Infectious Diseases


EMTs transporting an injured patient

H1N1 Flu Guidance Offered to First Responders

The U.S. Fire Administration and the International Association of Emergency Medical Services Chiefs have both issued detailed guidance for EMS and other responders to use during the flu.

American Hospital Association President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock

U.S. Hospitals Stretched Thin, AHA Warns

"Hospitals are walking a tightrope, trying to balance the growing needs of their communities with today's economic challenges," American Hospital Association President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock said.

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano

$1.5 Billion Sought for Flu Response; First U.S. Death Reported

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and other federal officials Tuesday said they're confident federal and state agencies have a sufficient antiviral stockpile to meet the U.S. demand. Early today, CDC confirmed a 23-month-old child in Texas has died.

20 Questions with a Swine Flu Expert

With more outbreaks of the new strain of swine flu come outbreaks of misinformation and rumor. The following is edited from a press release of 20 questions answered by infectious disease expert Charles Ericsson, M.D., professor of internal medicine and director of Travel Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

a worker wears a protective mask covering her nose and mouth

IFMA Foundation Offers Pandemic Readiness Manual

Though written with avian flu in mind, the guidebook will help workplaces prepare for the swine flu already affecting several countries. The organization is making it available free.

Richard Besser, M.D., Acting Director, CDC

CDC: Avoid Non-Essential Travel to Mexico

The agency's acting director, Dr. Richard Besser, said the travel advisory will be issued this afternoon. But "it's quite premature" to advise restricting travel to the United States, he added.

Eliminating Hospital Infections Takes Center Stage at APIC Conference

Author and pediatric neurosurgeon Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., M.D., of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes will be the conference's keynote speaker. He will be joined by a cadre of other experts making presentations at the event, June 7-11.

Cesspools Near Hawaii Shopping Center Lead to $52,500 Fine

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, which is currently available for public comment, Puainako Town Center in Hilo, Hawaii, must close all eight large capacity cesspools owned and operated by the company by May 1, 2009.



FDA Findings Contribute Insights into Avian Flu Virus

An in-depth analysis of blood from patients recovering from the H5N1 avian influenza virus has provided important insights into how to combat the potentially lethal virus.

Russell N. Olmsted, MPH, CIC

Worker Safety Advocate Receives Carole DeMille Award

An infection preventionist for more than 26 years, Russell N. Olmsted, MPH, CIC, is epidemiologist in Infection Control Services for St. Joseph Mercy Health System in Ann Arbor, Mich., and a member of Trinity Health, a national Catholic health care network headquartered in Novi, Mich.

NSF Funds Enzyme Study for Possible Cures of Infectious Disease

An Auburn University professor has received a $424,000 National Science Foundation grant for research in the fight against infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, anthrax, and staph infections.

Georgia Poultry Processor Fines Total $23,275

OSHA is proposing 22 safety and health violations with fines of $73,275 against Fieldale Farms Poultry LLC. A January inspection of the company's processing plant in Gainesville, Ga., has resulted in the agency proposing two repeat violations with $27,500 in proposed penalties, 18 serious violations with $45,775 in proposed penalties, and two other-than-serious violations with no monetary penalties.

logo of CDCs Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

CDC Report Finds Foodborne Illness Prevention has Reached Plateau

According to research published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the incidence of the most common foodborne illnesses has changed very little over the past three years.

Researchers Attempt to Counter Certain Hospital Infection

New findings could lead to new drugs that would disarm the increasingly antibiotic-resistant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa--shown here being fed on by a Caenorhabditis elegans worm--rather than attempting to kill it.

The Index Enigma

Determining the level of hand protection performance required in a safety glove is critical to the right glove specification. However, different standards and different test methodologies are in use, which can be confusing and complex for safety managers. It is imperative that buyers and safety managers of gloves seek out expert advice and counsel to help them make sense of the different and often incomparable data available.

OSHA Alliance Seeks to Protect Workers from Lyme Disease

A safety fact sheet on Lyme disease is among the products developed by the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) through the recently renewed OSHA alliance. The fact sheet describes the causes, symptoms, treatment, and methods for preventing Lyme disease for people who work or spend time outdoors in grassy or wooded areas.

Kathy Warye, CEO of The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

Targeting Zero Gets Big 2009 Boost

The efforts of APIC and other organizations this year are aimed at significantly reducing health care-associated infections. APIC CEO Kathy Warye, shown here, hailed a recent CDC study showing gains against MRSA among ICU patients.

cover page of "Expert Forecast on Emerging Chemical Risks" report

Major EU Report Cites Emerging Chemical Risks to Workers

Issued by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the 197-page report estimates 74,000 deaths per year are linked to hazardous substances encountered at work -- 10 times more people than are dying in workplace accidents.

Hurricanes, Safety Culture, Kidnapping: Ready for RIMS 2009?

Online registration closed March 23, and admission to the April 20-22 expo is fairly expensive. But this event at the Orange County Convention Center, shown here, is a must for risk managers and insurers.

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