Real Life Contagion? .. Deadly CRE

The bacteria Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are named for their ability to fight off carbapenem antibiotics which are recognized the last line of defense in the fight. Enterobacteriaceae is a family of bacteria, which live in our everyday environment, in places like water and soil. This family of bacteria is known to cause pneumonia, kidney and bladder infections, and bloodstream infections. But thankfully most can be treated with antibiotics. But because of antibiotic overuse  many Enterobacteriaceae have adapted and become resistant.

So far, CRE has emerged almost only in hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities; however, mostly only the weakest of patients are being affected. In the USA TODAY's research there have been thousands of CRE cases throughout the country in recent years but crazily enough they show up as everything from pneumonia to intestinal and urinary tract infections. Like trying to find a lost kid at the fair, nearly impossible to just pick out.

The CRE bacteria's ability to defeat the most potent antibiotics there is,  has scared a good number of people for illnesses that now can't be stopped. Death rates among patients with CRE infections can be about 40%,  which is a whole lot worse compared to other more widely known health care infections like MRSA, which have troubled health care facilities everywhere. But the main and most common concern is CRE being found within the general "healthy" community.

The bacteria CRE infections have already been and are endemic in several major U.S. areas, including that of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, which are among the top 5 most populous cities in the country.  But even smaller scale rural areas have seen cases reported in places like Oregon, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and South Carolina.

The biggest challenge is containing the spread of CRE, however, first the must figure out where it is coming from, who it's most common in and how will they prevent it.
"There is no billing code for CRE infections under Medicare or Medicaid, the health care programs for the elderly, poor and disabled, and there's no federal reporting requirement for the infections. So getting a reliable national picture of prevalence or where cases are concentrated is a challenge."
-- USA TODAY

It's apparent that CRE is spreading and it is spreading rapidly.
"But the bacteria are there to stay, lurking somewhere, invisible and always a threat."

Well Hello Trichinella!

A parasite of the roundworm classification Trichinella is is known to cause a disease called trichinellosis. Trichinellosis is a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork or wild game infected with the larvae of trichinella.
There are eight Trichinella species; five are encapsulated and three are not. Spiralis is more adapted to pigs and is most pathogenic in human. Britovi is the second most common of Trichinella to infect humans usually you can find it in wild boar and domesticated pigs. Nativa has a high resistance to freezing, pretty much only found in the arctic and subarctic regions; this is usually in polar bears, arctic foxes, walruses and other animals indigenous to arctic climates. Nelsoni, found primarily in eastern Africa, has been documented to cause a few human cases. Murrelli spreads mostly through black bear meat and it is distributed among wild carnivorous populations. 
Now to the non-encapsulated species, Pseudospiralis infects birds but also had been found in the human population as well. Papuae infects both mammals and reptiles, including crocodiles, humans, and pigs. Zimbabwensis can infect mammals but not much in the human population; mostly only been detected in reptiles of Africa. Most animals are exposed to the parasite by either feeding of animal with products contaminated with Trichinella, exposure to infected rodents or other infected wildlife or cannibalism within an infected herd. 

Trichinella infection can be prevented, by cooking properly or by freezing pork. However, freezing pork is not an effective method for killing the larvae itself. When cooking a food thermometer should be used to measure the internal temperature of cooked meat. Do not sample meat until it is completely and thoroughly cooked. To aid in prevention of a Trichinella infection in animal populations, do not allow animals to eat uncooked meat, scraps, or carcasses of any other animals that may be infected with Trichinella. 
The Trichinella parasite is one that is easy to come in contact with and become infected with, if you are not careful. Be cautious with meat sources and hunting. Be aware of where the meat comes from what region you live in and the risks of Trichinella.

Can I Have Some Cadmium With That?!

Cadmium is a transition metal in the periodic table labeled as Cd with the atomic number of 48. In the periodic table, it lies in group 12 between zinc and mercury Its appearance is a white silver metallic metal, with the same type of qualities as the metal Zinc. However, unlike Zinc cadmium and solutions of its compounds are toxic. It was discovered by Friedrich Strohmeyer , a German chemist, in 1817 while studying zinc compounds. He named the metal after the Latin word for calamine, because Strohmeyer found it in the zinc compound. Strohmeyer also noted how the impure pieces with calamine in them changed color when heated but those with pure calamine didn't. Even though cadmium is highly toxic, the British Pharmaceutical Codex from 1907 tells us that the cadmium iodide was used as medicine to fix enlarged joints, scrofulous glands, and chilblains, whatever those are!

Cadmium has a lot of unique characteristics. They have a great resistance to corrosion, good electrical conductance, a low melting point and is noted for its resistance to chemicals and high temperatures. Cadmium is known to be used in electroplating, which is when they coat metal by making use of an electric current. It is also used in black and white television phosphors, as well as, in the green and blue phosphors of color television tubes. It also makes salts of organic acids are used as catalysts in the generation of a wide variety of organic products. Don't we love organic!?

Cadmium waste streams from the industries mainly end up in soils. Because of regulations only little cadmium now enters the water through disposal of wastewater from households or industries. Earthworms and other essential living things in the soil are sensitive to cadmium poisoning. They can die from very low concentrations . When cadmium concentrations in soils are high they can influence soil processes of microorganisms and threaten the whole soil cycle of life. =(

Cadmium is an occupational hazard from industrial processes such as metal plating and the making of cadmium batteries, pigments, plastics, and other synthetics. Inhalation, the most primary way of exposure, of cadmium fumes can result in metal fume fever but may progress to chemical pneumonitis,pulmonary edema, and death. Cadmium is also a potential environmental hazard, human exposures to cadmium is primarily the result of the burning of fossil fuels and municipal wastes.Cadmium is considered a carcinogen, which over a longer period of time of exposure can cause cancer. Tobacco smoking is the most important single source of cadmium exposure in the general population. It has been estimated that about 10% of the cadmium content of a cigarette is inhaled through smoking.
Be Safe Stay Clear of Cadmium!

