Presumed Mycobacteriosis in Laboratory Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Husbandry staff noticed a research-naïve, young-adult, female finch tossing its head back intermittently. A second finch exhibiting similar signs was reported a few days later. Postmortem necropsy and histopathology with hematoxylin and eosin and acid-fast staining on the first finch revealed the presence of acid-fast organisms in several organs. After presumptive diagnosis of mycobacteriosis, all remaining finches housed in the same room as the first underwent necropsy and histology. Three additional finches were positive for Mycobacterium-like acid-fast organisms. Incidental findings of megabacteriosis were noted histopathologically on 2 other finches.Abbreviation: MAC, Mycobacterium avium complexMycobacteriosis has a worldwide distribution and is found often in free-living birds, poultry, and wild birds. Several natural cases of mycobacteriosis have occurred in pet birds, including canaries (Spinus cucullatus), Eurasian goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis), and Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata).⁶ Reports regarding cases of mycobacteriosis in the laboratory animal research setting are scarce. The most common agents of avian mycobacteriosis are Mycobacterium avium intracellulare, one of the group of bacteria known as Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), and Mycobacterium genavense, a known cause of mycobacteriosis in birds and mammals.^1,5,9-11 In addition, immunocompromised humans can be infected with MAC.^3,6,10 Mycobacteria are saprophytic, aerobic, and common in soil and the environment. These organisms can be transmitted by ingestion of soil or cage litter contaminated by fecal matter from infected birds.^1,2 The most common clinical signs in affected birds are depression, lethargy, and feather erection or fluffing, as are typical for most sick birds.^9,11 Neurologic signs, if they occur, can include imbalance and the inability to walk or fly normally.⁹     

Paid Sick Leave and Nonfatal Occupational Injuries

Objectives. We examined the association between US workers’ access to paid sick leave and the incidence of nonfatal occupational injuries from the employer’s perspective. We also examined this association in different industries and occupations.Methods. We developed a theoretical framework to examine the business value of offering paid sick leave. Data from the National Health Interview Survey were used to test the hypothesis that offering paid sick leave is associated with a reduced incidence of occupational injuries. We used data on approximately 38 000 working adults to estimate a multivariate model.Results. With all other variables held constant, workers with access to paid sick leave were 28% (95% confidence interval = 0.52, 0.99) less likely than workers without access to paid sick leave to be injured. The association between the availability of paid sick leave and the incidence of occupational injuries varied across sectors and occupations, with the greatest differences occurring in high-risk sectors and occupations.Conclusions. Our findings suggest that, similar to other investments in worker safety and health, introducing or expanding paid sick leave programs might help businesses reduce the incidence of nonfatal occupational injuries, particularly in high-risk sectors and occupations.Paid sick leave is one of the nonwage benefits that US employers can offer to their workers. Although the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act requires public agencies and private-sector establishments to provide up to 12 weeks of leave to eligible workers,1 this leave can be paid or unpaid.2,3 At the state level, only California and New Jersey have implemented paid family leave systems that provide workers with partial wage replacement.4 For workers, paid sick leave is associated with shorter recovery times3 and reduced complications from minor health problems.5–10 Paid sick leave also enables workers to care for loved ones when they most need it,11 can help prevent the spread of contagious diseases in day-care facilities and schools,12–15 and would enable compliance with pandemic influenza mitigation recommendations.16Employers can realize gains from offering paid sick leave through the reduction of productivity losses associated with sick workers who continue to work but are not fully productive (i.e., “presenteeism”).3,7,17–19 Paid sick leave also can help prevent the spread of contagious diseases to coworkers, which reduces the cost of unscheduled leave (absenteeism).20 The costs associated with sick workers who continue to work can be substantial. For example, Goetzel et al.21 estimated presenteeism costs to be the largest component of the overall costs of absenteeism, productivity losses, and short-term disability.Working while sick also can increase workers’ probability of suffering an injury.22 Sick or stressed workers who continue to work are likely to take medications, experience sleep problems, or be fatigued.23–25 These factors can impair their ability to concentrate or make sound decisions, which can in turn increase their probability of suffering an additional illness or sustaining a workplace injury. A recent study comparing workers with severe occupational injuries and those with nonsevere injuries demonstrated that a family member’s hospitalization, which is likely to be a major stressor for the entire family, increased by 9% the probability that a worker would suffer a severe occupational injury.26Despite the advantages of paid sick leave for both workers and employers, the number of private-sector workers who have access to it remains low. For example, between 1996 and 1998 nearly 90% of workers in state and local governments had access to paid sick leave, compared with only 45% of workers in the private sector.3 A more recent study concluded that in 2010, after consideration of the average job tenure requirement of 78 days that is imposed by employers before workers have access to paid sick leave, only 40 million workers in the private sector had access to this job benefit, a figure well below the 44 million workers who were estimated to be eligible for such leave by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).27Additional empirical evidence on the advantages and costs of paid sick leave would help inform employers’ decisions about offering or expanding paid sick leave benefits to workers. We examined the hypothesis that offering paid sick leave to workers would be associated with a lower incidence of nonfatal occupational injuries. We also assessed whether this association varied by occupation and industry sector, with the expectation that greater differences would be observed in occupations and sectors in which workers are at higher risk of suffering nonfatal occupational injuries. To our knowledge, this is the first US study to empirically examine these issues.     

