Week of June 27, 2022

This episode discusses six MMWR reports. First, deaths from excessive alcohol use are on the rise in the U.S. Next, this season's flu vaccines are effective at reducing flu-related medical visits and hospitalizations. Finally, CDC releases updated guidance for investigating and responding to suicide clusters.

This episode discusses three MMWR reports. First, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in children have recently increased but remain below pre-pandemic levels. Next, a quick response by CDC's quarantine program for imported nonhuman primates prevented potential tuberculosis exposures. Finally, measles cases in the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Region spiked sharply in 2022.

This episode discusses four MMWR reports. First, improved reporting for Lyme disease helps track and monitor cases. Second, smoking overtakes injection as the primary route of drug use in U.S. overdose deaths. Third, a hepatitis A vaccination campaign helps prevent an outbreak at the Los Angeles County jail. Finally, in 2022 the percentage of U.S. adults who experienced Long COVID was higher in some U.S. states.

This episode discusses four MMWR reports. First, teens report that seeking relief from stress, anxiety, and depression are top reasons for substance use. Second, antimicrobial resistance prompts CDC to update guidance on antibiotic selection to prevent meningococcal disease. Third, among workers in the oil and gas extraction industry, well-servicing contractors were found to be at the highest risk of severe injury. Finally, 8 mg naloxone was associated with more withdrawal symptoms when used during an overdose.

This episode discusses five MMWR reports. First, a new CDC study shows that updated COVID-19 vaccines protect against symptomatic illness, including infections caused by the JN.1 variant. Second, Neptune's Fix, a flavored tianeptine elixir sold in gas stations, convenience stores, and online, is associated with serious clinical outcomes in 17 patients in New Jersey. Third, acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, remained low in the U.S. between 2019 and 2022 despite increased circulation of EV-D68, an enterovirus previously connected to an increase in AFM cases. Fourth, Peru reported its largest dengue outbreak in 2023.

This episode discusses four MMWR reports. First, when trying to understand who gets diabetes and heart disease, looking at traditional categories of race and ethnicity doesn't tell the whole story. Second, antivirals, which are known to reduce the risk of severe COVID-19, are underused. Third, deaths among U.S. citizens who had cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic were mostly due to preventable conditions. Finally, poor infection control at a South Florida cosmetic surgery clinic most likely led to infections in nine states.

This episode discusses four MMWR reports. First, cannabis use dropped among students, particularly male students, in King County, Washington. Second, inadequate chlorine levels in a hotel pool likely led to a water-associated Pseudomonas outbreak in Maine. Third, wastewater monitoring detects even low levels of mpox in communities. Finally, mpox transmission in Los Angeles County, California, increased during the summer of 2023 compared with previous months.

This episode discusses four MMWR reports. First, CDC encourages clinicians to confirm fungal diagnoses before prescribing topical antifungals. Next, CDC releases the 2024 immunization schedules for children and adolescents, as well as adults. Finally, staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines helps prevent COVID-19-related strokes, blood clots, and heart attacks in adults aged 65 years and older and adults on dialysis.

This episode discusses four MMWR reports. First, an outbreak of tuberculosis caused by contaminated bone product shows that additional interventions are needed to address gaps in transplant tissue safety in the U.S. Next, drug shortages create additional challenges for tuberculosis patients and programs in California. Finally, young adults in Chicago hospitalized after taking counterfeit pills disguised as alprazolam.

This episode discusses four MMWR reports. First, researchers found no increased risk of hospitalizations or deaths due to COVID-19 rebound. Viral rebound rates were similar between COVID-19 patients who had or had not received antiviral treatment. Next, most nursing home residents have not received an updated COVID-19 vaccine or the RSV vaccine. Finally, new research finds low COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccination coverage for eligible adults.