40,000 cases of lyme disease are documented in the US alone every year and health experts are predicting 2013 to be the worst year for lyme risk ever. Every day, millions of outdoor workers are exposed to insects that not only annoy, but can carry malaria, Lyme disease, dengue fever and other dangerous diseases.
Rules, rulemaking and other standards activity planned
April 23, 2013
With Agency requested funding in FY 2014, OSHA projects that it will issue four Final Rules (Infectious Disease, Recordkeeping Modernization, Beryllium, and Vertical tandem Lifts), seven Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (Standards Improvement Project Phase IV, Infectious Disease, Injury and Illness Prevention Programs, Combustible Dust, Backover Protection, and 2 consensus standard update actions), and initiate SBREFA reviews for five rules (Combustible Dust, Backover Protection, one chemical standard, and two other new initiatives).
As we enter another influenza season, one question continues to vex medical and public health professionals: How do you stop people from catching the flu? The best way to prevent the flu is by getting an influenza vaccine every year. However, in the event of a large-scale influenza outbreak of a new virus strain or a pandemic, when influenza vaccine may not be promptly available, we will see tremendous demands on the health care system and its workers.
CDC recommends vaccination and antiviral treatment
January 11, 2013
Influenza activity continues to increase in the United States and most of the country is now experiencing high levels of influenza-like-illness (ILI), according to CDC’s latest FluView report. “Reports of influenza-like-illness (ILI) are nearing what have been peak levels during moderately severe seasons,” according to Dr. Joe Bresee.
The number of cases of West Nile virus has grown dramatically in recent weeks and public health experts suggest that if the trend continues, this year’s outbreak may rank among the largest in U.S. history.
A Conn. health care facility needlessly exposed its employees to tuberculosis by failing to take appropriate protective action after a patient was identified with the illness, OSHA has found.
More than 240 cases of West Nile virus disease – including four deaths – have been reported this year – putting 2012 on track to be the worst year for the disease since 2004.
There are more ticks in more places than ever before. Tick encounter rates are soaring, and news reports exclaim that 2012 is expected to bring epic risks for Lyme disease transmission. Here are 5 key ways to keep yourself and your employees protected throughout the tick-infested summer months.
10. Ticks crawl up Ticks don't jump, fly, or drop from trees onto your head and back. If you find one attached there, it most likely latched onto your foot or leg and crawled up over your entire body.