How Ohio public library systems respond to opioid-related substance use: a descriptive analysis of survey results.

BACKGROUND: Public libraries in the United States have experienced increases in opioid-related substance use in their communities and on their premises. This includes fatal and non-fatal overdose events. Some libraries have adopted response measures in their branches to deter substance use or prevent overdose. A small number of libraries around the nation have decided to stock the opioid antagonist naloxone (Narcan) for staff to administer to patrons who experience overdose. This response measure has generated extensive media attention. Although Ohio ranks fourth in age-adjusted drug mortality rate in the United States, there has been no investigation of whether Ohio libraries are observing opioid-related transactions, consumption, and/or overdose events, or which measures they have adopted in response to these activities. We conducted a multimethod survey with Ohio public library directors to identify the response measures they have adopted. We present descriptive findings from the quantitative and qualitative items in our survey. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional 54-item multimethod survey of public library system directors (one per system) in Ohio. Directors of each of Ohio's public library systems were invited to participate via email. RESULTS: Of 251 library systems, 56 responded (22.3% response rate), with 34 respondents (60.7%) indicating awareness of opioid-related transactions, consumption, and/or overdose on their premises. Most (n = 43, 76.8%) did not stock naloxone in their buildings. Over half (n = 34, 60.7%) reported implementing one or more non-naloxone response measures. These measures focus on improving security for staff and patrons, deterring opioid-related transactions (purchases and exchanges) and consumption, and providing educational events on substance use. Nearly half (n = 25, 47.2%) partner with community organizations to provide opioid response measures. A similar proportion reported adequate funding to respond to opioid-related substance use (n = 23, 45.1%), and most (n = 38, 74.5%) reported adequate support from their boards and communities. Few respondents have implemented evaluations of their response measures. CONCLUSIONS: Ohio public libraries are responding to evidence of opioid-related transactions, consumption, and/or overdose on their premises with a range of measures that focus on substance use prevention and deterrence. Most Ohio library systems do not stock naloxone. Respondents indicated they prefer to call 911 and let first responders handle overdose events. The majority of respondents indicated their library systems have political capacity to respond to evidence of opioid-related substance use on their premises, but have limited operational and functional capacity. Findings suggest the need to revisit assumptions that public libraries are willing to stock naloxone to respond to overdose events, and that libraries have the resources to respond robustly to opioid-related transactions, consumption, and/or overdose on their premises.

Xylazine awareness and attitudes among people who use drugs in Ohio, 2023-2024.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of xylazine, a non-opioid tranquilizer not for human consumption, in illicitly manufactured fentanyl is increasing in the United States. However, little is known about xylazine awareness and attitudes among people who use drugs. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of people who use drugs in Ohio was conducted from November 2023 - May 2024 to identify xylazine awareness and attitudes in rural and urban counties across the state. Study participants were recruited from naloxone distribution sites, including health departments, syringe service programs, and community-based organizations. RESULTS: Among 630 people who use drugs in Ohio, more than one-half (53.5%) were unaware of xylazine being in "street drugs," regardless of urbanicity. Among individuals who were aware of xylazine, most (73.0%) indicated they did not want to use the drug and try to avoid it. In addition, 75.8% of this group felt it was "very" or "extremely" important to know if xylazine was in their drugs. DISCUSSION: This research found that many people who use drugs in Ohio are unaware of xylazine and its risks. An important finding of this study is that most individuals who had heard of xylazine did not want to use it and were concerned about knowing whether xylazine was in their drugs.

Emergence and Comparative Genome Analysis of Salmonella Ohio Strains from Brown Rats, Poultry, and Swine in Hungary.

