Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Wildlife rabies has been enzootic in France since 1968; however, 13 of the 14 human cases in France were imported, and one was in a person infected through a corneal transplant (1). On May 9, 1992, a 3-year-old boy who resided in Algeria died from rabies encephalitis in Paris. This report summarizes the investigation of this case by the Pasteur Institute.
Unintended pregnancies may be associated with delays in the initiation of prenatal care and behaviors during pregnancy that increase the risk for adverse birth outcomes (1,2). Based on estimates from the 1988 National Survey of Family Growth, 28% of births were mistimed during the 3-4 years before the survey, and 12% were unwanted (3). In Oklahoma, family-planning services are provided as an element of the state's maternal and child health program efforts, and the state has made a priority of identifying mothers at high risk for unintended pregnancy. This report summarizes an analysis of data from the Oklahoma Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) to assess the risk for unintended childbearing in Oklahoma during 1988-1991.
For 1990, CDC received data on legal induced abortions from 52 reporting areas: 50 states, New York City, and the District of Columbia. This report presents preliminary data for 1990.
Influenza activity in the United States is monitored by CDC through surveillance systems maintained cooperatively with state and local health departments (1); in addition, CDC receives reports of worldwide influenza activity from international World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating laboratories and from WHO, Geneva. This report summarizes surveillance for influenza in the United States and worldwide during the 1992-93 season through December 5, 1992.
Since the 1970s, sexual activity has increased among adolescents in the United States (1); at the same time, rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) (1), unintended pregnancy (2), and--beginning in the 1980s--human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (3,4) also have increased among adolescents. This report presents 1991 self-reported data from students in grades 9-12 about behaviors that can result in HIV infection, other STDs, or unintended pregnancy.
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Since 1990, Somalia has been the site of an intense civil war that has disrupted health-care services and food delivery to a substantial part of the country. A regional drought, in combination with the ongoing civil disturbances, has further resulted in widespread famine. Multiple international government- and nongovernment-aid agencies are involved in the relief effort for Somalia. However, security problems in most areas of Somalia have prevented recent, systematic population-based assessments of the health and nutritional status of local Somali populations for use in directing relief efforts. To characterize the mortality of various Somali populations and to provide data on major population centers outside of the capital (Mogadishu), CDC, in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the U.S. Agency for International Development, conducted a survey (1) of urban populations in a central region of Somalia (Figure 1). This report describes two pilot assessments performed during November 20-25 and December 5-6, 1992, in the towns of Baidoa and Afgoi.
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Expansion of water-fluoridation programs in the United States has been based on the clear documentation of the caries-preventive benefits of fluoride (1), as well as resources made available since the 1970s through the Fluoridation and Preventive Services Block grants administered by CDC. An estimated 135 million persons in the United States--approximately 61% of the population served by public water supplies--have access to drinking water with clinically important levels of fluoride (0.7 ppm or higher) for the prevention of dental caries (2). Efforts to expand the implementation of community water fluoridation require dissemination and understanding of information about health benefits and purported health risks. This report summarizes results from the 1990 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) regarding public knowledge of the purpose and value of fluoridation of community drinking water.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
During September and October 1991, active tuberculosis (TB) was diagnosed in two inmates and one employee of a California state correctional institution (1991 average annual inmate population, 5421; employees, 1500). This report presents findings from an investigation by the California Department of Health Services (CDHS), the California Department of Corrections (CDOC), and CDC to determine whether ongoing transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was occurring in the institution.
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Traffic crashes are the single greatest cause of death among persons aged 5-32 years in the United States (1); almost half of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related (1,2). An estimated 40% of persons in the United States may be involved in an alcohol-related traffic crash sometime during their lives (1). In 1991, the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities (ARTFs) declined almost 10% when compared with 1990 (3), and the total number of deaths during 1991 (19,900) is the lowest since more complete alcohol-related fatal crash data became available in 1982. This report summarizes data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatal Accident Reporting System on trends in ARTFs in the United States from 1982 through 1991 and presents information regarding several factors potentially related to the decline in fatalities during 1991.
Puerto Rico has the second highest overall rate of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases among states and territories of the United States and the second highest rate of cases among women (1,2). Although heterosexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among persons reported with AIDS has increased throughout the United States--accounting for 8% of all U.S. AIDS cases diagnosed in 1991 (2,3)--the proportion of cases attributed to heterosexual transmission is highest in Puerto Rico (18%). This report summarizes data collected through the Puerto Rico AIDS Surveillance Program to characterize AIDS cases associated with heterosexual transmission during 1981-1991.
Nearly half (43%) of all deaths in the United States each year are related to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease (1). CVD is linked to certain risk factors and behaviors, including high blood pressure, elevated total serum cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and physical inactivity (2). Because approximately 70% of the population has at least one contact with a physician each year (3), primary-care physicians are central to health promotion and disease-prevention efforts and early detection of CVD. In May and August 1990, the Missouri Department of Health (MDH) conducted a survey of practicing Missouri physicians to characterize their efforts to identify and control CVD risk factors among their patients.
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Deaths from unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in the United States result primarily from exposure to motor-vehicle exhaust and occur more often during the cold months of the year and in northern and midwestern states (1-3). In Michigan, from 1987 through 1989, 103 deaths were related to unintentional CO poisoning. To identify approaches for prevention of unintentional CO poisoning in Michigan, the Michigan Council on Injury Control (MCIC) studied death records and medical examiner (ME) records to determine the manner of deaths related to unintentional CO poisoning in that state from 1987 through 1989. This report summarizes findings of the investigation.
The reduction of preventable deaths among minority populations in the United States is a national health objective for the year 2000 (1). One measure used to assess progress toward this objective is years of potential life lost before age 65 (YPLL-65), which measures the impact of deaths occurring in years preceding 65 years of age and emphasizes the effects of deaths among younger persons (2). This report compares trends in YPLL-65 among U.S. whites and blacks from 1979 through 1989.
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