Category: Health Alert Network

Clinicians should be aware that in the current monkeypox outbreak in the U.S, clinical cases may not be recognized and tested because of uncharacteristic features compared to historical outbreaks and cases. No cases have been identified to date in Idaho.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a case of monkeypox in the United States infected with a West African strain of the virus...Idaho public health officials are asking clinicians to be vigilant to the characteristic rash associated with monkeypox.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Idaho public health agencies are issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify clinicians and public health authorities of a cluster of children identified with hepatitis and adenovirus infection in Alabama; no cases have been reported in Idaho to date.

Death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides) were recently identified for the first time in Idaho. The mushroom was found in Boise but may be present and undetected in other areas. The mushroom may be confused with edible mushrooms.

Updates include: Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab) is expected to be effective against Omicron, including the BA.2 subvariant; Sotrovimab is no longer authorized for use in Idaho; Oral antivirals are available throughout Idaho.

Central District Health continues to respond to a rise in syphilis infections in our communities. In the past six months, between Public Health Districts 3 and 4, more than 60 early syphilis infections (primary, secondary, and early latent) have been identified. This represents a significant increase compared to 32 infections during the same timeframe two years ago.

This message is to alert Idaho medical providers about the availability of oral antiviral medications to treat COVID-19. Two oral antiviral medications are now available. In late December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency use authorizations for two oral antivirals for the treatment of COVID-19. These two antivirals are Pfizer’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, co-packaged) and Merck’s molnupiravir.

There has been a rapidly changing situation with the arrival of the Omicron variant into Idaho, new information about lack of effectiveness of some currently utilized therapeutics against the Omicron variant, and the availability of new therapeutics. The local public health districts and Idaho Division of Public Health are coordinating with federal partners to ensure Idaho patients will have access to newly available therapeutics as they become available.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is anticipating an increase in influenza illness this winter, and both influenza A(H3N2) and B viruses are cocirculating in some parts of the country. While influenza activity is still low in Idaho and overall nationally, a recent increase of influenza A(H3N2) viruses has been detected primarily in young adults in outbreaks at colleges and universities in several states. As SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate in the United States, illnesses associated with both viruses might stress healthcare systems.

Treatment with monoclonal antibody therapies continues to be recommended for certain patients with COVID-19 who are at high-risk of progression to severe disease. Monoclonal antibodies that target the spike protein have been shown to have a clinical benefit in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection. Three anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody products currently have Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in non-hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who are at high risk for progressing to severe disease and/or hospitalization.