Nothing specific, but what if something does slip through?
With inspectors furloughed, reduced FDA inspections ‘put our food supply at risk’

'Extremely rare' antibiotic-resistant infection found in Wyoming hospital patient

A patient at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center was diagnosed with an "extremely rare" antibiotic resistant infection, according to the state Department of Health, the first time the infection has been confirmed in Wyoming.



Bubonic plague found in Wyoming cat, 3rd such infection in 6 months

A domesticated cat has become the third feline in six months to be infected with bubonic plague in Wyoming in the Western US.

The cat was known to wander the area near its home and, when it showed worrying symptoms, samples were sent for testing. Bubonic plague infection was confirmed by the lab at the University of Wyoming shortly thereafter.

The cat fully recovered from the infection, according to a spokesperson for the Wyoming Department of Health, and with modern antibiotics and treatment, plague infections pose no major threat – certainly nothing close to the ‘Black Death’ which wiped out millions of people during the Middle Ages.

I agree Nick.

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This next article is scary. :-(

The notorious filovirus family — which includes such dangerous actors as the Ebola and Marburg viruses — seems to just keep getting bigger.

In a new study, scientists from Singapore and China have announced they found a new branch of the family, in bats in China. While there is no evidence the new virus — called Měnglà after the place where it was discovered — has caused outbreaks in people, the virus has traits similar to those that have helped its cousin viruses break into human cells.

The study was published in the journal Nature Microbiology on Monday.



New Ebola-like virus is discovered in China

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Refunds, or another cruise.

One of the world’s largest cruise ships is returning to its home port a day ahead of schedule after an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness.

The Oasis of the Seas, a massive, 18-deck, 1,186-foot-long ship in the Royal Caribbean line, will be back in its Port Canaveral, Fla., dock Saturday morning after more than 250 passengers and crew on the ship were stricken with a norovirus-like illness after the vessel’s departure, reported USA Today.

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-news-cruise-ship-returns-after-stomach-bug-epidemic-20190110-story.html

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Key Points:

Up to 7.3 million people have been sick with flu so far this season, the CDC says.
Half those people have been to the doctor because of flu, it says.
As many as 83,500 people have been hospitalized because of flu, federal health officials say.

CDC says it’s another bad flu season with up to 7.3 million people sick so far

Flu seasons have been particularly bad in recent years and this one in no different.

An estimated 6.2 million to 7.3 million people in the United States have been sick with the flu since October, federal health officials said Friday. At least half of those people have sought medical care for their illness and 69,000 to 84,000 people have been hospitalized during the Oct. 1 to Jan. 5 period, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/11/cdc-about-7-million-have-been-sick-with-the-flu-so-far-this-season.html

Exaggerated Numbers I Hope.

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The superbug that infected nearly a dozen Americans who recently underwent weight-loss surgery at a Tijuana hospital had a particularly nasty genetic mutation that set off alarm bells after patients began showing up in hospitals and doctors officers with painful wounds.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/sd-no-pseudomonas-update-20190111-story.html

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One of the world’s largest cruise ships is returning to its home port a day ahead of schedule after an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness.

I'd like to go on a cruise, but whenever I hear something like this, it gives me pause.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Many years ago, my wife and I took many cruises in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. We enjoyed them all and were thinking of going again.

But with all the past 'problems' being reported we decided not to. This one is just a confirmation of our decision.

I wonder what has changed in the industry, to cause these outbreaks?

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Many years ago, my wife and I took many cruises in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. We enjoyed them all and were thinking of going again.

But with all the past 'problems' being reported we decided not to. This one is just a confirmation of our decision.

I wonder what has changed in the industry, to cause these outbreaks?

Profit motive. No really, profit motive.

Not that the cruise lines want norovirus, but by building ever larger floating cities and making it harder and more expensive for sick persons to change bookings, the result is obvious for all to see.

by building ever larger floating cities and making it harder and more expensive for sick persons to change bookings, the result is obvious for all to see.

I know some of those boats are pretty big, nowadays, but I also would think that the health standards for washing in the kitchens are much better, and the waste water systems are surely better on the modern cruise ships. I didn't think a gastro-type illness would be contagious. I thought it had to be acquired directly via contaminated food or water.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

by building ever larger floating cities and making it harder and more expensive for sick persons to change bookings, the result is obvious for all to see.

I know some of those boats are pretty big, nowadays, but I also would think that the health standards for washing in the kitchens are much better, and the waste water systems are surely better on the modern cruise ships. I didn't think a gastro-type illness would be contagious. I thought it had to be acquired directly via contaminated food or water.

Noro is very contagious. Dirty passenger hands on railings, elevator buttons, door handles, etc. is the most likely route of getting it, or the same at the buffet where other passengers handle things like the flatware supply.
When they have a case (hundreds that is) they have to take a couple of days in port to spray and wipe every surface down with disinfectant.

OBW health (and other) standards may not be what you expect, what Flag is the ship flying?

