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VIDEO: CDC traces unexplained bleeding outbreak to synthetic cannabinoids

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ATLANTA — In this video, Erin Moritz, PhD, MS, a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer assigned to the Illinois Department of Public Health, discusses an investigation of an acute outbreak of severe bleeding associated with synthetic cannabinoids in 2018.

“We actually used many of the same techniques to investigate this outbreak that are most often associated with infectious disease outbreaks,” Moritz says.

This included reporting new cases to public health authorities, working with the local public health agencies, implementing interventions to reduce the spread of the outbreak, and working with law enforcement.

“Clinicians should be aware that outbreaks can happen from unusual sources, but many of the same techniques that are used for these outbreaks — for infectious diseases outbreaks — are used to identify or investigate outbreaks from unusual sources,” Moritz says.

Disclosures: Moritz reports no relevant financial disclosures.