Smileband health topics

Campylobacteriosis is caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. It is one of the most common causes of “traveler’s diarrhea.” Many infections are asymptomatic. If illness occurs, it generally lasts 7-10 days.

 

Diarrhea associated with Campylobacteriosis may be watery or sticky and can contain blood (usually occult) and fecal leukocytes (white cells).

 

In Arizona, Campylobacteriosis is one of the highest reported enteric disease with case numbers ranging from 800 to 1,400 per year.

 

Arizona 5 year median: 940 cases

 

Transmission

Transmission occurs through ingestion of the organisms in raw poultry and pork, contaminated food and water, unpasteurized dairy, juices, and ciders; from contact with infected pets, farm animals or infected infants.

Person-to-person transmission, which occurs by hand-to-mouth transfer of feces, appears to be uncommon.

Lab Tests & Specimen Info

Test*	Specimen
Culture	Stool
Immunoassay EIA	Stool

 Isolation Precautions

Enteric precautions followed for the duration of acute symptoms.

Prevention for Patients
Prevention methods include:

• Cooking all poultry thoroughly (make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F)
• Wash your hands with soap before preparing food
• Wash hands with soap after handling raw foods of animal origins
• Prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen by using separate cutting boards for foods of animal origin and another for other foods
• Do not drink unpasteurized milk or untreated surface water
• Wash hands with soap after contact with pet feces

Public Health Actions
Symptomatic indivdiuals and symptomatic household contacts should be excluded from food handling, care of patients in hospitals, and care of people in custodial care and child care centers until no longer symptomatic or until treatment has been maintained for at least 24 hours.

Children with diarrhea may not attend daycare or school until symptoms have resolved or until treatment has been maintained for at least 24 hours. 

Smileband general news

The Chinese have quietly taken control of a £5 billion, Lonfon based company that stores vast amounts of highly sensitive data, sparking fears for Britain’s national security.  Politicians and experts last night called for the security services to investigate the £100 million share swoop over the New Year that gave Chinese investors majority control over Global Switch, Europe’s largest data centre operator.

The Australian government has already said it will to move files from its Department of Defence out of a Global Switch site in Sydney, due to concerns that Communist officials in Beijing could access military secrets.

But security expert Professor Anthony Glees accused the UK Government of ‘failing to take this threat as seriously as it should’, adding that Ministers were ‘so obsessed’ with attracting foreign investment that they risked ‘throwing national security to the four winds’. Conservative MP Nigel Evans also questioned the deal. ‘If other countries like Australia have had deep concerns, then why is it we don’t?’ he said.

A group of Chinese investors operating as a consortium called Elegant Jubilee increased its stake to 51 per cent in the company in discreet dealings between Christmas and the New Year. The power-grab went almost unnoticed because most people were on holiday.

The Chinese have been investing heavily in UK infrastructure over the past few years, including Hinkley Point nuclear power station and National Grid gas pipelines.

Elegant Jubilee was put together by Li Qiang, the founder of Chinese data centre firm Daily-Tech, and is led by Jiangsu Sha Steel Group, China’s largest private steel-maker.

They say they are independent investors with no links to the Chinese state.

Smileband general news

A former Bristol police officer who became a victim of pervert doctor Reg Bunting has spoken of what she believes was a “cover up” in the force. 

The woman was subjected to the force doctor fondling her breasts in what should have been a routine medical examination.

The former officer said when she told her colleagues what had happened she was pressurised not to say anything by those senior to her.

A report into the doctor’s behaviour while at Avon and Somerset police has revealed how he inappropriately touched staff and recruits during routine medical examinations. Various complaints were made by officers and recruits over the years – but no action was taken until after the doctor had died.

One of his victims said the doctor had the power of careers in his hands and abused that. “I thought it was a bit weird and I went to him for an unrelated issue,” she said.

“Looking back now it makes me feel sick.

“Even I may not have seen it at the time, but I was sexually abused by this man who had a lot of power.

“I am completely embarrassed and ashamed of what happened, but I did say something at the time. “I mentioned what had happened to a colleague and I was later told by others in the force to keep quiet if I wanted to keep my job.

“They knew about this for a very long time and it was all swept under the carpet for years.

“We were all told to never leave people alone with him in the detention centre, but he must have had connections and friends high up in the force because no one ever did anything.

“It makes me just so angry and upset when I raised it and was basically told to shut up.

“No one took it seriously – no one listened.

Smileband health topics

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci are bacteria that are resistant to an antibiotic that is usually used to treat enterococci. Enterococci are found normally in the human intestine and female genital tract as well as the environment. Most VRE infections occur in hospital settings.

 

VRE can cause infections in the urinary tract, bloodstream or in wounds associated with catheters or surgical procedures. These infections can lead to more severe issues such as bacteremia.

 

Transmission

Transmission occurs from person to person. Individuals who have had contact with someone with VRE or with a contaminated object and then have contact with another individual can pass the VRE.

