If you’ve had any doubt that America is in the throes of an opioid epidemic, perhaps a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hit the point home. [More]
CDC
Puppies Sold At Pet Stores Linked To Multistate Bacterial Outbreak
What’s the first thing you want to do when you see an adorable puppy? Probably snuggle and cuddle the heck out of it. But federal officials say there’s a multistate outbreak of a nasty bacteria going around, and it’s being spread by puppies sold at a national pet store chain. [More]
CDC: Backyard Chickens Mean Salmonella Outbreaks, So Wash Your Hands
In the last decade or so, raising backyard chickens has become a popular hobby. Maybe it’s due to a receession-era homesteading impulse, or people prioritizing really local food. However, live chickens and ducks have been linked to almost 1,000 known cases of Salmonella, which have sent hundreds of people to the hospital and killed one person. About one-third of those cases were in children under age 5. [More]
Papaya Recall Expanded, More Than 100 Salmonella Cases Linked To Fruit
Late last month, federal food safety regulators revealed they had linked a possible Salmonella Kiambu outbreak, including several illnesses and one death, to recalled papayas. Now a second recall has been initiated, as the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue investigating the outbreak, announcing that more than one hundred people have fallen ill. [More]
Don’t Use Social Media Behind The Wheel: 9 People Per Day Are Killed In Crashes Involving Distracted Drivers
Distracted driving comes in many forms, from talking on the phone, to messing with a navigation system, or posing for selfies on the latest social media app. Over the weekend, the latter distraction, combined with another dangerous driving hazard — drunk driving — to claim the life of a teen in California. [More]
CDC: Rare Walrus Not Recommended If You Want To Avoid Trichinosis
When you throw that walrus steak on the grill this weekend, you better make sure it’s well done: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that inadequately cooked walrus meat has been linked to recent cases of trichinellosis, also known as trichinosis. [More]
How To Avoid Ticks And What To Do If A Tick Bites You
The bad news (for humans): It’s shaping up to be a great year for disease-bearing ticks. The good news: We can tell you how to defend your body and your yard from these pests. [More]
CDC Politely Reminds You: Please Don’t Go In The Pool If You’ve Had Diarrhea
With public pools opening up for the summer season, the time has come once again for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue its yearly plea: Please, if you have diarrhea or aren’t feeling well, don’t go swimming. [More]
FDA, CDC Warn Families About Inaccurate Readings In Some Lead Tests
It’s easier than ever for parents (and parents-to-be) to get their lead levels tested, but federal officials are now warning American families that certain popular lead tests may provide inaccurate results, increasing the risk for lead poisoning in certain young children and adults. [More]
Antique Shaving Brushes Could Come With Free Vintage Anthrax
We know you can’t wait to rush home from the flea market to bust out that newly acquired antique shaving brush, and put it to use getting rid of your wintry fur. But before you lather up with your historically accurate brush, be aware that there’s a chance it may be carrying some era-appropriate anthrax. [More]
Fresh Express Recalling Salad Mix Sold At Walmart After 2 People Find Dead Bat In Their Food
If you were about to eat something, you may want to put it down for just a second. Now pick it up and take a closer look at it: Any dead animals that shouldn’t be there? No? You’re luckier than two people in Florida who found a dead bat in the packaged salad they were in the process of consuming. [More]
This Pharmacy Ad Suggests “Very, Very Strong Antibiotics” Even When They Won’t Do Any Good
When you’re sick, it makes sense that you want a pill to just make all the symptoms go away, which is probably why some doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics even when they aren’t necessary and may, in fact, cause harm. It probably doesn’t help when a pharmacy perpetuates the myth that we should just take antibiotics whenever we might be sick. [More]
Only 52% Of Patients With Most Common Infections Receive Recommended Antibiotics
Earlier this year, a study showed that nearly one-in-three antibiotics prescriptions in the U.S. aren’t necessary, and a new analysis of available medical data claims that only half of the people who receive antibiotics for the most common types of infection are receiving the right kind of drug. [More]
CDC Reports “Worrisome” News On Antibiotic Use In Hospitals
The overuse of antibiotics in human patients and farm animals has been linked to the development of so-called “superbugs” that are resistant to most traditional antibiotics. In a new report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presents the “worrisome” news that hospitals are increasingly turning to stronger and broad-spectrum antibiotics to treat patients. [More]
CDC Advising Pregnant Women Not To Travel To Miami Neighborhood Amid New Zika Cases
After health officials identified 10 more cases of Zika in Florida that may have been transmitted by local mosquitoes, federal health officials are advising women who are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant to avoid an area near downtown Miami where the virus is spreading. [More]
Florida Officials Investigating 4 Cases Of Zika That May Have Been Transmitted By Mosquitoes
For the first time in the U.S., health officials believe local mosquitoes may have transmitted the Zika virus to humans. [More]