Blog 10: China Bird Flu Count Rises

          The current bird flu scare in China continues to spread.  Another case of the bird flu has been reported, which takes the total infection count to 83 people.  Seventeen people have already died from the H7N9 strain of the virus.  Before March, this strain had not been detected in humans, only in the common bird form.  The World Health Organization is still exploring the possibility whether the virus can be spread between people.  Although many of the people infected have been exposed to poultry, the majority of the cases have had no known contact with poultry.  A representative from WHO stated that they needed to establish where the virus was living and which animal was its reservoir so that they could ultimately figure out how it's being transmitted to people.  One boy has been confirmed to be an asymptomatic carrier of the virus which means that he tested positive for the illness but did not display any symptoms.  This discovery was worrying because it can make the spread of the infection more difficult to monitor, experts say.  Authorities are monitoring those exposed and hoping to find out more information on the virus as soon as possible.
          This article is important because containment of the virus to the smallest location possible is the key to preventing a possible pandemic.  It makes matters even more complicated due to the fact that experts do not know what is carrying the virus and how people are contracting it.  It is important that they push forward to find out all that they can in order to prevent the further spread of the infection.  When a virus like this occurs, this is a time for unity of countries in order to protect our future.  Hopefully once experts find the cause and spread of this virus, then they can do something to help the people who are infected and take precautions to prevent its further spread.
         

Jessilyn Bulla
April 20, 2013
3:30 pm
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/18/world/asia/china-bird-flu/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Blog 9: Your Birthday and Your Immune System

          Scientists have hypothesized that the month in which babies are born can affect how their immune system develops and even how vulnerable they are to autoimmune diseases.  Scientists studying the neurological disorder, multiple sclerosis, have been puzzled by the "birth month effect" in which the rates of the disease are lowest for those born in November.  Some believe that insufficient levels of vitamin D (on the mom's part), which the skin produces when exposed to sunlight, can have an effect on this.  Babies born in May are gestated during the colder, darker months, while winter babies are in utero during the spring and summer.  Vitamin D stimulates a specific type of immune cell know as auto-reactive T-cells.  T-cells are white blood cells that fight off pathogens like bacteria and viruses, but auto-reactive T-cells are those that mistake the body's own cells as foreign and attack them as if they were an unwanted infection.  Researchers in the UK studied 50 babies born in May and 50 babies born in November.  They found that babies born in May had vitamin D levels 20% lower than those born in November and almost double the amount of auto-reactive T-cells.  It's not clear yet whether supplements of vitamin D could help to lower the rates of disease, but more research is being done to figure out whether pregnant women should take more vitamin D in order to strengthen their babies immune systems.
          This article is important because if researchers and scientists could determine if there is a direct relationship between conception months and immune systems, then it could potentially be a breakthrough at fighting the many diseases present in our society.  Vitamin D is a very important vitamin that is stressed in our society as one we need to stay healthy.  Although many people think that you can achieve vitamin D through the tanning bed, it is only the sun that can naturally provide you with the right amounts of vitamin D.  This article proves another important reason why we need more of the vitamin.  If studies could prove that more vitamin D could show significant improvement and strength to a baby's immune system, then pregnant women would be more motivated to take in the vitamin.  With stronger immune systems, babies could fight off many diseases that infants are targeted with.  Our infant mortality rate in the United States is surprisingly high and nobody would want their child to fall victim to this.  These studies are important because they could save the lives of our children in more ways than one.

Jessilyn Bulla
April 12, 2013
3:50 pm
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/12/health/birthday-immune-disorders-time/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Blog 8: Canadian Cancer Patients Get Weak Doses of Chemotherapy

