Category Archives: Disease Outbreak

26Aug / 2022

Water Safety & Emergency Preparedness

woman carrying jugs

August is National Water Quality Month

The United States has one of the safest and most reliable drinking water systems in the world. However, emergencies, such as natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, and droughts) and man-made disasters (e.g., chemical spills), can damage water infrastructure and/or contaminate water supplies.

Safe drinking water is essential to the health and wellbeing of communities. Every year, about 7.2 million people get sick in the U.S. from diseases spread through water. Knowing how to ensure your access to safe water during & after emergencies can protect you from getting sick.callout

Ensuring Access to Safe Water

Depending on the emergency, your water may be safe to use for personal hygiene and handwashing, but unsafe for drinking and cooking. Or it could be unsafe to use for any reason.

Authorities use drinking water advisories to inform communities about public health threats related to drinking water. Advisories are designed to inform consumers about the situation and provide recommendations on what to do. Advisories usually include one of these warnings: Boil Water Advisory, Do Not Drink Advisory, and Do Not Use Advisory.

If tap water is unavailable or unsafe to drink or use after an emergency, it’s important to know how to make your water safe and where to find alternative water sources inside your home.

Unopened commercially bottled water is the safest and most reliable source of water in an emergency. If bottled water is unavailable, you can make your water safe through boiling, disinfection, filtration, or ultraviolet light.

You may also consider exploring alternative sources of safe water. Water sources can be inside your home (e.g., liquid from canned fruits and vegetables)— or outside your home. Learn about places where you might find sources of water that are safe to use.

Creating an Emergency Water Supply

It’s important to develop a plan to ensure access to clean drinking water at home, the office, the school, or other places where a water-related emergency may occur.

Storing unopened commercially bottled water is one of the most reliable and least expensive sources of water in an emergency. Store at least one gallon of water per person per day for three days for drinking and sanitation. Try to store a two-week supply if possible.

CDC recommends that you keep in mind the following:

Set a reminder to replace store-bought water according to their expiration date and bottles of water appropriately bottled at home every 6 months.

Keep a bottle of unscented liquid household chlorine bleach to disinfect your water, if necessary. The label should say it contains between 5% and 9% of sodium hypochlorite.

Considerations for At-Risk Populations

Consider people’s specific health needs and the conditions in the places where they live when communicating about water preparedness.

Access to and use of safe treated water is often influenced by geographical location and/or socioeconomic status. People living near contaminated sources of water (e.g., aging infrastructure, rural, tribal, immigrant, or refugee communities) may face increased exposure to unsafe drinking water.

Certain populations, including infants and children, people with certain medical conditions, pregnant people, and older adults are at a higher risk of suffering from health issues because of the lack of access to safe water.

  • Infants and young children have unique feeding and hygiene needs during an emergency:
    • Infant formula feeding requires safe water to prepare the formula and cleaning supplies to clean bottles, nipples, and other parts. Find more information and resources for emergency preparedness and response personnel, families, and the public to ensure that children are fed safely during an emergency: Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E) Toolkit | Nutrition | CDC.
    • It’s always important to change diapers in a safe, germ-free way, but an emergency can make this difficult. CDC offers guidelines and checklists to help parents, childcare providers, emergency responders, and others learn how to prevent the spread of germs while changing diapers during emergencies.
  • Schools, day-care centers, and camps for children can be at risk for outbreaks during an emergency. CDC has available information to help state and local health departments respond to suspected waterborne outbreaks.
  • People who are immunocompromised or have a weakened immune system because of a medical condition or medical treatment may be more susceptible to getting sick.
  • Adults aged 65 and older are at increased risk of infection and disease from harmful germs because of many factors, including reduced immunity, existing chronic illness, and institutional exposure (e.g., exposures at hospitals and nursing homes). Visit CDC’s Promoting Health for Older Adults to learn about this topic.

Similarly, people with limited access to safe water in their homes, grocery stores, or the means to travel to and haul water may find it difficult or even impossible to prepare a home water supply.

Emergency preparedness authorities should account for their communities’ specific needs when developing response plans. CDC offers customizable and printable tools and templates, which include checklists, fact sheets, and press releases that can be adapted to the needs of each community.

Resources

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Posted by in Disease Outbreak, emergency, General, Natural Disasters, personal health, Preparedness, Waterborne

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16Aug / 2022

#PrepYourHealth with Vaccines

banner

August is National Immunization Month.

Over the years, vaccines have prevented countless cases of disease and saved millions of lives. Vaccines are important to helping people stay healthy and protected from serious and sometimes deadly diseases.

