Prevalence of Positive Childhood Experiences Among Adults - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Four States, 2015-2021.

Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) promote optimal health and mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences, but PCE prevalence in the United States is not well-known. Using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, this study describes the prevalence of individual and cumulative PCEs among adults residing in four states: Kansas (2020), Montana (2019), South Carolina (2020), and Wisconsin (2015). Cumulative PCE scores were calculated by summing affirmative responses to seven questions. Subscores were created for family-related (three questions) and community-related (four questions) PCEs. The prevalence of individual PCEs varied from 59.5% (enjoyed participating in community traditions) to 90.5% (adult in respondents' household made them feel safe), and differed significantly by race and ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation. Fewer non-Hispanic Black or African American (49.2%), non-Hispanic Alaska Native or American Indian (37.7%), and Hispanic or Latino respondents (38.9%) reported 6-7 PCEs than did non-Hispanic White respondents (55.2%). Gay or lesbian, and bisexual respondents were less likely than were straight respondents to report 6-7 PCEs (38.1% and 27.4% versus 54.7%, respectively). A PCE score of 6-7 was more frequent among persons with higher income and education. Improved understanding of the relationship of PCEs to adult health and well-being and variation among population subgroups might help reduce health inequities.

Sporotrichosis Cluster in Domestic Cats and Veterinary Technician, Kansas, USA, 2022.

We describe a feline sporotrichosis cluster and zoonotic transmission between one of the affected cats and a technician at a veterinary clinic in Kansas, USA. Increased awareness of sporotrichosis and the potential for zoonotic transmission could help veterinary professionals manage feline cases and take precautions to prevent human acquisition.

Male Farm and Agricultural Worker Suicides in Kansas, 2016-2020.

OBJECTIVES: There is limited research on the factors that contribute to suicides among farm and agriculture workers. The purpose of this analysis was to examine the socio-demographic characteristics and circumstances that may increase risk of suicide for a farm worker by using the detailed data from the Kansas Violent Death Reporting System (KS-VDRS). METHODS: KS-VDRS is a state-based system and was used to look at suicides among farm and agricultural workers that occurred in Kansas from 2016 to 2020. Frequencies, percentages, and age-adjusted rates were calculated to compare trends between farm/agriculture workers and other major occupational groups (non-farm/agriculture). Females were not included in this analysis due to low counts in the occupational group. RESULTS: In Kansas, male farm and agriculture workers die by suicide at a rate of 147.5 per 100,000 population, which is 3 times that of the average male workers (45.2 per 100,000 population). Male suicide decedents in farming and agriculture-related occupations were older with a mean age of 54 years and less educated (73% had a high school diploma or less) than their non-agriculture counterparts (mean age 44 years, and 57% had a high school diploma or less). Common circumstances around time of death were current depressed mood (58.6%), current mental health problem (41.4%), and physical health problem (31.4%). CONCLUSION: KSVDRS provides valuable information on the circumstances surrounding suicides, and this can inform prevention efforts within and across states. Numerous factors may contribute to the increased risk of suicide among farmers and those who work in agriculture. Physical health problems, family relationship problems, and financial problems are more commonly reported among this population compared to other male workers. Findings from this report highlight the complexity of suicide risk within the farm and agriculture industry in Kansas and reinforce the need for state-specific data and tailored prevention efforts.

Kansas beef bulls with chronic anaplasmosis demonstrate satisfactory breeding soundness outcomes at breeding soundness examination.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of chronic Anaplasma marginale infection in beef bulls from eastern Kansas and compare breeding soundness parameters between A marginale-infected and uninfected bulls. We hypothesized that bulls with chronic anaplasmosis would have inferior breeding soundness exam (BSE) outcomes as a result of persistent A marginale infection or the consequence of initial clinical disease compared to uninfected bulls. ANIMALS: 535 client-owned beef bulls from eastern Kansas undergoing routine BSE. METHODS: Complete BSEs were conducted by participating veterinarians according to the second edition of the Society for Theriogenology Manual for Breeding Soundness Examination of Bulls. Blood samples were collected for PCV determination and analysis of A marginale infection status via quantitative PCR and cELISA. Logistic and linear regression methods were used to evaluate factors associated with A marginale infection status and BSE parameters. RESULTS: Prevalence of chronic A marginale infection was 46% (245/535) among bulls. Unsatisfactory BSE outcome was not statistically associated with chronic anaplasmosis in this study population, although more bulls with chronic anaplasmosis had unsatisfactory BSE outcomes (15.0 ± 2.4% vs 12.0 ± 2.2%). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Chronic anaplasmosis is prevalent among eastern Kansas breeding bulls; however, no negative association between chronic anaplasmosis and breeding soundness at time of BSE was observed.