Rats are particularly important from an epidemiological point of view, because they are regarded as reservoirs for diverse zoonotic pathogens including enteric bacteria. This study is the first to report the emergence of Salmonella serovar Ohio in brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) and food-producing animals in Hungary. We first reveal the genomic diversity of the strains and their phylogenomic relationships in the context of the international collection of S. Ohio genomes. This pathogen was detected in 4.3% (4/92) of rats, captured from multiple sites in Hungary. A whole-genome-based genotype comparison of S. Ohio, Infantis, Enteritidis, and Typhimurium strains showed that 76.4% (117/153) of the virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes were conserved among these serovars, and none of the genes were specific to S. Ohio. All S. Ohio strains lacked virulence and resistance plasmids. The cgMLST phylogenomic comparison highlighted a close genetic relationship between rat and poultry strains of S. Ohio from Hungary. These strains clustered together with the international S. Ohio genomes from aquatic environments. Overall, this study contributes to our understanding of the epidemiology of Salmonella spp. in brown rats and highlights the importance of monitoring to minimize the public health risk of rodent populations. However, further research is needed to understand the route of infection and evolution of this serovar.

Powassan Virus Infection Detected by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing, Ohio, USA.

We describe a 4-year-old male patient in Ohio, USA, who had encephalitis caused by Powassan virus lineage 2. Virus was detected by using metagenomic next-generation sequencing and confirmed with IgM and plaque reduction neutralization assays. Clinicians should recognize changing epidemiology of tickborne viruses to enhance encephalitis diagnosis and management.

Residential proximity to unconventional oil and gas development and birth defects in Ohio.

BACKGROUND: Chemicals used or emitted by unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD) include reproductive/developmental toxicants. Associations between UOGD and certain birth defects were reported in a few studies, with none conducted in Ohio, which experienced a thirty-fold increase in natural gas production between 2010 and 2020. METHODS: We conducted a registry-based cohort study of 965,236 live births in Ohio from 2010 to 2017. Birth defects were identified in 4653 individuals using state birth records and a state surveillance system. We assigned UOGD exposure based on maternal residential proximity at birth to active UOG wells and a metric specific to the drinking-water exposure pathway that identified UOG wells hydrologically connected to a residence ("upgradient UOG wells"). We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all structural birth defects combined and specific birth defect types using binary exposure metrics (presence/absence of any UOG well and presence/absence of an upgradient UOG well within 10 km), adjusting for confounders. Additionally, we conducted analyses stratified by urbanicity, infant sex, and social vulnerability. RESULTS: The odds of any structural defect were 1.13 times higher in children born to mothers living within 10 km of UOGD than those born to unexposed mothers (95%CI: 0.98-1.30). Odds were elevated for neural tube defects (OR: 1.57, 95%CI: 1.12-2.19), limb reduction defects (OR: 1.99, 95%CI: 1.18-3.35), and spina bifida (OR 1.93; 95%CI 1.25-2.98). Hypospadias (males only) was inversely related to UOGD exposure (OR: 0.62, 95%CI: 0.43-0.91). Odds of any structural defect were greater in magnitude but less precise in analyses using the hydrological-specific metric (OR: 1.30; 95%CI: 0.85-1.90), in areas with high social vulnerability (OR: 1.27, 95%CI: 0.99-1.60), and among female offspring (OR: 1.28, 95%CI: 1.06-1.53). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a positive association between UOGD and certain birth defects, and findings for neural tube defects corroborate results from prior studies.

Unlimited Discretion: How Unchecked Bureaucratic Discretion Can Threaten Abortion Availability.

Previous research has assessed the impact of state regulations on abortion clinics and patients, but how bureaucrats implement them is less understood and is increasingly important as states arbitrate abortion regulation. The authors conducted a case study of how bureaucrats use discretion to implement state regulations on abortion, focusing on two abortion facilities in southwest Ohio from 2010 to 2022. Ohio abortion facilities are required to obtain a written transfer agreement, despite it offering no demonstrable health or safety benefits. The authors find that state requirements for obtaining variances-a process that allows abortion facilities to operate without a written transfer agreement-have become exceedingly difficult to comply with. The authors show how state statutes and administrative law have enabled bureaucrats to wield unlimited discretion and enforce arbitrary requirements. This unlimited bureaucratic discretion and accompanying administrative burden exacerbated clinic instability and threatened abortion availability in southwest Ohio for almost a decade. As implementation and interpretation of abortion policy is increasingly left to state bureaucrats and civil servants following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, how bureaucrats use discretion will influence clinic stability and abortion availability. The authors posit that unlimited bureaucratic discretion may exert greater influence on abortion availability across the nation as states scramble to clarify and implement policies after Dobbs.

