COCA Digest: April 4

Available for download: April 4, 2017, COCA Email Update

COCA News and Announcements

New COCA Email Messages and Banners 
COCA has a new look! We invite you to familiarize yourself with COCA's new banners and encourage you to email us at coca@cdc.gov with questions, comments, and feedback on how we can better prepare clinicians to respond to emerging health threats.

Archived COCA Conference Calls

Free continuing education credits (CME, CNE, ACPE, CEU, CECH, and AAVSB/RACE) are available for most calls. More information about free CE.

CDC Emergency Response

2016 Zika Virus

General Resources

NEW: CDC and Thailand Partnership Improves Lab Testing for Zika Virus 
Thailand, a tourism hub in Asia, demonstrates how the interconnectedness of the world today makes it easy for viruses to travel across borders. In 2013, tourists returning home not only brought back souvenirs from their vacation, they also tested positive for Zika virus (Zika) infection, which spurred Thailand's Ministry of Public Health to ask CDC for help to improve its laboratory testing capabilities for Zika and other viruses such as SARS, avian influenza. Now the country is one of the first in Asia with the ability to test for Zika.

Zika Virus Information for Healthcare Providers

Key Messages - Zika Virus
A collection of the most up-to-date and cleared information on the ongoing Zika virus outbreak.

Print Resources in Different Languages
CDC fact sheets and posters for distribution to patients are available in languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Creole, and Korean. These resources cover a variety of topics, including travel information, insect repellent, sexual transmission, and mosquito control.

Clinicians Caring for Pregnant Women and Women of Reproductive Age

NEW: When Should Pregnant Women Be Tested? Widget 
CDC has designed an algorithm widget based on current recommendations to assist in clinical decision making about testing for Zika virus infection. Testing recommendations by area of travel are outlined on this page. For more information on testing pregnant women, see:
https://www.cdc.gov/zika/hc-providers/pregnant-women/testing-pregnant-women.html

U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry
CDC and state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments request that healthcare providers, especially obstetric and pediatric healthcare providers, participate in the US Zika Pregnancy Registry.

Clinical Guidance for Healthcare Providers Caring for Pregnant Women

Clinical Guidance for Healthcare Providers Caring for Women of Reproductive Age

Clinicians Caring for Infants and Children

Clinical Guidance for Healthcare Providers Caring for Infants & Children

Sexual Transmission

Zika and Sexual Transmission

Travel Information

Zika Travel Information

Advice for People Living in or Traveling to South Florida
CDC has issued guidance for people living in or traveling to Miami-Dade County, Florida. CDC designates areas for Zika virus transmission prevention in the continental United States and Hawaii as red or yellow. Miami-Dade County is designated as a Zika cautionary area (yellow area): A geographic area where local transmission has been identified, but evidence is lacking that the intensity of transmission is comparable to that in a red area.

Advice For People Living In or Traveling to Brownsville, Texas 
On December 14, 2016, CDC issued guidance related to Zika for people living in or traveling to Brownsville, Cameron County, TX, and has designated Brownsville as a Zika cautionary area (yellow area). On November 28, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported the state's first case of local mosquito-borne Zika virus infection in Brownsville. Additional cases of mosquito-borne Zika have been identified in the area, suggesting that there is a risk of continued spread of Zika virus in Brownsville.

CDC Emergency Operations Center Information

NEW: CDC Emergency Operations Center 101
The video describes what an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is, how it fits within the framework of Incident Management Systems, how it functions and the benefits of establishing one and the importance of routine use in maintaining it. Watch video

CDC News and Announcements

CDC Science Clips: Volume 9, Issue: 12

Each week select science clips are shared with the public health community to enhance awareness of emerging scientific knowledge. The focus is applied public health research and prevention science that has the capacity to improve health now.

Public Health Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness and Response - (CDC)
Find preparedness resources for all hazards.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Training Resources for Clinicians - (CDC)
Find online and in-person training resources.

Natural Disasters and Severe Weather

Prepare for Spring Weather - (CDC)

Food and Water Needs: Preparing for a Disaster or Emergency - (CDC)

Health and Safety Concerns for All Disasters - (CDC)

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

MMWR publications are prepared by CDC. To electronically subscribe, go to
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html

March 31, 2017 / Vol. 66 / No. 12 Download .pdf document of this issue

• Screening for Excessive Alcohol Use and Brief Counseling of Adults - 17 States and the District of Columbia, 2014
• Methadone Prescribing and Overdose and the Association with Medicaid Preferred Drug List Policies - United States, 2007-2014
• Sodium Intake Among Persons Aged ≥2 Years - United States, 2013-2014
• Zika Virus Transmission - Region of the Americas, May 15, 2015-December 15, 2016
• Yellow Fever Outbreak - Kongo Central Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, August 2016
• Evaluation of Automated Molecular Testing Rollout for Tuberculosis Diagnosis Using Routinely Collected Surveillance Data - Uganda, 2012-2015

Infectious, Vector-Borne, and Zoonotic Diseases

Antibiotic Resistance

NEW: New Study Shows Dentist Prescribe Within Guidelines, There is Still Room for Improvement
Antibiotic Prescribing by General Dentists in the United States, 2013
Dentists prescribed 24.5 million antibiotic prescriptions in 2013, which equates to 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions in the outpatient setting.
A recent CDC study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) revealed information about antibiotic prescribing among general dentists in the U.S. The study found that although dentists usually prescribe within recommended guidelines, they sometimes prescribe antibiotics not indicated for dental conditions, such as fluoroquinolones and others used to treat urinary tract infections.

NEW: Continued CDC Funding for States to Detect, Respond, Prevent and Innovate
Through CDC's Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) Cooperative Agreement, CDC continues to work with state and local health departments to implement tracking, prevention, and antibiotic stewardship activities -- transforming how the nation combats and slows antibiotic resistance at all levels.

In addition to investments made last year, CDC is inviting grantees to participate in enhanced activities, potentially including:

• An Antibiotic Resistance Lab Network regional lab focused on drug-resistant tuberculosis
• Increased testing nationwide for the fungal threat Candida, including C. auris
• Whole genome sequencing for resistant gonorrhea isolates

These activities will enhance capacities to rapidly detect antibiotic resistance and prevent its spread to better protect Americans. Visit CDC's antibiotic resistance website for the funding announcement.

See how CDC invested in every state in 2016 to combat antibiotic resistance in healthcare facilities, the community, and food.

Local CDC investments through ELC combat antibiotic resistance by strengthening the public health workforce and building stronger surveillance systems, modern and efficient laboratory facilities, and more integrated health information networks.

Seasonal Influenza

Weekly Flu View - March 25 - (CDC)
Flu View is a weekly influenza surveillance report prepared by CDC Influenza Division. All data are preliminary and may change as CDC receives more reports.

Information for Health Professionals- (CDC)

2016-2017 Flu Season - (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/1617season.htm

Food, Drug and Device Safety

MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program - (FDA)
MedWatch is your Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gateway for clinically important safety information and reporting serious problems with human medical products.

FoodSafety.gov: Reports of FDA and USDA Food Recalls, Alerts, Reporting, and Resources - (HHS/USDA/FDA/CDC/NIH)
Foodsafety.gov lists notices of recalls and alerts from both FDA and USDA. Visitors to the site can report a problem or make inquiries.