Weber-Morgan Health Department

Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September). Know which ticks are most common in your area. Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals. Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood.

The Tick Bite Bot is an interactive tool that will assist individuals on removing attached ticks and determining when to seek health care, if appropriate, after a tick bite. The online mobile-friendly tool asks a series of questions covering topics such as tick attachment time and symptoms. Based on the user’s responses, the tool then provides information about recommended actions and resources.

As part of the first federal campaign to address healthcare worker burnout, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) today released an evidence-informed and actionable guide for the nation’s hospital leaders to improve healthcare worker wellbeing.

CDC’s Risk Assessment for the General Public Remains Low. A person in the United States has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus (“H5N1 bird flu”), as reported by Texas and confirmed by CDC. This person had exposure to dairy cattle in Texas presumed to be infected with HPAI A(H5N1) viruses.

Today, CDC Director Mandy Cohen endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for adults ages 65 years and older to receive an additional updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose. The recommendation acknowledges the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults, along with the currently available data on vaccine effectiveness.

New data released today in CDC’s MMWR show that nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody product, was highly effective in protecting infants from hospitalizations associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants in the United States, and this finding supports CDC’s recommendation to protect infants in their first RSV season by giving the infant nirsevimab if the mother did not receive the maternal RSV vaccine during pregnancy.

Through product testing, the FDA has determined that the ground cinnamon products listed in the table below contain elevated levels of lead and that prolonged exposure to these products may be unsafe. The FDA is advising consumers to throw away and not to buy these ground cinnamon products.  The FDA has recommended that the firms voluntarily recall these products, with the exception of the MTCI cinnamon.

Ten people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli have been reported from four states. Four people have been hospitalized and one person developed hemolytic uretic syndrome. This is a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. No deaths have been reported. Of the 6 people who remembered the details of the raw milk cheese they ate, all reported eating RAW FARM brand raw cheddar cheese. CDC advises people not to eat, sell, or serve RAW FARM brand raw cheddar cheese while the investigation is ongoing.

Food Safety Alert

Food That May Be Contaminated:
– Busseto brand Charcuterie Sampler
– Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta
– Investigators are working to determine if any additional products may be contaminated.

In a given year, more measles cases can occur for any of the following reasons:

– an increase in the number of travelers who get measles abroad and bring it into the U.S.,
and/or
– further spread of measles in U.S. communities with pockets of unvaccinated people.