Cross-sectional study of association between caries and fluoridated water among third-grade students in Pennsylvania.

BACKGROUND: Caries is the most common chronic disease among children. In Pennsylvania, a comprehensive oral health Basic Screening Survey and assessment of the association between caries and community water fluoridation (CWF) among children have not been conducted. METHODS: From 2021 through 2022, the first Basic Screening Survey was conducted among third-grade students in Pennsylvania. Oral health and demographic data were collected. CWF data were provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The relative risk of developing caries in association with CWF was assessed using the GENMOD procedure in SAS, Version 9.4 (SAS Institute) in this cross-sectional study. RESULTS: Caries prevalence was 59.7% among 4,120 screened students. Participation in the free or reduced lunch program and CWF were each significantly associated with risk of developing caries after adjustment for age, sex, and race and ethnicity. The risk of developing caries was 33% higher among students who participated in the free or reduced lunch program than those who did not participate (relative risk, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.24 to 1.42). Students with the highest CWF coverage had a nearly 16% lower risk of developing caries than those without CWF coverage (relative risk, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.94). CONCLUSIONS: CWF was significantly associated with a reduced risk of developing caries. Efforts are needed to increase CWF coverage, along with promotion of oral health education and healthy dietary habits among Pennsylvania children. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Increasing CWF coverage will reduce caries burden among Pennsylvania children. Although Pennsylvania has no state laws to regulate CWF, these findings are persuasive for local municipalities to consider expanding CWF coverage.

Ticks associated with domestic dogs and cats in Florida, USA.

Voluntary collections of ticks from domestic dogs and cats by veterinary practitioners across Florida, USA, were conducted over a 10 month period. Of the 1337 ticks submitted, five species of ixodid ticks were identified and included Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Amblyomma americanum, A. maculatum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis. Most ticks were collected from dogs (98.4%) with the most predominant species being R. sanguineus (94.3%). Of the ticks collected from cats (1.6%), A. americanum were the most common (74%). Only R. sanguineus were collected throughout the state, with the other species collected only in central and north Florida. The tick species collected from dogs and cats represent a risk to these domestic species as well as associated humans for a range of tick-borne diseases in Florida.