Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Human Virus Linked To Small Animals Emerges In Alaska
CIDRAP: Alaska Reports Second Novel Orthopox Case
Alaska health officials last week reported the second known case of "Alaskapox," a viral infection caused by a novel species from the same genus as smallpox. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (ADHSS) said in an epidemiologic alert that the patient is a woman from Fairbanks who had an upper arm lesion in August that was accompanied by other symptoms, such as shoulder pain, fatigue, and night fevers. Officials sent a sample of the lesion to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for orthopoxvirus testing, which confirmed that it belonged to a lineage found in another Fairbanks woman who experienced similar symptoms in 2015. (10/5)
Alaska Public Media: Scientists Suspect "Alaskapox" Rash Could Be Spread From Small Animals
Anchorage-based CDC disease detective Eric Mooring said the Alaskapox was first identified after a Fairbanks woman sought medical attention for a small skin lesion, pained fever and fatigue in July 2015. ...Mooring is working with scientists at the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks to trap and test small animals for Alaskapox. (Bross, 10/4)
In other public health news —
The New York Times: Wildfires May Pose Drinking Water Safety Issues
Wildfires, which turned skies a dim orange over cities from Seattle to Santa Cruz this year, are increasingly engulfing people’s homes, continuing to rage in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado in recent weeks. But even when homes don’t burn, other dangers arise in the aftermath, and experts are focusing more attention on what happens to municipal water systems after a fire, when released toxic chemicals can get pulled into plumbing systems, and other damage can linger in pipes for years. (Horberry, 10/5)
USA Today: Fruit Recall: Watermelon, Apples, Other Produce Sold At Walmart Stores In 9 States Recalled For Listeria Risk
Several types of fresh cut fruit sold at Walmart stores in nine states are being recalled for possible listeria contamination. In a recall notice posted on the Food and Drug Administration website Saturday, Country Fresh said expanded its voluntary recall issued the day before to include various containers of Freshness Guaranteed-brand cut or sliced apples, grapes, mangos, pineapples and cantaloupe distributed by Walmart. (Tyko, 10/5)
The New York Times: Parents Face Murder Charge In Death Of Girl With Severe Lice
The 12-year-old girl had no bruises on her body. She was not malnourished, according to prosecutors. She had just eaten before her mother found her unconscious in late August in their home in rural Georgia. But she had a lice infestation so severe that the doctors who treated her the day she died said it was enough to kill her, according to an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation who described the finding in court last week. ... Child welfare specialists said the details of the case underscored deep concerns about how the coronavirus pandemic has cut many children off from teachers, counselors and doctors who could report possible signs of neglect or abuse, especially as families struggle with the economic crisis. (Cramer, 10/5)
