Canine parvovirus is the most common infectious disease of dogs in the United States. WellPet Humane, a nonprofit animal charity clinic in Chamblee, has opened a Parvo Treatment Center dedicated to combating this deadly disease.

WellPet now offers parvo treatment to dog owners who are financially struggling at a nominal cost. Canine parvovirus is highly contagious, can live in the environment for years and can cause life-threatening disease to dogs, especially puppies. it can be especially severe in puppies that are not protected by maternal antibodies or a simple vaccination series.

About 80 percent of dogs that contract parvo will die if not treated. Fortunately, parvovirus can be successfully treated. Survival depends on how quickly the disease is diagnosed.

Studies indicate there is an 80 percent survival rate with quick and aggressive treatment.

The disease is commonly diagnosed by an evaluation of the clinical signs such as lethargy, bloody diarrhea and vomiting accompanied by a quick laboratory test.

Prevention, with a series of vaccines ensures that a puppy or dog remains healthy. Multiple pet owners who have a dog with parvo symptoms should take precaution and disinfect the whole household with bleach.

Many pet owners who come to WellPet cannot afford the low-cost treatments. for those who would like to sponsor a Parvo Treatment call or visit the website.

When it comes to kids and vaccines, I get nervous. I’ve written before about how while I want to trust vaccines and do vaccinate my children, each shot strikes fear in my heart. so I’m always searching for more information, hoping to have some of my worries relieved, however slightly, to let me know I’m doing the right thing.

Dr. Jana Shaw, assistant professor of Pediatric Infectious Disease at SUNY Upstate Medical University at Syracuse and member of the New York State Department of Health Immunization Expert Panel, is a mother and physician who believes strongly in the need for parents not only to vaccinate, but to do so on time and not follow a delayed schedule. here she provides seven reasons parents should vaccinate their children. I’m not sure they will change anyone’s mind who is adamantly against vaccines, but for some, like me, who are stuck somewhere in the middle of the debate, they provide some good fodder.

1. you Leave Your Child Vulnerable to Infections when they Need the most Protection

You wouldn’t risk leaving your baby in a room full of other sick babies, so why would you want to leave him or her vulnerable to serious infections you can prevent?

We know that young children — infants in particular — are vulnerable to whooping cough (pertussis), Hemophilus influenzae B (HiB), and pneumococcal infections. It has been proven that adults (especially mothers) are the major source of whooping cough in their children. also, Hib, pneumococcus, and meningococcus can be carried in the back of your throat without causing any symptoms to you and still result in severe infection, or death, for your baby. Infection of the brain, deafness, developmental delay, swelling of the throat with suffocation, severe pneumonia, internal bleeding, and death are all known and real complications of these infections, even in the era of modern medicine. 

Some parents argue that if everybody close to their baby is immunized, then their baby will stay protected. Unfortunately, this is only partially true. as I said above, adults can be carriers of deadly infections without even knowing it. And, although parents and grandparents may be committed to getting vaccinated when their new baby arrives, the rest of the community is not. We also know that even the best intended adults often miss vaccinations. this is particularly true of annual flu vaccinations — and the flu still claims the lives of young children every year. In addition, the importation of measles from international travelers has resulted in outbreaks of the disease among unvaccinated children in U.S. communities. so, your baby can easily be infected with a vaccine-preventable infection even if you take many precautions but chose not to vaccinate your child.

2. the Risk of getting a Disease Increases with Rising Rates of Vaccine Refusal

Outbreaks of certain diseases, once thought to be rare, like measles and pertussis (whooping cough), are now re-emerging at an alarming rate. In France, for example, measles have reached epidemic levels and resulted in measles importation to the U.S. this year there have been more outbreaks of measles in U.S. than in decades, and a majority of the hospitalized patients were not vaccinated.

If you don’t vaccinate your child, not only are you putting him or her at risk, but you’re also putting other family members and those who can’t be vaccinated — due to health reasons or age — at risk of contracting a disease. In addition, schools will exclude your child if they appear sick from, or are exposed to, one of these vaccine-preventable infections.

