THREE people have died from melioidosis in the Northern Territory, with a record 54 cases diagnosed part way through the wet season.

The highly infectious illness is prevalent in Australia’s north after heavy rain brings melioidosis bacteria to the surface from where it exists deep in the ground.People catch melioidosis when it enters their bodies via cuts and sores or by breathing it in when it is stirred up by the wind.It causes severe pneumonia and blood poisoning, and even with the best medical care about 10 to 15 per cent of people who catch the disease will die.Director of the Northern Territory’s Centre for Disease Control, Vicki Krause, said the 54 cases diagnosed was the highest number ever recorded by this date in the season.People at risk should stay indoors during heavy wind or rain, Dr Krause said. that included those who drank too much, had kidney disease, lung disease, cancer or were taking steroids."Symptoms of melioidosis can vary greatly but most commonly we see indications of pneumonia such as fever, cough and breathing difficulties," Dr Krause said in a statement.The symptoms can also include weight loss and sores that won’t heal.

Rachel Martinez searched online for more information about was going on in her body after she had visited the doctor for an illness.

“There are a lot of interesting things there,” Martinez, 33, said.

After she found out what she had, she wanted to learn all she could about the illness and the body’s immune system, she said.

But before she went to the doctor’s office, it didn’t even cross her mind to look on the Internet for a diagnosis. the kind of sickness she felt told her to see a doctor right away.

There is a vast collection of medical information available online, and a growing number of people are using it to diagnose their own physical ailments, without consulting a professional.

“You do see the younger generation access that more easily,” said Dr. Dolores Gomez about medical websites. “It should not replace medical care.”

There are some bogus websites out there that have the wrong information or prescribe certain treatments and medications because they are under contracts with pharmaceutical companies. there are also those surfers who look up the wrong combinations of symptoms and end up believing, or wanting to believe, they have a simple cold, when they could really have something a lot more serious, said Gomez, a physician at the Southern New Mexico Family Medicine Clinic.

In a recent survey of visitors to the online coupon site couponcodes4u.com, about 74 percent of nearly 2,000 people surveyed said they prefer to self-diagnose online. of those who have used the Internet to diagnose themselves, about 33 percent say they did it because they were too embarrassed by their symptoms and 31 percent said they were too busy to visit a doctor. when asked if, after self-diagnosing, they went to the doctor, 68 percent said yes.

Of those who did, 87 percent said their diagnosis was wrong.

Younger people — who are typically the Internet users who diagnose themselves — often believe they are healthy and at the prime of their physical selves. when something ails them, they simply turn to the Web, believing nothing is too serious or deserves a trip to the doctor’s office.

People also choose website diagnosis over seeing the doctor because of the cost of a doctor’s visit and treatment, or the lack of health insurance.

Some children and teens may also turn to the Internet to find out what is wrong with them when they have questions about sex or sexually transmitted diseases. they might not want to visit their family doctor, but they always have their school-based health centers and the local New Mexico Department of Health, in Las Cruces located at, 1170 N. Solano Drive, Gomez said.

Gomez has also seen a couple of her patients also turn to the Internet for cheaper herbal and natural medicines to use in place of what she initially prescribes for them. Sometimes these medicines found online could work, and she’s fine with that, as long as she knows about them, but there are risks of finding something that has no effect or could cause harm and costly treatment.

“You always have to have that open line of communication with a patient,” Gomez said.

Some patients print out what they find, so they can talk about it at their appointment. Gomez said some doctors even print things out from these websites to give patients as a source of additional information.

If you experience chest pains, or wounds and infections that don’t heal within a week, these symptoms should never be ignored and should be checked out right away by a physician.

Andi Murphy can be reached at amurphy@lcsun-news.com or (575) 541-5453.

Reliable sources

Though you should always see you doctor if something is out of the ordinary, here are a few websites that are trustworthy. Most of the time a website ending in “.org” or “.gov” can be excellent sources of information. Most of these websites will tell you that their information should not be used to self-diagnose or replace a visit to the doctor.

WebMD at webmd.com

American Academy of Family Physicians at aafp.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov

New Mexico (or any state) Department of Health at health.state.nm.us

American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org

American Heart Association at heart.org

American Cancer Society at cancer.org

The effect of different doses of radiation on the human body after acute, whole-body exposure. Rad – radiation absorbed dose – is the amount of radiation that bombards a body

Death is a certainty. at doses above 5,000 rad, the central nervous system (brain and muscles) can no longer control the body functions, including breathing and blood circulation. Everything happens very quickly. Death occurs within days or hours. nothing can be done, and medical care is for comfort only.

The initial symptoms appear immediately. a few days later, things get very bad, very quickly since the gastrointestinal system is destroyed. Once the gastrointestinal system ceases to function, nothing can be done, and medical care is for comfort only.

