Have a Healthy New Year Celebration:
CDC Says Don’t Eat Raw Oysters

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning against eating raw oysters, as a multi-state Salmonella outbreak has been reported linked to the consumption of raw oysters. The highest number of illnesses were reported in New York and Pennsylvania, with illness reported in New Jersey as well. A total of 64 cases have been reported in 22 states, resulting in 20 hospitalizations.

Source: CDC

The CDC noted that eating cooked oysters is safe, as cooking destroys the bacteria. CDC offered these tips for cooks:

• Do not let raw seafood, its drippings, or its juices contaminate other foods.
• You cannot tell if an oyster has germs by looking at it.
• Hot sauce and lemon juice do not kill germs.

Cooking methods include cooking oysters in the shells until they open (discard oysters that do not open) or outside the shells, to an internal temperature of 145 deg. F.

Symptoms of Salmonella

• Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
• Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
• Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.
• Some people—especially children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.

Read the CDC Warning

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Preventing Food Poisoning

Source: CDC

Some foods are more likely than others to contain germs that can make you sick.

To prevent food poisoning, follow the four steps to food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Keep hands and surfaces clean, keep risky foods separate from other foods, cook food properly, and refrigerate promptly. If a food is recalled, throw it away.

Some foods are more likely to contain harmful germs, including:

• Raw or undercooked poultry, meat, seafood, or eggs
• Raw or undercooked sprouts
• Unwashed fruits and vegetables
• Cut melon
• Unpasteurized milk, juice, cider, or soft cheese
• Raw dough or raw batter made with uncooked flour

Learn more from the CDC

As snow blanketed the tri-state region and the Northeastern U.S. this week, heart health experts have shared warnings of the physical strain shoveling can take — particularly for older adults.

A 2025 Mayo Clinic review found that just 10 minutes of heavy snow shoveling can push the heart to about 97% of its maximum rate. Exposure to cold air was also found to increase blood pressure and reduce coronary blood flow (see related article, below).

While there isn’t an official age that’s “too old” to shovel, some cardiologists recommend that individuals over 45 should exercise more caution to lower their chances of a cardiac event.

The impact of snow removal is especially concerning for those with existing cardiovascular risks and a history of heart attack or stroke, according to cardiologists.

LEARN MORE

Safety Tips from The Mayo Clinic News Network

Shoveling snow can mean taking on more than your body can handle. And ignoring signs that you need to take a break from shoveling may prove to be harmful. Here are some tips for safe snow shoveling:

• Be heart conscious.
• If you have a history of heart problems and are currently inactive, it’s best to speak with your health care provider before shoveling.
• Additionally, don’t shovel while smoking, eating or after consuming caffeine; this may place extra stress on your heart.
• Dress Warm.
• Wear several layers of clothing. You can always remove a layer if needed.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Remaining hydrated during cold-weather months is just as important as during warm-weather months.
• Warm up your arms and legs.
• Stretch your arms and legs before beginning to shovel. You are less likely to injure muscles when they are warm.
• Take it slow.
• Pace yourself and take breaks if you need to. Safety is more important than speed.
• Protect your back.
• Bend at the knees, not the back. Lift with your legs bent, stand with your feet hip-width apart for balance and keep the shovel close to your body. Also, don’t pick up too much snow at once; use a small shovel or fill up a large shovel no more than half way.
• Shovel while snow is fresh.
• Freshly fallen snow is lighter than snow that has started melting.
• Listen to your body.
• This is the most important snow shoveling tip. If something feels abnormal, or if you’re tired, it’s time to stop.
• If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 immediately.

By Bret A Nicks, MD, MHA, FACEP. Originally published on Medscape.com

Please note: This article does not mention another infectious disease that is still circulating the globe, Covid.

So much has changed since early 2020. The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brought tremendous change econimically and with travel. Although COVID-19 remains in to post-pandemic mix of illness considerations, travel has resumed and is exprected to reach pre-pandemic numbers in the coming years. With this resumption, a renewed awareness of travel diseases for the traveler and healthcare provider must follow.

This slideshow provides essential information regarding 10 common health conditions associated with global travel.

WATCH THE SLIDESHOW

Now that we are having nicer weather, everyone is eager to get outside and enjoy it. However, there are some threats to your family’s safety. Below are some tips to protect them, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sun Safety
Spending time outside is a great way to be physically active and reduce stress. You can work and play outside without raising your skin cancer risk by protecting your skin from the sun.

UV rays can reach you on cloudy and cool days, and they reflect off of surfaces like water, cement, and sand. In the continental United States, UV rays tend to be strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daylight saving time. LEARN MORE

Prevent Tick Bites
Reducing exposure to ticks is the best defense against tickborne diseases. Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September). You and your family can take several steps to prevent tick bites. LEARN MORE

Prevent Mosquito Bites
Take steps to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites that can make you sick. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents. Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants. Wear clothing and gear treated with permethrin. Control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors. LEARN MORE

Air Quality
Outdoor air quality has improved since the 1990s, but many challenges remain in protecting Americans from air quality problems. The EPA regulates six pollutants as “criteria” air pollutants. It regulates them using human health-based and environmentally based criteria. Ground-level ozone and particle pollution are two of these criteria pollutants. The other pollutants are carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides. LEARN MORE

