Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Beware Of Canned Meats Illegally Imported From Philippines, USDA Says
USA Today: USDA Warns Of Canned Meats Illegally Imported From Philippines
Multiple ready-to-eat meat products were illegally imported from the Philippines, prompting the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue a public health alert. The department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, or FSIS, issued the alert on Wednesday, according to a news release. The items were shipped to Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia, the FSIS said, adding that the Philippines is not eligible to export meat and poultry products to the U.S. (Martin, 7/11)
CIDRAP: Experts Choose Target Pathogens For Olympic Wastewater Monitoring
Experts from the French national public health agency have developed a model framework to identify priority pathogens for wastewater surveillance (WWS) at the upcoming summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, expected to draw 16 million visitors from around the world. Viruses that cause polio and flu topped the list. (Van Beusekom, 7/11)
In other public health news —
NPR: A Tween Skin Care Craze On Social Media Has Some Doctors Concerned
Dermatologist Elizabeth Houshmand sees a lot of tweens and teens in her Dallas practice. A few months ago, a mother brought her 9-year-old daughter in with a significantly red, itching face. It turns out the daughter had been using a moisturizer that she'd seen promoted on social media. ... But neither mother nor child realized that the moisturizer contained glycolic acid, an exfoliating ingredient that can be too harsh for the thinner skin of preteens. (Godoy, 7/12)
The Wall Street Journal: Think You Will Live To 100? These Scientists Think You’re Wrong
Human lifespan has a limit and we might have reached it. S. Jay Olshansky, who studies the upper bounds of human longevity at the University of Illinois Chicago, believes people shouldn’t expect to live to 100. Most, he contends, will reach between 65-90. (Dockser Marcus, 7/11)
North Carolina Health News: Sowing A Community For People With Disabilities
Set against the gently rolling Piedmont hills between Greensboro and Burlington, Peacehaven Community Farm is an active experiment in supporting the choices of people with disabilities to live an active and meaningful life where they choose. Beds of lettuce, collards, green beans and other seasonal staples grow alongside dahlias and sunflowers on the 89-acre property. On “garden work days,” people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their loved ones and volunteers from nearby converge to work the farm — tilling the soil, rooting out weeds, picking flowers and produce. (Nandagiri, 7/12)
NPR: Hiking In High Temperatures And How To Stay Safe
A child collapses and later succumbs to the heat after hiking in scorching temperatures on a Phoenix trail. A couple runs out of water near California's Joshua National Park and are airlifted from a dry creek bed. Three hikers die at the Grand Canyon in less than a month amid extreme heat. A stifling heat wave in the Western U.S. has turned some of its most alluring nature trails deadly. Here's why hiking in extreme heat can be so dangerous and how to keep yourself safe. (Hartounian, 7/12)
