Bacteria

“NARMS Now: Human Data” paints national picture of antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria.

Have you ever wondered how antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria has changed over time? Take a look at CDC's Safe Healthcare blog to learn about NARMS Now, a new, interactive tool from the CDC that allows you to view trends in antibiotic resistance over the past two decades for four foodborne bacteria: Campylobacter, E. coli O157, Salmonella, and Shigella. NARMS Now contains human antibiotic resistance data from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), a partnership among CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and state and local health departments.

The Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED) discusses the program’s interactive features, explains the importance of antibiotic resistance data, and gives examples of how NARMS data has been used to improve public health. Learn more and join the conversation at http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/2015/08/27/narms-now-human-data-paints-national-picture-of-antibiotic-resistance-in-foodborne-bacteria/

What is Exsanguination? It is the severe loss of blood - it is life threatening and can lead to death in as little as 5 minutes if not addressed correctly.

We'll be talking about the importance of immediate bystander action to stop blood loss over the next few weeks, but want to lead in with sharing some past articles on the matter:

• Is there a better way to stop the bleeding?
• First Aid for Bleeding: Soft Tissue Injury, Cuts, Abrasions
• Cuts: The Whole Story
• Bleeding Control
• First Aid for External Bleeding
• Triage

Yale researchers released a new study which suggests that cool temperatures can play a role in causing the common cold, by inhibiting the virus-fighting ability of cells in the nose.

It's a commonly held belief that catching a chill can bring on a nasty cold. However, researchers have long argued the point, noting that people can transmit and catch cold viruses year round. Now, in a paper published in the journal PNAS, a team of researchers studying mice has concluded that most rhinoviruses reproduce more efficiently at temperatures slightly lower than body temperature, or 98.6 degrees.

So... Stay warm and Stay Well!

Does Chilly Weather Really Cause a Cold?

Does being cold make you more susceptible to illness?

Cold temperatures can cause serious health problems, especially in infants and older adults, but at any age. Stay dry, and dress warmly in several layers. Keep warmers on hand for sudden temperature changes.

Why you get sick in the winter months...

According to The National Institutes of Health (NIH), dry winter air allows the flu virus to survive and transmit itself.

Additional NIH research suggests that the flu virus’s coating becomes tougher at temperatures around the freezing point, making it easier to transmit. So if you are wary of becoming sick in the winter, you may be correct that viruses are more active and resilient at this time

Winter storms and cold temperatures can be hazardous, but if you plan ahead, you can stay safe and healthy. Prepare your home and cars. Prepare for power outages and outdoor activity. Check on the older adults.

Although winter comes as no surprise, many of us are not ready for its arrival. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall.

It is also likely that being outside in cold weather inhibits the ability of mucus and nasal hairs to work disease agents out of your nose. Probably, when you get back inside, in a room with the windows shut and people sniffling, that you are more likely to be exposed to germs. As people return to work, schools. day-care centers, etc., viruses find ideal conditions to hop from one host to another, even before cold weather really sets in.

Don’t forget to prepare your car!

Get your car ready for cold weather use before winter arrives.

• Service the radiator and maintain antifreeze level; check tire tread or, if necessary, replace tires with all-weather or snow tires.
  AAA Severe Weather Emergency Preparedness Kit
  • Keep gas tank full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.
  • Use a wintertime formula in your windshield washer.
  • Prepare a winter emergency kit to keep in your car in case you become stranded. Include:
    • blankets;
    • food and water;
    • booster cables, flares, tire pump, and a bag of sand or cat litter (for traction);
    • compass and maps;
    • flashlight, battery-powered radio, and extra batteries;
    • first-aid kit; and
    • plastic bags (for sanitation).

Throughout the years and the various pandemics, epidemics, and outbreaks, N95 Masks have had huge peaks in sales and supply shortages. Why?

