Public Health Alerts
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September 11, 2018Posted: September 11, 2018Read MoreAntibiotic resistance is of widespread concern and is particularly critical in developing countries, like Vietnam, where there is a higher burden of infectious disease. In these countries, the cost of new and improved antibiotics can be insurmountable, leading to the use of outdated and ineffective antibiotics. Furthermore, self-diagnosis and self-treatment can lead to antibiotic resistance and an... -
May 11, 2018Posted: May 11, 2018Read More...Recently, cases of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and hepatic pain in the United States have been described among Vietnam War veterans. The cause is Clonorchis sinensis, one of the most prevalent parasites in the world which is still transmitted in many regions of Asia. It is also known as the liver fluke worm. The fluke worm, Opisthorchis viverrini is another potential source
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December 15, 2017Posted: December 15, 2017Read MoreThe Happiest Place on Earth just made news in November for all the wrong reasons. Disneyland recently shut down two contaminated cooling towers after health officials discovered the towers had elevated levels of Legionella bacteria.
Eleven separate cases of Legionnaires’ disease have surfaced in the Anaheim area. The victims were infected sometime between late August and October. A...
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December 08, 2017Posted: December 08, 2017Read MoreOn September 1, 2017, San Diego County officials declared a state of emergency due to a major outbreak of Hepatitis A in the region.
Since November 2016, 544 infections and 20 deaths have been reported. In comparison, for the last five years, San Diego County has recorded only 28 cases annually on average. Among the recent outbreak of reported cases, the majority have been homeless i...
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October 27, 2017Posted: October 27, 2017Read More...The classic bulls-eye rash is one that most people are warned to watch out for and are told to seek medical assistance if it appears on the skin. This rash is called erythema migrans and may occur from infection with a bacterium of the genus Borrelia. These bacteria are spirochetes and have a flagellum that aids in mobility. Borrelia burgdorferi is the most common species associated wi -
March 03, 2017Posted: March 03, 2017Read MoreWith Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) on the rise among hospital acquired infections across America in hospitals and care facilities, infection control specialists have been scrambling to prevent the acceleration of this toxic and destructive bacterium. Where does CDI come from? Where is it going? How can we avoid it? With nearly half a million impacted yearly from this infection...
