March 24, 2023
Public Health/Prevention | Tea Leaves
  • Federal health officials are continuing to investigate a multi-state outbreak of drug-resistant infections linked to eye drops. At least 3 people have died, and 68 people from 16 states were diagnosed with a rare strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in connection with the outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said patients who have used “EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s artificial tears and who have signs or symptoms of an eye infection should seek medical care immediately.” (Article here)
  • Tuberculosis cases reported in the United States appear to be returning to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The US incidence of tuberculosis, or TB, increased slightly last year after a substantial 20.2 percent decline in 2020 and a 9.8 percent increase in 2021, according to the data published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The 2022 increase was due to more cases among people newly arrived in the United States as well as a higher incidence of cases among American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders, the report stated. (Articles here and here)