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Prevalence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and M. synoviae in commercial layers in southern and central California.

The prevalence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and M. synoviae (MS) in commercial pullet and layer flocks in Southern and Central California was estimated by testing serum and egg-yolk samples from 360 sample flocks in Southern California and 41 sample flocks in Central California. Data relating to potential risk factors associated with MG and MS infections were collected. The estimated true prevalence rate of MG was 73% in Southern California and 3% in Central California. The estimated true prevalence rate of MS was 91% in Southern California and 32% in Central California. Compared with uninfected flocks, MG-infected flocks in Southern California were significantly older and were medicated less (P less than 0.05). More managements were under a multiple-age system, more flocks had molted, more were vaccinated with F-strain, and more had concurrent infection with MS (P less than 0.05). Only one sample flock in Central California was MG-infected; none were vaccinated with F-strain. In Southern California, MS-infected flocks were older than uninfected flocks, more had molted, more were medicated, and more had concurrent infection with MG (P less than 0.05). In Central California, MS-infected flocks did not differ significantly from uninfected flocks in any factor examined; the lack of statistical significance may be due to small sample size.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2005

Cancer incidence in the south Asian population of California, 1988-2000.

BACKGROUND: Although South Asians (SA) form a large majority of the Asian population of U.S., very little is known about cancer in this immigrant population. SAs comprise people having origins mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. We calculated age-adjusted incidence and time trends of cancer in the SA population of California (state with the largest concentration of SAs) between 1988-2000 and compared these rates to rates in native Asian Indians as well as to those experienced by the Asian/Pacific Islander (API) and White, non-Hispanic population (NHW) population of California. METHODS: Age adjusted incidence rates observed among the SA population of California during the time period 1988-2000 were calculated. To correctly identify the ethnicity of cancer cases, 'Nam Pehchan' (British developed software) was used to identify numerator cases of SA origin from the population-based cancer registry in California (CCR). Denominators were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau. Incidence rates in SAs were calculated and a time trend analysis was also performed. Comparison data on the API and the NHW population of California were also obtained from CCR and rates from Globocan 2002 were used to determine rates in India. RESULTS: Between 1988-2000, 5192 cancers were diagnosed in SAs of California. Compared to rates in native Asian Indians, rates of cancer in SAs in California were higher for all sites except oropharyngeal, oesophageal and cervical cancers. Compared to APIs of California, SA population experienced more cancers of oesophagus, gall bladder, prostate, breast, ovary and uterus, as well as lymphomas, leukemias and multiple myelomas. Compared to NHW population of California, SAs experienced more cancers of the stomach, liver and bile duct, gall bladder, cervix and multiple myelomas. Significantly increasing time trends were observed in colon and breast cancer incidence. CONCLUSION: SA population of California experiences unique patterns of cancer incidence most likely associated with acculturation, screening and tobacco habits. There is need for early diagnosis of leading cancers in SA. If necessary steps are not taken to curb the growth of breast, colon and lung cancer, rates in SA will soon approximate those of the NHW population of California.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1998

Has the California tobacco control program reduced smoking?

CONTEXT: Comprehensive community-wide tobacco control programs are considered appropriate public health approaches to reduce population smoking prevalence. OBJECTIVE: To examine trends in smoking behavior before, during, and after the California Tobacco Control Program. DESIGN: Per capita cigarette consumption data (1983-1997) were derived from tobacco industry sales figures. Adult (> or =18 years) smoking prevalence data were obtained from the National Health Interview Surveys (1978-1994), the California Tobacco Surveys (1990-1996), the Current Population Surveys (1992-1996), and the California Behavioral Risk Factor Survey and its supplement (1991-1997). Trends were compared before and after introduction of the program, with the period after the program being divided into 2 parts (early, 1989-1993; late, 1994-1996). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in cigarette consumption and smoking prevalence in California compared with the rest of the United States. RESULTS: Per capita cigarette consumption declined 52% faster in California in the early period than previously (from 9.7 packs per person per month at the beginning of the program to 6.5 packs per person per month in 1993), and the decline was significantly greater in California than in the rest of the United States (P<.001). In the late period, the decline in California slowed to 28% of the early program so that in 1996 an average of 6.0 packs per person per month were consumed. No decline occurred in the rest of the United States, and in 1996, 10.5 packs per person per month were consumed. Smoking prevalence showed a similar pattern, but in the late period, there was no significant decline in prevalence in either California or the rest of the United States. In 1996, smoking prevalence was 18.0% in California and 22.4% in the rest of the United States. CONCLUSIONS: The initial effect of the program to reduce smoking in California did not persist. Possible reasons include reduced program funding, increased tobacco industry expenditures for advertising and promotion, and industry pricing and political activities. The question remains how the public health community can modify the program to regain its original momentum.

