On April 24, in response to multiple bite reports, Pender County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control removed a pet monkey named Elvis from the home of Nancy Browning, 68 Camellia Drive.

Under orders from State Veterinarian Dr. David Marshall, Animal Control Officer Lt. Keith Ramsey and several deputies removed the male macaque monkey from the home. The animal had reportedly bitten one of Browning’s neighbors for the second time in two months.

According to Ramsey, the macaque had bitten the woman once before and her son twice. The first bite occurred on Feb. 3 and was reported Feb. 6. The second bite was reported April 21. Ramsey said another bite occurred sometime between the dates of the first two bites but was unreported by the victim.

“this monkey has bitten three times in two months,” said Ramsey. “It had obviously become a health hazard.”

After the first incident, the macaque had been quarantined in the Browning home for 30 days for observation. After an investigation and the quarantine, Ramsey said all appeared to be acceptable with the monkey. then, a few days before the removal, the sheriff’s office received the report of another bite.

At that point, state authorities stepped in and ordered the euthanization of the monkey and testing for rabies.

“The health director received a letter from the state vet authorizing to euthanize. It’s an unfortunate situation that vaccination and containment could have prevented,” Ramsey said.

Though it is believed that Elvis did not have rabies, a bite could have still led to infection with Hepatitis B. A previously published report by the Centers for Disease Control specifically outlined the risk of B-virus infection from pet macaque monkeys.

“B-virus from Pet Macaque Monkeys: an Emerging Threat in the United States?” states, “Of primary concern when evaluating Macaque bites are bacterial and B-virus infections. B-virus infection is highly prevalent (80 percent to 90 percent) in adult Macaques. The virus must be assumed to be a potential health hazard in Macaque bite wounds; this risk makes Macaques unsuitable as pets.”

The CDC report said macaque bites may cause potentially fatal infections of the brain and central nervous system in humans.

The report supports the actions of animal control and the state vet, stating, “both veterinary specialists and breeders of nonhuman primates agree that as a rule, all these animals bite. Biting incidents eventually bring the animals to the attention of animal control authorities. Most state health departments can require that any biting non-domestic animal be euthanized and the brain be submitted for rabies testing.”

The close bond formed by owners and pet macaques can lead to serious health hazards, according to the CDC.

The report continues, “Owners of pet Macaques are often reluctant to report bite injuries from their pets, even to their medical care providers, and may fail to appreciate that the premonitory headache and flu-like symptoms could be associated with healed, often minor, bite wounds dating back more than a month.”

Ramsey could not speculate as to what, if any, medical treatment the victims sought for their wounds. The victims’ names were not provided.

Numerous attempts were made to contact Browning for this story. she was unavailable for comment.

Pender County currently has no regulations regarding the keeping of exotic animals, according to Pender Health Director Carolyn Moser.

The responsibility for the establishment of regulations on exotic pets would fall to county commissioners.

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The testimony came as Shenkman’s lawyer, Hugh Keefe of New Haven, began presenting evidence that he hopes will convince jurors that Shenkman was not guilty by reason of insanity for the events of July 7, 2009.

The Hartford Hospital physicians examined Shenkman at about 12:30 p.m. on July 8, 2009, about 12 hours after he arrived at Hartford Hospital. He’d been taken there for treatment after suffering superficial burns and other injuries in the standoff, which ended the previous midnight.

Dr. David Pepper told jurors that Shenkman told him he was hearing voices, that he felt persecuted by police and his ex-wife Nancy Tyler, that he felt hopeless and helpless and believed it would be OK if police killed him. on a scale of 1 to 100, Pepper rated Shenkman a 15 and said he had “severe impairment.”

After examining and interviewing Shenkman for about an hour, Pepper diagnosed Shenkman as having psychosis. he could not say, however, what brought it on, but said he could not rule out severe depression or bipolar disorder and suggested doctors handling his care later examine those possibilities.

Dr. Harold I. Schwartz, chief of psychiatry at Hartford Hospital and the affiliated Institute of Living, supervised Pepper’s examination and participated at points, he testified.

