Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Issues Travel Warning After 3 Die From Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
CBS News: CDC Warns Travelers To Mexico's Baja California Of Exposure To Deadly Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning travelers to Baja California, Mexico, about Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a potentially fatal bacterial disease that spreads through the bite of an infected brown dog tick, which can be carried by pets. The warning comes after a San Diego, California, resident who traveled to Baja California died last month after contracting the disease, San Diego County Public Health Services reported. (Singh, 12/8)
Another person has died from salmonella in cantaloupe —
CIDRAP: US Salmonella Cantaloupe Outbreak Doubles As CDC Confirms New Death
The number of cases in an ongoing Salmonella outbreak tied to whole and cut-up cantaloupe has more than doubled—to 230 cases—a third death has been reported. Almost 100 people have been hospitalized, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said [Friday] in an update. Since the CDC's previous update on November 30, 113 more illnesses have been confirmed, and 4 more states are affected, bringing the total to 38 states. At least 96 people have been hospitalized, including 35 new case-patients. The new outbreak-related death was in Oregon; the previous two were in Minnesota. (Wappes, 12/8)
USA Today Network: Salmonella Outbreak Continues To Spread Across US. How To Stay Safe
The CDC added the number of people affected by salmonella may be much higher. "This outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses, and the true number of sick people is likely much higher than the number reported. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella," the agency said. (McCloud, 12/8)
Food Safety News: Another Company Recalls Pre-Cut Cantaloupe Products Because Of Salmonella Outbreak
TGD Cuts LLC has initiated a recall of some of its fresh-cut fruit cup, clamshell and tray products because they contain cantaloupe from TruFresh, which has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. This recall includes products with use-by dates of Nov. 2 through Nov. 24. Products were distributed to retail and food service locations in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina. (12/6)
Chronic wasting disease spreads to Kentucky —
CIDRAP: Kentucky Reports First Case Of Chronic Wasting Disease
The first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in Kentucky, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) announced in a news release yesterday. CWD has now been confirmed in 32 US states. ... While no human cases have been identified, health officials urge people to avoid eating the meat of infected animals and to take precautions when field dressing or butchering cervids. (Van Beusekom, 12/8)
