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March 6, 2025

Future Meetings

See all GHA meetings.

Resources

GHA Coronavirus Information

COVID-19 information and resources.

Ebola

The Department of Public Health (DPH) offers answers to your Ebola questions.

State Epidemiologist

24-hour access to a State Epidemiologist: 1-866-PUB-HLTH.

CDC Information

Visit www.cdc.gov to stay up to date on current information.

Disaster Mental Health

The Georgia Disaster Mental Health website addresses the mental health components of disasters.

Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) Visit to access behavioral health services.

SAMHSA: Preventing Suicide

Visit the suicide prevention resource page.

Georgia Project Firstline

Got infection control waste and water management questions? Wondering what items are required to be placed in biohazard bins? Curious about the infection preventionist’s role in water management? Connect with Georgia Project Firstline and get the answers. Infection Prevention and Control Education Experts (IPCEE) are providing education and free resources for Georgia’s infection preventionists.

CDC Says It’s on the Ground in Texas as Measles Outbreak Grows to 159 Cases

A measles outbreak in Texas has grown to 159 cases, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it is now on the ground there to respond. The agency posted on X that it’s partnering with the Texas Department of State Health Services. This partnership – known as an Epi-Aid – is a rapid response by CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) to tackle urgent public health issues like disease outbreaks. EIS officers provide local officials onsite support for 1-3 weeks, aiding in quick decision-making to control health threats.

Oncology Drugs Fast-Tracked by the FDA in February 2025

In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted fast track designations to key drugs for liver, colorectal, and ovarian cancers, among others. On Feb. 10, Tempest Therapeutics announced that the FDA granted fast track designation to amezalpat (TPST-1120), an oral, small-molecule, selective PPAR⍺ antagonist, for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Longer Breastfeeding Linked to Blood-Pressure Lowering Effects of Certain Infant Gut Bacteria

An observational study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that infants who had more diverse bacteria in their gut had lower childhood blood pressure, and this protective association was stronger if they were breastfed for at least six months. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. For the research, investigators reviewed data from 526 children enrolled in a prospective study in Denmark.

Omalizumab Treats Multi-Food Allergy Better than Oral Immunotherapy

A clinical trial has found that the medication omalizumab, marketed as Xolair, treated multi-food allergy more effectively than oral immunotherapy (OIT) in people with allergic reactions to very small amounts of common food allergens. OIT, the most common approach to treating food allergy in the United States, involves eating gradually increasing doses of a food allergen to reduce the allergic response to it.

New 4D Brain Map Reveals Potential Early Warning Signs of Multiple Sclerosis

Using an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have created a four-dimensional brain map that reveals how lesions similar to those seen in human MS form. These findings, published in Science, provide a window into the early disease state and could help identify potential targets for MS treatments and brain tissue repair.

One Source Nutrition, Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Vitality Capsules

One Source Nutrition is voluntarily recalling all lots of Vitality capsules to the Consumer level. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analysis has found the product to be tainted with sildenafil and tadalafil, which are ingredients in FDA approved products for treatment of male erectile dysfunction in the family of drugs known as phosphodiesterase (PDE-5) inhibitors. Products containing sildenafil and tadalafil cannot be marketed as dietary supplements.

Voluntary Recall of Wild Coast Raw Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula Raw Pet Food

Wild Coast LLC is recalling certain lots of its frozen Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula raw pet food for cats because it has the potential to be contaminated with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 also known as bird flu. H5N1 can be transmitted to animals eating contaminated product.

NEWSLETTERS

ASPR Health Care Readiness Bulletin - Feb. 24

ASPR HPH Sector Engagement Opportunities - Feb. 24

ASPR HPH Sector Highlights (Cybersecurity) - Feb. 28

Georgia Weekly Influenza Report - Week 8

MESH Weekly Situational Awareness Brief - Feb. 28

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - Mar. 6

News and Notes - Feb. 28

EDUCATION

Emergency Preparedness Systems Training:

Everbridge Training

GHC911 Training

EMAG Summit - Registration Now Open

Apr. 8-10

Governor's Hurricane Conference

May 11-16

National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference 2025

Dec. 1-3

National Hurricane Conference

Apr. 14-17

Preparedness Summit

Apr. 29-May 2

RESOURCES AND REMINDERS

Georgia Hurricane Response Hub

The Georgia Hurricane Response Hub has trainings and resources to help public health and health care professionals with their hurricane and disaster response duties.

Reminder: Identify, Isolate and Inform!

Identify, Isolate and Inform: It is important to continue to ask travel questions. The purpose of this notice is to remind healthcare providers about actions to take in Georgia when evaluating patients for possible serious communicable diseases!

Travel Clinical Assistant (TCA)

The Travel Clinical Assistant provides post-travel clinical information on travel-related diseases for 231 countries. Diseases with recent outbreaks occurring in the last two years are listed first.