Vaccine Mayhem:

• The CDC quietly added pregnant women back into the COVID vaccine schedule after RFK Jr. removed them earlier in the year. They are now under “shared clinical decision making” with everyone else. (Politico)
  
  
• Meanwhile, the October ACIP meeting was postponed with no make-up date yet. (Bloomberg)
  
  
• Younger adults can get COVID shots more easily this fall than some anticipated, but many parents are still having trouble if they want their kids to get vaccinated. (NBC)

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Health News:

• Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships have hit an 18 year high. (CDC Vessel Sanitation)
  
  
• California became the first state to ban ultra-processed foods in school lunches. (SF Chronicle)
  
  
• After a summer respite, bird flu cases are spiking as water fowl migrate. (NBC)
  
  
• Live H5N1 virus can survive in raw milk cheese for up to 6 months. (CIDRAP)
  
  
• A measles outbreak in South Carolina has grown to 7 cases since September 25th. (CIDRAP)
  
  
• A new poll shows public trust in the CDC has fallen dramatically, though half of Americans still trust it. Trust is highest for people’s own doctors and major medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics. (KFF)
  
  
• West Nile is a “serious public health concern” in Missouri, according to state health officials... (STL Today)
  
  
• …after a local radio host died five weeks after contracting the virus. (KSDK)
  
  
• Brevard County is bringing in mosquito experts to find out why it had so much dengue this season compared to the rest of Florida, about two-thirds of the state total. (WUSF) 

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Best Questions:

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What do we need to know about bird flu now that it’s back?

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H5N1 is very much back. There have been 38 flocks with confirmed cases in the past 38 days after months and months of quiet. That adds up to 4.4 millions birds affected this past month, because most were in commercial flocks. 

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Wild bird detections are also spiking, mostly in migratory birds who are making their way south for the winter. This is probably the explanation for why so many commercial and backyard flocks have been infected recently, since we know that there’s extensive transmission between wild birds and domesticated birds. 

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What’s that mean for you? For now, egg prices are still coming down from their peak at over $6.50 per dozen in March, but have mostly plateaued since July. This could see an increase over the next few weeks. 

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In the long term, this could mean that avian flu is here to stay. It’s the fourth fall that we’ve seen the virus spike, which could mean that it’s endemic in wild birds and not going away any time soon. It could mean variability in prices and availability of poultry and eggs based on each season’s severity.  

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For our part, that worries us about the increased potential for this virus eventually mutating to be able to spread between humans. That said, it’s been decades with this sort of “will it, won’t it” dance, and it never has before. So, still not time to panic. For now, there’s a very low risk to anyone who doesn’t work directly with birds. 

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Sources: CIDRAP, NBC

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Should we ask employees to get tested if there’s a norovirus outbreak?

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Definitely not! Testing for norovirus isn’t typical. In fact, even when employees go to the ER or urgent care with noro-like symptoms (severe vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration, etc.), most healthcare settings won’t test if they suspect it’s noro. 

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That’s a double-edged sword. Norovirus is a nationally notifiable disease, which means if a lab finds a positive sample, they’re required to report it to the state health department. If someone tests positive for noro, you can pretty much guarantee that your local health department will know about it, and they may choose whether to get involved. 

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The flipside for businesses is that healthcare providers will casually say “Oh, it’s probably norovirus,” to sick employees, who often report back saying they have confirmed noro, even though they weren’t tested. That can create some panic and confusion, for both managers and the rest of the staff.  

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In the end, there’s no reason to invite the increased scrutiny that testing brings because it won’t change the outcome. There’s no clinical reason to test for norovirus if it’s going around the community. It doesn’t change the treatment plan (rest, hydrate), and nearly everyone recovers without any serious medical intervention. 

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Just focus on making sure your employees know to stay home when sick AND stay out of work until a full 48 hours have passed since their symptoms ended. 

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Sources: AMA, CDC

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Best Read:

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We often overlook the value that understanding animal health can have for human health. Learning more about how pollution affects pets could ultimately help both our furry friends and us humans:

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In a Toxic World, Pets Could Be Vital Health Watchdogs - The New York Times (Gift Article)

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