He agreed with the conclusion that Shenkman was psychotic and noted that at times be seemed to respond to the voices he said he was hearing.

“He reported the hallucination to be of his ex-wife’s voice … telling him that it would be OK,” Schwartz told the jury. there was another voice, Schwartz said, that was telling Shenkman to kill himself.

Shenkman was also paranoid and believed that police were going to kill him, Schwartz testified.

The doctors judged him to be a high risk for suicide.

During cross-examination, prosecutor Vicki Melchiorre worked to convince jurors that Shenkman faked the symptoms of mental illness in an effort to keep himself out of jail.

“People feign mental illness for specific reasons, yes?” Melchiorre asked. yes, Pepper answered.

“Is one avoidance of jail?” she asked. “Yes,” Pepper responded.

As to the view that Shenkman was extremely suicidal, Melchiorre asked Pepper and Schwartz if they knew Shenkman had in his possession a loaded handgun for 15 hours the previous day. they did not.

If Pepper thought Shenkman was lying, Keefe asked, would he have made a note of that on Shenkman’s record. Pepper said he would have. when Keefe asked if Pepper had made such a notation, Pepper said he had not.

Press Release Source: SMART Surgery On Thursday March 10, 2011, 1:49 pm EST

NEW YORK, March 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — last Saturday, Kenyan Minister of Medical Services Peter Anyang Nyong’o stepped off a plane and onto Kenyan soil to a hero’s welcome.  His return marked the end of a nearly year long struggle with prostate cancer.  Having been met with the harsh realities of the state of cancer treatment in his own country after he was diagnosed in June of last year, Nyong’o, like many others, turned his search for a prostate cancer remedy to the United States, a decision that international prostate cancer treatment and robotic prostate surgery expert Dr. David B. Samadi wishes more men would mimic.

(Photo: https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110308/NY61400 )

“The unfortunate reality is that most countries lack the necessary technology and levels of expertise to properly battle prostate cancer.  In many cases, patients are subjecting themselves to dated treatments, often being performed with aging equipment.  Traveling internationally to the United States for the latest treatments performed by the most experienced surgeons should be the first option in any case where it is possible,” said Dr. Samadi, who has performed over 3,200 successful Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy (RALP) procedures on patients from across the world.  

In light of his experience, Nyong’o is attacking the health care challenges facing his countrymen with a renewed zeal, stating that, “My experience is a wake-up call for us in Kenya to build comprehensive cancer care centers for our own people and the eastern Africa region.  I know we can do it by walking the talk.”  

A long time proponent of developing cancer treatment infrastructure in foreign countries, Dr. Samadi echoes Nyong’o's fears and convictions stating that, “It is a shame for anyone to die of a curable disease like prostate cancer because the resources for treatment are not available to them.  Many studies have shown Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy to be both safer and more cost effective than traditional open or laparoscopic procedures.” He goes on to remind potential prostate cancer sufferers that, “A prostate cancer prognosis is not a death sentence.  It is entirely treatable and no one has to die from it.  Early detection through regular urological checkups combined with cutting edge robotic surgery performed by an experienced surgeon can give the patient over a 96% chance of beating prostate cancer with the possibility of recovering urinary and sexual functions in 12-months or less.”

According to Nyong’o's personal account of his battle with prostate cancer, he had begun experiencing difficulty urinating and though initial tests ruled out cancer, he was not satisfied.  As his annual checkup approached he decided to take initiative and go in for an examination a month ahead of schedule.  A biopsy was performed and a prostate cancer diagnosis was confirmed.  The cancer had become very aggressive very quickly according to his doctor and action needed to be taken immediately.

“My urologist decided to put me immediately on hormone therapy…hormone therapy is a good emergency measure to stop the growth of the cancer while a more lasting solution is being sought,” recounted Nyong’o in his chronicling of the event.  ”…we decided to have a three-month hormone therapy treatment while I was deciding how and where to treat the cancer.”

