Laurel County man talks about bout with West Nile; one of few diagnosed with disease in Kentucky

A Laurel County man has shared his story after contracting the West Nile Virus, which, though rare in Kentucky, has been more common nationwide this year than it has been since it was first discovered in 1999.

Kelly Curens spent three weeks at the University of Kentucky medical center, much of which was spent in an induced coma. He started feeling sick after a camping trip at Lake Cumberland, reports Phil Penderton for WKYT-TV. The illness started with a headache and graduated to feeling dizzy, which were symptoms to similar to ones he experienced a few years ago when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When he went to the emergency room at St. Joseph London hospital, he had a seizure. 

Curens was one of the first in Kentucky to be positively diagnosed with the virus, which has affected more than 1,100 people nationwide this year. About half of the cases have been in Texas. Four horses have been diagnosed with the disease in Kentucky since Aug. 2. Craig Carter, director of the UK Veterminary Diagnostic Lab, said Kentucky is "still in the high-risk part of the season for West Nile infection."

Curens has been treated and is feeling much better now. "From what I was told, I'm very lucky," he said. "My blood sugar and blood pressure has always been good. Had I not been healthy I probably wouldn't be here today."

The elderly, infants and babies at the most risk, said Marion Pennington, regional epidemiologist at the Cumberland Valley District Health Department.

To protect oneself from the West Nile Virus, officials advise to:
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots and other containers that could collect water.
• Remove discarded tires from properties. They are the most common mosquito breeding grounds in the country.
• Drill holes in recycling containers.
• Drain gutters properly and clean gutters in the spring and fall.
• Turn over swimming pools and wheelbarrows when they aren't in use.
• Change the water in birdbaths on a regular basis.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools and hot tubs.
• Make sure screens on windows don't have holes in them.
• Wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants when outside in the early morning and late evening. (Read more)

A Laurel County man has shared his story after contracting the West Nile Virus, which, though rare in Kentucky, has been more common nationwide this year than it has been since it was first discovered in 1999.

Kelly Curens spent three weeks at the University of Kentucky medical center, much of which was spent in an induced coma. He started feeling sick after a camping trip at Lake Cumberland, reports Phil Penderton for WKYT-TV. The illness started with a headache and graduated to feeling dizzy, which were symptoms to similar to ones he experienced a few years ago when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When he went to the emergency room at St. Joseph London hospital, he had a seizure. 

Curens was one of the first in Kentucky to be positively diagnosed with the virus, which has affected more than 1,100 people nationwide this year. About half of the cases have been in Texas. Four horses have been diagnosed with the disease in Kentucky since Aug. 2. Craig Carter, director of the UK Veterminary Diagnostic Lab, said Kentucky is "still in the high-risk part of the season for West Nile infection."

Curens has been treated and is feeling much better now. "From what I was told, I'm very lucky," he said. "My blood sugar and blood pressure has always been good. Had I not been healthy I probably wouldn't be here today."

The elderly, infants and babies at the most risk, said Marion Pennington, regional epidemiologist at the Cumberland Valley District Health Department.

To protect oneself from the West Nile Virus, officials advise to:
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots and other containers that could collect water.
• Remove discarded tires from properties. They are the most common mosquito breeding grounds in the country.
• Drill holes in recycling containers.
• Drain gutters properly and clean gutters in the spring and fall.
• Turn over swimming pools and wheelbarrows when they aren't in use.
• Change the water in birdbaths on a regular basis.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools and hot tubs.
• Make sure screens on windows don't have holes in them.
• Wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants when outside in the early morning and late evening. (Read more)

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At least 50 Kentuckians sick from salmonella, likely from cantaloupes; best to wash them with a diluted bleach solution

Photo by Richard North for Gristmill

Health officials have zeroed in on a farm in southwestern Indiana responsible for at least some of the cantaloupe that were contaminated with salmonella, an outbreak that has sickened at least 50 Kentuckians and 178 people nationwide. It has also been associated with the death of two Kentuckians.

