Antibiotic Resistance, Food, and Food-Producing Animals

"More than 400,000 Americans get sick every year from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant foodborne bacteria, according to CDC estimates. People who are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria may experience more severe illness, including hospitalization and death, because these infections can be harder to treat. Learn what CDC is doing and how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from these types of infections.

Antibiotic Resistance and Food Production

Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to resist the effects of an antibiotic. This means that bacteria are not killed by the antibiotic and can continue to grow. About one in five resistant infections are caused by germs, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, from food and animals.

Improving antibiotic use can help slow antibiotic resistance. 

Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria.  They are extremely important in treating serious bacterial infections in people.  However, bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics when these drugs are given unnecessarily to people or animals who don’t require them.  Improving antibiotic prescribing and use is critical to ensure that bacteria don’t become resistant to antibiotics. Prescribers should only treat people and animals with antibiotics when they need them for medically sound reasons.

All humans and animals have bacteria in their gut. When they are given antibiotics, many of these bacteria are killed, but the resistant ones may survive and multiply. This is why the responsible use of antibiotics is so important in both humans and animals..."
Antibiotic resistance

Presidential Disability Under the TwentyFifth Amendment: Constitutional Provisions and Perspectives for Congress

"Sections 3 and 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provide for presidential disability or inability.

Section 3 of the amendment sets the procedure whereby a President may declare himself or herself “unable to discharge the powers and duties” of the office by transmitting a written declaration to this effect to the President pro tempore of the Senate (President pro tem) and the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Speaker). For the duration of the disability, the Vice President discharges the President’s powers and duties as Acting President. When the President transmits “a written declaration to the contrary” to the President pro tem and the Speaker, he or she resumes the powers and duties of the office. Section 3 is intended to cover either unanticipated disability, such as injury or illness, or anticipated disability, such as medical treatment. It has been activated three times under circumstances in which the President underwent general anesthesia for medical treatment. It was informally implemented by President Ronald Reagan in 1985 and was formally implemented twice by President George W. Bush, in 2002 and 2007, under similar circumstances.

Section 4 provides for instances of contingent presidential disability. It was intended by the Twenty-Fifth Amendment’s authors to provide for cases in which a President was unable or unwilling to declare a disability. In these circumstances, the section authorizes the Vice President and a majority of either the Cabinet, or such other body established by law (a presidential disability review body), acting jointly, to declare the President to be disabled. When they transmit a written message to this effect to the President pro tem and the Speaker, the Vice President immediately assumes the powers and duties of the office as Acting President..."
Presidential disability

A Child’s Health is the Public’s Health

"Preparing for unexpected events is an important part of keeping children safe and healthy all year long. Events like the spread of a serious infection, an explosion, an earthquake, or a weather event, such as a hurricane, may cause health problems for large numbers of people, and especially for children.

Children make up one in four people in the United States and they have special needs during and after emergencies. Although younger children are often more affected than adults during disasters, there are concerns for children of all ages during emergencies because

• Children may not be able to follow directions or make decisions to keep them away from danger during a disaster.
• Children’s bodies use energy quicker than adults’ do, and they need food and water more often. This means that they will absorb poisons or dangerous chemicals faster than adults will.
• Children have thinner skin and breathe faster than adults do, making them more likely to take in harmful substances through the skin or breathe them in.
• Children are smaller than adults, but they have more skin in relation to their overall size, compared to adults. This means they have a higher chance of being harmed by certain chemicals or very hot or cold temperatures.
• Children are more likely to put their hands in their mouths, and spend more time outdoors and on the ground, making them more likely to come into contact with dangers in the environment.
• Children maynot be able to explain how they are feeling, which can make it harder to identify a medical problem and treat them quickly.
• Children have more contact with others, and they have less developed immune systems to fight off infections. This means they are more likely to catch an illness that can spread from person to person.
• Some children have special healthcare needs. These can increase a child’s chance of getting sick during an emergency, especially if the child is separated from a parent or caregiver.."
  Children's health

Radiation in Medicine: Medical Imaging Procedures

"Medical imaging tests are non-invasive procedures that allow doctors to diagnose diseases and injuries without being intrusive. Some of these tests involve exposure to ionizing radiation, which can present risks to patients. However, if patients understand the benefits and risks, they can make the best decisions about choosing a particular medical imaging procedure.

Most people have had one or more medical imaging tests. Imaging procedures are medical tests that allow doctors to see inside the body in order to diagnose, treat, and monitor health conditions. Doctors often use medical imaging procedures to determine the best treatment options for patients. The type of imaging procedure that your doctor may suggest will depend on your health concern and the part of the body that is being examined. Some common examples of imaging tests include:

• X-rays (including dental x-rays, chest x-rays, spine x-rays)
• CT or CAT (computed tomography) scans
• Fluoroscopy

If your doctor suggests x-rays or other medical imaging tests, you should consider the following:

• Medical imaging tests should be performed only when necessary.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends discussing the benefits and risks of medical imaging procedures with your doctor..."
  Radiation in medicine

Pneumonia Can Be Prevented—Vaccines Can Help

"Each year in the United States, about 1 million people have to seek care in a hospital due to pneumonia. Unfortunately, about 50,000 people die from the disease each year in the United States. Most of the people affected by pneumonia in the United States are adults. Vaccines and appropriate treatment (like antibiotics and antivirals) could prevent many of these deaths.

