Obama’s Health Care Summit
Posted by Michelle Moquin on February 25th, 2010
The health care summit is happening today. It started this morning with Obama arguing that a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s broken health care system is imperative for the nation’s future economic vitality. The ‘just say no’ Republicans want far more modest changes. “We believe we have a better idea,” retorted GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander. Of course he thinks he has a better idea. One that will put more money into Big Pharma and deepen their pockets, all at the expense of the American people.
Obama lamented the partisan bickering that has resulted in a stalemate over Democratic legislation to extend coverage to more than 30 million people who are now uninsured. “Politics I think ended up trumping practical common sense,” he said.
I don’t disagree with Obama very much, but I don’t think politics is what is trumping practical common sense. Maybe he can’t say it, but I can. Politics is just a veil…a veil that tries to hide what is so obviously transparent to me: Greed. Greed for money. Greed for power. The Republican’s mouths salivate with greed, all at the expense of the American people.
It’s greed that is trumping practical common sense.…and quite frankly, greed doesn’t give a damn about practical common sense. Greed doesn’t give a damn about others. It’s thrown in the garbage and buried right beside compassion. Greed doesn’t give a damn about much more than obtaining more of the same, that benefits only a few. Greed, a disease, keeps devouring whatever is in its way to prevent its growth…all the while getting bigger and stronger. And once again, all at the expense of the American people.
Am I far off? I hope so. But from what I have read, those that oppose are showing no signs of change so far at this summit.
This morning I watched Keith Olbermann’s Special Comment from last night. Once again he relates to our broken health care system, by making it personal.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Readers: Comments? Rants? Get on your soapbox – blog me.
Mike: The White House doesn’t have to portray the Republican’s as the ‘party of no’. They do a fine job for themselves. As far as the American people, not being invited: Wrong. Didn’t they know there would be a live cam at the summit? Now ALL can watch.
Machupa: Thank you.
Floyd: How hypocritical -You don’t chose your candidate regardless of sex. It’s obvious from your statement, that your criteria of choosing any women candidates are based solely on ‘looks’ that are appealing to you….otherwise, no surprise, you choose the men.
Careta: Thank you for your kind words, and for sharing your thoughts and feelings. I like your way of thinking.
I too am grateful to have this venue so that anyone can speak their mind as they think it. And I hope that if what you say for this world could become true, then I too wish we would have more venues like this to allow release and give relief so that those on the end of a psycho’s justification for violence, could possibly be freed or prevented from happening in the first place.
I am sorry that you had that experience, and grateful that you think my blog and what I write and print could prevent that in some way, shape, or form. I write this blog with the intent to help others. So I thank you for your sincere deep felt words. My words here are the same. :)
Linda: Yes and you will be one of those white women kicking and screaming into total freedom. I just love that line and had to use it again.
ZL: Thanks for the phone call. I was at work – working a lot these days. I’ll check in as soon as I can. Hope the poison oak is on its way out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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February 25th, 2010 at 10:05 am
Michelle
Representative Anthony Weiner said this on the floor of the house before the bill to remove anti-trust protection from the Insurance Industry was passed. Huffington Post didn’t have the guts to post the video. And he wasn’t invited to today’s summit.
I hope you can find his speech on utube and publish it tomorrow. Here is the transcript portion.
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The Republican Party is “a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry,” Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) charged on the House floor. When Republican Rep. Dan Lungren (Calif.) objected to the accusation and took the extraordinary step of asking that Weiner’s “words be taken down,” Weiner pushed back.
“You really don’t want to go here, Mr. Lungren,” Weiner said. Asking that words be taken down is a move on the House floor that is rarely made and carries great weight.
Weiner, after a pause, asked to have his words withdrawn and said he’d substitute new ones. “Make no mistake about it. Every single Republican I have ever met in my entire life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the insurance industry,” Weiner clarified.
Somehow, that failed to satisfy Lungren, who asked that those too be taken down. After a long pause, before the chair ruled, Lungren withdrew his request.
The House was debating a bill to repeal the insurance industry’s exemption from antitrust laws, which passed overwhelmingly. Nineteen Republicans opposed it, including House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). Lungren supported it.
WATCH:
February 25th, 2010 at 10:08 am
Howie
Your answer to George was one of the most beautiful answers to bigotry I have ever read. God has blessed you with a special wisdom.
Lara
February 25th, 2010 at 10:08 am
Hafa adai Mr. President.