Staying up to date on recommended immunizations can help keep you healthy in response to emergencies, including disease outbreaks and natural disasters.

Immunization Recommendations for Responders

Vaccination is an important step every first responder should take to prepare for a response. Some vaccine-preventable diseases are more common after a disaster.

Being up to date on tetanus and hepatitis B vaccines is important for everyone, including emergency responders.

Tetanus is a potential health threat if you sustain wound injuries. Being up to date on tetanus vaccination is the best tool to prevent infection, along with immediate and good wound care.(1)

Everyone aged less than 60 years are recommended to be up to date on Hepatitis B vaccination. Hepatitis B vaccination is also recommended if you are expected to have exposure to blood or blood-contaminated bodily fluids.(2)

People in certain response jobs and travel situations may be exposed to dangerous or deadly diseases that are uncommon in the U.S. Emergency responders should check Traveler’s Health for current vaccine recommendations before they deploy outside of the country. They may include anthrax, cholera, typhoid, rabies, and yellow fever.

Immunization Recommendations for All Individuals

People need different vaccinations depending on their age, location, job, lifestyle, travel schedule, health conditions, or previous vaccinations.

Everyone needs immunizations to help them prevent getting and spreading serious diseases to their loved ones or others in their community.

  • Everyone 6 months and older needs the seasonal flu (influenza) vaccine every year. The flu vaccine is especially important for people with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, and older adults.
  • Every adult should get a Tdap vaccine once if they did not receive it as an adolescent to protect against pertussis (whooping cough). They should get a Td (tetanus, diphtheria) or Tdap booster shot every 10 years. Women should get the Tdap vaccine each time they are pregnant, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks.(3)

CDC recommends COVID-19 primary series vaccines for everyone ages 6 months and older, and COVID-19 boosters for everyone ages 5 years and older, if eligible.(4)

Vaccines help protect you from getting sick or severely ill. Vaccines like those for seasonal flu and COVID-19 are especially important if your emergency action plan is to go to a shelter in an evacuation.

Evacuations for hurricanes and wildfires can force people into emergency shelters, where close quarters, shared spaces, and high-touch surfaces can make it easy for illnesses, including COVID-19 and flu, to spread.

Stay Informed About Staying Up to Date

Immunizations are not just for children. Protection from some childhood vaccines can wear off over time. Adults may also be at risk for vaccine-preventable disease due to age, job, lifestyle, travel, or health conditions.

It’s important that everyone stay up to date on their immunizations so that they are protected when a disaster strikes. You are up to date with when you have received all doses in the primary series of a vaccine and all boosters recommended for you.

Here are three ways you can stay informed of how well you’re staying up to date on recommended vaccines.

  • Take this quiz to find out what other vaccines may be recommended for you. Talk with your healthcare provider to make sure you get the vaccines that are right for you.
  • Download or print copies of age-appropriate vaccination schedules to help you stay informed of when you or a loved one is due for a vaccine or booster. Take with you to your next doctor’s appointment.
  • Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or vaccination provider for a vaccination record form or download one. Keep it with your other important paperwork. Take the form with you to health visits. Ask your vaccination provider to sign and date the form for each vaccine you receive.(5)

Staying up to date can help keep you, your loved ones, and your community safe. Learn more ways to prepare your health for emergencies.

References

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/about/prevention.html
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7113a1.htm?s_cid=mm7113a1_w
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/index.html
  4. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
  5. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/vaccination-records.html#record-vacc

Resources

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Posted by in & Prevention, Disease Outbreak, emergency, Emergency Action Plan, emergency sheltering, flu, General, immunization, personal health, Preparedness, public health, Response, tetanus, Vaccination, wound care

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27Oct / 2021

Project Firstline Reaches Frontline Healthcare Workforce with Infection Control Training

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted long-standing gaps in infection control knowledge and understanding among the frontline healthcare workforce. Since the onset of the pandemic, healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic-resistant infections have increased, reversing national progress made before 2020.

Infectious disease threats like Ebola, COVID-19, and antibiotic resistance will continue to emerge. It’s more important than ever that we equip our nation’s healthcare workforce with the infection control knowledge they need to protect themselves, their patients, and their communities.

One year ago, this month, CDC launched Project Firstline. Project Firstline provides engaging, innovative, and effective infection control education and training for U.S. frontline healthcare workers.

Meeting the Needs of the Diverse Healthcare Workforce

Project Firstline’s innovative content is designed for all healthcare workers, regardless of their previous training or educational background. The program’s training and educational materials provide critical infection control information in a format that best meets healthcare workers’ needs.