Lightning Strikes
Lightning can strike anyplace on Earth. In fact, there are about 6,000 lightning strikes every minute, which is more than 8 million strikes every day. You can protect yourself and your loved ones if you know what to do when you see lightning or when you hear thunder as a warning. Learn indoor and outdoor safety tips to protect yourself and your loved ones from lightning. LEARN MORE

AAHPO Board Member Tsoline Kojaoghlanian, MD, a pediatrician specialized in Infectious Diseases at Maimonides Medical Center, provided guidance this week in a WCBS | CBS New York news report about the current measles outbreaks. She emphasized the seriousness and dangers of this infection, & how to prevent it. Read the full article and click the image to watch the video:

Dr Kojaoghlanian says “The majority of children with measles will recover after a prolonged debilitating illness. However, 1 out of 500 infected children will develop brain infection, which can be either fatal or leave the child with severe intellectual disabilities; and 1 out of 15 infected children will develop a pneumonia that will need intensive care and a breathing tube to treat. That’s why we want to prevent this infection with vaccines, which have been around for 40 years, and are very safe and effective. As you can imagine, the higher the number of measles cases gets, the higher the number of children with the complications of and fatalities from measles.”

Canned tuna products sold at major stores nationwide are being recalled for a potential botulism risk.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently posted a notice that Tri-Union Seafoods is recalling select lots of canned tuna products sold under the Genova, Van Camp’s, H-E-B and Trader Joe’s brand names.

The recall is being made out of an abundance of caution following a notification from the company’s supplier that the “easy open” pull tab can lid on limited products encountered a manufacturing defect that may compromise the integrity of the product seal (especially over time).

This can cause it to leak, or worse — be contaminated with clostridium botulinum, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning.

Consumers are warned not to use the products, even if they do not look or smell spoiled, according to the recall notice. Those feeling unwell should seek immediate medical attention.

READ FDA POSTING

Photo Credit: MedicalNews Today

A nasal spray that contains esketamine — a potent derivative of ketamine — can now be taken on its own to treat adults with severe depression, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says. The nasal spray is offered under the trade name SPRAVATO®.

AAHPO member and psychiatrist Louis Najarian, MD, helps us to understand what this means: “There is much excitement about the benefit of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. The improvement is much better when ketamine is injected intravenously under the supervision of an anesthesiologist and nurse. The infusion usually takes two hours and requires two to three treatments per week until there is improvement. This treatment continues while under the care of the patient’s psychiatrist, including continuation of whatever interpretant medication is prescribed. It is obvious the nasal spray is easier to apply daily at home with supervision by the prescribing doctor. The intra venous delivery remains more effective.”

Treatment-resistant depression is defined as major depressive disorder (MDD) that has shown an inadequate response to at least two oral antidepressants. MDD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, with an estimated 21 million adults in the U.S. living with MDD. About one-third of adults will not respond to oral antidepressants alone, which has a significant negative impact on the quality of life of those affected. MDD has a high economic burden, with nearly half of it attributable to treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

Learn more about Spravato

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Alcon Laboratories is voluntarily recalling one (1) lot of Systane Lubricant Eye Drops Ultra PF, Single Vials On-the-Go, 25 count (Lot 10101). These eye drops were distributed nationally.

Alcon evaluated a consumer complaint of foreign material observed inside a sealed single use vial and determined the material to be fungal in nature.

Fungal contamination of an ophthalmic product is known to potentially cause eye infections. If an infection occurs, it may be vision-threatening, and in very rare cases potentially life-threatening in immunocompromised patients. To date, Alcon Laboratories has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.

Consumers that have the recalled Systane Lubricant Eye Drops Ultra PF, Single Vials On-the-Go, 25 count (Lot 10101) which is being recalled should stop using them immediately and return to the place of purchase for a replacement or refund.

Learn more from the FDA

The World Health Organization’s decision to declare mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years may seem like déjà vu — but there are key differences between the strain that’s causing international concern now and the one that spread in 2022. (Photo at left: WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Photo credit: WHO)

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral infection characterized by painful lesions. It’s spread by direct contact with an infected person, animal or contaminated items like clothing or bedding.

The virus is classified into two distinct groups: clade I and clade II. Clade II was responsible for the 2022 outbreak, which has led to around 100,000 cases worldwide.

But now, a version of clade I has spread internationally. The outbreak started in January 2023 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and has since reached 12 other countries in the region.

Last week, Sweden confirmed the first known infection of clade I outside Africa, though Swedish health officials said the person was infected while spending time in Africa. Health authorities in Pakistan also confirmed a case of mpox on Friday but have not identified the strain yet.

READ MORE

Photo by Angele J

Numerous beef products have been recalled over fears that they may have been contaminated with E.coli, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced.

Six ground beef products produced by Cargill Meat Solutions of Pennsylvania are being recalled by the FSIS after a previously “segregated product” was

inadvertently used in the production of ground mince and burger patties. In all, 16,243 pounds of raw beef is believed to be affected.

Cargill Meat Solutions said the products have been shipped to Walmart stores in 12 states: Connecticut, Washington DC, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and New York. All products have an establishment number of “EST. 86P” printed on the back of the label.

The FSIS has said consumers should check their refrigerators or freezers, and any affected purchases should not be consumed and either be thrown away or returned to the store. For any customers with queries regarding the recall, Cargill has set up a consumer hotline at 1-844-419-1574.