Largest Blastomycosis Outbreak In US History Identified In Michigan
The outbreak took place between 2022 and 2023 and was the first such outbreak to take place in an industrial setting. In other news: broccoli recalls; vapes are still being shipped through the mail, even though it's illegal; and more.
CIDRAP:
Report Details Largest Blastomycosis Outbreak In US History
Between November 1, 2022 and May 15, 2023, paper mill workers in Michigan were part of the largest blastomycosis outbreak in US history, with 162 cases of the fungal disease identified among 645 mill workers. This outbreak was the largest documented blastomycosis outbreak in the United States, and the first associated with a paper mill or an industrial setting. ... The team published the findings yesterday in the latest issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (Soucheray, 12/31)
The Hill:
Listeria Risk Prompts Recall Of Marketside Broccoli Florets Sold At Walmart
Broccoli sold at Walmart stores in 20 states has been recalled. Braga Fresh last week issued a voluntary and precautionary advisory for 12-ounce bags of Marketside Broccoli Florets that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which posted the advisory Tuesday, the pathogen can cause “serious and sometimes fatal infections” in young children, elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. (Lee, 1/1)
CIDRAP:
CDC Surveillance Data Show Increase In US Tularemia Incidence
Although case numbers remain low, average annual US incidence of a rare bacterial zoonotic disease rose by more than half from 2011 to 2022, according to new surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a report published yesterday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, CDC investigators said 2,462 tularemia cases were reported over the period, ... a 56% increase compared with the previous surveillance period (2001 to 2010). (Dall, 12/31)
The Washington Post:
Laws Restrict U.S. Shipping Of Vape Products. Many Companies Do It Anyway
Mango, cherry and lemonade-flavored vapes — they’re delivered by mail carriers like any letter, pamphlet or package. One problem: It’s illegal in most cases to ship those products. Still, vapes arrive regularly on the doorsteps of homes across the nation as companies flout laws regulating online sales of the products, including a ban on shipping e-cigarettes through the U.S. Postal Service. (Ovalle and Roubein, 12/26)
On health disparities —
KFF Health News:
Trash Incinerators Disproportionately Harm Black And Hispanic People
Across the country, trash incinerators disproportionately overburden majority-Black and -Hispanic communities. Though the number of incinerators has declined nationwide since the 1980s, Florida offers financial incentives to waste management companies that expand existing facilities or build new ones. (Chang, 12/23)
KFF Health News:
Caseworkers Coax Homeless People Out Of Las Vegas’ Tunnels For Treatment
Street medicine providers and homeless outreach workers who travel into Las Vegas’ drainage tunnels have noticed an uptick in the number of people living underground, and it can be difficult to persuade them to come aboveground for medicine and treatment. (Hart, 12/23)
KFF Health News:
‘Waiting List To Nowhere’: Homelessness Surveys Trap Black Men On The Streets
Homelessness experts and community leaders say vulnerability questionnaires have worsened racial disparities among the unhoused by systematically placing white people in front of the line ahead of Black people. Now places like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Austin, Texas, are developing alternative surveys to reduce bias. (Hart, 12/23)
KFF Health News:
LGBTQ+ People Relive Old Traumas As They Age On Their Own
The generation that faced discrimination, ostracism, and the AIDS epidemic now faces old age. Many struggle with isolation along with a host of pressing health problems. (Graham, 12/24)
