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Trichinosis is caused by roundworms of the genus Trichinella. First symptoms are gastrointestinal, occurring 1-2 days after exposure to undercooked meat, including:
nausea
diarrhea
vomiting
abdominal pain
Later symptoms occur within 2 weeks after exposure, including:
muscle pain
fever
swelling of the face
weakness
fatigue
cough
diarrhea
constipation.
In Arizona, over the last 10 years, there have been 2 cases reported.
Arizona 5 year median: 0 cases
Transmission
Human infection occurs when ingesting meat containing Trichinella cysts.
The incubation period is usually less than 1 month.
Lab Tests & Specimen Info
Test*
Specimen
Serology ELISA (IgG antibodies can be detected 12 to 60 days post-infection)
Serum
Immunoassay EIA (IgG antibodies can be detected 12 to 60 days post-infection)
Serum
Isolation Precautions
Infection does not occur person-to-person.
Prevention for Patients
Cook meat to safe temperatures. Wash hands after handling raw meat. Freeze pork less than 6 inches thick for 20 days at 5°F (-15°C) to kill any worms.
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection that is caused by the Schistosoma specieces that are found in freshwater snails. Schistosomiasis is found in southern and sub-Saharan Africa, Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Martiique, Saint Lucia, areas of the Nile River valley including Egypt, Indonesia, parts of China, Cambodia, Laos, and parts of Central and West Africa.
Symptoms include rahs, fever, chills, cough and muscle aches. Chonic schistosomiasis infections can lead to abdominal pain, enlarged liver, blood in the stool or urine and issues passing urine. Chronic infections als increase the risk of bladder cancer.
Transmission
Transmission occurs when the larvae penertrated the skin.
Incubation period can range from 4 to 12 weeks depending on the species.
Lab Tests & Specimen Info
Test*
Specimen
Microscopic examination
Stool, Urine
Isolation Precautions
Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings.
Prevention for Patients Avoid swimming in freshwater in countries that are endemic for schistosomiasis.
Drink safe water
Boil water for 1 minute
Filter water
Iodine treatment alone will not guarantee that the water is safe
A fever is a temporary increase in your body temperature, often due to an illness. Having a fever is a sign that something out of the ordinary is going on in your body.
For an adult, a fever may be uncomfortable, but usually isn't a cause for concern unless it reaches 103 F (39.4 C) or higher. For infants and toddlers, a slightly elevated temperature may indicate a serious infection. Fevers generally go away within a few days. A number of over-the-counter medications lower a fever, but sometimes it's better left untreated. Fever seems to play a key role in helping your body fight off a number of infections.
Symptoms
You have a fever when your temperature rises above its normal range. What's normal for you may be a little higher or lower than the average normal temperature of 98.6 F (37 C).
Depending on what's causing your fever, additional fever signs and symptoms may include:
Sweating
Chills and shivering
Headache
Muscle aches
Loss of appetite
Irritability
Dehydration
General weakness
Children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years might experience febrile seizures. About a third of the children who have one febrile seizure will have another one, most commonly within the next 12 months.
Taking a temperature
To check your or your child's temperature, you can choose from several types of thermometers, including oral, rectal, ear (tympanic) and forehead (temporal artery) thermometers.
Although it's not the most accurate way to take a temperature, you can use an oral thermometer for an armpit (axillary) reading:
Place the thermometer in the armpit and cross your arms or your child's arms over the chest.
Wait four to five minutes. The axillary temperature is slightly lower than an oral temperature.
If you call your doctor, report the actual number on the thermometer and where on the body you took the temperature.
Use a rectal thermometer for infants:
Place a dab of petroleum jelly on the bulb.
Lay your baby on his or her tummy.
Carefully insert the bulb 1/2 to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 centimeters) into your baby's rectum.
Hold the bulb and your baby still for three minutes.
Don't let go of the thermometer while it's inside your baby. If your baby squirms, the thermometer could go deeper and cause an injury.
When to see a doctor
Fevers by themselves may not be a cause for alarm — or a reason to call a doctor. Yet there are some circumstances when you should seek medical advice for your baby, your child or yourself.
Infants
An unexplained fever is greater cause for concern in infants and in children than in adults. Call your baby's doctor if your child is:
Younger than age 3 months and has a rectal temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher.
Between ages 3 and 6 months and has a rectal temperature up to 102 F (38.9 C) and seems unusually irritable, lethargic or uncomfortable or has a temperature higher than 102 F (38.9 C).
Between ages 6 and 24 months and has a rectal temperature higher than 102 F (38.9 C) that lasts longer than one day but shows no other symptoms. If your child also has other signs and symptoms, such as a cold, cough or diarrhea, you might call your child's doctor sooner based on severity.
Children
There's probably no cause for alarm if your child has a fever but is responsive — making eye contact with you and responding to your facial expressions and to your voice — and is drinking fluids and playing.