I want to thank President Obama for nominating Attorney General Alicia Limtiaco to serve as the United States Attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana islands.
Thank you again Mr. President and congratulations Attorney General Alicia Limtiaco.
Anna
February 25th, 2010 at 10:09 am
Peter you are bringing to light many issues that need to be discussed before the military forces Guam to accept tens of thousands of new people. The EPA has agreed with some of your previous contentions concerning Guam’s ability to provide sewage and clean portable water for tens of thousands of more people.
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EPA sharply criticizes military’s Guam plan, cites water and sewage problems
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AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press Writer
February 24, 2010 | 9:55 p.m.
HONOLULU (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is sharply criticizing the military’s plan to move thousands of Marines to Guam, saying its failure to plan for infrastructure upgrades would lead to raw sewage spills and a shortage of drinking water.
Further, the agency said the military’s plan to build a new aircraft carrier berth at the U.S. territory’s Apra Harbor would result in “unacceptable impacts” to 71 acres of a high quality coral reef.
The EPA outlined the criticisms in a strongly worded six-page letter to the Navy regarding a draft environmental impact statement by the military.
“The impacts are of sufficient magnitude that EPA believes the action should not proceed as proposed and improved analyses are necessary to ensure the information in the EIS is adequate to fully inform decision makers,” the EPA said.
The military’s Joint Guam Program Office said it was evaluating all comments it received on its environmental study and was committed to working with the EPA and other federal agencies to find solutions.
“The issues raised by EPA regarding the potential impacts to Guam from the military buildup are consistent with what we have heard from Guam’s leaders, local agencies and the public,” the military office said in an email statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The military plan includes moving 8,600 Marines, and 9,000 of their dependents, to Guam from Okinawa, Japan. Washington and Tokyo are jointly paying for the transfer, which is designed to reduce the U.S. military’s large footprint on densely populated Okinawa.
The letter said that at its peak, the change is expected to boost the Pacific territory’s population by 79,000 people, or 45 percent, over the island’s current 180,000 residents. The figure includes large numbers of construction workers that will have to move to Guam to build the new facilities.
The EPA’s letter, dated Feb. 17, was first reported by the Pacific Daily News on its Web site Thursday Guam time.
Specifically, the EPA said the military’s plan would lead to the following problems:
— A shortfall in Guam’s water supply, resulting in low water pressure that would expose people to water borne diseases from sewage.
— Increased sewage flows to wastewater plants already failing to comply with Clean Water Act regulations.
— More raw sewage spills that would contaminate the water supply and the ocean.
Regarding coral reefs, the EPA said the military underestimated the effect the aircraft carrier berth would have on a resource that currently provides essential habitats for fish and endangered sea turtles and that supports commercial and recreational fishing.
____
On the Net:
EPA National Environmental Policy Act page for the Department of Defense: http://www.epa.gov/region09/nepa/dod.html
Johnson
February 25th, 2010 at 10:11 am
They even scam seniors. Here’s the latest.
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Seniors exploited in latest mammogram scam
The mainstream is finally starting to question the wisdom of giving mammograms to even young, healthy women. They’ve also smartened up enough to realize that women with a supposedly higher risk of breast cancer should avoid them even more since the radiation could actually further increase their risk.
That’s why I was appalled to find out that elderly women with severe dementia–women with a life expectancy of just 3.3 years–are being given mammograms. In fact, according to the results of a recent study, 18 percent of these women are undergoing these screenings. And for what?
Even if they do have breast cancer, there’s almost no chance it would develop into a life-threatening illness during their remaining time on earth. But if a lump is discovered, you can bet your co-pay that some unscrupulous surgeon will be pushing for surgery… turning those final years into a living hell.
But I know what’s really going on here. It’s a blatant money grab, plain and simple. According to the study published in the American Journal of Public Health, dementia patients are twice as likely to get these exams if they’re married and have a net worth of at least $100,000.
Perhaps that’s because poorer women are more likely to be on Medicare, which only pays back a fraction of the cost of a screening.
You’re not going to meet your Ferrari payments that way.
Wealthier women, on the other hand, are more likely to have better insurance… or families who will pay for the screenings out of their own pocket, very likely tricked into thinking they’re doing the right thing for their loved one.
And because they suffer from severe dementia, these women usually don’t have a chance to make their own decisions or to put a stop to this nonsense. Even if they tried, would anyone even listen?
