Researchers investigate potential link between RSV and sudden unexpected infant deaths
CDC/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
(NEW YORK) — A rise in rates of sudden unexpected infant deaths may have been linked to an off-season surge of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in 2021, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA Open Network.
Sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) includes deaths of infants under one year old without a known cause, deaths that are due to accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed and those from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“This is an important topic because SIDS and other unexpected deaths are still one of the leading causes of infant mortality, and there’s still a lot unknown,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor.
The most recent CDC data shows about 3,700 infants died from SUID in 2022 and 41% were from SIDS.
“There are very few things that are as horrific as a family experiencing a sudden infant death, and especially given the causes are so often unknown,” Brownstein said.
Using records from the CDC, researchers analyzed more than 14,000 cases of SUID and found that rates per 100,000 live births increased by 10% from 2019 to 2021.
Results showed the risk of SUID was highest from June to December 2021 — at the same time there was an off-season surge in hospitalizations due to RSV after the virus skipped its typical winter season in 2020.
Influenza hospitalizations were rare during this time and hospitalizations from COVID-19 did not have any clear association with monthly changes in SUID rates in the study.
These findings may indicate a connection between the risk of SUID and seasonal shifts in infections like RSV, but more research is needed to better understand this link.
“The findings underscore the importance of monitoring infant mortality during and after pandemics and obviously it puts big support for vaccinations and RSV prevention,” Brownstein said.
Currently, there are newer RSV shots available that doctors say are important to help prevent RSV and give babies the best protection against this virus that hospitalizes thousands of kids a year, mostly babies.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pregnant women get an RSV vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy to pass on antibody protection to newborns.
The CDC recommends an RSV antibody shot called nirsevimab for all babies less than 8 months old unless their mother received an RSV vaccine in pregnancy at least 2 weeks before birth.
While nirsevimab had supply constraints last year in its first season, Sanofi, the drug manufacturer, recently announced they have started shipping shots to doctors’ offices and anticipate having enough doses for all eligible babies in the US this RSV season.
Doctors say safe sleep is also important for SUID prevention. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants sleep alone, placed down on their back on a firm, flat surface, with nothing in the sleeping area other than a fitted sheet.
Scott Gummerson, MD, ScM, is an emergency medicine resident and member of the ABC Medical News Unit.
Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH is a physician board-certified in pediatrics and preventive medicine and a medical fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit.
(NEW YORK) — Updated COVID-19 vaccines will soon be rolled out ahead of the fall and winter season, but some Americans may not easily be able to access them.
In previous years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had a Bridge Access Program, a public-private partnership that provided free COVID-19 vaccines to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs.
As a result of federal funding cuts, however, the program is ending this month.
Americans who are covered by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance will still receive the updated vaccine at no cost. The 25 to 30 million adults who do not have insurance will have to pay out of pocket to get a shot.
“The timing is really unfortunate, because we don’t yet have the 2024-25 versions of the COVID shots generally available yet, so the Bridge program will end before those are available to uninsured individuals,” Dr. Nathaniel Hupert, an associate professor of population health sciences and of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, told ABC News.
The CDC has allocated $62 million in unused vaccine contract funding for state and local programs to buy COVID vaccines for uninsured and underinsured adults to help broaden access, but details remain scant.
“Yes, there were $62 million unspent funds, but state and local health departments have been depleted since the pandemic,” Dr. Rebecca Weintraub, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and director of Better Evidence at Ariadne Labs, told ABC News. “They don’t have cash reserves to start paying in advance for this type of expensive vaccine.”
Dr. Raynard Washington, public health director of Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, said purchasing enough updated COVID vaccines will be a challenge.
There about 100,000 residents between ages 19 and 64 in Mecklenburg County who are uninsured. There are not enough local resources to purchase an adequate supply of vaccines for all those adults, Washington said.
“Even if 10% of those adults wanted to receive a vaccine or needed to receive a vaccine, that still would be several hundred thousand dollars of cost that we would not be able to be able to carry,” he told ABC News.