There is disagreement between state and federal officials whether melons from the region are safe to eat, The Associated Press reports. The Food and Drug Administration says to discard any cantaloupes grown in the area that were bought on or after July 7. Amy Reel, Indiana Department of Health spokeswoman, says melons from other farms in the area are safe to eat.

The 100-acre Chamberlain Farms, 20 miles north of Evansville, seems to be at least one source of the outbreak. It stopped producing and distributing the melons Aug. 16. They sold cantaloupe to four grocery stores in Southwestern Indiana, as well as to wholesale purchasers in St. Louis; Owensboro, Ky.; Peru, Ill.; and Durant, Iowa. (Read more)

Salmonella is a bacterium that is found in the intestines of animals and is contracted from eating raw eggs or raw poultry or having those products touch other food. It can occasionally be found on produce, so the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services recommends washing all fruit and vegetables thoroughly and scrubbing the rinds of cantaloupes and other melons before cutting or slicing them. As Tim Wright, the acting health director in Anderson County, told The Anderson News,  "People use a clean knife and cut through the melon, and that can shove the salmonella right into its meat" if any remains on the rind. He recommends washing all melons in a solution of one cup of bleach to a gallon of water, because melon rinds get salmonella when rodents urinate on them.

Photo by Richard North for Gristmill

Health officials have zeroed in on a farm in southwestern Indiana responsible for at least some of the cantaloupe that were contaminated with salmonella, an outbreak that has sickened at least 50 Kentuckians and 178 people nationwide. It has also been associated with the death of two Kentuckians.

There is disagreement between state and federal officials whether melons from the region are safe to eat, The Associated Press reports. The Food and Drug Administration says to discard any cantaloupes grown in the area that were bought on or after July 7. Amy Reel, Indiana Department of Health spokeswoman, says melons from other farms in the area are safe to eat.

The 100-acre Chamberlain Farms, 20 miles north of Evansville, seems to be at least one source of the outbreak. It stopped producing and distributing the melons Aug. 16. They sold cantaloupe to four grocery stores in Southwestern Indiana, as well as to wholesale purchasers in St. Louis; Owensboro, Ky.; Peru, Ill.; and Durant, Iowa. (Read more)

Salmonella is a bacterium that is found in the intestines of animals and is contracted from eating raw eggs or raw poultry or having those products touch other food. It can occasionally be found on produce, so the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services recommends washing all fruit and vegetables thoroughly and scrubbing the rinds of cantaloupes and other melons before cutting or slicing them. As Tim Wright, the acting health director in Anderson County, told The Anderson News,  "People use a clean knife and cut through the melon, and that can shove the salmonella right into its meat" if any remains on the rind. He recommends washing all melons in a solution of one cup of bleach to a gallon of water, because melon rinds get salmonella when rodents urinate on them.

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Feline oral squamous cell carcinoma

Final report, Winn grant W09-032
Molecular pathology of feline oral squamous cell carcinoma
Investigators: Susan M. LaRue, E.J. Ehrhart
Colorado State University

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a devastating disease in cats and accounts for approximately 10% of all feline tumors. The goal of the study’s investigators was to establish protocols for molecular biomarkers and to characterize the nature of this tumor so a better treatment protocol could be developed in the future.
They first developed protocols for immune staining of tissues and antibodies against three different biological markers. 

One important detail learned was that sample processing is one of the most important factors affecting immunoreactivity of feline tissues. Due to this important finding, immunohistochemical techniques will be used only in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues that do not undergo bone decalcification. The study results also noted that cats with high epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression had a tendency toward a shorter overall survival. This may suggest a possible usefulness for anti-EGFR therapy in future studies. 

