Bird flu case reported in Los Angeles after state officials declare emergency
CDC and NIAID
Los Angeles County health officials reported the first human case of bird flu in the area less than a week after a statewide emergency declaration was announced.
In a statement released on Monday, the L.A. County Department of Public Health said the human case of H5 bird flu was detected in an adult who was exposed to livestock infected with the virus at a worksite.
The unnamed adult had mild symptoms, has been treated with antivirals and is recovering at home, according to the agency.
“The overall risk of H5 bird flu to the public remains low,” health officials said.
There are at least 65 confirmed human cases of bird flu nationally — with at least 36 in California, according to the CDC.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Dec. 18 as bird flu cases were detected in dairy cows on Southern California farms. The virus had also been previously detected in the state’s Central Valley.
“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a statement last week.
Symptoms of bird flu in humans include eye redness or discharge, fever, cough or difficulty breathing, sore throat, muscle or body aches, diarrhea and vomiting, according to health officials.
Individuals working with infected animals, including cows, poultry or wildlife, continue to be at higher risk of exposure to the virus.
“People rarely get bird flu, but those who interact with infected livestock or wildlife have a greater risk of infection. This case reminds us to take basic precautions to prevent being exposed,” Los Angeles County health officer Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, said in the statement Monday.
“People should avoid unprotected contact with sick or dead animals including cows, poultry, and wild birds; avoid consuming raw or undercooked animal products, such as raw milk; and protect pets and backyard poultry from exposure to wild animals,” Davis added.
The health official also recommended getting the seasonal flu vaccine “which can help prevent severe seasonal flu illness and lower the risk of getting both seasonal and bird flu infections at the same time if exposed.”
(NEW YORK) — Dr. Lisa Newman, the chief of the section of breast surgery at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, sat down with ABC News to discuss breast cancer prevention, early screenings and diagnosis discrepancies.
A new American Cancer Society report, released in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, finds that breast cancer mortality rates overall have dropped by 44% since 1989, averting about 517,900 breast cancer deaths. However, not all women have benefited from this progress.
ABC News discussed the issue with Newman, who provided more context.
ABC NEWS: Dr. Lisa Newman, chief of the section of breast surgery at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Newman, thank you so much for joining us. So overall, are you encouraged or concerned by this report?
DR. LISA NEWMAN: Well, thank you for this attention to such a major problem of breast cancer. As you mentioned, it is rising in incidence in American women. So we are very gratified to see these continued declines in breast cancer mortality rates. This is a testimony to our successes with breast health awareness, early detection through screening mammography programs and wonderful advances that we’ve made in treatment.
But as you also noted, we are still seeing some rather appalling and disturbing trends in the breast cancer statistics. It’s very concerning to us that the rates of breast cancer are rising for young women, women younger than the age of 50. And this is for a variety of reasons. We are also seeing very concerning disparities in the burden of breast cancer and, in particular, breast cancer death rates continue to be significantly higher for African-American women and for Black women younger than the age of 50.
ABC NEWS: As far as the disparities with regard to ethnic groups, which we also discussed, why the increase there as well?
NEWMAN: Yeah. The disparities in breast cancer burden are also secondary to some complex factors with the disproportionate mortality rates that we see in Black women. We know that this is going to be explained heavily by socioeconomic disadvantages that are more prevalent in the African-American community, and African-American women are more likely to be diagnosed with more advanced breast cancers because of delays in diagnosis.
Black women are more likely to have delays in initiation of treatment, and there are some tumor biology questions that we need to evaluate in research, as well. A lot of the research that I do actually looks at the breast cancer burden of women with African ancestry. And we do know that African ancestry in and of itself increases the likelihood of getting biologically aggressive forms of breast cancer and getting breast cancer at younger ages. So we need to address that, these socioeconomic disparities, but we also need more research to understand these biological differences.
ABC NEWS: And we saw that we’re just seeing that trend of an increase year after year. What can we do to, to try and bring these numbers down?
NEWMAN: Being aware of breast health is very important and making sure that you get screened regularly. For average risk women, The American Society of Breast Surgeons advocates in favor of getting yearly mammograms starting at age 40. If you have a strong family history, you should consider getting genetic testing, because if you do have inherited predisposition for breast cancer, you may need to start getting your mammograms at even younger ages.
ABC NEWS: The good news that we see here in this report: The mortality rate has dropped in the last year compared to 35 years ago. What do you attribute that to?
