Past Updates from the Clinician Registry Listserv
Update Sent March 03, 2008
NOTE: This document is provided for historical purposes only and may not provide our most accurate and up-to-date information. The most current Clinician's information can be found on the Clinician Home Page.
Today's topics Include:
- Food Safety
- Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) Journal
- Smallpox Vaccine
- Vaccine Safety
- Heparin Sodium Vial Products Recall
- Seasonal Influenza
- Avian Influenza
- Travelers' Health
- Rabies
Food Safety
Michigan Firm Recalls Frozen Chicken Entrées For Possible Listeria Contamination - USDA - March 2
Meijer Distribution Center (Grand Rapids, Michigan) is voluntarily recalling ~2,184 pounds of frozen chicken entrées that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today. The following product is subject to recall: 12-ounce packages of “Discover Cuisine ™ Red Curry Chicken & Jasmine Rice.” Each package bears the Canadian establishment number “Est. 302” inside the Canadian Food Inspection Agency mark of inspection as well as a “Best By” date of “12 18 08.” The frozen chicken entrées were produced on October 18, 2007, and were sent to distributors and retail establishments in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
USDA Recall Release
CDC listeriosis page
Listeriosis case defintiton
Walker's Food Products Company Recalls Four Bean Salad Because Of Possible Health Risk - FDA - Feb. 28
Walker's Food Products Company of North Kansas City, Missouri, is recalling its 16oz., 5-lb. and 10-lb. containers of Four Bean Salad because of potential contamination with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product, even if it does not look or smell spoiled. The recalled Four Bean Salad was distributed to distributors in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa for ultimate distribution to retail stores and restaurants. The product in the 16 oz. containers was packaged under the Kay's Gourmet brand name. The product in the 5-lb. and 10-lb. containers was packaged under the Walker's Food Products Co. brand name. The containers are round clear plastic packages, which have an expiration date stamped on the bottom surface. The expiration dates subject to recall are 12/23/07 thru 04/5/08. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/walkers02_08.html
Summit Import Corporation Issues an Alert on Uneviscerated Fish - FDA - Feb. 26
Summit Import Corp. (Jersey City, NJ) is recalling all packages of Sum Cheong Lung brand Dried Fish discovered by New York State Dept. of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors during a routine inspection and subsequent analysis of the product by Food Laboratory personnel confirming that the fish had not been eviscerated prior to processing. This product may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause Botulism. The recalled Sum Cheong Lung brand Dried Fish comes in an uncoded 12 oz. plastic bag and is a product of China. Dried Fish was sold in New York State. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. Consumers who have Sun Cheong Lung brand Dried Fish are advised not to eat it, but should return it to the place of purchase.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/summit202_08.html
Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Journal
The Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) journal provides recognition of new and re-emerging infections and understanding of factors involved in disease emergence, prevention, and elimination. It also represents the scientific communications component of CDC's efforts against the threat of emerging infections. See the March 2008 issue of the EID journal at the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/index.htm.
Smallpox Vaccine
Newly Licensed Smallpox Vaccine to Replace Old Smallpox Vaccine - MMWR Weekly - Feb. 29
CDC has begun distribution of a new-generation smallpox vaccine, ACAM2000™ (Acambis, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts), to civilian laboratory personnel, the military, and state public health preparedness programs. ACAM2000 will be replacing Dryvax® smallpox vaccine (Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Marietta, Pennsylvania) because of withdrawal of the Dryvax license. Wyeth intends to withdraw the Dryvax license and asks that all remaining quantities of vaccine held by civilian and military users be quarantined by February 29, 2008, for the purpose of destruction. This withdrawal is not necessitated by any safety, purity, or quality concerns with the product but rather is consistent with a contract agreement between CDC and Wyeth. All programs that hold supplies of Dryvax vaccine must provide documentation of Dryvax vaccine destruction to the CDC Drug Service by March 31, 2008.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5708a6.htm
Vaccine Safety
New Vaccine Safety Site Launched - Feb. 25
CDC's Immunization Safety Office (ISO) has launched a new Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/. This freshly redesigned site helps the public understand the basics about vaccine safety, describes ISO's public health activities, and directs visitors to a variety of CDC resources about vaccines.
