Epidemic of restaurant-associated illness due to Salmonella newport

In June and July 1982, a large outbreak of gastroenteritis associated with a barbecue restaurant involved 120 persons in central Arkansas. The illness was characterized by diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting; 23 patients (19%) were hospitalized. Epidemiologic investigation showed that persons who became ill were more likely to have eaten ham or pork sandwiches at the restaurant before their illness than those who remained well. Stool cultures from 19 customers and each of the eight restaurant employees were positive for Salmonella newport. Cultures of a ham slice obtained from the restaurant and a partially consumed pork sandwich obtained from one ill person both grew Salmonella of same serotype.     

一起腺病毒3型引起的咽结膜热暴发疫情流行病学调查

2016年8月,浙江省宁波市奉化区某游泳馆发生一起咽结膜热疫情。7月26日至9月3日,发病64例,罹患率16.54%。病原学检测结果为腺病毒3型。现场流行病学调查提示该游泳馆超负荷运转,消毒等卫生管理措施未落实到位是发生此次疫情的主要原因。     

Shigellosis among swimmers in a freshwater lake

OBJECTIVE: Shigella infection is highly communicable; however, outbreaks associated with swimming in recreational fresh water are rarely identified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cohort study of lake visitors was performed. RESULTS: Seventeen (24.6%) case patients among 69 persons who visited the lake over the holiday weekend were identified. Attack rates increased with increasing exposure to lake water; the risk of illness was greatest among swimmers who reported getting lake water in their mouths (relative risk = 5.37, 95% confidence interval = 2.2, 13.3). Shigella sonnei was isolated from stool samples of four of eight swimmers tested. CONCLUSIONS: The outbreak likely was caused by fecal contamination of lake water by an infected swimmer; there was no evidence of sewage contamination into the lake. Fresh water is a potential source of infection in patients with acute gastroenteritis and recent exposure. Since testing and chlorination of lake water is impractical, prevention relies on avoidance of fecal contamination and/or minimizing ingestion of the water.     

Assault and substance abuse characterize burn injuries in homeless patients.

The homeless are at an increased risk for traumatic injury, but little is known about the injury etiology and outcome of homeless persons who sustain burn injuries. In this study, we analyze patient and injury characteristics of homeless persons admitted to a regional burn center. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to our burn center between 1994 and 2005. A total of 3700 adult patients were admitted during the study period and, of these, 72 (1.9%) were homeless. The cohort of homeless patients was compared with domiciled adult patients admitted during the same time period, analyzing baseline patient and injury characteristics and injury outcomes. Overall, homeless patients had more extensive burn injuries than domiciled patients (17.8% vs 11.2%TBSA, P < .001) and overall longer lengths of hospital stay (22 vs 12 days, P < .001). The homeless population also had significantly higher rates of alcohol (80.6% vs 12.8%, P < .001) and drug abuse (59.4% vs 12.8%, P < .001), history of mental illness (45.2% vs 11.0%, P < .001), and injury by assault (13.9% vs 2.0%, P < .001). Homeless patients tended to have more severe injuries; higher rates of substance abuse and mental illness; increased incidence of assault by burning; and longer lengths of hospital stay. Hospitalization of a homeless patient following injury may provide a unique opportunity to address co-occurring substance abuse and mental illness and approach injury prevention to improve patients' outcomes and reduce injury recidivism.     

Keratoconjunctivitis due to adenovirus type 8: a local outbreak

An outbreak of acute keratoconjunctivitis occurred in 24 patients who had visited a private ophthalmology office between July and October 1986. The median incubation period was 12.6 days (range seven to 21 days). Adenovirus type 8 was isolated from three of the five patients in whom cultures were done. This outbreak illustrates the highly contagious nature of adenovirus infection and the potential for transmission during routine office visits.     

