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In 1989, the US Advisory Council on the Elimination of Tuberculosis declared a goal to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in the United States by 2010 (1). TB elimination is defined as [...]

Serologic testing of patients with blood culture-negative endocarditis has identified Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, and Bartonella spp. as noteworthy causes of infective endocarditits (IE) in resource-limited [...]

In 2009, Thailand experienced rapid spread of the pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus. The national response came under intense public scrutiny as the number of confirmed cases and associated deaths increased. [...]

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the overseas screening of U.S.-bound immigrants and refugees for tuberculosis and follow-up evaluation after they reach the United States are analyzed. Findings suggest that these procedures are useful in identifying tuberculosis in U.S.-bound immigrants and refugees and could reduce the number of foreign-born persons in the United States being affected by tuberculosis.

In January 2005, tuberculosis (TB), including multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB), was reported among Hmong refugees who were living in or had recently immigrated to the United States from a camp [...]

Decision analysis helped to assess morbidity, deaths and costs associated with tuberculosis among various legal immigrants, refugees and visitors from Mexico after their arrival in the United States. The attempt to increase the directly observed treatment, short course (DOTS) program in Mexico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic through US funding was observed to decrease tuberculosis-related morbidity and deaths among migrants to the US and result in net cost savings.

A study is conducted to identify common methodological errors in nutrition assessments and surveys, and to provide practical recommendations for improvement. Major methodological errors were identified among 30*30 cluster surveys designed to measure acute malnutrition prevalence in Ethiopia during the famine of 1999-2000. It is suggested that donor agencies and NGOs should be educated about the need for improved quality of nutrition assessments.

The healthcare setting was important in the early spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in both Toronto and Taiwan. Healthcare workers, patients, and visitors were at increased risk for [...]

In Taiwan, a temperature-monitoring campaign and hotline for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) fever were implemented in June 2003. Among 1,966 calls, fever was recorded in 19% (n = 378); [...]

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Vietnam was amplified by nosocomial spread within hospital A, but no transmission was reported in hospital B, the second of two designated [...]

A teacher of feminist spirituality describes her field as a vehicle for empowering women. This subject matter unites women and as such is also cross-cultural.

The results for 217 nutrition education studies on children and adults are discussed. Studies on preschool children focused on the effects of nutrition education on knowledge and behavior, while those on school-aged children dealt with general food and nutrition issues and behavioral change. Studies on adults included national media campaigns, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the effects of nutrition education.

More than 30 species of bartonellae that are highly prevalent in a wide variety of vertebrates have been described. Bartonella bacilliformis, B. henselae, and B. quintana are well-known human pathogens, [...]

To the Editor: Bartonella are fastidious hemotropic gram-negative bacteria with a worldwide distribution. In Thailand, Bartonella species have been demonstrated in mammalian hosts, including rodents, cats and dogs, and in [...]

Promoting Healthy Diets and Active Lives to Hard-to-Reach Groups: Market Research Study SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS have been made in the nation's health profile since the first Surgeon General's report on health […]

Objective. Internationally adopted children are at increased risk of infections acquired in their country of origin. Ongoing surveillance of this unique population is needed to detect changing epidemiology and provide appropriate care. Methods. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 504 children adopted from abroad and evaluated from 1997 to 1998 to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with various infectious diseases. Results. The mean age of the study participants at medical evaluation was 1.6 years; 71% were girls, and they were adopted from 16 countries, including China (48%), Russia (31%), Southeast Asia (8%), Eastern Europe (8%), and Latin America (5%). Overall, 75 (19%) of 404 children tested had tuberculin skin tests [is greater than or equal to] 10 mm, but all had normal chest radiographs. BCG vaccination (odds ratio [OR]: 7.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.29, 17.16) and being Russian born (OR: 2.90; 95% CI: 1.68, 5.00) were risk factors for latent tuberculosis infection. Fourteen (2.8%) children had detectable hepatitis B surface antigen, but no child had active hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus, or syphilis. Giardia lamblia antigen was detected in 87 (19%) of 461 tested children, and such children were older (mean: 22 months vs 15.5 months) and more likely to have been born in Eastern Europe (OR: 2.82; 95% CI: 1.70, 4.68). Conclusions. We demonstrated increased rates of latent tuberculosis infection and G lamblia infection than previously reported. Thus, ongoing surveillance of internationally adopted children, international trends in infectious diseases, and appropriate screening will ensure the long-term health of adopted children as well as their families. Pediatrics 2001;108:608-612; international adoption, latent tuberculosis infection, hepatitis B, hepatitis C., The number of internationally adopted children in the United States increased rapidly during the past decade. The Department of State estimates that from 1989 to 1994, an average of 7738 [...]

Background. Increasing numbers of families in the United States are adopting children who were born in other countries. Appropriate immunization of internationally adopted children provides a challenge to pediatricians who must evaluate documentation of vaccines administered overseas and fulfill the recommended US childhood immunization schedule. The acceptability of vaccinations received outside the United States was addressed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in 1994, but few population-based studies assessing these vaccinations have been reported. Methods. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 504 children who were adopted from other countries and evaluated in 1997 and 1998. Our goal was to determine the acceptability of overseas vaccinations for meeting US immunization requirements. We assessed immunization records for both valid documentation of receipt of vaccine and comparability with the recommended US schedule. We also determined the number of children who were up to date (UTD) for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, and measles-mumps-rubella vaccines under the US schedule. Results. The children's mean age at initial US evaluation was 19 months; 71% were girls, and most (88%) had resided in orphanages. They were adopted from 16 countries, most frequently from China (48%) and Russia (31%). Thirty-five percent (178) of children had overseas immunization records, 167 (94%) of which were considered valid. Most children with valid records (112 [67%] of 167) were UTD for 1 or more vaccine series under the US schedule. Conclusion. The majority (65%) of internationally adopted children had no written records of overseas immunizations. Among the 178 children with documented overseas immunizations, 167 (94%) had valid records and some vaccine doses that were acceptable and UTD under the US schedule. Additional research and more specific guidance in the most cost-effective approaches to evaluation of overseas vaccinations are needed to ensure appropriate state-side vaccination and to improve the health of these children and their communities. Pediatrics 2002;109(2). URL: http://www.pediatrics.org/ cgi/content/full/109/2/e22; international adoption, immunization, vaccine-preventable disease.