During its first year, Project Firstline and its partners hosted more than 300 educational events on infection control and developed more than 130 educational products. The products are accessible on a variety of digital platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and CDC and partner websites. Products currently available on the CDC Project Firstline site include:

Maximizing Impact through Partnerships

Project Firstline brings together academic, public health, and healthcare partners plus 64 state, local, and territorial health departments to provide infection control educational resources to healthcare workers nationwide.

Our partners have used a diverse range of products and activities to reach healthcare workers with tailored infection control information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these activities include Twitter chats, podcasts, videos,  and virtual training events simulcast and translated into multiple languages.

Additionally, Project Firstline launched the Community College Collaborative in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the League of Innovation in the Community College. The program is integrating enhanced infection control content into the health programs of community college classrooms. The program was piloted this summer with faculty cohorts from 16 participating colleges across a range of community college settings. Faculty came together to tailor the infection control curriculum for each professional area, with a plan to phase it into their coursework. Professional areas included:

  • emergency medical services
  • respiratory care
  • nursing
  • practical nursing and nursing assistants
  • medical assisting

This effort will help ensure that the future healthcare workforce starts their careers with key infection control knowledge to protect themselves and their patients.

The Future of Project Firstline

Project Firstline aims to become the go-to resource for infection control among healthcare workers. It will focus on building a strong culture of infection control within all healthcare facilities.

Using insights learned during its first year, the program will create a new suite of readily available and easy-to-consume education materials. The new materials will be designed to help strengthen infection prevention and control capacities beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Posted by in & Prevention, American Hospital Association, antibiotic resistance, Community College Collaborative, covid 19, Disease Outbreak, ebola, General, healthcare-associated infections, infection control, League for Innovation in the Community College, personal health, Project Firstline, public health, training

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28Sep / 2021

Healthcare Workers “Pop Up” to Help Vaccinate in IL Communities

This student-authored post is published by CPR in partnership with Medill News Service and the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of CPR or CDC.

The sound of live music and the smell of fried food filled the air on a warm July evening in Moline, Illinois’ Hispanic Floreciente neighborhood. Peggy Newkirk, 73, a retired nurse practitioner, stands behind a folding table in the shade with other volunteers.

Most people crowd to Mercado on Fifth—a weekly open-air cultural fest and market—in the summer to shop, eat, and dance. But Newkirk and her fellow volunteers were there with other plans—to distribute COVID-19 vaccines. “We make it as convenient as possible so that if somebody is even considering it, you’re right there before they have a chance to change their mind,” Newkirk said.

“Pop Ups” Put Shots in Arms

The Rock Island County Health Department has held pop-up vaccine clinics at Mercado on Fifth and at community gathering places in other minority neighborhoods across Rock Island and Moline. The health department also held clinics at the Islamic Center of Quad Cities in Moline and the Second Baptist Church in Rock Island.

About 42% of the population of Rock Island County was fully vaccinated as of August 31, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.(1) About 52% of people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated.(2)

Nationally, vaccination rates are lower on average among people from racial and ethnic minority groups, according to CDC.(3) The goal of the pop-up vaccine clinics in Rock Island County is to reach disproportionately affected communities and remove barriers to vaccination access.

The clinics were run by health department staff and Rock Island County Medical Reserve Corps volunteers. Most volunteers are retired healthcare workers like Newkirk. They’re trained to fill the gap of first responder and medical staff shortages in emergencies.

“We’re just trying to reach anyone and everyone we can,” said Kate Meyer, manager of emergency planning and response for the health department. “And we couldn’t have done all of our response without the Medical Reserve Corps.”

“Like Giving People Hope.”

Deborah Freiburg, 70, is another Medical Reserve Corps member. She retired in Rock Island after 40 years as a nurse at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. “Going from working such a heavy job and just all of a sudden retiring, you can’t just sit at home,” she said.

When Freiburg’s planned trip to the Galapagos fell through due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she called the health department and offered to help, first as a contract tracer, then later at the vaccine clinics.

Things were hectic at first. Freiburg remembers standing for six hours at a time in an ice-covered parking lot outside the Tax Slayer Center, the site of Rock Island County’s first mass vaccination clinics. Her job was to monitor vaccine recipients for adverse reactions.

People poured into the clinics. They came by car, bus, and on foot. The health department partnered with public transit company that serves Rock Island and Moline, to provide free bus rides to vaccine appointments. Once dropped off at a clinic parking lot, volunteers would pick up people with mobility issues in golf carts. Peggy Newkirk remembers a family of three generations that came together to get their vaccines.

One man told Freiburg he had waited in his car overnight for his shot. “It was the most exciting thing,” Freiburg said. “Because, you know, it was like giving hope to people. No matter how cold it was outside, or how long you were on your feet, everybody was just excited to be part of this part of history.”