3. Vaccinations Are Safe and Undergo Strict Testing

All vaccines approved for babies and children have been well studied and verified safe. many parents worry about vaccine side effects, and I can tell you that common side effects are mild and include pain and redness at the site of injection or fever. Serious side effects from a vaccine such as an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) are very rare. It is important to remember that the risk of severe illnesses and complications from vaccine-preventable infection (e.g. measles, whooping cough, polio) is far greater than any risk from the vaccination. A comprehensive list of side effects of each vaccine are available for you on the CDC website.

Moreover, all vaccines undergo an ongoing monitoring process, through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting system (VAERS), once they are licensed and used by public. the information from VAERS confirms that vaccines remain among the safest interventions in medicine.

Anything we do in life has a risk. We know that the number one reason why 12- to19-year-old children die is from an unintentional injury. three quarters of those are car accidents. Yet, we all let our young teens drive or be driven by a teen. For some reason the familiarity makes it appear to be less risky. Yet the opposite is true. Driving in a car is the riskiest activity for a young teen. Serious vaccine side effects, such as allergic reactions, occur far less frequently than deaths due to car accidents, cancer, heart disease, congenital problems, and poisoning. often the serious reactions due to vaccines are so rare that it is hard to establish whether the reaction was caused by the vaccine. so, it is important to remember that not vaccinating your child is a risky choice that can lead to serious diseases and its consequences, such as death, brain damage, deafness, infertility, congenital birth defects, mental retardation, and blindness to name few.

Immunization is the safe and healthy choice for your child. I have seen children suffer or die from vaccine-preventable illnesses like influenza, measles, pneumococcal and meningococcal infections. as a mother and a pediatrician, it is inconceivable to me how some parents will deny the remarkable benefits of vaccination for their child.

4. recent Media Concern About Autism Has Been Put to Rest

Earlier this year the media officially dismissed claims made by British physician and researcher, Andrew Wakefield, that the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine was responsible for autism. It was found that Dr. Wakefield’s claims were not only wrong, but they were fraudulent. Dr. Wakefield manipulated his research data, received financial compensation from lawyers seeking settlement from vaccine manufactures, and conducted unethical research on young children to pursue his personal goals.

Unfortunately, due to the massive scare caused by the news coverage of Wakefield’s claims, outbreaks of measles have occurred around the world as a result of parental refusal of the measles vaccine. Dr. Wakefield has since not only lost his credibility, but also his medical license. It’s important that parents put this concern to rest. Time and time again, reliable scientific studies around the world prove that vaccines do not cause autism. the Autism Science Foundation, the most reputed organization involved in Autism research, also supports this conclusion.

5. Your Child is Ready to be Immunized

Even a 2-month-old baby is ready to handle vaccinations. many parents worry that a vaccine won’t work at such a young age, or that a vaccine might overload a baby’s immune system. We know that vaccines work with very young children since we do not see vaccine-preventable infections among young immunized children. In addition, scientists measured immune responses to each vaccine among young children and showed that they had protective levels of antibodies to stop the infecting agent of interest.

Vaccines do not overwhelm the immune system. every day your child is exposed through skin, breathing, and eating to millions of viruses and bacteria, and his or her body is handling it just fine. when we vaccinate children, we only deliver a small, yet sufficient, amount of molecules that will trigger a child’s immune system to produce protection.

6. Unvaccinated Children Die every Year From Preventable Illnesses

A number of children die every year, even right here in the United States, because they were not immunized. the flu, Hib and pertussis (whooping cough) are just a few of those killers. California experienced large whooping cough outbreaks from 2009 to 2010. Sadly, some of those infants infected lost their lives. I can’t imagine the excruciating pain a parent must feel knowing their child died from an infection that they could have prevented with a simple vaccination. 