一起医院腺病毒55型感染暴发疫情的现场流行病学调查和控制

目的 调查一起腺病毒55型感染暴发疫情的流行病学特征,控制感染传播。 方法 采用统一的流行病学个案调查表进行现场调查,制订病例定义,描述流行特征;采集患者咽拭子,采用反转录–聚合酶链式反应技术鉴定病原体。 按照边调查边控制的原则,落实防控措施。 结果 2016年6月21日至7月8日累计发病43例,无重症和死亡病例。 咽拭子标本检测确认为腺病毒55型感染,病例主要来自神经外科（41例,占95.35%）,罹患率为24.12%（41/170）。 结论 该疫情是由腺病毒55型引起的医院呼吸道感染暴发疫情,传播途径可能为近距离飞沫传播和接触传播。 建议医疗单位将腺病毒纳入呼吸道疾病常规诊断项目,提高对呼吸道传染病的早期诊断能力。      

广东省一起因游泳引起的咽结膜热暴发调查

目的 查明广东省从化市一起咽结膜热暴发的病因和流行因素。 方法 制订病例定义,采用统一的流行病学个案调查表对病例进行调查,描述流行特征;采用病例对照研究分析流行因素。 采集咽拭子和眼拭子开展聚合酶链式反应（PCR）。 结果 2013年8月,从化市发生咽结膜热病例89例,以街口镇为主（58例）,主要为6 ~ 10岁青少年,罹患率为5.82‰,发病时间集中在8月10 — 17日。 病例的临床特征为发热伴咽痛、扁桃体肿大或眼结膜红肿。预后良好,无死亡病例。 病例86.52%（77/89）有游泳史。病例对照研究结果显示,呛水（饮水）增加发病风险（ OR＝3.49,95%CI:2.07 ~ 11.49）。 41份标本中腺病毒核酸阳性17份,阳性检出率为41.46%。 对PCR阳性产物进行序列测定分析,确定为腺病毒4型,具有高度同源性。 结论 暴发疫情为4型腺病毒引起的咽结膜炎,因游泳池消毒不合格导致。      

Organizational and command aspects for coordinating the public health response to an outbreak of acute renal failure, Republic of Panama, 2006

The Ministry of Health of Panama (MINSA) received several reports of ill persons who had clinical presentations of acute renal insufficiency or failure during September and October 2006. On 01 October 2006, the MINSA formally asked the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist with the investigation. Additional agencies involved in the response included the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Gorgas Institute for Health Studies (GIHS), and the Social Security Health System (SSHS) of Panama. Through a joint effort, the MINSA, CDC, FDA, GIHS, SSHS, and PAHO were able to characterize the illness, identify the etiological agent, identify the population-at-risk, and launch an unprecedented media and social mobilization effort to prevent additional cases.International outbreak responses may require familiarity with basic emergency management principles beyond technical or scientific considerations. The management, logistical capabilities, team interaction, and efficiency of outbreak investigations can be enhanced substantially by having staff already familiar with common operational frameworks for incident responses. This report describes the inter-agency coordination and organizational structure implemented during an international response to identify the cause of an outbreak of acute renal failure in Panama.     

江苏省南京市一起幼儿园水痘暴发疫情的流行病学调查和疫苗效果评估

  目的  调查南京市一起幼儿园水痘暴发疫情的危险因素和评估水痘减毒活疫苗（VarV）的免疫效果。   方法  确定病例定义并完成病例搜索,收集病例基本信息、临床记录、流行病学史、水痘免疫史等资料,描述病例三间分布特征和罹患率差异。 收集罹患率较高班级全部幼儿的水痘免疫史和水痘患病史,采用回顾性队列研究方法分析接种与未接种疫苗的幼儿间罹患率差异,评估疫苗免疫效果以及不同接种时间间隔对疫苗免疫效果的影响。   结果  共收集61例水痘病例,幼儿罹患率10.87%（59/543）显著高于教职工2.94%（2/68）（χ2=4.22,P=0.040）。 首发病例为一名教职工,发病后仍在岗工作,未被学校常规健康监测发现,也未进行主动报告;其请病假后,校方未采取干预措施。 疫情持续2个月,累计发生5代病例,代间距中位数15 d。 不同班级间罹患率差异有统计学意义（χ2=256.98,P<0.001）。 突破性病例8例（13.11%）均仅接种1剂VarV,接种VarV至发病的时间间隔中位数4.11年。 结果显示,疫苗保护效果为65%（95% 置信区间:24%～84%）;1剂次疫苗接种年限＞3年其保护效果下降。   结论  本次报道为一起首发病例为教职工的幼儿园水痘暴发疫情。 未及时发现和隔离病例、教室布局拥挤、疫苗接种覆盖率低及1剂次疫苗接种年限长是疫情发生的可能危险因素。     

Outbreak of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae with an African connection

