January, 2025

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Why scientists' fears about bird flu are intensifying

NPR Health

Bird flu, or avian influenza, is spreading among livestock and other mammals in the United States, raising concerns that another pandemic may be looming. Last month, California declared a state of emergency due to rising cases in dairy cattle, and there have been over 65 human cases in the U.S. during this outbreak. While cases have been largely mild and risk to the public is still considered low, scientists warn it could evolve and become more dangerous.

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DNA nanorobots can alter artificial cells

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Scientists have succeeded in controlling the structure and function of biological membranes with the help of 'DNA origami'. The system they developed may facilitate the transportation of large therapeutic loads into cells. This opens up a new way for the targeted administration of medication and other therapeutic interventions. Thus, a very valuable instrument can be added to the toolbox of synthetic biology.

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Potential exposure to measles from traveler at Seattle – Tacoma International Airport

Public Health Insider

We have confirmed a new case of measles in an individual who traveled through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) while infectious. The post Potential exposure to measles from traveler at Seattle Tacoma International Airport appeared first on PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER.

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PRESS RELEASE: National Council of Urban Indian Health Calls for Protection of Indian Health System Funding

National Council on Urban Indian Health

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 31, 2025) The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) today urged Congress, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to exempt the Indian Health System from any future funding restrictions or pauses. This call to action comes in response to recent events that temporarily froze resources critical to the operation of Tribal health care and Urban Indian Organization (UIO) facilities.

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Power also comes from the bottom up

Your Local Epidemiologist

Today felt like waiting for a nuclear bomb to go off in public service. The new administration released a memo to freeze $3 trillion in federal grants, pausing activities to ensure alignment with Presidential priorities. The order went into effect at 5 p.m. ET, but a D.C. judge blocked it thereafter. While the White House tried to clarify that this freeze won’t impact all grants—excluding some individual programs like student loans—its ambiguity, murky terms, and far-reaching i

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Whitmer signs legislation allowing Michigan pharmacists to prescribe birth control

The Hill

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed two bills into law earlier this week that will allow pharmacists in the state to prescribehormonal birth control. House Bill 5436 gives Michigan pharmacists the ability to write prescriptions for hormonal contraceptives like birth control pills, emergency contraceptive pills, patches and vaginal rings. Whitmer also signed a second piece of legislation, House Bill 5435, which requires insurance companies to cover the cost of pharmacist-prescribed hormonal

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Zebrafish protein unlocks dormant genes for heart repair

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Researchers have successfully repaired damaged mouse hearts using a protein from zebrafish. They discovered that the protein Hmga1 plays a key role in heart regeneration in zebrafish. In mice, this protein was able to restore the heart by activating dormant repair genes without causing side effects, such as heart enlargement. This study marks an important step toward regenerative therapies to prevent heart failure.

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Amid wildfire trauma, L.A. County dispatches mental health workers to evacuees

HEALTHBEAT

As Fernando Ramirez drove to work the day after the Eaton Fire erupted, smoke darkened the sky, ash and embers rained onto his windshield, and the air smelled of melting rubber and plastic. He pulled to the side of the road and cried at the sight of residents trying to save their homes. I could see people standing on the roof, watering it, trying to protect it from the fire, and they just looked so hopeless, said Ramirez, a community outreach worker with the Pasadena Public Health Department.

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Long-Covid Patients Are Frustrated That Federal Research Hasn’t Found New Treatments

KFF Health News

Erica Hayes, 40, has not felt healthy since November 2020 when she first fell ill with covid. Hayes is too sick to work, so she has spent much of the last four years sitting on her beige couch, often curled up under an electric blanket. “My blood flow now sucks, so my hands and my feet are freezing. Even if I’m sweating, my toes are cold,” said said Hayes , who lives in Western Pennsylvania.

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UNC Health Southeastern updates maternity ward with a focus on comfort

NC Health News

By Heidi Perez-Moreno Border Belt Independent When Mary Campbell gave birth to her first daughter in 2021, her maternity room at UNC Health Southeastern was cramped and loud. The hospitals thin walls did little to muffle the sounds of crying babies and foot traffic in the hallways, and Campbell could barely nap during her 36-hour stay. But when Campbell, who works as an emergency room nurse at the hospital in Lumberton, had her second child last month, her experience was very different.