PROTECTIVE PANDEMIC KIT:
his kit has everything you need to protect yourself from possible infection when entering an area with known contamination.
Includes:
(5) N95 Respirator Masks
(1) Safety Goggles
(1) Disposable White Coverall w/ Elasticized hood, wrist, and boot
(1) 2 pair of High risk Nitryl Gloves
(1) Insta-Clean Hand sanitizer
(6) Antimicrobial hand wipes
(1) Box of 10 Alcohol Prep Wipes
(5) Blue Elasticized Shoe Covers
(5) Blue Elasticized Head Caps
(1) Water Resistant Plastic Bag

Whether a disease is airborne such as Measles, influenza and pertussis (whooping cough) which are spread by respiratory secretions, or particulate and mucous/blood contact like Ebola - one wants to protect against ingestion or inhalation of these diseases.

According to the FDA, an N95 Mask or  N95 respirator is cleared by FDA for use in the healthcare setting are called surgical N95 respirators. These devices meet some of the same performance standards as surgical face masks and are also NIOSH certified to meet the N95 respirator performance requirements. These requirements mean that the mask must Filter at least 95% of airborne particles and cannot be resistant to oil.

American Red Cross Deluxe Germ Guard Personal Protection Pack With N95 Mask

The N95 respirator is the most common of the seven types of particulate filtering facepiece respirators.

The NIOSH respiratory protection approval regulation (42 CFR 84) defines the term “N95” to refer to a filter class, not a respirator. However, many filtering facepiece respirators have an N95 class filter and many people refer to them, and have come to know them, as N95 respirators. A filtering facepiece respirator that filters out at least 95% of airborne particles during “worse case” testing using a “most-penetrating” sized particle is given a 95 rating.1 There are nine classes of NIOSH-approved particulate filtering respirators available at this time. 95% is the minimal level of filtration that will be approved by NIOSH.

See Bulk N95 Respirator Masks

You've heard the rumors... "Ebola is Airborne"... is it true?

As of the time of this article - according to both the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO): No.

You may have received emails, or read "News" claiming that "The CDC and CIDRAP have admitted that Ebola is now airborne." Sorry... we call this a Whole Buncha BULL PUCKY (well, we didn't actually say "Pucky", but it looks better in print this way.)

OK - we know many of our readers are concerned... and we are getting a huge volume of calls from customers wanting to purchase Ebola Prevention Products and Ebola Protection Kits, but please keep in mind that media will hype anything for ratings and circulation. Social Media will take a rumor or misread a statement, and turn it into "fact". The Ebola Epidemic is bad - let's not contribute to making it sound yet worse. Don't go viral with virus misinformation. At present, the threat of infection in the US is minuscule.

"Scare-Mongers" are touting vulnerability and trying to build up the threat to vast proportions. True, it is the largest Ebola Outbreak in History. True, over 4,000 have died in Africa. But put this into proportion - this is primarily three countries of a continent so large it could fit the land masses of the US, India, Japan, Mexico, China, Iberia and both Eastern and Western Europe within its borders!

But are you at risk? Highly improbable at present. Is Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever an Airborne Pathogen? No. Should you take precautions? Maybe... read on:

Image courtesy of the Economist: https://www.facebook.com/TheEconomist?fref=photo

The CDC (as of Today) states unequivocally:

• Ebola is not spread through the air or by water

WHO states:

The Ebola virus is transmitted among humans through close and direct physical contact with infected bodily fluids, the most infectious being blood, faeces and vomit.

The Ebola virus has also been detected in breast milk, urine and semen. In a convalescent male, the virus can persist in semen for at least 70 days; one study suggests persistence for more than 90 days.

Saliva and tears may also carry some risk. However, the studies implicating these additional bodily fluids were extremely limited in sample size and the science is inconclusive. In studies of saliva, the virus was found most frequently in patients at a severe stage of illness. The whole live virus has never been isolated from sweat.

The Ebola virus can also be transmitted indirectly, by contact with previously contaminated surfaces and objects. The risk of transmission from these surfaces is low and can be reduced even further by appropriate cleaning and disinfection procedures.

Not an airborne virus

Ebola virus disease is not an airborne infection. Airborne spread among humans implies inhalation of an infectious dose of virus from a suspended cloud of small dried droplets.

