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.”
Canned cherries made with red dye #3/Photo credit: Linnea Bullion For The Washington Post via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving to ban the use of Red No. 3 dye in food products.
The agency said Wednesday it is amending its color additive regulations to no longer allow the use of Red No. 3 in food, beverages and ingested drugs, in response to a 2022 petition from health groups and activists.
FD&C Red No. 3, also known as Red 3, is a synthetic food dye that gives foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red color. It is primarily used in foods such as candy, cakes and cupcakes, cookies, frozen desserts, frosting and icings, and some ingested drugs.
At least two studies have shown that high levels of the food dye were linked to cancer in rats. However, the link between the dye and cancer does not occur in humans, the FDA says.
While studies in other animals and humans did not show this link of cancer, an FDA regulation prohibits the agency to authorize color additive found to induce cancer in humans or animals, pushing the agency to revoke the food dye’s authorization.
Food manufacturers will have until 2027 to reformulate their products while drugmakers will have until 2028.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf was asked at a Senate hearing in December why the dye had not been banned. He said the FDA hasn’t been given the resources to do the kind of post-market monitoring of substances done in Europe, where it has been largely banned since 1994. The FDA also banned the use of Red 3 in cosmetics in 1990.
“We have repeatedly asked for better funding for chemical safety … Please look at our request for funding for the people who do this work, remember that when we do ban something, it will go to court, and if we don’t have the scientific evidence … we will lose in court,” Califf said at the hearing.
Red 40, another synthetic food dye used to achieve a bright crimson color in condiments and candy, will remain available for use. Some studies have also shown Red 40 is a carcinogen in animals.
Red No. 3 was first approved by the FDA in 1969 and had been reviewed “multiple times” since then, according to the agency.
ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Women are stocking up on birth control and asking for long-term contraception methods following President Donald Trump being elected to a second term last week, doctors say.
Searches for “birth control” and “Plan B” doubled between Nov. 2 and the two days after the election, with a notable spike the day after the election, Google Search data shows.
Doctors told ABC News that patients are worried that access to birth control and contraception might be limited after Trump takes office due to efforts made during his first term and comments made on the campaign trail.
Dr. Brittany Cline, an OB-GYN at Northwestern Medicine, in Chicago, said she has seen an increase in the number of appointments being made for contraceptive or birth control counseling as well as appointments for long-acting contraceptives being either inserted or replaced or exchanged.
“We have, in clinic, seen many patients coming in for their [intrauterine device] replacements, even this week,” she told ABC News. “On Monday, I used all of our intrauterine devices that the clinic had, and I think that this is going to continue over the next few months and even years down the line, as people try to take some control over their bodies.”
Cline said she also received a message from a patient this week requesting four years of her birth control prescription be sent to a pharmacy.
‘That’s something that I have not, you know, seen before. Usually, we supply, you know, 12 months, one year at a time,” she said. “We do know that as many medications, there is a shelf life, and so it would not be safe for me to prescribe four years’ worth of contraception to a patient because of the shelf life.”
Dr. Leslie Kantor, professor and chair of the Department of Urban Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health, in New Jersey, told ABC News that she has heard anecdotal reports of more traffic to websites that have information about birth control.
She said patients may be worried because of the federal contraceptive coverage guarantee. Under a provision of the Affordable Care Act, most private insurance plans must cover the full cost of most contraceptives, such as birth control, without making patients pay out-of-pocket costs.
If the incoming Trump administration allows employers and schools to use religious and moral exemptions to prevent coverage of contraceptives, as the White House did during Trump’s first term, this may lead to out-of-pocket costs that make contraceptives unaffordable to some, experts previously told ABC News.
The experts say patients may be concerned due to comments Trump made on the campaign trail suggesting he’s open to restricting contraceptives.
During an interview with Pittsburgh TV station KDKA-TV, Trump was asked if he supports any restrictions on a person’s right to contraceptives.
“Well, we’re looking at that and we’re going to have a policy on that very shortly,” Trump responded. “And I think it’s something you’ll find interesting and it’s another issue that’s very interesting.”
When asked to clarify if he was suggesting he was open to supporting some restrictions on contraceptives, “like the morning-after pill,” Trump dodged, saying. “Things really do have a lot to do with the states — and some states are going to have different policy than others.”
Some states have also taken it upon themselves to provide contraception access. In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer launched Take Control of Your Birth Control, a program to provide Michigan families access to free contraception including over-the-counter oral birth control pills, emergency contraception, condoms and family planning.
Both Cline and Kantor recommended that patients speak to their health care providers about the best birth control method for them as well as what options are available for them down the road.
“The advice that I would give to people right now is this is a great time to figure out the best birth control method for you, and you can do that in a variety of ways,” Kantor said. “It’s a terrific time to find an ongoing method of birth control that will work. …There’s no reason, however, to panic. Access to birth control is not going away tomorrow, and in fact, it’s not going away on the day that Trump becomes president.”
ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Soo Rin Kim and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
(LOS ANGELES) — As devastating wildfires continue to spread across southern California, thousands of structures have been destroyed or damaged and at least five people have been killed.
Residents and firefighters have suffered physical injuries, but doctors say the wildfires can also take a heavy mental health toll on civilians and first responders.
“I think when disaster like this is unfolding, it makes sense to prioritize people’s lives and mortality but, over time, we have to think about mental health consequences too,” Dr. Sarah Lowe, associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at Yale School of Public Health, told ABC News.
“We also know that mental and physical health are connected,” she continued. “While mental health symptoms might not necessarily be linked to the exposure itself, they could be linked to or exacerbated by physical health ailments.”
Mental health experts say that most people are resilient and do not develop a mental health condition as a result of trauma from a natural disaster.
However, those with more exposure to the event — such as losing a home, losing a loved one or experiencing injury — are at higher risk, the experts said.
“It is common to experience emotional distress during these traumatic events, where people often lose a sense of control,” Dr. Jace Reed, director of emergency psychiatry for the department of psychiatry & behavioral neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, told ABC News. “The current wildfires have led to evacuations, the destruction of homes and property, the loss of beloved pets, physical injuries and even death, all of which can be profoundly distressing.
“Individuals may feel a range of emotions, including denial, anger, sadness, shock and hopelessness,” he added. “This emotional response can evolve into later stages, such as acceptance, further sadness, depression and bitterness.”
Research has shown wildfires can lead to increased rates of anxiety and depression and symptoms may become worse among people who already have these conditions.
Additionally, people can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can include intrusive thoughts and nightmares.
Leaving PTSD untreated can result in the use of or dependence on drugs and alcohol, increased risk of chronic health conditions and increased risk of self-harm.
Dr. Ian Stanley, an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, told ABC News that untreated PTSD can put a strain on relationships including familial relationships, romantic relationships and friendships.
“It can really begin to eat away at, not just the person’s well-being, but also the social environment in which they live,” he said.
Wildfire smoke can also put you at risk
The experts said it’s not just people directly affected by the fire who are at risk of mental health impacts. People exposed to wildfire smoke are at risk as well.
Wildfire smoke can travel long distances, meaning cities hundreds of miles away may be experiencing unhealthy air quality.
A 2024 study from Emory University found that wildfire smoke was linked with emergency department visits for anxiety disorders with higher risks among girls, women and older adults.
“Even people who aren’t directly affected by fires, the smoke from them, coming into their neighborhoods and communities, even if it’s imperceptible, can have impacts on mental health,” Lowe said. “We’re seeing more and more, and that’s with a range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety.”
Firefighters, first responders also at risk
Firefighters battling the flames and first responders helping treat those who are injured or are in need are also at risk of experiencing mental health impacts.
Firefighters and other rescue personnel are at greater risk of developing PTSD compared to the general population. An August 2016 study found approximately 20% of firefighters and paramedics meet the criteria for PTSD at some point in their career compared to a 6.8% lifetime risk for the general population, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
“They’re on the front lines, and first responders, firefighters, police, EMS have potentially pre-existing vulnerabilities to developing mental health problems at a higher rate than the civilian population,” Stanley said.
The duties of first responders — facing challenging situations, reaching out to survivors, providing support — can be strenuous and put them at an increased risk of trauma, according to a 2018 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
“They’re trained to do this; this is their job, and yet it can still take a toll on them, especially the crews that are away from home, spending weeks away from home and maybe lacking the traditional support system that are used to,” Stanley said.
How to help those with mental health impacts
Lowe said it will be important for California to make sure it is providing enough licensed professionals to the areas where people may be in need.
This can be challenging in the face of a large-scale mental health crisis in the U.S. in which there is a shortage of mental health professionals.
“Having good coverage for mental health services, increasing access to services” is important, she said. “A lot of times, we can’t practice outside of our jurisdiction, but there’s declarations during disasters, folks can practice outside … so just ways to increase access.”
The experts also recommend limiting time reading news coverage and social media posts of the wildfires, much of which can be distressing.
“This can lead to increased anxiety, sleep difficulties and stress, causing many people to feel the urge to consume more information,” Reed said. This increased consumption is likely more anxiety-provoking than comforting. … I recommend that people consume this content in moderation and focus on activities that help reduce their stress levels.”
Family members and friends can help by providing a sense of support for their loved one and confidently checking in, the experts said.
“You can think of kind of the 3 Hs here: Do you want to be helped? Do you want to be hugged? Or do you want to be heard?” Stanley said. “Some people just want a shoulder to cry on. Some people want you to go into problem-solving mode and some people just want a listening ear.”