Severe blood changes will be noted and symptoms appear immediately. Approximately two weeks later, some of those exposed may die. at 300-500 rad, up to one half of the people exposed will die within 30 days without intensive medical attention.

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Death is due to the destruction of the blood forming organs. without white blood cells, infection is likely. at the lower end of the dose range, isolation, antibiotics, and transfusions may provide the bone marrow with time to generate new blood cells, and full recovery is possible. at the upper end of the dose range, a bone marrow transplant may be required to produce new blood cells.

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Saturday, February 19, 2011 » 07:32am

The biggest ever study of chronic fatigue syndrome treatments has challenged the strategy championed by patient groups — taking it easy is not the best treatment, exercise and behaviour therapy are.

For years, patient groups warned such treatments could be dangerous, instead promoting a strategy known as adaptive pacing – which advises patients to adjust to their illness by simply doing less. But the study found that approach didn’t help.

The research, published Friday in the medical journal Lancet, concluded that behaviour and exercise seemed to moderately reduce fatigue and improve activity levels, while pacing and medical care weren’t much help.

The findings also suggest the crippling condition can sometimes be reversed.

‘I hope more people will be convinced you can treat chronic fatigue syndrome and that this isn’t necessarily something people will have forever,’ said Hans Knoop, a clinical psychologist at the Expert Centre for Chronic Fatigue in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, who co-authored an editorial on the research, which was funded by the UK Medical Research Council and others.

Chronic fatigue syndrome affects up to 2 per cent of people worldwide. it is characterised by persistent tiredness, muscle pain, insomnia and memory problems. the cause is unknown, though the syndrome can be triggered by certain viral infections, and there is no cure.

In the study conducted across the UK, British researchers analysed common treatment approaches: cognitive behaviour therapy, which uses psychology to address fears of activity; exercise such as walking to boost energy; adaptive pacing and medical care, including self-help advice and drugs for insomnia or pain.

More than 600 British patients were divided into four groups, and each given a strategy for around six months. the first group received just medical care, while the remainder received medical care and one of the strategies. Patients were then monitored for up to one year to see if the strategy had any permanent effect.

Since pacing is championed by many patient groups, scientists wanted to test whether it works. Previous patient surveys have suggested behavioural and exercise therapy make people worse, though the study found all treatments tested were safe.

Knoop said behaviour and exercise therapies may help patients increase their activity levels, control their symptoms better, and change the way they perceive their tiredness.

Still, the treatments only helped about 60 per cent of patients, and researchers were unsure how long the results lasted.

‘Even with the best therapies we have, four out of 10 people don’t improve,’ said Peter White, a professor of psychological medicine at the Queen Mary University of London, who led the study.

‘This is a genuinely disabling condition, and we need to do more to determine how to enhance current therapies.’

Influenza, strep throat, sinus infections, bronchitis, viral upper respiratory illness, pneumonia and gastroenteritis are all making their way around the campus as well as the Bloomington-Normal community.

Influenza illness is possible at any time of the year. However, there is typically an increase in influenza during the winter months.  

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness and many people are inside and in closer contact with one another in the colder months, Diane Waters, assistant director of Student Health Services, said.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care if you have the flu.

There are common symptoms of the flu that students should be aware of and include, “sudden onset of fever, body aches, headaches, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose [or] fatigue,” Waters said.

If a person does contract the flu, they should, “drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of rest, and take medications for flu symptoms.  Stay away from others as much as possible and cover your cough and sneezes to prevent others from getting sick,” Waters said.

“Definitely get plenty of rest, try to stay in bed as much as possible until you start to feel better, and try to drink plenty of fluids.  If you don’t start to feel better after a few days, or if your fever seems to get worse, make an appointment to see a doctor,” James Almeda, health educator for Health Promotion and Wellness, said.

Waters said to help prevent contracting the flu, many students may want to get a flu shot each year as the best means of prevention. ISU students may schedule an appointment for a free flu shot at the Student Health Services.

Given that there are so many people who do get the flu, getting a flu shot will help reduce one’s risk, or if one still gets the flu, it may not affect a student as much, Almeda said.

Other ways in which people can help prevent or reduce their risk of getting the flu as well as other illnesses this season would be to “wash hands often and well. Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands,” Waters said.

She added that students should always, “keep an alcohol-based hand sanitizer handy for times when soap and water aren’t available.”

“It also helps to take care of yourself to keep your immune system strong – get enough sleep each night, get some physical activity each day, eat well and include at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, manage your stress, maintain healthy relationships,” Alemda said.

“And if you drink alcohol, try to limit it to know more than three drinks on any occasion,” Almeda said.

He added that cold and flu kits are available at G Spot.

