Pre-vaccine Era In the 9th century, a Persian doctor published one of the first written accounts of measles disease. Francis Home, a Scottish physician, demonstrated in 1757 that measles is caused by an infectious agent in the blood of patients. In 1912, measles became a nationally notifiable disease in the United States, requiring U.S. healthcare…
As U.S. relations with Cuba thaw, one unexpected byproduct could be the introduction of a Cuban-developed vaccine to fight against cancer. A vaccine in the U.S. Called Cimavax, an innovative vaccine that was developed to help treat lung cancer patients in Cuba, where lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death. The immunotherapy…
Are you aware of tax season scams? I found this article in the February 15, 2015, Arizona Republic, timely and a reminder to beware! These are the 12 top tax scams listed by the IRS. The number one tax scam going is the phone scam… There has been a surge in aggressive and threatening phone…
What is a Blood borne Pathogen? Exposures to blood and other body fluids occur across a wide variety of occupations. Health care workers, emergency response and public safety personnel, and other workers can be exposed to blood through needle-stick and other sharps injuries, mucous membrane, and skin exposures. The pathogens of primary concern are the…
Are you aware of antibiotic resistance? Do you know what it is? Did you know? 80% of all antibiotic use in the United States are given to poultry and other livestock 29.9 Million pounds are used to give to livestock 7.7 million pounds are used to treat sick people The Poultry Case Study Americans today…
In this month’s National Geographic, I came across a fascinating article about antibiotic resistance. The recent scare in California of a bacteria, spread in hospitals through a special type of scope used in the pancreas and bile ducts, is raising awareness. CRE is not only spread through medical devices, but through wounds and stool. The…
The Pre-Vaccine Era The history of measles dates back to the 9th century when a Persian doctor published one of the first written accounts of measles disease. Francis Home, a Scottish physician, demonstrated in 1757 that measles is caused by an infectious agent in the blood of patients. In 1912, measles became a nationally notifiable disease…
Working with Deadly Pathogens Because Ebola is highly contagious, health care workers in the U.S. wear protective equipment (Personal Protective Equipment-PPE) to prevent transmission. Items worn include: Mask: Prevents infectious agents from getting into mucus membranes inside the mouth nose or eyes. Gloves: Keep broken skin from contact with infectious fluids r needle sticks. workers…
Ebola’s effects on humans Ebola can be spread to humans only after symptoms have begun. Symptoms can appear from two to 21 days after exposure. Day 5-9: Fatigue, headache, fever and chills Day 10: High fever, vomiting blood, rash, passive behavior Day 11: Bleeding from the nose, mouth, eyes, and anus Day 12: Seizures, internal…
How does Ebola spread to humans? Good question to ponder. Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected fruit bats, monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, forest antelope, and porcupines found ill or dead…