Heparin Sodium Vial Products Recall
Baxter to Proceed with Recall of Remaining Heparin Sodium Vial Products - FDA - Feb. 28
Baxter International Inc. announced today that the company is proceeding with the voluntary recall of all remaining lots and doses of its heparin sodium injection multi-dose, single-dose vials and HEP-LOCK heparin flush products. The company initially recalled nine lots of heparin sodium injection multi-dose vials on January 17, 2008 as a precautionary measure due to a higher than usual number of reports of adverse patient reactions involving the product and suspended production earlier this month.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/baxter02_08.html
Seasonal Influenza
Weekly Report: Influenza Summary Update - Feb. 29
During week 8 (February 17 - 23, 2008), influenza activity decreased slightly in the United States. Two thousand three hundred twenty-one (30.0%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories were positive for influenza. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza was above the epidemic threshold for the seventh consecutive week. The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory illness (ARI) was above national baseline levels. ILI decreased in seven of the nine regions compared to week 7, and was above region-specific baselines in all nine regions. The East South Central, Mid-Atlantic, Mountain, New England, Pacific, South Atlantic and West North Central regions reported ARI at or above their region specific baselines. Forty-nine states reported widespread influenza activity; one state reported regional influenza activity; and the District of Columbia reported local influenza activity.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
Weekly US Map - Feb. 29
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm
Updated information on Influenza season - CDC - Feb. 29
The following topics on the CDC Seasonal Influenza website have been updated with new statistics:
The 2007-2008 Influenza Season
Influenza Antiviral Drug Resistance
ACIP Recommends Influenza Vaccination for Children 6 months through 18 years of age - CDC - Feb. 27
A panel of immunization experts voted to expand the recommended ages for annual influenza vaccination of children to include all children from 6 months through 18 years of age. The previous recommendation was for vaccination of children from 6 months to 59 months of age. The expanded recommendation is to take effect as soon as feasible, but no later than the 2009 – 2010 influenza season. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine issues, voted on the new recommendation during its February 27-28, 2008 meeting. The new recommendation increases the number of children recommended for vaccination by approximately 30 million.
CDC Press Release
Podcast: Influenza Vaccination Now Recommended for Children 6 months to 18 years of Age
Avian Influenza
Update on the Situation in Egypt - WHO - Feb. 28
The Ministry of Health and Population of Egypt has announced a new human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection. The case is a 4 year old female from El-Edwa district, Menia governorate. She developed symptoms on 21 February and was hospitalized on 24 February. She is receiving treatment and is in a stable condition. Investigations into the source of her infection indicate exposure to sick poultry in the week prior to onset of symptoms. Of the 44 cases confirmed to date in Egypt, 19 have been fatal.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2008_02_28/en/index.html
Update on the Situation in Viet Nam - WHO - Feb. 26
The Ministry of Health in Viet Nam has confirmed a new case of human infection of H5N1 avian influenza. The case has been confirmed by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE). The case is a 23 -year old female from Cam Khe district, Phu Tho province. She developed symptoms on 14 February was hospitalized on 19 February and died on 25 February. The case had contact with sick and dead poultry prior to her illness. Of the 105 cases confirmed to date in Vietnam, 51 have been fatal.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2008_02_26b/en/index.html
Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/H5N1- WHO - Feb. 28
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2008_02_28/en/index.html
H5N1 avian influenza: timeline of major events - WHO - Feb. 25
PDF Document
Travelers' Health
Update: Malaria in Kingston, Jamaica - Change in Recommendations - CDC - Feb. 29
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has removed the temporary recommendation for malaria prophylaxis for travel to Kingston, Jamaica. Kingston continues to experience rare cases of malaria, but the risk to travelers appears to be minimal. CDC will continue to monitor the situation and update this notice as further information becomes available. In the fall of 2006, CDC received official reports of confirmed malaria cases in Kingston, Jamaica. This is an area where malaria transmission does not normally occur and for which antimalarial drugs had not previously been recommended. The Ministry of Health in Jamaica is continuing surveillance and control measures in the area.
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentMalariaJamaicaNewCase.aspx
Yellow Fever in Argentina - CDC - Feb. 29
On February 4, 2008, the Argentina Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed the recent death of one of 17 monkeys due to yellow fever disease. This death occurred in Piñalito Park, San Pedro Department, Misiones Province, which is in the northeastern corner of Argentina, bordered by Brazil and Paraguay. To date, no related cases of yellow fever have been reported in humans in Argentina; however, mosquitoes can spread yellow fever from infected monkeys to humans. In response, Argentina MOH officials are increasing yellow fever vaccination in humans living in the surrounding areas.
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowFeverArgentina.aspx
Rabies
Human Rabies - Alberta, Canada - MMWR Weekly - Feb. 29
On April 26, 2007, a patient from Alberta, Canada, died after 9 weeks in an intensive care unit from encephalitis caused by a rabies virus variant associated with silver-haired bats. This report summarizes the clinical course of disease in that patient, who was treated using the Milwaukee Protocol, an experimental treatment protocol similar to one used for the rabies survivor described in 2005. This report also describes the subsequent epidemiologic investigations by three regional public health departments in Alberta. Rabies continues to be a cause of human death in the developed and developing world. The findings in this report underscore the need for continued public education that promotes rabies prevention and postexposure prophylaxis while emphasizing the importance of bat exposure in rabies transmission.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5708a1.htm
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