MMWR News Synopsis Template

Missed Opportunities for Prevention of Congenital Syphilis — United States, 2018

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In 2018, half of U.S. newborn syphilis cases occurred due to gaps in testing and treatment during prenatal care. Congenital syphilis (CS) cases increased 261% from 2013 – 2018 (from 362 to 1,306 cases), according to CDC surveillance data. This report describes the most common missed opportunities for CS prevention. Inadequate treatment for mothers was most common (31% of CS cases), followed by a lack of timely prenatal care (28%). Of the 1,306 CS cases in 2018, nearly 9 in 10 occurred in the southern or western regions of the U.S. The most common missed opportunities differed by region: Inadequate maternal treatment was most common in the South (35% of cases), and a lack of timely prenatal care was most common in the West (41%). Regional differences underscore the importance of tailoring CS prevention solutions to the needs of affected communities and mothers.

Multistate Mumps Outbreak Originating from Asymptomatic Transmission at a Nebraska Wedding — Six States, August–October 2019

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In August 2019, a person who had been fully vaccinated against mumps contracted the illness and spread it to 30 other people who attended a Nebraska wedding, which led to a multistate outbreak that affected a total of 62 people. The majority of those people had also been fully vaccinated. Experts aren’t sure why some vaccinated people still get mumps; it could be that their immune system didn’t respond as well as it should have to the vaccine, or their immune system’s ability to fight the infection may have decreased over time. On August 26, 2019, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services was notified by a South Dakota hospital of three suspected mumps cases in patients who had attended a wedding in Nebraska on August 3. A guest list with approximately 325 attendees was obtained from the bride who identified 25 wedding attendees that she believed to be ill, including an attendee who developed symptoms less than 24 hours after the wedding. Mumps is most infectious just before and during onset of parotitis, and the timing of the event likely contributed to transmission among exposed attendees. In total, 62 cases were identified among attendees of the wedding and additional contacts in the ill attendees’ communities in six states. The patients’ average age was 35 years, and 41 of the 62 had received at least two doses of MMR vaccine. Mumps symptoms are milder and complications are less frequent in vaccinated people, and no serious mumps complications or hospitalizations were identified among those affected by this outbreak.

Mortality Among Persons with Both Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Aged ≥25 Years, by Industry and Occupation — United States, 1999–2016

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People over the age of 25 in certain industries and occupations have higher rates of death for asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap, suggesting the need for public health interventions in and out of the workplace. Several workplace exposures, including dusts, secondhand smoke, welding fumes, and isocyanates, can contribute to both asthma and COPD. By industry, for people between the ages of 25-64 years with asthma-COPD overlap, mortality was significantly elevated among non-paid workers and at-home people, and among male food, beverage, and tobacco products workers. By occupation, for people between the ages of 25-64 years with asthma-COPD overlap, mortality was significantly elevated among men and women who were unemployed, never worked, or were disabled workers, and among women bartenders. The association between asthma-COPD overlap mortality and non-working status among adults aged 25–64 years suggests that asthma-COPD overlap might be associated with substantial morbidity. Elevated asthma-COPD overlap mortality among workers in certain industries and occupations suggests targets for preventative public health interventions in and out of the workplace.

Evidence for Early Spread of COVID-19 Within the United States, January–February 2020 (Early release May 29, 2020)

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COVID-19 Monitoring and Response Among U.S. Air Force Basic Military Trainees — Texas, March–April (Early release June 2, 2020)

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• Prevalence of High Total Cholesterol Among Adults Aged ≥20 Years, by Age Group and Sex — National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2018

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.