There’s no denying–we’ve come a long way on these things over the past year. The mainstream is taking a big gulp and admitting that the advice they’ve given to women for years was dangerous and wrong.
But we’ve still got a long way to go–and a lot of women that still need our protection from this exploitation.
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February 25th, 2010 at 10:21 am
YE FATIGUE — IS IT YOUR COMPUTER OR SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS?
By the end of each day, my vision tends to get a little fuzzy, and sometimes my eyes actually ache.
I’ve assumed that this is due to the many hours I spend staring at my computer screen each day — but based on what I’ve learned from this afternoon’s conversation with an eye specialist, I’ll be scheduling an appointment with my own doctor just to be sure that’s the cause.
I’d been reading research that found that you can get what’s known as computer vision syndrome (CVS), which produces symptoms like tired eyes, headaches, an uncomfortable burning sensation and blurry vision, after as few as four hours a day in front of the screen.
So I placed a call to Kent M. Daum, OD, MS, PhD, a professor of optometry and vice president and dean for academic affairs at Illinois College of Optometry. He said yes, this is true — but before we discussed how to solve it, he wanted to stress the importance of being sure the problem is fatigue, not something else.
Other possible causes include problems with the body’s system for moving the eyes and changing or coordinating focus… inappropriate prescription eyewear… uncorrected astigmatism… or, said Dr. Daum, “it might mean that the patient is asking the eyes to do something that they shouldn’t — like the classic example of a law student who spends 15 hours a day studying.”
There are many things that can cause eye fatigue, so it is very important to get your eyes checked and have a trained clinician tell you what is really the problem.
ONE GLARINGLY OBVIOUS CAUSE
After you’ve confirmed that CVS is the likely culprit, the first corrective step you can take is to evaluate the lighting in the area where you do your computer work.
“You should not see any glare off your computer screen,” Dr. Daum said. Being able to see any reflection — of a window, a desk lamp or overhead lighting — means your eyes have to work harder to bring the resulting blurred image into focus, which can lead to eye strain.
Try this: To make sure your computer screen is free of glare, hold a folder or magazine above and then on each side of your monitor so that it sticks out four to five inches. The screen should look exactly the same with or without the magazine.
If the screen darkens or shows a shadow or a reflection, there is glare. Fixes can include moving the light source… moving and/or re-angling the monitor to block the light (you might have to move your work station to another part of the room to accomplish this)… closing your blinds… or turning off any lights that reflect on your screen.
The American Optometric Association cautions against facing an unshaded window or having one at your back while working on a computer due to the impact of glare. Along the same lines, Dr. Daum advises against using a laptop computer outdoors, as the light against the screen will strain your vision.
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE
I asked Dr. Daum if there is an ideal distance to sit from the computer screen. Noting that few people realize how important this is, he said the best distance typically falls somewhere between 20 and 28 inches but that a variety of factors, including height, age and vision issues, need to be considered in determining what’s most comfortable for your eyes.
“People put their computers in all sorts of odd places, like on a counter or side table, where there’s not enough room to get close enough or far enough away from the screen to be comfortable,” he commented.
Another helpful measure is to enlarge the text on your computer screen to a size that you don’t have to squint to see. Eyes that have to work extra hard tire more easily.
PERSONAL TRAINING FOR YOUR EYES
Dr. Daum told me that you can use exercises to strengthen your eye muscles. If you have specific problems including focusing or eye movement problems, it is important to get specific advice from your doctor as to what’s best for you as exercises should be tailored to your specific problem.
When it comes to soothing and restoring tired eyes or relieving strain from the workday, however, he told me about some things that may help you feel better…
Look away. Lift your eyes from the computer screen at least once an hour, but preferably more often, to give them a break. Try gazing into the distance for a few minutes to reduce your focusing effort — looking outdoors can be refreshing, too, if you have a window nearby.
Compresses. If your eyes feel tired at the end of the day, a cold compress is wonderfully soothing. Soak a washcloth in cool water, wring it out a bit and then fold it and use it to cover your eyes while you lie down or rest your head against the back of a chair — do this for a couple of minutes and you will find it quite refreshing.
Some people like to use tea bags that have been soaked (and allowed to cool to a comfortable temperature if you made tea!), then squeezed to eliminate excess liquid so none can run into your eyes. Caffeine in the tea may help shrink puffiness, and antioxidants can soothe redness… cucumber or raw potato slices work well too.
