2007年11月20日星期二
Plague Suspected In Death Of Man In Arizona
Eric York, a 37 year old wildlife biologist who worked at the Grand Canyon National Park who was found dead at his home on the South Rim of the Canyon in Arizona on November 2nd, probably died of the plague caught while carrying out an autopsy on a mountain lion that had probably died of the disease a week earlier.Plague, due to the bacterium Yersinia pestis, was confirmed as the likely cause of death following preliminary laboratory tests at the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).York had been treated at a local clinic for flu like symptoms that started three days after he did the autopsy, but nothing more serious than that was diagnosed at the time. When he was found dead health officials suspected either plague or hantavirus that causes a type of hemorrhagic fever, and immediately tracked down 49 people who had been in recent contact with him so they could have aggressive antibiotic treatment. None of them has become ill.Plague is primarily a disease of animals and rarely infects humans, who can catch it from being bitten by rodent fleas or, as is suspected in the case of York, from direct contact with infected animals. York' symptoms were similar to those of pneumonic plague, the most serious, but least common form of plague.Plague can be passed on from one human to another, and from animals to humans, through coughing and sneezing, which thrusts infected droplets into the air that is then breathed in by others. However, according to the CDC, human to human infection is rare, and their records show the last time this happened in the US was in 1924.Symptoms of pneumonic plague include: high fever, chills, nausea, chest pain, cough, headache, and blood in the saliva. Symptoms are often accompanied by a painful, enlarged lymph node in the groin or armpit. If treated early with antibiotics, the chances of survival are very high.Anyone who has these symptoms, particularly if they have been exposed to fleas, sick cats, rodents or rabbits in areas where plague may be active, should seek medical attention immediately. Plague is considered endemic high in the mountains of northern Arizona (above 4,500 feet). 48 cases of plague have been reported in the state since 1977, eight of which were fatal. Not one was reported between 2001 and 2007, which officials put down to drought conditions and high summer temperatures.In September 2007, Arizona health officials released news of the state's first human infection since 2000, a woman in Apache County, who became ill following a flea bite at her home in the northern part of the state. She was given antibiotics and is now recovering, they said.Craig Levy, head of Arizona's Vector Borne and Zoonotic Disease Program, said at the time that:"The recent appearance of plague activity in two northern counties has us concerned that we may see plague in other areas as well." Animal cases of plague in Arizona in 2007 include prairie dog colony die-offs in two separate neighbourhoods in Flagstaff in Coconino County, and a pet cat in Prescott in Yavapai County.Arizona state health officials warned campers, hunters, hikers and others who live at 4,500 feet or higher or are visiting the area, to take the following precautions to avoid being exposed to the plague: Do not handle sick or dead animals.Don't go near rodent burrows. Avoid exposure to fleas. Stop your dog or cat from roaming as they can bring home plague infected fleas. Use flea control products on your dog or cat, ask your veterinarian about the best ones. Wear protective gloves when cleaining or skinning wild animals, for instance for cooking. If cooking game meat, do so at 180 degrees, until the juices run clear. If you get start getting symptoms like those listed above, within 6 days of a potential exposure, seek medical help at once. If your cat falls ill, get it checked by a veterinarian. For more information call the Grand Canyon National Park Incident Information Center at (928) 638-7922 or (928) 638-7688.
2007年11月19日星期一
CDC: New respiratory bug has killed 10
ATLANTA - A mutated version of a common cold virus has caused 10 deaths in the last 18 months, U.S. health officials said Thursday. Adenoviruses usually cause respiratory infections that aren't considered lethal. But a new variant has caused at least 140 illnesses in New York, Oregon, Washington and Texas, according to a report issued Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CDC officials don't consider the mutation to be a cause for alarm for most people, and they're not recommending any new precautions for the general public.
"It's an uncommon infection," said Dr. Larry Anderson, a CDC epidemiologist.
The illness made headlines in Texas earlier this year, when a so-called boot camp flu sickened hundreds at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. The most serious cases were blamed on the emerging virus and one 19-year-old trainee died.
"What really got people's attention is these are healthy young adults landing in the hospital and, in some cases, the ICU," said Dr. John Su, an infectious diseases investigator with the CDC.
There are more than 50 distinct types of adenoviruses tied to human illnesses. They are one cause of the common cold, and also trigger pneumonia and bronchitis. Severe illnesses are more likely in people with weaker immune systems.
