Infectious Disease

 

From influenza to Ebola to Zika, infectious diseases are creating new challenges for hospitals and healthcare organizations to provide state-of-the-art care that effectively treats patients while minimizing the risk to their families and the staff who treat them.

In recognition of World Sepsis Day, HHS Secretary Marylou Sudders marked World Sepsis Day by announcing the creation of the Massachusetts Sepsis Consortium.
Massachusetts DPH last week issued advisories about Hepatitis A and West Nile virus.
A Suffolk Superior Court judge threw out a MNA lawsuit that challenged Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s mandatory flu vaccination policy for employees.
After the state experienced a small dip in the flu during the first two weeks of January, last week flu cases spiked upward.
Since 1976 there have been 17 federal government shutdowns.
The harsh flu season has resulted in a spike in boarding at Massachusetts acute care hospital emergency departments.
Massachusetts DPH and the Mass. Adult Immunization Coalition will hold the 23rd Annual Mass. Adult Immunization Conference on Tuesday, April 10.
DPH reported last week that influenza-like illness was “widespread” in Massachusetts.
DPH notified providers last week that it has noticed an increase in HIV infections in people who inject drugs.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association’s attempt to violate Brigham and Women’ Hospital’s mandatory flu vaccination policy was rejected by a Suffolk Superior Court judge.
Two students at UMass Amherst have been diagnosed with invasive meningococcal disease serogroup B within the past few weeks.
HB2442/SB2137, HB3226/SB1245, HB3240, HB1200/SB1224, SB1264 Disease Prevention, Screening and Mandated Benefit
The CDC has put out a nationwide health advisory warning clinicians to be aware of the multi-state measles outbreak, which between December 2014-January 2015, has resulted in more than 50 people in six states reported to have measles.
TThe flu in Massachusetts is widespread across the state, and moderate in intensity, according to DPH’s weekly flu report. Influenza-like illness (ILI) is defined as fever above 100.01 in addition to either cough or sore throat.