Blog 10: H7N9 bird flu poised to spread

The H7N9 avian flu is said to be expanding now to other parts of China. Where until now the virus was only in Shanghai and close by regions, there have been new cases found in the northern part of China and new cases in the center area. The spread of communal disease is made very easy when there is a high population. China is the perfect place for the spread of disease due to the amount of people living there. Is it even a wonder why this flu is already spreading with all the precautions taken to control it? The Beijing Municipal Health Bureau announced the first asymptomatic case. After coming in contact with a 7 year old who has been hospitalized with the virus, they tested positive despite showing no symptoms. Officials fear that this may suggest that the virus may be more widespread than the numbers show. By having mild cases, this could be worrying because reduced virulence can point to further genetic adaptation of the virus, which in turn has a greater potential to spread. As of Monday, April 15, there were 63 infections and 14 deaths reported, up from 24 cases just a week prior. These numbers are becoming troubling to experts. An issue with this virus is that it has several mutations making it more adapted to humans. Chinese authorities have already identified H7N9 in birds in live bird markets in Shanghai and other cities. Even with surveillance of other animals, the animal reservoirs remain largely unknown. Until they find out how many animals of which species have the virus and how genetically diverse it is, they won’t know how big of threat H7N9 poses. 

http://www.nature.com/news/h7n9-bird-flu-poised-to-spread-1.12801

Page Odom

4/18/13

2:29 PM

Blog 9: China praised for transparency during bird flu outbreak

This week’s blog is a follow up on the H7N9 flu in China. After reading this article, I got the since that China handles things, such as crisis’ and major issues, way differently than the U.S. According to the article, China is making improvements on its promptness of diseases and with informing the family of the diseased. There was one case where it was unclear if authorities had informed the family of a patient when it was discovered he had the virus. The patient’s family only found out that he was one of the first victims of this new virus, when friends alerted him to official media reports. This was more than two weeks after he fell sick and died due to lung failure. A woman who had answered the phone at the hospital in Shanghai told a family member when they called that it is not the faculty’s responsibility to notify relatives about the diagnosis. The Communist Youth Daily newspaper commented on the issue with “The transparency of information from the government is still being called into question by the public, and the actions the government has taken have not convinced the public.” It was also recognized as a good accomplishment that the information for this recent outbreak was given for public knowledge. Beijing shared sampled with the WHO and provided timey infections and death. This is a huge improvement from the 2003 SARS outbreak, where some patients were taken out of hospitals in Beijing and driven around the city to keep them out of sight while an investigating team from the WHO toured health facilities. I find they have had much improvement over the years when dealing with diseases and outbreaks and hopefully they will continue in this matter to help prevent further outbreaks.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57579081/china-praised-for-transparency-during-bird-flu-outbreak/

Page Odom

4/11/13

9:41 PM

Blog 8: China Announces 4 New Flu Cases

            I am sure many people remember the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. That was a respiratory illness found in pigs. There are many strains of swine flu, all of which can be dangerous. On Tuesday, China announced that four more people had been infected with a new strain of bird flu. This same strain was believed to have killed two Shanghai residents last month and left one in critical condition. The two who died were both male ages 27 and 87, while the critically ill patient was a 35 year old woman. All three were from the Shanghai area. The four reported on Tuesday were all from Jiangsu Province, just in different cities. Of the four, three are female and one is male and they range from ages 32 to 83. Two of them even began developing flu symptoms on March 19^th. This strain of bird flu is identified as H7N9. It had not been found in humans until the Shanghai case. A strain from 2003, H5N1, killed hundreds of people in Asia and led to the deaths of tens of millions of birds. This specific case was troubling because there is no vaccine for the H7N9 strain. One of the four infected with the H7N9 strain is a poultry butcher and in past strains, the cases involved infected poultry. A random fact the article brought up was that around the same time the new four cases came up, 15,000 dead pigs were found in the Huangpu River. There was no link found between this and the H7N9 strain but the explanation has still not been found.

