Last data update: Jun 03, 2024. (Total: 46935 publications since 2009)
Records 1-5 (of 5 Records) |
Query Trace: Taylor ML [original query] |
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Intrinsic risk factors for alpha-gal syndrome in a case-control study, 2019-2020
Taylor ML , Kersh GJ , Salzer JS , Jones ES , Binder AM , Armstrong PA , Choudhary SK , Commins GK , Amelio CL , Biggerstaff BJ , Beard CB , Petersen LR , Commins SP . Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2024 BACKGROUND: Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an allergy to galactose-α-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), a carbohydrate found in most mammals. Evidence indicates that AGS develops following a tick bite, and in the United States, AGS is most associated with bites from Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick); however, not all persons bitten by ticks develop clinical AGS. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated intrinsic risk factors associated with the development of AGS. METHODS: We performed a case-control study among adults presenting for diagnosis or management of AGS at an allergy clinic in North Carolina during 2019-2020 and compared them to controls enrolled from two nearby internal medicine clinics. A questionnaire gathered epidemiologic and tick exposure data and blood was obtained for alpha-gal specific IgE (sIgE) and other testing. RESULTS: The 82 enrolled case patients and 191 controls did not differ significantly by age or sex. Case patients were more likely than controls to have A or O blood types (non-B-antigen), have experienced childhood allergies, and have a family history of AGS and other food allergies. Case patients were also more likely to report experiencing long healing times for insect bites or stings and a family history of allergy to stinging or biting insects. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that intrinsic factors contribute to risk of developing AGS. Some traits are genetic, but common behaviors among households and family units likely also contribute. Identification of these risk factors can inform personal risk, aid healthcare providers in understanding susceptible populations, and contribute to ongoing understanding of AGS epidemiology. |
COVID-19 Outbreaks Linked to Workplaces, 23 US Jurisdictions, August-October 2021.
Luckhaupt SE , Horter L , Groenewold MR , dePerio MA , Robbins CL , Sweeney MH , Thomas I , Valencia D , Ingram A , Heinzerling A , Nguyen A , Townsend EB , Weber RC , Reichbind D , Dishman H , Kerins JL , Lendacki FR , Austin C , Dixon L , Spillman B , Simonson S , Tonzel J , Krueger A , Duwell M , Bachaus B , Rust B , Barrett C , Morrison B , OwersBonner KA , Karlsson ND , Angelon-Gaetz K , McClure ES , Kline KE , Dangar D , Reed C , Karpowicz J , Anderson SM , Cantor S , Chaudhary I , Ellis EM , Taylor ML , Sedon A , Kocharian A , Morris C , Samson ME , Mangla AT . Public Health Rep 2022 138 (2) 333549221138294 OBJECTIVES: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, several outbreaks were linked with facilities employing essential workers, such as long-term care facilities and meat and poultry processing facilities. However, timely national data on which workplace settings were experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks were unavailable through routine surveillance systems. We estimated the number of US workplace outbreaks of COVID-19 and identified the types of workplace settings in which they occurred during August-October 2021. METHODS: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collected data from health departments on workplace COVID-19 outbreaks from August through October 2021: the number of workplace outbreaks, by workplace setting, and the total number of cases among workers linked to these outbreaks. Health departments also reported the number of workplaces they assisted for outbreak response, COVID-19 testing, vaccine distribution, or consultation on mitigation strategies. RESULTS: Twenty-three health departments reported a total of 12 660 workplace COVID-19 outbreaks. Among the 12 470 workplace types that were documented, 35.9% (n = 4474) of outbreaks occurred in health care settings, 33.4% (n = 4170) in educational settings, and 30.7% (n = 3826) in other work settings, including non-food manufacturing, correctional facilities, social services, retail trade, and food and beverage stores. Eleven health departments that reported 3859 workplace outbreaks provided information about workplace assistance: 3090 (80.1%) instances of assistance involved consultation on COVID-19 mitigation strategies, 1912 (49.5%) involved outbreak response, 436 (11.3%) involved COVID-19 testing, and 185 (4.8%) involved COVID-19 vaccine distribution. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the continued impact of COVID-19 among workers, the potential for work-related transmission, and the need to apply layered prevention strategies recommended by public health officials. |
Assessing rodents as carriers of pathogenic Leptospira species in the U.S. Virgin Islands and their risk to animal and public health.