California↗

PubMed1991

Serological evidence of California group and Cache Valley virus infection in Minnesota white-tailed deer.

Blood samples were obtained from 138 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested at three sites surrounding the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, metropolitan area (USA) and tested for neutralizing antibody to Cache Valley virus and three California serogroup (Jamestown Canyon, La Crosse, trivittatus) viruses (Bunyaviridae). Deer at each site had neutralizing antibody to one or more California serogroup viruses and/or Cache Valley virus. The majority of adult deer (85%) had antibody to both a California serogroup virus and Cache Valley virus. Antibody prevalence varied significantly with age of the deer. Fawns had a significantly lower prevalence of antibody to either a California serogroup (17%) or Cache Valley virus (39%) than did older (greater than 1-yr-old) deer (89% for a California serogroup virus and 91% for Cache Valley virus). The geometric mean titers of antibody in fawns to California serogroup (1:6) and Cache Valley viruses (1:17) were also less than that seen in older animals (1:11 and 1:28 for California serogroup and Cache Valley viruses, respectively). Of 76 older deer with antibody to the California serogroup, 91% had antibody specific for Jamestown Canyon virus. Jamestown Canyon is the primary California serogroup virus circulating in the suburban/rural Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Transmission occurs in an enzootic pattern similar to that documented in Indiana and Michigan. Cache Valley virus also appears to be enzootically transmitted in this area. However, the impact on domestic or wild animal populations is unknown.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2001

Costs of occupational injuries and illnesses in California.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to estimate the annual incidence, the mortality, and the direct and indirect costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses in California in 1992. To achieve this, we performed aggregation and analysis of national and California data sets collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, California Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau, California Division of Industrial Relations, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration. METHODS: To assess incidence of and mortality from occupational injuries and illnesses, we reviewed data from state and national surveys and applied an attributable risk proportion method. To assess costs, we used the cost-of-illness, human capital, method that decomposes costs into direct categories such as medical expenses and insurance administration expenses as well as indirect categories such as lost earnings, lost home production, and lost fringe benefits. Some cost estimates were drawn from California data, whereas others were drawn from a national study but were adjusted to reflect California's differences. Cost estimates for injuries were calculated by multiplying average costs by the number of injuries. For the majority of diseases, cost estimates relied on the attributable risk proportion method. RESULTS: Approximately 660 job-related deaths from injury, 1.645 million nonfatal injuries, 7,079 deaths from diseases, and 0.133 million illnesses are estimated to occur annually in the civilian California workforce. The direct ($7.04 billion, 34%) plus indirect ($13.62 billion, 66%) costs were estimated to be $20.7 billion. Injuries cost $17.8 billion (86%) and illnesses $2.9 billion (14%). These estimates are likely to be low because: (1) they ignore costs associated with pain and suffering, (2) they ignore home care provided by family members, and (3) the numbers of occupational injuries and illnesses are likely to be undercounted. CONCLUSION: Occupational injuries and illnesses are a major contributor to the total cost of health care and lost productivity in California. These costs are on a par with those of all cancers combined and only slightly less than the cost of heart disease and stroke in California. Workers' compensation covers less than one-half of the costs of occupational injury and illness.

