Some Hazardous Materials Containers Were Breached In Key Bridge Collapse
The NTSB says that the cargo ship involved in the Baltimore bridge collapse carries dozens of hazardous material containers and that some were breached during the collision. Other public health news is on U.S. preparedness for a smallpox outbreak, STI rates among older Americans, the relationship between exercise and insomnia, and more.
The Hill:
NTSB Chair: Hazmat Containers Breached During Bridge Collapse
The cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was carrying dozens of hazardous material containers, some of which were breached during the collapse, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Wednesday. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy on Wednesday said the agency was able to obtain the cargo manifest of the ship, named Dali, which was on its way to Sri Lanka when it smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore overnight Tuesday. (Nazzaro, 3/27)
CIDRAP:
National Academies Report Says US Not Ready For Intentional, Accidental Smallpox Outbreak
With the bungled responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and a recent mpox outbreak still fresh in mind, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine highlights the United States' need to fortify its preparedness for a smallpox outbreak. ... Experts remain concerned that the United States wouldn't be able to marshal enough tests, vaccines, and treatments to contain an intentional or accidental release or natural resurgence—particularly amid evolving threats and technologies. (Van Beusekom, 3/27)
Newsweek:
Older Americans Now Have Twice As Many STIs As A Decade Ago
Older Americans now have twice as many sexually transmitted infections (STI) when compared to a decade ago, a new study has found. New research to be presented in April at the pre-congress day at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, Spain, will state the need for urgent ways to manage the rise in conditions such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and genital warts in the Baby Boomer generation. (White, 3/27)
CNN:
Regular Exercise Is Associated With Less Insomnia, Study Shows
Tired from a restless night spent awake? One of the most helpful things to do might be to get some exercise, according to a new study. (Holcombe, 3/27)
KFF Health News:
More Women Are Drinking Themselves Sick. The Biden Administration Is Concerned
When Karla Adkins looked in the rearview mirror of her car one morning nearly 10 years ago, she noticed the whites of her eyes had turned yellow. She was 36 at the time and working as a physician liaison for a hospital system on the South Carolina coast, where she helped build relationships among doctors. ... She understood that the yellowing of her eyes was evidence of jaundice. Even so, the prospect of being diagnosed with alcohol-related liver disease wasn’t her first concern. (Sausser, 3/28)
In other health news from around the globe —
AP:
Millions In The UK Are Being Urged To Get Vaccinations During A Surge In Measles Cases
U.K. health officials on Monday urged millions of parents to book their children for missed measles, mumps and rubella shots during a sharp increase in the number of measles cases and the lowest vaccination rates in a decade. The National Health Service is launching a publicity campaign after figures showed there were about 250 confirmed measles cases in parts of England last year. Most cases were in children under 10 years old. (Hui, 3/27)
The Washington Post:
Puerto Rico Declares Dengue Fever An Epidemic As Cases Rise
On Monday, government leaders in Puerto Rico declared a dengue epidemic after a spike in cases of the mosquito-borne disease hit the island. From the start of the year through March 10, there were 549 cases, including 341 hospitalizations and 29 severe cases, according to the most recent data provide by the Puerto Rico Department of Health. Cases are concentrated in cities including San Juan, Bayamon, Guaynabo and Carolina. (Malhi, 3/27)
AP:
A Japanese Supplement Pill Is Recalled After Two People Died And More Than 100 Were Hospitalized
Health supplement products believed to have caused two deaths and sickened more than 100 people have been ordered to be taken off store shelves in Japan. The products from Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., billed as helping to lower cholesterol, contained an ingredient called “benikoji,” a red species of mold. ... More than 40 products from other companies containing benikoji ... were recalled, starting last week, a government health ministry official said Wednesday. (Kageyama, 3/27)
AP:
Croatia: Years After Protecting Abortion Rights, The Legacy Is Under Threat
With vigils outside clinics, marches drawing thousands and groups of men kneeling to pray in public squares, religious and neo-conservative groups have been ramping up pressure to ban abortions in staunchly Catholic Croatia. The fierce debate has fueled divisions in the European Union nation of about 3.9 million people where abortion remains legal but access to the procedure is often denied, sending many women to neighboring Slovenia to end a pregnancy. (Bandic and Gec, 3/27)