Previous outbreaks of penicillinase-producing gonococcal infection in the United States have generally been attributed to importation of Southeast Asian strains. During July 1982 through July 1983, 110 cases of gonorrhea caused by penicillinase-producing strains were reported in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. Among the 53 infected women, 14 (26%) had pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Compared to other infected women, those with PID experienced a greater delay from the time of last sexual exposure (19.1 vs 8.1 days) to receipt of appropriate antibiotic therapy (P less than .01). At least 22 prostitutes were involved in the outbreak. Sixteen (76%) of 21 isolates tested were serogroup 1A; 15 required arginine and proline for growth; and 17 (81%) possessed a 3.2 megadalton plasmid. Our data suggest that this outbreak was associated with both African and Southeast Asian strains.     

Effect of critical illness polyneuropathy on the withdrawal from mechanical ventilation and the length of stay in septic patients

OBJECTIVES: No previous study has demonstrated whether critical illness polyneuropathy itself lengthens mechanical ventilation or whether this prolonged duration of ventilatory support is explained by concomitant risk factors for weaning failure. Our objectives were to evaluate the impact of critical illness polyneuropathy on the length of mechanical ventilation after controlling for coexisting risk factors for weaning failure and to assess the impact of critical illness polyneuropathy on the length of the stay in a cohort of septic patients. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital. PATIENTS: All patients with severe sepsis or septic shock who required mechanical ventilation for > or =7 days who were considered ready to discontinue mechanical ventilation. INTERVENTIONS: Patients underwent a neurophysiologic evaluation at onset of weaning from mechanical ventilation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Sixty-four critically ill septic patients were enrolled, and 34 developed critical illness polyneuropathy (53.1%; 95% confidence interval, 40.2-65.7%). Length of mechanical ventilation was significantly higher in patients who had developed critical illness polyneuropathy (median 34 days vs. 14 days, p < .001). The duration of the weaning period was also significantly greater in patients with critical illness polyneuropathy (median 15 days vs. 2 days, p < .001) even though factors suspected to influence the weaning process did not differ between these two groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that critical illness polyneuropathy was the only risk factor independently associated with weaning failure (odds ratio, 15.4; 95% confidence interval, 4.55, 52.3; p < .001). Lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stays were significantly higher in patients with critical illness polyneuropathy. CONCLUSIONS: In critically ill septic patients, critical illness polyneuropathy significantly increases the duration of mechanical ventilation and prolongs the lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stays.     

Perceived self-efficacy in performing and willingness to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation in an elderly population in a suburban community.

BACKGROUND: Older persons are the group most likely to respond to cardiac arrests in private residences. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the knowledge about, attitudes toward, and perceived self-efficacy of older persons in learning and providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS: A total of 2743 surveys were mailed to adults 55 years and older who resided in a single Michigan suburb. Data were collected on demographics, medical history, training in and willingness to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and concerns about providing this intervention. RESULTS: The 631 persons (24.6%) who responded were elderly (mean age, 73.5 years) and had a mean of 1.7 occupants per household. More than one third lived alone. Of all respondents, 275 (43.6%) had received training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 370 (58.6%) indicated a willingness to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and 412 (65.3%) thought that they had the ability to perform this intervention. Respondents 80 years or younger were significantly more likely than respondents more than 80 years old to be willing to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (65.7% vs 19.0%, P < .001) and perceived themselves as able to perform it (73.0% vs 34.0%, P < .001). The absence of mouth-to-mouth ventilation as part of training had minimal impact on the willingness of either age group to receive training (61.2% vs 58.6%, P = .19). Perceived ability to learn and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation did not vary with the medical history of the respondent or the respondent's spouse. CONCLUSION: Adults 56 to 80 years old perceive themselves as able to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and are interested in receiving training.     

Cosmetic surgery and criminal rehabilitation

The contribution of physical appearance to criminal behavior has long been a matter of general interest. We investigated the influence of cosmetic surgery on recidivism rates in the Texas state prison system. The baseline prison population recidivism rates have been 14%, 32%, and 36% at one, two, and three years, respectively. The study group consisted of 253 inmates who had cosmetic procedures between 1982 and 1984 and who were released from prison between the time of operation and the end of 1986. The recidivism rates, calculated by life table analysis, were 8% at one year, 17% at two years, and 25% at three years. All were significantly less than baseline (P less than .01, P less than .001, P less than .01). The rates for those who had been incarcerated for violent crimes were 3.3%, 7.7%, and 15.0% (all P less than .001). We conclude that a positive relationship exists between cosmetic surgery and criminal rehabilitation, as measured by a decrease in recidivism.     