California↗

PubMed1994

Tobacco industry campaign contributions are affecting tobacco control policymaking in California.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that tobacco industry campaign contributions are influencing the behavior of members of the California legislature. DESIGN: Multivariate simultaneous-equations regression was used to analyze data on campaign contributions from the tobacco industry to members of the California legislature in 1991 and 1992, members' tobacco control policy positions, and members' personal characteristics. DATA SOURCES: The following sources were analyzed: campaign contributions from disclosure statements filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission; constituent attitudes on tobacco control from the California Tobacco Survey; legislators' personal characteristics, from a survey of key informants conducted by the California Journal; and the tobacco policy score, a survey of key informants working on tobacco issues in the state legislature. Specific voting on tobacco-related bills was also analyzed. SETTING: California legislature in 1991 and 1992. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: All members of the California legislature in 1991 and 1992. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tobacco policy score, campaign contributions, and votes on individual tobacco-related bills. RESULTS: The tobacco industry is having a statistically detectable effect on behavior of members of the California legislature on tobacco policymaking. On a scale of 0 to 10, a legislator's tobacco policy score dropped (ie, became more protobacco industry) by -0.11 for every $1000 in tobacco campaign contributions, after accounting for the fact that a more protobacco position was associated with greater contributions ($1855 for each -1.0 reduction in score). Members who were rated as effective received larger contributions from the industry. Members rated higher in integrity and intelligence were more antitobacco (higher scores) and Republicans more protobacco (lower scores) after taking into account the effects of contributions from the industry. Constituent attitudes were not reflected in legislators' perceived behavior. CONCLUSION: Tobacco industry campaign contributions influence California legislators in matters related to tobacco policymaking, independent of constituents' support for tobacco control.

California↗

PubMed2006

Technology penetration of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair in southern California.

Our objective was to investigate the penetration of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) in the large, diverse health-care market of southern California over 3 years and to study variability in the pattern of distribution of EVAR in southern California counties by analyzing available demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic data from California state health-care databases. Information abstracted from the inpatient hospital discharge data for patients undergoing AAA repair for the years 2001, 2002, and 2003, derived from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, included age, gender, race, hospitals performing EVAR, and payors for the service. Per-capita income (PCI) for the year 1999 and the population size of each county for the respective years were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau. Data pertaining to members of the Southern California Vascular Surgical Society (SCVSS) serving the southern California region were obtained from the SCVSS membership directory. Data were categorized based on 10 counties in southern California. All the above variables were analyzed using the chi-squared test, with p < 0.05 considered significant. The proportions of EVAR for the years 2001, 2002, and 2003 were 15.4% (n = 409), 20.2% (n = 492), and 25.9% (n = 566), respectively. This is a 67.8% (p < 0.0001) increase in EVAR application in southern California since 2001. However, the proportion of EVAR varied among counties (p < 0.0001), with 457 EVARs performed in Los Angeles County and eight in Imperial County during the study period. EVAR proportion was higher in patients aged > or =65 years (p < 0.0001) and male patients (p < 0.0001). The proportion of EVAR was significantly higher in counties with more than 20 vascular surgeons available (p < 0.0001) and PCI >21,000 US$ (p < 0.0001) and in Medicare, health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization, and private insurance holders (p < 0.0001). There was a trend toward increased EVARs in counties with more than eight hospitals that performed EVAR (p = 0.0545). However, no significant difference in EVAR proportion was observed among subgroups based on race (p = 0.535) and population size (p = 0.84). Although the number and proportion of EVAR increased significantly in southern California over 3 years, the penetration of the procedure varied among counties. County affluence, payor mix, and the number of vascular surgeons/county influenced the variability. These observations suggest that economic barriers may limit access to new biomedical technology. This has implications for health-care public policy directed toward providing equal access to medical care without regard to economic status.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2007

