During this COCA call, clinicians will receive guidance for healthcare providers presented with a patient who has traveled from Liberia in the last 21 days. Clinicians will get guidance on taking thorough histories (covering health, travel, and exposure) and on using clinical judgment to evaluate patients based on those histories and their symptoms, and will be advised to consider other illnesses occurring among travelers returning from West Africa in the differential diagnosis, including malaria.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to work with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners to closely monitor Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) globally, including the cases of MERS-CoV infection recently reported by China and the Republic of Korea, to better understand the risks to public health. The purpose of this HAN Advisory is to provide updated guidance to state health departments and healthcare providers in the evaluation of patients for MERS-CoV infection, which have been revised in light of the current situation in the Republic of Korea. Healthcare providers and public health officials should maintain awareness of the need to consider MERS-CoV infection in ill persons who have recently traveled from countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula1 or in the Republic of Korea as outlined in the guidance below. Please disseminate this information to healthcare providers, especially infectious diseases specialists, intensive care physicians, internists, infection preventionists, and to emergency departments and microbiology laboratories.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to work with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners to closely monitor Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) globally, including the cases of MERS-CoV infection recently reported by China and the Republic of Korea, to better understand the risks to public health. The purpose of this HAN Advisory is to provide updated guidance to state health departments and healthcare providers in the evaluation of patients for MERS-CoV infection, which have been revised in light of the current situation in the Republic of Korea. Healthcare providers and public health officials should maintain awareness of the need to consider MERS-CoV infection in ill persons who have recently traveled from countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula1 or in the Republic of Korea as outlined in the guidance below. Please disseminate this information to healthcare providers, especially infectious diseases specialists, intensive care physicians, internists, infection preventionists, and to emergency departments and microbiology laboratories.

In a small, rural town in Southern Indiana, a public health crisis emerges. In a community that normally sees fewer than five new HIV diagnoses a year, more than a hundred new cases are diagnosed and almost all are coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Learn more about how this outbreak was discovered and what caused this widespread transmission in the latest Public Health Matters post.

CDC continues to receive new reports of infections with Shigella strains that are not susceptible to ciprofloxacin and/or azithromycin, the antimicrobial agents most commonly used to treat shigellosis. Most cases have been reported among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM) in Illinois, Minnesota, and Montana and among international travelers, but cases are also occurring among other populations. Shigellosis is very contagious and can spread quickly through communities and across different segments of the population. CDC recommends meticulous handwashing and other hygiene practices to prevent shigellosis and encourages patients with symptoms of shigellosis such as diarrhea and fever to visit a healthcare provider. Clinicians should obtain stool cultures from patients suspected of having shigellosis, counsel patients about shigellosis prevention, and, when treatment is required, select drugs based on antimicrobial susceptibility test results.

CDC continues to receive new reports of infections with Shigella strains that are not susceptible to ciprofloxacin and/or azithromycin, the antimicrobial agents most commonly used to treat shigellosis. Most cases have been reported among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM) in Illinois, Minnesota, and Montana and among international travelers, but cases are also occurring among other populations. Shigellosis is very contagious and can spread quickly through communities and across different segments of the population. CDC recommends meticulous handwashing and other hygiene practices to prevent shigellosis and encourages patients with symptoms of shigellosis such as diarrhea and fever to visit a healthcare provider. Clinicians should obtain stool cultures from patients suspected of having shigellosis, counsel patients about shigellosis prevention, and, when treatment is required, select drugs based on antimicrobial susceptibility test results.

During an emergency if you are not armed with the right tools to communicate critical information, a situation can quickly go from bad to worse. Whether you are dealing with a family emergency or communicating critical information during a natural disaster, CDC’s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) can provide you with guidance and tips on how to get the right information to the right people at the right time. Checkout our latest Public Health Matters blog to learn more about how public health professionals have put their CERC training into action.

Highly-pathogenic avian influenza A H5 viruses have been identified in birds in the United States since December 2014. The purpose of this HAN Advisory is to notify public health workers and clinicians of the potential for human infection with these viruses and to describe CDC recommendations for patient investigation and testing, infection control including the use personal protective equipment, and antiviral treatment and prophylaxis.

Highly-pathogenic avian influenza A H5 viruses have been identified in birds in the United States since December 2014. The purpose of this HAN Advisory is to notify public health workers and clinicians of the potential for human infection with these viruses and to describe CDC recommendations for patient investigation and testing, infection control including the use personal protective equipment, and antiviral treatment and prophylaxis.

Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Email Updates for May 26, 2015

With this month’s issue of CDC Vital Signs, focused on Hispanic Health, Public Health Matters decided to take a look at how Hispanics, specifically those with limited English proficiency, were impacted by emergencies. Read more about the language barriers that may be preventing this vulnerable population from getting critical emergency medical attention and what can be done to fix it in our latest post.

While it is often the unfamiliar and rare diseases that are thrown into the public spotlight as global health security threats, infectious diseases of all types can be a danger to public health—even a virus that has not been present in the United States for over 30 years, like polio. Learn more about how ending polio worldwide could better protect your global health security in the latest Public Health Matters blog.

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating a large outbreak of recent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among persons who inject drugs (PWID). Many of the HIV-infected individuals in this outbreak are co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The purpose of this HAN Advisory is to alert public health departments and healthcare providers of the possibility of HIV outbreaks among PWID and to provide guidance to assist in the identification and prevention of such outbreaks.

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating a large outbreak of recent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among persons who inject drugs (PWID). Many of the HIV-infected individuals in this outbreak are co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The purpose of this HAN Advisory is to alert public health departments and healthcare providers of the possibility of HIV outbreaks among PWID and to provide guidance to assist in the identification and prevention of such outbreaks.

Dr. Jennifer Robinson, a public health MD and Chair for the National Forum Cholesterol Initiative, shares her expert insight on new guidelines for treating blood cholesterol. Read more about how Dr. Robinson wants everyone to be armed with the information needed to live a long and healthy life, in the latest Public Health Matters blog.

Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Email Updates for April 13, 2015

Have you considered your neighbors’ or community’s disaster preparedness in your emergency planning? Something as small as meeting your neighbors or joining an emergency response group in your community could greatly improve your own preparedness as well as the resilience of your community. Learn more about ways you can get involved in our latest blog post.

The city of Boston experienced one of the most severe winters to date this year—with 4 winter storms and over 108 inches of snow. Take a look into the city’s response and community resilience in our newest blog post, featuring Boston’s Public Health Commission.

When the first ever outbreak of listeria in caramel apples occurred in the U.S. last year, CDC’s Listeria Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) Project set out to crack the case. With the help of local and state health departments and the FDA, CDC’s public health investigators conducted laboratory, epidemiological, and trace back investigations to identify the source of the outbreak and prevent future cases. Take an inside look into this investigation in our latest blog.

In the U.S. a person is likely to get the norovirus about five times in their life. This virus, often called “food poisoning” or the “stomach flu,” causes stomach pains, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Chances are you have experienced it before, and hope you never experience it again. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a vaccine that could prevent you from getting norovirus in the first place? Learn how CDC is working to make this a reality in our latest blog post.