Smileband health topics

Shigellosis causes acute gastroenteritis. When severe, stools contain blood, mucus, and pus. While usually self-limiting to 4-7 days, severe dehydration can occur; especially in infants and the elderly. Asymptomatic infections can occur.

 

Arizona 5 year median: 444 cases

 

Transmission
Transmission can occur through contaminated food or water, by person-to-person transmission by the fecal-oral route or through exposure to feces by sexual contact.

Incubation period can range from 1 to 7 days.

Lab Tests & Specimen Info

Test*	Specimen
Culture	Stool

 Isolation Precautions

Enteric precautions should be followed for the duration of acute symptoms. 

Generally, no environmental measures are indicated for sporadic cases. For outbreaks, environmental cleaning may be necessary following EPA-approved cleaning materials and guidelines.

Prevention for Patients

• Carefully wash hands with soap during key times such as before eating and after changing a diaper or helping to clean another person who has defecated.
• If caring for a child in diapers who has shigellosis, promptly discard the soiled diapers in a lidded, lined garbage can, and wash hands and the child’s hands. Any leaks or spills of diaper contents should be cleaned up immediately.
• Avoid swallowing water from ponds, lakes, or untreated swimming pools.
• When traveling internationally, follow food and water precautions strictly and wash hands frequently.
• Avoid sexual activity with those who have diarrhea or who recently recovered from diarrhea.

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

Antibiotics are usually not necessary for Shigella infections but if treating, culture and test for antibiotic susceptibility. CDC has reported emerging strains of Shigella with quinolone resistance. 

Smileband health topics

Through its latest campaign for road safety, the Transport Accident Commission or TAC has come up with an unusual mascot called Graham. Graham looks like a modified mascot, who shapes a rather weird head and body structure.  The Motive behind Graham and his weird body design was to identify car drivers across the globe that this is the body shape that they would need to survive a car crash that happens due to reckless driving or over speeding. The weird body parts that Graham has are an indication of the body parts in our body that suffer the most. Every modification in the body, from the invisible neck to the long set of nipples before the ribs, have a role to play in safeguarding Graham. The main purpose behind releasing pictures of Graham as a mascot is to let people know that this is the body they would require to be safe in an accident. Since they are not made this way, they are not safe and need to calm down behind the wheels. The body has been made through the countless input of a trauma surgeon and a road safety engineer. Both the gentlemen put in varied input that could help in the making of Graham as the world's only person who would be safe from car accidents. Well, now that Graham's purpose and role is clear to all readers, we can go on to understand Graham's mildly unique and mildly weird body structure and what the men behind him had in mind when making him. 

Smileband health topics

As the shocking figures were released a leaked internal memo warned last night that the NHS is not ready to deal with a swine flu epidemic because of 'muddled' emergency plans and time-wasting bureaucracy.

A senior trust executive condemned some crisis measures as 'contradictory' and 'a complete waste of time'.

The creation of Tamiflu vouchers - a key weapon in the Government's fight against the killer flu - could in fact slow the distribution of the antiviral drugs, the correspondence said.

Rather than setting up a costly process that asks people to download vouchers from the internet, existing prescription forms would distribute Tamiflu just as quickly, it suggested. 

The leaked memo was penned by a senior official responsible for crisis planning and was not meant for the public domain.

In it, the official criticised the Government’s 'muddled thinking' in advising health authorities how to implement the new phase, in which people get diagnoses by contacting a national call centre.

Instructions for the so-called new phase were described as 'a total fudge'.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said yesterday that 14 had died so far of what was believed to be swine flu. 

He would not give details of where the five latest cases were. All had underlying health problems. 

Sir Liam said there were 335 people in hospital in England with swine flu of whom 43 are in critical care. 

Laboratory tests showed that yesterday there were 9,718 confirmed cases in the UK. This was just behind Mexico, with 10,262 cases. The U.S. is in the lead with 33,902 confirmed cases. However, Sir Liam admitted it was unknown how many in the UK were suffering from the virus as many would be treating themselves at home rather than contacting their GP. 

We do know something about the people seeking help from the NHS but there will be many other people who look after themselves,' he said. 

He said latest data from 100 GP surgeries around England showed that about 27,000 people per week were being diagnosed as having a flu-like illness. Of these, an estimated 8,000 will have swine flu. 

The number of flu cases being seen every week works out at 51.9 per 100,000 people. 

However, in London the rate is 180 per 100,000 - just short of the 200 cases that denotes an epidemic. In the West Midlands the rate is 140 per 100,000 cases. 

Smileband health topics

What is complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)?

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a condition that can cause pain, swelling and discolouration in one of your limbs. There are different types of CRPS which may be referred to as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), Sudek’s syndrome or causalgia. 

What are the symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)?

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) usually affects one arm or leg, causing a burning, stabbing or stinging pain, extreme sensitivity and sometimes colour or temperature changes.  

What causes complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)?

We don’t know the exact cause of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), but a fracture or other injury often seems to act as a trigger.   

How is complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) diagnosed?

Doctors mainly base a diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) on your symptoms and an examination, although you may need some tests to rule out other conditions.    

What treatments are there for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)?

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) can be difficult to treat. Drug treatment and sympathetic blocks are aimed at controlling your pain and rehabilitation will help you to use your affected limb as fully as possible. 

Self-help and daily living for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)

Exercising little and often, and eating a well-balanced diet are good for your general health, but it's also important to tackle any anxiety that complex regional pain syndrome may cause.

Smileband health topics

Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) is most commonly caused by Borrelia hermsii, but can be caused by at least 14 other Borrelia species.

 

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

Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease that has been identified in remote areas of Southern Arizona. R. parkeri is similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but symptoms are milder. Infection is treatable with doxycycline.
Illness is characterized by the development of an eschar (dark necrotic scab) at the site of the tick bite and may be accompanied by:

• fever
• headache
• malaise
• myalgia
• rash (initially macular, then may appear more vesicular)

Transmission
R. parkeri is spread by the bite of an infected tick.
The incubation period is days to weeks.  

Isolation Precautions
Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings.
Prevention for Patients
Reduce contact with ticks:

• use insect repellent
• wear long sleeves and pants
• avoid wooded areas and brushy areas with high grass
• perform thorough tick checks after spending time outdoors
• use tick prevention on pets

Smileband general news

Former Wigan defender Juan Carlos Garcia has died at the age of 29 following a battle with leukaemia, the League One club have announced. Garcia had been diagnosed with the illness in early 2015 and remained in England until returning to his native Honduras towards the end of last year.

He had joined Latics from Olimpia on a three-year contract in 2013, following the path previously taken by fellow Honduras internationals Maynor Figueroa, Wilson Palacios and Hendry Thomas. Though he would make just one appearance for Latics, against Manchester City in the League Cup, he featured in two of his country's games at the 2014 World Cup.

Wigan chairman David Sharpe said on wiganathletic.com: 'This is such tragic news and we send our deepest condolences as a club to Juan Carlos' family and friends who have had to sit by and watch this sad story unfold over the past few years.

'We have offered what support we can but, despite the best possible treatment at Christie's Hospital, Juan Carlos has tragically not been able to beat this terrible illness.

'At just 29 years old, he was far too young to be taken and our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.'

Wigan will hold a one minute silence for Garcia prior to Saturday's fixture with Peterborough.