          This article informs the public about cancer patients receiving lower than normal doses of chemotherapy in Canada.  Close to 1,200 patients received these feeble doses of chemotherapy to treat their ongoing illnesses.  The government agency, Cancer Care Ontario, reported that 990 patients were affected at 4 different hospitals and another 186 patients were under dosed at a main hospital in New Brunswisk, Canada.  The supplier of these affected drugs was identified to be Marchese Hospital Solutions.  A spokesperson for the supplier extended the company's deepest apologies and stated that chemotherapy preparation and delivery was such a complex process that there were sources for potential error.  The spokesperson also stated that they had put in many sources to minimize the potential for error and that the company would continue to do so.  The problem with the drugs was first identified by a pharmacy technician.  The consequences for the patients remained unidentified as it was said that each patient and each treatment is different.  The under dosing was estimated to be between 3% and 20% less than what it should have been.  The patients and their families are being notified of this situation.
          This article is very important as it raises concerns about how potentially life-saving drugs are handled.  Although the article did not elaborate on the patients' reactions, it can be inferred when patients depend on medical teams and suppliers to provide them with the best possible care.  It is not the doctor's fault in this situation, however the doctors could see consequences when it comes to their credibility for relying on this supplier of medicine.  Internationally, this could cause upset to many people as quality health care is a system of trust in a way.  Patients rely on their doctors and medical team to do everything they can to make them better and if the suppliers supporting the doctors are not doing their part, then people could begin to have concerns about the health care they are receiving in general.  This is a very unfortunate situation and hopefully the patients who were under dosed will not be subjected to further health risks from this one mishap.  It is understandable that nothing is perfect, but hopefully drug suppliers can use this situation to reevaluate their processes for monitoring the drugs that they supply to hospitals in order to prevent future occurrences
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Jessilyn Bulla
March 5, 2013
3:25 am
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/02/health/canada-patients-under-dosed/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Blog 7: Healing Process After Rape Never Ends

          This article talks about a teenager who was raped by two classmates at a party.  The two classmates were convicted this past week of first degree rape and will spend a year in juvenile detention and could possibly be kept in custody until they are 21 (they are 16 and 17 right now) if authorities decide to do so.  Both will also have to undergo treatment and register as sex offenders.  But, the consequences could be worse for the victim, a 16 year old girl.  Her life was threatened on social networks this week and she has been bullied and attacked on the internet since the conviction.  The article stated that the defense attorneys attacked her character during the trial because she had been drinking at the party where the incident happened.  It has been a very trying time for the victim.  Studies have shown that victims of rape are very likely to develop depression and post traumatic stress disorder.  A lot of victims cope with their emotions by turning to drugs and alcohol.  This is a serious problem not only in the United States, but also in many other countries.  The after effects of rape are sometimes worse than those that happen at the time of the incidents.  Victims are more likely to commit suicide and struggle with emotional disorders brought on by the rape.  The victim in this case is a perfect example of this claim.
          This article is important because there are conflicts like this that happen everyday in our society.  Although the victim is supposedly given "justice" but having the offenders punished, the victim is still traumatized and will always remember what happened.  There are many programs that help victims cope like therapy and such instead of dependence on alcohol and drugs like what happens in many cases.  This situation is important to the health of our nation because it fuels drug and alcohol abuse and strongly increases the risks of mental disease in victims.  Prescription drugs cannot ever fully correct these problems.  More and more young people are being diagnosed with mental illness and situations like these are only contributing to that statistic.  It is important for young people to be aware of their surroundings and pay special attention when put in positions like this whether they are at parties or a bar or club or really anywhere that is new and unfamiliar.  I think that there can never be too many programs that help make young people more aware of these risks and the seriousness of these situations.  I think our judicial system does a good job of punishing those who commit these crimes, although it is still at the expense of the victims.  Trials are always hard on the victims as they have to relive the experience and a lot of times the defense questions the victims' credibility.  This has been said to be a main reason why a lot of victims don't stand trial and drop the charges.  I think that if anything needs to be improved it should be something in this aspect as no victim should be criticized   They are after all, the victim.  Hopefully young people can learn earlier on ways to prevent a situation like this and if they are ever unfortunately put in a situation, they will be able to know that they have support and can always work to get better through the help of others.

Jessilyn Bulla
March 23, 2013
4:50 pm
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/19/health/rape-survivors-future/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Blog 6: Surrogate Offered $10,000 to Abort Baby

 This article is about a controversial surrogacy case.  Chrystal Kelley met a couple through a surrogacy agency who already had three kids and were excited for a fourth, yet the mother could not have anymore children.  Kelley was at first excited to be able to give this couple a new baby.  The first five months went smoothly with the family supporting her at doctor's visits and doing anything they could to make Kelley more comfortable.  Then, during the five month ultrasound, doctors noticed abnormalities with the baby and that her heart was unusually small.  After being referred to specialists, it was determined that the baby had a cleft lip and palate, a cyst in her brain, and serious heart defects.  The parents did not want to bring a child into the world to suffer and they wanted Kelley to have an abortion.  Kelley refused, and this was the start of a complicated custody battle up until the time the baby was born.  In the end, Kelley, after moving to a state with surrogacy laws in her favor, was awarded custody of the baby which she gave up for adoption to a couple who specialized in taking care of children with special needs.  The baby has a long road ahead of her, but she has a good support system and parents who will take care of her.
          This article is important because it proves the many controversies we have over abortion.  Laws are different in each state for abortion, custody, and surrogacy.  The lack of consistency causes even more problems in situations like this one.  A lot of people, especially other surrogates, have attacked Kelley on social networks saying that she was not the child's mother and it was not her decision.  Kelley feels confident she made the right decision and replies to them by saying that it was her body and technically her decision and right.  Lawyers jumped to support Kelley in her fight for her rights.  Abortion and custody rights are still controversial worldwide and more laws are changing as time goes on.  This is just one of the many situations that doesn't always consider the health of the mother or baby.