Some adenoviruses have also been blamed for gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis and cystitis.
There are no good antiviral medications for adenoviruses. Patients usually are treated with aspirin, liquids and bed rest.
Some people who get infected by the new bug probably would not suffer symptoms, and some may just feel a common cold. Sick people should see a doctor if they suffer a high fever or have trouble breathing, Anderson said.
In the CDC report, the earliest case of the mutated virus was found in an infant girl in New York City, who died last year. The child seemed healthy right after birth, but then became dehydrated and lost appetite. She died 12 days after she was born.
Tests found that she been infected with a form of adenovirus, called Ad14, but with some little differences, Su said.
It's not clear how the changes made it more lethal, said Linda Gooding, an Emory University researcher who specializes in adenoviruses.
Earlier this year, hundreds of trainees at Lackland became ill with respiratory infections. Tests showed a variety of adenoviruses in the trainees, but at least 106 — and probably more — had the mutated form of Ad14, including five who ended up in an intensive care unit
In April, Oregon health officials learned of a cluster of cases at a Portland-area hospital. They ultimately counted 31 cases, including seven who died with severe pneumonia. The next month, Washington state officials reported four hospitalized patients had the same mutated virus. One, who also had AIDS, died.
The Ad14 form of adenovirus was first identified in 1955. In 1969, it was blamed for a rash of illnesses in military recruits stationed in Europe, but it's been detected rarely since then. But it seems to growing more common.
The strain accounted for 6 percent of adenovirus samples collected in 22 medical facilities in 2006, while none was seen the previous two years, according to a study published this month in the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The new bug could have implications for the military. Other forms of adenoviruses have been a common cause of illness in recruits. Military officials are bringing back an adenovirus vaccine — administered as a pill — that was given to recruits from 1971 to 1999, CDC officials said.
A Barr Pharmaceuticals vaccine for the military, currently being tested, is expected to be licensed in 2009. Like the old pill, it focuses on adenovirus serotypes 4 and 7, because those bugs have been persistent problems, said Col. Art Brown, an Army physician involved in the product's development.
Some CDC officials said a vaccination against the mutant Ad14 might be needed. Brown said it isn't clear if the mutant Ad14 will be an enduring threat, but the military will monitor illness reports.
"If it persists, then we'd consider if the vaccine needs to be modified further," said Brown, of the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity.
CDC officials don't consider the mutation to be a cause for alarm for most people, and they're not recommending any new precautions for the general public.
"It's an uncommon infection," said Dr. Larry Anderson, a CDC epidemiologist.
The illness made headlines in Texas earlier this year, when a so-called boot camp flu sickened hundreds at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. The most serious cases were blamed on the emerging virus and one 19-year-old trainee died.
"What really got people's attention is these are healthy young adults landing in the hospital and, in some cases, the ICU," said Dr. John Su, an infectious diseases investigator with the CDC.
There are more than 50 distinct types of adenoviruses tied to human illnesses. They are one cause of the common cold, and also trigger pneumonia and bronchitis. Severe illnesses are more likely in people with weaker immune systems.
Some adenoviruses have also been blamed for gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis and cystitis.
There are no good antiviral medications for adenoviruses. Patients usually are treated with aspirin, liquids and bed rest.
Some people who get infected by the new bug probably would not suffer symptoms, and some may just feel a common cold. Sick people should see a doctor if they suffer a high fever or have trouble breathing, Anderson said.
In the CDC report, the earliest case of the mutated virus was found in an infant girl in New York City, who died last year. The child seemed healthy right after birth, but then became dehydrated and lost appetite. She died 12 days after she was born.
Tests found that she been infected with a form of adenovirus, called Ad14, but with some little differences, Su said.
It's not clear how the changes made it more lethal, said Linda Gooding, an Emory University researcher who specializes in adenoviruses.
Earlier this year, hundreds of trainees at Lackland became ill with respiratory infections. Tests showed a variety of adenoviruses in the trainees, but at least 106 — and probably more — had the mutated form of Ad14, including five who ended up in an intensive care unit
In April, Oregon health officials learned of a cluster of cases at a Portland-area hospital. They ultimately counted 31 cases, including seven who died with severe pneumonia. The next month, Washington state officials reported four hospitalized patients had the same mutated virus. One, who also had AIDS, died.