Call your child's doctor if your child:
Is listless or irritable, vomits repeatedly,has a severe headache or stomachache, or has any other symptoms causing significant discomfort.
Has a fever after being left in a hot car.Seek medical care immediately.
Has a fever that lasts longer than three days.
Appears listless and has poor eye contact with you.
Ask your child's doctor for guidance in special circumstances, such as a child with immune system problems or with a pre-existing illness.
Adults
Call your doctor if your temperature is 103 F (39.4 C) or higher. Seek immediate medical attention if any of these signs or symptoms accompanies a fever:
Severe headache
Unusual skin rash, especially if the rash rapidly worsens
Unusual sensitivity to bright light
Stiff neck and pain when you bend your head forward
Storm Eleanor smashed into Britain on Tuesday night with hurricane-force winds topping 97mph and torrential rain triggering 'danger to life' warnings across the country. Gusts of nearly 100mph were recorded near Connaught airport in Mayo, Southern Ireland, while the highest recorded winds in Britain hit Aberdaron in west Wales reaching 76mph.
Poor weather conditions meant Irish Sea ferry crossings from Holyhead in Anglesey were cancelled while yellow and amber warnings have been issues across Britain. The amber wind warning, valid from 19:30 until 04:00, is in place for much of Northern Ireland.
Experts warn this coupled with high tides, could cause large waves, leading to debris on sea fronts. Disruption could also be caused to transport and power supplies.
Forecasters say there is a chance of injuries and danger to life, as well as minor property damage and disruption to power and other services.
Many areas – including Cambridgeshire and along the Thames – face flooding until tomorrow, with the Environment Agency issuing 61 flood warnings across the country. It comes as a woman is fighting for her life in hospital after being caught by a freak wave while walking at the Lizard in Cornwall on New Year’s Day.
On the same weekend, photographer James Pearce caught a man balanced on rocks surrounded by dangerous waves at Godrevy Lighthouse near St Ives. Moments later, just after the man had moved on, the rocks were submerged by the rising tide. The Met Office said: ‘Public transport may be disrupted or cancelled and some bridges are likely to be closed. Power cuts and disruption to other services – mobile phones for example – may also occur, while injuries from flying debris are possible.
‘Combined with a period of high tides, it is likely that some western coastal communities will be affected by large waves and spray, and again there is a chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves, or beach material being thrown.’
The Environment Agency warned that strong winds and waves could bring coastal flooding until tomorrow.
Flood duty manager Neil Davies said: ‘We urge people to ... take extreme care on coastal paths and promenades, and don’t put yourself in unnecessary danger trying to take “storm selfies”.’
Forecasters expect a return to ‘much colder’ conditions over the weekend with a risk of frost and ice, particularly in the north.
Taeniasis is a parasitic infection of the small intestine caused by tapeworm Taenia species. Most people have no or mild symptoms. Tapeworms can cause digestive problems including:
abdominal pain
weight loss
Infected individuals may notice the passing of tapeworm segments through the anus and in the feces.
Individuals infected with Taenia species can spread tapeworm eggs through their feces to themselves or to others, resulting in cysticercosis, underscoring the importance of identifying and treating Taenia infections.
There was only 1 case of taeniasis reported in Arizona in 2015.
Arizona 5 year median: 1 cases
Transmission
Humans become infected with Taenia species by eating undercooked or raw pork or beef containing Taenia cysticerci.
Incubation period is 2 to 3 months. Lab Tests & Specimen Info
Test*
Specimen
Microscopic identification (stool specimens should be collected on 3 different days)
Stool
Isolation Precautions Proper enteric precautions when handling patient feces. Good handwashing should be practiced by the patient and providers. Public Health Actions If an individual is found to be a carrier of Taenia, their household contacts are at an increased risk for cysticercosis so treatment of the carrier and testing of the household contacts might be advised.
Malaria is a parasitic infection that is passed to humans by infected mosquitos. Individuals may be asymptomatic, have mild symptoms or severe disease. Symptoms of uncomplicated malaria usually begin with a cold stage where the patient feels cold and shivers followed by a hot stage where the patient has a fever, headache, vomiting and possibly seizures. A final sweating stage is where a patient has extreme fatigue and sweating. The whole cycle usually takes 6-10 hours.
Severe disease includes organ failure or abnormalities in the patient's blood or metabolism.
Areas that are endemic for malaria include central Africa, parts of South America, and parts of Southeast Asia.
Arizona 5 year median: 25 cases
Transmission
Transmission occurs when an infected mosquito bites an individual. Transmission can also occur from blood transfusions or organ transplantation from an infected individual.
Incubation period can range from 7 to 30 days.
Test*
Specimen
Microscopic examination
Whole Blood
PCR (PCR tests is most useful in confirming the species of malarial parasite after microscopy has been completed)
Whole Blood
Serology IFA (Serology tests detect past exposure not current infections)
Serum, Plasma
Isolation Precautions
Malaria cannot be transmitted person to person.
Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings.
Prevention for Patients The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being bitten by mosquitos. Methods include:
Wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts
Using insect repellent
Using screens in windows or doors
Chemoprophylaxis may be recommended depending the individual's level of risk. Public Health Actions
Pregnant women should be advised to take extra precautions to avoid mosquitos because malaria infection during pregnancy increases the risk of maternal death, miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight, and neonatal death.
Malaria infection in infants and young children can be rapidly fatal. When possible, infants and young children should not travel to areas with risk of malaria.
Individuals who lived or traveled to areas with risk of malaria transmission should be advised to not donated blood for at least 6 months after returning from those areas.
Public health will conduct an epidemiological investigation on a case or suspect case.
Loa loa infection is a parasitic infection that is caused by the parasitic worm Loa Loa. Many infected individuals will be asymptomatic but some will have loiasis which is a itchy, non-painful swellings of the body. The swelling can occur anywhere on the body but are most likely to occur near the joints. Some individuals will develop an eye worm that crawls across the surface of the eye.
The parasite is generally found in certain rain forests in West and Central Africa.
Transmission
Transmission occurs when an individual is bitten by an infected deer fly. Isolation Precautions
Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings.
Prevention for Patients Prevention methods include:
wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts
If you are going to an affected areas for a long period of time you may be able to reduce your risk of infection by taking DEC. Please consult your provider for more information.
Giardiasis is an infection from a protozoanGiardia lamblia that affects primarily the upper small intestine. It can cause acute, self-limited diarrhea, or chronic diarrhea, abdominal cramps, bloating, malabsorption (of fats and fat-soluble vitamins) and weight loss.
Giardiasis is the most common intestinal parasite infection that is identified in humans in the United States. There is generally a peak in cases during the early summer through early fall.
Arizona 5 year median: 119 cases
Transmission
Typically through contaminated food, water or unwashed hands. Some animals (beavers, other domestic animals) are carriers and improper handling of the feces of these animals can cause illness. Lab Tests & Specimen Info
Test*
Specimen
Microscopic examination (Multiple stool specimens may need to be submitted to help with detection)
Stool
Immunoassay EIA (This test should NOT take the place of the O+P test)
Stool
IgG/IgM Serology (This test should NOT take the place of the O+P test)
Serum
Isolation Precautions
Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings.
Prevention for Patients
Good hand washing is essential especially before handling food, before eating and after using the toilet. Do not drink unfiltered or untreated water.
Public Health Actions Public health will conduct an epidemiologic investigation of each reported case to establish possible source of infection.
The gastric sleeve is the fastest growing procedure in the UK and around the world.
The sleeve is a key hole (laparoscopic) procedure that usually takes between 60 and 75 minutes to complete. It involves cutting along the length of the stomach and removing about 80% of it to leave a thin, banana shaped stomach. The larger part of the stomach (the ‘80%’) is removed altogether.
One of the attractions of the sleeve is that the food you eat enters and leaves the stomach in the same places as it did prior to surgery, unlike with the gastric bypass.
How a gastric sleeve works
The gastric sleeve works to produce weight loss in two ways. Firstly by restriction as a large portion of the stomach is removed during surgery leaving a 'stomach sleeve' about 20% of the original volume. This means you can only eat a very small amount of food before feeling full.
Secondly by an impact on hormones. Levels of the appetite stimulant ghrelin fall after gastric sleeve surgery, which may explain why patients experience such a marked loss of appetite. Sleeve patients also experience major changes in taste and food preferences, usually away from fatty, sugary foods and this change also contributes to weight loss.
gastric sleeve surgery right for you?
If you have been struggling with your weight for a long time, you have tried and failed using diets and your body mass index BMI) is above 35, then the sleeve may be a good option for you. Decisions about the best procedure will always vary according to individual patient circumstances and ultimately the choice will be yours. Many patients end up having to decide between the gastric band and the gastric sleeve procedures. We will explain both in detail before and during your consultation.
We have also recently started offering the new Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) procedure. This is a non-surgical alternative to the gastric band and the surgical gastric sleeve. It’s a new, younger procedure that those looking for a lower risk procedure might consider. Of course, the newness of the ESG means results are less predictable than for the band or surgical sleeve
Lymphatic filariasis is a parasitic disease that is caused by Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayiand Brugia timori. Most individuals will be asymptomatic when they are first infected but the adult parasites damage the lymph system and individuals can go on to develop lymphedema, hydrocele or elephantiasis. These secondary issues are generally permanently dibilitating and communities will sometimes shun individuals because of the disfigurements.
The damage to the lymph system can also make these individuals more susceptible to other infections.
Transmission
Transmission occurs when an individual is bitten by an infected mosquito.
Lab Tests & Specimen Info
Test*
Specimen
Microscopic examination (blood needs to be collected at night)
Serum
Isolation Precautions
Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings.
Prevention for Patients The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being bitten by mosquitos. Methods include:
