Day: November 29, 2023

Leaves are down, temperatures are cooler, and that means it’s prime time for pruning oak trees, which can be infected by the oak wilt fungus if they’re pruned during the high-risk period of April 15 to July 15. “Beetles that can carry the disease from tree to tree are not very active now, and the trees are not vulnerable to […] Sorry! An active online subscription is required to access this content. Please login below or Subscribe today!

(WXYZ) — State officials with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MSU VDL) are warning pet owners to be on the lookout for signs of illness in their dogs as an atypical canine infectious respiratory illness has affected dogs in at least a dozen states. At this point, no cases of the illness have been reported in Michigan. However, officials warn there are a number of infectious respiratory diseases in dogs, many of which can be prevented or minimized through either routine vaccination or timely veterinary care. “While the exact cause of this illness remains unknown, taking some basic steps to prevent a dog’s exposure to harmful germs can go a long way to protecting their overall health,” said State Veterinarian Nora Wineland, DVM, MS, DACVPM, in a news release. “If owners notice respiratory symptoms (such as coughing, sneezing, or nasal discharge) in their dogs, it is important to reach out to their veterinarian early on in their animal’s illness so diagnostic testing can be completed and an appropriate course of treatment can begin.” Officials say that, in general, the mystery illness is contagious, spreading among dogs that have had contact with other dogs. Signs of the disease include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, fever, loss of appetite, and lethargy. Coughing may persist for weeks to months, and severe forms of the disease can progress to life-threatening pneumonia. However, they also warn that the only way to distinguish between the multiple causes of infectious respiratory disease in dogs is through early diagnostic testing. For a case to be considered suspect for the mystery illness, diagnostic testing is required to rule out other common causes. The state is recommending the following measures for dog owners to keep their pets safe: Work with their veterinarian to ensure their dog is up to date on routine vaccinations. Make sure their dog is fully vaccinated before interacting with other dogs. Avoid food and water bowls shared by multiple unknown dogs. Contact their veterinarian if their dog is exhibiting any signs of illness and keep their dog at home and away from other dogs. Keep their dog away from dogs that are sick or whose vaccination status is unknown. They are also encouraging animal shelter and kennel staff to follow intake and vaccination protocols when bringing in new dogs and continue to follow required isolation protocols and recommended cleaning/disinfection procedures for surfaces and equipment.If dogs exhibit signs of respiratory illness, it is best to keep them at home and away from other dogs and contact your veterinarian. For more information regarding this atypical canine infectious respiratory illness, contact your veterinarian or visit the American Veterinary Medical Association’s website.

The PAWS medical staff are following a highly infectious, upper respiratory illness that is affecting dogs here in Maine closely. Symptoms are similar to kennel cough and the cause is still to be determined. It seems to be spreading rapidly and has popped up across the country. Most exposures happen in settings like doggy day care, in a kennel environment, and other places where dogs congregate together (dog parks, hiking trails etc.) but there have been cases with no known exposure. Common signs to watch for are coughing and sneezing, nasal or eye discharge, lethargy and decreased appetite. It is causing lasting respiratory disease and pneumonia in severe cases. We recommend keeping your pets up to date on all vaccines which will help keep their immune systems strong. Also, protecting any older pets and puppies, as well as any dogs that may have a weakened immune system. There unfortunately is not a lot known about the virus, but in general most respiratory diseases are spread through direct contact and from exposure to droplets from coughing or sneezing. These droplets can contaminate in-animate objects, such as food and water bowls, as well as toys and even our hands. Maintaining good hand sanitation is important as well as keeping the environment as clean as possible. Going into the holiday season we know there is the necessity of boarding our pets but if able to avoid this if you are unsure about the health status about the health status of other dogs in the environment. Since PAWS is an animal shelter and having dogs in close quarters with each other there is a definite risk present. We are doing everything possible to take precautions and keep our canine companions healthy. We will keep everyone updated as we learn more. Respectfully, Kathy Moretti, LVT – Director of Clinical Operations PAWS Medical Team Dr. Simonson, Dr. James, Dr. Salvaggio, and Dr. Pierce