Source(s):
Kent M. Daum, OD, MS, PhD, is professor of optometry and vice president and dean for academic affairs at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. Dr. Daum is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.
February 25th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Hafa adai
Thanks for all your efforts Anna. the bill has been paid.
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Guam – The Guam Department of Education paid its power bill Wednesday,
just in time to avoid getting the lights shut off.
DOE was in arrears by 1.3. million dollars. $1.1 for its monthly power bill for the islands 37 schools and DOE’s administrative offices and $200-thousand for its ongoing promissory payment to GPA.
The federal funds released over the weekend could not be used to pay the power bill so DOE had to wait on the release of funds from the Department of Administration and that happened late Wednesday afternoon.
But late Wednesday afternoon, School Superintendent Dr. Nerissa Udnerwood told PNC News that funds were released, the check to GPA was cut and the lights will stay on.
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Claire
February 25th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Howie
Your explanation about our trench is gaining more acceptance among the people on Rota. It is obvious that something is bringing a lot more concern about who gets to control the Trench. We believe that the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
I think “Do The Right Thing” has put forward the best idea on the point of who should control access to the Mariana Trench.
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Friday, February 26, 2010
LOCAL
Friday, February 26, 2010
‘Do the right thing’
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter
The grassroots movement Friends of the Monument has asked members of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife to “do the right thing,” while Gov. Benigno R. Fitial asked for “respect and fairness for the people of the CNMI” by recommending passage of a bill seeking to build a Marianas Trench Marine National Monument visitor facility in the CNMI as promised by the White House.??“It was the people of the CNMI who lobbied, petitioned, and negotiated for a monument while the political leaders and the people of Guam opposed one,” said Friends of the Monument vice chair Agnes McPhetres.??McPhetres was one of those scheduled to testify before the Subcommittee in a Feb. 25 hearing in Washington, D.C. on two bills related to the Marine Monument.??CNMI Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan’s H.R. 3511 calls for the Monument visitors center to be built in the CNMI, while Subcommittee chair Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo’s H.R. 4493 wants a Monument center in Guam.??The hearing was at 1am Friday, Feb. 26, Saipan time.??Fitial, who was also scheduled to testify, said “it must be made clear that a visitor and science center was negotiated and promised to the CNMI in return for our support of the Marianas Monument.”??“While I certainly hope that both the CNMI and Guam will ultimately have visitor and science centers, I firmly believe that it is incumbent upon the federal government to honor its negotiated obligation to the CNMI with all due respect and fairness for the people of the CNMI,” he said in a prepared three-page statement.??Sablan said yesterday that promises made to the CNMI must be honored. ??He reiterated that he was not a party to the negotiations with the White House that resulted in the Monument and it would not be appropriate for him to try to reopen the Presidential Proclamation or try to renegotiate its terms and conditions.??“But I do think that I have the responsibility to make sure this Congress does what is necessary so that the terms and conditions of the Presidential Proclamation are met and the promises made to the people of the Northern Marianas by the White House are kept,” Sablan told Saipan Tribune in an e-mail.??’Let NOAA take over’??Friends of the Monument also asked Bordallo’s Subcommittee to explore improving upon the Monument declaration, including by transferring the managerial authority to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Marine National Sanctuaries, from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.??“WESPAC should also be removed from management for the Islands Unit and replaced with ONMSP, whose mission is more in line with conservation and the Friends vision for the monument. ONMSP is also more sensitive to local concerns and needs than WESPAC,” McPhetres said in her testimony.??“H.R. 4493 would take the social, educational, and economic benefits promised to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands and turn them over to Guam. The Friends oppose this change,” said McPhetres in her three-page prepared testimony to Bordallo’s Subcommittee.??Friends of the Monument said the Bush administration promised that the Monument would benefit education, research, enrich culture, support tourism, and protect the CNMI’s fragile marine environment.??The group said CNMI people were specifically promised that the CNMI would become the headquarters for the Monument, including the site of a Marianas Trench Visitors Center.??Through the grassroots movement’s efforts since January 2007 and with the support of CNMI leaders, in negotiation with the White House, President George W. Bush signed a law creating the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument in January 2009.??