This mode of transmission has not been observed during extensive studies of the Ebola virus over several decades.

Common sense and observation tell us that spread of the virus via coughing or sneezing is rare, if it happens at all. Epidemiological data emerging from the outbreak are not consistent with the pattern of spread seen with airborne viruses, like those that cause measles and chickenpox, or the airborne bacterium that causes tuberculosis.

Theoretically, wet and bigger droplets from a heavily infected individual, who has respiratory symptoms caused by other conditions or who vomits violently, could transmit the virus – over a short distance – to another nearby person.

This could happen when virus-laden heavy droplets are directly propelled, by coughing or sneezing (which does not mean airborne transmission) onto the mucus membranes or skin with cuts or abrasions of another person.

WHO is not aware of any studies that actually document this mode of transmission. On the contrary, good quality studies from previous Ebola outbreaks show that all cases were infected by direct close contact with symptomatic patients.

No evidence that viral diseases change their mode of transmission

Moreover, scientists are unaware of any virus that has dramatically changed its mode of transmission. For example, the H5N1 avian influenza virus, which has caused sporadic human cases since 1997, is now endemic in chickens and ducks in large parts of Asia.

That virus has probably circulated through many billions of birds for at least two decades. Its mode of transmission remains basically unchanged.

Speculation that Ebola virus disease might mutate into a form that could easily spread among humans through the air is just that: speculation, unsubstantiated by any evidence.

This kind of speculation is unfounded but understandable as health officials race to catch up with this fast-moving and rapidly evolving outbreak.

To stop this outbreak, more needs to be done to implement – on a much larger scale – well-known protective and preventive measures. Abundant evidence has documented their effectiveness.

What are the protective measures recommended by CDC and WHO to avoid the spread of Ebola HF, and more importantly to each of you, to avoid contracting this deadly disease?

Should you take precautions? Maybe.

As noted, risk of infection in the US is infinitesimal right now, however... if you may come into contact with an infected person, or enter an area where infection has been present... then be smart. Another consideration is that due to "fear-mongering" as noted above, supplies are likely to run low. We saw this with Swine Flu and Avian Flu Pandemics.. panic set it and gear ran out. People hoarded. If you are concerned that the Ebola HF epidemic may escalate or contagion may spread in your area, then you may want to get some Ebola Protective Supplies now while they are available... most these items have long or indefinite shelf lives, and can always be put to use for other purposes later if unused for the current concern.

Precautionary Measures for Ebola:

Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with

• blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola
• objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus
• infected animals
• Ebola is not spread through the air or by water, or in general, by food. However, in Africa, Ebola may be spread as a result of handling bushmeat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with infected bats. There is no evidence that mosquitos or other insects can transmit Ebola virus. Only mammals (for example, humans, bats, monkeys, and apes) have shown the ability to become infected with and spread Ebola virus.

Some Basic Precautions:

• Practice careful hygiene. For example, wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and avoid contact with blood and body fluids.
• Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding, needles, and medical equipment).
• Wear protective clothing, including masks, gloves, gowns, and eye protection around anyone infected, or even suspected of infection with Ebola Virus.
• Avoid funeral or burial rituals that require handling the body of someone who has died from Ebola.
• Avoid contact with bats and nonhuman primates or blood, fluids, and raw meat prepared from these animals.

Healthcare providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with infected blood or body fluids of sick patients.

• Practice proper infection control and sterilization measures.
• Isolate patients with Ebola from other patients.
• Avoid direct contact with the bodies of people who have died from Ebola.
• Notify health officials if you have had direct contact with the blood or body fluids, such as but not limited to, feces, saliva, urine, vomit, and semen of a person who is sick with Ebola. The virus can enter the body through broken skin or unprotected mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth

During outbreaks of Ebola, the disease can spread quickly within healthcare settings (such as a clinic or hospital). Exposure to Ebola can occur in healthcare settings where hospital staff are not wearing appropriate protective equipment, including masks, gowns, and gloves and eye protection.