Hamond C , Browne AS , deWilde LH , Hornsby RL , LeCount K , Anderson T , Stuber T , Cranford HM , Browne SK , Blanchard G , Horner D , Taylor ML , Evans M , Angeli NF , Roth J , Bisgard KM , Salzer JS , Schafer IJ , Ellis BR , Alt DP , Schlater L , Nally JE , Ellis EM . Sci Rep 2022 12 (1) 1132 Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. We sought to determine if rodents in U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) are carriers of Leptospira. In total, 140 rodents were sampled, including 112 Mus musculus and 28 Rattus rattus. A positive carrier status was identified for 64/140 (45.7%); 49 (35.0%) were positive by dark-field microscopy, 60 (42.9%) by culture, 63 (45.0%) by fluorescent antibody testing, and 61 (43.6%) by real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR). Molecular typing indicated that 48 isolates were L. borgpetersenii and 3 were L. kirschneri; the remaining nine comprised mixed species. In the single culture-negative sample that was rtPCR positive, genotyping directly from the kidney identified L. interrogans. Serotyping of L. borgpetersenii isolates identified serogroup Ballum and L. kirschneri isolates as serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae. These results demonstrate that rodents are significant Leptospira carriers and adds to understanding the ecoepidemiology of leptospirosis in USVI. |
Public health emergencies and responses: what are they, how long do they last, and how many staff does your agency need?
Posid JM , Bruce SM , Guarnizo JT , O'Connor RC Jr , Papagiotas SS , Taylor ML . Biosecur Bioterror 2013 11 (4) 271-9 Responding to outbreaks is one of the most routine yet most important functions of a public health agency. However, some outbreaks are bigger, more visible, or more complex than others, prompting discussion about when an "outbreak" becomes a "public health emergency." When a public health emergency is identified, resources (eg, funding, staff, space) may need to be redirected from core public health programs to contribute to the public health emergency response. The need to sustain critical public health functions while preparing for public health emergency responses raises a series of operational and resource management questions, including when a public health emergency begins and ends, why additional resources are needed, how long an organization should expect staff to be redirected, and how many staff (or what proportion of the agency's staff) an organization should anticipate will be needed to conduct a public health emergency response. This article addresses these questions from a national perspective by reviewing events for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention redirected staff from core public health functions to respond to a series of public health emergencies. We defined "public health emergency" in both operational and public health terms and found that on average each emergency response lasted approximately 4 months and used approximately 9.5% of our workforce. We also provide reasons why public health agencies should consider the impact of redirecting resources when preparing for public health emergencies. |
Diabetes performance measures: current status and future directions
O'Connor PJ , Bodkin NL , Fradkin J , Glasgow RE , Greenfield S , Gregg E , Kerr EA , Pawlson LG , Selby JV , Sutherland JE , Taylor ML , Wysham CH . Diabetes Care 2011 34 (7) 1651-9 Just as treatment guidelines for diabetes care were at the forefront of medical guideline development (1), diabetes has been a prominent focus of performance measurement and quality improvement initiatives for well over a decade. However, the constraints of pre-electronic health records (EHRs) data systems have consistently limited the clinical scope and sophistication of current diabetes quality measures. The U.S. health care system is nearing a tipping point in the use of more sophisticated EHR-based information systems, and widespread use of these systems will usher in a new era for diabetes quality measurement. New information system capabilities will enable improvements to existing measures and enable development of much more sophisticated measures that can accommodate personalization of clinical goals, patient preferences, and patient-reported data, thus moving both guidelines and measures toward personalization based on sophisticated assessment of the risks and benefits of certain clinical actions for a given patient at a given clinical encounter. | To facilitate discussion of the future of performance measurement in diabetes in this era of rapid transition to EHRs, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) convened a consensus development conference in December 2010. Participating experts identified and discussed the following questions: | 1. | What is the evidence that measuring quality, benchmarking, and providing feedback or incentives improve diabetes care? | 2. | What are the limitations, burdens, and consequences (intended or unintended) of diabetes quality measures as currently structured? | 3. | What should be the role of shared decision making, patient preferences, and patient-reported data in quality measures? | 4. | What is the future of quality measurement in diabetes? | 5. | How can quality monitoring be integrated into population surveillance efforts? | This report summarizes the consensus meeting, and represents the expert opinion of its authors and not the official position of the ADA or any other participating organization. |
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