Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:58:17 GMT
By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
People struggling to get rid of recurrent staph infections might want to consider an often-overlooked source: the family pet. A German woman repeatedly battled the same strain of drug-resistant superbug MRSA until her cat was tested and treated. It's one of the few documented cases of transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus between a person and a cat.
The otherwise healthy woman had deep abscesses, or boils, all over her back, said Dr. Andreas Sing, a microbiologist at the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority in Oberschleissheim near Munich. Nasal and other swabs from her husband and two children showed they carried the MRSA germ on skin but had no signs of infection.
Antiseptic washes and antibiotic nasal ointment killed the germ in the other family members, but the woman was still infected. Four weeks after the apparently healthy cat was treated with antibiotics, the woman was free of MRSA and her abscesses had all healed, Sing wrote in a brief report in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.
"I think the woman infected the cat and the cat had it and might have reinfected the woman," Sing said in an interview.
Several previous cases of MRSA infections in dogs and their owners have been reported, as well as a cluster in pigs and farmers in the Netherlands, said Dr. Neil Fishman of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
He said the problem is more common in people with weak immune systems and urged people to regularly wash up after handling pets.
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On the Net: http://www.nejm.org
CDC MRSA site: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca_public.html
US syphilis up for seventh straight year
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:58:55 GMTBy LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer
CHICAGO - U.S. syphilis cases climbed for the seventh straight year in 2007, and increases in the disease among gay men and blacks largely contributed, government researchers reported Wednesday.
The trend can be partly blamed on too few gay men getting recommended annual screenings for syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, citing studies released at an STD conference in Chicago.
While the number of cases still is relatively low — 11,181 last year — the trend worries public health officials, who say better awareness and screening is needed.
About 60 percent of syphilis cases last year occurred in gay men, compared with just 5 percent in 1999, according to preliminary CDC data presented at the conference.
The main symptom is painless sores at the site where the syphilis bacteria entered the body. It is easily treated with antibiotics if caught early; if not, complications can include blindness and organ damage. Syphilis also increases susceptibility to AIDS infections, and can be fatal to infants who get it from infected mothers during pregnancy.
The data show the syphilis rate increased about 12 percent between 2006 and 2007, to about 3.7 cases per 100,000. That's a jump from 9,756 cases in 2006 to 11,181 last year, CDC researchers reported.
It's also a 76 percent increase since 2000, when the rate was 2.1 per 100,000.
Among black men, rates jumped 25 percent to almost 22 cases per 100,000. Among black women, there was a 12 percent increase, to about 5 cases per 100,000.
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On the Net:
CDC: http://www.cdc.gov
Documents feed debate on FEMA trailers
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 04:01:22 GMTBy MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press Writer
NEW ORLEANS - Federal officials issued trailers to Hurricane Katrina victims even though some workplace safety tests detected high levels of formaldehyde at government staging areas for the structures just weeks after the storm, a lawyer for hundreds of occupants said Wednesday.
Documents from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration raise new questions about how much federal officials knew about the units, which were sent to tens of thousands of displaced residents, said attorney Anthony Buzbee. But they don't say whether the tests in the weeks after the August 2005 storm were conducted inside or outside the trailers.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which issued the trailers, has been moving residents out for several months because of health complaints.
Recent tests on hundreds of FEMA trailers and mobile homes in Louisiana and Mississippi found formaldehyde levels about five times what people are exposed to in most modern homes, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last month.
At its peak, more than 143,000 trailers were in use by Katrina victims across the Gulf Coast. About 34,000 are still occupied.
Buzbee said he reviewed a 10-page summary of test results from air sampling at FEMA staging facilities in Mississippi that found formaldehyde levels exceeding maximums set for federal workplace safety. Buzbee said the documents show some tests were performed as early as Oct. 11, 2005, and as late as Jan. 17, 2006.