A True "Uomo Universale" from the 1800s - Dr. George Watt.

A hot bed of organized dental leadership and visionary thinking in the mid-to-late 1800s came from Ohio, as many presidents of the American Dental Association were from that state. They were quite influential in leading this organization into the 20th century. One of the most dynamic and well-rounded individuals was Dr. George Watt…this paper will highlight his life as viewed by one of his peers.

First Report of Trichoderma crassum Causing Leaf Spot on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. M82) in Ohio.

Trichoderma is a genus of wood-decaying fungi generally found in soil (Druzhinina and Kubicek 2005). Trichoderma crassum was confirmed to be a sister species to T. virens according to the molecular sequencing results (Chaverri et al. 2003). A foliar disease with ~70% incidence on Solanum lycopersicum was observed in a greenhouse at The Ohio State University (40°0'8'' north latitude, 83°1'36'' west longitude), Columbus, United States, in December 2021. On average up to 60% of the leaves per two-month-old tomato plant were infected. Initially, the dark-grey color and irregular spots appeared at the leaf tips. As the disease progressed, the yellow necrotic lesions were observed surrounding the preformed disease spots. Finally, the infected leaves appeared curled and wilted as a whole. The leaf fragments from three tomato plants 40 inches apart were cut from the diseased lesions and surface sterilized with 75% ethanol (30 seconds) and 1% NaOCl (60 seconds), subsequently rinsed with sterilized deionized water three times. Nine pieces of the sterilized leaf tissues were then placed on the PDA plates at 28℃ in the dark and incubated in one incubator for 4 days. The pure cultures of five isolates were acquired and examined with a light microscope. The fungus from all the isolates changed from white to dark green with the radial pattern and profuse sporulation on the PDA. The produced round conidia were observed under a light microscope (Fig S1). The DNA was extracted from two representative isolates which showed the same morphology. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and a conserved fungal rRNA region were amplified using the primers ITS1/ITS4 (5'-TCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGG-3' and 5'-TCCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3') (White et al. 1990) and SR6f/SR7r (5'-TGTTACGACTTTTACTT-3' and 5'-AGTTAAAAAGCTCGTAGTTG-3') (Hirose et al. 2012), respectively. The PCR products were further sequenced by Sanger sequencing (Table S1). Based on the BLAST results through NCBI website, the ITS sequences of the two isolates were 99% (566/572) and 98% (558/572) identical to Trichoderma crassum DAOM 164916 (EU280067). Their SR sequences both showed 99% (290/293; 289/293) identity to the same strain. The phylogenetic tree was also created with the sequences of ITS region by MEGA software (version 11) (Fig S2). Therefore, the fungus was identified as Trichoderma crassum based on its morphological characteristics (green conidia), Sanger sequencing results, and phylogenetic tree. To complete Koch's postulates, the 5-mm-diameter fungal agar discs of 7-day-old pure cultures were used for the inoculation on 18 healthy leaves of six tomato cv. M82 plants with two-month-old. The sterile pure PDA discs of the equal size were used for the mock inoculation as a comparison. Fungal plug method was chosen in this study because it had been widely applied to characterization of the fungal pathogens causing leaf spot disease (Pornsuriya et al. 2020; Yang et al. 2021). Five days later, the same symptom as those that occurred on the previously naturally infected tomato plants were observed on all the inoculated leaves (Fig S3A). However, there were no symptoms on the leaves with the mock inoculation. The fungus re-isolated from the symptomatic leaves showed the consistent morphology (dark-green color with radial sporulation) with the original isolates (Fig S3B). Thus, Trichoderma crassum was verified as the causal agent of the foliar disease on Solanum lycopersicum cv. M82 in our greenhouse. To our knowledge, it is the first report of Trichoderma crassum leading to the leaf spot and wilt on tomato in Ohio. The identification of the causal agent lays the groundwork for the development of necessary disease management techniques. We acknowledge the funding support from CFAES Internal Grants Program 2021009.

Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections in Children, Ohio, USA.

Emergence of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMp) challenges empiric macrolide therapy. Our goal was to determine MRMp rates and define characteristics of children infected with macrolide-sensitive M. pneumoniae (MSMp) versus MRMp in Ohio, USA. We cultured PCR-positive M. pneumoniae specimens and sequenced M. pneumoniae-positive cultures to detect macrolide resistance mutations. We reviewed medical records to compare characteristics of both groups. We identified 14 (2.8%) MRMp and 485 (97.2%) MSMp samples. Patients in these groups had similar demographics and clinical characteristics, but patients with MRMp had longer hospitalizations, were more likely to have received previous macrolides, and were more likely to have switched to alternative antimicrobial drugs. MRMp-infected patients also had ≈5-fold greater odds of pediatric intensive care unit admission. Rates of MRMp infections in children in central Ohio are low, but clinicians should remain aware of the risk for severe illness caused by these pathogens.

The Incidence of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Ohio 2016-2018: The Ohio Population-Based ALS Registry.

INTRODUCTION: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, neuromuscular disease with no cure. ALS incidence rates have not been assessed specifically in Ohio, yet the state contains both metropolitan and rural areas with a variety of environmental factors that could contribute to disease etiology. We report the incidence of ALS in Ohio residents diagnosed from October 2016 through September 2018. METHODS: We engaged practitioners from 9 Ohio sites to identify newly diagnosed ALS patients and to complete case report forms with demographic and clinical information. ALS was diagnosed according to the Awaji criteria and classified as either definite, probable, or possible. We developed a method to estimate missing cases using a Poisson regression model to impute cases in counties with evidence of undercounting. RESULTS: We identified 333 newly diagnosed ALS patients residing in Ohio during the 2-year index period and found incidence rates varied in the 88 state counties. After incorporating the estimated 27% of missing cases, the corrected crude annual incidence was 1.96/100,000 person-years, and the age- and gender-standardized incidence was 1.71/100,000 person-years (standardized to the 2010 US census). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The estimated Ohio incidence of ALS is overall similar to that reported in other states in the USA. This study reveals a geospatial variation in incidence within the state, and areas with higher rates warrant future investigation.

Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth Among Arab-American Women in Ohio.

OBJECTIVE: There is limited evidence about prevalence and odds of adverse birth outcomes among Arab American women in the United States. We estimated the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW < 2500 g) and preterm birth (PTB < 37 completed weeks' gestation) among Arab American women in Ohio and studied the association between ethnicity, Arab American nativity (foreign or US born) and odds of LBW and PTB. METHODS: We identified Arab American women based on birth certificate data from live singleton births from 2007-2010 to 2013-2015 and a name algorithm. We compared the prevalence of LBW and PTB by ethnicity (Arab American vs. non-Hispanic White) and by nativity (foreign-born Arab American vs. US-born Arab American). Logistic regression models were used to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted effects of ethnicity and mother's nativity on study outcomes. RESULTS: 31,744 Arab American women (2.5% of all births in Ohio) were identified over a 7-year period. 24,129 Arab American women with complete data were included in the analysis after applying exclusion criteria. Prevalence of LBW was 5.2% (non-Hispanic White), 6.1% (Arab American), 6.4% (US-born Arab American) and 5.6% (foreign-born Arab American). Prevalence of PTB was 7.2% (non-Hispanic White), 7.0% (Arab American), 7.3% (US-born Arab American), and 5.4% (foreign-born Arab American). In adjusted models, which controlled for mother demographics, health behaviors, and pregnancy risk factors, Arab Americans had 33% higher odds of LBW (odds ratio [OR] 1.33; 95% Confidence Intervals[CI] 1.26-1.41) than non-Hispanic Whites. Foreign born Arab American women had 15% lower odds of PTB (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.75-0.95) than US-born Arab Americans. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Our main findings were that LBW is influenced by Arab ethnicity while PTB is influenced by nativity among Arab American women. These findings may be informative for developing and implementing strategies for adverse birth outcomes for a growing US ethnic minority population.

