Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Listeria Outbreak Hits 2 States, Linked To Enoki Mushrooms
CIDRAP: Enoki Mushroom Listeria Outbreak Sickens People In 2 States
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday announced a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms that has hospitalized two people in Michigan and Nevada. Enoki mushrooms have long, thin stems and are a popular ingredient in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean food, usually eaten cooked in soups, stir fries, and hot pots. (11/18)
In mental health news —
AP: Schools Struggle To Staff Up For Youth Mental Health Crisis
Despite an influx of COVID-19 relief money, school districts across the country have struggled to staff up to address students’ mental health needs that have only grown since the pandemic hit. Among 18 of the country’s largest school districts, 12 started this school year with fewer counselors or psychologists than they had in fall 2019, according to an analysis by Chalkbeat. As a result, many school mental health professionals have caseloads that far exceed recommended limits, according to experts and advocates, and students must wait for urgently needed help. (Wall, Belsha and Ma, 11/18)
CNBC: Depression As Marketing - Influencers And Mental Health
Open conversations about mental health are as important as ever — and social media influencers can play a key role in starting them. Sometimes, however, the line between raising awareness and marketing can get blurred. (Kiderlin, 11/21)
In other health and wellness news —
AP: 'Amazing': Mom Hears Late Daughter's Transplanted Heart
An Indiana woman heard the heartbeat of her late daughter inside the chest of a 68-year-old Illinois man who received it in a transplant operation. Amber Morgan and Tom Johnson met for the first time Saturday, four years after he received a heart transplanted from the body of Andreona Williams, who was 20 when she died from asthma complications. (11/20)
USA Today: What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, The Treatment Jay Leno Is Getting?
Jay Leno remained hospitalized Friday after he underwent surgery following a gasoline accident that resulted in serious burns to his face and hands. The injury took place after a gasoline fire erupted in the legendary comedian and "Tonight Show" host's garage over the weekend. While he was working on his car, a clogged fuel line uncorked, spraying fuel in his face and a nearby spark ignited the gasoline. (Neysa Alund, 11/18)
The Washington Post: How To Cope With Dupuytren's, A Crippling Hand Condition
Fifteen years ago, Jack Schultz first noticed several of his fingers curling inward toward his palm. Schultz, 75, of Columbia Station, Ohio, a retired manager of a plastics company, was perplexed. “What is this?” he recalls asking his doctor. “And can you fix it?” The doctor knew what it was: Dupuytren’s disease (also known as Dupuytren’s contracture), a hand deformity that usually takes years to advance and often begins with lumps, or nodules, that are sometimes painful, in the layer of connective tissue under the skin in the palm. The lumps can develop into cords that pull one or more fingers into a bent position, often the ones farthest from the thumb, such as the ring finger and pinkie. (Cimons, 11/20)
Stat: Scientist Probes The Internal Clocks That Help Parasites Infect People
In the 1700s, French astronomer Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan noticed that the leaves of the mimosa plant opened towards the sun and closed at dusk. His discovery was in keeping with thousands of years of observations. But de Mairan also found that the plant followed the same rhythm even in the constant darkness of a cupboard, suggesting that some innate metronome kept the plant in sync with the rotation of the earth. (DiCorato, 11/21)