"This is astonishing," Buzbee said Wednesday in an interview. "How could they feign ignorance that this was an issue even before they sent these trailers to residents?"
It was unclear whether the tests were performed by OSHA or FEMA. Clyde Payne, OSHA area director, said he couldn't comment on the test results obtained by Buzbee.
FEMA spokesman James McIntyre wouldn't immediately comment on Buzbee's allegations, but he said formaldehyde tests at work sites are required under federal law.
"These are just safety tests for personnel," he said. "They were never designed for the occupants."
Formaldehyde, a preservative commonly used in construction materials, can cause respiratory problems and is believed to cause cancer.
FEMA lawyers had discouraged officials from investigating residents' health complaints because of liability concerns, according to documents released by a congressional panel in July 2007.
Buzbee wrote about the test results in a letter Wednesday to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and several members of Congress.
Adam Sharp, a spokesman for Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said the information provided by Buzbee will be fodder for a congressional panel's review of FEMA's response to formaldehyde concerns.
"One of the essential questions this investigation will answer is, 'What was the timeline?'" Sharp said. "How much of a lag existed between when FEMA became aware of the dangers ... and when did they first start notifying trailer occupants about the dangers?"
In testimony before a congressional panel last week, a CDC official said problems with formaldehyde in trailers date back to the 1980s.
Howard Frumkin, director of the CDC's National Center For Environmental Health, said the problem seemed to "recede" until FEMA used tens of thousands of travel trailers to shelter victims of the 2005 storm.
"FEMA has never denied that trailers have formaldehyde," McIntyre said. "We haven't tried to hide anything."
Hong Kong shuts schools in flu outbreak
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:55:05 GMTBy MIN LEE, Associated Press Writer
HONG KONG - Hong Kong ordered more than half a million primary and kindergarten students Wednesday to stay home for two weeks because of a flu outbreak in one of the world's most densely populated cities.
The government also asked one of the territory's top scientists to investigate the deaths of three children. But the World Health Organization said only two of the children tested positive for the flu, and both had other diseases as well. The WHO added Thursday that there was no sign that the situation in Hong Kong was different from a regular seasonal outbreak.
The outbreak has not been linked to bird flu, which was detected in birds in Hong Kong. Bird flu remains difficult for humans to catch, but scientists fear the virus that causes it could eventually mutate into a form that spreads easily among humans.
The government has ordered all kindergartens, primary and special education schools closed for two weeks starting Thursday, Health Secretary York Chow said.
But some students and their parents missed the late Wednesday announcement and went to school anyway.
At the Cho Yiu Catholic Primary School, nine students arrived early Thursday. School staff took their temperature and gave them masks. The students read picture books instead of attending class.
The schools had been expected to start their Easter Holiday in a little over a week, though the date varies with each school. Chow said bringing the holiday forward would help reduce cross infection among school children and calm public fears.
"When children are at school, it's very hard to keep them still and prevent them from contacting each other. They may not listen to orders and wear masks or wash their hands. This is an effective measure from an infectious disease standpoint," Chow said.
The closure will affect nearly 560,000 students at 1,745 schools, according to enrollment figures from the 2006-2007 academic year.
There was no sign so far of the major public panic that followed the outbreak of the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome that killed 299 in Hong Kong five years ago. Locals have not started wearing masks en masse as they did during SARS.
But Hospital Authority Chief Executive Shane Solomon said earlier the flu outbreak has strained hospitals, with nursing and support staff working an additional 15,000 hours in the past two weeks.
Since March 6, health officials have recorded nine flu outbreaks, mostly at schools, affecting 532 people in the territory of nearly 7 million.
Chow emphasized that there was no sign of "any significant change of the virus that makes it exceptionally more virulent than the usual flu virus."
The flu cases so far are scattered across the territory, which does not suggest the spread of an exceptionally virulent virus, P.L. Ho, a scientist at the University of Hong Kong's microbiology department, said in an interview with Cable TV.