NEWMAN: Yeah. Very exciting to see that the mortality rates are declining. This is secondary to women advocating more forcefully for themselves and getting screened regularly. Women also, we want to remind women that mammograms aren’t perfect. And so women do indeed need to be aware of the potential danger signs of breast cancer, such as a new lump in the breast, lump in the underarm, bloody nipple discharge, changes in the skin appearance of the breast like swelling, a rash.
ABC NEWS: And what are some basic things that all women can do to protect themselves? You mentioned diet, for example. What kinds of food or diet would be helpful with this?
NEWMAN: Well, a good way to look at it is in terms of the holistic picture and in general, the dietary patterns that are good for cardiovascular health are good for breast health. So a diet that has lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in it, minimizing fat intake, minimizing alcohol intake, alcohol has also been associated with breast cancer risk.
ABC NEWS: Such important and lifesaving information. Dr. Newman, thank you very much for coming on the show.
(NEW YORK) — A new study is highlighting a dramatic rise in caffeine-related emergency room visits among kids.
The study, released Monday by Epic Research, found the number of caffeine-related ER visits for middle school-aged children nearly doubled from 2017 to 2023, rising from 3.1 per 100,000 visits in 2017 to 6.5 per 100,000 visits in 2023.
For high school-aged children, the rate nearly doubled, rising from 7.5 per 100,000 visits in 2017 to 13.7 per 100,000 visits in 2023, according to the study.
Notably, the study, which looked at more than 223 million ER visits, found that boys had triple the rate of caffeine-related ER visits as girls.
The new study comes less than two months after the release of a report showing a rise in calls to poison centers involving children who consumed energy drinks, which often have high levels of caffeine.
The number of calls to U.S. poison centers about children consuming energy drinks increased about 20% in 2023 after years of remaining relatively flat, according to data from America’s Poison Centers, which accredits and represents 55 poison centers across the country.
Amid the alarming data, here are three things for parents and guardians to know about caffeine and kids.
1. Milk and water are recommended for kids.
Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics say water and milk are the best drink options for kids.
The current U.S. dietary guidelines say children under the age of 2 should not have any caffeine. For kids under age 12, caffeine is also not recommended.
It is not known exactly how much caffeine is safe or unsafe for teens or young children, since studies of its effects are not permitted on children.
For adults, the FDA has cited around 400 milligrams of caffeine a day as a generally safe amount, though it notes there is “wide variation” in people’s sensitivity to caffeine.
For reference, a 12-ounce caffeinated soft drink contains anywhere from 23 to 84 milligrams of caffeine, according to the FDA, while a 12-ounce cup of coffee contains 113 to 247 milligrams of caffeine.
2. Caffeine is also in foods, not just drinks.
While caffeine is most often thought of as an ingredient in drinks like coffee, sodas and energy drinks, it is also found in different foods and products, according to the FDA.
Ice cream, chewing gum, protein bars, chocolate chips, energy bars and some over-the-counter medications may also contain caffeine, which has the same effects as when it occurs naturally in drinks like coffee or tea, according to the agency.
Decaffeinated teas and coffees also contain some caffeine.
The FDA recommends reading product ingredient labels carefully to check for caffeine. When it is added to a product, it must be listed on the label as “caffeine.”
When caffeine is naturally in a product, like chocolate, just the caffeine-containing ingredient is listed, according to the FDA.
Multiple signs may indicate a caffeine overdose or poisoning including but not limited to an increased heart rate, heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, nausea or anxiousness. Children with caffeine poisoning may also experience rapid breathing or tremors.
In severe cases, too much caffeine can lead to seizures or cardiac arrest.
In milder cases, too much caffeine can cause dehydration, upset stomach, sleep changes, headaches and jumpiness.
If a child or adult exhibits any such symptoms after consuming a caffeinated drink, they should seek medical attention immediately.
For poisoning-related questions, or if you need emergency assistance, you can contact Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222, or visit PoisonHelp.org.
ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris said former President Donald Trump will roll back health care protections if he wins the presidential election.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday in Madison, Wisconsin, Harris said Trump unsuccessfully tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the landmark law signed by then-President Barack Obama in 2010, while he was president.
“Insurance companies could go back to a time where they would deny you coverage for health insurance based on pre-existing conditions, such being a survivor of breast cancer, asthma, diabetes,” Harris said. “The American people, regardless of who they are voting for, know the importance of Obamacare in terms of expanding coverage to health care, based on the fundamental principle I hold deeply: access to health care should be a right and not just a privilege for those who can afford it.”
