Latest news with #NatashaBagdasarian
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
State officials warn about the dangers of tick-bites
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)—With tick-borne diseases on the rise, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services () is encouraging people to be aware when they are outdoors. The MDHHS reports that the cases of these diseases, such as disease and , are increasing across the state. Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne disease in the state. Cases have increased by 168% over the last five years. The state recorded 1,215 cases in 2024, compared to 452 cases in 2020. Anaplasmosis, caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is the second most common tick-borne disease. Cases have increased by nearly five times in the last five years, with 82 cases in 2024 compared to 17 in 2020. The disease is particularly common in northern parts of Michigan. MDHHS says both diseases are transmitted by Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the blacklegged or deer tick. Symptoms usually arise one to two weeks after a bite, often after being in wooded or brushy areas where ticks commonly live. Early symptoms may include fever, chills, rash, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. Early treatment with antibiotics can decrease the risk of serious complications. 'Preventing tick bites is the best way to prevent tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease and anaplasmosis,' said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan, in a news release sent to 6 News. 'If you find a tick attached to your body, promptly remove it. Monitor your health, and if you experience fever, rash, muscle or joint aches, or other symptoms, or if you suspect a tick has been attached for more than 24 hours, consult with your medical provider,' added Bagdasarian. Avoid tick-infested areas As ticks live in grassy, brushy, and wooded areas, individuals should walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush, and leaf litter at trail edges Keep an eye on your pets Dogs and cats can encounter ticks outdoors and bring them into the home. Talk with your veterinarian about the best tick prevention products. Use insect repellent Apply an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin. Find a repellent product that is right for you. Treat clothes (especially pants, socks, and shoes) with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact, or buy clothes that are pre-treated. Do not use permethrin directly on skin. Always follow the manufacturer`s instructions when applying repellents. Perform daily tick checks Always check for ticks on yourself and your animals after being outdoors, including in your yard. Inspect all body surfaces carefully and remove attached ticks carefully with tweezers. To remove a tick, grasp the tick firmly and as closely to the skin as possible. With steady, even pressure, pull the tick`s body upward and away from the skin. Cleanse the area with an antiseptic. Be sure to bathe and shower Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks. Wash clothing in hot water and dry on high heat to kill ticks in clothing. If you need help identifying a tick, you can email photos of it to for identification free of charge. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Epoch Times
06-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Measles Cases in US Surpass 900, CDC Reports
There have been 935 confirmed measles cases reported in the United States this year as of May 1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The confirmed measles cases were There have been 12 outbreaks—defined as 3 or more related cases—reported this year so far, the CDC said. The cases are part of ongoing measles outbreaks in North America, with over 2,500 cases reported across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The current measles wave first appeared in Ontario, Canada, last fall before spreading to the United States, where cases were identified in Texas and New Mexico in late January. By mid-February, the virus had reached Mexico's Chihuahua state. 'Diseases know no borders,' said Dr. Hector Ocaranza, El Paso's top public health official. 'So as people are mobile, they're going to be coming and receiving medical attention in El Paso but they may be living in Juarez.' Related Stories 4/20/2025 4/16/2025 The virus's cross-border spread is especially evident in border communities. El Paso, Texas, has reported 38 cases, the highest count in Texas outside of West Texas. Neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico has confirmed 14 cases as of April 29. In Canada, Ontario has reported 1,020 cases through April 23. Mexico's Chihuahua state has documented 786 cases as of April 30, according to state health ministries. Health officials have identified certain Mennonite Christian communities as key factors in the cross-border transmission. Chihuahua health officials traced their first case to an 8-year-old Mennonite child who visited family in Seminole, Texas, became ill, and then spread the virus at school. Outbreaks Expand The outbreak has expanded beyond initial hotspots, with active outbreaks now occurring in 12 states. These include Texas, New Mexico, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Michigan's outbreak of four cases in Montcalm County has been directly linked to the Ontario outbreak, according to Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state's chief medical executive. 