Jessilyn Bulla
March 9, 2013
4:30 pm
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/04/health/surrogacy-kelley-legal-battle/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Blog 5: Mothers and Babies Dying in Darkness--Nigeria

          In this article, Dr. Laura Stachel describes her time spent in Nigeria on a research trip.  While there, she was surprised at my of the things she observed, one main thing being the lack of electricity during childbirth.  Stachel was watching physicians perform an emergency C-section on a patient when the power all of a sudden went off.  Luckily, Stachel had a flashlight so the doctors could proceed with the operation.  But, if Stachel would not have been there, the procedure would have been stopped.  In Nigeria, even when mothers are distressed and having complications, doctors have to post pone birth procedures until the next day or when the power comes back on.  This bothered Stachel as many mothers and babies are put at severe risk from preventable problems.  Their lives literally depend on adequate electricity in these situations.  Midwives in Nigeria use all sorts of makeshift lighting during births like kerosene lanterns, candles, and even cell phones.  Stachel stated that this was not adequate lighting for maternal care.  Nigeria is one of the 10 most dangerous countries where women give birth and the infant mortality rate is a high 4% (before babies are 28 days old) compared to the United States' 0.4%.  Stachel went home and talked with her husband, a solar energy educator, about adequate ways to provide electricity to hospitals to prevent these risks.  Her husband created a "solar suitcase" for her to bring back to Nigeria to demonstrate the idea.  The doctors in Nigeria were shocked and grateful and insisted that Stachel leave the kit because they could use it to save lives right then in there.  During this time, funds were being raised in the US for this project which is well underway.
          This article is important because it is showing the great potential of helping underdeveloped countries grow in their technology all while benefitting others and potentially saving many lives.  The two "solar suitcases" Stachel provided that one hospital in Nigeria can save thousands of lives.  Our world today is not on the same level of advances and those in need should be guided towards creating new technologies.  Stachel is raising funds in the United States in order to provide for the doctors in Nigeria.  Here in the United States, we do not realize how important electricity is because most of us are used to utilizing it in all aspects of our lives and most parts of the day.  There are countries who still use other forms of lighting such as candles and lanterns and that is what they depend on.  It is a great thing that Stachel and her husband are working towards and hopefully more people can help other countries in order to provide them with what they need for sustainable healthcare and lives in general.

Jessilyn Bulla
March 3, 2013
4:25 pm
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/28/health/cnnheroes-stachel-solar-power/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Blog 4: Victim of HIV in Blood Transfusion

          There has been an uproar of people in Saudi Arabia criticizing health officials after a 12 year old girl was given a blood transfusion that is said to have tested positive for HIV.  The girl has sickle cell anemia and received the blood transfusion on February 12 at the main hospital in Jazan, her village.  A few hours later, a team from the hospital came to her house to inform her and her family that the blood given in the transfusion had tested HIV positive.  She was then airlifted to a bigger hospital in the Saudi capital, but it has remained unclear whether she has tested positive for HIV or not.  A representative from the government-backed Human Rights Commission is representing and investigating her case.  He stated that this was a pure form of negligence.  Open criticism of government officials is relatively rare in this country, but this situation has seemed to spark anger from most people.  Ministry officials have been attacked on Twitter and by the public, although non have yet resigned.  A talk show host pointed out that if this would have happened in another country, the ministry official(s) responsible, would have already resigned.  The case is still being investigated and the health of the girl for the present and future has not yet been confirmed.
          This situation is an extremely sensitive topic because Saudi Arabia is mostly an ultraconservative Islamic community.  The article stated that HIV and AIDS remain taboo subjects to this day and criticism of government officials is extremely rare.  The health of the girl in this case is also extremely serious.  The girl was already ill with sickle cell anemia and now she has the stress of the HIV and potential AIDS.  Her family is distraught and in shock and the girl has received thousands of views on her youtube video in which she is asking for prayers for her and her family.  The situation could have been completely avoided if the health care team would not have been negligent.  If they knew that the blood was HIV positive just hours after her transfusion then why would they have not tested it beforehand?  Or, if they did test it beforehand, why did nobody check the results before it was given to the girl?  These are required protocols in health care especially with HIV on the rise worldwide.  In regards to the government officials, they are not used to public criticism but they are also not taking responsibility for what has happened and trying to put blame on everybody else.  What it comes down to is the health care team had a responsibility to help the girl and keep her safe and through their negligent practices, they failed at this.  Its truly disturbing to think that this could really happen anywhere at any time and to such innocent victims.  Hopefully, the situation will get worked out and the girl and her family be compensated for their loss.  Although money cannot take away HIV, it will make others aware and hopefully make health care practices even more strict in the future.

