LINK: From National Foundation for Infectious Diseases: Adult Immunizations by Vaccine and Age 

Drought is a natural phenomenon in which rainfall is lower than average for an extended period of time. Periods of drought can result in inadequate water supply and can lead to public health problems. Take action and learn how drought can impact your health and the health of your family.

Overview

Cycles of drought have affected North America for the last 10,000 years. Droughts can last from a single season to many decades and can affect from a few hundred to millions of square miles.

Drought can affect areas or communities differently depending on several additional variables. These variables include:

• the structure and capacity of existing water systems,
• local governance of water use,
• economic development,
• the at-risk populations living within the affected area, and
• other societal factors, such as the presence of local social networks.

Severe drought conditions can negatively affect air quality. During drought, there is an increased risk for wildfires and dust storms. Particulate matter suspended in the air from these events can irritate the bronchial passages and lungs. This can make chronic respiratory illnesses worse and increase the risk for respiratory infections like bronchitis and pneumonia.

Public Health Implications

The health implications of drought are numerous and far reaching. Some drought-related health effects are experienced in the short-term and can be directly observed and measured. However, the slow rise or chronic nature of drought can result in longer term, indirect health implications that are not always easy to anticipate or monitor.

The possible public health implications of drought include:

• compromised quantity and quality of drinking water;
• increased recreational risks;
• effects on air quality;
• diminished living conditions related to energy, air quality, and sanitation and hygiene;
• compromised food and nutrition; and
• increased incidence of illness and disease.

MORE INFORMATION ON DROUGHT AND YOUR HEALTH FROM CDC >>

Skipping or delaying vaccinations can harm your health—and maybe your grades

FROM THE CDC:

Eliminate Hepatitis. For World Hepatitis Day, learn more about the different types of viral hepatitis that impact millions worldwide and what is being done to help eliminate hepatitis.

Viral hepatitis — a group of infectious diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E — affects millions of people worldwide, causing both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) liver disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) data show an estimated 325 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis C. Viral hepatitis caused 1.34 million deaths in 2015, a number comparable to deaths caused by tuberculosis and HIV combined. While deaths from tuberculosis and HIV have been declining, deaths from hepatitis are increasing.

World Hepatitis Day is July 28 th and is an opportunity to learn the global burden of this disease, CDC’s efforts to combat viral hepatitis around the world, and actions individuals can take.

What is CDC doing to help combat hepatitis globally?

The vision of CDC is to eliminate viral hepatitis in the United States and globally. When resources permit, CDC collaborates with WHO and other partners to help countries experiencing high rates of infection prevent and control viral hepatitis. Activities include improving viral hepatitis surveillance and planning and evaluating programs that can expand access to prevention interventions, clinical care, and treatments that can potentially cure millions of infections.

To decrease the burden of hepatitis B infection, CDC provides financial and technical assistance to the WHO and countries’ immunization programs like those in the Solomon Islands, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Pacific Islands, Lao, and Haiti by:

• Implementing innovative interventions to increase hepatitis B vaccine coverage at birth.
• Documenting the burden of hepatitis B in children.
• Supporting countries in verifying the achievement of hepatitis B control and elimination goals.

To decrease the burden of all viral hepatitis types, CDC assists WHO in developing policies for surveillance, testing, and treatment and helps China, Georgia, Pakistan, Vietnam, and other countries develop national programs to implement these policies.

CDC’s international work helps reduce the disease burden for travelers and people migrating to the United States, while identifying best practices that may serve as models for other countries, including the United States.

What are the different types of hepatitis viruses occurring around the world?

The five hepatitis viruses – A, B, C, D and E – are distinct; they can have different modes of transmission, affect different populations, and result in different health outcomes.

