Latest news with #healthofficials
Bloomberg
16 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Officials Met with Walmart on Direct-to-Patient Drug Sales
US health officials met with with Walmart Inc. and other retailers this week as part of an effort to help Americans get their medicines more directly from companies that make them, according to people familiar with the talks. The conversations between the Trump administration and experts from the nascent straight-to-consumer drug industry are intended to explore streamlining the way Americans get their medicines, said the people, who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Risky money-saving shortcuts could be behind food poisoning increase
Risky money-saving measures such as eating out-of-date food, turning off fridges and failing to heat up meals may be behind a sharp rise in food poisoning cases. More than 10,000 people tested positive for salmonella in 2024, up 17 per cent from 2023 and the highest annual total since 2007, official figures have revealed. Around one in four cases were in children under 10, with London being the most affected area, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. There were also more than 70,000 cases of campylobacter, a similar bacterial illness, amounting to a 17.1 per cent rise on the year before. The gastrointestinal illnesses cause similar symptoms, including diarrhoea, stomach pains and cramps, vomiting and mild fever. Infections can be caused by eating contaminated food such as chicken, meat, eggs, unpasteurised milk products, and raw fruit or vegetables, as well as close contact with infected people and kitchen cross-contamination. Health officials said the reason for the rise in cases was 'likely multifactorial' and that improvements in testing could have led to more cases being identified. Hygiene concerns However, another possible cause is people storing and cooking their food in unsafe ways to save money, according to a UKHSA report. A survey by the Food Standard Agency (FSA), which is working with the UKHSA, found that one in eight adults demonstrated risky behaviours while storing and preparing food in response to cost-of-living pressures. This includes cooking food on a lower heat or not for long enough, turning fridges and freezers to less frigid settings, eating food cold instead of hot, and eating out-of-date food. Around 5 per cent of people also admitted to turning their fridge off to save money, while one in eight did not cook their food properly. Potential contamination from environmental sources such as raw dog food in kitchens could also be partly responsible for the increase in salmonella infections, the report added. The UKHSA said children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems were particularly vulnerable and should take extra care.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Hospitals on high alert for world's most contagious disease after young child is infected
Multiple hospitals in North Carolina are on high alert this week after confirming the state's first measles case in a popular college town. Doctors and health officials are on the lookout for people exhibiting signs of the infection, including a red, splotchy rash, fever, cough, runny nose, and sore throat. The child visited several public places after being infected, putting a concerning number of people at risk, as measles has an infection rate of 12-18, meaning one infected person can spread it to 12 to 18 other people. It is so contagious that if someone has it, it can spread to 90 percent of people who aren't immune, such as those not vaccinated. Measles vaccination rates in the US are high, with about 91 percent of children receiving the MMR vaccine by age two. To stop the virus from spreading, however, coverage needs to be at least 95 percent for herd immunity. But in many pockets of the US, parents are increasingly choosing to forego vaccination for their children, often citing debunked claims about injuries and a retracted paper linking the shots to autism. The current outbreak, which has sickened 1,200 people, killed three, and spread to all but 13 states, has its epicenter among Mennonite communities in West Texas, where vaccination rates hover around 46 percent. North Carolina hospitals are just the most recent to be placed on high alert after reported measles exposures and infections and staff are bracing for more cases. 'This was inevitable. We knew that eventually we would get a case here as well,' Dr David Wohl at UNC Health said. 'Measles is an incredibly infectious virus. It can linger in the air; it can linger on surfaces. People born before 1957, we basically assume you are immune because it was so widespread and it is so catchy, that it's almost impossible that you weren't exposed before the vaccines became available.' The child visited Piedmont Triad International Airport, the Greensboro Science Center, the Greensboro Aquatic Center, and ParTee Shack, as well as several spots in Kernersville, including a Sleep Inn and Lowe's grocery store, all in Guilford and Forsyth counties. Joshua Swift, Forsyth County public health director, told the Raleigh News & Observer: 'The patient has been treated and released, and is isolating and recovering.' The child will no longer be considered infectious by Thursday. North Carolina does not see many measles cases, with just one in 2024 and three in 2018. However, Dr Michael Smith, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Duke Health, is concerned about low vaccination rates among children. 