 |
 |
Home | Contact Us
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Home | Contact Us |
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The new national health childhood vision objectives for 2010, with data to monitor childhood visual impairment and blindness and use of eye-care services and protective eyewear, show that too few pre-school children have received a vision test and use of protective eyewear during eye injury-causing activities was low.
| PRESS CONTACT: Office of Communications CDC, National Center for Health Statistics (301) 458-4800 |
In 2002, about 2.5 percent of U.S. children had a visual impairment. The prevalence of visual impairment and blindness was higher among children 6-17 years than for younger children, and varied by race/ethnicity and family income. Just over a third of pre-school children had received a vision test. Although approximately half of children 6-17 years participated in eye injury-causing activities, less than 15 percent of them used protective eyewear all or most of the time. Almost all eye injuries can be prevented with the proper selection and use of protective eyewear. Reducing visual impairment and increasing use of eye-care services and protective eyewear are public health priorities for U.S. residents of all ages. Reflecting this importance, the national health objectives for 2010 now include vision objectives for children.
Pocket-pets (i.e., hamsters, mice, rats) can be a source of human illnesses, including infection with multidrug-resistant Salmonella. Transmission of Salmonella to humans can be reduced by thoroughly washing hands after handling small pocket-pets or their cages or bedding.
| PRESS CONTACT: Stephen J. Swanson, MD, DTM&H Minnesota Department of Health Acute Disease Investigation and Control CDC, Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer (612) 676-5414 |
This outbreak is the first documented salmonellosis outbreak associated with pet rodents. Public health practitioners should consider small pet rodents a potential source of Salmonella, including multidrug-resistant strains, for humans. Veterinarians should consider Salmonella when evaluating rodent enteritis, and culture for Salmonella if substantial diarrhea-associated morbidity or mortality occurs among pet rodents intended for sale. Transmission of Salmonella between small pet rodents and between pet facilities may potentially be reduced through routinely sanitizing animal transport containers and cages between uses. Transmission of Salmonella to humans can be reduced by thoroughly washing hands after handling these small rodents or their cages or bedding.
Fact Sheet: Pocket Pets Pose Salmonella Risk
Older adults who almost never visited with friends or relatives in the past month, or who had no close friends for emotional support reported significantly worse health-related quality of life, specifically more mentally unhealthy days, days with depressive symptoms, and days with symptoms of anxiety, and significantly fewer days of vitality.
| PRESS CONTACT: Office of Communications CDC, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (770) 488-5131 |
To examine how social support is related to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among a sample of 3,000 community-dwelling older adults, CDC examined data from the 2000 Missouri Older Adults Needs Assessment Survey, a statewide telephone survey designed to collect health, social service, and needs assessment data on MO adults aged >60 years. Visits with family or friends, having friends for emotional support, and the perception of having someone to help if sick or disabled were associated with better HRQOL. Specifically, as social support increased, older adults reported fewer mentally unhealthy days, days with depressive symptoms and days with anxiety, and more days of overall vitality. Social support is critical for older adults who are at increased risk for disability associated with chronic disease and social isolation following the loss of a spouse or significant others. Targeting socially isolated older adults with public health interventions such as Seattle, WAs Senior Wellness Project and Area Agencies on Aging interventions might help improve the HRQOL of older adults with little social support.
|
|
Media Home | Accessibility
| Privacy Policy | Contact Us This page last reviewed May 5, 2005 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