In support of Nyong’o's decision, Dr. Samadi said, “Mr. Nyong’o's decision to act decisively upon recognizing symptoms is what saved his life.  It is also noteworthy that Mr. Nyong’o understood that hormone therapy is only a temporary stop gap and not a long term solution to prostate cancer due to its many complications. It gives me great pleasure that not only did he go beyond the “Watchful Waiting” approach but he also fought his prostate cancer publicly. Hopefully his courage and initiative in dealing with this potentially deadly disease will inspire men of all ages to undergo frequent prostate cancer screenings and seek out experienced surgeons to have robotic assisted surgery performed should they be diagnosed.”

Dr. David Samadi has an international prostate cancer treatment practice where he performs upwards of 20 successful RALP cases every week.  His SMART Surgery (Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique) has revolutionized prostate cancer treatment and is being adopted in cutting edge health institutions all over the globe, most recently at the Rambam Medical Center in Israel.  More information on Dr. Samadi and his revolutionary robotic surgery techniques can be found on his website, RoboticOncology.com, which is translated into French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, and soon Hebrew, in order to make his expertise accessible to the international community.

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT)- Many parents have had those mornings when your child wakes up coughing, sniffling, and complaining that they don't feel well. Do they have a cold? what about the flu? or what if they really aren't sick at all?

Sometimes it's clear your child is legitimately sick and needs to be taken to the doctor. Other times, it's not so easy to figure out what, if anything, is wrong with them.

Experts believe that at least 10% of kids have faked sick to their parents so they could take the day off.

Dr. David Hill with Cape Fear Pediatrics says parents need to look for certain physical signs to determine if their children are sick.

Common symptoms of flu include fever, extreme fatigue, dry cough, and body aches. cold symptoms are typically milder, including a runny or stuffy nose. if in doubt, always take their body temperatures.

“Kids cannot fake a fever. So, elevated temperature taken orally in an older child, rectally in an infant or baby, is really a good sign of significant illness,” said Hill.

So how do you know if your child is trying to pull a fast one on you?

Fake symptoms typically don't last long. Be suspicious if your child is coughing their lungs out one moment but then talking nonstop on the phone the next.

Kids who are truly sick usually doze off while watching television or playing on the computer. So if they are glued to a TV-watching marathon, wide awake, it could be a sign that they are faking it.

Symptoms that move from one body part to the other may be a sign of faking it. For example, my head hurts, now my stomach hurt, those are signs to be suspicious.

Sometimes kids are faking sick for attention or just the thrill of it, but it can also mask other issues such as anxiety, depression, or their wish to avoid a bully at school.

Other reasons children might feel they need to fake sick are kids whose parents have very high expectations tend to have more anxiety, so they might stay home if they have a test or presentation they don't feel they are ready for.

Parents need set a good example. if you tend to feel ill before a busy day or work event, your child will pick up on that and mimic that behavior.

Don't “reinforce” sick behavior. For example, don't let your child curl up on the couch with ice cream and the remote control. Dr. Hill says even healthy children should not watch more than 2 hours of television a day.

“Just because they are sick doesn't mean we should suspend that rule, it's a good time for them to catch up on reading, resting, and other creative quiet activities.”

If you've established your child is not faking it, at what point do you call the doctor?

“A fever greater than 104 degrees is not going to harm a child, but it may suggest a more serious illness, likewise, if the child has not peed in more than 8 hours they might be getting dehydrated. any difficulty breathing, wheezing, rapid breathing, all of this concerns us,” said Hill.

If you are taking care of a sick child, the best way to keep it from spreading around the home is to wash your hands. Also, schools and daycares will not allow children to come in until the fever, vomiting, or diarrhea is gone for 24 hours, so don't skirt the rules, they are there to protect your child and all others.

Copyright 2011 WECT. All Rights Reserved.

GULF BREEZE — A new service at the Child Neurology Center of Northwest Florida could help parents and their children sleep easier at night.

The Child Neurology Center in Gulf Breeze opened its new pediatric sleep lab Dec. 6 and has since conducted more than 20 sleep studies on children and youths between the ages of 1 to 18.