'Until this year where we've had a lot of measles, as a parent you could say, 'Well measles is not really common in the United States so I'm not going to worry about it,'' he said. 'That story is not true. 'The MMR vaccine does not cause autism. Don't take it from me as a doctor – I'm a dad and both my kids are vaccinated. This is a safe and effective vaccine.' Despite cases of measles reaching peaks not seen since 2019, the CDC's newly formed committee for vaccine recommendations announced that the outbreak has stalled. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said: 'There's some really good indicators that we have hit a plateau, the cases are definitely decreasing. 'As we are seeing fewer cases in the southwest, we continue to see global introductions come into the US, which thankfully to date have mainly been short, terminal trains of transmissions as opposed to more sustained transmissions we saw in the southwest.' Overall, the risk to the US population is low, according to the CDC's committee, though state health agencies will continue to closely monitor transmissions and communities at higher risk. Yet Dr Wohl told WRAL News that the hospital staff have been working hard for months to prepare for an outbreak of measles or multiple outbreaks at once. Weekly case rates are on the decline, reaching a high the last week of March, with 116 new cases, before falling to 24 cases the week of May 11. They shot up again to 52 cases the week of May 18. The week ending June 15 saw nine new cases confirmed, marking the lowest count since the outbreak began in mid-January. Yet several other states – Washington, Michigan, Utah, and Virginia, among others – have also been placed on high alert after public health officials identified new cases, in some instances, for the first time in decades. In Virginia, staff have identified two exposures to measles within a one-week period at Dulles International Airport. One infected person, who had visited multiple businesses, came from North Carolina, while the second was an international traveler. In Michigan, the Grand Traverse County Health Department confirmed a third case of measles and has officially put the public on notice. Dr Joe Santangelo, Munson Healthcare's Chief Medical, Quality and Safety Officer, warned: 'Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to man. 'With something like measles, we want to be very proactive in notifying the community if they may have been exposed to measles just because of how contagious this virus can be. 'We do believe it to be isolated to a bit of a population and we did share some exposure sites late last week and we're going to continue to monitor that.' Child vaccination rates in the US have been declining since the Covid pandemic and have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. State immunization programs reported pandemic-related disruptions in the 2021-22 school year. Studies indicate between 26 percent and 41 percent of households had at least one child miss or delay a well visit during the pandemic. The rate of vaccine exemptions among kindergartners — covering both medical and nonmedical reasons — held steady during the pandemic. However, in the 2022–23 school year, exemption rates increased in 41 states, raising the national rate from 2.6 percent to 3 percent, the highest ever recorded in the US. Ten states reported exemption rates above five percent. Among kindergartners with exemptions, more than 93 percent were for nonmedical reasons.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Urgent warning over record highs of deadly infection spread by dodgy cheese - experts urge Britons to adopt vital safety measures
Health chiefs have urgently warned Britons to adopt safety measures after cases of a dangerous food poisoning bug have reached the highest level in a decade. New figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show a 17.1 per cent rise in salmonella and campylobacter infections across England between 2023 and 2024. These infections are usually caught by eating contaminated food such as poultry, meat, eggs, raw fruit and vegetables, as well as unpasteurised milk or cheese. People can die from salmonella via dehydration or if the bacteria enters the bloodstream, which can lead to sepsis — a life-threatening reaction. In response to the surge in cases, the health officials have issued key safety measures for businesses and households. These include lowering the guidance on time and temperature on product labels, and chilling food below 5C. People should also clean food equipment and surfaces thoroughly and avoid cross-contamination through things like re-usable shopping bags, knives and chopping boards, cloths and work surfaces. You should also eat food by the 'use by' date on the label even if it looks and smells fine, and wash their hands before and after preparing food. Those most vulnerable such as
The Independent
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
US heat wave: Experts share advice on how to stay cool and safe amid weather alerts