The Ad14 form of adenovirus was first identified in 1955. In 1969, it was blamed for a rash of illnesses in military recruits stationed in Europe, but it's been detected rarely since then. But it seems to growing more common.
The strain accounted for 6 percent of adenovirus samples collected in 22 medical facilities in 2006, while none was seen the previous two years, according to a study published this month in the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The new bug could have implications for the military. Other forms of adenoviruses have been a common cause of illness in recruits. Military officials are bringing back an adenovirus vaccine — administered as a pill — that was given to recruits from 1971 to 1999, CDC officials said.
A Barr Pharmaceuticals vaccine for the military, currently being tested, is expected to be licensed in 2009. Like the old pill, it focuses on adenovirus serotypes 4 and 7, because those bugs have been persistent problems, said Col. Art Brown, an Army physician involved in the product's development.
Some CDC officials said a vaccination against the mutant Ad14 might be needed. Brown said it isn't clear if the mutant Ad14 will be an enduring threat, but the military will monitor illness reports.
"If it persists, then we'd consider if the vaccine needs to be modified further," said Brown, of the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity.
2007年11月17日星期六
Musculoskeletal Regeneration Research Receives First-Of-A Knd ' Emerging Frontiers' NSF Grant
Musculoskeletal Regeneration Research Receives First-Of-A Knd ' Emerging Frontiers' NSF GrantA research group led by Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, with faculty representing five departments at the University of Virginia, will work on a first-of-its kind, $2 million grant project as they explore novel methods for the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues. The grant from the National Science Foundation is known as an EFRI grant -- Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation. The group, led by Dr. Laurencin, with faculty in orthopaedic surgery, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering and materials science, will investigate several innovative ways to engineer new material surfaces that will allow a range of musculoskeletal tissues to grow. "These studies should give us important fundamental information that will be broadly applicable in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine," said Dr. Laurencin, principal investigator (PI) for the studies and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering at the University of Virginia. "This grant complements my recently awarded Department of Defense grant aimed at exploring new strategies for limb regeneration." Laurencin said that a team approach is needed to tackle such a great problem. "The National Science Foundation Grant allows for a broad team that will explore important material surface cues to permit optimum cellular interactions. Learning how best to design materials, create artificial tissues and understand their healing abilities -- ultimately, for the successful treatment of our patients -- is what this translational research program aims to do," Laurencin said.
2007年11月16日星期五
Musculoskeletal Regeneration Research Receives First-Of-A Knd ' Emerging Frontiers' NSF Grant
Musculoskeletal Regeneration Research Receives First-Of-A Knd ' Emerging Frontiers' NSF GrantA research group led by Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, with faculty representing five departments at the University of Virginia, will work on a first-of-its kind, $2 million grant project as they explore novel methods for the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues. The grant from the National Science Foundation is known as an EFRI grant -- Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation. The group, led by Dr. Laurencin, with faculty in orthopaedic surgery, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering and materials science, will investigate several innovative ways to engineer new material surfaces that will allow a range of musculoskeletal tissues to grow. "These studies should give us important fundamental information that will be broadly applicable in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine," said Dr. Laurencin, principal investigator (PI) for the studies and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering at the University of Virginia. "This grant complements my recently awarded Department of Defense grant aimed at exploring new strategies for limb regeneration." Laurencin said that a team approach is needed to tackle such a great problem. "The National Science Foundation Grant allows for a broad team that will explore important material surface cues to permit optimum cellular interactions. Learning how best to design materials, create artificial tissues and understand their healing abilities -- ultimately, for the successful treatment of our patients -- is what this translational research program aims to do," Laurencin said.