One of the more interesting emerging developments in medicine is the connection between rapid diagnostics and de-escalating antibiotics to enable optimal outcomes with quicker resolutions. A group from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center studied this clinical care scenario. Specifically, they conducted a retrospective, observational study comparing patients with Streptococcus spp bacteremia over two 6-month periods. The investigators utilized a pre-rapid diagnostic testing (RDT), and post-RDT time periods. In the former, patients were prospectively followed by the antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) and they provided recommendations based on gram-stain and organism identification results. During the latter, blood cultures were tested by GenMark ePlex BCID-GP that identifies S agalactiae, S anginosis group, S pneumoniae, S pyogenes and Streptococcus spp within 90 minutes which were reported directly to the ASP for recommendations on 3 actions: antibiotic discontinuation, de-escalation, or additional diagnostic testing. What they found was that using rapid PCR testing had a positive effect on the timing of a broad-spectrum antibiotic course. “With those results, we were able to narrow therapy sooner than we would with traditional identification methods,” said study investigator Tyler Tate, MD, fellow, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Our primary outcome was time to antibiotic de-escalation. In our pre intervention group, in which blood cultures were identified with traditional methods, our median time to de-escalation was approximately 8 hours. And in the post-intervention group, our median time to antibiotic de-escalation was approximately 42 hours with an average reduction of approximately 46 hours time spent on broad spectrum therapy.” Contagion spoke with Tate recently at IDWeek and he offered further insights on the study and how this form of testing can help with stewardship. Reference Tate T, Viehman A, Shields R. Rapid Diagnostic Testing is Associated with Decreased Broad Spectrum Antibiotic Use in Streptococcal Blood Stream Infections. Presented at: IDWeek 2023. October 11-14, 2023; Boston, MA. Abstract 94.

A recent report published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) suggests that creating a dedicated team of nurses to assist with central line insertions can significantly reduce the risk of patients developing bloodstream infections. The report, authored by infection preventionists at UNC Health, shows that implementing a dedicated team led to a 47% reduction in the proportion of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) occurring within 7 days of line placement among patients included in the program. To examine the report’s results, Infection Control Today® (ICT®) spoke with Shelley Summerlin-Long, MPH, MSW, BSN, RN, senior quality improvement leader, infection prevention, UNC Medical Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The team was launched in 2019 with 4.5 fulltime employees to cover 24-hour, 7-day-a-week clinical coverage. The team’s “key finding was during the team’s first 3 years [from] 2019 to 2022, we found that CLABSIs that were occurring during those first 6 days after central line insertions decreased by 47% in the areas within that team’s scope,” Summerlin said. “They play an important role during the insertion process,” Summerlin continued. “They are there to [provide] support. The evidence-based guidelines for CLABSI prevention recommend having a second person, a trained health care provider in the room during central line insertions who is empowered to stop the procedure, if there are any breaches in aseptic technique and who is there to document on the checklist, and in general, support the provider who is inserting the central lines. Our central venous access device (CVAD) Liaison team is there to help set up the room to document on the checklist, again, to observe the aseptic technique, help the provider if there are any issues that come up, and then go get additional supplies if needed. And they’re experts in this and able to guide that the provider and especially helpful for our learners, our residents.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Shelby County has moved to No. 2 nationally in the number of HIV infections, Shelby County Commissioners were told today during a monthly committee meeting. In response, the Shelby County Health Department presented a resolution that, if passed by the full body, would fund $845,000 for new 13 staff positions. Commissioners voted favorably to advance the resolution, which is federally funded through the state of Tennessee Health Department. Dr. Michelle Taylor, Shelby County Health Department director, said additional staff would help fill in gaps in staffing, to make locations a “one-stop shop.” Their work, including contact tracing, would go toward “curbing the rate of sexually transmitted infections,” she said. Commissioners asked Taylor what success looks like in terms of tracking data. Taylor responded that the department looks at effective models at other health departments and implements those strategies. Health Department employees provide STD health services both in the clinic offices and in one-one one outreach and working with community partners like churches for awareness campaigns, she said. Taylor described the staff as “disease investigators,” getting out into the communities where data reveals problem trends. “We look at numbers – in different zip codes – then we do educational outreach,” Taylor said, adding that workers particularly reach out to help pregnant women who have tested positive for infections. “With new positions we will be able to reach every corner of the county,” eventually, Taylor said. Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Trending stories: