Your showerhead may be home to some very dangerous bacteria. A new study from the University of Colorado at Boulder may have you cringing rather than singing in the shower. People with compromised immune systems may want to take a bath.

Researchers studying the microbiology of water systems at 45 sites in seven different states across the U.S. found unusually high levels of bacteria in showerheads—almost 100 times more than any other place in the home. Although bacteria levels were high in all showerheads, some sample sites in the New York City and Denver areas had large amounts of Mycobacterium avium, a relative of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis and leprosy.

“If you’re getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium,” says study author Norman Pace, professor of biology at the University of Colorado.

Mycobacteria are found in soil, water, and decaying matter. Certain Mycobacteria, such as Mycobactrium avium, can cause digestive, lymphatic, and pulmonary infections. In the shower, these bacteria are delivered as aerosols. Particles are small enough to get into the lungs, and when inhaled or swallowed, can lead to a host of pulmonary problems.

The study, part of a bigger study that began as a class project, used DNA barcode testing to extract rRNA (bacterial DNA) from different parts of the shower and showerhead. Researchers sampled water flowing from the showerhead and obtained swab samples from the inside of the showerhead. Finally, samples were collected from water flowing out of the pipe after the showerhead was removed.

Homes with well water systems did not have Mycobacteria in their showerheads, a factor authors believe may be due to Mycobacteria’s chlorine resistance. Although they suggest that bathing may be safer, researchers assure that it’s not dangerous to shower.

“We did see some organisms that might be of concern if you have immune issues (such as) cystic fibrosis, AIDS, recent organ transplant, substance abuse, or are pregnant or otherwise immune compromised,” the authors wrote.

Click for more information on pulmonary disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are closely monitoring the outbreaks of a new type of swine flu in the United States and Mexico to avert a potential flu pandemic. The outbreak has killed at least 16 people in Mexico and infected eight people in the United States. All the American cases have recovered. 

The new strain of flu virus is unusual because it contains gene segments from swine, bird, and human flu virus strains. It is believed that some infections were transmitted from person to person instead of from pigs

On Friday, Mexico City health officials closed schools across the city, urged people with flu symptoms to stay home from work, and encouraged people to take precautions such as regular hand washing.

Health officials have warned for many years that new flu virus strains such as the current one could precipitate a global flu pandemic, which could kill millions of people. The pandemic of 1918-19 resulted in at least 40 million deaths worldwide.

The CDC has not yet recommended against traveling to Mexico. The current season’s flu vaccine does not protect against the new swine flu virus but the CDC is apparently working on a swine flu vaccine. People cannot catch swine flu from eating pork or pork products.

Have a question about swine flu? Ask the medical students at Healia Communities.


_{Photo: treehouse1977, Flickr, Creative Commons}

In its annual report "Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2007," the CDC finds that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are on the rise in the U.S. In addition, the CDC points out that these diseases continue to take a disproportionately heavy toll on women and racial minorities.

The report finds that the number of cases of the most common STD chlamydia climbed to an all-time high of more than 1.1 million in 2007, equal to a rate of 370 cases per 100,000 people, up 7.5 percent from the previous year. While this increase is concerning, CDC researchers note that the increase may be at least partially explained by increased testing due to federal guidelines that recommend STD screening  for sexually active women age 25 and under. The percentage of young women being tested for the infection rose by more than ten percent between 2003 and 2007.

On the other hand, the number of reported cases still vastly underestimates the true number of people infected with chlamydia each year; according to experts, the actual number of cases may be closer to 3 million. The number of cases of gonorrhea held steady from 2006 to 2007 at around 350,000 cases, but as with chlamydia, experts believe the true number of cases may be much higher.

The reason so many cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia go unreported is that they often have no obvious symptoms, but they can lead to complications if left untreated. While both chlamydia and gonorrhea are easily treatable with antibiotics, up to 40 percent of women with untreated gonorrhea or chlamydia infections may develop pelvic inflammatory disease, a condition that causes 50,000 women to become infertile each year. Untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea can also cause ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, and other serious health problems.

What’s more, while these diseases can infect men, women make up an estimated three-quarters of all chlamydia cases and they have a higher risk of getting gonorrhea than men. Infected men may also show no symptoms of an infection and may unknowingly pass the diseases on to their sexual partners.