Prevalence of COVID-19 in Ohio Nursing Homes: What's Quality Got to Do with It?

With nursing homes being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to know whether facilities that have any cases, or those with particularly high caseloads, are different from nursing homes that do not have any reported cases. Our analysis found that through mid-June, just under one-third of nursing homes in Ohio had at least one resident with COVID-19, with over 82% of all cases in the state coming from 37% of nursing homes. Overall findings on the association between facility quality and the prevalence of COVID-19 showed that having any resident case of the virus or even having a high caseload of residents with the virus is not more likely in nursing homes with lower quality ratings.

Manifestations of Toxic Shock Syndrome in Children, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 2010-20171.

Data are limited on the incidence and management of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and nonstreptococcal TSS in children. We aimed to define the clinical patterns of TSS at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio as they relate to published criteria, diagnostic decisions, and treatment options. Through retrospective chart reviews, we identified 58 patients with TSS (27 streptococcal, 31 nonstreptococcal) during January 2010-September 2017. We observed clinical and laboratory findings that are not part of TSS criteria, such as pyuria in streptococcal TSS (50% of patients) and pulmonary involvement (85%) and coagulopathy (92%) in nonstreptococcal TSS patients. Recommended treatment with clindamycin and intravenous immunoglobulin was delayed in streptococcal TSS patients without rash (3.37 days vs. 0.87 days in patients with rash), leading to prolonged hospitalization and complications. Incorporation of additional TSS signs and symptoms would be helpful in TSS diagnosis and management.

Effects of Rescheduling Hydrocodone on Opioid Prescribing in Ohio.

BACKGROUND: We quantified opioid prescribing after the 2014 rescheduling of hydrocodone from schedule III to II in the United States using a state-wide prescription database and studied trends three years before and after the policy change, focusing on certain specialties. METHODS: We used Ohio's state prescription drug monitoring program database, which includes all filled schedule II and III prescriptions regardless of payer or pharmacy, to conduct an interrupted time series analysis of the nine most prescribed opioids: hydrocodone, oxycodone, tramadol, codeine, and others. We analyzed hydrocodone prescribing trends for the physician specialties of internal medicine, anesthesiology, and emergency medicine. We evaluated trends 37 months before and after the rescheduling change. RESULTS: Rescheduling was associated with a hydrocodone level change of -26,358 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -36,700 to -16,016) prescriptions (-5.8%) and an additional decrease in prescriptions of -1,568 (95% CI = -2,296 to -839) per month (-0.8%). Codeine prescribing temporarily increased, at a level change of 6,304 (95% CI = 3,003 to 9,606) prescriptions (18.5%), indicating a substitution effect. Hydrocodone prescriptions by specialty were associated with a level change of -805 (95% CI = -1,280 to -330) prescriptions (-8.5%) for anesthesiologists and a level change of -14,619 (95% CI = -23,710 to -5,528) prescriptions (-10.2%) for internists. There was no effect on prescriptions by emergency physicians. CONCLUSIONS: The 2014 federal rescheduling of hydrocodone was associated with declines in hydrocodone prescriptions in Ohio beyond what had already been occurring, and hydrocodone may have been briefly substituted with codeine. These results indicate that rescheduling did have a lasting effect but affected prescribing specialties variably.

The Effectiveness of "Push-to-Web" as an Option for a Survey of New Mothers.

