MMWR- Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

MMWR- Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

MMWR- Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report                          

MMWR News Synopsis for February 26, 2015 

Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus Associated with Surgical Procedures — New Jersey 2010 and Wisconsin 2011

Strict adherence to established infection prevention and patient safety protocols are paramount to preventing serious adverse events during patient care. Breaches in infection control in the operating room can lead to transmission of serious infectious diseases such as hepatitis C, but such incidents are preventable if basic infection prevention steps are followed.

CDC Grand Rounds: Preventing Youth Violence

Youth violence is a serious, but preventable, public health problem in the United States. Primary prevention efforts can reduce the number of deaths and injuries attributable to youth violence; lower the risk for other health problems; and result in cost savings for the justice, education, and healthcare systems. Youth violence is a significant public health problem in the U.S. In 2013, 4,481 youths aged 10-24 years were homicide victims and another estimated 547,260 youths were treated in U.S. emergency departments for nonfatal physical assault-related injuries.

Rapid Intervention Reduces Ebola Transmission in a Remote Village — Gbarpolu County, Liberia, 2014

Rapid public health intervention is critical to control Ebola outbreaks in isolated communities. Persons with Ebola can travel with the infection and seed outbreaks in remote areas. These outbreaks can cause illness and death in the absence of public health interventions. In October 2014, CDC, the Liberian Ministry of Health, and other partners investigated an outbreak in Geleyansiesu, Liberia, a community accessible only by canoe and foot, to confirm the outbreak and begin intervention.

Community Quarantine to Interrupt Ebola Virus Transmission in Rural Liberia — Mawah Village, Bong County, Liberia, August–October, 2014

Involving community members during planning and implementation helped support a safe and effective community quarantine in Mawah. During September–October 2014, multiple partners responded to a growing outbreak of Ebola in Mawah, Liberia. County officials proposed community quarantine. Local traditional leaders were integrated into response planning and raised concerns about availability of medical care and food.

Implementation of Ebola Case-Finding Using a Village Chieftaincy Taskforce in a Remote Outbreak — Liberia, 2014

By working with community leaders and members, simple solutions can be found to the challenges of responding to Ebola outbreaks in geographically remote or logistically difficult settings. A simple system for detecting cases of Ebola was developed and implemented during an outbreak in a very remote region in Liberia, where contact tracing is very challenging. This region lacks basic telephone access, most villages are inaccessible by road, and residents move frequently from village to village.

Revised Device Labeling for the Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF Assay for Detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Use of the Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF Assay will allow patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis to be removed from airborne infection isolation more rapidly, resulting in more effective patient care and better use of valuable medical resources while also improving diagnosis. FDA has cleared expanded labeling for the Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF Assay for use as an aid in deciding whether patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis require continued airborne infection isolation precautions. Compared to traditional microscopy-based methods, use of the Xpert MTB/RIF Assay allows physicians to more rapidly determine that patients do not require airborne isolation, freeing up valuable hospital resources and removing restrictions on patient movement and interactions

Notes from the Field:

• Cryptosporidiosis Associated with Consumption of Unpasteurized Goat Milk — Idaho, 2014

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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