Wastewater In 9 Texas Cities Tests Positive For H5N1 Avian Flu
Ten cities were part of a research effort: Nine had H5N1 bird flu virus levels in wastewater, sometimes at concentrations matching seasonal flu. Also in the news: probation for a West Virginia health official in a covid testing scandal; gas stove warnings in California; and more.
CIDRAP:
Wastewater Testing Finds H5N1 Avian Flu In 9 Texas Cities
Researchers who sequenced viruses from wastewater samples from 10 Texas cities found H5N1 avian flu virus in 9 of them, sometimes at levels that rivaled seasonal flu. In other developments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in updates on its response to H5N1 outbreaks in cattle said experiments in ferrets began last week. (Schnirring, 5/13)
AP:
Former West Virginia Health Official Gets Probation In COVID-19 Payment Investigation
A former West Virginia state health official was sentenced Monday to one year of probation for lying about whether or not he verified vendor invoices from a company claiming to have conducted COVID-19 tests for the state. Timothy Priddy was sentenced in federal court for his guilty plea to making a false statement to investigators. (Raby, 5/13)
AP:
California Moves Closer To Requiring New Pollutant-Warning Labels For Gas Stoves
California could require all new gas stoves sold in the state to carry a label warning users about pollutants they can release that have been linked to respiratory illnesses. The state Assembly approved a proposal Monday that would require the label on gas stoves or ranges made or sold online after 2024, or sold in a store after 2025. The bill now heads to the state Senate. (Austin, 5/14)
The Colorado Sun:
Colorado Receives $32.8 Million To Replace Harmful Lead Service Lines
Utility companies, contractors, construction crews, plumbers and homeowners are working together to map the locations of every lead water service line in Colorado in an effort to help ensure the safety of the state’s approximately 900 community drinking water systems. (Flowers, 5/13)
Stat:
Boston Hospital Trains Restaurant Workers On Naloxone For Overdoses
The tables set up near the entrance of the Big Night Live concert venue looked like a typical merch spread. But instead of band T-shirts and buttons, there were plastic models of human noses and a handful of naloxone nasal sprays. This unusual display was part of a medical training for bar and restaurant workers — who are often the first to encounter people experiencing a drug overdose. (Hogan, 5/14)
In other news from across the country —
Philadelphia Inquirer:
Penn Nursing, Philly Get Help Fighting Heart Disease From NIH Grant
An initiative to help Philadelphia residents manage their chronic illnesses has received a $5.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. Carmen Alvarez, a nursing professor at the University of Pennsylvania, helps lead the program, which is a partnership between Penn Nursing, Philadelphia’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity, and grassroots organizations. (Gutman, 5/13)
Philadelphia Inquirer:
More Philly Hospitals Are Using Virtual Nurses, But There's A Learning Curve
Philadelphia-area hospitals are rolling carts outfitted with video screens and virtual cameras into patient rooms with the hope that remote nurses can reduce their risk of falling, pulling out tubes, or hurting themselves another way. One remote nurse can do the work of up to a dozen in-person staffers by watching a bank of cameras stationed in patient rooms, and sometimes interacting with patients via video. (Gantz, 5/14)
Capitol News Illinois:
73% Of Illinois Medicaid Recipients Remain Enrolled Amid Change
About 73% of Illinois’ Medicaid recipients remain on the rolls after the first redetermination cycle following the COVID-19 pandemic, while approximately 660,000 recipients have been disenrolled. (Raju, 5/14)