INTRODUCTION: With shifting demographics and declining response rates, state and national health surveys are considering mixed mode approaches. Most states field the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) surveillance project, but few have studied the effect of encouraging online responses. METHODS: Like PRAMS, the 2016 Ohio Pregnancy Assessment Survey interviewed new mothers 2-4 months after delivery (n = 3382). Fielding included a traditional mailed paper questionnaire with telephone follow-up protocol and two experiments: a rotating web invitation added a web survey link at different points during the mail protocol, and a push-to-web protocol asked women to complete the survey online before mailing a questionnaire. This analysis examined the responses rates and tested for unweighted demographic differences using Pearson's chi-square. RESULTS: The unweighted response rate was highest with the traditional contact protocol (30.0%) and slightly lower among the rotating web invite (27.4%) and the push-to-web (25.5%) groups. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of push-to-web protocol respondents completed the survey online, with 70% of those web surveys submitted before the first paper questionnaire was mailed. Women who responded to the web versus mail surveys were similar on most characteristics, although in both experimental groups, women who completed the web version were more likely to be college educated. Among the push-to-web group, 60% of web and 36% of mail respondents had a 4-year college degree (p < .001). DISCUSSION: Given the potential for push-to-web to shift respondents to an online survey without greatly impacting response rates, researchers should continue to examine the utility of incorporating a web mode in surveys of new mothers.

Effects of the Ohio Opioid Prescribing Guidelines on Total Joint Arthroplasty Postsurgical Prescribing and Refilling Behavior of Surgeons and Patients.

BACKGROUND: The opioid epidemic has been declared a public health crisis, with thousands of Americans dying from overdoses each year. In 2017, Ohio passed the Opioid Prescribing Guidelines (OPG) limiting narcotic prescriptions for acute pain. The present study sought to evaluate the effects of OPG on the prescribing behavior of orthopedists following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: An institutional database was queried to compare morphine equivalent dose (MED) prescribed at discharge, acute follow-up (<90 days), and chronic follow-up (>90 days) pre-OPG and post-OPG. Cases were identified over a 2-year period starting 1 year before OPG implementation. RESULTS: Nine orthopedic surgeons performed 1160 TKAs (692 pre-OPG, 468 post-OPG) and 834 THAs (530 pre-OPG, 304 post-OPG). Total MED for TKA and THA dropped post-OPG (1602.6 ± 54.3 vs 1145.8 ± 66.1, P < .01; 1302.3 ± 47.0 vs 878.3 ± 62.2, P < .01). Much of the total MED decrease was accounted for by the decrease in discharge MED, which was the largest in magnitude (904.8 ± 16.4 vs 606.2 ± 20.0, P < .01; 948.4 ± 19.6 vs 630.6 ± 25.9, P < .01). Seven of the 9 surgeons statistically reduced mean MED prescribed at discharge following OPG. The percentage of patients receiving new narcotic scripts at acute follow-up increased post-OPG for both TKA (41.5% vs 47.2%, P = .05) and THA (18.3% vs 25.7%, P = .01). CONCLUSION: Orthopedists reduced total MED prescribed after TKA and THA following the onset of OPG. The majority of this decrease is explained by decreased MED at discharge. Conversely, the post-OPG period saw slightly more new narcotic scripts written during acute follow-up.

"I Was Raised in Addiction": Constructions of the Self and the Other in Discourses of Addiction and Recovery.

The aim of this article is to address how conceptualizations of addiction shape the lived experiences of people who use drugs (PWUDs) during the current opioid epidemic. Using a discourse analytic approach, we examine interview transcripts from 27 PWUDs in rural Appalachian Ohio. We investigate the ways in which participants talk about their substance use, what these linguistic choices reveal about their conceptions of self and other PWUDs, and how participants' discursive caches might be constrained by or defined within broader social discourses. We highlight three subject positions enacted by participants during the interviews: addict as victim of circumstance, addict as good Samaritan, and addict as motivated for change. We argue participants leverage these positions to contrast themselves with a reified addict-other whose identity carries socially ascribed characteristics of being blameworthy, immoral, callous, and complicit. We implicate these processes in the perpetuation of intragroup stigma and discuss implications for intervention.

Roles of Pharmacy Technicians in Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse.