Finally, there was statistically significant correlation between one biomarker score, Ki67, and another marker, mitotic indexes. This relationship has not been reported previously in feline OSCC and suggests that these particular cancer cells with Ki67 can keep proliferating without going into a rest or dying phase. Such a result could go a long way to explaining the impression that feline OSCC is a fast-growing cancer. [VT]

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
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Final report, Winn grant W09-032
Molecular pathology of feline oral squamous cell carcinoma
Investigators: Susan M. LaRue, E.J. Ehrhart
Colorado State University

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a devastating disease in cats and accounts for approximately 10% of all feline tumors. The goal of the study’s investigators was to establish protocols for molecular biomarkers and to characterize the nature of this tumor so a better treatment protocol could be developed in the future.
They first developed protocols for immune staining of tissues and antibodies against three different biological markers. 

One important detail learned was that sample processing is one of the most important factors affecting immunoreactivity of feline tissues. Due to this important finding, immunohistochemical techniques will be used only in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues that do not undergo bone decalcification. The study results also noted that cats with high epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression had a tendency toward a shorter overall survival. This may suggest a possible usefulness for anti-EGFR therapy in future studies. 

Finally, there was statistically significant correlation between one biomarker score, Ki67, and another marker, mitotic indexes. This relationship has not been reported previously in feline OSCC and suggests that these particular cancer cells with Ki67 can keep proliferating without going into a rest or dying phase. Such a result could go a long way to explaining the impression that feline OSCC is a fast-growing cancer. [VT]

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Read the Cat Health News Weekly
Join us on Google+

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Brushing teeth twice a day, two minutes at a time, is the way to prevent cavities, a new campaign advises

Kids should brush their teeth twice a day for two whole minutes at a time, a new public-service campaign urges. The “Kids’ Healthy Mouths” campaign includes TV spots, print ads, a website, social media messages and other materials, reports Jennifer LaRue Huget for The Washington Post.

Campaign materials point out that “dental decay is the most common chronic childhood disease.” More than 16 million children across the United States suffer from it. In Kentucky, nearly 35 percent of third-grade students had untreated tooth decay, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's State Oral Health Profile shows.

“The mouth is the gateway to a person’s overall health, and an unhealthy mouth can be linked to diabetes and even heart disease,” the campaign says. “In the U.S., oral disease causes kids to miss 51 million school hours and their parents to lose 25 million work hours annually. Additionally, oral disease disproportionately affects children from low-income families and these children have almost twice the number of decayed teeth that have not been treated by a dentist as compared to others in the general population.”

The campaign includes a YouTube video channel on which there are videos that are each 120 seconds long. The goal is for kids to watch the videos while they’re brushing.

Research has shown brushing two minutes at a time, twice a day, is the “optimal prevention brushing regimen,” because it “takes two minutes for the tooth enamel to uptake the fluoride” in toothpaste, said Maria Lopez Howell, consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. When enamel absorbs fluoride it makes the surface harder and more resistant to bacteria. Brushing for two minutes additionally removes plaque on teeth. (Read more)

Kids should brush their teeth twice a day for two whole minutes at a time, a new public-service campaign urges. The “Kids’ Healthy Mouths” campaign includes TV spots, print ads, a website, social media messages and other materials, reports Jennifer LaRue Huget for The Washington Post.

Campaign materials point out that “dental decay is the most common chronic childhood disease.” More than 16 million children across the United States suffer from it. In Kentucky, nearly 35 percent of third-grade students had untreated tooth decay, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's State Oral Health Profile shows.

“The mouth is the gateway to a person’s overall health, and an unhealthy mouth can be linked to diabetes and even heart disease,” the campaign says. “In the U.S., oral disease causes kids to miss 51 million school hours and their parents to lose 25 million work hours annually. Additionally, oral disease disproportionately affects children from low-income families and these children have almost twice the number of decayed teeth that have not been treated by a dentist as compared to others in the general population.”

The campaign includes a YouTube video channel on which there are videos that are each 120 seconds long. The goal is for kids to watch the videos while they’re brushing.

