13 (CDC)
The Ugandan Ministry of Health (MOH) has reported an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the Kibaale District of western Uganda. As of July 31, there have been 38 cases and 16 deaths. Five cases have been laboratory confirmed

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Food, Drug and Device Safety

Updated: Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis Infections Linked to Ground Beef – August 6 (CDC)
A total of 40 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis have been reported from 8 states. Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicate that ground beef produced by Cargill Meat Solutions at a single production facility is the likely source of this outbreak.

MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program – (HHS/USFDA)
Your FDA gateway for clinically important safety information and reporting serious problems with human medical products.

FoodSafety.gov Reports FDA and USDA Food Recalls, Alerts, Reporting & Resources – July 30 (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.