Seasons in the Sun
It’s a jungle out there
Pass the mayo
Surfin' USA
Leavin' on a jetplane
100
Prior to the vaccine era, this much feared viral infection with sometimes severe neurologic sequelae caused very seasonal outbreaks in temperate climates in summer. There is no seasonal pattern in the tropics.
What is polio?
100
DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, and this substance are the only ones recommended by CDC as mosquito repellents that provide reasonably long lasting protection. (Hint: the synthesized version is para-Menthane-3,8-diol)
What is Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus?
100
Foodnet (the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network) recently reported that of the reported laboratory confirmed pathogens commonly transmitted through food, this pathogen was associated with the largest number of hospitalizations (2,290) and deaths (29)
What is Salmonella? Unlike STEC infections, no significant change in the incidence of Salmonella infection has occurred since the start of surveillance during 1996–1998.
100
This species of bacteria that is sometimes present in seawater can cause skin infections as well as gastrointestinal illness.
What is Vibrio?
100
This person created an international incident by flying to and from Europe while infected with XDR TB.
Who is Andrew Speaker?
200
The recent H1N1 Pandemic aside, the two non summer months where seasonal influenza often seems to peak in King County in recent years.
What are February and March?
200
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that this mosquito-transmitted virus with four serotypes causes 50 to 100 million infections yearly, including 22,000 deaths, mostly among children.
What is dengue?
200
The Public Health Summer Food Safety Tips website recommends that hamburgers, ground meats and sausages, including pork sausages, be cooked to this internal temperature.
What is 155º F?
200
Cruise ships carrying 13 or more passengers should report diarrhea cases to this program
What is the CDC-Vessel Sanitation Program?
200
The CDC considers passengers seated within this many rows of an infectious measles case to be potentially exposed.
What is two? See MMWR, "Notes from the Field: Measles Transmission Associated with International Air Travel --- Massachusetts and New York, July--August 2010" http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5933a4.htm
300
Prior to the vaccine era, this highly contagious, seasonal disease decreased in incidence during the summer months in temperate climates It is transmitted by both large respiratory droplets and aerosolized droplets. Hint: The first vaccine for this virus was licensed in 1963.
What is measles?
300
Megacolon, megaesophagus, and dilated cardiomyopathy are chronic sequelae of this tropical infection.
What is Chagas disease (or what is American trypanosomiasis or Trypanosoma cruzii?)
300
Although this food causes fewer illnesses than complex foods and fewer deaths than complex foods or pork, it ranks first in both cost of illness and loss of quality-adjusted life-years in the United States. Hint: it's not dairy or eggs
What is poultry? This is because it is the leading cause of hospitalizations and due to considerable burden of Campylobacter-associated GBS.
300
An illness caused by domoic acid, a marine biotoxin
What is amnesic shellfish poisoning? The toxin produced by a certain saltwater diatom is concentrated in shellfish such as mussels and causes disease when the contaminated shellfish are eaten. Patients first experience gastrointestinal distress within 24 hours. Other reported symptoms have included dizziness, headache, disorientation, and permanent short-term memory loss. In severe poisoning, seizures, focal weakness or paralysis, and death may occur.
300
The CDC says that this subgroup of passengers sharing a flight with an infectious measles patient should be considered potentially exposed no matter where they were seated on the aircraft.
Who are infants? See MMWR, "Notes from the Field: Measles Transmission Associated with International Air Travel --- Massachusetts and New York, July--August 2010" http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5933a4.htm
400
This illness caused by a gram negative coccobacillus has no distinct seasonal pattern, but some studies have shown evidence of increased transmission in summer and fall. The vaccine was first developed in the mid 1930’s.
What is pertussis?
400
The primary symptom of this protozoan disease are skin sores which can spread and cause destructive disfiguring lesions, particularly on the nose and mouth. A visceral form is potentially fatal if untreated.
What is leishmaniasis?
400
Although Salmonella and this food ranks within the top 10 most frequent pathogen-food combinations, it is one of the lowest ranking food categories overall in terms of public health impact. Hint: Food categories associated with numerous pathogens (poultry, pork, produce) rank much higher than those associated with few pathogens, such as seafood and this food. It's not always obvious which comes first!
What are eggs?
400
This pandemic-causing pathogen has been spread between countries through ship ballast water.
What is cholera? Transnational spread of cholera is caused more commonly by importation by travelers, and it also has been associated with contaminated food that was imported commercially or transported by travelers.
400
If a person with meningococcal disease sits on a flight lasting more than eight hours, these passengers are recommended to receive chemoprophylaxis (in addition to those who have had direct contact with respiratory secretions with the infected person)
Who are the persons seated directly next to the infected person? See CSTE guidelines at: http://www.cste.org/ps/2000/2000-id-02.htm
500
This is the season that outbreaks of meningococcal meningitis in the “meningitis belt” of Africa often get started.
What is the dry season?
500
This tapeworm infection is a leading cause of seizure disorder in the developing world.
What is neurocysticercosis?
500
Campylobacter and poultry is the number one pathogen-food combination as ranked by loss of quality adjusted life years. This organism and pork is number two.
What is Toxoplasma? CDC estimates that foodborne toxoplasmosis causes 327 deaths annually. It may be underappreciated as a major foodborne pathogen because it is not associated with outbreaks, many of its health impacts do not manifest for months or years after infection, and infections tend to affect subpopulations with increased susceptibility, including pregnant women and their unborn infants, and persons who are immunocompromised and/or have AIDS.
500
This illness is caused by eating contaminated tropical reef fish such as barracuda, grouper, sea bass, snapper, mullet, and a number of other fish that live in equatorial waters. The toxin that causes it becomes progressively concentrated as it moves up the food chain from small fish to large fish that eat them, and reach particularly high concentrations in large predatory tropical reef fish.
What is ciguatera poisoning? Ciguatoxins that cause ciguatera poisoning are actually produced by microscopic sea plants called dinoflagellates. Symptoms occur within a few minutes to 30 hours after eating contaminated fish, and occasionally it may take up to 6 hours. Common nonspecific symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, excessive sweating, headache, and muscle aches. The sensation of burning or "pins-and-needles," weakness, itching, and dizziness can occur. Patients may experience reversal of temperature sensation in their mouth (hot surfaces feeling cold and cold, hot), unusual taste sensations, nightmares, or hallucinations. Ciguatera poisoning is rarely fatal. Symptoms usually clear in 1 to 4 weeks.
500
An Australian study published this week of H1N1 transmission aboard two international flights in 2009 showed that people sitting within this many seats of an infected person (in front, behind, and to either side) have a 7.7% increased risk for postflight ILI.
What is two? Passengers were at 3.6% increased risk of contracting pandemic (H1N1) 2009 if they sat in the same row as or within 2 rows of persons who were symptomatic preflight. See http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/17/7/1188.htm
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