Hantavirus News:
Note: We’ve added this section because we’re getting LOTS of questions about hantavirus, NOT because we think this is a high risk for our readers. Don’t panic!
- More hantavirus cases are expected because of this virus’ incubation period, the WHO head said, but the risk to the general public is still low. (USA Today)
- There are now 41 Americans being monitored for possible hantavirus exposure. There are still no U.S. cases so far. (MedPage)
- Argentina is working to disprove they are the source of the outbreak which threatens to harm their vibrant adventure tourism and could benefit neighboring countries. (NYT)
- Illinois is investigating a potential case of hantavirus linked to cleaning up rodent droppings, unconnected to the cruise ship outbreak. The North American strain isn’t known to spread between people. (Chicago Tribune)
- 1,522 hantavirus videos were watched over a billion times in 18 days. Content generated by doctors made up only ~2% of the views. (Celine Gounder)
Health News:
- Dr. Marty Makary is officially out as FDA commissioner. Kyle Diamantas, a top food official, will step into the acting commissioner role until a replacement is named. (Politco)
- Hospitalizations due to extreme heat are worsening faster for Black Americans. (AIM)
- Men text the 988 suicide hotline less often than women. The reluctance to reach out may be part of why men die by suicide at a much higher rate. (STAT) (If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.)
- A new Ebola outbreak in a remote area of the Congo has killed 65 people and sickened at least 246. (AP News)
- It’s cyclospora season, which can cause GI illness. It’s particularly common in berries, basil, cilantro, and mesclun lettuce. (FOI Clinical)
- Some good news: an ‘impossible’ idea led to a pancreatic cancer breakthrough that’s helping people live longer. (NY Times)
Best Question:
We have locations near (and in) World Cup stadiums. What should we do to prepare?
The FIFA World Cup is coming to the U.S. this June – in less than a month! – and the world of public health is paying close attention. That’s because as many as 10 million visitors will descend upon host cities across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, coming from all over the world. The influx of visitors creates some potential health issues that businesses should be aware of, from foodborne illness to infectious disease outbreaks.
One of our favorite public health tools we’ve found is this map from the Brown Pandemic Center that lists all the World Cup training sites, hotels that the teams are staying at, and upcoming matches. They put this together to help track potential outbreaks - from measles to something more serious, like clade 1 mpox or Ebola. Check out the map to see how close your locations are to where teams are staying or training.
If you operate an arena, hotel that’s hosting teams or visitors, or a restaurant inside or very near a venue or team accommodations, here are some actions you can take to reduce your risk:
- Switch to daily employee wellness checks during the World Cup rather than just having employees call out when they’re sick. You’ll catch more illness, and have a good record if anything does happen. If that’s too much, at the very least switch to daily checks at the first sign of 3 or more employees sick with similar symptoms.
- Keep a close eye on large catering orders or team dinners. The stakes are higher if you’re serving a big group, especially if they might be on the field the next day. Step up your food safety practices, give a bit of extra hand-holding to your team, and make sure that everything’s in tip-top shape before you send it out.
- Have a crisis plan. Don’t wait until something bad happens to come up with a plan. Whether it’s a security issue, an extreme weather event, a flurry of guest complaints, or a health department visit because an employee has tested positive for an infectious disease, make sure you have a crisis taskforce ready to roll. In particular, make sure your on-the-ground managers know who to call and when.
Need some help planning, or want ZHH to meet with your local teams on the ground if you’re inside a host venue or hotel? Give us a call - we’re happy to organize a crisis exercise, planning meeting, or training for your managers. Being prepared is a win-win.
Sources: Brown Pandemic Center, US Embassy, Mass DPH
Best Read:
This isn’t the first hantavirus outbreak. Here’s what Argentina did to successfully end an outbreak that ultimately infected 34 people in 2019: