ER visits for tick bites near record levels this summer across US
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(NEW YORK) — Emergency rooms across the country are seeing a spike in tick bite cases, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
July has already seen the highest number of tick-related ER visits since 2017, with the Northeast region reporting the most cases, the CDC said.
Young children and elderly adults appear particularly vulnerable, with those under 10 and over 70 years old having the highest rates of emergency room visits, according to the CDC.
For residents in the New York tristate area, the threat is particularly severe. The Fordham Tick Index, which monitors tick activity in southern New York, Connecticut and Northern New Jersey, currently rates the bite risk as “very high” – 9 out of 10 on its scale.
The CDC reports that climate change may be contributing to the increasing numbers. In regions where Lyme disease is already present, milder winters result in fewer disease-carrying ticks dying during cold months, the agency notes.
According to CDC data, May typically marks the annual peak for tick-bite emergencies. These rising numbers have prompted health officials to remind the public about the dangers posed by these tiny insects.
The CDC warns that ticks can transmit various diseases through their bites, many of which share similar symptoms. Most people who visit emergency rooms report fever and chills, headaches, fatigue and muscle aches. Some patients also develop distinctive rashes, particularly those associated with Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
With outdoor activities in full swing this summer, the CDC has issued several recommendations to prevent illness. The agency advises avoiding wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter, and staying in the center of trails when hiking. It also recommends using Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, or other approved ingredients.
The CDC recommends treating outdoor clothing and gear with permethrin, which remains effective even after multiple washes. Those planning to use both sunscreen and insect repellent should apply sunscreen first, followed by the repellent.
Health officials are also emphasizing that no area is immune to tick activity.
Pedro Navio, North America president at Kraft Heinz, said in a statement that the company removed artificial colors, preservatives and flavors from its Kraft macaroni and cheese in 2016 and that its Heinz tomato ketchup has never had artificial dyes.
“As a food company with a 150+ year heritage, we are continuously evolving our recipes, products, and portfolio to deliver superiority to consumers and customers,” Navio’s statement read, in part. “The vast majority of our products use natural or no colors, and we’ve been on a journey to reduce our use of FD&C colors across the remainder of our portfolio. … Above all, we are focused on providing nutritious, affordable, and great-tasting food for Americans and this is a privilege we don’t take lightly.”
It comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a plan in April to start phasing out eight synthetic food dyes in the American food supply.
At a news conference announcing the plan, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said health agencies were looking to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings and to work with the food industry to eliminate six remaining synthetic dyes used in a variety of food products.
Kennedy said the agencies had reached an “understanding” with major food companies to voluntarily remove artificial food dyes from their products. It’s unclear what action Kennedy could take if the companies don’t comply.
Shortly after Kennedy’s announcement, PepsiCo’s CEO said on an earnings call that the company had already begun phasing out artificial colors. In-N-Out also announced in May it was removing artificial food dyes from menu items.
Other companies, like Kellogg’s, have previously stated their products are safe for consumption, and they are following federal standards set by the FDA.
Some studies have linked dyes to behavioral changes in children as well as to cancer in animals, suggesting this could extend to humans.
Some nutritionists and dietitians say that it’s best to avoid artificial food dyes, while others say more research needs to be done and the potential negative effects are still unclear.
(WASHINGTON) — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will require new vaccines to undergo placebo testing, marking what a department spokesperson called “a radical departure from past practices.”
The policy change would force vaccines, in order to be approved for human use, to undergo studies in which half of individuals in a study receive a placebo – typically a saline shot – to compare results against the vaccine.
Placebo-controlled trials are already used to test new drugs or vaccines for safety and efficacy, but some experts consider it unethical to conduct such trials when a vaccine or treatment is already considered safe and efficacious. For example, they say, giving half of the kids in a trial a placebo for the measles vaccine when an already proven vaccine exists would put those participants unnecessarily at risk for the virus.
It remains unclear what HHS considers a “new” vaccine and whether that includes the flu and COVID vaccines, which are updated on an annual basis to better protect against currently circulating strains.
“FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary has indicated that significant updates to existing vaccines—such as those addressing seasonal strain changes or antigenic drift—may be considered ‘new products’ requiring additional clinical evaluation,” the department spokesperson told ABC News.
But the spokesperson indicated the yearly flu vaccine might not be affected by the policy, calling it “tried and tested for more than 80 years.”
It appears, instead, that the policy could impact the rollout of future COVID vaccines, which are updated annually.
When asked to elaborate on what the department considers a “new” vaccine, the spokesperson said that federal health agencies would follow the “Gold Standard of Science”.
Kennedy has long questioned the safety of vaccines and argued that placebo-based trials are needed to ensure vaccines aren’t doing more harm than good.
Even as thousands were dying during the COVID-19 public health emergency, COVID vaccines still underwent placebo-controlled studies with more than 100,000 volunteers from diverse populations. Experts say the practice is necessary to determine if a vaccine is not only effective, but also safe.
Many childhood vaccines were originally tested with placebo trials. Others have been available for decades, providing data from millions of people showing those vaccines are overwhelmingly safe and effective.
Once a vaccine for a disease is approved safe and effective, future versions of the shot are tested in clinical trials against the already approved shot. Clinical trials test whether the updated vaccines generate an immune response that’s comparable to or better than previous versions of the vaccine.
