Bird flu, also known as Influenza A, avian flu, H5N1 or H5N2 has been found globally in wild bird populations, and has caused outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows in the U.S. As of June 7^th, 2024 there have been four total reported cases of bird flu in humans. One in a poultry farmer in 2022, and three in dairy cow farmers since April 1^st, 2024. There have been no known instances of person-to-person spread.

The CDC and local health departments monitor people exposed to known infected cattle or birds for 10 days after exposure, which includes over 500 people exposed to sick cows monitored for symptoms since April 2024, and over 9,700 people monitored who were exposed to sick poultry since February 2022. The CDC also monitors emergency department trends, and clinical laboratory data to watch for signs of bird flu in people.

Under the new Voluntary H5N1 Dairy Herd Status Pilot Program, enrolled farmers who demonstrate their herds are free of bird flu for three weeks in a row through testing and continue to test bulk milk weekly will be able to move their cows between states without other mandatory testing if all tests from weekly monitoring are negative.

This new voluntary program gives the farmers more flexibility in when they can move their cows and means that cows would be monitored weekly and not just when they are moved across state lines. The USDA is strongly encouraging all dairy farmers to enroll in this program. Information on how to enroll will be found at aphis.usda.gov when it becomes available.

The additional emergency funding is dedicated to bird flu surveillance in wildlife, increased food safety monitoring, and support for the Agriculture Research Service in working toward vaccines for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in cattle, turkeys, pigs, and goats, as well as the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s food safety studies.

It was recently reported that on April 24^th, a man in Mexico died from an infection with bird flu strain H5N2, which is a different strain than what is circulating in the U.S. right now (H5N1). This person had several underlying medical conditions, and experts are still learning how he contracted the virus and are waiting on genetic sequencing for further information on the strain of bird flu that infected the farmer.

Extreme heat is increasing in the U.S. Climate projections show that extreme heat events are expected to become more frequent and severe in the next decade. This puts people more at risk for heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and dehydration.

Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths globally, and underlying medical conditions can make it harder for the body to cool. Age and health are internal factors that determine how vulnerable a person is to a heat-related illness.

People more likely to get heat-related illnesses than others include older adults and children, those who are pregnant, have chronic illnesses, spend a lot of time outdoors, or don’t have air conditioning.

In extreme heat, people can protect themselves from heat-related conditions by wearing lightweight clothing, spending 2-3 hours a day in a cool place, staying hydrated, and avoiding direct sun. Additional information on heat-related illnesses and prevention strategies can be found at cdc.gov.

When the human body gets too hot and tries to cool itself, extra stress is put on the heart and kidneys. This is why people with cardiovascular, mental, respiratory, and diabetes-related conditions are at particular risk in hot weather.

Heat exhaustion is the first sign of heat-related illness and includes symptoms like dizziness, muscle cramps, nausea, and profuse sweating. These are signs that the body needs rapid cooling and rehydration. The person should be moved to a cool place, cooled with damp cloths, and sip water. The person may need medical help if they are vomiting or do not get better within one hour.

If the body fails to cool itself, heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. The skin may feel hot and dry to touch, and the person will have a fast strong pulse, confusion, loss of consciousness, and nausea. If a person is having these symptoms, call 911 right away. Move the person to a cooler place, and help lower the body temperature with cool clothes. Do not give the person anything to drink.

As the climate changes, we are still learning about how this will impact the long-term frequency of heat-related illnesses in the US.

Snapchill’s process for manufacturing their canned products was not disclosed to the FDA as required, and thus their current production process could potentially lead to the growth of the botulinum toxin.

Botulism is a serious form of food poisoning. Symptoms include general weakness, dizziness, double-vision, difficulty speaking, swallowing or breathing, and constipation. Symptoms can begin between six hours and two weeks after eating. Seek immediate medical attention if you have these symptoms.

Snapchill canned coffee products are distributed under various names across the U.S. through various retail stores and online.