The effects of years lived in the United States on the general health status of California's foreign-born populations.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of immigrant status and years lived in the United States on the general health status of California's foreign-born populations. Two models were constructed using California's aggregate adult population and the adult foreign-born population. A binary logistic regression was conducted using data from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey. California's immigrant populations were found to enjoy a self-assessed health advantage compared to California's US-born population. The results present evidence of a downward trend in self-assessed health amongst California's foreign-born population associated with increased years lived in country. The initial health advantage found among California's foreign-born appears to function mainly through socio-economic factors. These results suggest that the deterioration in health associated with increased years lived in the US may be an effect of immigrants' exposure to California's environmental determinants of human health rather that the loss of culture-specific protective factors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Health care access for children with special health care needs in California.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines health care access for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) in California, one of the nation's most populous and diverse states. METHODS: Data are from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN), a nationally representative survey of access for U.S. children fielded by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). California CSHCN and those in California's Medicaid program are compared with CSHCN elsewhere on child health need, family enabling factors, health care enabling factors, system outcomes, and children's experiences with care. Multivariable analysis identifies family and health care factors associated with system outcomes and children's experiences with health care. RESULTS: California parents generally report poorer experiences with care, lower performance on systems outcomes, and fewer health care and family enabling factors. The magnitude of disparity is greatest for CSHCN in Medi-Cal, although lower-income privately insured CSHCN in California also have poorer access than their counterparts in other states. Among CSHCN in Medicaid, greater condition impact and adolescent age are associated with poorer experiences in California for most measures. Disparities between California and other states persist even adjusting for family and health care factors in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Performance gaps in California stem from population differences and apparent administrative barriers. Several statewide initiatives are addressing system barriers through supports to providers and information to parents.

California↗

PubMed2004

Secular trends in cancer mortality, California 1970-1998.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring mortality is a meaningful way to evaluate the effectiveness of cancer control activities. Results of trend analysis for cancer related deaths by race/ethnicity in California from 1970 to 1998 are reported here. METHODS: Age-adjusted cancer mortality rates in California were used in the analysis of secular trends. Mortality patterns for selected cancers in all races combined are compared with similar patterns in the US for 1973-1998. RESULTS: The overall cancer mortality rates in California began to decline in 1987 in both men and women. Although mortality trends by site, sex, and race/ethnicity showed significant variations, the overall pattern in California is heavily influenced by trends for the non-Hispanic white (NHW) population and is very similar to the patterns in the US with minor differences in the magnitude and trend. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first time that secular trends in cancer mortality for California are presented by race and ethnicity. Despite notable racial differences, the overall trend follows a declining pattern. Detailed explanation of the reasons behind the observed patterns is not included in this report. Some of the differences between California and the US, however, can be explained by differences in the racial and ethnic composition of the two populations. Approximately 45% of the California population has Hispanic (HSP) or Asian origins among whom cancer mortality rates are substantially lower. Another factor is the difference in the intensity and coverage of cancer related activities such as tobacco control. Prevalence of smoking in California is much lower than the rest of the US.

California↗

PubMed2005

Adolescent smoking decline during California's tobacco control programme.

OBJECTIVE: California's comprehensive tobacco control programme was 13 years old in 2002; by then, children entering adolescence at the start of the programme were young adults. This study examines whether adolescent smoking declined over this period, whether any decline carried through to young adulthood, and whether it was specific to California. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Most data were from the 1990-2002 California Tobacco Surveys (CTS) (adolescents 12-17 years, > 5000/survey, young adults 18-24 years, > 1000/survey). Additional data were from the national 1992/93-2001/02 Current Population Survey (CPS) (young adults 18-24 years, > 15,000/survey). RESULTS: Over the 13 year period in California, ever puffing declined by 70% in 12-13 year olds, by 53% in 14-15 year olds from 1992-2002, and by 34% in 16-17 year olds from 1996-2002 (CTS). As noted, the decline commenced progressively later in each older group. Smoking experimentation (1+ cigarettes) and established smoking (> 100 cigarettes in lifetime) showed similar patterns. Compared to 1990, the percentage of California young adults (CTS data) who ever experimented declined by 14%, with half of the decline from 1999-2002. CPS young adult smoking prevalence (established and now smoke everyday or some days) was constant in the rest of the USA over the entire period, but California showed a recent 18% decline from 1998/99 to 2001/02. CONCLUSIONS: California's comprehensive programme may have kept new adolescent cohorts from experimenting with cigarettes. Low young adolescent experimentation rates at programme start appeared to carry through to young adulthood, resulting in a recent drop in young adult smoking prevalence in California not observed in the rest of the USA.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Down syndrome, paternal age and education: comparison of California and the Czech Republic.

