Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Animal Tranquilizer Xylazine Found In San Francisco Overdose Deaths
KQED: Dangerous 'Tranq' Animal Tranquilizer Found In San Francisco Street Drug Supply
Low levels of a dangerous animal tranquilizer were found in the bodies of four people in San Francisco who died of drug overdoses in December and January, health officials announced on Thursday. It marks the first time that xylazine, commonly known as “Tranq,” has been detected in San Francisco’s street drug supply, further complicating efforts to tackle the Bay Area’s mounting opioid crisis. (Johnson, 2/16)
San Francisco Chronicle: Horrific New Street Drug 'tranq' Found In S.F. Overdose Victims
At least four drug overdose victims who died late last year had traces of a horrific new street drug mixed with fentanyl in their systems, according to city officials, evidence that the animal sedative colloquially known as “tranq” has begun to infiltrate the city’s drug supply. While San Francisco’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner only found low levels of the drug, xylazine, in four out of the 145 victims who were tested, officials in the Department of Public Health said the discovery is “concerning” and that they also expect to see an increase in its prevalence on the city’s streets. (Thadani and Fagan, 2/16)
Meanwhile, avian flu continues to be a problem —
San Francisco Chronicle: Deadly Avian Flu Strain Found In Wild Mammal In California
For the first time, the deadly new strain of avian influenza virus that has caused an unprecedented outbreak among birds in the Bay Area and statewide has been detected in a wild mammal in California, state wildlife officials announced. Federal veterinary officials in January detected the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain, H5N1, in a bobcat after its remains were collected in Butte County in December and submitted for testing, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a news release Wednesday. (Flores, 2/16)
Reuters: Bird Flu Alarm Drives World Towards Once-Shunned Vaccines
Reuters spoke to senior officials in the world's largest poultry and egg producers, along with vaccine makers and poultry companies. They all said there had been a marked shift in the approach to vaccines globally due to the severity of this year's bird flu outbreak, though the biggest exporter of poultry meat, the United States, told Reuters it remains reluctant. (De La Hamaide, 2/17)
Also —
Axios: Half Of American Kids Don't Eat A Daily Vegetable, CDC Finds
Nearly half of young kids aren't eating a daily vegetable and one in three kids aren't getting at least one daily fruit in their diets, the CDC reported Thursday. While this data is only a snapshot in time, it offers a glimpse at the quality of kids' diets — which impacts their growth and development — at a time of increased interest in addressing childhood nutrition, as well as concerns about the pending loss of pandemic-era food benefits. (Reed, 2/16)
In obituaries —
The New York Times: Margaret Heagarty, Champion For Children’s Health In Harlem, Dies At 88
In her 22 years at Harlem Hospital, a public institution run by New York City’s Health and Hospitals Corporation and affiliated with Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Heagarty made a name for herself as an eloquent and effective champion for children’s health. She fought for causes like reducing teenage pregnancies and playground injuries. (Roberts, 2/16)