Even after vaccines are made available to the public, scientists continue to monitor them for safety. They also review any reports of side effects or reactions and share these facts with the public.
(NEW YORK) — During a press conference on Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a plan to start phasing out eight synthetic food dyes in the American food supply.
HHS and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are looking to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings and to work with food manufacturers to eliminate six remaining synthetic dyes used in foods such as cereal, snacks, ice creams and yogurts.
Kennedy has previously been vocal about his opposition to artificial dyes, claiming they are harmful and calling for them to be removed from foods and beverages.
Studies have linked dyes to behavioral changes as well as to cancer in animals, suggesting this may extend to humans.
Some nutritionists and dietitians say that it’s best to avoid artificial food dyes, while others say more research needs to be done and the potential negative effects are still unclear.
What are synthetic dyes and where are they found?
Many years ago, some synthetic dyes were produced from by-products of coal processing, according to the FDA. Today, many dyes are petroleum-based and made through chemical processes.
They appear in many different types of foods including candies, ice cream, frozen desserts, crackers, chips, energy bars, cereals, beverages and more.
Halle Saperstein, a clinical dietitian at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, told ABC News her research has found there are about 36,000 products with Red No. 40, about 8,000 products that contain Red No. 3 and about one in 10 products that contain another type of synthetic food dye.
“The other thing to note is that many products contain multiple petroleum food dyes, not just one specific one,” she said.
Sandra Zhang, a registered dietician nutritionist and pediatric dietitian at the Frances Stern Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, said synthetic dyes are very prevalent and are mostly used in packaged, processed foods that can be found in supermarkets and grocery stores.
“Synthetic food dyes are not found in nature, so they are man-made entirely,” Zhang said. “And so, they have no nutritional properties or benefits whatsoever. They are made only to enhance the appearance of foods.”
What have studies shown?
Research has suggested that some synthetic food dyes may be associated with behavioral issues in children and teenagers.
A 2012 meta-analysis from Oregon Health and Science University found artificial food colors may affect children’s behavior and exacerbate symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Another 2012 study found artificial food coloring is not a major cause of ADHD but can affect children whether or not they are diagnosed with the condition.
Additionally, a 2022 analysis from the California Environmental Protection Agency and two California universities found that there may be an association between synthetic food dyes and behavioral issues even in children without a diagnosed behavioral disorder.
In 2019, the FDA said an advisory committee did not establish a “causal link” between synthetic color additives and behavioral effects, but did recommend further research on the issue.
Are synthetic food dyes safe?
Experts are divided on the issue. Saperstein said she sees a credible link between behavior and synthetic food dye consumption based on the studies she’s read.
Zhang said she’s not sure if there’s a link between behavioral issues and synthetic food dyes and that more research needs to be done.
“At least from my patient care experience, I’m not observing … a kid consuming Gatorade every day makes a huge difference” in their behavior, she said.
She added, however, that scientific research linking dyes to neurobehavioral changes was done on animals.
Whether or not synthetic dyes are safe to consume, experts agree it is best to limit artificial food coloring consumption when possible.
Jennifer Pomeranz, an associate professor of public health policy and management at NYU School of Global Public Health, said she believes there is no need for artificial food dyes in the food supply because they don’t act as preservatives and they don’t have any nutritional benefits.
“There are natural dyes that [companies] can use,” she said. “And frankly, there’s really no need for such a brightly colored food supply.”
Earlier this year, under the administration of former President Joe Biden, the FDA said it was moving to ban the use of Red No. 3 in foods, beverages and medications after it was found to cause cancer in rats.
On the heels of Kennedy’s Tuesday announcement about eliminating other synthetic dyes, the International Association of Color Manufacturers, the trade association for the color additives industry, released a statement criticizing the HHS decision.
“Color additives have been rigorously reviewed by global health authorities, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Food Safety Authority, and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, with no safety concerns,” the statement read. “Requiring reformulation by the end of 2026 ignores scientific evidence and underestimates the complexity of food production”
What about natural alternatives?
During Tuesday’s press conference, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary mentioned watermelon juice and carrot juice as natural alternatives to synthetic dyes.
Some food manufacturers use concentrated forms of natural pigments found in fruits and plants — such as beets, blackberries, paprika, saffron, tamarind and turmeric — as dyes.
As the food industry shifts to natural dyes, more research should be done to study their safety and to formulate regulations on the concentration levels, Zhang said.
The FDA said on Tuesday it is fast-tracking the review of four new natural color additives: calcium phosphate, Galdieria extract blue, gardenia blue and butterfly pea flower extract.
Gardenia blue and butterfly pea flower extract come from plants, Galdieria extract blue comes from algae and calcium phosphate is a chemical compound.
Expert say food companies use synthetic dyes to color their products because they are cheaper compared to natural dyes. Some companies have stated their products are safe for consumption, and they are following federal standards set by the FDA.
Saperstein said another reason companies might use synthetic dyes is psychological, because people are more drawn to brightly colored foods than foods with muted colors.
“We’ve seen stories of companies switching [to natural dyes] and they feel it’s not bright enough, so they switch back,” Pomeranz said.