According to the report, syphilis, a disease once on the verge of being eradicated, is making a comeback, with the number of U.S. cases up 15 percent from 2006 to 2007. While the overall number of syphilis infections remains low (around 12,000 cases in 2007), gay and bisexual men represent 65 percent of those cases according to the CDC. Syphilis can be treated easily in the early stages, but if left untreated it can progress to cause serious, even fatal complications such as strokes.

Huge racial disparities also exist in STD cases. While African Americans represent around 12 percent of the U.S. population, in 2007 blacks accounted for about 70 percent of reported gonorrhea cases and almost half of all chlamydia and syphilis cases (48 percent and 46 percent respectively). According to the CDC, this is likely related to the high rate of poverty among blacks, as studies have shown one of the most important social determinants of sexual health to be socioeconomic status.

When they do occur, symptoms of gonorrhea in men include a burning sensation when urinating, or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis, sometimes accompanied by painful or swollen testicles. chlamydia symptoms are similar: some men may also feel a burning during urination or have a discharge. In women, in the rare cases in which symptoms of gonorrhea do occur they are mild and may include painful or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods. chlamydia symptoms in women may cause pain in their lower abdomen or notice a burning sensation or a pus-like discharge during urination.

The CDC recommends annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active women under 26 years old, and supports U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations to screen high-risk, sexually active women for gonorrhea. For more information about STDs, visit the CDCs STD Web site. IF you have questions about STDs but are too shy to ask them in person, join the Healia Health Community for STDs and ask the community, or ask the experts on Healia Health Communities.


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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is searching for the source of a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 400 people in 42 states so far. The CDC has not released the list of states affected nor have they provided any information about what foods may be spreading the Salmonella bacteria.

Federal health officials say that at least 388 people have contracted the same strain of Salmonella since September which has sent about 70 people to the hospital. No deaths have been reported. Other sources report that Ohio, California, and Georgia are among the states affected.

The Department of Agriculture, state health officials and the Food and Drug Administration are also involved in the investigation.

Salmonella infections are relatively common, affecting approximately 40,000 people every year in the United States, in this case all 388 people were sickened by the same strain of the bacterium, Salmonella typhimurium, as determined by genetic fingerprinting. The CDC says this type of is most common in contaminated poultry, cheese, and eggs.

Most people infected with salmonella develop fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea between 12 and 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. Infants, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses are at the highest risk for complications.

The CDC is likely to conduct a thorough investigation before naming any foods that could be affected. In the summer of 2008, the CDC announced that tomatoes were the likely cause of a large Salmonella outbreak, only to announce later that the major cause of the outbreak was actually jalapeño and serrano peppers.

Until a cause of the outbreak is confirmed, the CDC recommends that you thoroughly cook all meats, poultry, and eggs, as well as cautioning you to avoid consuming raw or unpasteurized milk and other dairy products. Produce should be thoroughly washed as well, especially if it is eaten raw. Wash your hands frequently when preparing food and don’t use the same utensils or cookware to hold both raw and cooked meat and poultry unless they have been thoroughly washed.

For more information about Salmonella, join the Healia Health Community for Salmonella Infections.

Related blog post: The 4 Most Common Causes of Foodborne Disease


_{Photo: CDC/Janice Haney Carr, Public Health Image Library}

"Food poisoning” or foodborne disease sickens an estimated 76 million people each year in the United States. That means nearly one in every four people is sickened each year by exposure to through contaminated food or drink. But what are the most common causes of foodborne diseases?

Many cases of food poisoning are actually caused by infectious organisms. There are actually around 250 disease causing organisms that can sicken people when they are consumed. Foodborne disease can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Some diseases are caused by toxins from disease-causing microbes while others are caused by the human body’s reactions to the microbe itself. Other diseases are true poisonings, caused by harmful toxins or chemicals that have contaminated the food, such as poisonous mushrooms.

While there are several possible causes of foodborne illness, four microbes are responsible for the majority of all foodborne illness in the United States. Worldwide, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, and cholera are still common foodborne diseases, but improvements in food safety and vaccination have virtually eradicated these diseases in the United States.