New York Heart Association Class and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire in Acute Heart Failure.

Importance: Sparse data exist regarding how clinician-assigned New York Heart Association (NYHA) class compares with heart failure (HF)-specific Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) in acute HF. Objective: To compare concordance between NYHA class and KCCQ overall summary score (KCCQ-OS) in acute HF and investigate associations of changes in NYHA class and KCCQ-OS with long-term outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study, patients with HF were enrolled from 52 hospitals in China between August 2016 and May 2018. Among patients with NYHA class and KCCQ-OS at admission and 1 month, levels of each scale were categorized into 4 groups from worst to best. Mild and moderate to severe discordance were defined as NYHA class and KCCQ-OS differing by 1 level or 2 or more levels, respectively. Multivariable models evaluated associations between improvements in the 2 measures and outcomes. Analysis was conducted from January to March 2023. Exposure: Changes in NYHA class and KCCQ-OS from admission to 1 month. Main Outcomes and Measures: All-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, or first HF rehospitalization. Results: A total of 2683 patients (1709 [63.7%] male; median [IQR] age, 66 [56-75] years) were included. NYHA class II, III, and IV were presented in 374 patients (13.9%), 1179 patients (44.0%), and 1130 patients (42.1%), respectively, and the median (IQR) KCCQ-OS was 44.4 (28.3-61.9). Concordance, mild discordance, and moderate to severe discordance between admission NYHA class and KCCQ-OS occurred in 954 patients (35.6%), 1203 patients (44.8%), and 526 patients (19.6%), respectively. For KCCQ-OS, kernel density overlaps were 73.6% between NYHA II and III, 63.8% between NYHA II and IV, and 88.3% between NYHA III and IV. Most patients experienced improvements in NYHA and KCCQ-OS from admission to 1 month. After adjustment, there was no significant association between improvements in NYHA class and 4-year all-cause mortality, whereas 5 or more point improvements in KCCQ-OS were independently associated with a lower risk of 4-year mortality (hazard ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74-0.96; P = .01). NYHA class and KCCQ-OS improvements were both associated with decreased risk of 1-year composite cardiovascular death or HF rehospitalization. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of acute HF, discordance between NYHA class and KCCQ was common, and KCCQ was more relevant to subsequent mortality than NYHA class.

Outbreak of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis - Kansas, 2021-2022.

An outbreak of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) involved 13 persons in four households in a low-income, under-resourced urban Kansas community during November 2021-November 2022. A majority of the seven adults identified in the Kansas outbreak were born outside the United States in a country that had experienced an MDR TB outbreak with the same genotype during 2007-2009, whereas most of the six children in the Kansas outbreak were U.S.-born. Prompt identification, evaluation, and treatment of persons with MDR TB and their contacts is essential to limiting transmission.

Investigation of the environmental presence of Salmonella spp. in finishing pigs at commercial swine farms in Kansas (USA).