He also said the illness might have been unusually severe in younger children because it was their first infection with certain flu viruses.
"We need to be careful but we don't need to panic," said Yuen Kwok-yung, who is heading a panel of scientists to study the recent child deaths. Yuen was one of the scientists who studied SARS after it surfaced in southern China in November 2002.
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said the first child who died tested negative for all types of influenza viruses. The second child tested positive for the flu but also suffered from an underlying metabolic disease. The third — a 7-year-old boy who died Tuesday — had both the flu and encephalitis.
Chow said authorities became concerned because five classmates of the 7-year-old boy have also been hospitalized. Officials have said that some of his classmates were suspected of suffering from the flu, and the government closed the school earlier this week.
The five classmates who were still hospitalized were in stable condition, Chow said.
Preschool Intervention Curbed Trend Toward Obesity
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:47:34 GMTWEDNESDAY, March 12 -- A preschool-based weight control intervention program instilled healthy eating habits in children aged 2 to 5, a new study shows.
The study, by researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, included children from ethnically diverse, low-income families who went to eight subsidized child-care centers in Miami Dade County. The children were assigned to either an intervention or a control group.
Those in the intervention group received a six-month home- and preschool-based obesity prevention program. The preschool part of the program included the following menu modifications and education:
- The menu promoted water as the primary beverage for children and staff; offered only skim or 1 percent milk; limited juices and other sweetened beverages; and included fruits and vegetables as snacks as often as possible.
- Teachers were educated weekly about how to incorporate lessons about nutrition and physical activity and how to better understand and overcome children's cognitive, cultural and environmental barriers to implementing a healthy low-fat, high-fiber diet.
The family part of the program, designed to reinforce what the children learned at day care, included: monthly parent dinners to educate parents about food labels, portion sizes and the food guide pyramid; newsletters that featured topics such as picky eaters, healthy cooking tips, healthy fast food choices, and recipes for healthy snacks; and at-home activities such as sampling different vegetables and various types of lower-fat milks.
When they compared the children in the study group to those in the control group, the researchers concluded that the program is an effective obesity prevention strategy.
"While 68.4 percent of children were at normal weight at the start of the study, this increased to 73 percent at follow-up. Also, the percentage of children who were at risk for overweight decreased from 16 percent to 12 percent," study senior author Sarah E. Messiah, a research assistant professor in the division of pediatric clinical research, said in a prepared statement.
Compared to children in the control group, those in the intervention program ate less junk food, more fruits and vegetables, and drank less juice and more 1 percent milk. On average in the intervention group: chip consumption decreased from daily to none; cookie consumption decreased 50 percent; children ate 25 percent more fresh fruits and vegetables; water consumption increased 20 percent while juice consumption decreased 50 percent; and children drank 20 percent more 1 percent milk.
"In the control sites, cake and cookie consumption actually increased 35 percent and 75 percent, respectively, while average fresh fruit and water consumption decreased," Messiah said.
"We are hoping that our study will impact policy around the country leading to healthier standards for meals served at child-care centers. If we are successful in improving attitudes toward nutrition and physical activity in early childhood, we can potentially influence adult behavior and begin to hope that the public health epidemic of obesity can be ended," she said.
The study was to be presented Wednesday at the American Heart Association's Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism, in Colorado Springs, Colo.
"Nobody would dispute that we are experiencing an epidemic of obesity in this country," study co-author Ruby Natale, an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics, said in a prepared statement. "Children as young as 7 years old are experiencing health consequences of being overweight, suggesting that intervention must occur as early as possible and involve the entire family."
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about overweight and obesity in children.
U.S. Syphilis Rate Grows for 7th Year in Row
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:47:29 GMTBy Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, March 12 -- For the seventh year in a row, rates of syphilis infection have increased in the United States, driven largely by cases among gay and bisexual men, according to a new federal report.