Volunteers and staff were giving out 800 or more vaccine doses each day earlier this year, but the numbers have dropped. Still, regular clinics are set to continue indefinitely.

Hurdles of Hearts and Minds

Many factors influence vaccine decision-making, including cultural, social, and political factors; individual and group factors; and vaccine-specific factors.(3) Newkirk said some of her family members won’t get the shot, despite her best efforts to build COVID-19 vaccine confidence.

Newkirk is undeterred. Confidence in the vaccines leads to more people getting vaccinated, which leads to fewer COVID-19 illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. “Everybody wants to get society back to normal and the best way to do that is to get the people who aren’t vaccinated, vaccinated,” she said.

References

  1. https://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19/vaccinedata?county=Rock%20Island
  2. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total
  3. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-demographic
  4. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/vaccinate-with-confidence.html

Resources

 

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Posted by in & Prevention, covid 19, Disease Outbreak, emergency, General, Get Involved, illinois, Medical Reserve Corps, Moline, personal health, public health, Response, Rock Island, Rock Island County Health Department, Vaccination

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06Aug / 2021

Create Co(i)mmunity. Get Vaccinated.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, an annual observance highlighting the importance of vaccination for people of all ages.

Life has been anything but routine lately. A sometimes overlooked result of the COVID-19 pandemic is that many people have missed routine medical checkups, routine screenings, and recommended vaccinations.

Recommended vaccines

Vaccines aren’t just for children. Adults need them to avoid getting and spreading certain serious diseases that can result in missed work, medical bills, and problems taking care of others, as well as serious illness, or even death.(1)

Vaccines for adults are recommended based on different factors like a person’s age, health, lifestyle, jobs, and travel. All adults need:

  • Flu vaccine. An annual flu vaccine is recommended for everyone but is especially important for adults with certain chronic health conditions, pregnant people, and those who are 65 years and older.
  • Tdap vaccine: If they have never gotten one before, a Tdap vaccine helps protect against pertussis (whooping cough). Pregnant people should get a Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy, preferably at 27 through 36 weeks.
  • Td vaccine:(tetanus, diphtheria) or Tdap shot every 10 years.(1)
  • Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23): If they are 65 years and older or 19–64 years old and have certain health conditions or smoke cigarettes. In addition, adults 65 years and older may discuss and decide, with their clinician, to receive a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Pneumococcal vaccines help protect against serious illnesses like meningitis, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia.
  • Shingles vaccine: Two doses of shingles vaccine for everyone 50 years of age and older. Your risk of shingles and complications increases as you age. Shingles vaccine provides strong protection from shingles and long-term nerve pain.
  • HPV vaccine: HPV vaccination is also recommended through age 26, if they did not get vaccinated when they were younger. For adults aged 27 years and older, talk with your doctor about HPV vaccine.
  • COVID-19 vaccine: CDC recommends vaccination for all adults and children of certain ages.(2)

Take this quiz to find out what other vaccines may be recommended for you. Then talk with your doctor to make sure you get the vaccines that are right for you. Some adults with specific health conditions should not get certain vaccines or should wait to get them.(1)

Staying up to date on vaccinations helps protect you and others in your family and community. Every year, tens of thousands of Americans get sick and some die from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines.(3)

Vaccine records

Today, people move, travel, and change healthcare providers often. This can make it hard to keep an accurate vaccination record. If you don’t have copies of your vaccination records, ask for help from:

  • Your current or previous doctor or medical provider
  • Your parents or caregivers
  • Your high school or college health services group
  • Previous employers (including the military) that may have required vaccinations
  • Your state health department to see if they can direct you to their immunization registry

It’s a good idea to try and keep track of your own vaccinations. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or vaccination provider for a vaccination record form or download one. Take it with you to health visits. Ask your vaccination provider to sign and date the form for each vaccine you receive.(4)

After getting a COVID-19 vaccine, you should get a small, white card with information about which vaccine you received, when you received it, and where you received it. This card is a vaccination record.(5). As such, it is important that you take steps to check and protect it:

  1. Check your card to make sure everything is correct.
  2. Take a picture of the front and back of the card with your cellphone or a camera.
  3. Use plastic envelopes for vaccine cards. Lamination is not recommended in case future shots are recommended. A photocopy can be laminated.
  4. Store your card in a secure, fireproof, and water-resistant bin or safe.

Vaccination records are examples of important paperwork that you need to collect and protect. Keeping a record and storing it in a safe place can save you time and unnecessary hassle later.