Jessilyn Bulla
February 22, 2013
4:45 pm
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/20/world/meast/saudi-arabia-hiv-case/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Blog 3: Dirty Diapers and Childhood Health

          This article discusses a new study between the possible effects of dirty diapers and children, breast milk vs. formula, and cesarean birth vs. vaginal birth.  The main idea is that it’s all about the bacteria and their growth in new born babies.  Bacteria that grow in the stomach provide many natural bodily functions and are essential to help the body fight off the “bad bacteria” later on in life.  The study has shown that babies born through cesarean section do not have the same bacteria in their stomachs as those born through vaginal birth.  This is because in vaginal birth the babies are exposed to many different bacteria in the birth canal and can pick up from the mother’s stomach.  This is, in a certain sense, the baby’s' first ways of immunization towards harmful bacteria before they enter the world.  Babies born of cesarean section do not get these same bacteria because they do not pass through the birth canal.  Previous studies have linked cesarean delivery to higher risk of asthma, diabetes, and obesity, although the reason for this is still not clear.  Breast-feeding also showed a change in microbes as formula babies showed certain bacterium that breast fed babies did not.  This bacterium could cause health problems for the babies later on in life.  Although reasoning and relationships between these variables are still not clear, the studies have shown that there is a connection between health of the babies later on and the presence or lack of certain healthy and unhealthy bacteria.  More studies will be conducted to hopefully provide reasoning and solutions.

            This article is important because babies are very fragile when they are born and most mothers would want the best for their children.  If we could understand what options are the best for newborn babies, then it could prevent possible serious diseases and health risks as the babies grow up.  There are a lot more childhood diseases worldwide and finding out what could prevent them would be essential for parents of newborns.  If cesarean sections are depriving babies of the healthy bacteria they need, then hopefully doctors could develop more options for women who need cesarean sections during childbirth.  The health of young babies is very important worldwide because they are our future and most parents would want what is best for their newborn children to grow and prosper in life.  More studies need to be conducted in order to figure out the effects of breast feeding options and birthing options for newborn children.

Jessilyn Bulla

February 15, 2013

4:27 pm

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/14/health/time-bacteriachildren/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Blog 2: Horsemeat Found In Lasagna

          This week, food safety officials in the United Kingdom ordered testing on all beef products sold in the UK.  Just a few weeks earlier, horse and pig DNA had been found in burgers sold by a UK firm called FIndus.  Findus said that it had withdrawn it's lasagna products on the market on Monday.  Testing showed between 60% and 100% of horsemeat in the lasagna by Findus.  These dishes and similar dishes are labeled 100% beef.  Companies in Poland, France and Ireland have also begun to take precautions and pull certain dishes for testing that were manufactured by the company.
          The UK firms must have tested all their beef products by this coming Friday.  Burgers, meatballs and lasagna are also included in the testing.  In Sweden, three large food retailers have recalled their lasagna due to suspicions of horsemeat in their products.  Horsemeat itself is not considered a health risk, but it could contain the veterinary drug phenylbutazone, or bute, which is commonly used to treat horses.  This drug could cause harm when ingested by humans.  Producers have also been ordered to test their products for this drug.
          Another problem is the pig DNA discovery could cause conflict with Jews and Muslims, where it is against their dietary laws to consume pig products.  The products are considered mislabeled which is a big issue because by law, labels are monitored and should be 100% accurate.  The horsemeat situation has caused a great uproar from consumers.
          This article presents several problems that the horsemeat discovery has caused.  The Food and Drug Administration has the duty of monitoring producers, including all labeling of products.  Consumers expect accurate labeling on food since it should be closely monitored.  The horsemeat situation has caused doubts from consumers towards future products monitored by the FDA.  If they could not catch this, then what's next?  Consumers have every right to know exactly what they are eating, that is the whole point in food labeling to begin with.  It could put everybody's health at risk because of food allergies and bodily reactions to certain foods.  The possibility of a fatal drug for humans used to treat horses also raises concerns to consumers.  If this drug is in the horsemeat that was produced, it could sicken many consumers who ingested the contaminated food.
          Also with this situation comes concern for respecting religious dietary laws.  The article stated that pig DNA was found in several products.  Dietary laws of Jews and Muslims prohibit consuming pig products.  These products were mislabeled and the consumers are those who are affected.  Lasagna dishes served in prisons were labeled and served as "halal" which means "prepared in compliance with Islamic dietary law".  Jewish dietary law also prohibits consumption of horsemeat so many religions were affected by this situation.  Consumers will no doubt be hesitant in the future of what they buy after they have lost trust in food labels.  Hopefully this situation will cause food safety monitors to reevaluate their rules of supervision and help them create stricter, more effective ways in monitoring food labels, food products, and their producers.


