Incidence of dog bite injuries in American Samoa and their impact on society.

INTRODUCTION: In American Samoa, a US Territory in the South Pacific, over half of reported injuries are attributed to dog bites. Despite years of public outcry, little has been done to adequately address these preventable injuries that affect all age groups of both sexes. OBJECTIVE: To describe a serious public health hazard in American Samoa that may plague other jurisdictions that tolerate a significant free-roaming dog population. METHODS: A limited data set of outpatient records from 2004 through 2010 from the Territory's only emergency department listing an ICD-9-CM E-code of E906.0 ("dog bite") in the primary E-code field provided a record of dog bite injuries. A survey of 437 adolescents documented their experiences regarding unprovoked dog attacks during the 2010/2011 school year. RESULTS: The sex/age group with the highest incidence for dog bite treatment was males 55 to 59 years of age (73.1 per 10,000 population per year) followed closely by males 10 to 14 years of age (71.8 per 10,000 population per year). Males aged 5 to 14 years accounted for 23% of all emergency department visits for dog bites. About one-third of adolescents reported having been bitten by a dog between September 2010 and May 2011. About 10% of males and 16% of females attributed the fear of being bitten as a factor preventing them from getting more physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Children, adolescents, and the elderly are the most vulnerable to dog bite injuries. Emergency room records may reflect only about a quarter of all such injuries. IMPLICATIONS: Unprovoked attacks by aggressive, free-roaming dogs degrade quality of life by placing an untenable burden on the health care system and imposing physical and psychological barriers toward a more healthful lifestyle that includes walking, jogging, and bicycling.

Efficient linking of birth certificate and newborn screening databases for laboratory investigation of congenital cytomegalovirus infection and preterm birth: Florida, 2008.

The objectives of this study are (1) to design an accurate method for linking newborn screening (NBS) and state birth certificate databases to create a de-identified study database; (2) To assess maternal cytomegalovirus (CMV) seroprevalence by measuring CMV IgG in newborn dried blood spots; (3) To assess congenital CMV infection among newborns and possible association with preterm birth. NBS and birth databases were linked and patient records were de-identified. A stratified random sample of records based on gestational age was selected and used to retrieve blood spots from the state NBS laboratory. Serum containing maternal antibodies was eluted from blood spots and tested for the presence of CMV IgG. DNA was extracted from blood spots and tested for the presence of CMV DNA. Analyses were performed with bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Linkage rates and specimen collection exceeded 98% of the total possible yielding a final database with 3,101 newborn blood spots. CMV seroprevalence was 91% among Black mothers, 83% among Hispanic mothers, 59% among White mothers, and decreased with increasing amounts of education. The prevalence of CMV infection in newborns was 0.45% and did not vary significantly by gestational age. Successful methods for database linkage, newborn blood spots collection, and de-identification of records can serve as a model for future congenital exposure surveillance projects. Maternal CMV seroprevalence was strongly associated with race/ethnicity and educational level. Congenital CMV infection rates were lower than those reported by other studies and lacked statistical power to examine associations with preterm birth.

Emergence of blaKPC-containing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a long-term acute care hospital: a new challenge to our healthcare system.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing KPC carbapenemase (KPC-Kp) associated with an outbreak in a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) in South Florida. METHODS: During 21 March to 20 April 2008, 241 K. pneumoniae isolates detected at Integrated Regional Laboratories (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) for which the ertapenem MICs were > or =4 mg/L were studied. PCR, cloning and sequence analysis were used to detect bla(KPC) and to characterize the beta-lactamase and outer membrane proteins (Omps). The expression level of KPC enzymes was studied by immunoblotting. Genetic relatedness of isolates was investigated with rep-PCR and PFGE. Clinical records of patients were investigated. RESULTS: Seven KPC-Kp strains were isolated from different patients located at a single LTACH, with a further three isolates being recovered from patients at different hospitals. All KPC-Kp isolates in patients from the LTACH and from one hospital patient were genetically related and shared PFGE patterns that clustered with known sequence type (ST) 258 strains. These strains were highly resistant to carbapenems (MICs > or = 32 mg/L) due to an increased level of KPC expression and loss of Omps. Rectal colonization was documented in all LTACH patients with KPC-Kp isolates. Treatment failures were common (crude mortality rate of 69%). Active surveillance and enhanced infection control practices terminated the KPC-Kp outbreak. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of KPC-Kp in an LTACH represents a serious infection control and therapeutic challenge in a new clinical setting. The speed at which the epidemic of KPC-Kp is spreading in our healthcare system mandates urgent action.