More damn things to worry about
I love receiving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emerging infectious diseases report, taken from the journal of the same name. Here's what's new, according to the CDC press release:
1. Babesiosis among Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries in the United States, 2006–2008, Mikhail Menis et al.
"In the United States, recently, there has been an increase in the number of reported clinical and transfusion-transmitted babesiosis cases. Human babesiosis is a tick-borne disease that is generally mild but may cause life-threatening anemia in people at high risk, such as the elderly."
2. Multistate Outbreak of MDR TB Identified by Genotype Cluster Investigation, Pennan M. Barry et al.
"In the United States, more than half the cases of tuberculosis (TB) occur in people born outside this country. Many immigrants are assumed to have been infected before coming to the United States; however, genotype matching shows that they can be infected after arrival."
3. Rabies in Captive Deer, Pennsylvania, USA, 2007–2010, Brett W. Petersen et al.
"Four deer farmers in Pennsylvania were potentially exposed to rabies and received vaccination against rabies. More cases could be prevented by vaccinating deer against rabies, decreasing wildlife contact with captive deer, and educating deer farmers about their risks."
4. Dengue Outbreak in Key West, Florida, USA, 2009, Elizabeth G. Radke, et al.
"Factors that put people at risk for dengue infections included having windows frequently open, using air conditioning less frequently and having yards with large amounts of vegetation or bird baths. Preventing future cases will require personal protection against mosquitoes, mosquito control, early diagnosis, appropriate testing, and prompt reporting of suspected cases. A total of 27 and 66 cases of locally acquired dengue were reported in Key West in 2009 and 2010, respectively. There were no cases of locally acquired dengue in 2011, which is indicative of the success that local health authorities, mosquito control and the public are having in controlling dengue in Key West."
(S-R file photo)