Consumers should destroy or return products. Snapchill will offer full refunds with proof of purchase and a picture of the product(s).

It is not clear that Snapchill’s canned foods process has already led to the growth of botulinum toxin in their canned coffee products.

Gun deaths in the United States are increasing and many Americans have been affected by gun violence. More than half of U.S. adults report that they or a family member have been involved in a firearm-related incident. One in five adults have had a family member killed by a firearm.

Gun deaths include suicides, homicide, and firearm accidents. Suicides make up more than half of gun deaths and homicides make up about 40% of deaths. Accidents and law enforcement shooting make up the remaining deaths.

The number of mass shooting (shootings with 4 or more victims) has increased, but mass shootings account for only 1% of gun deaths. From 2020 to 2023 there were more than 600 mass shooting each year. A survey of U.S. adults revealed three out of four experienced stress about the possibility of mass shooting occurring.

The surgeon general’s Advisory report suggests requiring firearm licenses, safe firearm storage, limiting public carry, and community violence intervention programs. The report also calls for domestic violence protection orders, red flag laws, mental healthcare access, and expanding gun violence research. These policy changes will require Congress to create and pass legislation.

Researchers are still learning about best solutions to decrease gun violence and about how to best put those solutions into practice.

Syphilis is a bacterial disease that is most often transmitted through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with a person who is infected, but also through drug needle sharing. While the rates of several STIs have been on the rise for years, the most recent spike is alarming with Black and American Indian communities being hit hardest, and women making up a greater number of the cases.

Early detection is important to prevent long-term health problems. It could be hard to tell if someone has syphilis based on symptoms alone, as the first symptoms appear as a small skin lesion that looks like a pimple in the genital area or in the mouth. This can be easily missed, or mistaken for a pimple, and it goes away on its own after six weeks. Symptoms vary by stage and include rashes in the second stage and flu-like symptoms in the third stage. These symptoms can come and go on their own, making them easy to miss or confuse with something else.

Syphilis can be transmitted even if you have no or mild symptoms and does not go away without treatment with antibiotics. It is important to get tested for syphilis if you are sexually active, and if you are pregnant because syphilis in pregnancy can pass to the baby.

Untreated syphilis can cause serious complications during pregnancy and be passed on to the baby, causing congenital syphilis. Congenital syphilis is often a life-threatening condition for the child. Pregnant persons should be tested for STIs including syphilis at one of their first prenatal care appointments.

Prevention strategies include using condoms or dental dams during sex, getting tested for STIs regularly while sexually active with different partners, and asking current partners to be tested for STIs. Low cost or free testing is available at many Planned Parenthood locations, or other community health locations.

Because syphilis symptoms can be easy to miss, it is likely that more people have syphilis than are tested. This means that actual rates of syphilis are likely higher than current estimates.

COVID infections have historically spiked over the summer, partly due to the seasonal increase in travel and indoor gatherings. Experts expect this summer’s wave to be milder.

The CDC no longer tracks each positive case of COVID but data from COVID-19 hospitalizations, ER visits, deaths, and wastewater monitoring help us to know when cases are on the rise. As of June 26, 2024, the CDC estimates that COVID-19 infections are likely growing in 39 states. No states show evidence of cases declining.

The definition of what is considered a COVID-19 “wave” has changed, and we are seeing lower rates of COVID-19 cases each year (CDC). This summer’s uptick in COVID-19 cases is likely to be lower than what was seen in previous years with new variants.

It is still important for people at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection to take precautions to avoid getting COIVD-19. This includes staying up to date on vaccinations and masking in public or crowded indoor spaces.

Updated COVID-19 vaccines will be available this fall and will attempt to target new variants. As of June 14th, public health officials have asked vaccine manufacturers to use the KP.2 variant to develop the vaccine to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccines (2024-2025 Formula) more closely match circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains.

It is still too soon to know to what extent last year’s COVID-19 vaccine protects against the LB.1 and other recent variants and research is needed to determine this.