Salmonellosis remains a major foodborne disease threat to public health worldwide. Swine are considered a reservoir for many Salmonella serotypes affecting humans; however, not all serotypes of concern in food animal products cause clinical signs of infection in swine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence and distribution of Salmonella spp. in finishing pigs at commercial farms across Kansas (USA). Five farms were selected and sampled when pigs weighed between 125 and 136 kg. Samples were collected and transported to the laboratory for processing following USDA-FSIS guidelines. Susceptibility and resistance profiles were also studied. Fifty-three percent (100/186) of samples were culture positive for Enterobacteriaceae, and 14% (14/100) were confirmed Salmonella positive by PCR with three of five farms having no PCR-positive samples. Salmonella serotype Braenderup was the most common serovar identified in environmental samples, while Salm. Infantis, Agona, and Montevideo were identified in fecal samples. Multidrug resistance patterns were only found in Farm 3, in fecal samples and in one floor sample. The observations reported in this study highlight areas of concern, such as locations prone to fecal contamination, to be considered when cleaning and sanitizing between groups of pigs to decrease presence of Salmonella spp. in farm environments.

Prevalence and clinical presentation of EV-D68 infections in Kansas City children during the 2022 season.

Seasonal EV-D68 infections can strain medical care resources due to increased pediatric hospitalizations for respiratory illness. In this study, we examine Kansas City's 2022 EV-D68 season. Rhinovirus/enterovirus (RV/EV) positive respiratory specimens from standard of care testing were salvaged and tested by EV-D68 specific PCR. Of the 1412 respiratory specimens tested from July 1 to September 15, 2022, 346 (23%) were positive for RV/EV and EV-D68 was detected in 134/319 (42%) salvaged RV/EV positive specimens. The median age of children with EV-D68 infections was 35.2 months (IQR 16.1, 67.3), which was older than children with non-EV-D68 RV/EV infections (16 months, IQR 5, 47.8), but younger than children infected during the 2014 EV-D68 outbreak. EV-D68 infection was more likely to cause severe disease in children with asthma compared to those without asthma. Real-time EV-D68 monitoring for outbreaks could potentially improve resource utilization by hospitals and help prepare for surges of respiratory disease.

Large-scale agricultural burning and cardiorespiratory emergency department visits in the U.S. state of Kansas.

BACKGROUND: Prescribed agricultural burning is a common land management practice, but little is known about the health effects from the resulting smoke exposure. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between smoke from prescribed burning and cardiorespiratory outcomes in the U.S. state of Kansas. METHODS: We analyzed a zip code-level, daily time series of primary cardiorespiratory emergency department (ED) visits for February-May (months when prescribed burning is common in Kansas) in the years 2009-2011 (n = 109,220). Given limited monitoring data, we formulated a measure of smoke exposure using non-traditional datasets, including fire radiative power and locational attributes from remote sensing data sources. We then assigned a population-weighted potential smoke impact factor (PSIF) to each zip code, based on fire intensity, smoke transport, and fire proximity. We used Poisson generalized linear models to estimate the association between PSIF on the same day and in the past 3 days and asthma, respiratory including asthma, and cardiovascular ED visits. RESULTS: During the study period, prescribed burning took place on approximately 8 million acres in Kansas. Same-day PSIF was associated with a 7% increase in the rate of asthma ED visits when adjusting for month, year, zip code, meteorology, day of week, holidays, and correlation within zip codes (rate ratio [RR]: 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01, 1.13). Same-day PSIF was not associated with a combined outcome of respiratory ED visits (RR [95% CI]: 0.99 [0.97, 1.02]), or cardiovascular ED visits (RR [95% CI]: 1.01 [0.98, 1.04]). There was no consistent association between PSIF during the past 3 days and any of the outcomes. SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest an association between smoke exposure and asthma ED visits on the same day. Elucidating these associations will help guide public health programs that address population-level exposure to smoke from prescribed burning.

The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic Policy on Social Needs Across the State of Kansas and Western Missouri: Paired Survey Response Testing.

