Public Health in the News – August 9, 2015

Global

• Christian Bréchot, President of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, writes in a Nature World View piece about lessons we can learn from Ebola responses and measures we should take for future outbreaks.
• Protests erupted in Russia following the destruction of 350 tons of food – all imported products from Europe and the U.S. that had been banned.

National

• So cool! The FDA approved a drug that is manufactured with 3D printing!
• Gene editing techniques used in bugs may help prevent diseases like malaria – but could have large negative ramifications if the gene mutations take hold in the wild.
• 108 people in New York City have been infected with Legionnaire’s Disease since July – although it appears the outbreak is on the decline.
• Spending time standing improves blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
• Many surgeons play music while doing procedures, but a new study shows this may disrupt communication and lead to the potential for mistakes.
• High salt intake could be a risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis, a new study finds.
• More communication between healthcare facilities could reduce the incidence of drug-resistant infections, says the CDC.
• Hundreds of people in the U.S. have gotten sick from eating contaminated Mexican cilantro this week.
• A recently discovered gene mutation was linked to autism – the first time a single gene has been shown to play a role in the disease.
• Head injuries in children may lead to attention problems – this may be a new risk factor for ADHD.
• Exercising as a teen may make you less likely to die from cancer later on.
• A child contracted the plague at Yosemite National Park.

Illinois/Chicago

• More students are becoming infected with mumps at the University of Illinois.
• The Chicago Tribune profiles Christine Eaddy, who runs the Safe Haven program – an initiative to keep kids safe and off the streets, and provides them with academic and fitness activities.
• Chicago will become the first major city to pay for gender reassignment surgeries for its employees.

Northwestern

• Check out our post about recent public health stories from the NU community! A Social Justice News Nexus fellow uncovered a phenomenon where Puerto Rican men are abandoned on Chicago’s streets, Northwestern students bring health resources to Evanston and Skokie libraries, and an NU professor integrates health technology into peoples’ lifestyles.
• Scientists at Northwestern have received a 5-year, $17 million grant to develop a drug delivery system for people at high risk of contracting HIV.
• Northwestern’s Evanston campus recently hosted practice drills for emergency responders that simulated possible laboratory accidents.