Jessilyn Bulla
February 10, 2013
5:15 am
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/08/world/europe/uk-horsemeat-probe/?hpt=zite_zite1_featured

Blog 1: Norovirus Awareness

          This article discusses several problems and concerns about the common virus called the Norovirus.  A new strain has mutated called the Sydney strain.  Sources say that the Norovirus is one of the most common food borne illnesses.  The reason for this is because it is spread in the air, by contact and through fecal matter.
          Restaurants serve as a crucial host to the virus.  Studies have shown that dishes washed under restaurant conditions have still had the virus stuck to them and sticky cheeses have been the reason for this.  If a restaurant employee uses the bathroom and does not wash their hands properly they can come back and prepare food for an entire meal and infect all of the people who come in contact with it.  A lot of restaurants do not pay for sick days so employees still come to work when they are feeling ill.  This is also a problem that contributes to the spread of the virus.
          Since the Norovirus is also spread through fecal matter, this can affect doing laundry in the home.  The article suggests that all laundry be washed with hot water and bleach to destroy the virus.  If one article of infected clothing is washed with normal laundry, this contaminates the entire load.  Then the family wears the infected clothes and can become ill with the virus.  Bedsheets and towels are also subject to spread the virus.  The virus lives on any surface and is very difficult to destroy.  Door handles, remotes and other common items in the household could easily be infected and then transferred through human contact.  Another study showed that a plastic bag in the bathroom of a home where an infected person threw up had been contaminated with the virus.  This causes a huge problem with the virus being airborne and makes it easier to transmit to others.
          The Norovirus is the most common cause of stomach upset.  Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue.  Simple cleaning alone will not kill the virus.  There is no cure for it and no vaccine.  Cleaning your hands with hand sanitizer alone will not even kill the virus.  Washing your hands properly with hot water for more than 30 seconds at a time is stressed in the article to further prevent contamination and to kill what has already been contaminated.  "Clearly, washing your hands is the key."
          This article brings to mind a serious problem of contamination with viruses like this and many other diseases.  A lot of people do not know how to properly wash their hands and do not realize the importance of it.  The fact that restaurant workers are coming to work because they cannot afford to not get paid is a serious issue because of all the people that are put into jeopardy.  The dangerous point with this virus is that you can infect people before you even feel sick.
          The article stated that simple cleaning will not kill the virus and there is no way to physically see the virus on surfaces or in the air so this makes it harder to get rid of.  New strains of viruses are especially dangerous because people do not know what they have or how it is spread.  Our global health revolves around commonly spread diseases and human contact is the number one way to contaminate others.  If people were more aware of common hand washing techniques and could apply them then it would decrease the spread of disease.  This is a global issue because people travel from country to country and you can bring it on an airplane where people part ways afterwards.  The virus stays with people as they travel on to their different destinations.  With no vaccine, hand washing and awareness are the only ways to control the spread of disease.  Our world needs to be more aware of the dangers of viruses and how when they mutate this could cause an international epidemic.



Jessilyn Bulla
February 1, 2013
4:31 pm
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/28/16739631-norovirus-why-washing-your-hands-isnt-enough?lite

Health/disease

I decided to cover health/disease because I am majoring in nursing and am very interested in the topic.  I think that learning about current events on this topic will give me an idea of what I will be learning about and experiencing later on.