“Health care for all Americans is on the line in this election,” Harris continued.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump falsely claimed not wanting to end the ACA, even though he repeatedly tried to do so while president.
Here is what we know about Trump’s health care agenda if he is elected to a second term:
‘Concepts’ of a heath care plan
During the ABC News presidential debate in September, Trump said he was interested in replacing the ACA — also known as “Obamacare” — but implied that he didn’t have any specific plans in place.
“Obamacare was lousy health care. Always was,” Trump said. “It’s not very good today and, what I said, that if we come up with something, we are working on things, we’re going to do it and we’re going to replace it.”
When asked to clarify if he had a health care plan, the former president said he had “concepts of a plan” to replace the ACA but provided no details.
“If we can come up with a plan that’s going to cost our people, our population, less money and be better health care than Obamacare, then I would absolutely do it,” Trump said.
After Harris’ press conference on Thursday, Trump took to Truth Social to deny wanting to end the ACA.
“Lyin’ Kamala is giving a News Conference now, saying that I want to end the Affordable Care Act. I never mentioned doing that, never even thought about such a thing,” he wrote Thursday morning.
Trump made several attempts to repeal the ACA during his presidency but failed to do so.
He attempted to partially repeal the ACA by passing the American Health Care Act (ACHA). The plan would have repealed the individual mandate and the employer mandate, amended Medicaid eligibility and weakened protections for patients with pre-existing conditions.
The ACHA passed the House in May 2017 but failed to pass in the Senate. Perhaps mostly infamously, the Senate attempted to pass a so-called “skinny repeal” in late July 2017 but it was rejected, with Republican Sens. John McCain, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski siding with Senate Democrats to kill the bill.
During a closed-door campaign event for a fellow Republican House candidate earlier this week, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that there will be “no Obamacare.”
“We want to take a blowtorch to the regulatory state,” Johnson said in footage first reported by NBC News. “Health care is one of the sectors, but we need this across the board.”
“No Obamacare?” an attendee of the event asked Johnson.
“No Obamacare,” Johnson replied. “The ACA is so deeply ingrained, we need massive reform to make this work, and we got a lot of ideas on how to do that.”
Trump’s campaign has worked to separate itself from the speaker’s comments with Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, telling ABC News in a statement that repealing the ACA is “not President Trump’s policy position.”
“As President Trump has said, he will make our health care system better by increasing transparency, promoting choice and competition, and expanding access to new affordable health care and insurance options. Kamala Harris broke our health care system, President Trump will fix it,” the statement continued.
The 2024 GOP platform currently calls for expanding access to “new” affordable health care and prescription drug access as well as protecting Medicare and increasing transparency in the health care sector.
Trump enlists Kennedy to oversee health care policy
Trump has also suggested that he intends to tap Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. — who dropped out of the presidential race in August and endorsed Trump — to help shape health care policies if he wins a second term.
During the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner — an annual white-tie dinner to raise money for Catholic charities — earlier this month, Trump said Kennedy will “make us a healthier place.”
“We’re gonna let him go wild for a little while, then I’m gonna have to maybe reign him back, because he’s got some pretty wild ideas, but most of them are really good,” Trump said at the dinner. “I think he’s a — he’s a good man, and he believes, he believes the environment, the healthy people. He wants healthy people, he wants healthy food. And he’s going to do it. He’s going to have a big chance to do it, because we do need that.”
Kennedy said Trump has “promised” him “control of the public health agencies,” but Trump’s team said no decisions have been made yet on who will be leading these agencies if he wins the election.
However, Trump implied during a rally in Henderson, Nevada, on Thursday that Kennedy would play a role in shaping women’s health care policies.
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr., we have,” Trump said. “And he’s gonna work on health, and women’s health, and all of the different reasons ’cause we’re not really a wealthy or a healthy country. We’re not.”
There are currently no women’s health care issues listed in the 2024 GOP platform aside from keeping “men out of women’s sports.”
“The only thing President Trump and his campaign team are focused on is winning on November 5th. Everything after that is after that, and President Trump has made clear that Bobby Kennedy will play an important role,” Jason Miller, senior adviser to the Trump campaign told ABC News in a statement.
In response to Trump saying Kennedy will oversee women’s health, Harris reposted a clip of Trump’s comments on X with the caption “No” followed by a heart emoji.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.
ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Soorin Kim, Will McDuffie, Lauren Peller and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