Research has shown brushing two minutes at a time, twice a day, is the “optimal prevention brushing regimen,” because it “takes two minutes for the tooth enamel to uptake the fluoride” in toothpaste, said Maria Lopez Howell, consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. When enamel absorbs fluoride it makes the surface harder and more resistant to bacteria. Brushing for two minutes additionally removes plaque on teeth. (Read more)

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West Nile outbreak light in Ky. but 'one of the largest' in nation

U.S. health officials reported Wednesday three times the usual number of West Nile cases for this time of year and one expert told the Associated Press it was “one of the largest” outbreaks since the virus appeared in this country in 1999.

So far, 1,118 illnesses have been reported, about half of them in Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kentucky has reported few cases.

In an average year, fewer than 300 cases are reported by mid-August. There have also been 41 deaths this year. Most infections are usually reported in August and September, so it’s too early to say how bad this year will end up, CDC officials said. AP reports that West Nile virus peaked in 2002 and 2003, when severe illnesses reached nearly 3,000 and deaths surpassed 260.

 The best way to prevent West Nile disease, say experts, is to avoid mosquito bites. Insect repellents, screens on doors and windows and wearing long sleeves and pants are some of the recommended strategies. Also, empty standing water from buckets, kiddie pools and other places to discourage breeding. (Read more)

U.S. health officials reported Wednesday three times the usual number of West Nile cases for this time of year and one expert told the Associated Press it was “one of the largest” outbreaks since the virus appeared in this country in 1999.

So far, 1,118 illnesses have been reported, about half of them in Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kentucky has reported few cases.

In an average year, fewer than 300 cases are reported by mid-August. There have also been 41 deaths this year. Most infections are usually reported in August and September, so it’s too early to say how bad this year will end up, CDC officials said. AP reports that West Nile virus peaked in 2002 and 2003, when severe illnesses reached nearly 3,000 and deaths surpassed 260.

 The best way to prevent West Nile disease, say experts, is to avoid mosquito bites. Insect repellents, screens on doors and windows and wearing long sleeves and pants are some of the recommended strategies. Also, empty standing water from buckets, kiddie pools and other places to discourage breeding. (Read more)

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Medicare is a hot topic on the presidential campaign trail; federal agency says reform has saved seniors money

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and running
mate Paul Ryan talk health care in New Hampshire. Photo
by Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe.

The federal health reform law continues to be a major point of contention in the presidential campaign. Yesterday, Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan said, "Medicare should not be a piggybank for Obamacare," while at a rally in New Hampshire yesterday and blasted President Obama "for using $716 billion in savings from Medicare and applying it to his health care law," reports Matt Viser for The Boston Globe.

Most of that amount was taken from reductions to Medicare Advantage, a category of Medicare plans that are run by private insurance companies. The idea behind the program "was that competition among the private insurers would reduce costs," reports Politifact.com, a Tampa Bay Times project that fact-checks statements on public policy. "But in recent years the plans have actually cost more than traditional Medicare. So the health-care law scales back the payments to private insurers."

Ryan has proposed his own fix, a voucher program for Medicare, which Obama sharply criticized Saturday: "Now you think they'd avoid talking about Medicare, considering both of them have proposed to voucherize the Medicare system," he said. "They want seniors to get a voucher to buy their own insurance, which would force seniors to pay an additional $6,400 for their health care."

Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a press release detailing how much the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has saved seniors. Kentucky seniors and those with disabilities have saved $78.4 million on prescription drugs since 2010. In 2012, seniors in Kentucky saved an average of $579 because of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The law covers the prescription drug coverage gap known as the "donut hole."

In the first seven months of 2012, 477,235 Kentuckians with Medicare also got at least one preventive service for free because of a provision in the law, a CMS reports.

"The health care law has saved people with Medicare over $4.1 billion on prescription drugs, and given millions access to cancer screenings, mammograms and other preventive services for free," said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services. "Medicare is stronger thanks to the health care law, saving people money and offering new benefits at no cost to seniors."