Effects of acute illness on selenium homeostasis

Biochemical evidence of selenium (Se) deficiency is frequent in patients with chronic malnutrition. However, the incidence of Se deficiency in acutely ill patients is unknown. In 175 consecutive ICU patients, plasma Se measured during the first week of ICU admission was 0.66 +/- 0.21 mumol/L (mean +/- SD) and was less than that measured in 57 healthy blood donors (1.05 +/- 0.21 mumol/L, p less than .001). Sixty-eight percent of plasma Se concentrations fell below the lower limit of the reference range. Plasma Se decreased with the number of weeks in the ICU (r = .33, p less than .01) with values decreasing to 0.49 +/- 0.20 mumol/L during the fourth week. Urinary Se excretion measured in a subgroup of 20 patients was related to plasma Se concentration (r = .38, p less than .05), and inversely related to N balance (r = .50, p less than .01). We conclude that decreased plasma Se concentrations are common in ICU patients and that catabolic states are associated with increased Se losses. These losses are unlikely to account for the marked reductions in plasma Se concentrations, and the findings suggest there may be significant changes in the distribution of body Se during critical illness.     

危重病患者全身应激对机体内环境的影响

目的 :探讨危重病患者应激状态下内环境的变化规律、代谢支持选择的最佳时机。方法 :12 7例因各种原因所致的全身炎症反应综合征 (SIRS)和多器官功能障碍综合征 (MODS) ,ICU危重病患者入院后 1、3、5、7、14日进行电解质、血糖、晶体渗透压监测 ,入院后第 2、5、10日检测血皮质醇。 38例接受重组人生长激素治疗。结果 :死亡组 (35例 )患者入院时表现为高钠血症和晶体渗透压升高 ,而存活组 (92例 )入院时出现低钠血症和晶体渗透压偏低 (P均 <0 .0 0 1)。死亡组患者血糖一直维持于较高水平 ,对胰岛素存在一定的耐受性 ;存活组患者治疗后血糖和胰岛素用量进行性下降 (P均 <0 .0 1)。生长激素能明显提高 2组患者血糖水平 (P均 <0 .0 1) ,增加危重病患者内环境紊乱。死亡组患者血皮质醇浓度一直处于较高水平 ,而存活组呈进行性下降至生理范围 (P<0 .0 1)。结论 :危重病患者应激反应可使内环境紊乱 ,这种紊乱与血皮质醇浓度及疾病的严重程度变化一致。血糖可作为危重症患者应激反应过程的一个监测指标。     

Open-label study of a proprietary treatment program targeting type A gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor dysregulation in methamphetamine dependence

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the pharmacological component of a proprietary medical treatment program targeting type A gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor dysregulation in adults who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria for methamphetamine dependence. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A prospective, open-label, single-group study of the medication portion of a proprietary treatment program for methamphetamine dependence was conducted from July 1, 2005, to May 10, 2006, at Research Across America, an outpatient private, for-profit, clinical research company in Dallas, TX. In the study, flumazenil, hydroxyzine, and gabapentin, all of which were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for indications other than drug dependence, were used off-label for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence. Fifty persons who had used methamphetamine within 7 days of study entry were enrolled and received the treatment. Treatment lasted 4 weeks, followed by 8 weeks of weekly follow-up visits to monitor for methamphetamine use via urine drug tests and self-reporting. RESULTS: Participant retention was higher than expected, with 85% of participants completing the program. Significant decrease in methamphetamine use (P<.001) was noted at 84 days after vs 90 days before treatment. If missing data are counted as days of methamphetamine use, a 47% reduction in use was observed for the entire sample (P<.001) and a 65% reduction for the 36 who completed the 8-week evaluation phase (P<.001). Urine test results and self-reported use were positively correlated (Pearson r=0.72, P<.001). The frequency of cravings was reduced on average by 66% (P<.001), with 30 of 31 (97%) of the 36 who completed the study reporting reduction in cravings. CONCLUSION: Substantial reductions in methamphetamine cravings and use were observed in all phases of treatment, and the retention rate of participants was high. These findings suggest that the efficacy of the medications and of the entire program in treating methamphetamine dependence should be examined in controlled trials.     