“We trust that the Subcommittee will do the right thing and place the headquarters for the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument in the CNMI,” said McPhetres, founder and president for 17 years of Northern Marianas College.??The vast majority of the monument is located in the waters surrounding the CNMI, including its three northernmost islands of Uracas, Maug and Asuncion.??’Pull HR 4493 from consideration’??The NMI Democratic Party also submitted a one-page testimony to Bordallo, supporting the establishment of a Marine Monument visitors center in the CNMI, “not on Guam.”??“Our directors request that you pull H.R. 4493 from consideration by the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife,” said Democratic Party chair Jesse Torres.??He said the CNMI people collected over 6,000 signatures in support of a no-take marine protected area in 2008 and looked forward to the educational, research, and economic development opportunities a monument promised. ??’Increase protections’??Besides calling for the establishment of a Marine Monument visitors center in the CNMI, Friends of the Monument also asked the Subcommittee to improve upon the Monument declaration.??Proposed improvements include increasing the scope and scale of the protections, closing some loopholes that allow harmful extractive activities within the monument, and transferring managerial authority to the NOAA’s Office of Marine National Sanctuaries.??“The Friends recommend that the borders of the Islands Unit be extended to include the entire United States Economic Exclusive Zone surrounding the islands of Uracas, Maug, and Asuncion,” McPhetres said in her testimony.??She said a map of the Monument gives the impression that an ocean area the size of Michigan has been protected. However, the Trench Unit and the Volcanic Unit of the monument are not marine protected areas.??McPhetres said the protections for the Islands Unit, although restricting commercial fishing, still allow for harmful extractive activities.??“The position of the Friends is that the Islands Unit of the monument should only be used to enhance culture, promote research, advance education, and protect the environment. We recommend that the protections afforded the monument be strengthened,” she added.??McPhetres also said the CNMI’s population has a greater need for ocean literacy, scientific education, and research to lift the CNMI’s educational standards. She said placing the Monument headquarters in the CNMI would help diversify the local economy and its ailing tourism industry.??“Additionally, any economic benefits to the CNMI will likely generate benefits to Guam because much of our transportation and services come through Guam. However, he reverse is not true. In addition, Guam is already dealing with an economic boom from the massive buildup of military forces,” she added.??She said it will make a great difference where the headquarters and related facilities end up being built, “and there are excellent reasons for putting it on Saipan, even if there are more people and a busier airport on Guam.”??McPhetres’ testimony is part of the Friends of the Monument’s prepared a 10-page written testimony on Sablan’s H.R. 3511 and Bordallo’s H.R. 4493.??The CNMI House of Representatives adopted on Tuesday Rep. Teresita A. Santos’ House Resolution 17-6, a copy of which has been sent to U.S. House Natural Resources Committee chair Rep. Nick Rahall, Bordallo, Sablan, and Fitial. The CNMI Senate is expected to adopt today a similar resolution.
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Lenny
February 25th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Its only my opinion but I am agnostic because I honestly dont think I KNOW either way about the existance of Gods and origin of life but I do firmly believe that none of YOU other religious people or atheists KNOW the truth either so therefor, I dont share your beliefs.
As far as aliens are concerned. I will leave that to the Howies. No disrespect meant. I just don’t know. Maybe we will discover there are aliens and they will give us some insight on this god issue.
February 25th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Anonymous #9: You say “Maybe we will discover there are aliens and they will give us some insight on this god issue.”
Can you imagine that by luck a few of us have discovered and personally met Aliens and have been given insight.
Humans have been given technology, and knowledge that would probably not have been known without their assistance.
We personally know these Aliens, they are not delusions and it has opened a whole Universe of knowledge for me personally. It does not take any faith. It is either real or not.
You have the right to believe or disbelieve anything, but wouldn’t life be richer if you found out Aliens are real and have been interacting with Humans for millennia?
If your were one of the fortunate ones, wouldn’t you want to tell anyone with an open mind that they exist? They do not mind. There is nothing we can do about them.
HOWIE
February 25th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
HI Mischa, call me whenever you have a chance, I know how that working thang is, I’m living it GF, just happened to have been on the road so thought I’d give it a go, our convos are always so lively and I look forward to them and hate it when they end too soon due to other matters, which always occurs : )
This video got me, I remember those end of life days with my own father…hard to listen all the way through that.
