Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Wendy's Withdraws Romaine Lettuce Amid E. Coli Outbreak
The fast food chain Wendy's is pulling the romaine lettuce used in burgers and sandwiches from some of its stores in response to an E. coli outbreak that has hospitalized at least 10 people and sickened dozens more, the CDC said Friday. (Albert, 8/19)
Red tide could have neurological effects —
A Sarasota-based nonprofit organization that works to find treatments for brain disorders has found evidence that airborne exposure to red tide could have neurological impacts. (Carter, 8/19)
In other environmental health news —
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [on Friday] reported a variant H1N2 (H1N2v) case in a patient from Oregon who is younger than 18, according to its latest FluView update. Investigators did not find that the patient had any contact with swine or had attended agricultural fairs. No other respiratory illnesses were found in the individual's household contacts. The patient was not hospitalized and has recovered from his or her illness. (8/19)
A plate of freshly shucked oysters might be a treat for many bivalve fans — but they could be a health risk under the wrong conditions. This summer, two men in Florida died after consuming raw oysters from Louisiana, apparently placing them among the 100 people who die annually from vibriosis, which is caused by vibrio bacteria found in coastal waters where oysters grow (a figure that includes not just food-related illnesses but those who are infected when water enters a their bodies through a wound or cut), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Heil, 8/19)
Asthma deaths across the country rose by more than 17% from 3,524 in 2019 to 4,145 in 2020 — the first "statistically significant increase" in more than 20 years, according to federal data examined by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, a nonprofit patient organization that tracks hospital visits and asthma-related mortality rates; it plans to include its findings in an annual report this fall. (Ortiz, 8/20)
Three Hancock County schools that were found to have high levels of chemicals linked to serious illness in their water should have new filtration systems in place for early in the upcoming school year. Mount Desert Island High School, Brooklin Elementary School and Deer Isle-Stonington High School have some of Maine’s highest levels of PFAS — per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances — found so far in ongoing tests of Maine’s schools and other public water systems. (Genter, 8/22)