If it concerns but you still want a boat trip, you might look into river cruises, much smaller ships so much less chance of a sick fellow passenger getting you infected.

American Flown To Nebraska After Possible Ebola Exposure
No Ebola, released. :-)

Ebola outbreak in Congo spreads as confirmed cases top 600

The Ebola virus has now infected more than 600 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, making it the second-worst outbreak in history as the epicenter spreads south to a hard-hit city near the border with Uganda.

The Congolese health ministry said in a statement Tuesday that six new cases had been identified in the city of Katwa, where a rash of cases have been identified in recent weeks. There have now been at least 114 cases of the Ebola virus identified in Katwa, about one-sixth of those identified in the region as a whole.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/public-global-health/425440-ebola-outbreak-spreads-as-confirmed-cases-top-600

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Trump Administration Throws Down Gauntlet On Drug Prices

Another new year, another set of announcements by the pharmaceutical industry regarding price increases for prescription drugs. Much to the annoyance of the Trump Administration the pharmaceutical industry keeps raising list prices of drugs. At present, without the ability to institute direct price controls, there's little the Administration or Congress can do to rein in list prices. The Trump Administration has made it clear, however, that it won't tolerate business as usual. And, legislators on both sides of the aisle appear to be similarly inclined.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2019/01/16/trump-administration-throws-down-gauntlet-on-drug-prices/#6fd4332624b3

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Anti-vax movement among top 10 global health threats for 2019, World Health Organization says


The anti-vaccination movement made the list of the World Health Organization's top threats to global health in 2019. The organization said some people's reluctance or refusal to vaccinate threatens to reverse progress made against a host of preventable diseases.

"Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease — it currently prevents 2-3 million deaths a year, and a further 1.5 million could be avoided if global coverage of vaccinations improved," WHO said in a statement.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anti-vax-movement-among-top-10-global-health-threats-for-2019-world-health-organization/

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Measles outbreak grows in area with low vaccination rate, most patients unimmunized

A measles outbreak in southwestern Washington state has grown to 16 confirmed cases, and most of the children affected are unimmunized against the disease, officials said Thursday.

A Clark County Public Health release says officials have been tracking the outbreak since Jan. 1. Of the 16 confirmed cases, 13 of the cases are children under the age of 11, officials say.

Only two of the children have an unverified immunization status; the other 14 are unimmunized, officials say.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2019/01/17/washington-state-measles-outbreak-grows-most-patients-unvaccinated/2611087002/

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The number of Ebola cases recorded each day in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has doubled, indicating that it may spread to other regions and other countries.

According to Jean-Philippe Marcoux, country directory for Mercy Corps in DRC, “Now it’s doubling – it’s very possible that it can double again. If we don’t significantly increase the resources, it will keep increasing. It will spread progressively to other health areas and it will be there for a long time.”

If this doubling continues, it would represent exponential growth.


World View: Ebola Outbreak in D.R. Congo Spreading Exponentially Faster

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An unvaccinated child has measles, according to Clark County Public Health, bringing the outbreak count up to 22.

A Monday update from the health department also says:

Due to the size of the outbreak, the public health department will send an automated call starting Tuesday to people who have been identified as possibly exposed to measles. Not everyone who may have been exposed will receive the call. The call will come from the Clark County call center at 360-397-8021. Most people will be called at 10:30 a.m. There will be a second round of calls at 1 p.m. for people not reached the first time. The recording will gather information about whether the person who is called has shown symptoms of measles.

https://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/2019/01/an-unvaccinated-child-brings-clark-county-measles-outbreak-to-22.html

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/19/health/washington-state-measles-cases/index.html

Measles sickens 22 in Washington state. Portland Trail Blazers fans may have been exposed
(CNN)A person infected with measles attended a Portland Trail Blazers home game in Oregon last week amid an outbreak that has left at least 22 people ill this month in neighboring Washington state.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/426593-washington-officials-declare-public-health-emergency-as-measles-outbreak


Washington officials have declared a public health emergency as an outbreak of measles spreads across an anti-vaccination "hot spot" near Portland, Ore.

Clark County, Washington, has seen 23 confirmed cases of measles as of Tuesday, according to a statement from the public health department.

Twenty of those who contracted the highly contagious virus were not vaccinated against measles. The immunization status of three people have not yet been confirmed and at least one person has been hospitalized.

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Antibiotic resistance plan to fight 'urgent' global threat

Overuse of antibiotics is making infections harder to treat and leading to thousands of deaths a year through drug-resistant superbugs.

The government plans to change the way it funds drug companies to encourage them to develop new medicines.

It is also increasing efforts to cut unnecessary use of the drugs.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-46973641

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If you have a 'stomach flu,' chances are it's actually norovirus: What you should know

If you’ve ever gotten sick from eating something “bad,” you may have had an encounter with norovirus.

Sometimes called a “stomach bug” or “stomach flu” — though it’s not related to the flu — norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, causing between 19 million and 21 million cases of infectious vomiting and diarrhea each year.

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