Important paperwork

The term “important paperwork” applies to any documents and personal data that you might need in an emergency or disaster.

What to collect

How to protect

Once you’ve collected your important paperwork, take steps to proofread and protect it. Store paperwork someplace that is a) easily accessible and b) safe from theft, fire, flood, and other emergencies.

Some ways to keep your important paperwork safe and secure include:

  • Scanning or saving to your computer important paperwork and personal items, like family photos. Creating digital duplicates of originals makes it easier to share the information, helps preserve the original, and serves as a backup in case the original is destroyed
  • Storing external drives and hardcopies of important papers in a fireproof and water-resistant file organizer, container, or storage bag with a trusted friend or relative or in a safety deposit box
  • Telling family members, friends, or trusted neighbors where you keep your important paperwork

Learn more ways to prepare your health for emergencies.

Resources

References

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/index.html
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/your-vaccination.html
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/vaxwithme.html
  4. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/vaccination-records.html#record-vacc
  5. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect.html

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that the CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

 

Posted by in & Prevention, Disease Outbreak, emergency, flu, General, personal health, Preparedness, public health, Response

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10Mar / 2021

Other Diseases Did Not Rest During COVID-19

Protecting Health in 2020. NCEZID Progress Report.

The COVID-19 response is the largest and longest in CDC history. But the virus that causes COVID-19 wasn’t the only infectious disease that CDC responded to last year. Diseases like those caused by the Marburg virus and antibiotic-resistant bacteria didn’t go away because of the pandemic.

The National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) deployed 1,736 staff who devoted 1.35 million hours to the COVID-19 response in 2020. At the same time, the center worked to protect people in other important areas. NCEZID details its activities in the Protecting Health in 2020 NCEZID Progress Report.

The COVID-19 response

The magnitude of CDC’s COVID-19 response was reflected in last year’s raw data. People viewed CDC’s COVID-19 webpages over 2.3 billion times. They used the Coronavirus Self-Checker over 40 million times.

About 1,500 staff, including members of NCEZID, deployed nearly 3,000 times to about 250 cities in the United States and other countries. NCEZID also set records in the amount of funding it awarded. It gave $11 billion to 64 public health departments to help fight the spread of COVID-19.

An NCEZID lab ran 6,417 pathology tests to study COVID-19’s damage on a cellular level. The Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD) program built a national network of more than 600 scientists to track COVID-19’s spread using genetic data while keeping track of new variants.

Over the course of years, NCEZID successfully encouraged 90 percent of U.S. health departments to switch to electronic laboratory reporting. This has paid off during the pandemic response by enabling health departments to send more COVID-19 testing and other data more quickly to CDC.

Other threats

Scientists think that the virus that causes COVID-19 likely circulated in bats before making its way to humans. NCEZID scientists monitor bats for emerging disease threats. Last year, they found an especially deadly strain of Marburg virus circulating in fruit bats in Sierra Leone. Marburg virus disease causes hemorrhaging and other Ebola-like symptoms but is often deadlier than Ebola.

Melioidosis, a life-threatening bacterial disease, infected a few people in the United States last year. Catching it in the country is unusual. Infected people usually get the disease on trips abroad. NCEZID researchers found evidence that melioidosis could be an emerging threat in the U.S.

Other researchers used genetic sequencing data to explore why gastric cancer caused by bacteria afflict Alaskan Native people more than other people.

Years of public health and healthcare measures have reduced infections with antibiotic-resistant germs, but they are still a threat. CDC is spearheading an action plan in communities where infections are on the rise.

The threat of Ebola typifies NCEZID’s dual mission of preparing for and responding to disease threats. Last year, two outbreaks were declared over. Now, two new outbreaks threaten two African countries. Experience gained in last year’s responses will help prepare this year’s Ebola responses.

About NCEZID

NCEZID is one of the national centers, institutes, and offices that together make up CDC. NCEZID protects people from domestic and global health threats, including:

  • Foodborne and waterborne illnesses
  • Infections that spread in hospitals
  • Infections that are resistant to antibiotics
  • Deadly diseases like Ebola and anthrax
  • Illnesses that affect immigrants, migrants, refugees, and travelers
  • Diseases caused by contact with animals
  • Diseases spread by mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas

NCEZID has led efforts to prepare for and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. Its staff includes subject matter experts in bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens and infectious diseases of unknown origin.