7.  Dr. Bob’s Alternative Vaccination Schedule is not Backed by Scientific Evidence

In 2007, as a response to parents’ concerns that vaccines were not safe, Dr. Robert Sears, also known as Dr. Bob, released a book with an alternative vaccine schedule. the schedule outlined ways a parent could delay, withhold, separate, or space out vaccinations. There is absolutely no scientific evidence, however, that this delayed schedule is safer and more effective for children. Delaying vaccination leaves your child more vulnerable to contracting diseases. I always discourage parents who want to do that. I find it unethical to recommend a vaccination schedule that does not have established safety and efficacy.

The vaccination schedule developed by the ACIP was tested through extensive trials, and because of that, we know that the schedule works. For example, when we immunize a 2-, 4-, 6-, and 15-month-old baby against whooping cough (pertussis), we know that the child has the best chance to be protected when he or she needs it the most. However, if you break the tested schedule, you leave your baby vulnerable.

Our children deserve the best, and the vaccination schedule developed by the ACIP and approved by the Centers for Disease Control is the best one we have.

Do you worry about vaccinating your children? do these reasons in favor of vaccinating change your thinking at all?

Image via tiarrescott/Flickr

Malaria is caused by a parasite species of plasmodium. it enters body through musquito bite. Multiplies in liver and attaches itself to the red blood corpuscles. Symptoms are high fever with shivering on alternate days. Effects are mainly rupture of red corpuscles, enlargement of liver and spleen. Cured effectively with chloroquin compound. Prevention by eradicating musquitos and avoiding bites by using citrinell creams (Odomos) and wearing a musquito net. Vaccines in experimental stage.

While Hepatitis A is largely only a risk in underdeveloped countries, there are a combined 5.25 million people in America living with Hepatitis B and C. The consequences of not undergoing Hepatitis treatment can be chronic Hepatitis, which can lead to serious liver damage and death. With that in mind, it’s important to understand the truth about Hepatitis…what is Hepatitis?Hepatitis A, B and C are viral diseases that generally attack the liver. Although there are vaccines against A and B (and nearly half of America has developed an immunity against A), there is no cure for the disease, though there are treatments to help you deal with the Hepatitis symptoms.how is Hepatitis Transmitted?Hepatitis A is from people either ingesting fecal matter (usually through unwashed hands in unsanitary conditions) or through common contact – sexual contact, contaminated water, sharing needles or consuming undercooked shellfish. This is largely localized to third world countries with poor sanitation, but is still prevalent in some areas of the US. The strain does not cause liver disease, and Hepatitis A symptoms are both mild and short lived – most people believe that once the disease has been caught, the person will have immunity for life, and the disease is very rarely fatal – however, the vaccine is recommended for trips to third world countries.Hepatitis B is contracted via direct contact with bodily fluids. It’s usually caught via sexual contact, shared needles or through child birth. Although a quarter of those contracting chronic Hepatitis B will die from the disease, there is a vaccine to prevent initial infection, and there are medications available for long term sufferers.Hepatitis C occurs via contact with infected human blood. This means that it is typically caught through sharing needles, borrowing razors, infected blood/organ transplants or penetrative sex. As with Hepatitis B, a new born baby can be infected during delivery.what are the Symptoms of Hepatitis?Like many STDs, symptoms of Hepatitis’ three strains may be mild or invisible. if you do feel symptoms, they may be: Itching Dark urine Muscle aches Suppressed appetite Nausea Severe fatigue Flu style symptoms Headaches Jaundice Fever Abdominal Pain if you do feel a combination of these symptoms, you should book Hepatitis testing as soon as possible.what does Hepatitis Testing Involve?Although the Hepatitis testing procedure for each strain is different technically, the purpose and method is the same: a sample of blood is taken from the arm, and then tested to see if the relevant antibody is present. if it is, then the body has been trying to fight the virus, proving an exposure to the virus.what is the Treatment for Hepatitis?The bad news is that there is no cure for any of the forms of Hepatitis. The good news is that all strains of Hepatitis have treatments (or don’t need them) to make living with the virus bearable:Hepatitis A is unnoticeable in many people, and infection guarantees immunity in future. Although there are a small number of cases where the disease has led to death, the majority of people will find that the virus causes immunity and they will never suffer any ill effects again.Hepatitis B has a variety of medicines available to make the disease more manageable for those with a prolonged infection. The drugs significantly lower the chances of liver damage by slowing down the virus or preventing it from reproducing. that said, it is important to keep in regular contact with a doctor to keep an eye on liver damage.Unlike the other strains, Hepatitis C has no vaccine because the virus’ molecular configurations are constantly shifting. Fortunately, like the others there are Hepatitis treatments available to slow the disease and improve the quality of life – usually a combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Despite this, sadly some 70% of chronic Hepatitis C sufferers develop serious liver disease.