Neuropathy after burn injury

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of neuropathy in a consecutive cohort of patients with major burn injuries and investigate the clinical correlates for both mononeuropathy and generalized peripheral polyneuropathy. Of 572 patients examined, 64 (11%) patients had clinical evidence of mononeuropathy or peripheral neuropathy or both. Associations of mononeuropathy and peripheral neuropathy with potential risk factors were identified using logistic regression analyses. Electrical cause (odds ratio [OR] = 4.1022, P < .01), history of alcohol abuse (OR = 2.2893, P <.05), and number of days in intensive care (OR = 1.0457, P < .001) were significantly associated with mononeuropathy. The number of days in intensive care (OR = 1.0740, P < .001) and patient age (OR = 1.0543, P < .01) were significantly associated with peripheral neuropathy. This study demonstrates that neuropathy is a common complication of severe burn injury in patients who are older, critically ill, have an electrical cause, or history of alcohol abuse.     

一起腺病毒3型引起的小学呼吸道感染暴发疫情的流行病学调查

目的 探讨北京市通州区某小学一起腺病毒3型感染暴发疫情的流行病学特征和发生原因,为类似疫情防控提供技术支持。方法 采用统一的流行病学个案调查表进行现场调查,制定病例定义,描述流行特征;采集患者咽拭子,采用反转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）技术确定致病原。结果 2015年11月4-17日累计发现病例34例,无重症和死亡病例。咽拭子标本检测确认为腺病毒3型感染,其临床特征主要表现为发热（100.00%）为主,伴有咳嗽（64.71%）、头痛（32.35%）、咽痛（23.53%）等症状。结论 该疫情是由腺病毒3型引起的学校呼吸道感染暴发疫情,时空分布呈现明显聚集性,传播途径可能以呼吸道飞沫和密切接触传播为主,首发病例发病后晨午检未发现继续上课是造成这次暴发的主要原因之一,建议学校应严格执行晨午检制度和做好教室通风和消毒工作。     

Clinical efficacy and toxicity profile of tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid in relation to combined long-term pharmacokinetics in de novo renal allograft recipients

INTRODUCTION: Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil are effective drugs characterized by specific toxicity profiles that may compromise their long-term use in renal transplant recipients. Clinicians, therefore, need reliable drug monitoring tools for relating efficacy and toxicity to drug exposure.Study design We conducted a prospective 12-month pharmacokinetic study of tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid in 100 de novo recipients. The aim was to examine whether tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid exposure parameters (predose trough blood concentration [C(0)], area under the concentration curve from 0 to 12 hours [AUC(0-12)], maximum blood or plasma concentration [C(max)], and dose) would reflect clinical efficacy and toxicity at different time points after transplantation (7 days, 6 weeks, and 3, 6, and 12 months). RESULTS: Initially, after grafting, the tacrolimus AUC(0-12) was higher in recipients with infection (P =.01 on day 7, P =.02 at week 6), whereas the mycophenolic acid AUC(0-12) was not different. There was no difference in tacrolimus exposure between patients who had arterial hypertension or hyperlipidemia and those who did not. Patients with tacrolimus nephrotoxicity received a higher drug dose (P =.03) and had higher drug clearance (P =.02). From 3 months, recipients with anemia or leukopenia had higher mycophenolic acid AUC(0-12) (anemia, P =.03 at month 3 and P =.01 at month 12; leukopenia, P =.01 at month 3 and P =.04 at 1 year) and C(0) (anemia, P =.001 at month 3 and P =.001 at month 12; leukopenia, P =.01 at month 3 and P =.04 at 1 year). Finally, for recipients who did not simultaneously have a target tacrolimus AUC(0-12) of 150 ng x h/mL and a mycophenolic acid AUC(0-12) of 45 mg x h/L by day 7, the incidence of acute rejection tended to be higher (26.3%) compared with patients who reached both target values (7.7%) (P =.07). CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacokinetic exposure parameters of tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid are related to specific drug-induced side effects in a time-dependent fashion. In addition, this study has provided a conceptual basis for defining a combined target therapeutic window for tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid based on sparse AUC(0-12) measurements.