'If we think about measles as a forest fire, we've got these burning embers that are floating in the air right now. Whether those embers result in another wildfire just depends on where they land,' Bagdasarian said. According to the CDC, 93 percent of confirmed U.S. cases in 2025 are outbreak-associated. There have been 12 outbreaks reported so far this year, compared to 16 in 2024. Of the 935 U.S. cases in 2025, 30 percent are under 5 years old, 38 percent are ages 5-19, 30 percent are 20 or older, and 1 percent are of unknown age. Thirteen percent of all cases (121 of 935) have required hospitalization. The highest hospitalization rate is among children under 5 years old (23 percent). There have been three confirmed deaths from measles in the United States this year and one death in Mexico. Health departments are working across borders to address the outbreaks. In El Paso, officials are conducting vaccination clinics in community spaces like malls and parks, offering free vaccines regardless of which side of the border residents live on. Each measles case in the United States costs an estimated $30,000 to $50,000 to investigate and address. Vaccination Status According to the CDC, 96 percent of U.S. cases are among people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. Two percent of cases had received one dose of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine, and another 2 percent had received two doses. Public health experts have said that maintaining a 95 percent vaccination rate is necessary for preventing measles outbreaks. 'Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world,' Dr. Jarbas Barbosa said during a press briefing held last week ahead of Vaccination Week in the Americas. 'Yet countries have struggled to sustain the recommended 95 percent coverage of MMR vaccine, which leaves us susceptible to imported cases.' The Associated Press contributed to this report. From
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Michigan health officials miss crucial notification window for most 2025 measles cases
When measles cases pop up, notifying the public quickly of exposure sites is critical. That's because people without immunity to measles — those who are unvaccinated or immunocompromised — can be treated with post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent the most severe complications of infection, but only if the treatment can be given fast enough, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A single dose of the measles, mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine can be administered within three days of exposure to protect a person from severe illness. If the three-day window is missed or if a person can't have the MMR vaccine, a treatment called immunoglobulin also can be given within six days of exposure. Once that six-day window has passed, however, the only thing people can do is monitor for measles symptoms for 21 days and report them to public health officials if they appear. In just three of Michigan's nine confirmed measles cases in 2025 — identified April 2 in Kent County, March 14 in Oakland County and April 14 in Ingham County — public announcements were made within six days, in time for immunoglobulin to be an option for people who were exposed, according to a Detroit Free Press review of state and local health department data. In five of the nine measles cases reported in Michigan this year — four in Montcalm County and one in Macomb County — there was no public notification of exposure sites. The remaining case — involving a second 1-year-old child in Ingham County — the public announcement came too late for post-exposure prophylaxis to be given to those who were exposed. The U.S. is on track for the worst year for measles in decades, said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical executive, as 884 cases have been confirmed in 29 states, including nine in Michigan, as of April 24. 'The epidemiology of measles in our country is changing before our eyes,' she said, noting that vaccination rates have steadily fallen since 2000, making more people vulnerable to the highly contagious virus. As many as 20% of children who contract measles go on to be hospitalized. Some people develop neurologic complications like encephalitis or swelling around the brain, and can have lifelong problems as a result, including hearing loss or seizure disorders. Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said several factors can delay the identification of measles infections and public notification of exposure sites. "Measles cases are often unique and circumstances under which we get reporting varies for each case," she said. 'It's often difficult to get people within an appropriate PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) window, particularly within 72 hours of symptom onset." Since measles symptoms typically present first with runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and fever, people can spread the virus before they know they have it and can confuse measles with a respiratory infection. A person with measles is contagious for up to four days before the telltale rash begins, according to the CDC. "There might not be suspicion of measles until the rash develops," Sutfin said. "This means that public communications indicating a small window for (post-exposure prophylaxis) do not necessarily imply delays in testing or diagnosis. Instead, they may reflect that the individual's exposure occurred earlier in the infectious period, which is common given the subtlety of early measles symptoms.' Once measles is suspected, the state Bureau of Laboratories typically is able