If you suspect one of your chickens is ill, you should immediately remove it from the vicinity of the flock. this makes sure disease doesn’t spread.

Each day, when you are feeding and watering your chickens, do a visual inspection. Look for dirty feathers around the anus (this could mean diarrhea) and look at their eyes and nostrils for drainage. be aware of chickens that are reluctant to get up and walk. Decreased food and water intake or a slow down in egg production can also be symptoms of sickness.

In order to prevent sickness in poultry there are 4 major considerations to take.

Have your day old chicks vaccinated before they are shipped. this is usually done at a nominal charge per chick at the hatchery and is well worth the extra change. Finding an avian veterinarian or doing the vaccines yourself can be costly.

Keep the hens’ cages, food and water containers, and nesting areas clean. Regular cleaning keeps sickness down, and can save a flocks demise from one ill chicken.

Use chicken feed that contains a low dose antibiotic for continuous protection against many bacterial infections.

A balance of vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates is important, so keep a variety in your flock’s feed. When supplementing with vegetables, be sure to include peelings from citrus fruits for vitamin C.

These preventions won’t keep everything at bay, but they will go a long way towards the health of your flock.

Some Common Chicken Diseases

Bronchitis symptoms are: difficulty breathing (gasping), discharge from eyes and ears, and avoidance of food and water. Raise the ambient temperature for the chicken by five degrees Fahrenheit and give antibiotics.

Avian Flu symptoms will include respiratory distress, diarrhea, a lack of interest in food, and decreased egg laying. like flu in humans, this disease will permeate a flock quickly. Hope and prayers are about all there is, though sometimes antibiotics can help. If the immune system was strong before getting sick, then broad spectrum antibiotics might help. there is a vaccine available for hens, but it is limited to qualifying flocks.

Infectious Sinusitis is a chronic sinus infection. Symptoms include sneezing, swollen nares, and discharge from the nares and eyes. this is usually treated with antibiotics given in food and water.

Bird Pox is often confused with Chicken Pox in humans. Chickens may have congestion and the appearance of raw, wart-like bumps. they will be most easily seen on the legs. once sick with the disease, there is no available treatment, but there is a vaccine.

Eye Worms is a species of roundworm that your chickens can get from earthworms, crickets, flies or anything that has eaten the larva. Symptoms are swollen eyes with a white discharge from the mouth and eyes. The white chunks are the larva of the mature worm. this is prevented with a broad spectrum wormer. If the symptoms appear, clean and disinfect the coop and pens. If you do not kill the larva, then the cycle will keep repeating itself.

Remember that prevention is always better than cure. keep your chicken pens clean, provide vaccines, and pay special attention to nutritious food and clean water.

For more info, please check out Chicken Disease.

View Chicken Coop Designs if you’re interested in building your own hen house.

Share and Enjoy:

• 0

Depending who you ask, vaccines as a cause of autism is off the table. 

With that aside for debate, here are 5 other things that scientists are still investigating as a cause:

1. Genetics. Kids with autism have a 1 in 20 changes of having a younger sibling with autism. and with twins, there’s a 90% chance that a twin will have autism if the other twin has it. But these genes might not necessarily be hereditary. Sometimes it’s just a mutated gene. Kids with a mutation on chromosome 17 have 14X the chance of developing autism.

2. Pesticides. this is a big one for me. in an article on MSNBC, the scientist basically says that if a baby was already “born with a vulnerability to autism,” pesticide exposure might make it activate.

