Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J M Lindenmayer

Publications and source records attributed to J M Lindenmayer.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a high school wrestling team and the surrounding community.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a community outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and to investigate risk factors for MRSA transmission and infection in a wrestling team. DESIGN: Case series and retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A high school wrestling team and the surrounding community in southern Vermont, 1993 to 1994. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: The case series included persons whose MRSA-positive infections were identified at a hospital laboratory from January 1, 1993, through February 28, 1994, and a health maintenance organization laboratory from July 1, 1993, through February 28, 1994. A wrestling team case-patient was a 1993-1994 team member with an MRSA-positive culture during the period from January 1, 1993, through February 28, 1994. INTERVENTIONS: Visual inspection of wrestlers before matches was instituted. Affected wrestlers were excluded from wrestling and advised to seek appropriate medical care. Heightened attention was given to personal and environmental hygiene. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Colonization or infection with MRSA. RESULTS: Seven of 32 team members were MRSA positive (6 infected, 1 colonized). All lesion-positive wrestlers were tested by pulsed field gel electrophoresis and found to be infected with the same MRSA strain, as were 6 nonwrestlers. No risk factors for MRSA infection were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The MRSA was transmitted among members of a wrestling team. Infection with MRSA should be suspected in outbreaks of boils that are nonresponsive to standard antibiotic therapy among healthy participants of contact sports and their close contacts.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Dogs as sentinels for Lyme disease in Massachusetts.

BACKGROUND: An investigation of the relationship between incident human cases of Lyme disease and seroprevalence of antibodies to B. burgdorferi in dogs was undertaken in order to determine whether dogs might serve as sentinels for Lyme disease. METHODS: 3011 canine serum samples were analyzed by ELISA for antibody to B. burgdorferi. Records of incident human cases of Lyme disease were obtained from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. RESULTS: Regression analyses of the relationship between the log10 (mean incidence in people 1985-1989) and canine seroprevalence from July 1988-August 1989 revealed that canine seroprevalence was highly predictive of incidence (R2 = 0.86, p less than .0001). A logistic regression model that incorporates the altitude of the town where each dog was resident, the date of sampling, and information on each dog's age, sex, and breed adequately explained the risk of canine seropositivity. Dogs resident at altitudes less than 200 feet, of sporting or large mixed breeds, and greater than two years of age were five times, four times, and almost three times more likely, respectively, to exhibit seropositivity than were other dogs. CONCLUSIONS: Estimates of the prevalence of antibody to B. burgdorferi in dog populations offers a sensitive, reliable, and convenient measure of the potential risk to people of B. burgdorferi in the environment. Risk factors for canine seropositivity may directly or indirectly illuminate certain aspects of the epidemiology of human Lyme disease.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1983

Morphology and function of the aqueous outflow system in monkey eyes perfused with sulfhydryl reagents.

The aqueous outflow system from anterior chamber to Schlemm's canal was examined by electron microscopy in pairs of enucleated macaque and baboon eyes, perfused via the anterior chamber with mock aqueous humor in one eye and the same fluid with added iodoacetamide (IA) or N-ethyl maleimide (NEM) in the other eye. Many details of the electron micrographs were analyzed in a masked manner using a digitizing bit pad and computer, and also using visual evaluation. Both IA and NEM increased aqueous humor outflow facility, but the morphologic changes induced by IA were quantitatively different from those induced by NEM. Intercellular junctions were not affected by IA, but were disrupted by NEM (P less than 0.01). Vacuoles in the endothelial lining of Schlemm's canal tended to increase in area, but not in number, under the influence of IA, whereas they were not so affected by NEM. No loss of extracellular material was observed in either IA- or NEM-treated eyes. The results indicate that the chemical status of cellular-SH groups may influence aqueous humor outflow facility at multiple sites in the outflow pathway.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of state public health agencies in genetics and disease prevention: results of a national survey.

OBJECTIVES: The onset and severity of the clinical expression of most diseases that are of public health importance are influenced by genetic predisposition. The ability to assess human genetic predisposition for many diseases is increasing rapidly. Therefore, state public health agencies should be incorporating new developments in genetics and disease prevention into their core functions of assessment, policy development, and assurance. The authors assessed the status of this process. METHODS: The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) surveyed states about projects and concerns related to genetics and public health activities. Respondents were the Health Officer, the Maternal and Child Health/Genetics Program Director, the Chronic Disease Program Director, and the Laboratory Director. Where applicable, responses were categorized into assessment, policy development, and assurance functions. RESULTS: Thirty-eight (76%) state health departments responded. Ongoing genetics activities were assurance (82%), assessment (17%), and policy development (2%). In contrast, Health Officers responded that future genetics activities would be distributed differently: assurance, 41%; assessment, 36%; and policy development, 23%. Future assurance activities would be largely educational. Topics of interest and recently initiated activities in genetics were primarily assessment functions. Funding was the greatest concern, followed by lack of proven disease prevention measures and outcomes data. CONCLUSIONS: State health departments recognize a need to realign their activities to meet future developments in genetics. Lack of adequate resources, proven disease prevention measures, and outcomes data are potential barriers. Public health agencies need to develop a strategic plan to meet the opportunities associated with the development and implementation of genetic tests and procedures.

Data Collection↗