Washington said there are still some COVID funds available that will help cover the administration costs. However, the county cannot shoulder all of the costs, he explained.
“We are planning to purchase a limited supply but, again, it won’t be sufficient,” Washington said.
Last year, Pfizer and Moderna indicated the commercial price per dose for its vaccine would be between $110 and $130. This year, prices could be just as much or even higher.
Experts say the current prices are a huge financial burden for many Americans and simply out of reach for many uninsured adults.
“People have to make a choice about whether or not they cover the cost of health care or other basic needs,” Washington said.
For children whose parents or guardians cannot afford vaccine coverage for them, there is the federally funded Vaccines for Children Program, which provides free access to vaccines.
The experts told ABC News there is a need to establish a Vaccine for Adults Program, similar to the federal program available for children. They also recommended a pharmacy discount program to help save on the cost of vaccines for low-income or uninsured residents.
Although the lack of no-cost vaccines will be a barrier, vaccines are among the most effective tools when it comes to protecting against severe illness or hospitalization from COVID, they added.
“It still is the No. 1 best tool we have to keep people safe, healthy and alive,” Washington said. “I would certainly encourage folks — particularly those adults, children and residents who are more medically vulnerable or have underlying health conditions — to make sure that they consider vaccination when the vaccines are available, hopefully in the next several days.”
(NEW YORK) — A man who was left paralyzed after diving into a swimming pool as a teenager was recently able to drive again for the first time, eight years after his injury.
Ryley Hopper, 27, got behind the wheel of a specially equipped van on Aug. 14, his first time driving since he was paralyzed from the chest down at the age of 19.
“It’s a very empowering, independent thing,” Hopper told ABC News’ Good Morning America, about reclaiming the freedom to drive again. “I wanted to want something … to find a purpose to attack head on.”
Hopper was a college freshman at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and enjoying a summer swim in his friend’s pool in 2016 when he flipped into the shallow end, hit the bottom and lost consciousness.
His friend, trained as a lifeguard, performed CPR on Hopper to keep him stable until the ambulance arrived.
The accident left Hopper with a life-altering C5-C7 spinal cord injury that resulted in paralysis from the chest down.
He spent nearly a month at Duke University Hospital, including four days in a medically induced coma, before being transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for two months of intensive inpatient rehabilitation.
“In the beginning, I was figuring out what the future would look like … my first goal was to get back to school,” said Hopper, who prioritized returning to UNCW the following fall semester to complete his undergraduate and graduate finance degrees.
With his mother as his caretaker and a supportive community behind him, a couple years after entering the workforce, Hopper said he was ready to “attack this driving thing … and be more in control of my life.”
“It took a while to reset my mindset,” he said, but “minutes after being in the car, the butterflies went away.”
Hopper attributes spending time outside as a factor in his post-injury progress, and for him, driving is an extension of that.
“A lot of healing is done indoors — in and out of physicians’ offices — and the natural world isn’t always accessible,” said Hopper, who said he aspires to one day create a space for people with disabilities to participate in accessible outdoor activities and reconnect with nature.
When setting spinal cord injury recovery milestones, Hopper also underscores the importance of mental health and striving for personal growth.
“I’ve been given a unique perspective because of my injury, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the struggle I’ve been through,” he said.
For others dealing with a spinal cord injury, Hopper reminded them to not forget to find the silver lining.
“Find peace and serenity,” he said. “Once you realize that you’re in a position that grants you a unique perspective on life … it’s a kind of superpower in itself.”
(NEW YORK) — A third death has been reported in connection to a multi-state outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections that has been linked to a Boar’s Head deli meat recall.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that since a previous update on July 31, nine more cases of listeria had been reported, including one new death in Virginia.
In total, there have been 43 illnesses leading to hospitalization.
The announcement also stated that the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ Division of Food Safety and Inspection “collected unopened Boar’s Head liverwurst products from retail stores and the New York State Food Laboratory identified Listeria monocytogenes” and that “[whole-genome sequencing] determined it to be the same strain as the strain making people sick in this outbreak.”