Dedicated medical equipment (preferable disposable, when possible) should be used by healthcare personnel providing patient care. Proper cleaning and disposal of instruments, such as needles and syringes, is also important. If instruments are not disposable, they must be sterilized before being used again. Without adequate sterilization of the instruments, virus transmission can continue and amplify an outbreak.

With its many uses for drinking, recreation, sanitation, hygiene, and industry, water is our most precious global resource. Clean and safe drinking water is critical to sustain human life and without it waterborne illness can be a serious problem. Water, which is necessary for recreational water activities like swimming, also helps promote healthy living. Often, water’s vital role is most apparent during an emergency or disaster. We launched the Healthy Water website in 2009 to provide answers to your water-related questions.

Drinking water comes from a variety of sources including public water systems, private wells, or bottled water. Ensuring safe and healthy drinking water may be as simple as turning on the tap from an EPA-regulated public water system. Other water sources may need a water filter, a check on water fluoridation, or an inspection to ensure a septic tank is not too close to a private well. It is important to know where drinking water comes from, how it’s been treated, and if it's safe to drink.

Potable Aqua - Germicidal Tablets 50 Tablets

POTABLE AQUA Drinking Water Germicidal Tablets are intended for emergency disinfection of drinking water. When used as directed, they make most water bacteriologically suitable for drinking. Used worldwide by campers, hikers, militaries, emergency organizations and anyone needing to drink water of questionable bacteriological quality. POTABLE AQUA is for use only when water is suspected or known to be bacteriologically substandard. Not to be used on a continuous basis. For short term or limited emergency use only.

2 tablets per 1 quart of water- Ready to use in 30 minutes- Makes 25 quarts

Drinking Water Fast Facts

Prevention

• The impact of clean water technologies on public health in the U.S is estimated to have had a rate of return of 23 to 1 for investments in water filtration and chlorination during the first half of the 20th century
• Community water fluoridation prevents tooth decay safely and effectively. Water fluoridation has been named one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century

Oregon’s private well testing laws enable public health officials to monitor well water quality and help protect people’s health.

New Jersey’s Arsenic Awareness Initiative offers private well owners free, informative videos on how to test their drinking water. NJ Private Well Testing Act results from 2002-2012 show that >10% of wells tested exceed state limits for arsenic in drinking water, and in some townships >40% of private wells tested exceeded state limits. The New Jersey Arsenic Awareness Initiative was developed to inform owners about the need to test their wells and the importance of treating drinking water for arsenic when results show levels exceeding the standards.

OPERATION: CLEAN WATER  an arsenic awareness video for schoolchildren

What's in your well water?  an arsenic awareness video for adults

Testing your well water

READ MORE:

• Drinking Water
• Water – Life requires it… are you prepared for an emergency water shortage?
• Food and Water in an Emergency

Are people in your office bundling up in sweaters during the blazing Summer?

Turn down that Air Conditioning!

Summer Colds Suck!

Setting the A/C at 78 degrees Fahrenheit will:

• Cutting electrical usage
• Avoid shocking everyone's systems  by transitioning from overly hot outside to freezing inside
• Provide a comfortable and productive work atmosphere.

78 is a good setting for home, too. Who wants a Summer Cold?

If someone in the office get sick...

Make sure the cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing... wash their hands regularly (you, too!) and wipe down their work space (desk, keyboard, mouse, phone, etc.) often with a germicidal or antimicrobial disinfectant spray or wipe! Remember the A/C is recycling air, so if ill workers can take time off to stay home and recover, that is the best bet to avoid having the whole office get sick!

From treating the Common cold or Flu to preparing to reduce risk of exposure to Influenza A, H3N2 variant viruses (“H3N2v”,) H1N1, H7N9 Bird Flu, Avian Flu, Swine, Bat, Canine, or other pathogens, we have a number of outstanding values for Cleaning, covering, and protecting you from unnecessary exposure. Find Antimicrobial Packs, American Red Cross Germ Guard, N95 Masks, Hand Sanitizers, BZK wipes and much more...  See our Summer Cold Products!