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New year, new norovirus outbreaks: Let’s add ‘hand washing’ to the resolution list!

Public Health Insider

If youve been following the news in recent weeks, you may have seen stories about outbreaks of norovirus a highly contagious virus that causes rapid onset of vomiting and diarrhea. Its present year-round, but most outbreaks occur during November to April, when people are more regularly in close quarters indoors. The post New year, new norovirus outbreaks: Let’s add ‘hand washing’ to the resolution list!

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Senator calls RFK Jr.'s position on race and vaccines dangerous

NPR Health

In one of the most tense exchanges in a heated confirmation hearing, Senator Angela Alsobrooks called out past comments RFK Jr. made suggesting a different vaccine schedule for Black people.

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Residents of unburned homes reported health symptoms months after Marshall Fire

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Wildfires that burn homes and vehicles could expose people to dangerous airborne compounds through ash and smoke. Research has shown that people returning to their unburned homes may also experience health symptoms months after a nearby fire is extinguished. Through a survey of people affected by the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder, Colorado, researchers found that headaches, sore throats and coughs were frequently self-reported by residents living near burned structures.

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My Journey into Public Health: A Path Paved with Purpose

Public Health Blog

Have you ever felt a deep calling to make a difference in the lives of others but weren’t sure how to channel it? A few years ago, I found myself in optometry, driven by a desire to help people improve their vision. But as I progressed in my bachelor’s program, I realized my true passion lay in creating broader change in healthcare.

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Amid Wildfire Trauma, L.A. County Dispatches Mental Health Workers to Evacuees

KFF Health News

PASADENA, Calif. As Fernando Ramirez drove to work the day after the Eaton Fire erupted, smoke darkened the sky, ash and embers rained onto his windshield, and the air smelled of melting rubber and plastic. He pulled to the side of the road and cried at the sight of residents trying to save their homes. “I could see people standing on the roof, watering it, trying to protect it from the fire, and they just looked so hopeless,” said Ramirez, a community outreach worker with the Pasad

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Parents of diabetic kids urge schools to monitor blood sugar apps

HEALTHBEAT

Public health, explained: Sign up to receive Healthbeats free national newsletter here. Just a few years ago, children with Type 1 diabetes reported to the school nurse several times a day to get a finger pricked to check whether their blood sugar was dangerously high or low. The introduction of the continuous glucose monitor made that unnecessary. The small device, typically attached to the arm, has a sensor under the skin that sends readings to an app on a phone or other wireless device.

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How Pharmacy Benefit Managers Drive Up the Cost of Health Care

Mercola

In the featured video, independent journalist Tucker Carlson interviews Brigham Buhler founder and CEO of Ways2Well, a preventative care and health optimization platform about how the health insurance industry works to keep us in poor health. Buhlers career in health care spans over 25 years, during which he gained significant insights into the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

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Federal health agencies told to halt all external communications

NPR Health

In a memo obtained by NPR, acting health secretary Dorothy Fink forbade staff from public communications on most matters until Feb. 1, unless they get express approval from 'a presidential appointee.' (Image credit: Sarah L.

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Lead pollution likely caused widespread IQ declines in ancient Rome, new study finds

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Lead exposure is responsible for a range of human health impacts, with even relatively low levels impacting the cognitive development of children. Scientists have previously used atmospheric pollution records preserved in Arctic ice cores to identify periods of lead pollution throughout the Roman Empire, and now new research expands on this finding to identify how this pollution may have affected the European population.

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Now We’re Cooking with Gas – Leveling Up a Health Department in a Smaller County Through PHAB Accreditation

JPHMP Direct

As small health departments across the nation navigate their paths toward accreditation, insights from the Boone County Health Department offer valuable lessons in leadership, community engagement, and the pursuit of excellence. The post Now Were Cooking with Gas Leveling Up a Health Department in a Smaller County Through PHAB Accreditation first appeared on JPHMP Direct.

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What WHO’s recommendation for low sodium salt alternatives means for India 

The Hindu

The WHO released a set of guidelines on Sunday recommending the use of lower-sodium salt substitutes, essentially including potassium chloride and reducing the percentage of sodium chloride in table salt. This comes after the international body strongly recommended reducing sodium intake to less than 2g a day.

