pregnant women in Dallas showing signs of Zika virus

10 pregnant women in Dallas showing signs of Zika virus

Ten pregnant women in Dallas, Texas, are showing symptoms of Zika virus infection, according to health officials there.

Dallas County Health and Human Services said Tuesday that there are nearly a dozen total cases in North Texas, CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reported, but none were contracted in the U.S.

Local cases are cause for concern. The virus can be spread if an infected person is bitten by a certain type of mosquito that then goes on to bite other people. That's the way the disease spread from Brazil throughout Latin America and the Caribbean over the past year. The same type of mosquito is found in parts of the southern United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will not confirm any diagnosis publicly until after the babies are born. The federal health agency confirmed in April that the Zika virus can cause a birth defect called microcephaly -- an underdeveloped brain at birth. It's the first time in history a virus transmitted by mosquito bite has been found to cause birth defects.

"What we're learning is that they have a severe form of microcephaly that is oftentimes associated with other problems in the brain that can be seen on imaging or CT scan or MRI's, that makes us really concerned," said the CDC's Dr. Sonja Rasmussen at the time.

The CDC made the determination based on mounting evidence from many studies. Images released by researchers in Brazil, where the virus is widespread, show severe brain damage in babies with microcephaly.

The Zika virus is typically spread by mosquitos. According to the CDC, as of June 9, 234 pregnant women in the U.S. have come up positive in lab tests for evidence of Zika virus infection. As of June 15, a total of 756 cases of Zika have been reported across the country -- all in people who contracted it abroad or through sexual contact with someone who traveled abroad.

Earlier this year, Dallas County health officials reported the first case of the Zika virus transmitted through sex. Those two patients have both since fully recovered.

Most of the Texas cases have come from Harris County, which includes Houston.

According to the CDC, only about 1 in 5 people infected with Zika actually become ill. The most common symptoms include a fever, a rash, joint pain and red eyes. Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headaches. The symptoms often last for up to a week. A blood or urine test can confirm Zika infection.

There is no medication to prevent or treat the Zika virus at this time. Anyone who is infected should get rest, drink plenty of liquids and take acetaminophen to help with fever and pain. The virus rarely results in hospitalization or death, but it is a great concern for pregnant women because of the risk of birth defects.

The CDC's recommendation for pregnant women is to avoid travel to areas where Zika virus is spreading, and for their partners who have traveled there to abstain from sex or use latex condoms.

People who live in or travel to areas where Zika infection is a risk should take steps to avoid mosquito bites. Wear long sleeves and long pants, stay in places with air conditioning and screens on doors and windows, and use EPA-registered insect repellents -- applying sunscreen before mosquito repellent, the CDC says.

source: www.cbsnews.com

Ohio Teen Dies from Brain-Eating Amoeba

Ohio Teen Dies from Brain-Eating Amoeba After Visiting North Carolina Water Park with Church Group

The U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Authorities are investigating the death of an Ohio teen who may have contracted a brain-eating amoeba during a visit to a popular North Carolina water park.

Lauren Seitz, 18, was visiting the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte during a trip with her church youth group on June 8.

Jim Wilson, senior pastor at Church of the Messiah United Methodist Church in Westerville, Ohio, told WCMH-TV that Lauren was among 32 students who went to North Carolina to sing at churches and nursing homes and visited the water park for fun.

The youth group returned home to Ohio on June 11, and Lauren died on June 19.

"She was an incredible person, so full of life," Wilson said of Lauren, a recent Westerville South High School graduate who was enrolled at Denison University. According to her obituary, she had declared a minor in music and planned to study environmental science.

Wilson added, “They had one day of recreation where they stopped at the U.S. Whitewater Center and went whitewater rafting and they had a grand day.”

Picture from Facebook of 18yo girl from Ohio who died from amebic infection after visiting Whitewater center. pic.twitter.com/NlDrbuL2xY

— Liz Foster (@lizfosterWSOC9) June 22, 2016

The Whitewater enter, which is located on the Catawba River, is popular for kayaking and rafting and serves as a training facility for many Olympians.

Mitzi Kline, a spokeswoman for the Franklin County Department of Public Health Department in Ohio, confirmed that it was the brain-eating amoeba, according to The Columbus Dispatch in Ohio.

She could not immediately be reached for comment by PEOPLE.

Workers with the Centers for Disease Control arrived at the facility Wednesday to conduct an investigation that includes testing the water.