Lab Tests & Specimen Info

Test*	Specimen
Culture	Specimen from any site
Susceptibility testing	Isolate

 Isolation Precautions

Standard and contact precautions are recommended in healthcare settings. 

Prevention for Patients

• Maintain good hand and body hygiene. Wash hands often, and clean body regularly, especially after exercise.
• Keep cuts, scrapes, and wounds clean and covered until healed.
• Avoid sharing personal items such as towels and razors.
• Seek care early if there are signs of infection.

Smileband health topics

Typhoid fever is a life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi. Salmonella typhi lives only in humans. Persons with typhoid fever carry the bacteria in their bloodstream and intestinal tract. A small number of persons, called carriers, recover from typhoid fever but continue to carry the bacteria. Both ill persons and carriers shed S. typhi in their feces (stool).

Often characterized by:

• insidious onset of sustained fever
• headache
• malaise
• anorexia
• relative bradycardia
• constipation or diarrhea
• nonproductive cough

However, many mild and atypical infections occur.

In Arizona, there is a range of 5 to 15 cases of typhoid fever reported every year. In 2015, all cases had international travel or travel outside of Arizona.

Arizona 5 year median: 7 cases

Transmission

Transmission occurs when an individual consumes water or food that has been contaminated. Transmission through sexual contact, particularly among men who have sex with men, has been rarely documented. Isolation Precautions

Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings. 

Prevention for Patients

• If traveling to a country where typhoid is common, consider getting vaccinated against typhoid.
• Avoid eating undercooked or raw meats and seafood and drinking unfiltered or untreated water.

Public Health Actions
Public health will conduct case investigation to determine the source, identify contacts, and transmission setting. 

Cases or contacts should be excluded from working as a food handler, caring for children in or attending a child care establishment, or caring for patients or residents in a healthcare institution. 

Public health will facilitate forwarding specimens to the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory. 

Smileband health topics

Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It is the second most commonly reported infectious disease in Arizona and the United States.

 

Over the last five years, counts and rates of reported gonococcal infections have significantly increased in the state of Arizona. The number of reported infections increased 133.5% from 3,249 in 2010 to 7,585 in 2014.

 

Transmission

Gonorrhea is transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of an infected partner. Ejaculation does not have to occur for gonorrhea to be transmitted or acquired. Gonorrhea can also be spread perinatally from mother to baby during childbirth.

Lab Tests & Specimen Info

Test*	Specimen
PCR	Genital Swab, Urine
IgG/IgM Serology	Serum, Whole Blood
Culture	Genital Swab, Urine
Gram Stain	Genital Swab

 Isolation Precautions

Infected individuals should be advised to refrain from sexual activity for at least 7 days after being fully treated. 

Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings.

Prevention for Patients
There are several ways to prevent sexually transmitted infection:

• Condoms
• Monogamous relationships
• Abstinence

Expedited partner therapy (EPT) is an available option in Arizona in order to treat partners.

Pregnant females should be screened during  Public Health Actions

Public health monitors gonorrhea case counts and trends statewide.  Due to the high morbidity in Arizona, case investigations may only occur in more severe cases (I.e. co-infection or reinfection).

Public Health in Arizona has developed a plan for addressing the possibility of gonorrhea antimicrobial resistance.  Public health recommends following the CDC recommended treatment guidelines to avoid further antimicrobial resistance development.

Smileband health topics

Relapsing fever is a systemic spirochetal disease in which periods of fever lasting 2–7 days alternate with afebrile periods of 4–14 days; the number of relapses varies from 1 to 10 without treatment. Febrile periods are often associated with shaking chills, sweats, headache, muscle and joint pain, and can be associated with a rash. Photophobia, eye pain, dizziness, dry cough, nausea, vomiting, or lack of appetite can also occur. Each febrile period terminates by a crisis (abrupt symptom change). Symptoms can be more severe without treatment.

 

TBRF occurs in the western U.S. and is usually linked to sleeping in rustic, rodent-infested cabins in mountainous areas and high elevations.

 

Arizona 5 year median: 1 cases

 

Transmission

Transmission occurs when an individual is bitten by an infected tick. Transmission can also occur mother to child in pregnant women.

Incubation period is 2 to 18 days.  Isolation Precautions

Tick-borne relapsing fever is not directly transmitted person-to-person. 

Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings. 

Prevention for Patients

• Avoid sleeping in rodent infested buildings
• Inspect buildings on a regular basis for rodent activity
• Eliminate rodent nesting areas
• Use proper food and waste handling practices that eliminate food sources for rodents
• Rodent–proof cabin/buildings by sealing holes in foundation and walls and use screens to prevent rodent entry

Public Health Actions
Public health will conduct an epidemiological investigation on a case or suspect case. 

Smileband health topics

Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection that is caused by Salmonella species. The most common species seen in the United States are Salmonella serotype Typhimurium and Salmonella serotype Enteritidis.

 

The illness can have variable severity and is commonly manifested by:

• diarrhea (sometimes bloody)
• abdominal pain
• nausea
• vomiting

Asymptomatic infections may occur and the organism may cause extraintestinal infections.