2007年11月14日星期三
Diesel Air Pollution Linked To Heart Attack And Stroke In Healthy Men
Diesel Air Pollution Linked To Heart Attack And Stroke In Healthy MenUK and Swedish researchers found that diesel fumes from road vehicles increased blood clots and platelets in healthy volunteers. These are symptoms closely linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.The researchers reported the results of a small study to a meeting of the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007 held in Orlando, Florida, earlier this week.Previous observational and epidemiological studies have also shown a close link between exposure to traffic pollution and heart attack, said study lead author Dr Andrew Lucking, who is a cardiology fellow at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK."This study shows that when a person is exposed to relatively high levels of diesel exhaust for a short time, the blood is more likely to clot. This could lead to a blocked vessel resulting in heart attack or stroke," said Lucking.Lucking and colleague carried out a double blind, randomized cross-over study on 20 healthy male participatns aged from 21 to 44. Using a specially designed exposure chamber, the men were separately exposed to filtered air (this was the control) and then to 300 mg per cubic metre (mcg/m3) of diesel exhaust fumes, which is roughly the concentration you breathe in while standing by a busy street.The researchers measured clot formation, blood coagulation, platelet activity and markers of inflammation by attaching each participant to a perfusion chamber and allowing a small amount of blood to pass through it. This was done 2 hours after exposure and then again 6 hours after exposure.Clot formation was assessed by passing the blood through a special shear chamber that simulates the types of pressure the blood would be under in blood vessels. The researchers tested the blood at high shear and low shear.Platelet activation was assessed by measuring the number of platelets associated with white blood cells. When platelets are activated they stick to white blood cells like neutrophils and monocytes and form clumps, thereby playing a key role in the formation of blood clots.The results showed that: Breathing diesel fumes increased clot formation in the low shear chamber by 24.2 per cent compared to breathing filtered air.In the high shear chamber the increase in clot formation from diesel fumes was 19.1 per cent.These effects were observed at both 2 and 6 hours after exposure to diesel fumes.Breathing diesel fumes increased platelet-neutrophil aggregates from 6.5 to 9.2 per cent 2 hours after exposure.It also increased platelet-monocyte aggregates from 21 per cent to 25 per cent 2 hours after exposure.But at 6 hours after exposure the platelet activation increases due to diesel fumes were not statistically significant.Lucking said: "High levels of traffic pollution are known to increase the risk of heart attack in the immediate hours or days after exposure."He said this study showed a "potential mechanism that could link exposure to traffic-derived air pollution with acute heart attack."Although these results apply to diesel engine fumes, it's not clear whether gasoline powered engines would have the same effect, said the researchers. Diesel fumes contain a much higher concentration of very fine particles, they said.Diesel engines are on the rise because they offer superior fuel economy, but, as Lucking explained:"While diesel engines burn more efficiently, they also put more fine particulate matter into the air."The researchers said while exercise was good for people with cardiovascular disease, they would not recommend they exercise near traffic congestion.The UK and Swedish team will be working together on the next step, which is to test the effectiveness of the particle traps fitted to diesel engines to reduce exhaust particles."Exposure to air pollution clearly is detrimental and we must look at ways to reduce pollution in the environment," said Lucking.An earlier study published in the 13th September issue of the NEJM , also by UK and Swedish researchers, showed that men with coronary heart disease who inhaled diesel fumes experienced a three fold increase in stress on the heart.
2007年11月13日星期二
2007年11月12日星期一
诡异的电影<不能说的秘密>
今天没事又看了两部电影,你现在听到的歌就是电影<十面埋妇>里的插曲,是不是有点搞笑的感觉。 《不能说的秘密》没看前，据了解是爱情片吧，前三分之二的情节也是按这个思路走的。后三分之一，难道是鬼片？人鬼情未了。除了周杰伦外，任何人都不知道女主角的存在。随剧情发展原来是科幻片，女主角穿越时空，来到20年后。期间还有一点惊险片的情节，就是学校拆毁琴房那里。 简直可以用峰回路转来形容，呵呵。
2007年11月11日星期日
Results Of Dental Health Study Of Minority New York City Youth
Results Of Dental Health Study Of Minority New York City YouthHispanic youth report better dental health habits than their non-Hispanic peers, according to a study of northern Manhattan adolescents by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The study, which is published in the November issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, provides insight into the oral health of the diverse Hispanic community in America. The study, a snapshot of more than 3,200 children ages 12 to 16, who live in the northern Manhattan communities of Central Harlem and Washington Heights/Inwood, found that 94 percent of the youth responding to the study were Hispanic or black. More then 2,300 of the respondents identified themselves as Hispanic, and the greatest number of the Hispanic adolescents was of Dominican descent. In most national studies of children's oral health, the data on Hispanics largely reflects Mexican-American youth. "The study provides important information on the oral health for a Hispanic subgroup