Lower Your Risk with Vaccines

In the United States, vaccines can help prevent infection by some of the bacteria and viruses that can cause pneumonia:

• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Influenza (flu)
• Measles
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Pneumococcal
• Varicella (chickenpox)

These vaccines are safe, but side effects can occur. Most side effects are mild and go away on their own within a few days. See the vaccine information statements for each vaccine to learn more about the most common side effects.

Encourage friends and loved ones to make sure they are up to date with their vaccines..."
Pneumonia

Create a Healthy Holiday Workplace

"The holiday season is kicking off, and with it comes a marathon of office parties, potlucks, and gift exchanges. Here are a few tips for bringing healthy holidays to your workplace.

Creating Healthy Holidays at Work

Ready, get set, go. The holiday season is kicking off, and with it comes a marathon of office parties, potlucks, and gift exchanges. Help employees enjoy the holidays with their coworkers. Here are a few tips for bringing healthy holidays to your workplace.

Spotting Challenges Ahead of Time

Temptation lurking around every corner – During the holidays, it seems more sweets and homemade treats pop up in the break room, on countertops, and in coworkers’ offices than during the rest of the year. It’s enough to make your employees throw up their hands and say, “I’ll wait until after the holidays to eat healthy again!”

Stress mounting by the minute –With parties, entertaining, gift-giving, and office cookie swaps, the demands on your time and wallet may seem endless. People can feel overwhelmed and have a hard time remembering why this season is supposed to be fun.

Busy calendar leaving no time for physical activity – The extra tasks make it tempting to hold off self-care with the promise to renew it in the new year. Your employees may believe they barely have time to cram in all the holiday planning and celebrations, causing them to skip workout.."
Healthy Holiday

Helping Alzheimer’s Caregivers

"Are you caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease?

Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias can be challenging. People with dementias may stop recognizing the person who is caring for them, can have trouble sharing their desires and feelings, and may become completely dependent upon their caregiver for daily activities such as eating, using the restroom, and bathing.

How Many People Live with Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are now the 6th leading cause of death overall and the 5th leading cause of death among those over 65 years of age. Today, close to 6 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s, and that is predicted to nearly triple by 2060. As the number of people with Alzheimer’s continues to increase so will the need for caregivers.

Caregiving for People with Alzheimer’s Disease

Recent data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System showed that those caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias have been caregivers considerably longer than caregivers of those with other health conditions. Depending on their health status, persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias can live for a very long time—up to 20 years following the diagnosis..."
Alzheimer caregiver

2018 National Drug Threat Assessment

"The 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA)1 is a comprehensive strategic assessment of the threat posed to the United States by domestic and international drug trafficking and the abuse of illicit drugs. The report combines federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement reporting; public health data; open source reporting; and intelligence from other government agencies to determine which substances and criminal organizations represent the greatest threat to the United States.

Illicit drugs, as well as the transnational and domestic criminal organizations who traffic them, continue to represent significant threats to public health, law enforcement, and national security in the United States. Drug poisoning deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States; they are currently at their highest ever recorded level and, every year since 2011, have outnumbered deaths by firearms, motor vehicle crashes, suicide, and homicide. In 2016, approximately 174 people died every day from drug poisoning (see Figure 1). The opioid threat (controlled prescription drugs, synthetic opioids, and heroin) has reached epidemic levels and currently shows no signs of abating, affecting large portions of the United States. Meanwhile, as the ongoing opioid crisis justly receives national attention, the methamphetamine threat remains prevalent; the cocaine threat has rebounded; new psychoactive substances (NPS) are still challenging; and the domestic marijuana situation continues to evolve..."
Drug threat assessment

Hate Crimes, Explained

via [ Southern Poverty Law Center]
"Each year, across America, an average of 250,000 people are victimized by hate crimes – criminal expressions of bigotry at terrorize entire communities and fray the social fabric of our country.

As defined by the FBI, a hate crime is a violent or property crime – such as murder, arson, assault or vandalism – that is “motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”
Nine out of 10 hate crimes involve violence, and in a quarter of the cases, the offender has a weapon.