BACKGROUND: Studying patients' social needs is critical to the understanding of health conditions and disparities, and to inform strategies for improving health outcomes. Studies have shown that people of color, low-income families, and those with lower educational attainment experience greater hardships related to social needs. The COVID-19 pandemic represents an event that severely impacted people's social needs. This pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, and contributed to food and housing insecurity, while highlighting weaknesses in the health care system surrounding access to care. To combat these issues, legislators implemented unique policies and procedures to help alleviate worsening social needs throughout the pandemic, which had not previously been exerted to this degree. We believe that improvements related to COVID-19 legislature and policy have positively impacted people's social needs in Kansas and Missouri, United States. In particular, Wyandotte County is of interest as it suffers greatly from issues related to social needs that many of these COVID-19-related policies aimed to improve. OBJECTIVE: The research objective of this study was to evaluate the change in social needs before and after the COVID-19 pandemic declaration based on responses to a survey from The University of Kansas Health System (TUKHS). We further aimed to compare the social needs of respondents from Wyandotte County from those of respondents in other counties in the Kansas City metropolitan area. METHODS: Social needs survey data from 2016 to 2022 were collected from a 12-question patient-administered survey distributed by TUKHS during a patient visit. This provided a longitudinal data set with 248,582 observations, which was narrowed down into a paired-response data set for 50,441 individuals who had provided at least one response before and after March 11, 2020. These data were then bucketed by county into Cass (Missouri), Clay (Missouri), Jackson (Missouri), Johnson (Kansas), Leavenworth (Kansas), Platte (Missouri), Wyandotte (Kansas), and Other counties, creating groupings with at least 1000 responses in each category. A pre-post composite score was calculated for each individual by adding their coded responses (yes=1, no=0) across the 12 questions. The Stuart-Maxwell marginal homogeneity test was used to compare the pre and post composite scores across all counties. Additionally, McNemar tests were performed to compare responses before and after March 11, 2020, for each of the 12 questions across all counties. Finally, McNemar tests were performed for questions 1, 7, 8, 9, and 10 for each of the bucketed counties. Significance was assessed at P<.05 for all tests. RESULTS: The Stuart-Maxwell test for marginal homogeneity was significant (P<.001), indicating that respondents were overall less likely to identify an unmet social need after the COVID-19 pandemic. McNemar tests for individual questions indicated that after the COVID-19 pandemic, respondents across all counties were less likely to identify unmet social needs related to food availability (odds ratio [OR]=0.4073, P<.001), home utilities (OR=0.4538, P<.001), housing (OR=0.7143, P<.001), safety among cohabitants (OR=0.6148, P<.001), safety in their residential location (OR=0.6172, P<.001), child care (OR=0.7410, P<0.01), health care access (OR=0.3895, P<.001), medication adherence (OR=0.5449, P<.001), health care adherence (OR=0.6378, P<.001), and health care literacy (0.8729, P=.02), and were also less likely to request help with these unmet needs (OR=0.7368, P<.001) compared with prepandemic responses. Responses from individual counties were consistent with the overall results for the most part. Notably, no individual county demonstrated a significant reduction in social needs relating to a lack of companionship. CONCLUSIONS: Post-COVID-19 responses showed improvement across almost all social needs-related questions, indicating that the federal policy response possibly had a positive impact on social needs across the populations of Kansas and western Missouri. Some counties were impacted more than others and positive outcomes were not limited to urban counties. The availability of resources, safety net services, access to health care, and educational opportunities could play a role in this change. Future research should focus on improving survey response rates from rural counties to increase their sample size, and to evaluate other explanatory variables such as food pantry access, educational status, employment opportunities, and access to community resources. Government policies should be an area of focused research as they may affect the social needs and health of the individuals considered in this analysis.

Correlates of HIV-Related Stigmas Among African American Church-Affiliated Populations in Kansas City.

HIV-related stigmas contribute to disparities, and contact with HIV-positive individuals has been suggested to reduce stigma. Faith-based organizations have been recognized as important to stigma reduction efforts among African American populations; however, relatively few church-based studies have measured HIV-related stigma. This study uses baseline data (N = 1,448) from a study with 14 African American churches in Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas, to examine correlates of HIV-related stigmas among church members and community members accessing church social services using two previously validated scales that measure discomfort interacting with individuals with HIV and anticipated stigma or rejection. Knowing someone with HIV was associated with lower discomfort, even after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and sexual risk, HIV knowledge, previous communication about HIV at church, and mean drug and homosexuality stigmas. Knowing someone with HIV was not associated with anticipated stigma or rejection after adjustment. Contact-based interventions hold promise for reducing discomfort around people with HIV among church-affiliated populations.