Objective: To provide and identify potential roles and strategies for pharmacy technicians to identify and prevent drug abuse within the pharmacy. Data Sources: Related materials were searched via PubMed and Google Scholar from 2000 to present using search terms: "pharmacy," "technicians," "prescription," "drug," and "abuse." Articles describing statistics, warning signs, and prevention strategies for pharmacies were identified through databases and organizations' sites. Portions of the Ohio Administrative Code on OARRS (Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System), and Pennsylvania prescription drug monitoring program information were also identified. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Relevant sections of the Ohio Administrative Code and OARRS were identified through the Ohio Board of Pharmacy website. Information regarding the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring was identified via Pennsylvania's Department of Health website. Sections of the Combat Methamphetamine Act of 2005 were identified through the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion website. Resources on drug abuse and prevention statistics were obtained from Drug Abuse.gov and American Society of Health System Pharmacists. Information regarding warning signs were identified from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Data Synthesis: The data provided for identification of potential roles for technicians within efforts to prevent prescription drug abuse, including evaluation of warning signs, involvement in the use of prescription monitoring programs, and in efforts to prevent methamphetamine abuse and diversion. Conclusions: After identifying potential roles for pharmacy technician involvement in the prevention of prescription drug abuse, it is evident that there is a need for further education and training on the subject specific to pharmacy technicians.

Molecular and Clinical Comparison of Enterovirus D68 Outbreaks among Hospitalized Children, Ohio, USA, 2014 and 2018.

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) causes respiratory tract infections and neurologic manifestations. We compared the clinical manifestations from 2 EV-D68 outbreaks in 2014 and 2018 and a low-activity period in 2016 among hospitalized children in central Ohio, USA, and used PCR and sequencing to enable phylogenetic comparisons. During both outbreak periods, infected children had respiratory manifestations that led to an increase in hospital admissions for asthma. The 2018 EV-D68 outbreak appeared to be milder in terms of respiratory illness, as shown by lower rates of pediatric intensive care unit admission. However, the frequency of severe neurologic manifestations was higher in 2018 than in 2014. During the same period in 2016, we noted neither an increase in EV-D68 nor a significant increase in asthma-related admissions. Phylogenetic analyses showed that EV-D68 isolates from 2018 clustered differently within clade B than did isolates from 2014 and are perhaps associated with a different EV-D68 subclade.

Characterizing the molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus across and within fitness facility types.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium found in the nose and throat of healthy individuals, and presents risk factors for infection and death. We investigated environmental contamination of fitness facilities with S. aureus in order to determine molecular types and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of contaminates that may be transmitted to facility patrons. METHODS: Environmental swabs (n = 288) were obtained from several fitness facilities (n = 16) across Northeast Ohio including cross-fit type facilities (n = 4), traditional iron gyms (n = 4), community center-based facilities (n = 5), and hospital-associated facilities (n = 3). Samples were taken from 18 different surfaces at each facility and were processed within 24 h using typical bacteriological methods. Positive isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing and molecular characterization (PVL and mecA PCR, and spa typing). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of S. aureus on environmental surfaces in the fitness facilities was 38.2% (110/288). The most commonly colonized surfaces were the weight ball (62.5%), cable driven curl bar, and CrossFit box (62.5%), as well as the weight plates (56.3%) and treadmill handle (50%). Interestingly, the bathroom levers and door handles were the least contaminated surfaces in both male and female restroom facilities (18.8%). Community gyms (40.0%) had the highest contamination prevalence among sampled surfaces with CrossFit (38.9%), traditional gyms (38.9%), and hospital associated (33.3%) contaminated less frequently, though the differences were not significant (p = 0.875). The top spa types found overall were t008 (12.7%), t267 (10.0%), t160, t282, t338 (all at 5.5%), t012 and t442 (4.5%), and t002 (3.6%). t008 and t002 was found in all fitness facility types accept Crossfit, with t267 (25%), t548, t377, t189 (all 10.7%) the top spa types found within crossfit. All samples were resistant to benzylpenicillin, with community centers having significantly more strains resistant to oxacillin (52.8%), erythromycin (47%), clindamycin (36%), and ciprofloxacin (19%). Overall, 36.3% of isolates were multidrug resistant. CONCLUSIONS: Our pilot study indicates that all facility types were contaminated by S. aureus and MRSA, and that additional studies are needed to characterize the microbiome structure of surfaces at different fitness facility types and the patrons at these facilities.