• Hepatitis A is primarily spread when someone ingests the virus from contact with food, drinks, or objects contaminated by feces from an infected person or has close personal contact with someone who is infected. Hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver disease and is rarely fatal, but it can cause serious symptoms. Hepatitis A can be prevented through improved sanitation, food safety, and vaccination.
• Hepatitis B is often spread during birth from an infected mother to her baby. Infection can also occur through contact with blood and other body fluids through injection drug use, unsterile medical equipment, and sexual contact. Hepatitis B is most common in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, but is also high in the Amazon region of South America, the southern parts of eastern and central Europe, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. The hepatitis B virus can cause both acute and chronic infection, ranging in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, chronic illness. If infected at birth or during early childhood, people are more likely to develop a chronic infection, which can lead to liver cirrhosis or even liver cancer. Getting the hepatitis B vaccine is the most effective way to prevent hepatitis B. WHO recommends that all infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine as soon as possible after birth, followed by 2-3 additional doses. In many parts of the world, widespread infant vaccination programs have led to dramatic declines of new hepatitis B cases.
• Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood of an infected person. Infection can occur through injection drug use and unsafe medical injections and other medical procedures. Mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis C is also possible. Hepatitis C can cause both acute and chronic infections, but most people who get infected develop a chronic infection. A significant number of those who are chronically infected will develop liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. With new treatments, over 90% of people with hepatitis C can be cured within 2-3 months, reducing the risk of death from liver cancer and cirrhosis. The first step for people living with hepatitis C to benefit from treatments is to get tested and linked to care. There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C but research in this area is ongoing.
• Hepatitis D is passed through contact with infected blood. Hepatitis D only occurs in people who are already infected with the hepatitis B virus. People who are not already infected with hepatitis B can prevent hepatitis D by getting vaccinated against hepatitis B.
• Hepatitis E is spread mainly through contaminated drinking water. Hepatitis E usually clears in 4-6 weeks so there is no specific treatment. However, pregnant women infected with hepatitis E are at considerable risk of mortality from this infection. Hepatitis E is found worldwide, but the number of infections is highest in East and South Asia. Improved sanitation and food safety can help prevent new cases of hepatitis E. A vaccine to prevent hepatitis E has been developed and is licensed in China, but is not yet available elsewhere.

Do you need to be vaccinated and/or tested for hepatitis?

CDC is continuing to lay the foundation for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat, both domestically and abroad. Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C are the most common types of viral hepatitis in the United States. To see if you need to be tested and/or vaccinated for hepatitis A, B, or C, take CDC’s online Hepatitis Risk Assessment, which is based on CDC recommendations for the United States.

MORE FROM CDC ON HEPATITIS >

From the CDC:

Measles remains a common disease in many parts of the world, including areas in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. Worldwide, 36 cases of measles per 1 million persons are reported each year; about 134,200 die. In the United States, most of the measles cases result from international travel. The disease is brought into the United States by unvaccinated people who get infected in other countries. They spread measles to others, which can cause outbreaks.

Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk of getting infected when they travel internationally.

Before any international travel—

• Infants 6 months through 11 months of age should receive one dose of MMR vaccine.†
• Children 12 months of age and older should receive two doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days.
• Teenagers and adults who do not have evidence of immunity* against measles should get two doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days.

What is the Kissing Bug?

“Kissing bugs” have been invading headlines for the past two weeks as the CDC has reported the deadly bug has made its way into the United States. They’ve been found in 28 states.  Estimates of human cases of Chagas disease in the US range from 300,000 to over 1 million, with particular concern for those living in the US/Mexico border regions. An estimated 9 million people are infected in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in impoverished areas. According to the World Health Organization, the largest number of people living with Chagas disease are in poor areas of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Mexico.

How concerned should you be?

Kissing Bugs  transmit Chagas, a chronic heart disease caused by the blood parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.  Chagas infection is strongly linked with poverty, and kissing bugs are mostly found in homes with dirt floors and in poor repair. If you spend lots of time outdoors in wooded areas, then you might need to think about controlling your exposure to these bugs. A high percentage of the kissing bugs in Texas are infected with the trypanosome parasite and show evidence of feeding on human blood. Dogs also can be infected.

Kissing bugs are a relative of bed bugs, and they both feed the same way. They stick a beaky straw into your skin and drink your blood. It’s not the bite that transmits the disease. Kissing bugs poop after they feed, and if the bug is infected, its poop contains the parasite. When you scratch the itchy bite there is a chance you will rub the bug feces into the wound. Unless you get poop from an infected bug under your skin you won’t get infected with Chagas.

