Salmonella Linked To Ground Beef Sends 6 To Hospital In 4 States
Media outlets report on news from the CDC concerning salmonella cases linked to ground beef across four states: at least 16 people have fallen ill, and 6 have been hospitalized. Meanwhile, West Nile virus infected the first person in Colorado this year, and has been found in California mosquitos.
AP:
Salmonella In Ground Beef Sickens 16, Hospitalizing 6, In 4 States, CDC Says
Ground beef contaminated with salmonella has sickened at least 16 people, including six hospitalized, in four Northeastern states, federal health officials said Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said illnesses have been reported in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Ground beef is the only common food reported in the outbreak. People who recalled what they ate and where they bought it reported eating 80% lean ground beef purchased from ShopRite stores in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. No recall has been issued, and an investigation is continuing, the agency said. (Aleccia, 7/26)
The Hill:
Salmonella Outbreak Affecting Multiple States Linked To Ground Beef: CDC
While investigators are still reviewing the incidents, they say nine patients reported eating ground beef before falling ill. Those who remembered the ground beef they purchased identified it as 80% lean beef purchased at ShopRite locations in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. Among the 16 people who became ill, nine live in New Jersey. Five are from New York, and Connecticut and Massachusetts have each confirmed one case of salmonella that was linked to this outbreak. The CDC warns there could be more sick people, in these states or others, who recovered without medical care and are therefore not tested for salmonella. For those who are tested, it can take up to a month to determine whether they are linked to this specific outbreak. . (Bink, 7/25)
In other insect-borne diseases —
Fox News:
Colorado Reports Its First West Nile Virus Case In Humans This Year
The Department of Public Health & Environment said the case was found in an individual from La Pata County, as well as in mosquitoes in seven counties. "Mosquito populations are at historic levels in some parts of the state due to the high rainfall this year. This unusually high mosquito activity along with known presence of the virus has caused an elevated risk of West Nile virus transmission to humans," the department warned. (Musto, 7/25)
Bay Area News Group:
West Nile-Positive Mosquitoes Found In Palo Alto, Stanford
The Santa Clara County Vector Control District is set to spray parts of Palo Alto and Stanford after mosquitoes there tested positive for West Nile Virus. The infected insects were collected in the 94301, 94304, 94305 and 94306 ZIP codes, the district said in a news release. (Green, 7/25)
AP:
Cases Of Tick-Borne Illnesses Are On The Rise. Some Experts Believe Climate Change Is The Cause
In 2022, doctors recorded the first confirmed case of tick-borne encephalitis virus acquired in the United Kingdom.It began with a bike ride. A 50-year-old man was mountain biking in the North Yorkshire Moors, a national park in England known for its vast expanses of woodland and purple heather. At some point on his ride, at least one black-legged tick burrowed into his skin. Five days later, the mountain biker developed symptoms commonly associated with a viral infection — fatigue, muscle pain, fever. (Teirstein, 7/25)
On a high-profile cardiac arrest, and covid misinformation —
Los Angeles Times:
Why USC Was Well Prepared To Treat Bronny James' Cardiac Arrest
When Vince Iwuchukwu collapsed on the court during a summer workout at Galen Center on July 1 last year, USC’s training staff rushed to revive the 7-foot freshman whose heart had stopped suddenly. A trio of certified athletic trainers converged on Iwuchukwu and began administering CPR. One staff member called 911. Another retrieved the automated external defibrillator (AED) that hangs in a hallway off the main court. The speed with which the USC’s staff reacted ultimately saved Iwuchukwu’s life — and later allowed for him to resume playing competitive basketball. (Kartje, 7/25)
Fortune:
Bronny James' Cardiac Arrest Reignites COVID-19 Vaccine Debate
At the time, Dr. Michael Emery, cardiologist and co-director of the sports cardiology center at Cleveland Clinic, told Fortune, “The [suggested] link between the COVID-19 vaccine [and cardiac arrest] is wildly and irresponsibly speculative from a very vocal minority.” According to The Sports Institute, roughly one or two in every 100,000 young athletes experience a sudden cardiac arrest each year, with African American males being at greater risk (nearly six in 100,000). (Thompson Payton, 7/25)
In other public health news —
ABC News:
Black Women Saw Fetal Mortality Rates Fall 4% In 2021, But Still Twice As High As National Average: CDC
Fetal mortality rates declined among Black women in 2020 but were much higher than other racial/ethnic groups in the U.S., new federal data shows. A report, published early Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, looked at data from the National Vital Statistics System. Fetal deaths are deaths that occur at 20 weeks' gestation -- about five months of pregnancy -- or later and affect 1% of all pregnancies in the U.S. (Kekatos, 7/26)
Chicago Tribune:
Cook County Records Deadliest Year For Opioid Overdoses In 2022
Cook County recorded the deadliest year for opioid overdoses in 2022, according to the medical examiner’s office, a record that’s unsurprising to advocates and public health officials who said this signals a need for more harm reduction strategies. In 2022, there were 2,000 deaths, surpassing 1,935 deaths in 2021. The large majority of deaths involved fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. (La, 7/26)
Bloomberg:
TikTok Cracks Down On Weight-Loss Drugs Like Ozempic And Wegovy
Ozempic no longer needs an explanation. The drug is a household name, in part thanks to its popularity on social media. TikTok in particular has been flooded with hundreds — if not thousands — of videos touting the medication and other GLP-1 drugs, which are increasingly prescribed off-label to patients looking to slim down. Ozempic, for example, accounted for nearly 40% of GLP-1 prescriptions in people who did not have diabetes in 2022, according to the data analytics firm Komodo Health. That suggests a large number of patients are using it for weight-loss, when the medication is specifically intended to help to lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. (Muller, 7/25)
