This message from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection is being forwarded by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure widest visibility.

Maine will experience extremely hot and humid weather this week. The Maine CDC would like to remind health care providers, caregivers, and public health professionals to identify those in their care at increased risk and advise them to take precautions to prevent heat illness.

In the greater Bangor area, Penobscot County, Maine, physicians have reported 4 confirmed cases of legionellosis from July 1, 2021 to July 31, 2021, 3 of which required intubation. Cases range in age from 38 to 67 years old. Maine CDC has not identified a common exposure among cases.

Maine CDC is seeing a rise in the number of reported cases of varicella (chickenpox). Varicella is a notifiable condition in Maine, and all confirmed or suspect cases of varicella should be reported to Maine CDC.

The number of reported cases of varicella decreased in 2020, likely due to reduced person-to-person transmission because of COVID-19 restrictions. Since January 1, 2021, Maine has identified 46 cases of varicella from all 16 counties (data as of 07/29/2021), including two outbreaks in child care facilities.

On July 1, 2021, Maine CDC issued a revised Standing Order ("Order") that authorizes health care providers or other trained personnel at a health care facility or medically supervised COVID collection site (collection site) in the state to collect and submit specimens of SARS-CoV-2 for molecular or antigen-based testing.

The purpose of this health advisory is to alert clinicians to the potential for human arboviral disease activity in Maine and to consider testing for arboviruses in patients presenting with unexplained encephalitis, meningitis or high fever (100.4F or 38C) during the summer and fall.

Maine CDC identified a human case of Powassan encephalitis in a Maine resident who resides in midcoastal Maine. The individual was symptomatic in late June and hospitalized. CDC Fort Collins confirmed the Powassan result in this individual by neutralization testing.

On Monday, June 28, 2021, the hours of operation for the clinical microbiology section at the Maine CDC Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL) will shift to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. As a result, HETL will not conduct COVID-19 PCR testing on Saturday or Sunday.

[This message from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection is being forwarded by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure widest visibility.]

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) has identified a case of acute hepatitis A virus infection in an Eastport, Maine, food service worker. The individual handled food in the deli at the R&M IGA at 88 Washington Street in Eastport, Maine, while infectious on the following dates in 2021: May 3-6, May 8, May 10-13, May 15, and May 18-20. Deli food items purchased on May 3-22 should be discarded or cooked thoroughly.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is aware of reports of myocarditis and pericarditis after receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine. The reports appear to be rare, given the number of vaccine doses administered to date. U.S. CDC is investigating whether there is any causal association or an increase of such events relative to the background rates.