The scientific term for the amoeba Seitz contracted is primary amebic meningoencephalitis, an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, which is an organism that does not cause illness if swallowed, but can be fatal if forced up the nose. It is naturally present in warm lakes during the summer.

Symptoms of PAM, which include fever, nausea, headache or vomiting and can progress into loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations, begin about five days after infection, according to the CDC. The disease typically causes death within about five days.

In a written statement, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said, “The deceased’s only known underwater exposure was believed to be when riding in a raft with several others that overturned at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte.”

At a news conference Wednesday, Mecklenburg County Health Director Marcus Plescia told reporters, “We think the Whitewater center is as safe as any body of open water. One of the things you have to realize is any time you go swimming in a lake or pond or any open water that’s not treated the way a swimming pool is treated, there are things in that water that can cause illness.”

In a written statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the facility said, "The U.S. National Whitewater Center conducts water quality tests every week. Based on these tests and all available information, at all times, the USNWC has been in compliance with all required water quality standards and meets the requirements of all regulatory standards and authorities. Furthermore, the USNWC has requested additional testing specific to this issue in an abundance of caution. The USNWC is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and the Mecklenburg County Health Department to investigate the matter further.”

Naegleria fowleri infections are rare. According to the CDC, fewer than 10 cases have been reported annually in the United State during the last 53 years. This amoeba can cause severe illness up to nine days after exposure. A person cannot be infected with Naegleria fowleri by drinking contaminated water and the amoeba is not found in salt water.

Lauren, who was the drum major in her high school’s marching band, was honored Tuesday night with a candlelight vigil.

Her parents, James and Heidi Seitz, established The Lauren Elisabeth Seitz Memorial Music Fund in their daughter’s honor.


source: people.com

Pacemaker patients warned not to linger too long in shops as anti-theft systems can interfere with devices

Pacemaker patients warned not to linger too long in shops as anti-theft systems can interfere with devices

Experts warned prolonged exposure to the in-store devices can cause pacing therapy to drop beats

Doctors must warn patients with pacemakers that their devices may be disrupted by anti-theft systems used in shops, experts have said.

Many patients are unaware that electronic anti-theft systems, also known as electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems, can pose a threat to people using cardiac devices, they said.

Prolonged exposure to the in-store devices can cause pacing therapy to drop beats and cause implantable defibrillators (ICDs) to deliver inappropriate shocks, experts told the Cardiostim EHRA Europace 2016 conference in Nice, France.

While previous warnings have been issued, many patients are unaware of the problem, they said.

Some of the anti-theft devices are hidden under floors, in walls and in doors, while traditional pedestal systems in doorways are often covered by advertising sleeves.

A new study, presented by Professor Robert Stevenson, senior scientist at Greatbatch Medical in Santa Clarita, California, US, examined pacemakers against an array of anti-theft devices.

Traditional pedestal systems interfered with cardiac device functioning, especially when the devices were in prolonged close proximity, they found.

In particular, they raised concerns about patients standing in close to EAS pedestals and toddlers with pacemakers crawling over sub-floor systems.

The US study examined pacemakers against an array of anti-theft devices CREDIT: ALAMY

Professor Stevenson added: "Doctors must educate patients about the potential dangers of EAS systems as many have never been warned not to lean or linger in retail store entrances. It is particularly important that patients do not sit or slouch in a chair or couch in store entry areas.

"Electronic anti-theft systems are a part of everyday life, with more than 800,000 pedestals alone installed worldwide. Patients are safe if they walk at a constant pace through the system.

"EAS gates that are obscured with advertising or goods for sale, or hidden in the floor with couches or chairs adjacent, are a serious concern and EAS manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that retailers install them in such a way that they are visible and well marked."

Co-author Dr Rod Gimbel, an electrophysiologist at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, US, said: "Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are critical to patients' health.

"Pacemakers provide pacing support, without which there would be no heartbeat at all for a pacemaker-dependent patient. ICDs deliver pacing or shocks to rescue patients from potentially life-threatening arrhythmias.

"We tell patients 'Don't linger, don't lean' but that advice is hard to follow when systems are invisible. To make matters worse, advertising draws patients closer to the pedestals.

"Some shops have placed camouflaged pedestals next to a chair or in a checkout line, so patients may be next to them for some time, and sofas are put on top of under-floor systems, encouraging patients to sit for long periods."


source: www.telegraph.co.uk