"CDC's preliminary 2007 data indicate that the rate of primary and secondary syphilis -- the earliest and most infectious stages of the disease -- increased by 12 percent between 2006 and 2007," Dr. Hillard Weinstock, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of STD Prevention, said during a Wednesday teleconference. Weinstock spoke at the CDC-sponsored 2008 National STD Prevention Conference in Chicago.
The number of reported cases of syphilis increased from 9,756 in 2006 to 11,181 in 2007, Weinstock said. "This is the seventh consecutive annual increase in national syphilis rates," he said.
Continuing with recent trends, 2007 statistics showed that men who have sex with men accounted for the majority of syphilis cases in the United States and contributed significantly to the overall increase in the disease among men, Weinstock said.
"The syphilis rate among men increased 14 percent from 2006. It was six times higher than the rate among women. Men who have sex with men comprised approximately 64 percent of reported syphilis cases in 2007," he said.
The increase in the syphilis rates among gay and bisexual men is a significant health concern, Weinstock said. "Syphilis, like other STDs [sexually transmitted diseases], can increase the likelihood of HIV transmission two- to five-fold. For individuals already infected with HIV, syphilis can increase viral load, which can accelerate HIV disease progression and the potential for HIV transmission," he said.
The CDC recommends that gay and bisexual men be tested for syphilis and other STDs at least once a year. However, several other studies presented at the meeting found that the rates of STD screening among gay and bisexual men remain low.
"A combination of strategies is needed to reduce the burden of STDs among men who have sex with men," Dr. John Douglas, director of CDC's Division of STD Prevention, said during the teleconference. "Recognizing that there is no simple solution to the complex factors driving risk and transmission among men who have sex with men, CDC is taking a variety of steps," he added.
The agency is working with doctors and other public health officials to promote recommendations for STD and HIV testing. The CDC is also looking to increase STD testing in places other than doctors' offices, such as bathhouses and other settings where gay and bisexual men meet, Douglas said.
Although the majority of new cases of syphilis are among gay and bisexual men, syphilis is also increasing among women and African-Americans, officials said.
"The syphilis rate among women increased between 2006 and 2007 for the third consecutive year after a decade of decline," Douglas said. "The rate of syphilis among women increased 10 percent from 2006."
And, syphilis rates increased last year among African-Americans for the fourth consecutive year after more than a decade of decline. The rate of syphilis among African-Americans increased 22 percent from 2006 to 2007, Weinstock said.
Although the rate of syphilis infections among whites and African-Americans is narrowing, there is still a disparity. "In 2007, the syphilis rate among African-Americans was seven times higher than among whites. This represents a substantial decline from 1999 when the syphilis rate among African-Americans was 29 times that of whites," Weinstock said.
This decline represents a drop in cases among African-Americans and an increase in infections among white gay and bisexual men, Weinstock noted.
Syphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. An estimated 36,000 cases of the disease were reported in the United States in 2006. The germ is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore, with sores mainly occurring on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum, according to the CDC.
Early stages of infection are easily cured with the antibiotic penicillin. Late stages of the disease can develop in about 15 percent of people who have not been treated. Untreated syphilis can eventually damage internal organs, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. The damage can be serious enough to cause death, according to the CDC.
More information
For more on STDs, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health Tip If Your Child is a Vegetarian
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:47:39 GMT-- If your child is a vegetarian, it's important to make sure that he or she eats a varied, balanced and healthy diet.
Here are some guidelines, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
- For children up to age 1, breast milk or a fortified, soy formula should be the primary source of nutrition.
- Do not limit dietary fat for children younger than age 2.
- Young children should drink plenty of milk or a fortified substitute to make sure they get enough calcium, protein, vitamin D and riboflavin.
- Give your child a vitamin B12 supplement if no animal products are eaten.
- Make sure your child gets plenty of iron from foods such as spinach, raisins, iron-fortified cereals and whole grains, prunes and prune juice.
