BedBugs Necktie

We have "refined" C. lectularius!

A new survey by the University of Kentucky reveals what a lot of welted travelers already know, i.e. that BedBug infestations are continuing to grow and spread across the country. The tiny, oval-shaped parasites, first reported on the East Coast several years ago after near eradication in the '50's, are now invading all sorts of new venues. Think college dorms, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, day-care centers, and various modes of public transportation

Fortunately, per the CDC, "...although bedbugs have been found naturally-infected with blood-borne pathogens, they are NOT effective vectors of disease." Maybe not, but they can cause some really nasty inflammatory reactions, not to mention the psychological impact of night crawlers trekking on that pristine body of yours!

Have no fear - there's no crawling allowed on our brand new BedBug necktie design, a classic and understated rep pattern, perfectly complementing blue, black or gray wardrobes, at home in both boardrooms and on casual Fridays.  

Alert: These will probably sell out before Xmas. You have been warned.

"R Naught (R₀): the expected (average) number of new infectious cases in a completely susceptible population produced by a single case during its entire period of infectiousness.  A measurement of the likelihood of spread of the disease."

One of this season's most successful films, "Contagion" would have you believe Gwyneth Paltrow would ever be seen in public without makeup, much less foaming large at the mouth.  Not likely!  Spoiler Alert:   Fortunately, Matt Damon lives, so the 18-30 female demographic can rest easy.  Actually, based on a scenario from a Columbia University professor of epidemiology, the film is a fairly accurate presentation of a rookie virus's life, i.e. jumping species, traveling globally and infecting many in its wake.  The response scenario treats public health people with respect, and gives a good sense of the complexity of coordination among global health agencies, so critical in limiting the pandemic.   

TB Tie

We have only a couple reservations:  First, license taken with mode of transmission, i.e. an initial inference that the virus is spread airborne, shifting then to emphasis on "fomites" (inanimate objects) and personal contact.  In reality, airborne or droplet transmission is the true nightmare scenario, infectious agents loitering in the air we breathe and expel, sometimes for hours at a time.  The "WEV1" in Contagion appeared to "settle" on contact, though most infectious agents cannot live long exposed on inanimate objects. 

TB Scarf

Our second reservation: considerable exaggeration of the timelines of transformations and transmissions, not to mention, vaccine production and distribution.  Recombination and natural selection take time, and don't happen in just a few days.   But time is $, so we'll grudgingly give a pass to Hollywood on this one.  

Two iAwareables examples of dangerous airborne infectious agents:

SARS Necktie (Black/Ecru)

SARS Necktie (Navy/Blue)

Tuberculosis, which continues to kill an estimated 1.7 M people annually.  The iAwareables TB design is an accurate representation of the "red snappers" seen microscopically in this age-old airborne and highly infectious disease.    

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), a serious form of pneumonia, is caused by a newly emergent virus, and is an example of how quickly world travel can spread a disease. The SARS experience in 2003 is also an indication of how quickly a connected health system can respond to a new health threat.

 

Wind instruments serve as home, sweet home.

Although reports of a direct link between playing wind instruments and acquiring an infectious disease are rare, recent studies examining flora in clarinets, trumpets saxophones and flutes are, at best, unappetizing. "All the instruments showed some level of viable bacteria, mold or yeast," with mouth-bacteria levels highest in instruments played within 72 hours. High levels of bacteria also survived from 24-48 hours on reeds; tuberculosis strains lasted up to 13 days!

Chronic sore throats and airway inflammation have been implicated in the reuse of wind instruments, the common practice of sharing and loaning of instruments making transmission a real possibility.   Seems to us that careful cleaning of the mouthpiece, along with frequent changing of reeds, would minimize the yuck factor.   But sharing...? Not on my Sousa, that's for sure!

P.S. In case you're wondering, woodwinds tested germiest, clarinets testing filthiest of all.

Dr. David Sencer was a respected scientist whose impressive credentials included Director of CDC, New York City health commissioner, and a de facto CDC historian. While with the CDC, he was credited with overseeing a variety of disease fighting campaigns, including the effort to eradicate smallpox - eventually moving the agency into a leadership role in international public health.

Unfortunately, Dr. Sencer may be best known for his involvement in the 1976 Swine Flu vaccination program, an ill-fated campaign vaccinating 40 million Americans for an epidemic that never materialized. Worse, there were dozens of reports of a paralyzing condition known as Guillain-Barre disease blamed on the vaccine. The program was suspended and Sencer lost his job.

The 1976 Swine Flu episode serves today as a cautionary historical note, always referenced when public health benefits and risks are debated, as during the swine flu epidemic in 2010. Dr. Sencer's 1976 effort to avoid another Spanish flu pandemic as experienced in 1918 turned out to be an important lesson learned for the developing art and science of public health.

We're online all-the-time, up-to-date and current.

The IA Collection has grown to the point where it is pandemically impossible to stay current in print. So please stay in touch with us at iAwareables.com, where the microbes never rest.

American Public Health Association Annual Meeting (APHA), November, 2011. Washington, D.C.   Up front, as usual. You will be expected to stop over and say Hello!