COCA Email Updates: January 4, 2016 – January 19, 2016

Available for download: January 19, 2016, COCA Email Update

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COCA News and Announcements

Archived COCA Conference Calls

Free continuing education credits (CME, CNE, ACPE, CEU, CECH, and AAVSB/RACE) are available for most calls. More information about free CE.

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CDC Emergency Response

2014 Ebola in the United States and West Africa

updated: Case Counts

CDC News and Announcements

NEW: CDC Joins Forces with White House, Other USG agencies to Launch National Plan to Combat Multidrug-Resistant TB in DC
CDC in partnership with other U.S. government agencies, public health stakeholders, and global partners joined the White House today to help launch the “National Action Plan for Combating Multidrug Resistant TB (MDR TB)” in Washington, DC. CDC is a Key Architect and Implementer of the National Action Plan.

NEW: E-cigarette Ads and Youth
About 2.4 million middle and high school students were current (past 30-day) users of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, in 2014. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which causes addiction, may harm brain development, and could lead to continued tobacco product use among youth. There are suggested questions that pediatricians, nurses, and other health care providers can ask adolescent patients.

CDC Science Clips: Volume 8, Issue: 2

Each week select science clips are shared with the public health community to enhance awareness of emerging scientific knowledge. The focus is applied public health research and prevention science that has the capacity to improve health now.

Public Health Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness and Response - (CDC)

Find preparedness resources for all hazards.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Training Resources for Clinicians – (CDC)

Find online and in-person training resources.

Natural Disasters and Severe Weather

Be Prepared to Stay Safe and Healthy in Winter – (CDC)

Food and Water Needs: Preparing for a Disaster or Emergency – (CDC)

Health and Safety Concerns for All Disasters – (CDC)

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

The MMWR series is CDC’s primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. To subscribe electronically, go to. Electronically Subscribe.

January 1, 2016 / Vol. 65/Nos. 1 Download .pdf document of this issue

Infectious, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

Zika Virus

NEW: Health Alert Network (HAN) - Recognizing, Managing, and Reporting Zika Virus Infections in Travelers Returning from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico
Zika outbreaks have been identified recently in several countries in Central and South America. The outbreak began in Brazil in May. CDC recommends that travelers to affected areas in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, or Mexico protect themselves from mosquito bites. CDC has also provided recommendations for health care providers and public health practitioners.

Clinical Evaluation
Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. Transmission of the virus from mother to newborn can occur if the mother is infected with the Zika virus near the time of delivery.

Diagnostic Testing
Zika virus disease can often be diagnosed by performing reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on serum. Testing is performed at the CDC Arbovirus Diagnostic Laboratory. Contact your state health department to facilitate testing.

CDC’s Media Statement

Traveler’s Health Enhanced Statement

MMWR: Interim Guidelines for Pregnant Women During a Zika Virus Outbreak — United States, 2016

Seasonal Influenza

What You Should Know for the 2015-2016 Influenza Season  – (CDC)

Information for Health Professionals  – (CDC)

Weekly Flu View – December 19 (CDC)

Flu View is a weekly influenza surveillance report prepared by CDC Influenza Division. All data are preliminary and may change as CDC receives more reports.

Pregnant? Get a Flu Shot!  – (CDC)

Travel Safety

Polio in Burma (Myanmar) – (CDC)
Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions

Current Travel Warnings - January 15 (US Department of State)

The U.S. Department of State issues Travel Warnings when long-term, protracted conditions make a country dangerous or unstable. Travel Warnings recommend that Americans avoid or carefully consider the risk of travel to that country. The State Department also issues Travel Warnings when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate, or because of a drawdown of State Department staff.

Food, Drug and Device Safety

NEW: Children's Guaifenesin Grape Liquid and Guaifenesin DM Cherry Liquid by Perrigo Company: Recall - Potential Defect with Dosage Cup - (FDA)
An overdose of Guaifenesin DM may cause hyper excitability, rapid eye movements, changes in muscle reflexes, ataxia, dystonia, hallucinations, stupor, and coma. Other effects have included nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, irregular heartbeat, seizures, respiratory depression, and death.

NEW: Noxafil (posaconazole): Drug Safety Communication - Dosing Errors when Switching between Different Oral Formulations; Label Changes Approved - (FDA)
Prescribers should specify the dosage form, strength, and frequency on all prescriptions they write for Noxafil. Pharmacists should request clarification from prescribers when the dosage form, strength, or frequency is not specified.

NEW: Pleural and Pneumopericardial Drainage Sets by Stryker Fuhrman - Class I Recall - Catheter May Break During Insertion - (FDA)
After two reports of catheters breaking during insertion, the recall states to discontinue use of the product.

MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program – (FDA)

MedWatch is your Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gateway for clinically important safety information and reporting serious problems with human medical products.

FoodSafety.gov Reports FDA and USDA Food Recalls, Alerts, Reporting & Resources – (HHS/USDA/FDA/CDC/NIH)

Foodsafety.gov lists notices of recalls and alerts from both FDA and USDA. Visitors to the site can report a problem or make inquiries.