The 4 most common causes of foodborne illness in the United States are:

• Campylobacter. This bacterium causes fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the most commonly identified bacterial cause of diarrheal illness in the world. Campylobacter bacteria live in the intestines of birds and most raw poultry harbors the bacteria. Eating undercooked chicken or food that has been contaminated with raw chicken juice is the most frequent source of Campylobacter infection. 


• Salmonella. This bacterium is also widespread in the intestines of birds, along with reptiles and mammals. It can spread to humans via a variety of foods of animal origin, but raw or undercooked chicken is a major source of infection. Like Campylobacter, Salmonella also tends to cause fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, but in people with underlying health problems or weakened immune systems it can invade the bloodstream (bacteremia) and become life threatening. 


• E. coli. E coli is a bacterium that lives in the intestines of cattle and other similar animals, including humans. There are many strains of E. coli bacteria but only certain types cause illness. The strain that is responsible for most cases of foodborne illness in people is called E. coli O157:H7. In humans, exposure usually occurs through consumption of food or water that has been contaminated with microscopic amounts of cow feces. The illness that occurs is often a severe and bloody diarrhea and painful abdominal cramps, without a fever (or with a very low-grade fever). In up to 5 percent of cases, a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) develops several weeks after the initial symptoms.  HUS causes temporary anemia, profuse bleeding, and kidney failure and may lead to death.


• Norovirus. Also known as calicivirus, Norwalk virus, or Norwalk-like virus, norovirus is an extremely common cause of foodborne illness. However, due to the lack of a widely-available diagnostic test, the disease is often suspected but rarely diagnosed. It causes an acute gastrointestinal illness, usually with more vomiting than diarrhea, which tends to resolve within two days. Unlike the other foodborne pathogens listed above, it is believed that norovirus spreads primarily from one infected person to another via food they have touched, instead of through animals. Infected kitchen workers can contaminate a salad or sandwich as they prepare it, if they have the virus on their hands. Thus, large outbreaks of norovirus are common in places with central eating locations such as cruise ships, schools, and even hospitals.

For more information about foodborne illness, see the UDSA’s Food Safety Information Center or the CDC’s Food Safety Office. If you have questions about foodborne illness, ask the people in the Healia Health Community for E. Coli Infections or the Healia Health Community for Salmonella Infections, or ask an expert at Healia Health Communities.


_{Source: CDC – Foodborne illness, Jan 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm#mostcommon}

_{Photo: [n], Flickr, Creative Commons}

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently compiled a list of the top states with the highest reported cases of AIDS. Although most cases of HIV/AIDS occur outside the United States, more than a million people were living with AIDS in the U.S. as of 2003. The CDC estimates that as many as 24-27% of people infected with HIV were unaware of their infection. CDC statistics on HIV and AIDS in the U.S. report data by age, race, state, and transmission category.

The top 10 states with most reported cases of HIV and/or AIDS in 2006 are:

1. New York (5,495 reported cases)
2. Florida (4,932)
3. California (3,960)
4. Texas (2,998)
5. Pennsylvania (1,893)
6. Maryland (1,626)
7. Georgia (1,605)
8. Illinois (1,382)
9. North Carolina (1,229)
10. New Jersey (1,065)

Discuss AIDS with other people in the HIV/AIDS community in Healia Communities.


_{Data source: CDC HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report: Cases of HIV Infection and AIDS in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2006.http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/basic.htm#area}

_{Photo: Alex Castella,Flickr, Creative Commons}

A new study shows that women tend to have a greater variety of bacteria on their hands than men: on average, 50% more bacterial species than men have. And both men and women tend to have many more types of bacteria on their hands than previously thought.

The study, published in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found more than 4,700 different bacteria species – most of which are harmless to people – on the palms of 51 college student participants. A typical student’s hand had around 150 different species of bacteria living on it. Only five species were found on the hands of all 51 participants. Interestingly, the right and left hand of an individual shared an average of only 17% of the same bacteria types.

Researchers aren’t sure why women seem to carry a greater variety of bacteria than men, but they speculate that it might have something to do with differences in the acidity of the skin between men and women. Men generally have more acidic skin than women, which may provide a less hospitable environment for some bacteria. Other possible explanations include differences between men and women in sweat and oil gland production, differing use of moisturizer or cosmetics, variations in skin thickness, or hormonal effects.