If a student has a fever, muscle aches, headaches, sore throat, cough or stomach aches, schedule an appointment with Student Health Services by calling (309) 438-2778 or by going online to shs.illinoisstate.edu/appointments.

Rabies is a disease humans may get from being bitten by an animal infected with the rabies virus. Rabies has been recognized for over 4,000 years. Yet, despite great advances in diagnosing and preventing it, today rabies is almost always deadly in humans who contract it and do not receive treatment.

Rabies can be totally prevented. you must recognize the exposure and promptly get appropriate medical care before you develop the symptoms of rabies.

Where rabies is found: Human rabies is quite rare in the United States. only 27 cases have been reported in people in the United States since 1990. Yet in some areas of the world (for example, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America), human rabies is much more common.

The incidence of rabies in people parallels the incidence in the animal kingdom. The great strides that have been made in controlling the disease in animals in the United States and in other developed countries is directly responsible for this decline in human rabies.

Although rabies in humans is very rare in the United States, between 16,000 and 39,000 people receive preventive medical treatment each year after being exposed to a potentially rabid animal. some regions of the country have more cases of rabies than others do. Rabies in wildlife accounts for greater than 85% of animal rabies in the United States.

Animals that carry rabies: Raccoons are the most common wild animals infected with rabies in the United States. Skunks, foxes, bats, and coyotes are the other most frequently affected.

Bats are the most common animals responsible for the transmission of human rabies in the United States, accounting for more than half of human cases since 1980, and 74% since 1990. Rabid bats have been reported in all states except Hawaii.

Cats are the most common domestic animals with rabies in the United States. Dogs are the most common domestic rabid animals worldwide. almost any wild or domestic animal can potentially get rabies, but it is very rare in small rodents (rats, squirrels, chipmunks) and lagomorphs (rabbits and hares). Large rodents (beavers, woodchucks/groundhogs) have been found to have rabies in some areas of the United States. Additionally, fish, reptiles, and birds are not known to carry the rabies virus.

For a human to get rabies, 2 things must happen. First, you must have contact with a rabid animal. second, the contact must allow for the transmission of infected material, which will involve exposure to the saliva of the infected animal usually through a bite or scratch.

Contaminated tissue in the rabid animal includes saliva. other potentially infectious tissue is in the brain or nerve tissue. The virus is transmitted only when the virus gets into bite wounds, open cuts in your skin, or onto mucous membranes (for example, into your eyes or your mouth). The virus then spreads from the site of the exposure to your brain and eventually spreads throughout your body’s major organs.

Moreover, bites are the most common source of transmission. Scratches by infected animals are far less likely to cause infection but are still considered a potential source of rabies transmission. Bites or scratches are often not confirmed in cases of human rabies traced to bats. therefore, treatment might be necessary after a close encounter with a bat.

In the 20 cases (since 1990) of human rabies associated with a bat, a definite history of a bat bite could be confirmed in only 1 case. it is unclear how the virus was transmitted in the other cases perhaps by an undetectable bite.

Rabies has rarely been transmitted by other means. Examples include inhaling a large amount of bat secretions in the air of a cave by 2 cave explorers and inhaling the concentrated virus in laboratory workers studying rabies.

Animals infected with rabies may appear sick, crazed, or vicious. this is the origin of the phrase “mad dog.” However, animals infected with rabies may also appear overly friendly, docile, or confused. They may even appear completely normal.

Seeing a normally nocturnal wild animal during the day (for example, a bat or a fox) or seeing a normally shy wild animal that appears strange or even friendly should raise suspicion that the animal may have rabies.

Furthermore, the average incubation period (time from infection to time of development of symptoms) in humans is 30-60 days, but it may range from less than 10 days to several years.

Most people first develop symptoms of pain, tingling, or itching shooting from the bite site (or site of virus entry). Nonspecific complaints of fevers, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, and irritability may accompany these complaints. Early on, these complaints may seem like any virus, except for the shooting sensations from the bite site. Gradually, however, you will become extremely ill, developing a variety of symptoms, including high fever, confusion, agitation, and eventually seizures and coma.

Typically, people with rabies develop irregular contractions and spasms of the breathing muscles when exposed to water (this is termed hydrophobia). They may demonstrate the same response to a puff of air directed at them (termed aerophobia). by this point, they are obviously extremely ill. Eventually, the various organs of the body are affected, and the person dies despite support with medication and a respirator.

A rarer form of rabies, paralytic rabies, has been linked to vampire bat bites outside of the United States. in this form, the person who was bitten develops a paralysis, or inability to move the part of the body that was bitten. this spreads gradually throughout the body, and the person ultimately dies. Hydrophobia is less common in paralytic rabies than in classic rabies.

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