3/10/2005
By: Reed Upton
A highly contagious bacterial disease has been confirmed at an Albuquerque daycare center and the New Mexico Department of Health will be monitoring the center through March.
The case of Shigella was identified at La Petite Academy. The disease, which is spread through fecal matter, induces symptoms of fever, diarrhea, cramps,…

Mar 10, 2005, 8:03 AM
WKYT 27 News
Schools and daycares in Woodford County are dealing with a serious illness. It’s called Shigellosis.
Health officials have confirmed nine cases so far. It’s a highly contagious bacterial infection that attacks the gastro-intestinal system.
Shigellosis is marked by intense and prolonged diarrhea, often bloody. That is sometimes accompanied by a fever.
Most of the cases center around a daycare. There is one confirmed case at Simmons Elementary.Continue Reading Schools & Daycares Dealing With Serious Illness

REUTERS
February 24, 2005
WASHINGTON ñ Bacteria that cause a range of diseases from dysentery to plague use a needle-like “sword” to attack cells, and some have evolved a shield to protect it from the immune system, several teams of researchers reported Thursday.
Their findings could eventually lead to new treatments, although in the case of dysentery this could be especially difficult, the researchers report in Friday’s issue of the journal Science.
“This is the first description of bacteria able to use this ‘sword and shield’ approach, showing how dysentery is able to infect the body so effectively,” said Dr. Christoph Tang of Imperial College London, who led the study on dysentery.Continue Reading Studies expose bacterial secret for infecting body

Rachel Oesch
News 12
Feb 17, 2005
Doctors and health officials are seeing cases of infectious disease they once knew of only in history books.
Dr. Mark Anderson: “TB was something we thought we had cornered in the 1970’s but sort of to our surprise it started going back up.”
Doctor Mark Anderson specializes in infectious diseases. He knows what is spreading through the area and why.Continue Reading Diseases Making a Comeback

Feb 16, 2005
The number of confirmed cases of Shigella now stands at 15 in Jackson County, a nd while the number of cases hasn’t spiked, health officials say there is new reason for concern. Jackson County health officials sent out dozens of lettersupdating the outbreak.
Officials tell us they were faxed to all Jackson County fast-food restaurants and schools, t hat’s because of the 15 infected, 2 are food workers and 3 are area students. When officials at the Jackson County Health Department learned a few of the infected where food service workers, they took action.
Mary Ricciardello, Clinical Services Manager: “T he food service workers are a concern of course, because it is transmitted through contact.”Continue Reading Health Officials Concerned with Shigella Case Increases

Feb 15, 2005
Jackson County health officials are now reporting 15 confirmed cases of Shigella in the county. The highly-contagious intestinal disease 1st appeared in the county about 2 weeks ago. Health department officials tell 6 News of the confirmed cases, 2 are food service workers and 3 are students in the county.
To help…

Secure Web-system will help direct state response to biological attacks, reports of emerging infectious diseases
February 9, 2005 — SPRINGFIELD, Ill. ñ Gov. Rod Blagojevich today announced that hospitals, doctors and other health care providers now can electronically report infectious diseases to the state and local health departments as part of a continuing effort to improve the stateís ability to respond to public health emergencies.
ìWe are committed to strengthening the capacity of our public health system to meet health threats,î the Governor said. ìThe roll out of this electronic disease reporting system to private health care providers enhances the stateís ability to quickly identify health problems and direct the appropriate response.îContinue Reading Illinois Governor Blagojevich Announces Electronic Disease Reporting For Hospitals, Health Care Providers

Tuesday, February 8, 2005
By JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News
Ever wonder how risky it is to be munching on grapes in the produce aisle? And what about everything else you touch, including the handles on those grocery carts? Here’s a closer look at some dirty shopping secrets.
Ten times out of 10, there are germs on a shopping cart. It may look clean, but there really is no telling how many children have been in it or how many birds have claimed it.
And what about all that produce, which may be every bit as dirty?
One news crew went into several grocery stores to pick up a few things that are out in the open, like fruits and vegetables. Next they swabbed a number of carts, inside and out, where you put your hands, where your kids sit and touch.Continue Reading The bacteria in supermarkets