BACKGROUND: The association between maternal age and risk of Down syndrome has been repeatedly shown in various populations. However, the effect of paternal age and education of parents has not been frequently studied. Comparative studies on Down syndrome are also rare. This study evaluates the epidemiological characteristics of Down syndrome in two culturally and socially contrasting population settings, in California and the Czech Republic. METHODS: The observed live birth prevalence of Down syndrome was studied among all newborns in the California counties monitored by California Birth Defects Monitoring Program from 1996 to 1997, and in the whole Czech Republic from 1994 to 1998. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 516,745 (California) and 475,834 (the Czech Republic) infants were included in the analysis. Among them, 593 and 251, respectively, had Down syndrome. The mean maternal age of children with Down syndrome was 32.1 years in California and 26.9 years in the Czech Republic. Children born to older mothers were at greater risk of Down syndrome in both populations. The association with paternal age was mostly explained by adjusting for maternal age, but remained significant in the Czech Republic. The association between maternal education and Down syndrome was much stronger in California than in the Czech Republic but parental age influences higher occurrence of Down syndrome both in California and in the Czech Republic. CONCLUSION: The educational gradient in California might reflect selective impact of prenatal diagnosis, elective termination, and acceptance of prenatal diagnostic measures in Californian population.

Abortion, Induced↗

PubMed2004

Inequality of access to surgical specialty health care: why children with government-funded insurance have less access than those with private insurance in Southern California.

OBJECTIVE: More than 25 million children in the United States are dependent on federal and state medical insurance programs for their health care needs. In California, 3.25 million children depend on Medi-Cal for their health insurance. In Southern California alone, the figure is as high as 1.81 million. However, 9.30 million children nationally and 1.55 million in California have no health insurance. Various public policies that would increase enrollment in these programs are being discussed to address this problem. However, before their implementation, it is important to understand what impact such policies would have on the actual delivery of health care to this patient population. In California, 2 predominant health care delivery models exist for Medi-Cal: a fee-for-service (so-called regular or straight Medi-Cal) and a managed care plan. One third of the children in Medi-Cal in the state are enrolled in the fee-for-service plan with the remainder in the managed care plan, whereas in Southern California, this figure is slightly lower at 28% in the fee-for-service plan. The objective of this study was to determine the number of otolaryngologists in Southern California who would offer a new patient appointment for an evaluation for tonsillectomy for a child with commercial insurance versus government-funded (Medi-Cal) insurance through direct contact with the physician and to determine whether the surgeon would offer to perform the procedure or refer the patient to another institution and to identify the specific reason(s) for any disparity in access to health care. METHODS: A written questionnaire was sent via regular mail to 303 otolaryngologists in the Southern California area in 2003. RESULTS: A total of 100 fully completed questionnaires were received. Ninety-seven surgeons would offer an office appointment to a child with commercial insurance as compared with only 27 for a child with Medi-Cal. Of those 27 surgeons, 8 would then refer the child to another physician to perform the surgery, and only 19 would actually offer to perform surgery, if indicated. Reasons provided for not offering an office appointment or surgery for the child with Medi-Cal include excessive paperwork and/or administrative burdens (96%), low monetary reimbursement for the surgery (92%), and low monetary reimbursement for the office visit (87%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a tremendous inequality of access to surgical specialty health care for children with government-funded insurance when compared with those with commercial insurance in Southern California. Physicians indicate that this disparity is related to excessive administrative burdens and low monetary reimbursement. The implications of our findings on public health care policies are discussed.