Evidence of bladder oversensitivity in the absence of an infection in premenopausal women with a history of recurrent urinary tract infections

Study Type – Prevalence (case control) Level of Evidence 4 What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Urinary tract infections (UTIs) have been implicated in the aetiology of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS). Prior studies have described symptoms and laboratory tests suggestive of UTI at the onset of IC/PBS as well as a significant history of childhood recurrent UTIs. However, the mechanism by which recurrent UTIs contribute to the development of IC/PBS is not clear. Our study shows that women with recurrent UTI suffer from bladder oversensitivity. Our findings have useful clinical implications. Women with bladder oversensitivity complain of urinary frequency which is often misdiagnosed as an infection and treated with unnecessary antibiotics. Additionally, there are no effective therapies for bladder oversensitivity. Therefore, women with recurrent UTI should undergo prompt evaluation and treatment of episodes of infection to prevent the development of bladder oversensitivity. Our findings also provide a possible mechanism for the development of IC/PBS. Whether women with recurrent UTI are at increased risk for developing IC/PBS in the future will need to be confirmed in future studies.

OBJECTIVE

• ? To compare the mean voided volume and bladder sensation during filling cystometry in women with a history of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) and controls.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• ? This was a case–control study including adult women seen in the urogynaecology clinic.
• ? The cases were 49 women with at least three documented positive urine cultures >105 colonies/mL in the previous 12 months and no active infection at the time of data collection.
• ? Controls were 53 women with stress urinary incontinence and no history of recurrent UTI or coexistent urge urinary incontinence.
• ? We compared bladder diary variables and filling cystometry data in the absence of an active infection.

RESULTS

• ? There was no significant difference in the median age, parity and body mass index of women with a history of recurrent UTI and controls.
• ? The median number of voids per day and median number of voids per litre of fluid intake was significantly greater in women with recurrent UTI than controls (12 vs 7 voids/day and 6 vs 4 voids/L, P= 0.005 and P= 0.004 respectively).
• ? The median average voided volume was significantly lower in women with recurrent UTI than controls (155 vs 195 mL, P= 0.008).
• ? On filling cystometry, median volumes of strong desire to void and maximum cystometric capacity were significantly lower in women with recurrent UTI than controls (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

• ? In the absence of an infection, premenopausal women with a history of recurrent UTI have significantly greater urinary frequency, lower average voided volume and a lower threshold of bladder sensitivity than controls.

