CDPH urges providers to adopt new TB screening recommendations The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges providers to adopt new tuberculosis (TB) screening recommendations, recently announced by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, calling for adults 18 years of age or older who are at increased risk of TB to be screened for the disease. CDPH has developed a California Risk Assessment Screening Tool to help providers quickly identify people at risk for developing the disease, as well as a fact sheet that offers suggested courses of treatment. Those considered to be at increased risk of TB ... September 22, 2016 General Tuberculosis, Chest Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Public Health, TB 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDC urges aggressive screening of pregnant women for Zika The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging physicians to be more aggressive in screening pregnant women for the Zika virus. The new guidance comes amid growing concerns about Zika, which, if contracted by pregnant women, can result in severe birth defects — including microcephaly, which stunts children’s brain development. It has also been implicated in miscarriages and diseases like Guillain-Barre, a neurological disorder that causes temporary paralysis. The CDC update recommends that all pregnant women in the United States and its territories should be “assessed for possible ... August 5, 2016 General Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health, Zika Virus, CDC, Infectious Diseases 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDC warns of multistate outbreak of B. cepacia possibly tied to liquid docusate The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a joint warning for a multistate outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia infections (also known as B. cepacia complex). To date, 47 B. cepacia cases have been confirmed from health care facilities in five states. Reports of possible cases from additional states are currently being investigated. CDC has confirmed that two samples of unused oral liquid docusate product received from one of the affected hospitals have tested positive for B. cepacia complex. B. cepacia is a gram-negative ... July 14, 2016 General Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Infectious Diseases, Public Health, CDC 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDPH hosting provider call on Zika virus The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is convening a conference call for physicians and other health care providers on the Zika virus. The conference call will take place Wednesday, April 20, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The conference call will look at California's Zika preparedness activities; global, national and California Zika cases; laboratory update; guidance for the prevention of the sexual transmission of Zika; infection control issues; and monitoring mosquito vectors. There will also be a question and answer session, so physicians can find answers to their specific ... April 19, 2016 General Infectious Diseases, Public Health, Zika Virus, Department of Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDPH to host provider call on Zika virus this Wednesday, Feb. 10 The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is convening a conference call for health care providers on Wednesday, February 10, from 9-10 a.m. The call will provide information and updates about the Zika virus, and give providers the opportunity to ask questions. Please plan to join the call in groups within your organization to maximize availability of conference call lines. To join the conference, call dial (866) 216-6835(866) 216-6835 FREE and key 839641 as the participant passcode. For questions about the call, please contact Cheryl Starling, R.N., nurse consultant and project ... February 9, 2016 General Public Health, Zika Virus, Department of Public Health, Infectious Diseases 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDC says coordination is the key to stopping antibiotic-resistant bacteria The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that a coordinated approach to controlling antibiotic-resistant bacteria could prevent an estimated 619,000 hospital-acquired infections resulting from drug-resistant bacteria. With an increasing number of deadly “superbugs,” this relatively simple solution could save tens of thousands of lives over the next five years. According to a CDC report released this week, a coordinated approach—in which health facilities in a region share data with a central public health authority — could dramatically improve detection and save an estimated $7.7 billion in direct medical ... August 17, 2015 General Public Health, Antibiotic-Resistance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Infectious Diseases 0 0 Comment Read More »
California measles cases now at 68 The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) confirmed today that the number of measles cases in the state has grown to 68 California residents with a number of additional suspected cases under investigation. Infected individuals range in age from seven months to 70 years. The vaccination status is documented for 34 of the 68 cases ΜΆ 28 patients were unvaccinated (six were infants too young to vaccinate), one patient had received only one dose of the MMR vaccine and five had received two or more doses of MMR vaccine. The ... January 29, 2015 General Measles, Public Health, Infectious Diseases 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDPH publishes quarantine guidelines for travelers at risk of contracting or spreading Ebola The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) yesterday published statewide guidelines for quarantining individuals with suspected cases of Ebola and those who are at high risk of contracting or spreading the disease. These rules are consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and include a mandatory 21-day quarantine for any travelers who had contact with an Ebola patient, whether or not the travelers are showing symptoms. However, the state said it would allow local health authorities to enforce the order on a “case-by-case” basis, with varying ... November 5, 2014 General Ebola, Infectious Diseases, Public Health, CDC 0 0 Comment Read More »
AMA assembles Ebola resources for physicians The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sept. 30 confirmed the first U.S. case of Ebola, and developments associated with the virus continue to unfold. In the past week, two Dallas nurses have been diagnosed with Ebola after treating Thomas Eric Duncan, the first U.S. ebola patient, who died last week after travelling from Liberia to Texas to visit family. Both health care workers were with Duncan during what the CDC says is the highest risk period—when a patient is vomiting and having diarrhea. To help you prepare ... October 16, 2014 General Department of Public Health, Ebola, CDC, Infectious Diseases 0 0 Comment Read More »
HHS urges physicians to help control spread of Ebola in U.S. The first case of Ebola Virus Disease (Ebola) diagnosed in the United States was laboratory-confirmed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 30, 2014, in a person who had traveled from Liberia to Dallas, Texas. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is urging all health care professionals to assist in our country’s response to the Ebola outbreak and to be ready and aware to help control the spread of Ebola domestically. Early recognition is critical to controlling the spread of Ebola virus. Specifically, physicians ... October 10, 2014 General Infectious Diseases, Public Health, CDC 0 0 Comment Read More »