other than Mexican Americans, said Luisa N. Borrell, DDS, MPH, assistant professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health, and at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, and co-author of the study. "Studies focusing on other Hispanic subgroups will help us understand the difference within the Hispanic population and underscore the need to examine health outcomes for each Hispanic subgroup whenever data is available," Dr. Borrell noted. The study relied on questionnaires filled out by the youth and clinical exams performed during each child's visit to a school-based dental clinic. Researchers found cavities in 52 percent of the Hispanic participants and 54 percent of the black youth. "This study may help us define the oral health status of Hispanic subgroups other than Mexican Americans. We still have a lot to learn about what factors are protective for the oral health of these kids, and what will work to improve that health," observed Dr. Borrell. Overall, dental health and health promoting habits of the Hispanic children were better than the other participants in the study. Ninety-four percent of Hispanic youths reported that they brush daily compared with 83 percent of blacks and 85 percent of the other children in the study. Hispanic youths were also more likely to floss. Many more Hispanic youths reported having had a dental visit sometime in their lifetime. Researchers noted moderate-to-abundant plaque in 27 percent of the Hispanic adolescents, compared with 36 percent of blacks and other children in the study. "The study's findings need to be interpreted with caution as we did not have information on the education and income of the adolescent participants' families. Also, we didn't know what proportion of these children were foreign born, which can be a protective effect for health," Dr. Borrell said.
2007年11月9日星期五
Lowering Homocysteine With B Vitamins Does Not Reduce Cardiovascular Risk
GetABI Study Finds That Even Mild Atherosclerosis In The Legs Increases Mortality SubstantiallyPatients with atherosclerosis in the leg arteries face a substantially increased all cause and cardiovascular mortality risk, according to a large study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Vienna.Heart attacks and strokes as a result of atherosclerosis have been ranked for years among the most common causes of deaths in Europe. Another previously underestimated manifestation of atherosclerosis is peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which is closely associated with heart attack or a stroke.The German epidemiological study on Ankle Brachial Index (getABI) was initiated in 2001 to answer questions about whether a simple screening test on atherosclerosis can be applied to identify it at an early stage, and if so, what risk such patients carry in the future. Professor Curt Diehm from the Clinic Karlsbad-Langensteinbach, an affiliated teaching hospital of the University in Heidelberg, and his co workers from various renowned medical institutions in Germany presented a 5 year study follow-up.Professor Diehm explained: "We used the ankle brachial-index (ABI), which is simple to understand and to apply by physicians and nurses. In an individual in the supine position, the blood pressure in the leg arteries is equal to or a little higher than in the arm arteries. If atherosclerotic stenoses in the legs manifests (termed PAD), blood flow after the obstruction decreases, and the pressure in the leg artery is lower than in the arm. This sign is almost and reliable as angiography to identify your atherosclerotic risk patient."The study included a total of 6,880 unselected patients in primary care, which underwent ABI testing by their primary care physician. Mean age of the patients was 72.5 years, 58% were females, 46% were past or current smokers, 74% had hypertension, 24% diabetes mellitus and 52% lipid disorders. Of all patients, 18.0% in the total cohort had a pathological ABI test, but the majority of these patients had no clinical signs or complaints.After a 5 year observation period, all cause mortality was 24% in patients with symptomatic PAD, 19% with asymptomatic PAD (i.e., pathological ABI but no complaints), and 9% in patients without PAD. Even when all other known risk factors for cardiovascular death were accounted for by statistical means, PAD had the best ability to predict future death, stroke or myocardial infarction.Professor Diehm said, "The bad news is: we showed that in primary care every fifth patient aged 65 years or older has atherosclerosis in the leg arteries. Because atherosclerosis is not a local process but at the same time progresses in the heart and brain vessels, such patients usually die from heart attacks or stroke. The good news is that the ABI test is not limited to expert use but can be performed in general practice. Thus, family physicians can identify high risk patients and initiate and maintain effective treatment in this large group."The study also showed that the extent of the blood pressure difference between legs and arms matters: the higher the spread between both pressures is (in other words: the lower the ABI), the higher is the mortality of patients.Professsor Diehm said that every effort should be made to implement the ABI screening in standard programs for elderly patients and patients with cardiac risk factors such as diabetes or hypertension. "A huge number of lives could be saved if patients with atherosclerosis would be identified with the ABI, and treated timely."
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