California↗

PubMed2001

Baseline susceptibility to bacterial insecticides in populations of Culex pipiens complex (Diptera: Culicidae) from California and from the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus.

Bacterial insecticides play an increasingly important role in mosquito control. To establish guidelines for detecting resistance at an early stage, information on natural variation in susceptibility of insect populations to these insecticides is needed. Between 1990 and 1993, the susceptibility of Culex pipiens L. complex to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis de Barjac and/or Bacillus sphaericus Neide was determined in 31 collections from California. These collections were undertaken before the widespread use of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis and before the registration of B. sphaericus in California. Seven collections from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where no microbial insecticides have been used, also were tested. The 1990-1991 California collections exhibited limited variation in susceptibility to B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. LC50 and LC95 values spanned about a three-fold and four-fold range, respectively. The 1993 Cyprus collections exhibited both higher mean LC values, and greater variability in those values, than the California collections. The LC50s for the Cyprus collections varied over a 10-fold range, whereas the LC50s varied over a 12.5-fold range. Variation in susceptibility to B. sphaericus among the 1991 California collections was about five-fold at the LC50 and LC95. No significant geographic variation in susceptibility to B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis was observed among regions within California. Although variation in susceptibility was limited among California collections, the greater variability observed among the Cyprus collections and between the Cyprus and California collections illustrates the importance of establishing regional baselines to monitor accurately for changes in susceptibility.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Genetic parameters for reproductive traits of Holstein cattle in California and Minnesota.

Genetic parameters for five reproductive traits were estimated using data from 51,528 Holstein cows that were inseminated from April to September 1998 in 1717 herds in California and Minnesota. Nonreturn rate and veterinary-confirmed pregnancy rate at 60 and 90 d after insemination were evaluated using linear and threshold models, including an additive genetic effect for the cow being inseminated and a random environmental effect for the service bull. Interval from calving to first insemination was evaluated using a linear model, including an additive genetic effect for the cow being inseminated. Linear model heritability estimates for 60-d (90-d) nonreturn rate were 1.4% (1.5%) in California and 4.1% (2.7%) in Minnesota. Corresponding estimates for 60-d (90-d) confirmed pregnancy rate were 1.4% (2.3%) in California and 1.0% (2.0%) in Minnesota; the proportion of cows with veterinary data available 60 d after breeding was 86% in California and 55% in Minnesota. Threshold model heritability estimates were slightly higher than linear model estimates in California but were lower in Minnesota, presumably because 25% of the herd-season classes in Minnesota contained either all successes or all failures. Linear model repeatability estimates for the service bull effect on 60-d (90-d) nonreturn rate were 0.5% (0.4%) in California and 0.3% (0.3%) in Minnesota. Corresponding estimates for 60-d (90-d) confirmed pregnancy rates were 0.6% (0.2%) in California and 0.1% (0.4%) in Minnesota. Threshold model estimates were slightly higher than linear model estimates in both states. Heritability estimates for the interval from calving to first insemination were 5.8% in California and 6.1% in Minnesota. Despite the low parameter estimates, variation was present among animals, and it should be possible to identify sires that possess superior or inferior reproductive characteristics.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Genetic variation among isolates of western equine encephalomyelitis virus from California.

The mechanism for long-term maintenance of western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) virus in California was investigated by studying genetic variation in the E2 portion of the genome of 55 strains of WEE virus isolated since 1938 from different locations in California. Four major lineages were evident: virus strains isolated from the Central Valley since 1993 and Los Angeles in 1991 formed lineage A; southern California strains isolated since 1978 and isolates from the Central Valley from 1978 to 1987 formed lineage B; northern California isolates from 1968 to 1971 formed lineage C; and early isolates from 1938 to 1961 formed a fourth lineage, D. The separation of strains from north and south of the Tehachapi and San Bernardino Mountains (i.e., the Central Valley and southern California, respectively) since 1991 indicates that there has been little recent movement of virus between the two regions and recent strains from these two locations appear to be evolving independently. However, within the Central Valley and within southern California, virus appears to circulate freely, perhaps by movement of birds or mosquito vectors. Although the current virus lineage in the Central Valley may have been introduced from an unknown source in 1991, introduction and establishment of new viral genotypes from outside California do not seem to occur regularly. It appears most likely that virus is maintained in separate geographic areas of California through local persistence in enzootic foci.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Cancer among Hispanic children in California, 1988-1994: comparison with non-Hispanic white children.

