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Healthcare Professionals Newsletter
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💪 Get Ready for Flu 💪
September 17 is Get Ready for Flu Day! VDH is reminding people to talk to a healthcare provider about getting their yearly flu vaccine and be aware of other steps they can take to prevent the flu.
Consider posting VDH’s flu prevention flyer in waiting rooms and exam rooms. It is available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukranian, and Vietnamese. View the full toolkit below.
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 📣 Parvovirus B19 Activity
Children return to school across the state in August and September. Parvovirus B19 infections are most common among those with a household or school-related exposure. Parvovirus B19 infection can lead to adverse health outcomes for higher risk groups.
Due to an increase in cases in the U.S., healthcare providers should:
✅ Consider possible parvovirus B19 infection among people presenting with compatible symptoms.
✅ Have a low threshold to test people who are at higher risk for serious health complications and show compatible signs and symptoms.
✅ Inform patients when they can return to work or school after an infection.
📣 Mpox Update
On August 6, 2024, CDC issued an update on the outbreak of clade I monkeypox virus (MPXV) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Clade I cases continue to be reported in countries bordering DRC.
Other updates include:
✅ On August 14, 2024, WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern as a result of this outbreak and spread to neighboring countries,
✅ On August 15, 2024, the Public Health Agency of Sweden reported the first case of Clade I MPXV infection outside of Africa.
CDC recommends clinicians in the United States maintain a heightened level of suspicion for mpox in patients who present with signs and symptoms consistent with mpox who have recently been in DRC or any country sharing a border with DRC.
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💡School Nurses Receive Training to Use Newly Created Mental Health Toolkit
School health staff across the Commonwealth will add the Mental Health Toolkit as a trusted resource to assist in supporting students during the 2024-2025 school year. The toolkit, believed to be the first of its kind in the country, will enable school nurses to better support students' mental health needs by providing immediate assistance for students seeking mental-health-related support at school.
The Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Department of Education, Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (VA-AAP), the REACH Institute, and registered school nurses, developed the Mental Health Toolkit. It is a comprehensive resource of vetted techniques, strategies, and community partnerships to support school nurses in administering mental health first aid. School nurses received training on how to use the toolkit during the Summer Institute for School Nursing (SISN) Conference.
Follow this page for updates on this new resource.
💡 Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) Update
Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is an uncommon but serious neurologic condition. Most AFM cases have been in young children. The most common symptoms of AFM are sudden onset of arm or leg weakness, loss of muscle tone, and loss of reflexes.
- Clinicians should consider AFM in patients with flaccid limb weakness, especially during late summer or early fall when AFM cases tend to increase.
- Rapid specimen collection increases the chance of pathogen detection. CSF, respiratory (NP/OP), serum, and stool specimens should be sent to CDC for testing. Coordinate testing with your local health department.
💡 School Health Forms
VDH offers fillable forms for healthcare providers and families. These include school entrance health forms and emergency action plans. The school entrance health form is available in several languages.
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🗓️ APIC Virginia Educational Conference
The conference agenda focuses on strengthening infection preventionist knowledge and fostering collaboration across disciplines. Individuals or teams are encouraged to submit a poster to share their education programs, performance improvement projects, and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives (due by September 12).
Registration closes September 16 at noon.
The conference will be held in Richmond.
🗓️ Think Sink: Reducing the Risk from Plumbing to Patients
Please join VDH, APIC Virginia, and VHHA for an educational opportunity on Friday, September 6, from 12-1pm.
The webinar will be presented by subject matter expert Dr. Danielle Rankin, the Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This training will
- Provide an overview of antimicrobial-resistant threats in healthcare facilities and the public health response
- Review wastewater premise plumbing
- Discuss outbreaks associated with a wastewater premise plumbing reservoir
- Prepare attendees to assess sink hygiene for carbapenemase-producing organism investigations
- Provide infection prevention and control resources related to water in healthcare facilities
Join the Meeting
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