[Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

Do you want outbreaks? Because this is how you get outbreaks.

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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by coopasonic »

F people. Also, isn't there a vaccines thread?
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

There is. I was reading an infectious disease alert report and given the number of Texans here on OO, figured I'd share what some of my peers are ringing a warning bell over. It's quite concerning, to be frank.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by LawBeefaroni »

Texans are very conscientious apparently.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by coopasonic »

It should be noted, in some counties of Texas, >3% could still be single digits (no not 3% of K-12 students, 3% of the population). I don't know the geography to identify the counties, but those numbers could be misleading.

Also, F people.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

The report I saw indicated it was > 64,000 children in TX missing at least one vaccination. Austin-area schools were named as an area of particular concern. I don't know enough about TX to understand the details but reading reports from other areas in the United States, it's quite concerning.

Read about it here.
Last edited by Smoove_B on Tue May 07, 2019 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by LawBeefaroni »

Smoove_B wrote: Tue May 07, 2019 4:45 pm The report I saw indicated it was > 64,000 children in TX missing at least one vaccination. Austin-area schools were named as an area of particular concern. I don't know enough about TX to understand the details but reading reports from other areas in the United States, it's quite concerning.
Austin = hippies from what I understand. So I would guess the Jenny McCarthy type objectors rather than the religious ones.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Blackhawk »

I suppose we could just build a wall around Texas, let them simmer a couple of years, then recolonize all the empty land.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

More detailed data available from the state.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

Every grouping >= 20% (Count: 19)

Image

Austin is in Travis County.

50 more are >=10%

Total list is 1,759 entities.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

Mongolia
A Mongolian couple died from the bubonic plague after eating raw marmot meat, sparking a quarantine that trapped tourists for days, officials said Monday.

According to AFP, the couple died May 1 in a remote area of the country's Bayan-Ölgii province, which borders China and Russia.

A six-day quarantine of 118 people who had come in contact with the couple, including locals and a number of foreign tourists, had been lifted as of Tuesday, Ariuntuya Ochirpurev, a World Health Organization official, told the BBC.

Ochirpurev told BBC that the couple ate the rodent's raw meat and kidney, which is believed to be good for health in the area.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Blackhawk »

Smoove has ranted about undercooked chicken, but I don't believe he's ever warned us about raw marmot... :think:
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

Who knew? :P

But seriously, that's some crazy stuff. I can't recall reading or seeing a similar outbreak any time recently. It's definitely made news in the food safety circles I hang out in.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

So why do I carry over half the load on this thread? :snooty:
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

I mean...I could certainly post more about infectious diseases. Is that what people want?
I say to you againe, doe not call up Any that you cannot put downe; by the Which I mean, Any that can in Turne call up somewhat against you, whereby your Powerfullest Devices may not be of use. Ask of the Lesser, lest the Greater shall not wish to answer, and shall commande more than you.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

:looks at title of thread:

It’s what it’s here for.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

I see...a lot of stuff. I'll try to act responsibly. :wink:
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Ralph-Wiggum »

I just learned that Nat Geo will be airing a mini-series later this month based on The Hot Zone (a non-fiction book about an almost-outbreak of Ebola in the US in the late 80s). Exciting!
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

NBC News
People who developed shingles had an almost 60 percent higher risk of heart attack and a 35 percent higher risk of stroke, according to a recent study.
...
And in a frightening complication, shingles can affect the eyes and lead to loss of vision.

The number of Americans diagnosed with these eye complications tripled between 2004 and 2016, according to a large study researchers from the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center presented last week at the 2019 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology annual meeting in Vancouver.

In fact, the eyes are involved in about 15 percent of people who develop shingles, said Dr. Ivan Schwab, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a professor of ophthalmology at the University of California, Davis.

What happens, Schwab explained, is that shingles follows a single branch of nerves. If it affects the branch that goes to the face, the eyes can be involved. Along with the pain, it can damage vision or cause blindness in a small percentage of patients.
...
The best protection against shingles is to never get chickenpox.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Moat_Man »

Isgrimnur wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 2:28 am In fact, the eyes are involved in about 15 percent of people who develop shingles, said Dr. Ivan Schwab, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a professor of ophthalmology at the University of California, Davis.