            Any kind of influenza is nothing to joke around with but with all the new strains coming out, it is important to keep up with the news and pay attention during flu seasons. It is more common in Asian populations but that doesn’t mean it won’t affect others.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/world/asia/china-announces-new-flu-cases.html?_r=0

04/02/13

6:00 PM

Blog 7: U.K.: Public O.K. with creating babies from 3 people

            With technology rapidly advancing, people are coming up with new ways to reduce the chances of having kids with some sort of disorder. In vitro fertilization, which is when an egg is fertilized by sperm outside the body and then transferred to the woman’s uterus with the intention of a successful pregnancy, has been around since 1978. Since then, researchers in Britain are now looking at creating babies with three different people. Britain actually has laws against the alteration of a human egg or embryo before transferring it into a woman. However, such treatments, like the one being conducted now, are only allowed for research. After researchers are finished, they will pass their findings to the government in hopes of them changing the law. The reason for researchers in Britain putting such focus on this is due to their high rate of mitochondrial disorders. Each year about one in 200 children in Britain is born with a mitochondrial disorder. A mitochondrial disorder is when there are “faults in a cell’s energy source that are contained outside the nucleus in a normal female egg.” This fault in the genetic code can later result in serious diseases including muscular dystrophy, mental retardation, epilepsy, and heart problems.

            To try to lower the rates of this disorder, scientists came up with creating a baby from three people – two biological mothers and a father. However, this seemed inaccurate because there were only traces of genetic material from one of the women. The procedure included using an egg from one woman with the mitochondrial defects and the sperm of the father. Scientists then take that embryo into an emptied egg from a second woman with healthy mitochondria. I feel like this procedure will possibly cause problems one day due to the fact there is a third party. Nevertheless, it does give hope to the women who are afraid to have kids due to their possibility of passing down genetic issues. 

Page Odom

3/21/13

3:18 PM

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/03/20/britain-fertility-dna/2003221/

Blog 6: Treatment-resistant Hypertension

Hypertension (HTN), also known as high blood pressure, is a growing issue for countries all over the world. It affects nearly 972 million people worldwide. There have been many efforts to lower this number and even with multiple new therapies introduced a great portion of people with hypertension lack blood pressure control. Hypertension can lead to cardiovascular problems such as stroke and heart attack, as well as heart failure and kidney disease when not kept under control. The issue with hypertension is that it has no symptoms or warning signs. This is why it is also known as the “silent killer.”

Out of Erlangen, Germany, an international survey was conducted on treatment-resistant hypertension (rHTN). Research suggests that 28 percent of treated hypertensive individuals are considered resistant to treatment. Virtually 120 million people worldwide are diagnosed with rHTN, which is defined as persistent high blood pressure despite treatment from three or more anti-hypertensive medications. Treatment-resistant hypertension is typically caused by multiple factors including lifestyle and underlying conditions, which then requires making its diagnosis and managing it. By having rHTN, the patient automatically has an increased risk for cardiovascular events, including stroke and heart attack, as compared to those who have controlled hypertension.

Power Over Pressure, a coalition of global hypertension experts endorsed by the American Society of Hypertension and the European Society of Hypertension, commissioned a global study of uncontrolled hypertension patients, half of whom were treatment-resistant. The survey included more than 4,500 uncontrolled hypertension patients in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Results indicated that people with rHTN are very worried about their overall health. Fifty-seven percent of patients reported that they are often anxious about managing their blood pressure and forty-one percent reported feelings of being powerless to control their high blood pressure. So hopefully, with the help of Power Over Pressure and regular blood pressure checks, the diagnosis and management of treatment-resistant hypertension will greatly improve.

http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Patient_230/Treatment-Resistant-Hypertension-Exerts-A-Serious-Emotional-Toll-on-Patients.shtml

Page Odom

03/04/13

9:26 PM

Blog 5: Affordable and portable disease diagnostics

            Many third world countries have many diseases that thrive because they do not have the means to diagnose, treat, and manage them. Therefore, for the people that has these diseases and do not know it, will spread it without knowing it, which causes a huge outbreak. Now, thanks to a team of Caltech engineers and biologists, an inexpensive, portable, easy-to-use device, is said to speed the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS and other diseases. This device is also said to improve treatment in all areas over the world. What these biologists and engineers have done is built a new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device. The machine is small enough to fit into a backpack and is simple to operate. They compare it to the simplicity of using a DVD player. What the machine does is generate many copies of a pathogenic nucleic acid, which allows the infection to be detected.