“Sleep disorders in children are very common and are very often under-recognized,” said Dr. David Suhrbier, the center’s pediatric sleep expert. “Sleep problems, if you ask any parent, begin almost as soon as the child comes home from the hospital. unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of places in which children are able to be evaluated for these problems. In this area, the closest sleep lab would either be in Jacksonville or Gainesville.”

The Child Neurology Center’s sleep lab has five rooms for children, each painted with Disney or Nickelodeon characters and stocked with toys and stuffed animals.

The center for years has conducted EEGs, studies that measure the electrical impulses in the brain. but the lab allows it to conduct overnight sleep studies.

The lab is the only one of its kind in Northwest Florida, and Suhrbier expects to bring patients in from Mobile, Ala., to Tallahassee. One of his goals is to raise awareness of sleep disorders in children and assure that they are common and treatable.

“Pediatricians and families need to be aware of their child’s sleep pattern because it directly impacts their ability to learn, to develop and to function,” Suhrbier said. “It’s one of those things you want to think of more in the forefront rather than ignoring it.”

The lab is designed to perform overnight sleep studies and other tests, such as multi-sleep latency testing, which is used to diagnose narcolepsy. Sleep disorders also can arise because of other conditions or their medications.

Suhrbier offered Attention Deficit Hyperacitvity Disorder (ADHD) as an example. A child with obstructive sleep apnea can present the symptoms of ADHD, but the sleep aspect of the child’s health is rarely addressed, he said.

Suhrbier said the lab’s services are covered by most insurances.

“Families can get these studies done because there will be reimbursement for them,” he said. “They’re not necessarily going to have to pay a massive amount out of pocket.”

For more information, call the Child Neurology Center’s sleep lab at 916-4351.

12 January 2011 last updated at 13:40 ET Share this page the number of people seeking consultation at surgeries may rise due to media coverage

The number of people contacting GPs with flu-like symptoms has increased slightly as vaccine supplies at two major pharmacies run low.

Pharmacy chains Boots and Lloyds said their stores in Wales had little or no supplies of winter flu vaccine.

Health boards also have low stocks of flu vaccines.

However, the chair of the British Medical Association's GP committee for Wales said doctors had reported a drop in diagnosed flu cases since Christmas.

Dr David Bailey said media coverage and greater awareness about the flu vaccination programme was the reason for any continued rise in people seeking GP consultations.

Dr Bailey told BBC Wales: "Our figures suggest that the numbers of consultations are starting to drop.

"It's difficult to know if this is since Christmas as practices were obviously closed for several days, but members say it has been quieter on the ground this week.

"the number of flu cases is slightly higher than last year but the problem has been that because it is a newish virus and people are mainly suffering from the H1N1 swine flu virus, the numbers of people ending up in hospital with complications are higher."

Health officials said the small increase in consultations last week was common during the first week of January when people returned to work and school.

Levels of flu-like illness were said to be "within the usual seasonal activity range" but were "higher than Wales has experienced in recent years".

Andrew Jones, director of public health for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said doctors were currently treating two confirmed cases of swine flu at Wrexham Maelor Hospital but had overall seen a drop in flu cases.

He said: "GP surgeries reported a small drop for influenza-like illnesses over the Christmas period but it is expected that consultation rates may rise again."

Hywel Dda Health Board told BBC Wales it was still experiencing high volumes of admissions.

A spokeswoman said: "Hospitals across Hywel Dda are currently operating at a very high capacity due to increases in both general admissions and suspected H1N1 and seasonal flu cases.

"From a flu perspective, as of 1100 BST on 12 January, Withybush General Hospital in Pembroke was most impacted and treating 17 cases of flu.

"all hospitals have an escalation plan for such increases and this has been put in place across the board."

Meanwhile, swine flu vaccines are being released to GPs in south Wales whose stocks are running low of the seasonal flu vaccine.

The number of deaths this winter from flu across the UK verified by the Health Protection Agency stands at 50, with 45 of these due to swine flu.

Hospitals are advising those who have flu-like symptoms to contact NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or phone their GP rather than attending A&E or doctors' surgeries, to prevent spread of infection.