     

The importance of monitoring fluid intake during treatment of overactive bladder

This article presents the most recent data on the role of fluid intake in the management of overactive bladder. Studies of the effect of volume and type of fluid intake on symptoms of overactive bladder are critically reviewed. This information is discussed in the context of the impact of fluid intake on overall health. Methods for measuring and monitoring fluid intake during the treatment of overactive bladder are also discussed. Overall recommendations are made on the indications, method, and effectiveness of fluid monitoring in overactive bladder.     

Does consumption of processed foods explain disparities in the body weight of individuals? The case of Guatemala

Overweight/obesity, caused by the ‘nutrition transition’, is identified as one of the leading risk factors for non‐communicable mortality. The nutrition transition in developing countries is associated with a major shift from the consumption of staple crops and whole grains to highly and partially processed foods. This study examines the contribution of processed foods consumption to the prevalence of overweight/obesity in Guatemala using generalized methods of moments (GMM) regression. The results show that all other things remaining constant, a 10% point increase in the share of partially processed foods from the total household food expenditure increases the BMI of family members (aged 10 years and above) by 3.95%. The impact of highly processed foods is much stronger. A 10% point increase in the share of highly processed food items increases the BMI of individuals by 4.25%, ceteris paribus. The results are robust when body weight is measured by overweight/obesity indicators. These findings suggest that increasing shares of partially and highly processed foods from the total consumption expenditure could be one of the major risk factors for the high prevalence of overweight/obesity in the country. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The etiology of post-traumatic empyema and the role of decortication.

Decortication post-traumatic empyema (PTE) was performed in 27 patients from 1972 through 1977. All 27 patients had penetrating chest wounds and were refractory to antibiotics and tube thoracostomy. Factors associated with PTE included unrecognized diaphragmatic perforation, large hemothorax greater than 500 ml, pulmonary contusion, extrathoracic extension of hematoma within the chest wall, and incomplete expansion of the lung with initial tube thoracostomy. Prophylactic antibiotic usage did not prevent PTE nor lead to negative intrapleural cultures preoperatively. The timing of decortication varied with indication: two patients with infected pneumothorax had surgery within 1 week; 15 patients with infected pleural clot had surgery within 4 weeks; ten including nine who were readmitted to the hospital had surgery more than 4 weeks after injury. Prevention of PTE requires early recognition of hemo- or pneumothorax, early tube thoracostomy with complete evacuation of blood and expansion of lung, careful daily monitoring of subsequent fluid accumulation, and prompt evacuation when such fluid accumulates. Once PTE becomes well established and refractory to standard modalities, decortication with evacuation of the empyema cavity should be performed as soon as possible.     

Ethnomedicinal study of plants used by Sheko ethnic group of Ethiopia

Aim of the study

This study was conducted to document and evaluate knowledge on medicinal plant use by Sheko ethnic group in Southwest Ethiopia.

Materials and methods

Interviews and ranking exercises were the main methods employed to collect the ethnobotanical data. Fidelity level (FL) values were calculated for claimed Sheko medicinal plants to estimate their healing potentials.

Results

Seventy-one Sheko medicinal plants were reported, the majority of which were used to treat skin and gastro-intestinal ailments. Ocimum lamiifolium, Phytolacca dodecandra, Amaranthus dubius and Amaranthus graecizans were the medicinal plants assigned with the highest FL values, a possible indication of their better healing potential. The majority of Sheko medicinal plants were found to be herbs, and leaf was the most preferred plant part in remedy preparations. The study indicated that men, older people and illiterate ones had better knowledge of medicinal plants use as compared to women, younger people and literate ones, respectively.

Conclusions

The study showed that the Sheko people have rich knowledge of medicinal plant use. This knowledge is however, currently threatened mainly due to acculturation. Awareness should thus be created among Sheko community by concerned bodies regarding the usefulness of their medical practice. The efficacy and safety of the claimed medicinal plants need to be evaluated before recommending them for a wider use with priority given to those with high fidelity level values.