3. Pharmaceuticals: Remember Thalidomide – the drug that caused all those birth defects in the 1950s? RXs like that (and valproic acid) in utero seem to increase the risk of autism.

4. Parental age. this is a bit scary. I was 37 when I had my son and now that I’m 40, my risks get even greater for everything – but especially autism – if I want to have another baby. Women who are 40 have a 50% greater risk of having a baby with autism. It’s likely due to the mutations in the egg (or even sperm).

5. Poor brain development. Problems with the cerebellum, the cerebral cortex, or even just the dopamine and serotonin levels, can cause autistic symptoms.

Here’s the piece I read on MSNBC:

msnbc.msn.com/id/41028118/ns/health-mental_health/

Could some vaccines resolve the emergence of autism? the outcry of public concern in recent years this link in question, but studies continue to prove that there is no relationship between the two. Regarding autism, it is important that the basic facts before you understand the various media. We examine the various facets of this common cognitive disorder.

The most common of childhood autism, pervasive developmental disorder, affecting 1 child in 150 Americans, the belief that about 1.5 million Americans have a form of autism have today. there are many symptoms that can be expressed in a child with autism and some of them overlap with other diseases PD (such as Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS), for the entire autism symptoms but also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Despite rumors of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine caused autism in children, researchers have repeatedly demonstrated that there is no causal link between vaccination and known disease. In fact, autism has no known cause and science is not able to find any way to prevent it. however, there have been many advances in the recognition of symptoms and early treatments of autism, these special children allowed to meet their functional capabilities were.

In children with autism, communication and interaction with other diagnosed, it is very difficult. These children often have difficulty in recognizing and developing the skills of nonverbal communication, including the inability to see the eyes of someone else. In addition, children with autism demonstrate their ability to empathize or understand another person limited perspective. they take words and phrases are very literal and may determine any underlying meaning.

The symptoms of autism in general in the first three years have seen a child born after. to discuss factors such as learning difficulties and to establish contacts in the system to maneuver parents of their child to a pediatrician who is then able to make a diagnosis to determine other factors.

Children with autism symptoms can improve over time through specialized treatment plans, and 33% of adults are able to achieve at least partial independence later in life.

People with autism generally the repetition and routine. For this reason, they require environments behaviors, which may include customized educational plans such as individualized education programs (IEP) specialist. In all, seek treatment for autism in general to improve the functioning of the child, children must attend therapy and behavior training to review their communication skills, and many people with autism are prescribed drugs to symptoms such as anxiety and depression to fight. / P> as a parent or guardian of a child with autism, life can be very difficult and emotionally exhausting. however, one of the largest parts of an individual treatment plan with autism, a large amount of love and support of his family and loved ones. Parents support online communities exist in other forms for family caregivers of autistic children, and get the tools to learn more about the disease and contact with other parents of children with special needs.

For a caregiver, any kind of peace of mind regarding the safety of a loved one is invaluable. unfortunately, a child with autism is cause unpredictable behavior on the consequences of walking. In this real example, a bracelet or a GPS tracking device you with peace of mind you need to ensure the safety of your child. a GPS bracelet is the ideal part of the solutions of autism, because it allows your child to always take place under a watchful eye in spite of all the circumstances or situations.

1. The use of acupuncture and herbal medicine in cases of autism or autistic disorder
2. Divorce attorney phoenix Arizona benefits

by VincentRacanielloFriday, February 18, 2011 at 06:45 AMEST

The first detailed study ofinfection of nonhuman primates with the retrovirus XMRV reveals that the virusestablishes a persistent infection characterized by infection of multipletissues. Viremia (virus in the blood) is low and transient, with proviral DNAdetectable in blood lymphocytes. The results show that the Rhesus macaque canbe used to study XMRV infection, transmission, vaccines, and antiviraldrugs.

The subject of this study, the Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), wasselected because of its evolutionary proximity to humans and a comparableimmune system. The monkeys used did not have antibodies to the capsid proteinp30 of XMRV, indicating that they were not previously infected. Animals wereinoculated intravenously with 3.6 million TCID50 of purified XMRV — a good amount of virus, toensure infection. The virus used, VP62, was produced by transfecting cells with cloned viral DNA isolated fromhuman prostate.

