COVID update: CDC map reveals states with "high" wastewater viral activity Levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, were found to be high in more than half of U.S. states' wastewater. Newsweek

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Between December 15 and December 21, the CDC detected "very high" levels of COVID-19 in the wastewater levels of 14 states: Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The CDC found "high" levels in 14 states: Idaho, Utah, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine.

CDC: Respiratory illness activity high nationally RSV activity remains high, with pediatric hospitalizations increasing across most of the country. CIDRAP

According to the latest weekly update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity continue to increase across the country, with COVID wastewater detections reaching high levels. ...

Climate change led to 41 extra days of extreme heat this year on average: Analysis Climate change led to nearly six extra weeks of dangerous heat worldwide over the past year, according to a new study from Climate Central and World Weather Attribution. The report, released Friday… zbudryk The Hill

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Clinical and Operational Changes in ED Management of COVID-19 The following is a summary of “Correlates of improved outcomes in patients with COVID-19 treated in US emergency departments,” published in the December 2024 issue of Emergency Medicine by Slutske et al. Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the impact of therapeutic advances during the COVID-19 pandemic on clinically relevant metrics of emergency care. Physician's Weekly Admin Physician's Weekly

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Bird flu found in Vermont backyard flock; agency sees "low risk to the public" The H5N1 bird flu was found in a backyard flock in Vermont, the state's agricultural agency said Thursday. CBS Boston

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The agency said bird flu "is considered to be low risk to human health," but the people who came in contact with the infected birds and their surroundings are being monitored by the Vermont Department of Health. There have not been any human cases reported in Vermont or New England from this current outbreak of bird flu in the United States.

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Pet food recalled after cat death linked to bird flu contamination The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) alerted cat owners to throw out a brand of frozen food after it tested positive for bird flu. One house cat has already died due to the contamination. “We… afields The Hill

...“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” said Ryan Scholz, ODA state veterinarian, in a statement. 

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Global hunger crisis deepens as major nations skimp on aid

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The detection of a new, fast-spreading strain of the virus in a remote mining town in eastern Congo led the World Health Organization to declare mpox a global public health emergency in August. Since then, its spread has only accelerated.

The virus is taking hold in crowded camps home to millions of displaced Congolese, who live crammed into rough shelters with limited access to water. And it has reached Congo’s cities, including its enormous, congested capital.

Belated efforts to control mpox in Kinshasa — by isolating patients and vaccinating their contacts — have been halting and haphazard, far outpaced by the speed of the virus’s spread and change.