Cross-sectional study to describe bovine leukemia virus herd and within-herd ELISA prevalence and bovine leukemia virus proviral load of convenience-sampled Kansas beef cow-calf herds.

OBJECTIVE: Determine bovine leukemia virus (BLV) seroprevalence of adult female cattle in Eastern Kansas beef herds and the proviral load (PVL) of those cattle found to be ELISA positive. ANIMALS: Convenience sample of 2,845 cows from 44 beef herds. PROCEDURES: BLV serostatus was determined using an ELISA antibody test (gp-51; IDEXX). BLV quantitative PCR (qPCR) status and PVL were determined utilizing a qPCR test (SS1 qPCR test; CentralStar Laboratories). The association of age, herd size, and body condition score (BCS) category on the probability of being BLV positive was evaluated with a multiple variable logistic regression analysis that used BLV status as a binary outcome, herd nested within ranch as a random effect, and BCS, herd size, and age category as fixed effects. RESULTS: Forty-two of 44 herds had at least 1 BLV ELISA-positive cow (95.5% herd seroprevalence). Overall, 1,564 of the 2,845 cows were BLV ELISA positive (55.0% individual animal prevalence). No association between BLV ELISA status and herd size or BCS was identified. When evaluated by age, the model-adjusted probability of being BLV ELISA positive was lowest for heifers (1 year of age, first parity) and increased until 5 to 6 years of age. Of the 1,564 ELISA-positive animals, 838 were qPCR positive (53.6%). The model-adjusted probability of being qPCR positive was not associated with age, herd size, or BCS category. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study indicated that BLV-seropositive status both as a herd classification and individual animal classification was very common in this population. Because the percentage of BLV-seropositive cows varied between herds and by age, this study provides evidence that it is essential for investigators to control for herd and age in any analysis of the association of BLV serostatus and health and production outcomes of interest. Some BLV ELSIA-seropositive cows were classified as BLV negative by qPCR, and risk factors may differ between classification status by ELISA and qPCR.

Reasons for Turnover of Kansas Public Health Officials during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Public health officials played a critical role in COVID-19 mitigation and response efforts. In Kansas, 51 local health department (LHD) administrators and/or local health officers left their positions due to the pandemic between 15 March 2020 and 31 August 2021. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that led to turnover of Kansas local public health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those eligible to participate in this study included former LHD administrators and/or health officers who were employed at or contracted by a Kansas LHD on 15 March 2020 and resigned, retired, or were asked to resign prior to 31 August 2021. Researchers used a demographic survey, a focus group, and key informant interviews to collect data. Twelve former LHD leaders participated in this study. Four themes emerged from phenomenological analysis: politicization of public health; a perceived lack of support; stress and burnout; and the public health infrastructure not working. The findings of this study can guide the Kansas public health system to address the issues leading to turnover of leadership and prevent future turnover. Future research must explore strategies for mitigating leadership turnover and identify alternative public health structures that could be more effective.

Outbreaks of Acute Gastrointestinal Illness Associated with a Splash Pad in a Wildlife Park - Kansas, June 2021.

In June 2021, Kansas state and county public health officials identified and investigated three cases of shigellosis (a bacterial diarrheal illness caused by Shigella spp.) associated with visiting a wildlife park. The park has animal exhibits and a splash pad. Two affected persons visited animal exhibits, and all three entered the splash pad. Nonhuman primates are the only known animal reservoir of Shigella. The splash pad, which sprays water on users and is designed so that water does not collect in the user area, was closed on June 19. The state and county public health codes do not include regulations for splash pads. Thus, these venues are not typically inspected, and environmental health expertise is limited. A case-control study identified two distinct outbreaks associated with the park (a shigellosis outbreak involving 21 cases and a subsequent norovirus infection outbreak involving six cases). Shigella and norovirus can be transmitted by contaminated water; in both outbreaks, illness was associated with getting splash pad water in the mouth (multiply imputed adjusted odds ratio [aORMI] = 6.4, p = 0.036; and 28.6, p = 0.006, respectively). Maintaining adequate water disinfection and environmental health expertise and targeting prevention efforts to caregivers of splash pad users help prevent splash pad-associated outbreaks. Outbreak incidence might be further reduced when U.S. jurisdicitons voluntarily adopt CDC's Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) recommendations and through the prevention messages: "Don't get in the water if sick with diarrhea," "Don't stand or sit above the jets," and "Don't swallow the water."†.

