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May 1, 2025

Hospital Net Reminder

This month's Georgia Hospital Net will be conducted on Sunday, May 4. All operators are encouraged to participate.

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.

The Costs of Responding to Tropical Storm Helene in North Carolina

Debris removal, restoration of utilities, emergency repairs to public bridges and water systems, overtime costs for emergency personnel, evacuation support, and transportation of supplies for the public. These are some of the costs the state of North Carolina and communities in Western North Carolina experienced for emergency response to Tropical Storm Helene, according to a press release from FEMA on April 22.

Increases in Vaccine-Preventable Disease Outbreaks Threaten Years of Progress

Immunization efforts are under growing threat as misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises and funding cuts jeopardize progress and leave millions of children, adolescents and adults at risk, warns the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and Gavi during World Immunization Week, April 24-30.

CDC Provides Update on Measles Outbreak in the United States

Eight hundred cases of measles were reported in the United States as of April 17, 2025, representing the second highest annual case count in 25 years, according to research published in the April 24 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The researchers found that 800 cases had been reported in the United States as of April 17, 2025; 82% of cases in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas have been associated with the ongoing outbreak.

GOARN Marks 25 Years of Advancing Global Health Emergency Preparedness and Response

The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), an initiative coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), marked its 25th anniversary on April 28. Since its inception in April 2000, the network has been at the forefront of the global fight against health emergencies. By leveraging the expertise of global partners – facilitating alerts, deploying rapid support capacities, and strengthening capacities – it has significantly enhanced country-level operations and strengthened regional development, playing a critical role in health preparedness and response.

NIH Study Reveals How Inflammation Makes Touch Painful

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have discovered clues as to how our bodies turn sensations such as heat and touch into signals sent to the brain and how these signals can be altered by inflammation to drive pain. The research focuses on the nerve cells in the skin that help us detect the location, intensity, and emotional quality of touch, known as somatosensory neurons. By combining advanced imaging techniques with detailed molecular analysis, the researchers explored how heat and touch activate different types of receptor cells in mice.

Amneal Pharmaceutical LLC Issues a Nationwide Recall of Ropivacaine Hydrochloride Injection

Amneal Pharmaceutical LLC is recalling two lots of Ropivacaine Hydrochloride Injection, USP, 500mg/100mL, Infusion bags to the hospital/user level as the products may contain an inert fiber identified as polypropylene fibers from the IV bag. To date, Amneal Pharmaceuticals has received no reports of adverse events or injuries related to this recall. The recalled product was distributed nationwide to wholesalers/distributors between the dates of April 23, 2024 to Nov. 8, 2024 only.

Cronus Pharma LLC Initiating Voluntary Recall for Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride Injection

Cronus Pharma LLC is issuing a voluntary recall involving one batch comprising two distinct lots: Dexased™ (Aspen) and Dexmedvet™ (Cronus Pharma LLC). Both products contain Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride Injection 0.5 mg/mL, which is a prescription product in the United States used as a sedative and analgesic in dogs and cats to facilitate clinical examinations, clinical procedures, minor surgical procedures, and minor dental procedures.

NEWSLETTERS

ASPR Health Care Readiness Bulletin - April 28

ASPR HPH Sector Engagement Opportunities - April 28

ASPR HPH Sector Highlights (Cybersecurity) - April 25

ASPR HPH Sector Highlights (Healthcare Supply Chain) - April 25

Georgia Weekly Influenza Report - Week 16

MESH Weekly Situational Awareness Brief - April 25

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - May 1

News and Notes - April 25

The ADA Informer - April 2025

EDUCATION

Emergency Preparedness Systems Training:

Everbridge Training

GHC911 Training

Active Shooter Preparedness Webinar

May 8

Governor's Hurricane Conference

May 11-16

National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference

Dec. 1-3

Rail Car Incident Response for Crude, Ethanol, and Other Flammable Liquids Training (Register by June 7)

June 21

RESOURCES AND REMINDERS

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.

Violent Actors and Cyber Criminals Threaten Emergency Services Sector

The Office of Intelligence and Analysis sent an assessment of threats to the Emergency Services Sector— police, firefighters, and other first responders— from violent extremists, other physical threat actors, or malicious cyber actors.