General

Updated SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Test Result Reporting Instructions Health Emergency Management - General May 18, 2023

Updated SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Test Result Reporting Instructions

Drug Shortage of Bicillin L-A® for the Treatment of Syphilis Health Emergency Management - General May 9, 2023

Both the CDC and FDA are reporting national shortages of Benzathine penicillin G (Bicillin L-A®) due to increased demand: FDA Drug Shortages and CDC - STD Treatment - Drug notices. The FDA anticipates the issue will be resolved by the fourth quarter of this year. There are no emergency stockpiles of this medication and existing supplies are very limited.

New Mexico Department of Health Marks the End of the 2022-2023 Influenza Season Health Emergency Management - General May 2, 2023

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is seeing low influenza activity statewide and considers the need for seasonal precautions for the prevention of influenza to be over. Moving forward, only occasional and isolated cases of influenza are likely to occur. However, with sporadic influenza activity, it is still possible to see rare summer-time outbreaks of influenza-like illness (ILI), and COVID-19 activity remains unpredictable. ILI is defined as fever of greater than 100° F and cough and/or sore throat in the absence of another known cause. An influenza outbreak is defined as one confirmed case of influenza (by PCR test) and any other cases of ILI in the same geographic location. Since flu circulation is likely to be low outside of the main respiratory season, any rapid positive influenza results should be confirmed by PCR before declaring an outbreak. Outbreaks should be reported to the on-call epidemiologist 24/7/365 at (505) 827-0006.

CDC and FDA Update COVID-19 Vaccine Schedule Health Emergency Management - General April 21, 2023

The CDC and FDA have streamlined COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, authorizing the use of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for all recommended doses. In addition, previously unvaccinated individuals ages 6 and older are now recommended to receive one dose of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, and people ages 65 and older and those with immune compromise can receive a second bivalent vaccine. The monovalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States.

Xylazine-related Overdose Warning Health Emergency Management - General April 7, 2023

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently issued an alert regarding overdose deaths in the US linked to Xylazine, a non-opioid central nervous system depressant. It is used as a sedative, anesthetic, muscle relaxant, and analgesic in veterinary medicine and has not been approved for use in humans. Xylazine is usually mixed with other illicit drugs, like fentanyl, because it causes the effects of opioids to last longer. In New Mexico, six xylazine-involved deaths were reported in the last five years. Xylazine is an unscheduled drug that is easily accessed, so its presence in the illicit drug supply may increase over time, due to its low cost. Reports indicate that xylazine, alone or in combination with other drugs, is administered by injecting, snorting, swallowing, or inhaling it.

Ongoing Drug-Resistant Shigella Infections in Albuquerque Area Health Emergency Management - General February 28, 2023

Ongoing Drug-Resistant Shigella Infections in Albuquerque Area

Ezri Care Artificial Tears Recall Health Emergency Management - General February 6, 2023

Ezri Care Artificial Tears Recall

Clusters of Carbapenem Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Eye Infections In Multiple States Health Emergency Management - General January 11, 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating multiple reports of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) eye infections, which may have a common source. A total of 13 cases of CRPA eye infections from four states (including 11 cases associated with 2 clusters in 2 states) have been reported to CDC; specimen collection dates range from May 17 to December 13, 2022. Among the 11 patients for which information is available, infection types included keratitis and endophthalmitis.

NMHAN CDC Advisory: Prioritize Antivirals for Influenza Health Emergency Management - General December 22, 2022

NMHAN CDC Advisory: Prioritize Antivirals for Influenza

Drug Shortage Alert- Pediatric Antipyretics and Amoxicilin Health Emergency Management - General December 20, 2022

Drug Shortage Alert- Pediatric Antipyretics and Amoxicilin

CDC and FDA Authorize COVID19 Bivalent Vaccine for Youngest Children - 12/12/2022 Health Emergency Management - General December 13, 2022

CDC and FDA Authorize COVID19 Bivalent Vaccine for Youngest Children

COVID-19 Therapeutics Update: Bebtelovimab & Evusheld Pause - 11/18/2022 Health Emergency Management - General November 21, 2022

COVID-19 Therapeutics Update: Bebtelovimab & Evusheld Pause

Increased Respiratory Activity - 2022-23 Season Health Emergency Management - General November 14, 2022

Increased Respiratory Activity - 2022-23 Season

Congenital Syphilis - 10/05/2022 Health Emergency Management - General October 14, 2022

Congenital Syphilis - 10/05/2022

First confirmed Candida auriscase in NM - 10/05/2022 Health Emergency Management - General October 14, 2022

First confirmed Candida auriscase in NM - 10/05/2022

Adverse Child Experiences in New Mexico 10-11-2022 Health Emergency Management - General October 13, 2022

Adverse Child Experiences in New Mexico

Outbreak of Ebola virus disease (Sudan ebolavirus) in Central Uganda - 10/06/2022 Health Emergency Management - General October 7, 2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory about a recently confirmed outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Uganda caused by Sudan virus (species Sudan ebolavirus) to summarize CDC’s recommendations for U.S. public health departments and clinicians, case identification and testing, and clinical laboratory biosafety considerations.

UNM Capacity- 09/16/2022 Health Emergency Management - General October 4, 2022

UNM Capacity - 09/16/2022

Acute Flaccid Myelitis and Polio - 09/16/2022 Health Emergency Management - General September 16, 2022

As of the end of August 2022, national sentinel surveillance sites for respiratory pathogens are reporting increases in pediatric hospitalizations of patients with severe respiratory illness who also tested positive for rhinovirus (RV) and/or enterovirus (EV).

RV-EV Respiratory Illness Health Emergency Management - General September 16, 2022

RV-EV Respiratory Illness