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and running
mate Paul Ryan talk health care in New Hampshire. Photo
by Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe.

The federal health reform law continues to be a major point of contention in the presidential campaign. Yesterday, Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan said, "Medicare should not be a piggybank for Obamacare," while at a rally in New Hampshire yesterday and blasted President Obama "for using $716 billion in savings from Medicare and applying it to his health care law," reports Matt Viser for The Boston Globe.

Most of that amount was taken from reductions to Medicare Advantage, a category of Medicare plans that are run by private insurance companies. The idea behind the program "was that competition among the private insurers would reduce costs," reports Politifact.com, a Tampa Bay Times project that fact-checks statements on public policy. "But in recent years the plans have actually cost more than traditional Medicare. So the health-care law scales back the payments to private insurers."

Ryan has proposed his own fix, a voucher program for Medicare, which Obama sharply criticized Saturday: "Now you think they'd avoid talking about Medicare, considering both of them have proposed to voucherize the Medicare system," he said. "They want seniors to get a voucher to buy their own insurance, which would force seniors to pay an additional $6,400 for their health care."

Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a press release detailing how much the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has saved seniors. Kentucky seniors and those with disabilities have saved $78.4 million on prescription drugs since 2010. In 2012, seniors in Kentucky saved an average of $579 because of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The law covers the prescription drug coverage gap known as the "donut hole."

In the first seven months of 2012, 477,235 Kentuckians with Medicare also got at least one preventive service for free because of a provision in the law, a CMS reports.

"The health care law has saved people with Medicare over $4.1 billion on prescription drugs, and given millions access to cancer screenings, mammograms and other preventive services for free," said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services. "Medicare is stronger thanks to the health care law, saving people money and offering new benefits at no cost to seniors."

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Aetna buying Coventry, which manages some Medicaid care

Aetna will buy Coventry Health Care for about $5.6 billion as the third-largest health insurance company poises itself for more Medicare and Medicaid patients under the federal health-care reform law.

Coventry Cares is one of four managed care organizations that supervise care for Kentucky's Medicaid patients. But since being put in place last November, the company reports it has been beleaguered by shortfalls and has threatened to end many contracts with hospitals.

"It's a deal that almost had to happen," said thomas Carroll, a Stifel Nicolaus & Co. analyst in Baltimore. "For Aetna to really compete effectively amongst the other large national managed care companies, they have to do more in terms of gaining market share in the commercial business as well as getting a bigger foothold in Medicare and Medicaid, which are the growth areas in managed care over the next decade."

The health care law "seeks to add as many as 17 million patients under Medicaid, the insurance program for the poor, while individuals states have increasingly turned to insurers to help them manage existing programs at lower costs," reports the Bloomberg News. "Medicare managed-care plans are among the fastest-growing products for health insurers as Americans age." (Read more)

Aetna will buy Coventry Health Care for about $5.6 billion as the third-largest health insurance company poises itself for more Medicare and Medicaid patients under the federal health-care reform law.

Coventry Cares is one of four managed care organizations that supervise care for Kentucky's Medicaid patients. But since being put in place last November, the company reports it has been beleaguered by shortfalls and has threatened to end many contracts with hospitals.

"It's a deal that almost had to happen," said thomas Carroll, a Stifel Nicolaus & Co. analyst in Baltimore. "For Aetna to really compete effectively amongst the other large national managed care companies, they have to do more in terms of gaining market share in the commercial business as well as getting a bigger foothold in Medicare and Medicaid, which are the growth areas in managed care over the next decade."

The health care law "seeks to add as many as 17 million patients under Medicaid, the insurance program for the poor, while individuals states have increasingly turned to insurers to help them manage existing programs at lower costs," reports the Bloomberg News. "Medicare managed-care plans are among the fastest-growing products for health insurers as Americans age." (Read more)

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