to turn around a test result within three days, said Liana Stebbins, a spokesperson for MDHHS. Two of those days often are tied up in shipping the sample to the lab. And sometimes, that timeline can be slowed. Among the reasons, Sutfin said: Problems with testing. Specimens might not have been initially collected appropriately or weren't of sufficient quality. Shipping delays of the specimens to the Bureau of Laboratories. Health care providers sometimes send specimens to commercial labs, which can have longer turnaround times than the state lab in returning test results. Delays in notification to public health from a health care provider. The details that are provided when measles cases are publicly announced can vary widely. One of Michigan's measles cases this year — confirmed April 18 in Montcalm County — was not publicly announced at all. For other cases, scant information has been released to the public. And for yet another subset of cases, a robust list of exposure sites, and specifics about vaccination status, age and sex of the people infected was disclosed. The Ingham County Health Department, for example, detailed that both of its confirmed measles cases this year involved 1-year-old children — a boy and a girl — who each had gotten one dose of the MMR vaccine. It also provided a list of potential measles exposure sites. But the department did not include as an exposure site the preschool where the first infected child in Ingham County attended classes. That's because the school's leaders were "very cooperative in terms of giving us a list of the students in the school, the staff, the people who have been there," said Dr. Nike Shoyinka, the county's medical health officer. Shoyinka said health department nurses were confident they were able to reach out directly to the all of the people who were exposed. "We have the information that we need already," she said. More: What are the symptoms of measles? And other answers to common questions. More: Montcalm County has Michigan's first measles outbreak of 2025 And when the state's first outbreak since 2019 was identified April 16 in Montcalm County, neither the Mid-Michigan District Health Department nor MDHHS issued any kind of public announcement right away. Instead, notification went out to health care providers via email. The following day, the Free Press confirmed the outbreak and published a story. Soon after, a public release was issued to news organizations. No details were provided about public exposure sites, the sex or ages of any of the four people from Montcalm County who were infected as part of the outbreak. Their vaccination status also was not released. Those details were excluded from a Macomb County measles case announced April 4 as well. What was disclosed, however, was that the Montcalm County outbreak and the individual Macomb County case all had been traced to travel to Ontario, Canada. Nearly 1,000 measles cases in Ontario have been linked to a Mennonite wedding in New Brunswick province, the CBC reported. Bagdasarian did not answer a question from the Free Press about whether those Michigan cases also were among members of the Mennonite, Amish or Anabaptist communities. Instead, she said: "When we're dealing with such small numbers, it's really important that we are maintaining people's confidentiality in public health. It's so important that people want to work with us, that they feel comfortable sharing their personal information with us. ... "For each of these cases, the local health departments in both of those jurisdictions are hard at work doing contact tracing, making sure that they're doing in-depth interviews with anyone involved in those cases to see where exposures could have happened. So when we say we don't think that there are public exposures that we need to announce, that means after in-depth interviews and conversations, we don't think that there is information that we need to share with the public. "For folks who think we're trying to hide anything, we are just trying to protect our communities, protect our relationships, make sure nobody feels intimidated, discriminated against, threatened." Bagdasarian said there isn't always a need to inform the public of measles infections. "If there was an exposure that impacts the larger public, and we need to notify people that that an exposure happened here or Detroit Metro Airport, or a grocery store, or wherever ... that is our duty to inform, and we will inform," she said. It is pivotal, Bagdasarian said, to ensure people take the measles seriously, and consider getting immunized to protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus. "This is not a mild childhood rash we're talking about," she said. Without immunity, 90% of people who are exposed to measles will get infected. "We also know that pregnant women who contract measles can undergo stillbirth or miscarriage," Bagdasarian said. A measles infection is like a hit to the immune system, she said, making people more likely to develop secondary infections such as pneumonia. So far this year, three people have died from measles in the U.S. "People don't really think about measles as being something that can have long term complications, but it absolutely can," Bagdasarian said. The best way to prevent measles is to get vaccinated, said Ryan Malosh, director of the division of immunizations for MDHHS. Of the U.S. cases so far this year, 97% have been among people who were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, according to the CDC. Although two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective in preventing measles, immunization rates in Michigan have continually fallen since 2020, Malosh said. About 79% of Michigan children ages 19-35 months old have been vaccinated for measles, he said, compared with 85% five years ago. "We've seen a pretty substantial decline in vaccination coverage, and particularly for measles, what we know is in order to protect communities from outbreaks of measles, you need to have vaccine coverage of about 95%," Malosh said. "So, we are well below that number now in Michigan." Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@ Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Health leaders miss crucial window for most Michigan measles cases