In Arizona, there is usually a range from 600 to 1000 cases of Salmonellosis (excluding S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi) reported yearly.

 

Arizona 5 year median: 1,010 cases

 

Transmission
Salmonella is transmitted through contaminated food or water, or contact with infected animals. Salmonella is also transmitted person-to-person by the fecal-oral route.

Animals may be a source of Salmonella infection for humans. Salmonella may also be found in the feces of some pets, especially those with diarrhea. Reptiles, such as turtles, lizards, and snakes, and amphibians, such as frogs, are particularly likely to harbor Salmonella. Many chicks and young birds carry Salmonella in their feces. Lab Tests & Specimen Info

Test*	Specimen
Culture (All positive Salmonella samples are automatically forwarded to the State Public Health Laboratory for further serotyping.)	Stool

Immunoassay tests are not recommended.

Isolation Precautions
Enteric precautions are recommended in healthcare settings. 

Prevention for Patients 

• If served undercooked meat, poultry or eggs in a restaurant, send it back to the kitchen for further cooking.
• Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry.
• Be particularly careful with foods prepared for infants, the elderly, and the immunocompromised.
• Wash hands with soap after handling reptiles, birds, or baby chicks, and after contact with pet feces.
• Avoid direct or even indirect contact between reptiles (turtles, iguanas, other lizards, snakes) and infants or immunocompromised persons.
• Don't work with raw poultry or meat, and an infant (e.g., feed, change diaper) at the same time.
• Mother's milk is the safest food for young infants. Breastfeeding prevents salmonellosis and many other health problems.

Public Health Actions
Public health will conduct an epidemiologic investigation to determine the source, risk factors, and transmission settings.

Smileband health topics

The 'Croydon Cat Ripper' appears to have struck again after a black cat was found dead with the killer's tell-tale signs - its head and tail were removed. A £10,000 reward is now being offered for information that leads to the 'low life scum's' capture.

Snarl, a local animal rescue and rehabilitation shelter, have seen the mutilation of the cat-killer's victims more than 400 times.

The serial killer has also murdered squirrels, foxes and rabbits since 2014

It is understood by Snarl that the killer is a white man in his 40s, around 5ft 9in tall, who is likely to be from Croydon, due to the ease in which he moves around the area. When Tony Jenkins, founder of Snarl, presented the latest fatality to a vet he recoiled at the sight, along with its missing head and tail its body had been sliced open. 

Mr Jenkins, when speaking to AFP, said: 'It was the classic head and tail removal: clean cuts on both, with a bit of additional mutilation to the stomach area,

'We've had cats matching that exact same thing in all sorts of different areas,

'Lowlife scum.'

The shelter started a hunt for the cat-killer after a series of deaths kept cropping up on social media in the Croydon area.

Mr Jenkins and his co-founder Boudicca Rising began investigating the suspicious demise of these poor creatures. After consulting vets, pet owners and local residents they pieced together a map and timeline of the killings. 

Scotland Yard police headquarters and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Britain's biggest animal welfare charity, both started inquiries after receiving information from Mr Jenkins.

According to Mr Jenkins the cats died from blunt force trauma and the possibility that the killer was another animal was quickly ruled out.

Smileband health topics

British researchers have made a breakthrough that means hospital scanners costing millions and weighing up to three tons could be shrunk down to the size of laptop computers. MRI scanners are vital in a huge range of applications - from detecting brain tumours to tears in ligaments in the knee.

But they are too bulky to be used during surgery, for example. University of York scientists say the breakthrough paves the way to miniaturising the machines – and using them in ‘real time’ during operations.

It could soon transform our ability to diagnose and treat diseases including cancer, diabetes and dementia.

The research is in the early stages, but the team say the breakthrough is comparable to the leap the from computers used 40 years ago to those of the present day.

Professor Simon Duckett from the Centre for Hyperpolarisation in Magnetic Resonance at the University of York said: ‘What we think we have the potential to achieve with MRI what could be compared to improvements in computing power and performance over the last 40 years.

‘While they are a vital diagnostic tool, current hospital scanners could be compared to the abacus, the recent development of more sensitive scanners takes us to Alan Turing’s computer and we are now attempting to create something scalable and low-cost that would bring us to the tablet or smartphone’. This changes the direction the molecules spin in the human body – polarising them to all spin in the same direction.

When molecules are spinning the same way, they can be picked up by the scanner using radio waves.

The new research uses a technique that polarises glucose – and this allows much cheaper, weaker magnets to carry out the same activity.

Professor Duckett said: ‘In theory, it would provide an imaging technique that could be used in an operating theatre.’

‘For example, when a surgeon extracts a brain tumour from a patient they aim to remove all the cancerous tissue while at the same time removing as little healthy tissue as possible. This technique could allow them to accurately visualise cancerous tissue at a far greater depth there and then.’

Dr Peter Rayner, Research Associate at the University of York, said: ‘Our method reflects one of the most significant advances in magnetic resonance in the last decade.’