 

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that the CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Posted by in & Prevention, advanced molecular detection, antibiotic resistance, covid 19, Disease Outbreak, ebola, emergency, marburg virus, melioidosis, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Preparedness, public health, Response, Zoonotic Disease

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17Feb / 2021

Threats Unseen: Beware of Norovirus During an Emergency

Woman clutches her stomach as if feeling nauseous

Natural disasters are unpredictable. Often, we don’t know when or where they will happen or if we will have to leave our homes because of them. Evacuations for hurricanes and wildfires can force people into emergency shelters, where close quarters, shared spaces, and high-touch surfaces can make it easy for norovirus to spread.Graphic that defines norovirus. Text also in body of article.

Norovirus outbreaks occurred in most evacuation shelters in Butte and Glenn counties, Calif., during the Camp Fire in November 2018. Public-health officials identified 292 people ill with acute gastroenteritis caused by norovirus.(1)

A norovirus outbreak among evacuees from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was also reported in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. That outbreak might have affected approximately 1,000 evacuees and relief workers.(2)

What is Norovirus?

Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Most “stomach bugs” are likely norovirus infections because it’s a relatively common virus. Anyone can catch norovirus from direct contact with an infected person, touching a contaminated surface, or eating contaminated food. It only takes a very small amount of virus particles to make
you sick. The number of particles that could fit on the head of a pin is enough to infect more than 1,000 people.

A person infected with norovirus usually starts to feel ill 12 to 48 hours after they’ve been exposed. The most common symptoms of norovirus infection are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. But it can cause fever, headache, and body aches, too.

Be Prepared

Follow the guidance of local officials when going to an emergency shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will tell you when and where to take shelter and what to bring with you.

Act now to prepare “go kits” for family members. Include everyday personal items you cannot do without and other personal protective supplies, such as hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, bar or liquid soap, disinfectant wipes and spray, and at least two masks per person age 2 or older in your household.

If your Emergency Action Plan is to go to a shelter in an evacuation, your kit might also include plenty of nonperishable food, mess kits (e.g., reusable cups, plates, bowls utensils). Also, pack paper towels and disposable plastic gloves to clean up after a sick family member. If you are cleaning up after someone vomits or has diarrhea, use a bleach-based cleaner to prevent the spread of norovirus.

Wash Your Hands

Clean hands are essential to health, whether in an emergency or day-to-day life. Handwashing can keep you healthy and prevent the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections, like norovirus, from one person to the next. Unseen woman washing her hands with soap in a sink.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water especially after using the toilet or changing diapers; always before eating, preparing, or handling food; and before giving yourself or someone else medicine. Here’s how:

  • Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
  • Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
  • Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
  • Rinse your hands well under the water.
  • Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

You can use alcohol-based hand sanitizers in addition to hand washing. But you should not use hand sanitizer as a substitute for washing your hands with soap and water. Hand sanitizers aren’t as effective at removing norovirus particles as washing hands with soap and water.

If you start to feel sick, continue to wash your hands often with soap and water and try to avoid direct contact with others. You should not prepare food for others or provide health care while you are sick, and for at least 2 days after symptoms stop.

Learn More

CDC and state and local health departments help to raise awareness among healthcare providers and the public about norovirus and how to prevent it. Learn more about how they work to prevent and stop norovirus outbreaks.

For more suggestions on how to prepare your health for emergencies, visit https://www.cdc.gov/prepyourhealth/.

Resources

References

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6920a1.htm
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5440a3.htm


Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that the CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Posted by in #prepyourhealth, & Prevention, disaster, Disease Outbreak, Emergency Action Plan, emergency preparedness, evacuation, Foodborne, General, Handwashing, hurricane, Natural Disasters, norovirus, outbreak, personal health, personal health preparedness, public health, shelter, wildfire

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27Jul / 2020

AFM is Serious: Know the Symptoms. Act Fast.

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a serious neurologic condition that causes limb weakness and paralysis. While uncommon, AFM affects mostly children, and can have devastating, long-term effects for patients and their families.

There have been three AFM outbreaks in the United States—in 2014, 2016, and 2018. If this biennial pattern continues, another outbreak might occur in 2020.

What AFM Might Look Like

Little boy doing physical therapy
Braden, who was diagnosed with AFM in 2016, doing his physical therapy. Braden needed a breathing tube for 3 years and was initially paralyzed from the neck down. Now Braden can walk short distances, and his breathing tube has been removed. Braden’s mom Rachel is a co-founder of the Acute Flaccid Myelitis Association.

Imagine your 5-year-old son, who is usually very excited to get up and get going in the morning, complains that his neck hurts, and he can’t move his left arm. You think nothing of it. Maybe he just slept wrong and his arm “fell asleep” and it will go away shortly.

You fix his favorite cereal and call him to come eat, but he doesn’t. It’s been almost half an hour since he woke up. Any other morning, he’d be running around, talking about this and that, and demanding his breakfast. You check on him again. He is still lying in bed and still complaining about his neck and arm.