            This device was the result of 10 years of research. When H5N1 bird flu pandemic happened in Asia, this was when the device first was put to use. Small amounts of the viral material were taken and a large number of copies were made so the virus could be identified. The initial cost of the PCR machine, in 2005, was $50,000. Since this is obviously too expensive for developing countries, a far less expensive PCR machine was created but it did not give results fast enough. Researchers then teamed up with another scientist, Baltimore, who is one of the world’s leading experts on AIDS and won his Nobel for work in virology. They thought that if they could build something that was useful for detecting H5N1, then it would be equally useful in detecting other viruses or diseases like HIV/AIDS. By the end of 2006, a newer version of the machine was capable of evaluating a sample in 94 seconds compared to 45 minutes like the previous machines. This machine was fast and relatively cheap, $13,000, but was still the size of a microwave oven. The newest machine, the one talked about in the previous paragraph, runs off a rechargeable battery and operates from the push of a button. It can diagnose acute lower-respiratory diseases, diarrheal diseases, malaria, and other such conditions. The goal is to bring the cost of the machine below $1,000 and each test under $5.

2/28/13

1:44 PM

http://phys.org/news/2013-02-portable-disease-diagnostics-world.html

Blog 4: Overuse of Antibiotics on Chinese Pig Farms

Antibiotic resistance is a form of drug resistance where microorganisms are able to survive, even after exposure to antibiotics. Antibiotic resistant genes pose a worldwide human health risk. With this said, “China is the world’s biggest producer and consumer of antibiotics in the world, with at least 46 percent of antibiotics being you in livestock”. Chinese researchers did a study where they analyzed manure from three commercial pig farms in China. They then, looked at the results and compared them to manure from pigs that had never been fed antibiotics and soil from a “pristine forest”, also in China. The results from this study: 149 “unique” antibiotic resistant genes were found in the commercial farm manure, which is three times more than the control samples. Therefore, the issue becomes the misuse of antibiotics in Chinese farms, which may risk being spread worldwide through not only the manure but fertilizer run-off. “The genes can be spread via microbes in manure, compost or the soil, as these enter rivers, leach into underground water, are transported by the wind or human travel, or in agricultural products such as gardening compost”. Another issue that can become of this one is if the resistance creates superbugs, which are germs that are resistant to a combination of antibiotics. The issue is trying to be resolved, but different countries are going about it different ways. For example, the European Union has banned the use of antibiotics as a growth promoter and the United States as well as Australia has been banning more classes of antibiotics. However, a global framework is still needed to ensure its effectiveness. Professor Matthew Cooper of the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, states it clearly when he says, “Animals get transported between countries, as do people. Infectious disease is no longer a national issue, it’s a global issue.”

Page Odom

2/20/13

2:56 PM

http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/global-health-threat-seen-in-overuse-of-antibiotics-on-chinese-pig-farms/ 

Blog 3: Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights

Being educated in the area of basic sexual and reproduction health is a privilege for many, while out of reach for others. In Indonesia, as well as other less developed countries, this can be because the government does not make it a priority or it can be because accesses to these health centers are too far away and/or they cannot afford it. According to the UN, approximately 800 women die with relations to pregnancy and childbirth. In addition, for each of these deaths, “another 20 women endure lifelong suffering because of injury, infection, disease or disabilities stemming from pregnancy, childbirth, or an unsafe abortion.” Many women, including migrant women in the United States, are turned away from health centers even right before giving birth since they do not have the money for the treatment or procedure. Marianne Mollmann, senior policy advisor at Amnesty International stated, “The tragic reality is that many deaths and injuries connected with pregnancy and childbirth can be prevented.”

Lack of information plays a huge role in this issue. In Indonesia, women were interviewed and it was found that the women were not given adequate information on their right to access contraceptives. This lack of information combined with their limited access to abortion meant that many young women were left with only the choice to carry on with an unwanted pregnancy or seek an abortion with very unsafe conditions. The UN estimates that adolescents account for 2.5 million of the 19 million unsafe abortions performed in the developing world. With that said, girls between the ages of 10 and 19 make up 70% of hospitalizations due to unsafe abortions. Something interesting that shows the effects of this lack of knowledge; “In 2011, UNAIDS reported that only 34 per cent of young people in developing countries were able to answer correctly five basic questions about HIV and how to prevent it. The same demographic currently accounts for 41 per cent of all new HIV cases.”