The study also showed the diversity of bacteria on individual hands was not significantly affected by regular hand washing. However, the study did not examine total numbers of bacteria, only the number of different bacterial species present.

To minimize risk your risk of disease, the researchers still recommend washing your hands regularly with antibacterial soap, as these cleansers seem to preferentially target potentially harmful bacterial species. If you have further questions about bacterial infections, ask the experts at Healia Health Communities.

 

_{Photo: Janice Haney Carr, CDC}

Some of the National Football League’s (NFL’s) biggest stars have been sidelined recently by staphylococcus (staph) infections. First it was reported that Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow had to be hospitalized for three days in mid-October after he contracted his second staph infection in the past three years. The Browns eventually admitted that seven such infections had occurred in Browns players over the past four years.

Next, the Boston Herald reported that New England Patriots quarterback and NFL MVP Tom Brady, who had two knee ligaments repaired in early October, had to have two additional knee surgeries because of subsequent infections. Staph infections are the most common cause of such surgical complications and can set back recovery by months. Brady is now on a six-week course of intravenous antibiotics, in the hopes that the infection does not compromise his surgically-repaired ligaments and force him to go under the knife yet again.

Then came the news that Indianapolis Colts superstar Peyton Manning’s off-season knee surgery in July was prompted by a staph infection in a fluid filled knee pad called a bursa sac. The sac had to be removed, forcing Manning to miss all of training camp as well as the pre-season.

Apparently, none of the NFL stars above had MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections.

There are more than 30 strains of staphylococcus and most of them are harmless. They live in soil or on the surface of the skin and can enter the body through a cut or during a medical procedure, causing an infection. Anyone can get a staph infection but athletes are at increased risk because they are more likely to suffer cuts and they also spend a lot of time in close quarters with poor sanitation, such as locker rooms and training rooms.

Steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of contracting a staph infection include practicing good hygiene (frequent hand washing is the primary defense against the transmission of most organisms, including staph) and doing your best to avoid cuts and abrasions, cleaning them thoroughly when they do occur.

To get answers to your questions about staph infections, join Healia’s Health Community on MRSA infections.

 

_{Photo: ckirkman, Flickr, Creative Commons}

 

 

Many adults find themselves with a pink eye infection this time of the year—as seasonal allergens fly in the air causing itchiness and the desire to rub or touch the eyes. Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane (conjunctiva) that lines the eyelid and part of the eyeball. The cause of pink eye is typically a bacterial or viral infection or an allergic reaction.

According to the Mayo Clinic, pink eye may make you feel as if you've got something in one or both of your eyes that you just can't remove. The whites of the eyes may begin to have a pink discoloration, and you may not see as clearly as you did before. When you wake up in the morning, your eyes may seem to be pasted shut from discharge from your eyes.

Since pink eye can be highly contagious, it should be diagnosed and treated early. This is especially important for preschool-age children, who commonly develop both viral and bacterial conjunctivitis. For information on how to prevent pink eye, see Healia’s blog: Five Simple Tips for Preventing Pink Eye. You can also visit Healia Communities to Ask an Expert a question or to connect with others about Allergies or Eye Diseases.

pink eye conjunctivitis allergy season

The 6.5 million players of World of Warcraft inadvertently provided insight into how infectious diseases can be spread among people in the real world. Two years ago, the game introduced a new layer of challenge: players could battle a monster that infected them with “corrupted blood." For expert players, this disease was no more dangerous than the common cold. However, less-experienced players were vulnerable to a disease that could easily kill them.

The infection spread through the game with astounding speed. As in a real-world epidemic, interspecies transmission and frequently-traveling players were two factors that accelerated the rate of infection. The game's developers tried but failed at quarantining the disease. As a last resort, they reset the game's servers, and this stopped the epidemic.

Epidemiologists have watched this story unfold with keen interest. As the current issue of The Lancet points out, this

marks the first time that a virtual virus has infected a virtual human being in a manner even remotely resembling an actual epidemiological event....By using these games as an untapped experimental framework, we may be able to gain deeper insight into the incredible complexity of infectious disease epidemiology in social groups.

World of Warcraft public health epidemiology epidemic