You check his temperature, which seems fine. What could this be? You don’t think he’s making it up, especially since he was excited about an art project happening today.

You call the doctor’s office and get the nurse on the line. She asks you a series of questions, and you remember that his older sister was sick last week with a mild fever, but your son only had some sniffles. Your pediatrician wants to see your son right away, and after examining his reflexes and strength, he tells you to bring your son immediately to the nearest children’s hospital’s emergency department (ED). The pediatrician suspects your son may have a serious neurologic condition. Scared and worried, you rush to the ED.

AFM is a Medical Emergency

AFM can progress quickly to respiratory failure. Patients who develop AFM symptoms need immediate medical care. That’s why it’s very important that parents call their child’s pediatrician right away or go to the ED, and that clinicians recognize the symptoms of AFM early and hospitalize patients for further evaluation and monitoring.

When to Suspect AFM

You should suspect AFM when a person has sudden onset of arm or leg weakness. Also, did the person have a recent respiratory illness or fever? If so, this should heighten your suspicion for AFM.

Also, look for other signs and symptoms such as:

  • Loss of muscle tone and reflexes in the affected extremities.
  • Difficulty moving the eyes or drooping eye lids.
  • Facial droop or weakness.
  • Difficulty with swallowing or slurred speech.
  • Pain in arms or legs.
  • Pain in neck or back.

AFM & the COVID-19 Pandemic

How to Spot Symptoms of AFM in Your Child
View Printable Poster: How to Spot Symptoms of AFM in Your Child.

COVID-19 is likely on everyone’s minds and causing concern, uncertainty, and challenges for communities across the country.

It is not known how the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing may affect AFM this year, or the health care system’s ability to promptly recognize and respond to it. However, even in communities with high COVID-19 activity:

  • Parents should act and get medical attention immediately if their child develops sudden arm or leg weakness. It may be AFM, which is serious and requires urgent care. It is very likely that the assessment of your child will require hospitalization if clinicians think your child might have AFM.
  • Clinicians should not “wait and see.” They should refer patients suspected to have AFM to the ED immediately. They should reference CDC resources on AFM symptoms, provide optimal medical management, collect specimens, and report cases to health departments. Clinicians can also contact an AFM expert for a clinical consult through the AFM Physician Consult and Support Portal.

Clinicians may consider reassuring parents about going to the ED during the COVID-19 pandemic for serious health problems. Clinicians can let parents know that hospitals are taking precautions to prevent exposures to COVID-19, such as providing separate entrances and rooms for those with respiratory symptoms, requiring hospital staff to wear appropriate protective equipment like face coverings and shields for all encounters with patients, and increasing access to hand sanitizer and disinfecting surfaces frequently.

AFM remains a public health priority for CDC. CDC is committed to investigating AFM, working with partners, supporting affected families, and responding to outbreaks. Clinicians are encouraged to review CDC’s AFM website, stay alert for AFM in late summer through fall, and promptly evaluate and hospitalize AFM patients.

Resources for Parents:

Resources for Health Care Professionals:

If you have questions, you may send them to AFMQuestions@cdc.gov.

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that the CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Posted by in Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR), covid 19, Disease Investigation, Disease Outbreak, emergency, General, NCIRD, Neurolig Disease, pandemic, paralysis, personal health, Preparedness, public health, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program

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15Oct / 2018

3 Reasons Why Handwashing Should Matter to You

Unseen woman washing her hands with soap in a sink.

Most of us are familiar with the parental-like voice in the back of our minds that helps guide our decision-making—asking us questions like, “Have you called your grandmother lately?” For many that voice serves as a gentle, yet constant reminder to wash our hands.

Handwashing with soap and water is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to loved ones. Many diseases are spread by not cleaning your hands properly after touching contaminated objects or surfaces. And although not all germs are bad, illness can occur when harmful germs enter our bodies through the eyes, nose, and mouth. That’s why it is critical to wash hands at key times, such as after a flood or during a flu pandemic, when germs can be passed from person to person and make others sick.

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them, however during a disaster clean, running water may not be available. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.

Here are three key reasons why you should always care about handwashing:Your hands carry germs you can't see. Wash your hands.