The US is currently experiencing its first big heat wave of 2025 thanks to a powerful 'heat dome'. The powerful 'heat dome' is currently covering vast swathes of the country, bringing with it stifling temperatures and oppressive humidity. National Weather Service has issued warnings of severe temperature impacts, with more than 150 million Americans under the highest-level extreme heat alerts. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency across 32 Empire State counties in response to the rising temperatures. Philadelphia health officials have also declared a heat health emergency, urging people to look out for each other. Climate change has been exacerbating heat waves, and the problem isn't going away any time soon. An increasingly hot planet — due largely to burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas — means already hot regions are getting worse. Heat doesn't just mean canceled events. It also poses a health risk, especially for children, older people and those with certain health conditions. Here are some tips to stay safe in the heatwave. When does heat become dangerous? The answer depends on more than the temperature. The most detailed measurement is called the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which includes temperature, humidity, cloud cover and wind. The heat index, which measures temperature and humidity, is less descriptive but easier to find on weather apps. Both explain why a shaded soccer field on a 90 degree F day (32 degree C) in arid Phoenix may be less risky than an exposed park on an 80 degree F (27 degree C) day in soupy Little Rock. Just based on heat index, NOAA has a chart that calculates how dangerous prolonged exposure can be. For example, a day where temperatures reach 96 degree F (36 degrees C) and 45% humidity would fall into the 'danger' category for prolonged exposure or strenuous activity. The WBGT threshold isn't exact, but recent research suggests that even some young, healthy people can't endure hours of exposure to high heat and humidity. How to cool down Overnight lows can be a particularly dangerous part of a heat wave, said Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University. 'Your body needs a reprieve,' she said. 'You don't get that overnight, we start the next day at a deficit.' Heat can worsen labor productivity and lead to more visits to the emergency room. 'When we have overnight temperatures that don't drop below 75 degrees" F (24 degrees C), she said, 'You start to see some pretty extraordinary outcomes with respect to heat illness and heat stroke, and even mortality.' Ward's answer: Find air conditioning. That might be at home, but she said census data overcounts how many people have access. If you can't afford to cool the whole house, Ward said, create a 'cool corner" and sleep there, so your body is prepared to tackle the next day. Evaporative or 'swamp' coolers can help in dry heat, but they increase humidity and can make it more difficult to cool down. In humid places, just use a fan. If you don't have air conditioning, find public places that do, including movie theaters, malls and libraries. Some communities set up cooling centers. Depending on where you live, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program can help you buy a window air conditioning unit, according to the National Council on Aging. Some local nonprofits and civic organizations can also help you access one if cost is a burden. Know your rights if you work outside Knowing what workplace protections you have is important. But there are no federal heat rules to protect workers in the United States. Some states have them, including Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota and Maryland, according to the National Resources Defense Council. Other states don't have any. If your state has work rules, try to learn them — though there are still challenges to ensuring regulations are actually enforced, said Bharat Venkat, director of the University of California, Los Angeles Heat Lab. He notes that sometimes shaded areas are too far for workers to take breaks without losing wages, or that management can make it impossible for workers to advocate for themselves. 'Most workers don't actually have control over their time or control over where they work," he said. Within those constraints, finding ways to stay hydrated and lower your body temperature are paramount. You can do this by drinking lots of fluids, wetting clothing or putting cold water or a cold rag on your hands, feet, armpits and neck. A portable handheld fan or a cooling vest can also help. If you're exercising, avoid the hottest times of day and bring more water than you think you need. Knowing heat illness symptoms Heat illness symptoms can vary by person, Venkat said. Medications or underlying conditions can also make it harder to regulate body temperature or notice you're getting too hot. Early trouble signs include heavy sweating, muscle cramps and headache. That's when you stop what you're doing and cool yourself off — for example, by splashing yourself with cold water or finding an air conditioned space. As heat exhaustion sets in, new symptoms arrive, including faster heart rate and dizziness. Next comes heat stroke, which can include confusion, slurred words and fainting. Ward said that's when to call 911. 'Don't be embarrassed to call 911 or go to urgent care when you think you might have overdone it in the heat,' he said.