VIEW THE FBI’S MOST RECENT HATE CRIME REPORT
The federal government and 45 states – all but Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Wyoming – have enacted hate crime laws that enhance penalties for an underlying crime. The laws differ in significant ways. All cover bias based on race, ethnicity or religion, but many do not include gender, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

The FBI releases a hate crime report each year – typically showing between 5,000 and 6,000 – but it vastly understates the extent of the problem for several reasons..".
Hate crimes

Justice Department Releases Update on Hate Crimes Prosecutions and Announces Launch of New Hate Crimes Website

"The Department today released an update on hate crimes and announced the launch of a new comprehensive hate crimes website designed to provide a centralized portal for the Department’s hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other related organizations and individuals. The resources include training materials, technical assistance, videos, research reports, statistics, and other helpful information from all of the Department components working on hate crimes.

In recent years, the Department has ramped up its hate crimes prosecution program and increased training of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers to ensure that hate crimes are identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. The Department of Justice Law Enforcement Roundtable on Improving the Identification and Reporting of Hate Crimes being conducted today and tomorrow through the Department’s Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative is an example of ongoing efforts to spur communication and cohesion among those in the field working on hate crimes..."
Hate crimes

Best at Birth: Get Your Baby the Hepatitis B Vaccine

"Ensure your baby gets the hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth. The CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend all children receive their first dose of hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth and complete the vaccine series by age 6–18 months.

Babies and Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is an infectious liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. Some people are able to fight the infection and clear the virus. For others, the infection remains and is “chronic,” or lifelong. Over time, the chronic hepatitis B can cause serious health problems, and even liver cancer. There is no cure for hepatitis B.

Mothers can pass the hepatitis B virus to their baby during childbirth without knowing it, since it is passed through blood and bodily fluids. Babies can also get hepatitis B through blood or other body fluids that contain a small amount of blood from an infected person. People can spread the virus even when they have no symptoms..."
Babies and Hepatitis B

We All Play a Role in Preventing Childhood Trauma

"Gain insight about how you can help create healthier childhoods and brighter futures for everyone.

Adverse Childhood Experiences —commonly known as ACEs—affect children and families across all communities. ACEs come in many forms, from abuse and neglect to household challenges (e.g., intimate partner violence, household substance abuse or parental separation or divorce). They can have long-term effects on health, wellness, and life opportunities.

However, ACEs are preventable.

Learn How to Stop ACEs Before They Start

Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences is an online training to help understand, recognize, and prevent ACEs from occurring in the first place.

Understand risk and protective factors, associated outcomes, and proven strategies that can be used to reduce or eliminate ACEs.

Topics include:

• Brain Development and Toxic Stress
• The ACE Study
• Prevalence and Consequences of ACEs
• Risk and Protective Factors
• Essentials for Childhood: Assuring Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationship and Environments.."
  Childhood trauma

Long-Term Care and Flu

"Vaccinate Health Care Providers in Long-Term Care Facilities

Influenza (flu) is a contagious viral infection that affects the respiratory system – your nose, throat and lungs. Flu can be a serious health threat for people 65 and older and those of any age living with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney and liver disorders. Health care providers in long-term care (LTC) facilities have direct or indirect contact with residents, who often are older adults, people with disabilities, and people with chronic medical conditions receiving care.

Besides vaccinating residents to protect them from flu, it is very important for health care workers to get vaccinated against flu also. Annual flu vaccination reduces flu illnesses and more serious flu outcomes that can result in hospitalization, or even death. Vaccinated workers in LTC facilities may protect residents as well as the employees themselves..."
Healthcare and Flu

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention

"Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday, November 4. As you prepare to set your clocks back one hour, remember to check the batteries in your carbon monoxide (CO) detector. If you don’t have a battery-powered or battery back-up CO alarm, now is a great time to buy one. More than 400 people die each year in the United States from unintentional, non-fire related CO poisoning.

CO is found in fumes produced by furnaces, vehicles, generators, stoves, lanterns, gas ranges, or burning charcoal or wood. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. People and animals in these spaces can be poisoned and can die from breathing CO.

When power outages occur during emergencies such as hurricanes or severe storms, the use of alternative sources of power for heating, cooling, or cooking can cause CO to build up in a home, garage, or camper and to poison the people and animals inside.

You Can Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure

Do

• Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
• Install a battery-operated or battery back-up CO detector in your home and check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall.
• Leave your home immediately and call 911 if your CO detector ever sounds. Seek prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseated.."
  Carbon monoxide

Living Well With Diabetes

"You don’t get really good at dealing with diabetes overnight. But over time, you’ll figure out how to go from getting it done to taking it in stride. See if any of these tips are familiar (or worth trying!).

Remember when you first found out you had diabetes and learned the basics of taking care of yourself?

• Make and eat healthy food.
• Be active most days.
• Test your blood sugar often.
• Take medicines as prescribed, even if you feel good.
• Learn ways to manage stress.
• Cope with the emotional side of diabetes.
• Go to checkups.

One way or another, you’ve had to try to make it all fit with family, work, school, holidays, and everything else in your life. Here’s our short list of tips to help – you’re probably familiar with many, but some may be new (feel free to use!).."
Diabetes