What happens, Schwab explained, is that shingles follows a single branch of nerves. If it affects the branch that goes to the face, the eyes can be involved. Along with the pain, it can damage vision or cause blindness in a small percentage of patients.
I had shingles 16 years ago in my early 30's. It was on one side of my face and one eye. Luckily I didn't suffer any vision problems. It's not fun but I've heard it is even more painful the older you are.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by em2nought »

Isgrimnur wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 2:28 am NBC News
People who developed shingles had an almost 60 percent higher risk of heart attack and a 35 percent higher risk of stroke, according to a recent study.
Shingrix is kinda expensive, about $200 for each shot in the two part series.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by hepcat »

Blackhawk wrote: Wed May 08, 2019 11:38 pm Smoove has ranted about undercooked chicken, but I don't believe he's ever warned us about raw marmot... :think:
His silence on the subject should be viewed as a form of approval.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Kraken »

em2nought wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 3:00 am
Isgrimnur wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 2:28 am NBC News
People who developed shingles had an almost 60 percent higher risk of heart attack and a 35 percent higher risk of stroke, according to a recent study.
Shingrix is kinda expensive, about $200 for each shot in the two part series.
I asked my doc about it because I had chickenpox as a child and am now entering prime shingles years. They don't keep it on hand because it has a short shelf-life, and insurance companies are finicky about paying for it. He suggested that I clear it with Blue X first, and said they would order it if it's approved and I want them to...but that it would be easier to go to a CVS clinic that does enough volume to keep some in stock -- again, after getting the go-ahead from the insurance co.

I didn't follow through. I should. Calling the insurance company is less painful than shingles.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by $iljanus »

hepcat wrote:
Blackhawk wrote: Wed May 08, 2019 11:38 pm Smoove has ranted about undercooked chicken, but I don't believe he's ever warned us about raw marmot... :think:
His silence on the subject should be viewed as a form of approval.
I was rather curious about eating marmot. First thing that popped up for me in a headline were the words "bubonic plague" "raw" "eating" and "death"
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

The list you've all been waiting for - Top Zoonotic Diseases of National Concern for the United States:
The prioritized zoonotic diseases for the United States are:

Zoonotic influenza
Salmonellosis
West Nile virus
Plague
Emerging coronaviruses (e.g., severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome)
Rabies
Brucellosis
Lyme disease
Brucellosis surprises me a bit, but it might be tied to the recent trend of drinking raw milk. Stop doing that.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Z-Corn »

Smoove_B wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 11:39 am Brucellosis surprises me a bit, but it might be tied to the recent trend of drinking raw milk. Stop doing that.
I only had to get infected with Campylobacter jejuni twice before I learned my lesson and quit drinking raw milk. At least from THAT farm...
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

Iowa
The state veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Kaisand, says several cases of canine brucellosis have been confirmed at a commercial breeding facility for small dogs in Marion County.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says it is notifying people who have custody of the exposed dogs. Both the animals and the facilities are quarantined while the dogs undergo testing.

Signs of the disease in a dog include infertility, spontaneous abortions and stillbirths. State health officials say symptoms for humans include fever, sweats, headache, joint pain and weakness.

The department says the threat to most pet owners is very low. Dog breeders, veterinary staff and anyone who comes in contact with blood, tissues and fluids during the birthing process may be at higher risk.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

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UMass
Widespread mold that fall had forced the temporary evacuation of nearly 600 students in Elkton Hall after outraged parents besieged officials at the state’s flagship university.

In November and December, the University of Maryland would become the epicenter of an outbreak of adenovirus, which can have symptoms similar to a cold or flu. But certain virulent strains can sicken healthy individuals and be particularly dangerous to people with weakened immune systems — people like Olivia, who was on medication for Crohn’s disease, a serious digestive tract condition.

In these cases, medical experts say, early detection can be key to treating severe adenovirus.

But the university waited 18 days to tell the community after learning the virus was present on campus. Officials discussed — but decided against — notifying students with compromised immune systems and residents living in Elkton Hall, according to records reviewed by The Washington Post.
...
In the end, more than 40 students were sickened with adenovirus, and 15 of them treated at hospitals, according to the university.

Mold does not cause adenovirus but can set the stage for other health problems. The director of the university health center, in emails to administrators, acknowledged that “mold can cause respiratory irritation that may increase susceptibility of any viral infection.”
...
At 10:15 p.m. on Nov. 18, Olivia Shea Paregol was pronounced dead.

Doctors listed three causes of death: organ failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome and adenovirus.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

Philippines
The measles outbreak got so bad in Manila, Philippines, that San Lazaro Hospital had to set up tents in the parking lot, the courtyard and even the landing at the top of the stairs outside the pediatric ward to house patients.
...
He says that at one point in February, there were three patients per bed in some measles wards at his hospital. They were being treated for the complications that the disease can bring.
...
Fifteen years ago, the Philippines had nearly eliminated measles, but the virus has made a strong comeback. Since January, the Philippines has had one of the worst measles outbreaks in the world: more than 33,000 cases and 466 deaths from the vaccine-preventable disease. The outbreak has been driven by distrust of vaccines as well as by declining rates of routine childhood immunization in the sprawling island nation.

