Katrina Aftermath: CDC Update
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has had a very active roll in the recovery efforts of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. They have deployed hundreds of public health employees including nurse practitioners, to the affected areas. In addition, the CDC is keeping the public informed of the many serious public health risks brought on by Katrina, and how to avoid them.
In Louisiana, the greatest concern is the water supply and sanitation system. Although residents of New Orleans have begun reentry, clean drinking water and functioning sewage systems are still not available in many areas. The flooding has left potentially dangerous bacteria in the water supply, which could be harmful if people drink or cook with it. Even bathing, toothbrushing, and hand-washing could be dangerous.
The CDC posts all the latest updates on their relief efforts, as well as public health issues, on their Web site. Visit http://www.cdc.gov for more information.
Landmark Ovarian Cancer Trial Launched
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), in addition to 10 other institutions nationwide, is embarking on a clinical trial to develop a blood protein test to detect the return of ovarian cancer in those who are in remission. It is the researchers' hope that the findings will not only be able to predict if the cancer will return, but also detect early-stage ovarian cancer in women who have never had the disease.
The trial will involve 400 women over 2 years. The researchers are seeking women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer who have completed their initial round of chemotherapy within 9 weeks of the trial's start date. The subjects should also have no signs of cancer, after completing a drug treatment program, in which they took carboplatin or cisplatin, with paclitaxel (Onxol) or docetaxel (Taxotere). Research samples will be frozen to create a repository for analysis of blood proteins.
The CA-125 is currently the only test approved to detect the return of ovarian cancer. The problem with the CA-125 is that it cannot accurately diagnose women who show no signs of the disease.
The blood protein test that is developed in the study will then be compared to the CA-125 to see if it produces more accurate results.
Expanded Medicare Drug Coverage
Starting November 15, 2005, all Americans on Medicare will have the opportunity to sign up for drug coverage, without enrolling in a Medicare Advantage HMO option. This new benefit, termed Part D, will take effect January 1, 2006.
Part D will be tailored to each insurance company, in terms of co-pays and premium options. Insurance companies are competing with each other by offering cheaper rates to attract seniors. They also have the option of offering more expensive plans, which provide better coverage.
Part D has many components. Part D coverage is not based on income. Anyone on Medicare can enroll, but those with lower income will be eligible for subsidies to cover their costs.
Preschool-aged Children Spread Flu
Flu vaccines are currently recommended for people 50 years of age and older, people who have chronic diseases, and children 6 months to 2 years of age. However, new research suggests that preschool children, particularly 3- and 4- year-olds, are the ones most likely to spread the disease to other populations.
This idea comes from an analysis of 400,000 people who presented with respiratory illness in four Massachusetts hospital emergency rooms. According to the results, published in the October 1, 2005 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, these younger children pick up the disease in daycare or preschools and then spread it to older children, who then spread it to adults. This is due to less-than-sanitary conditions that breed infection in daycare centers and preschools.
These findings could lead to a community-wide approach to flu prevention. Instead of only vaccinating high-risk populations to prevent fatal complications, this approach focuses on vaccinating the 3- and 4- year-olds to prevent the flu from spreading to more at-risk groups.