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
State task force releases gun violence recommendations
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A new list of recommendations from the Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force suggests ways to reduce gun violence and gun-related deaths and injuries statewide. The task force was created last year to find the root causes of gun violence, study the data, figure out how to efficiently use resources that already exist and recommend new policies to help combat gun violence. On Tuesday, it so far. 'Gun violence is the leading cause of death in children across the country and, as such, we must address it as a public health issue,' wrote Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive and chair of the task force, in a news release. Violent crime in Kalamazoo dropped from 2023 to 2024, police say in new report The task force looked at all kinds of issues relating to firearms, including suicide, domestic and community violence, school safety, safe storage and background checks. It made recommendations for addressing each one. Recommendations included developing funding and a workgroup to implement the strategies, improving access to safe storage options outside the home for families with someone in crisis and building a group to share ideas to support gun violence prevention leaders. The task force also set out to standardize the definition of a school resource officer with training and education, as well as to standardize the court processes, law enforcement and protocols surrounding Extreme Risk Protection Orders. Many of the recommendations explored how to implement existing legislation, especially related to the domestic violence firearm possession ban, safe firearm storage and background checks. You can view the released by the Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task force online. Over the next six months, the task force along with its subcommittees and expert stakeholders will use the recommendations to make a plan of how to best put them into action, according to the state. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
MDHHS: Only 57% of young children are up to date on vaccines
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is highlighting some notable statistics to urge parents to get their children caught up during National Infant Immunization Week. Kent County records first measles case in 12 years According to the , immunization efforts across the world have saved an estimated 154 million lives over the last 50 years — the vast majority of those being infants. 'With ongoing measles outbreaks nationwide and cases rising in Michigan, it is crucial now more than ever to ensure Michigan residents — particularly children — are up to date on all recommended immunizations,' the MDHHS . As of Monday, Michigan has eight confirmed measles cases and four cases caused by local exposures. As of last week, 800 cases have been confirmed nationwide since the start of the year. Measles is one of the world's most contagious diseases and killed an estimated 2.6 million people each year before a measles vaccine, widely considered safe and cost-effective, was introduced in 1963. CDC: More than 700 measles cases reported nationwide The current measles vaccine, commonly referred to as the MMR vaccine because it is combined with medicines to also prevent mumps and rubella, is given in two doses. The recommends the first dose be given when a child is between 12 to 15 months old and the second when they are 4 to 6 years old. People who have received both doses of the MMR vaccine are considered 97% protected from the virus. Vaccinated people who do contract an infection typically experience a 'much milder illness' and are much less likely to spread the virus. Despite the availability of a vaccine, an estimated 107,500 people died from measles in 2023. While the vast majority of those deaths occurred outside of the United States, measles cases are on the uptick in the U.S. primarily due to lagging immunization rates. After Texas measles death, West Michigan doctors encourage vaccination Data from the shows, as of the start of the year, only 57% of children between the ages of 19-35 months are up to date with all recommended vaccines. 'Vaccines are one of the most effective tools we have to keep children healthy and communities safe,' MDHHS Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian said in a statement. 'With diseases like measles on the rise across the country, staying on schedule with childhood immunizations is more important than ever. I urge all parents to connect with their child's health care provider, pharmacy or local health department to make sure their child is protected on time, every time.' Parents can find more information on available vaccines through the MDHHS . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
