MMWR. Surveillance summaries : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries
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Malaria in humans is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. These parasites are transmitted by the bite of an infective female Anopheles mosquito. The majority of malaria infections in the United States occur among persons who have traveled to areas with ongoing malaria transmission. In the United States, cases can occur through exposure to infected blood products, congenital transmission, or local mosquito-borne transmission. Malaria surveillance is conducted to identify episodes of local transmission and to guide prevention recommendations for travelers. ⋯ Travelers visiting friends and relatives (VFR) continue to be a difficult population to reach with effective malaria prevention strategies. Evidence-based prevention strategies that effectively target VFR travelers need to be developed and implemented to have a substantial impact on the numbers of imported malaria cases in the United States. A large number of pregnant travelers diagnosed with malaria did not take any chemoprophylaxis. Pregnant women traveling to areas in which malaria is endemic are at higher risk for severe malaria and must use appropriate malaria prevention strategies including chemoprophylaxis. Malaria prevention recommendations are available online (http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/drugs.html). Malaria infections can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated promptly with antimalarial medications appropriate for the patient's age and medical history, the likely country of malaria acquisition, and previous use of antimalarial chemoprophylaxis. Clinicians should consult the CDC Guidelines for Treatment of Malaria and contact the CDC's Malaria Hotline for case management advice, when needed. Malaria treatment recommendations can be obtained online (http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/diagnosis_treatment) or by calling the Malaria Hotline (770-488-7788 or toll-free at 855-856-4713).
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Approximately 12 million people are living with cancer in the United States. Limited information is available on national and state assessments of health behaviors among cancer survivors. Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), this report provides a descriptive state-level assessment of demographic characteristics and health behaviors among cancer survivors aged ≥18 years. ⋯ Health-care providers and patients should be aware of the importance of preventive care, smoking cessation, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight for cancer survivors. The findings in this report can help public health practitioners, researchers, and comprehensive cancer control programs evaluate the effectiveness of program activities for cancer survivors, assess the needs of cancer survivors at the state level, and allocate appropriate resources to address those needs.
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Approximately 1.1 million persons in the United States are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. More than half of those infected are men who have sex with men (MSM). ⋯ To reduce HIV infection among MSM, additional effort is needed to decrease the number of men who are engaging in risk behaviors while increasing the number who recently have been tested for HIV. The National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States delineates a coordinated response to reduce infections and HIV-related health disparities among MSM and other disproportionately affected groups. NHBS data can be used to monitor progress toward the goals of the national strategy and to guide national and local planning efforts to maximize the impact of HIV prevention programs.
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Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are important public health concerns in the United States. In 2008, a total of 36,035 persons died as a result of suicide, and approximately 666,000 persons visited hospital emergency departments for nonfatal, self-inflicted injuries. State-level data on suicide-related issues are needed to help establish program priorities and to evaluate the effectiveness of suicide prevention strategies. Public health surveillance with timely and consistent exchange of data between data collectors and prevention program implementers allows prevention program practitioners to implement effective prevention and control activities. ⋯ A better understanding of the patterns of the precursors to suicide is crucial to planning and evaluating a broad spectrum of suicide prevention efforts. These results can be used by state health departments and federal agencies to measure progress toward achieving national and state health objectives (e.g., those outlined in the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention). Continued surveillance is needed to design, implement, and evaluate public health policies and programs that can lead to a reduction in morbidity and mortality related to suicide-related thoughts and behaviors. Possible strategies to implement could include universal strategies (e.g., public education campaigns that focus on improving recognition of suicide risk) and indicated strategies (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy) that address the needs of persons exhibiting certain risk factors (e.g., persons who have made suicide attempts).