Articles: disease.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Feb 2016
Case ReportsLocal Transmission of Zika Virus - Puerto Rico, November 23, 2015-January 28, 2016.
Zika virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, spread to the Region of the Americas (Americas) in mid-2015, and appears to be related to congenital microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome (1,2). On February 1, 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the occurrence of microcephaly cases in association with Zika virus infection to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.* On December 31, 2015, Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDH) reported the first locally acquired (index) case of Zika virus disease in a jurisdiction of the United States in a patient from southeastern Puerto Rico. During November 23, 2015-January 28, 2016, passive and enhanced surveillance for Zika virus disease identified 30 laboratory-confirmed cases. ⋯ Clinicians in Puerto Rico should report all cases of microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and suspected Zika virus disease to PRDH. Other adverse reproductive outcomes, including fetal demise associated with Zika virus infection, should be reported to PRDH. To avoid infection with Zika virus, residents of and visitors to Puerto Rico, particularly pregnant women, should strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites, including wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts, using permethrin-treated clothing and gear, using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent, and ensuring that windows and doors have intact screens.
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Research investigating the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) has never had the technology to investigate physiology in such a data-rich capacity and at such a microlevel as it does now. A symposium at the inaugural meeting of the DOHaD Society of Australia and New Zealand outlined the advantages and challenges of using "-omics" technologies in DOHaD research. DOHaD studies with -omics approaches to generate large, rich datasets were discussed. We discuss implications for policy and practice and make recommendations to facilitate successful translation of results of future DOHaD-omics studies.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Feb 2016
Update: Interim Guidelines for Health Care Providers Caring for Pregnant Women and Women of Reproductive Age with Possible Zika Virus Exposure - United States, 2016.
CDC has updated its interim guidelines for U. S. health care providers caring for pregnant women during a Zika virus outbreak (1). Updated guidelines include a new recommendation to offer serologic testing to asymptomatic pregnant women (women who do not report clinical illness consistent with Zika virus disease) who have traveled to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission. ⋯ For asymptomatic pregnant women residing in areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission, testing is recommended at the initiation of prenatal care with follow-up testing mid-second trimester. Local health officials should determine when to implement testing of asymptomatic pregnant women based on information about levels of Zika virus transmission and laboratory capacity. Health care providers should discuss reproductive life plans, including pregnancy intention and timing, with women of reproductive age in the context of the potential risks associated with Zika virus infection.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Feb 2016
Red blood cell transfusion to treat or prevent complications in sickle cell disease: an overview of Cochrane reviews.
This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To summarize the evidence in Cochrane reviews of the effectiveness and safety of red cell transfusions versus no transfusion, or restrictive (to increase the total haemoglobin) versus liberal (to decrease the haemoglobin S level below a specified percentage) transfusion, for treatment or prevention of complications experienced by people with SCD.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Jan 2016
Zika Virus Spreads to New Areas - Region of the Americas, May 2015-January 2016.
Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 (1). Before 2007, only sporadic human disease cases were reported from countries in Africa and Asia. In 2007, the first documented outbreak of Zika virus disease was reported in Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia; 73% of the population aged ≥3 years is estimated to have been infected (2). ⋯ In December, the Ministry of Health estimated that 440,000-1,300,000 suspected cases of Zika virus disease had occurred in Brazil in 2015 (5). By January 20, 2016, locally-transmitted cases had been reported to the Pan American Health Organization from Puerto Rico and 19 other countries or territories in the Americas* (Figure) (6). Further spread to other countries in the region is being monitored closely.