The Foegen effect: A mechanism by which facemasks contribute to the COVID-19 case fatality rate.

ABSTRACT: Extensive evidence in the literature supports the mandatory use of facemasks to reduce the infection rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, the effect of mask use on the disease course remains controversial. This study aimed to determine whether mandatory mask use influenced the case fatality rate in Kansas, USA between August 1st and October 15th 2020.This study applied secondary data on case updates, mask mandates, and demographic status related to Kansas State, USA. A parallelization analysis based on county-level data was conducted on these data. Results were controlled by performing multiple sensitivity analyses and a negative control.A parallelization analysis based on county-level data showed that in Kansas, counties with mask mandate had significantly higher case fatality rates than counties without mask mandate, with a risk ratio of 1.85 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.51-2.10) for COVID-19-related deaths. Even after adjusting for the number of "protected persons," that is, the number of persons who were not infected in the mask-mandated group compared to the no-mask group, the risk ratio remained significantly high at 1.52 (95% CI: 1.24-1.72). By analyzing the excess mortality in Kansas, this study determines that over 95% of this effect can solely be attributed to COVID-19.These findings suggest that mask use might pose a yet unknown threat to the user instead of protecting them, making mask mandates a debatable epidemiologic intervention.The cause of this trend is explained herein using the "Foegen effect" theory; that is, deep re-inhalation of hypercondensed droplets or pure virions caught in facemasks as droplets can worsen prognosis and might be linked to long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. While the "Foegen effect" is proven in vivo in an animal model, further research is needed to fully understand it.

Factors associated with binge drinking-Findings from 2019 Kansas behavioral risk factor surveillance system.

Background: In the U.S., excessive drinking accounts for one in 10 deaths among adults aged 20-64 years old. Binge drinking is a common form of excessive alcohol consumption that contributes to this chilling statistic. Binge drinking is defined as women consuming four or more drinks or men consuming five or more drinks within a 2-h time span. Examining existing data on risk factors for binge drinking can inform strategies to prevent this deadly practice. Methods: The 2019 Kansas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) dataset consists of data collected from 11,368 non-institutionalized adults aged 18 years and older with landline or cell phones. The dependent variable in this study was binge drinking status. The independent variables included several sociodemographic variables and risk factors. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, single logistic regression, and multivariable logistic regression. Results: In the population, 1,447 (17.4%) were reported to be binge drinkers. Significant factors associated with binge drinking in the final model included sex (aOR = 0.53 (0.45-0.63)), age (18-24 years old aOR = 8.77 (6.02-12.79); 25-34 years old aOR = 7.10 (5.35-9.42); 35-44 years old aOR = 6.23 (4.73-8.19); 45-54 years old aOR = 3.87 (2.92-5.14); and 55-64 years old aOR = 2.58 (1.96-3.38)), income ($15,000-$24,999 aOR = 1.00 (0.63-1.58); $25,000-$34,999 aOR = 1.61 (1.04-2.50); $35,000-$49,999 aOR = 1.69 (1.13-2.55); ≥$50,000 aOR = 1.97 (1.34-2.89)), smokeless tobacco use (aOR = 2.09 (1.55-2.82)), and smoking/e-cigarette use (Cigarette user only aOR = 2.11 (1.69-2.65); E-cigarette user only aOR = 2.67 (1.62-3.17); dual cigarette and e-cigarette user = 3.43 (2.21-5.33)). Conclusion: Developing interventions that take into account elevated risk for binge drinking amongst demographic characteristics (i.e., age, sex, income) and lifestyle factors (i.e., smokeless tobacco use, and smoking/e-cigarette use) is crucial to lowering morbidity and mortality related to this form of excessive alcohol consumption.