Virus in the plasma fraction of blood was assayed by quantitative RT-PCR. Ofthree animals infected, virus was detected in one animal at day 4 and not afterday 14; and in a second animal from days 14-20. The third animal did notdevelop detectable viremia. Proviral DNA was found in peripheral bloodmononuclear cells (PBMC) of all three monkeys for 3-4 weeks, indicatingsuccessful infection. at one month post-infection proviral DNA was no longerdetected. Plasma virus was again detected in one of the positive animals on day291, 16 days after being immunized with a mixture of XMRV proteins. This meansthat viral DNA had been present in this animal but was not detected. XMRV wasdetected in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and NK cells, but not in B cells ormonocytes.

Rhesus macaques infected with XMRV did not display obvious clinicalsymptoms. Analysis of peripheral blood revealed increases in the number ofcirculating B and NK cells. Anti-viral antibody titers were detected afterinfection and re-infection of animals but soon decreased.

Other infected animals were sacrificed during the acute phase of infectionto identify pathological changes and sites of virus replication. No pathogenicconsequences were observed except for the formation of germinal centers inspleen and lymphoid organs, changes that are expected after immune stimulation.Virus was detected in a wide variety of tissues, including spleen, lymph nodes,the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, prostate, testis, cervix, vagina, andpancreas, but not in others including brain, heart, kidney, and bladder.different types of cells were infected in different tissues: lymphocytes inlymphoid organs, macrophages in lung, epithelial or interstitial cells in otherorgans. The authors note that “this viral behavior appears specific to thisvirus”.

Here are some other comments and conclusions drawn from this study:

Because the study involved only a small number of monkeys (8), theexperiments should be repeated with additional animals, and in differentlaboratories, to verify the findings. I also wonder if the choice of theintravenous inoculation route had an effect on the pattern of infection andtropism. it is well known that viral pathogenesis can be determined by how thevirus enters the host. for example, the same virus may replicate in differenttissues, or have different virulence, when inoculated in different ways. Thisquestion can be readily addressed by inoculating rhesus macaques via differentroutes.

Studying viral pathogenesis (the series of events that occur during viralinfection of a host) in animals is essential for understanding how virusescause disease in humans. however, the results of such studies must always beinterpreted with caution, because what is true in an animal is not always truefor a human. for example, simple differences in size, metabolism, anddevelopment can have substantial effects on pathogenesis. In interpreting theresults of animal studies, we must keep in mind the adage, ‘Mice lie, monkeys exaggerate‘.

Onlamoon,N, DasGupta, J, Sharma, P, Rogers, K, Suppiah, S, Rhea, J, Molinaro, RJ,Gaughan, C, Dong, B, Klein, E, Qui, X, Devare, S, Schochetman, G, Hackett, J,Silverman, R, & Villinger, F (2011). Infection, viral dissemination andantibody responses of Rhesus macaques exposed to the human gammaretrovirus XMRVJournal of Virology

This article originally appeared on virology blog.

Home

Calcutta News.NetMonday 24th January, 2011

A new TB vaccine has been developed by Danish scientists that may save millions of lives once testing is complete. The vaccine was featured in the leading medical journal ‘Nature Medicine’ and is unique because of its ability to fight tuberculosis before and after infection, a major breakthrough in the current treatment of the disease. TB is a major problem, especially in the developing world, and kills around 2 million people every year. one third of the world’s population are thought to be infected, with a new infection rate of one person every second. The disease is particularly difficult to treat because in 90% of cases it does not make itself apparent immediately after infection; instead, the bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains in a dormant state. In 10% of cases it later reactivates and presents the common symptoms of TB, such as a chesty cough, intense chest pain and eventually chronic weight loss. At this point, the disease becomes infectious. This makes the disease difficult to treat as it can become highly resistant to antibiotics and in its latent state it is virtually immune to existing vaccines. The current leading vaccine, the BCG, does not prevent TB infection; it only prevents the bacteria from becoming active. Therefore, patients can still develop the disease later in life when the vaccine wears off. However, the new vaccine, developed by a team at the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, is able to trigger an immune response to both active and latent TB. The development is a major breakthrough, says Professor Peter Davies, secretary of the group TB Alert. Of particular importance is the efficacy the new vaccine may have in the treatment of Aids patients, the majority of aids sufferers ultimately die of TB due to their weakened immune systems. However, experts have warned that the vaccine has only been tested on rats and remains a long way from use by the general public. 

