No Two Outbreaks Are The Same: Why Calif. Hasn’t Been Able To Control Hep A Crisis Like Hawaii Did
The source is the biggest single difference between Hawaii’s outbreak and those underway among its continental counterparts. Investigators with the Hawaii State Department of Health traced a spike in cases to tainted shipments of frozen scallops served at a chain of popular sushi restaurants, which closed for nearly a month for sanitizing.
San Diego Union-Tribune:
How Did Hawaii's Hepatitis A Outbreak Compare To San Diego's?
Known for living in a laid-back paradise, Hawaii residents showed just how quickly they can move when a hepatitis A outbreak arrived in late June of 2016. The Aloha State was able to end the viral onslaught in six months, a significantly shorter span than has already passed in San Diego and Southeast Michigan where hepatitis A has sickened more than 800 people. The island outbreak killed two people compared with 15 in Michigan and 19 in San Diego so far. (Sisson, 10/20)
In other public health news —
The Bakersfield Californian:
Doctors Still Foggy On Valley Fever Symptoms
Emergency room doctors at Torrance Memorial Medical Center told [Rick Parker] that nobody in Los Angeles develops valley fever and diagnosed him with tuberculosis. Then his general practitioner said he had pneumonia, then tuberculosis again. Parker said she was about to begin treating him for lung cancer when he locked himself in her office and demanded that she test him for valley fever. ...Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is caused when fungal spores common in the southwestern United States get released into the air and inhaled. Most people don't develop symptoms, but others come down with a fever, cough, extreme fatigue and a rash, among other symptoms. In rare cases, the fungal spore can spread to the bloodstream, infect other organs and cause cocci meningitis, leading to a lifetime of health issues and potentially death. (Pierce and Innes, 10/21)
Orange County Register:
Are Implants For Opioid Addicts A New Hope Or A New Scam?
If a stake could be driven through the vampire heart of the nation’s opioid epidemic, it might look something like this: Four tiny spines, each smaller than a matchstick, sunk into a drug addict’s upper arm. These implants remain beneath the skin for months, delivering a continuous dose of a drug called buprenorphine, which blunts the euphoria of an opioid high. (Sforza, 10/22)
Capital Public Radio:
California Nurses Say Puerto Rico Residents Are 'Desperate' After Hurricane
Registered nurse Cathy Kennedy says survivors of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico need one very important thing: water. Kennedy works at the Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center, but she took a break this month to lead a team of 50 nurses to San Juan. (Caiola, 10/20)