What's Cookin in the Community Garden?

The American Community Garden Association (ACGA) defines community garden as any piece of land gardened by a group of people. The definition is quite broad but it can be urban, suburban or even rural. There can be all kinds of things planted there, flowers or vegetables are okay. There can be one great plot for the collective group or many individual plots. There are also situations where land is just there for the taking and if someone wants to plant they can do just that. 

As I researched I found out there are so many benefits from having a community garden. The first and most important is that it can improve the quality of life for all individuals involved with the garden. It also gives the chance to create and stimulate economic opportunities and development. There are so many positives about community gardens, that I'm surprised there isn't more advocacy for them. For example, my high school had a community garden back in Texas but other than that I didn't know of many. Which is quite odd for one of the biggest cities in the nation. Not to say there aren't any in the city of Houston, just not any that I was aware of. I just feel as if in such big areas community gardens could produce very positive results for the population.

I was curious to see how many community gardens were in the Macon,GA area and to my surprise I came up with 5; three within the city of Macon, another in Milledgeville and one more in Thomaston. This actually made me one to join one and make a plot of my own. Especially after our class visit. Smelling and seeing those fresh crops just gave me this good and wholesome feeling.

This video explains and shows how great a community garden can be!

Oh Hey Rachel Carson!

Rachel Carson, born in 1907, grew up in Pennsylvania where she spent hours outdoors. When she went to Pennsylvania College for Women, where she changed her assumptions about her predetermined career. She majored in zoology and late went to John Hopkins and received a masters in genetics. In 1941, she published Under the Sea-Wind, her first book. She was a quiet, private person, where she was astounded with the workings of nature from a scientific and aesthetic point of view. Then in 1962, after two other books she wrote Silent Spring.

This book gained great attention and was was pretty much the reason that a stand was taken to make a difference. President John F. Kennedy read Silent Spring and initiated a presidential advisory committee. In 1963, CBS produced a television special featuring Rachel Carson and several opponents of her conclusions. The US Senate opened an investigation of pesticides.
         Her examination of the second-hand and direct affects of insecticides became essential in the way they were portrayed. Prior to her book Silent Spring, the effects of pollutants in the environment on future and later generations was previously not even taken into consideration. But was not only toxic to us, but to our Carson revealed that these insecticides could effect people's great-great grandchildren was scary and surprising to say the least. Nearly any environmental issue, including global warming, has received benefit from Ms. Carson. Even if the specific area wasn't addressed by her, she served as the catalyst to bring public opinion to bear on these issues. She gave people the ability to combat important issues, she opened the door to investigate the types of potential harms to the environment without even touching on them herself.

Global Warming and Rising Seas, Now That's Scary!

Rising sea levels are a direct effect of Global Warming, and there is little doubt that the Earth is in fact "heating up". Some scientist consider the rise of seas due to global warming as one of the biggest dangers. Thermal expansion has already raised the oceans 4 to 8 inches. Just as the evidence is undoubtable that temperatures have risen in the last century. It is also noted that carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has increased about 30 percent, enhancing the atmosphere's ability to trap heat. Some believe that by burning fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum, are to blame for the increase in carbon dioxide; some scientists also believe it to be natural reasons like volcanic activity. It is noticeable that this is the fastest warming rate in millions of years,showing that it is probably not a natural occurrence. Most scientists think the rise in temperatures will in accelerate.

                                           

Video on Rising Sea and Global Warming

Ode to Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina is considered one of the top five deadliest hurricanes from the Atlantic. Hurricane Katrina touched land in 2005 and hit hardest in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. At least 1,833 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. In Florida it started off as a category 1 hurricane but the hurricane strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane over the warm Gulf water. This rapid growth was due to the storm's movement over the "unusually warm" waters of the Loop Current, which increased wind speeds.Eventually 80% of the city and large tracts of neighboring parishes became flooded, and the floodwaters lingered for weeks. Even to this day not all of New Orleans is back to the way it was. Katrina redistributed over one million people from the central Gulf coast elsewhere across the United States, even to my own hometown of Houston increased in population by 35,000 because of this hurricane. This hurricane hits close to home for me,literally, because that I am from Houston I had to deal with much of the aftermath.

Sacred yet Sully?! Pollution in the Ganges.

The Ganges River is the largest river in India. Not only is it the largest river but it also holds a great amount of religious importance. According to sources it provides water to about 40% of India's population. With India being one of the most populous countries in the world that is a good chunk of individuals depending on the Ganges as a source of water. The Ganges has been known to be very polluted and many people use it for domestic use for things such as bathing and laundry. There are also religious activities that take place within the Ganges. In the season of festivals, more than 70 million people on average come to the river to bathe and wash away their sins over a span of a few weeks. Along with a Hindu belief where dropping the ashes of cremated bodies at the Manikarnika Ghat along the Ganges would liberate the soul. These impurities atop of just pure trash is causing a great deal of pollution within the waters of the Ganges.  

The Ganges is a health hazard to put it simply. In an analysis of the water in 2006 there was a strong association found between water-borne diseases and the domestic uses I mentioned before such as bathing, laundry, cleaning and brushing teeth. There is a strong correlation found in contracting dysentery, cholera, hepatitis and severe diarrhea; and the Ganges River.
Overall, being an aspiring global health professional these facts are just astounding to me. Also seeing the levels of pollution that there are in India can lead me to only imagine the severity of the Ganges. In order to alleviate even the smallest amount of pollution in the river, action must be taken and the people must people educated on the importance of such.