  1. Handwashing can keep children healthy and in school. Handwashing education can reduce the number of young children who get sick and help prevent school absenteeism.
  2. Handwashing can help prevent illness. Getting a yearly flu vaccine is the most important action you can take to protect yourself from flu. Besides getting a flu vaccine, CDC recommends everyday preventive actions including frequent handwashing with soap and water.
  3. Handwashing is easy! Effective handwashing is a practical skill that you can easily learn, teach to others, and practice every day to prepare for an emergency. It takes around 20 seconds, and can be done in five simple steps:
    1. Wet your hands with clean, running water, turn off the tap, and apply soap
    2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap
    3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice
    4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water
    5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air-dry them

Promote Handwashing in Your Community

Global Handwashing Day is celebrated annually on October 15 to promote handwashing with soap as an easy and affordable way to prevent disease in communities around the world. This year’s theme, “Clean Hands—A Recipe for Health,” calls attention to the importance of handwashing at key times, such as before eating or feeding others, and before, during, and after preparing food.

Learn how you can get involved and promote handwashing at home, your child’s school or daycare, and your local community:

Posted by in disaster, Disease Outbreak, disease prevention, emergency preparedness, Environmental Health, flood, floodwater, flu, General, global handwashing day, Handwashing, hurricane, influenza, Natural Disasters, outbreak, pandemic, personal health, Personal Preparedness, Prepare Your Health, Preparedness, Prevention/Vaccination, public health, Response, school, Waterborne

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10Sep / 2018

Personal Protective Actions You Can Take in a Flu Pandemic

Young woman under the covers in bed blowing her nose.

Every fall and winter the United States experiences epidemics of seasonal influenza (flu). Sometimes a flu pandemic occurs due to a new flu virus that spreads and causes illnesses around the world. We cannot predict when a flu pandemic will occur, but over the past 100 years, we have documented four flu pandemics resulting in close to 1 million deaths in the United States alone. 1Get a flu vaccine! The most important way to prevent the flu in everyone 6 months and older is to get a yearly flu vaccine.

When a flu pandemic happens, it can take up to 6 months before a vaccine against a new flu virus is available. Antiviral drugs can help manage the symptoms of the flu, shorten the time you are sick by 1 or 2 days, and prevent serious flu complications, like pneumonia. But, there may be a limited supply of these medications during a pandemic so nonpharmaceutical interventions (or NPIs) may be the only prevention tools available during the early stages of a pandemic.

There are things you can do, apart from getting vaccinated and taking medications, to help slow the spread of a flu pandemic. NPIs, also known as “community mitigation measures,” are important because they will be the first line of defense in the absence of a pandemic vaccine. NPIs may be more effective when used early and in a layered approach (i.e., using more than one measure at a time). During the 1918 pandemic, cities that put NPIs in place quickly reported fewer deaths.2,3 NPIs may be used in different settings, including homes, schools, workplaces, and places where people gather (e.g., parks, theaters, and sports arenas).

Personal protective measures to prevent flu at all times

Photo of someone washing their hands in a sink.CDC recommends using some NPIs to prevent seasonal flu and other respiratory infections. To help prevent the flu, you should always:

  • Stay home when sick and away from others as much as possible,
  • Stay away from people who are sick as much as possible,
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue,
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water,
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, and
  • Regularly clean surfaces and objects that you use a lot.

Personal protective measures to prevent flu during a pandemic

Many of these NPIs would still be recommended during a pandemic, but some would be reserved for use during a flu pandemic. Depending on the severity of a pandemic, CDC might recommend:

  • Stay home if exposed to a sick household member,
  • Use a face mask when sick and out in crowded community settings, and
  • Implement community measures to reduce exposure to pandemic flu (coordinating school closures, limiting face-to-face contact in workplaces, and postponing or canceling mass gatherings).

CDC is preparing for a flu pandemic

There is always a threat that a flu pandemic will arise, so CDC is taking steps to prepare. In 2017, CDC issued updated community mitigation guidelines to help state and local public health departments and their community partners make plans before the next pandemic happens. Visit www.cdc.gov/npi to access the updated guidelines; plain-language planning guides for the general public and community settings; and additional NPI communication, education, and training materials. You can find more information about seasonal and pandemic flu at www.cdc.gov/flu and at www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic.

Footnotes:

1 Past Pandemics: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/basics/past-pandemics.html

2 Hatchett RJ, Mecher CE, Lipsitch M. Public health interventions and epidemic intensity during the 1918 influenza pandemic. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007; 104:7582-7.

3 Markel H, Lipman HB, Navarro JA, et al. Nonpharmaceutical interventions implemented by US cities during the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic. JAMA. 2007; 298:644-54.

Posted by in community mitigation measures, Disease Outbreak, flu, Handwashing, influenza, Nonpharmaceutical interventions, pandemic, personal protective measures, pneumonia, Preparedness Month, Prevention/Vaccination, public health, social distancing, vaccine

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