Boar’s Head previously expanded its original July 26 recall on several types of deli meats to include an additional 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that may be contaminated with listeria.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service initially announced that Boar’s Head Provisions Co. had recalled 71 products produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names.
The announcement was an expansion on a previous recall announcement amid an ongoing investigation by the CDC into an outbreak of listeria infections linked to meats sliced at delis that had sickened 34 people across 13 states.
ABC News’ Good Morning America has reached out to Boar’s Head for comment on the recall.
Details of Boar’s Head deli meat recall
The Virginia-based meat producer initially recalled approximately 207,528 pounds of products that were distributed to retail deli locations nationwide, including all liverwurst products and “additional deli meat products that were produced on the same line and on the same day as the liverwurst” that could be “adulterated with L. monocytogenes.”
Boar’s Head deli meat recalled product information
“On July 30, Boar’s Head expanded their July 26 recall to include all deli products, including prepackaged deli products, in shelf life from this establishment,” the CDC stated previously. “Look for “EST. 12612” or “P-12612″ inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.”
The items “include meat intended for slicing at retail delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations,” FSIS stated Wednesday. “These products have ‘sell by’ dates ranging from 29-JUL-2024 through 17-OCT-24.”
Click here for the full list of product details with item numbers, brand names and sell by dates.
The ready-to-eat liverwurst products were produced between June 11, 2024, and July 17, 2024, and have a 44-day shelf life.
Recalled liverwurst products include 3.5-pound loaves in plastic casing, or “various weight packages sliced in retail delis,” according to the FSIS, and are labeled “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA.”
The products, which the FSIS said were shipped to retailers, bear sell by dates ranging from July 25 to Aug. 30, 2024. Sell by dates are printed on the side of the packaging.
Additional ready-to-eat deli meats subject to recall
9.5-pound and 4.5-pound full product, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head VIRGINIA HAM OLD FASHIONED HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
4-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
6-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head EXTRA HOT ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
4-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
2.5-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BEEF SALAMI” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
5.5-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head STEAKHOUSE ROASTED BACON HEAT & EAT” with sell by date “AUG 15” on the product packaging.
3-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head GARLIC BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
3-pound, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BEEF BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
The recalled products bear establishment number “EST. 12612” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.
The above products were produced on June 27, 2024, according to Boar’s Head.
What prompted the Boar’s Head recall
According to the USDA, the problem was discovered when the FSIS “was notified that a sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for L. monocytogenes.”
“The Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak investigation of L. monocytogenes infections,” the agency stated previously. “Further testing is ongoing to determine if the product sample is related to the outbreak. Anyone concerned about illness should contact a healthcare provider.”
Details of listeria outbreak linked to deli meats
The FSIS is currently working with the CDC as well as state public health partners to investigate a multi-state outbreak of listeria infections linked to meats sliced at delis, USDA officials said.
According to the CDC, “All 43 people have been hospitalized and three deaths have now been reported, one from Illinois, one from New Jersey, and, as of this update, one from Virginia.”
As of Aug. 8, states involved in the outbreak included Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.
“Samples were collected from sick people from May 29, 2024, to July 12, 2024,” the USDA stated, adding that “the investigation is ongoing.”
In a notice published July 19, the CDC stated that many of those sickened in the outbreak had reported eating meat that they had sliced at deli counters.
“Investigators are collecting information to determine the specific products that may be contaminated,” the CDC stated.
“Listeria spreads easily among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food,” the agency added. “Refrigeration does not kill Listeria, but reheating to a high enough temperature before eating will kill any germs that may be on these meats.”
Symptoms, side effects of listeria
According to the CDC, listeria can cause severe illness “when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body” after a person consumes contaminated food. Those at higher risk include pregnant people, those aged 65 or older, or anyone who has a weakened immune system, the CDC says.
“If you are pregnant, it can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in your newborn,” the CDC states on its website. “Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.”
According to the CDC, anyone infected with listeria may experience “mild food poisoning symptoms” such as diarrhea or fever, and many recover without antibiotic treatment.
An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the CDC.
An earlier version of this story was originally published July 26, 2024.