A plan was set back in 1994, the Programme of Action, which was aimed to transform how population policies and programmes were formulated and implemented. This was to ensure women of their sexual health and reproductive rights. The representatives are set to meet up again in 2014 to review the progress on the Programme of Action.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/women-s-silent-killer-sexual-health-policies-found-lacking-worldwide-2013-02-13

Page Odom

2/14/13

12:51 PM

Blog 2: Syria Health Crisis

     Four million of Syria's population are in need of urgent assistance. Syria is having all sorts of health issues between water-borne diseases, burn victims, and the opposition keeping vaccines from being transported. Hospitals are short of medicine, the Health Ministry has run out of trauma treatments, and surgeons are fleeing so hospitals are closing. People are scared of going to the hospitals due to the opposition controlling the roads, so they are going directly to the surgeons' homes, which is causing misfortunes for these surgeons. About 78% of Syria's ambulances are damaged and many of those are not even functional. However, due to the fighting over there and the misuse of ambulances as a fighter transport, the U.N agency will no longer supply new ambulances. One of the biggest concerns is the sanitation system with the breakdown of water. The number of water-borne diseases continues to rise. Chlorine gas is usually used to purify water but it has been banned over the fear of it being used as a chemical weapon. Recently UNICEF has been importing sodium chloride as an alternative way of water purification.
     When looking at the burns hospital, there is an abundance of patients that are showing up due to the explosions from the opposition. These explosions are hitting high-populated areas and many women and children are the victims of these burns. Serum is needed for operations and for trauma but it cannot be accessed because it's about 2 miles away on a road that is controlled by the opposition. Earlier, when I mentioned the vaccines not being able to be transported, this is because the planes carrying the doses of vaccines were shot at last week.
     Syria is having a difficult time, to say the least. Now, more than half of their hospitals have been damaged and more than a third are out of service. Women have been going to the open hospitals to obtain medicine, bandages, and broad-spectrum antibiotics. This is a good indication that patients are being looked after in their homes. It's sad to see how people are living over there but without taking out the opposition, Syria is going to continue to get worse.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/05/syria-dirty-water-diseases_n_2624118.html

Page Odom
February 7th, 2013
2:40 pm

Blog:1 Leprosy in India

      Leprosy is a chronic disease that typically affects the skin and peripheral nerves but also has a range of other manifestations. It is caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy has a long incubation period of about 5-7 years. This disease is the leading cause of permanent physical disability. If diagnosed and treated before nerve damage occurs, disability may be prevented.  In India, they are celebrating their almost victory over polio, while leprosy continues to haunt the people. Back in the 2005 the disease was nearly eliminated with less than 1 person per 10,000 having the disease, it is now "the world's highest burden of disease". Dr. Gopal, International President of the International Association for Integration, Dignity and Economic Advancement, states that in the country, there are 700 leprosy colonies "where over 200,000 people live marginalized lives." 
      The people of India affected by this disease are faced with social stigma and discrimination. For any of them who wish to go to school or apply for a job and live in one of the 700 leprosy colonies, are denied the job position as well as school admittance. This also applies to anyone without the disease and just happens to live in the same area. As for treatment goes, India with the help of the World Bank and the World Health Organization began providing free multi-drug therapy to affected people starting in 1993 up until 2004 when India took over the program in 2005 when the disease was "eliminated". What is really sad, as Mr. Narasappa of the National Federation of Leprosy Cured People in India says, is "'People in the rural areas do not even know MDT is available free and importantly they keep away from health facilities for fear of stigma'". 

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/leprosy-continues-to-haunt-india-social-stigma-remains/article4358263.ece

2:30 pm
1/31/13
Page Odom

Health/Disease

I chose health and disease for my blog topic because although I am a HDF major, I am also a Pre-Nursing major. Nursing is what I always wanted to do and the field is always changing and progressing. It's really interesting to me how your health can change due to certain factors and be resolved by something else. New vaccines and medications are always coming out. There is something out there to fix almost anything, treat almost anything, and cure almost anything. We've come a long way over the years and I enjoy learning about the new innovations.