If you manage to be bitten by one of these bugs, and if a very specific set of circumstances occur, odds are you still won’t be infected. Research suggests that it can take more than 900 bites for transmission to occur.

Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis,  still should not be taken lightly. It is a leading cause of heart disease resulting in a debilitating and often fatal condition known as Chagasic cardiomyopathy. One in six people with Chagasic cardiomyopathy will die within five years.

How can you avoid your exposure?

Start by reducing the amount of debris and vegetation directly around your home, such as leaf piles and stacks of wood. This also reduces places that rodents might nest, since they are known hosts of kissing bugs. Repair cracks and gaps in homes; make sure screens and doors are tight. Outdoor lights will sometimes attract kissing bugs; minimizing the amount of lights left on at night around your home may help.

For more information on Kissing Bugs and Changas disease visit the CDC directly at http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/chagas/gen_info/vectors/.  Here at Shepard Medical our mission is to help keep you safe from infectious diseases; as always tweet any questions to us at @ShepardMedical.

It’s #FluFactFriday!

Did you know according to the CDC Influenza affects about 20% of Americans every year. In the United States alone, it is estimated that about 36,000 people will die of the flu or flu-related complications every season. One of the best ways to protect yourself is to get vaccinated! If you do find yourself experiencing illness you might find yourself wondering if you just have a cold or if you have the dreaded flu. Use this chart below to help guide you, and as always seek medical care if you are experiencing flu like symptoms.

Each year roughly 1 out of 6 Americans (48 million people) get sick, approximately 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases. By reducing foodborne illness by just 1% about 500,000 Americans would keep from getting sick each year; reducing foodborne illness by 10% would keep about 5 million from getting sick. That is a lot of people! From protecting yourself from potentially contaminated food at the grocery store, to property storing, cleaning and cooking food at home, below are food and safety tips you should practice to help keep you and your family safe.

Smart Shopping

Be aware of potential safety risks when purchasing food at grocery stores or farmers markets, and from wholesalers. Visit the Food and Drug Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service websites for the latest food and drug recalls. Follow @USDAFoodSafety and @FDArecalls on twitter to get the latest recall information, you can also follow us at @ShepardMedical where we post food recalls in the US. FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) recommends: “If you sense there’s a problem with any food product, don’t consume it. ‘When in doubt, throw it out.’” Do not eat or taste food from cans that bulge or leak or that have a sticky residue or an unusual smell as the food could be contaminated. Read food packaging labels for instructions on how to store foods after opening and for expiration dates.

Be especially careful when picking out produce and meat. Make sure the produce is not bruised because pathogens are more likely to grow on bruised areas. Be aware of fungus growing on produce because spores could be inside it. Always check for insects on produce. Raw meat, poultry and fish can be contaminated with bacteria, so it is best to put the product in a bag to reduce cross-contamination with other grocery items. If your local grocer does not keep bags at the meat counter don’t be afraid to suggest it.

Food preparation

Proper temperature is important to keep food safe. Buy a food thermometer to ensure you are cooking raw meats and eggs to proper temperatures. Store food promptly in a refrigerator at 40 F or cooler. Do not overload refrigerators or freezers as that may prevent cool air from circulating. Defrost food in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave.

Storage

Proper storage helps maintain food at safe temperatures and prevents cross contamination. Store milk, eggs, seafood and meat inside the refrigerator or freezer, not in door compartments. This keeps food at a steadier temperature. Store raw meat in the lowest compartment of the refrigerator and make sure that it isn’t leaking blood. Do not store food under the sink. Pipe leaks could contaminate it. Also don’t store food near chemicals or cleaning products. Seafood should always stay in the refrigerator or freezer until cooking time.

Washing

Washing may reduce risk in some but not all foods. Do not wash eggs. They already have been washed in commercial production. An extra washing may increase risk of cross-contamination or crack the shell Do not wash meat or poultry as this does not remove pathogens. Washing produce with cold running water removes dirt, reducing (but not completely eliminating) bacteria that may be present. Don’t use soap or detergent, or you may ingest it.
Practice the above tips to help purchase and prepare healthy food. If you have any additional questions we’re here to help! Tweet us @ShepardMedical. Also follow us on Pinterest where we are continually pinning food safety tips!