The Effect of Largemouth Bass Virus on Bass Populations in Kansas Impoundments.

Largemouth Bass virus (LMBV) first became a concern in Kansas when it was identified as a potential cause of decreased catch rates at Crawford State Fishing Lake in 2007. The discovery of LMBV in eight additional impoundments from 2008 to 2017 increased concern about the prevalence and effects of LMBV in Kansas. In response, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism tested 25 Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides impoundments for the presence of LMBV. The objectives of this study were to quantify the incidence of LMBV and examine differences in population metrics (i.e., body condition, relative abundance, and growth). A total of 1,260 Largemouth Bass were collected by using standard spring electrofishing surveys, and sagittal otoliths were collected from all of the sampled fish to estimate growth rates. Of the 25 study impoundments, 14 tested positive for LMBV. There was no evidence of LMBV effects on body condition, relative abundance of quality-length fish, or growth rates. The initial dates of LMBV infection of Largemouth Bass in these impoundments are unknown. The LMBV-positive populations in Kansas may have been exposed to the virus many years ago, and the fish may be in the process of rebounding from any potential negative effects.

Revealing the racial and spatial disparity in pediatric asthma: A Kansas City case study.

Black and other socially disadvantaged children are disproportionately burdened by high rates of pediatric asthma. Intraurban variation in environmental risk factors and limited access to high-resolution health data make it difficult to identify vulnerable patients, communities, or the immediate exposures that may contribute to pediatric asthma exacerbation. This article presents a novel, interdisciplinary health disparities research and intervention strategy applied to the problem of pediatric asthma in Kansas City. First, address-level electronic health records from a major children's hospital in the Kansas City region are used to map the distribution of asthma encounters in 2012 at a high spatial resolution. Census tract Environmental Justice Screening Method (EJSM) indicators are then developed to scan for patterns in both the population health risks and vulnerabilities that may contribute to the burden of asthma in different communities. A Bayesian Profile Regression cluster analysis is used to systematically explore the complex relationships between census tract EJSM indicators and pediatric asthma incidence rates, helping to identify population characteristics and risk factors associated with both high and low rates of pediatric asthma throughout the region. The EJSM scanning exercise and BPR analysis demonstrate that each community faces a distinct set of risks and vulnerabilities that can contribute to the rate of acute pediatric asthma acute care encounters, providing targets for research and intervention. It is clear, however, that different forms of social disadvantage are driving high rates of pediatric asthma, which is closely tied to uneven development patterns and racial residential segregation. The results provide a starting point for designing place-based health disparities research and intervention strategies catered to the unique needs of vulnerable patients and communities; disparities-focused research and intervention strategies that leverage local knowledge and resources through community-based practices.

Assessment of Retrospective COVID-19 Spatial Clusters with Respect to Demographic Factors: Case Study of Kansas City, Missouri, United States.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The United States (U.S.) has the highest number of reported COVID-19 infections and related deaths in the world, accounting for 17.8% of total global confirmed cases as of August 2021. As COVID-19 spread throughout communities across the U.S., it became clear that inequities would arise among differing demographics. Several researchers have suggested that certain racial and ethnic minority groups may have been disproportionately impacted by the spread of COVID-19. In the present study, we used the daily data of COVID-19 cases in Kansas City, Missouri, to observe differences in COVID-19 clusters with respect to gender, race, and ethnicity. Specifically, we utilized a retrospective Poisson spatial scan statistic with respect to demographic factors to detect daily clusters of COVID-19 in Kansas City at the zip code level from March to November 2020. Our statistical results indicated that clusters of the male population were more widely scattered than clusters of the female population. Clusters of the Hispanic population had the highest prevalence and were also more widely scattered. This demographic cluster analysis can provide guidance for reducing the social inequalities associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, applying stronger preventive and control measures to emerging clusters can reduce the likelihood of another epidemic wave of infection.