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How Did We End Up with a Broken Health Insurance System? 

The Health Care Blog

By LEONARD D AVOLIO The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has drawn attention to Americans frustration with the for profit healthcare insurance industry. Change is possible but less likely if people dont understand how we got here, the real issues, and how they might be fixed. Health insurance wasnt always run by big for profit corporations According to Elizabeth Rosenthals book, An American Sickness (a must read), it all started in the 1920s when the Vice President of Baylor Univers

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Maine residents push back against sludge treatment plant proposal

Environmental Health News

Residents in Brunswick, Maine, are opposing plans to reopen a sludge processing plant at the former Naval Air Station, fearing it will worsen contamination from PFAS, or "forever chemicals," after a toxic spill last summer. AnnMarie Hilton reports for Maine Morning Star. In short: Viridi Energy plans to upgrade and expand an anaerobic digester to process sewage sludge into renewable natural gas, but residents worry it could bring more PFAS contamination.

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RFK Jr. plans to keep a financial stake in lawsuits against the drugmaker Merck

NPR Health

RFK Jr. plans to keep collecting referral fees in lawsuits against the drug company Merck even if confirmed as HHS secretary, according to new filings with the Office of Government Ethics.

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Atop the Oregon Cascades, team finds a huge buried aquifer

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Scientists have mapped the amount of water stored beneath volcanic rocks at the crest of the central Oregon Cascades and found an aquifer many times larger than previously estimated -- at least 81 cubic kilometers. The finding has implications for the way scientists and policymakers think about water in the region -- an increasingly urgent issue across the Western United States as climate change reduces snowpack, intensifies drought and strains limited resources.

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Advancing Public Health System Transformation: PHAB’s Expanded Suite of Products and Services

JPHMP Direct

PHAB has a strong history of developing and delivering tools to advance transformation. In direct response to increased need from the field, PHAB has launched an expanded set of products and services to support this important work. The post Advancing Public Health System Transformation: PHABs Expanded Suite of Products and Services first appeared on JPHMP Direct.

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Study uncovers distinct blood protein signature in children with Long COVID

News Medical Health Sciences

Distinct protein profiles linked to inflammation and angiogenesis found in children with Long COVID, paving the way for improved diagnostics and therapies.

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As number of births fall sharply in T.N., concerns rise about elderly population

The Hindu

The number of live births fell by 6.

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Behind the Ban: Breaking down the risks of Red Dye 3 and chemicals like it

Environmental Health News

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned Red Dye No. 3 in foods, beverages and oral medications because the chemical has been linked to cancer in animal studies. The FDA previously banned the same dye in cosmetics and topicals for cancer risk in 1990. Both bans relied on the FDA's Delaney Clause , which requires the agency to ban food additives that cause cancer in animals or humans.

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Effective immediately: CDC can't talk to WHO. What will that mean for world health?

NPR Health

Staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been told to halt all communication with the World Health Organization.

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Extreme climate pushed thousands of lakes in West Greenland 'across a tipping point,' study finds

Science Daily: Pharmacology News

Following two months of record heat and precipitation in fall 2022, an estimated 7,500 lakes in West Greenland turned brown, began emitting carbon and decreased in water quality in less than a year. The spike in temperatures caused the precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow. The heat also caused permafrost to thaw, releasing an abundance of carbon, iron, magnesium and other elements that the rain washed into the lakes.

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News: Washington's American Indian Health Commission Asks State to Cover Traditional Healing

Rural Health Information Hub

The Washington American Indian Health Commission has requested the state consider a federal waiver for Medicaid coverage of traditional Indigenous healing practices following waivers successfully obtained by 4 other states in 2024. Discusses health disparities in Native communities and the funding benefits tribal health clinics would get from the waiver.

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Research reveals 31% increased risk of long COVID in women

News Medical Health Sciences

Females have a 31% higher associated risk of developing long COVID, with women aged 40 to 55 years having the highest propensity, according to a study led by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) funded by the National Institutes of Health.

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What is Guillain-Barré Syndrome? Explained

The Hindu

Guillain-BarrSyndrome is an autoimmune neurological disorder in which a persons immune system attacks their peripheral nerves, leading to muscle weakness that can progress to paralysis

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