MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Jun 2013
Vital signs: Listeria illnesses, deaths, and outbreaks--United States, 2009-2011.
Older adults, pregnant women, and persons with immunocompromising conditions are at higher risk than others for invasive Listeria monocytogenes infection (listeriosis), a rare and preventable foodborne illness that can cause bacteremia, meningitis, fetal loss, and death. ⋯ Careful attention to food safety is especially important to protect vulnerable populations. Surveillance for foodborne infections like listeriosis identifies food safety gaps that can be addressed by industry, regulatory authorities, food preparers, and consumers.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · May 2013
CDC grand rounds: preventing unsafe injection practices in the U.S. health-care system.
Injectable medicines commonly are used in health-care settings for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various illnesses. Examples include chemotherapy, intravenous antibiotics, vaccinations, and medications used for sedation and anesthesia. Medical injections often are administered in conjunction with surgical procedures, endoscopy, imaging studies, pain control, and cosmetic or complementary and alternative medicine procedures. ⋯ Safe administration depends on adherence to the practices outlined in CDC's evidence-based Standard Precautions guideline. Health-care providers should never 1) administer medications from the same syringe to more than one patient, 2) enter a vial with a used syringe or needle, or 3) administer medications from single-dose vials to multiple patients. They also should maintain aseptic technique at all times and properly dispose of used injection equipment.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · May 2013
Spinal and paraspinal infections associated with contaminated methylprednisolone acetate injections - Michigan, 2012-2013.
As of May 6, 2013, Michigan had reported 167 (52%) of the 320 paraspinal or spinal infections without meningitis associated with the 2012-2013 fungal meningitis outbreak nationally. Although the index patient had a laboratory-confirmed Aspergillus fumigatus infection, the fungus most often identified, including in unopened vials of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA), remains Exserohilum rostratum, a common black mold found on plants and in soil. Exposures have occurred through epidural, paraspinal, peripheral nerve, and intra-articular injection with MPA from contaminated lots compounded by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts. ⋯ A distinct epidemiologic or clinical difference was not observed between patients with paraspinal or spinal infection with and without meningitis. Lengthy periods (range: 12-121 days) were observed from date of last injection with contaminated MPA to date of first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) finding indicative of infection. Clinicians should continue to maintain a higher index of suspicion for patients who received injections with contaminated MPA but have not developed infection.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · May 2013
Emergence of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus causing severe human illness - China, February-April 2013.
On March 29, 2013, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention completed laboratory confirmation of three human infections with an avian influenza A(H7N9) virus not previously reported in humans. These infections were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 31, 2013, in accordance with International Health Regulations. The cases involved two adults in Shanghai and one in Anhui Province. ⋯ No evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission has been found, and no human cases of H7N9 virus infection have been detected outside China, including the United States. This report summarizes recent findings and recommendations for preparing and responding to potential H7N9 cases in the United States. Clinicians should consider the diagnosis of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infection in persons with acute respiratory illness and relevant exposure history and should contact their state health departments regarding specimen collection and facilitation of confirmatory testing.