BACKGROUND: There has been a perception that California Hispanic children have an unusually high cancer incidence rate, but to the authors' knowledge the only information regarding cancer rates in this population has been the tabular data published in reports issued by the California Department of Health Services. The California Cancer Registry has collected data regarding all cancers diagnosed in California since 1988. METHODS: Data regarding all invasive cancers diagnosed in California Hispanic children age <15 years during the 7-year period 1988-1994 were analyzed. Cancers were grouped according to the International Classification for Childhood Cancers. Age-adjusted and age specific incidence rates were compared with the corresponding incidence rates among non-Hispanic white children. RESULTS: Based on available demographic information, the overall incidence rate of cancer was approximately 7% lower among California children classified as Hispanic than among non-Hispanic white children. Hispanic children had higher incidence rates of lymphoid leukemia and gonadal germ cell tumors and a lower incidence rate of astrocytomas and carcinomas than non-Hispanic white children. CONCLUSIONS: These data do not confirm the perception that California Hispanic children have an unusually high cancer incidence rate but there were notable differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white children with regard to the incidence rates of certain cancers. The perception may be due in part to the fact that childhood malignancies represented 3.1% of all cancers diagnosed among Hispanics but only 0.5% of all cancers diagnosed among non-Hispanic whites. This is explained by the lower incidence rate of cancer among California Hispanic adults than among non-Hispanic white adults and the difference in the age distribution of the two populations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

A California air standard to protect vegetation from ozone.

Evidence shows that the current national primary ambient air quality standard, if attained, would still permit substantial injury to vegetation. Thus, in March 1987, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) began consideration of the evidence for the effects of ozone (O3) on vegetation, and of several possible state ambient air quality standards designed to protect vegetation, especially crops, from O3 injury. In its review, the CARB addressed a number of issues relevant to such a standard. One issue considered by the CARB is the relationship of an ambient air quality standard to natural background levels of O3, which would greatly influence the practicality of attainment. Attainment of a standard close to natural background could entail excessive costs. Another issue considered is the occurrence of oxidants other than O3 that can damage vegetation. Throughout much of California, O3 accounts for over 90% of the oxidant air pollutants, and the CARB considered whether, in keeping with current practice, O3 should be used as a surrogate for total oxidant air pollutants. A major new piece of information presented to the CARB was an assessment of the economic effects of several potential standards. This assessment, produced by University of California scientists at Riverside and Davis, calculated the benefits of the potential standards in comparison to current O3 levels and estimated natural O3 background. This assessment was developed using field chamber response data, local crop data, and local O3 concentration data as inputs to the California Agricultural Resources Model, which accounts for both supply and demand effects. Because of California's varied climate, agricultural production occurs on a year-round basis, with overlapping growing seasons for many crops. Over long periods of time, O3 levels may vary markedly because of the influence of various factors, and a 1-h standard may not be an accurate indicator of growing season O3 exposure. A moving three-month averaging time has been proposed as a way to approximate the growing seasons of California's 200 crops. However, a sufficiently stringent 1-h standard would serve as a surrogate for a growing season standard. The CARB reviewed evidence supporting both long-term and short-term standards. Agriculture dominates the economies of some regions within California but is a minor components of other regional economies. Because the San Joaquin Valley is California's most important agricultural area, the CARB reviewed evidence for a regional standard for this area that would be more stringent than standards for other parts of the state.

Journal Article↗