To try to contain the current outbreak, the government launched a massive nationwide measles vaccination campaign. Health workers inoculated 5.5 million people, mostly kids. The government hopes to immunize another 15 million by the end of September. The targeted vaccinations slowed the outbreak significantly, but the country continues to see hundreds of new cases each week.
...
Several reasons explain why vaccination rates in the Philippines aren't up to where public health officials say they need to be.

It's a lower-middle-income country spanning more than 7,000 islands with a limited health care budget. So there's the sheer difficulty of getting vaccines to everyone who needs them.

But there's another reason behind the outbreak. The country suffered a major vaccine scandal two years ago that has left many Filipinos distrustful, even fearful of vaccines.

In 2016, the Philippines started a nationwide effort to immunize kids against dengue. The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi had just won approval for what health officials hoped could be a game-changing weapon against the brutal tropical disease.

But after almost a million kids got the new dengue shot, called Dengvaxia, the campaign was suddenly suspended. It had become clear that the vaccine could make some children susceptible to severe, even fatal dengue. The government revoked the license for the vaccine, brought criminal charges against officials responsible for the campaign and filed suit against Sanofi over the deaths of 10 youngsters.
...
Then there are the issues of fear and mistrust. In some communities, villagers not only refused to be vaccinated, de Guzman says, but chased the vaccinators out of town.
...
In some villages, people are now even rejecting deworming pills that are part of an annual summer national blitz against parasites.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by AWS260 »

Scientific American recently ran a great article about the dengue vaccine: How the World’s First Dengue Vaccination Drive Ended in Disaster.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

Nothing crazy, just some Legionnaires in NJ:
Twenty-two cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been confirmed in Union County since March and five of those people have died, New Jersey health officials said Friday.

Health officials described those who died from the disease as five “older adults” who had significant other health problems. The 22 cases between March 8 and May 13 all involved people who live in or visited Union County, though health officials did not provide any more specific information about the outbreak, which they described as a “cluster.”
For those not up on their public health history, the story of Legionnaires is kinda interesting (at least to me). There should be a movie, but for now I guess we just have History.
In the midst of a star-spangled summer in which the United States celebrated its bicentennial, more than 4,000 members of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Legion gathered just blocks away from Independence Hall where the country’s forefathers had severed their ties with King George III two centuries earlier. While Philadelphia sweltered on July 21, 1976, the military veterans discovered an icy refuge inside the air-conditioned quarters of the elegant Bellevue-Stratford Hotel as they kicked off the organization’s annual convention....
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by em2nought »

I really shouldn't read this thread. I'm already thinking of getting the Hep A since it's in nearby counties. I've seen just how many fast food joints don't even have soap in the rest room. :doh:
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

You live in Florida, right? I'd be more worried about all kinds of arboviruses before HepA, that's for sure. I mean, HepA is on the list, but you're at ground zero for emerging vector-borne zoonotic illness - and we do appreciate the warning, so thanks.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by em2nought »

Mosquitoes do love me. :(
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

Me too. You can fight some of the reasons, but not all. I'm type O and I'm convinced there's something mosquito-licious in my sweat.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

New Hampshire
A New Hampshire man got a big surprise last week when he was bitten by a bat inside his home.

The little creature seemed to have found a hiding spot inside the man's iPad case.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Smoove_B »

Enlarge Image
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by Freyland »

iBat Pro.
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by LawBeefaroni »

em2nought wrote: Fri May 24, 2019 3:38 pm I really shouldn't read this thread. I'm already thinking of getting the Hep A since it's in nearby counties. I've seen just how many fast food joints don't even have soap in the rest room. :doh:
When you say, "thinking of getting the Help A", you mean the vaccine, right? Or is this just a case of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em?"
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

Post by em2nought »

LawBeefaroni wrote: Wed May 29, 2019 1:10 pm
em2nought wrote: Fri May 24, 2019 3:38 pm I really shouldn't read this thread. I'm already thinking of getting the Hep A since it's in nearby counties. I've seen just how many fast food joints don't even have soap in the rest room. :doh:
When you say, "thinking of getting the Help A", you mean the vaccine, right? Or is this just a case of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em?"
I just spilled my Checkers' fries on the floor so at least I'm safe for now. :mrgreen:
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