Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Possible Bacteria Contamination Prompts Another Baby Formula Recall
The Hill: Reckitt Recalls Baby Formula Over Possible Contamination With Deadly Bacteria
Nutrition product manufacturer Reckitt is voluntarily recalling baby formula after the product was possibly contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii, a bacteria that can be life-threatening among young children. The company says it is recalling two batches of ProSobee 12.9 oz. Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula out of “an abundance of caution” and that “all product distributed went through extensive testing and tested negative for the bacteria.” (Tanner, 2/20)
Reuters: Abbott Gets FTC Notice For Information On Infant Formula Products
Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) said on Friday it received a civil investigative demand in January from the Federal Trade Commission related to a probe of the companies participating in bids for women, infants and children formula contracts. (2/18)
Reuters: Pepsico Recalls Some Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino Drinks In U.S.
Pepsico Inc (PEP.O) recalled more than 25,000 cases of Starbucks (SBUX.O) chilled coffee drink after glass was found in some of the bottles, the U.S. Food and Drug administration said in a notice. The voluntary recall, which was initiated on Jan. 28, covers more than 300,000 bottles of the Starbucks frappuccino vanilla chilled coffee drink, the FDA said. (2/19)
Meanwhile, bird flu continues to be a concern —
AP: Why Sick Minks Are Reigniting Worries About Bird Flu
A recent bird flu outbreak at a mink farm has reignited worries about the virus spreading more broadly to people. Scientists have been keeping tabs on this bird flu virus since the 1950s, though it wasn’t deemed a threat to people until a 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong among visitors to live poultry markets. (Stobbe, 2/18)
AP: Bird Flu Costs Pile Up As Outbreak Enters Second Year
Egg prices shot up to $4.82 a dozen in January from $1.93 a year earlier, according to the latest government figures. That spike prompted calls for a price-gouging investigation although the industry maintains that the combination of bird flu and significantly higher feed, fuel and labor costs is what’s driving prices so high. (Funk, 2/19)
Reuters: Develop Vaccines For All Animal Influenza Strain, Says Incoming WHO Chief Scientist
Governments should invest in vaccines for all strains of influenza virus that exist in the animal kingdom as an insurance policy in case of an outbreak in humans, the incoming chief scientist at the World Health Organization said on Monday. Countries ranging from the United States and Britain to France and Japan have suffered record losses of poultry in outbreaks of avian flu in the past year. (Grover, 2/21)
Also —
CIDRAP: US Flu Activity Declines Further; Flu Subtypes Show Some Shifts
The nation's flu indicators showed more signs of decline, including fewer hospitalizations and deaths, but the percentage of 2009 H1N1 and influenza B viruses are showing small rises in a season that started early and was dominated by the H3N2 strain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its weekly update. (Schnirring, 2/17)
The Washington Post: Study: Cheap, Effective Dental Treatment Could Help Low-Income Kids
Writing in JAMA Network Open, researchers report on CariedAway, a study that compared dental sealants with an application of silver diamine fluoride (SDF), a colorless liquid that is brushed on to the molars. The Food and Drug Administration labels SDF as a medical device to be used to treat tooth sensitivity, but dentists are increasingly using it to prevent cavities from forming or worsening. In 2018, the American Dental Association approved SDF’s use for cavity prevention in both kids and adults. (Blakemore, 2/18)
In obituaries —
The Washington Post: Paul Berg, Nobel Biochemist Who First Spliced DNA, Dies At 96
Paul Berg, a Nobel laureate biochemist whose breakthrough in splicing DNA molecules helped place the foundations for the biotech industry, but who was once so concerned about possible risks from manipulating genes that he asked scientists to allow government oversight, died Feb. 15 at his home on the Stanford University campus in California. He was 96. Stanford announced the death in a statement. No cause was given. (Murphy, 2/18)