Tweet

Email this story to a friend

Font Size:

For Kathy Kresin and her six-year-old son, David, every day is filled with new experiences, and new challenges.

“It’s day to day, and you have to take every little baby step and appreciate it, and you do appreciate things more,” said Kresin.

David is diagnosed with Autism. “For David, the biggest struggle has been verbal communication, and that’s the red flag that we first noticed when he was young,” she said. “At 18-months he didn’t have any language at all.”

Pediatrician Dr. David Kaufman with Children’s Physicians, says because there is no known cause, plenty of theories exist for why a child is autistic.

One strong belief by some, vaccines can lead to the disorder.

“From our standpoint again, there is no controversy nor debate, vaccines do not cause autism and they did not cause autism previously,” said Dr. Kaufman, whose opinions are consistent with the Center for Disease Control.

He says another rumor, with no medical proof, is that having children too close together can spur the disorder. “We think more than likely there’s a stronger genetic disorder then there would be to a birth order or closeness of births in a family.”

What is important, screening early in children, like David, who may exhibit symptoms.

Doctors say as soon as soon as a child is diagnosed with Autism, therapy should begin. for David, that meant occupational, physical, and speech therapy, and now he even uses an i-Pad to communicate with his kindergarten class.

He uses pictures to form sentences on a $189 iPad app. It’s called Proloquo2go, and is much more budget-friendly than the $8,000 device used in the past.

There is no cure for Autism, but some patients do improve over time. Kresin says appreciation for any break throughs is key. “For the most part, if you look for it, you can find a lot of joy and a lot of happiness in our day.” her days with David are filled with hope.

Kresin has a blog where she shares her experiences, in hope of being a resource for other families dealing with Autism. to read her entries, click here.

There are also other support groups, like the Autism Society of Nebraska. there is an Omaha chapter that holds fun events monthly.

Another organization is Parent Training and Information-Nebraska. they help families of children with all different disabilities, including autism.

Sharon Orduna works for the organization and also has a daughter with the disorder. “It’s just a lot of unknowns, but there’s so much hope now, and so much more that we have today that we didn’t have 10 or 12 years ago, so many more resources, these kids can succeed, they can live independent lives,” said Orduna. “They can go on to college, we are seeing it, and that’s one of the things here at PTI that we are committed to doing, is supporting families so they can see that their child succeeds.”

Orduna says getting support is key. “One of the things that we can do here at PTI, is direct families to some support groups out there,” she said. “I just think it is just paramount that families link arms with other families who actually are walking in their shoes, I think it’s just so important.”

The PTI-Nebraska Director, Glenda Davis said finding good information can be difficult for parents, and knowing where to turn will help. “When you’re faced with a child who has autism, or any disability, it’s just a whole different world out there, so what we do, is try to provide the families with the knowledge they need to have, the resources they need to do the possible best for their children.”

There is also other opportunities for families with special needs children, like a “sensory friendly” movie at AMC Oakview 24 Theaters. they have a movie on one Saturday a month, where the lights are left dimly on, the sound is lower, and children are allowed to move around freely. the cost is regular price. This month, the movie is “Gnomeo and Juliet” and will air February 12th at 10 a.m.

There is also a push for Autism awareness by another organization, Autism Speak. the group is aiming to get individuals and businesses involved in an annual project called “Light it up Blue” where landmarks are lit with a blue light for awareness. the event takes place on April 1 and 2. for more information click here.