Howie, no one has ever called me altruistic before, thank you, I am truly touched. We were all sending love/positive energy and healing vibes today for you and for Al (to get rest) as we were doing superwoman/man (arms extended, doing our Florida fly-by, holding in that tush and extending arms and legs off the floor and holding holding holding…) I told the kids that you felt enough energy to get up and do 2 loads of laundry and I explained the difficulty of that task for someone with broken ribs, etc…they all had that beautiful angelic earnest face that only kids can look at you with and I heard many ‘wow’s’ and ‘that’s soooo cool’ from the older kids, so there you have it – straight from the angel’s mouths’ : ) …and they all have a laundry list of people they want to heal…their own families, kids in haiti, the list is getting long. I have been fortunate to have made bucks and spent bucks and do all that driving of killer cars, eating at the best, etc…though this life lately is less on teh cash flow I feel very rich in many other ways…I used to hear people say that and think bullshit your just broke, now I know it’s no joke. I give away positive energy often and all I ever get is more to give, I’m loving it.
I loved your George/racism explanation as well, all I can say is we all probably have some HeLa cells in us by now, no? So all you racists think about that next time your ill.
Wise answer to above anonymous also, lovin’ you and Al like bro’s : )
I wanted to say that I don’t hate the teachings of any one religion and have nothing agianst any of them – except – the underpinnings of the patriarchal superiority, without that nonsense all those books might just provide nice lessons/codes of conduct to live by, but why can we not monitor our own behavior without them and without the men being the ‘enforcers’?
That’s my two, have a beauty of a day, Luv, Zen Lill
February 25th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Misch, the poison oak has done it’s 3 weeks of damage, I thought it looked great until a pal looked at my hand yesterday and asked if I’d been in a barroom brawl : ) I said yes and you should see her hand! Thanks for asking. -ZL
February 25th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
…Obama looked thoroughly exasperated, cannot say I blame him, repugs ding him on everything left right and center. I guess they like their health care so why would they even bother thinking about anyone else?
February 25th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
The Emperor may resort to activating volcanoes in the Northern Mariana’s area if aliens are not allowed unfettered access to the Mariana Trench.
The US has already been alerted to the fact that he will free to activate a volcano anywhere in the region.
Viv
February 26th, 2010 at 1:54 am
S YOUR SHOWER WATER DANGEROUS?
A recent study reported that in some communities people regularly shower with a dangerous microbe called Mycobacterium avium — a cousin of the tuberculosis-causing bacteria and one that is quite infectious in its own right.
The University of Colorado-Boulder study is part of a larger research project focused on bacteria we’re exposed to in daily life. This particular study examined showerheads because they provide ideal conditions for the formation of slimy biofilms — an assemblage of bacteria that attach themselves to a surface and excrete a protective mesh layer around themselves (dental plaque is an example), making them difficult to eradicate. Theorizing that the shower might be the point of entry for this infection, lead researcher Leah Feazel told me that researchers collected samples from the insides of 45 showerheads in nine US cities one, two or three times over two and one-half years. They found M. avium in both Denver and New York showerheads.
Confirming the finding, small amounts of M. avium were also detected in the water systems in both Denver and New York City. In those cities, the concentration of Mycobacteria (of which M. avium is one species) in some showerheads was more than 100 times that in the background water. Researchers theorize that this happened because the biofilms were able to establish colonies of such significant size that they could not be dislodged even by water regularly flowing through. Both municipalities treat their water systems with chlorine, ostensibly to eradicate such dangers, but M. avium are known to be resistant, so the bacteria that survive become even stronger. Since many species of Mycobacteria have been implicated in respiratory and other kinds of infections, this is a cause for concern.
WHY SHOWERS ARE ESPECIALLY RISKY
M. avium is common in soil and water, but it’s especially dangerous in showerheads because it is dispersed in aerosol form, which is inhaled and can travel deep into the lungs. Like its relative, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. avium primarily causes lung disease, but it has also been known to cause digestive and lymphatic system infections. According to Feazel, M. avium infections are rare in people with healthy immune systems and “fairly rare” among the immune-compromised — but they’re on the rise here in the US as well as in the rest of the developed world. The infections caused by M. avium can lead to especially severe illness for people with compromised immune systems, often requiring antibiotic treatment that may be only marginally effective.
HOW TO BE SURE YOU’RE SAFE
Since M. avium is so difficult to kill, individuals known to be immune deficient — including pregnant women… people with asthma or bronchitis… those who’ve had an organ transplant… and those with cancer or other chronic disease — should ask their doctors whether they should bathe instead of showering. Alternatively, Feazel suggests that people with compromised immune systems would do well to change their showerheads every six months (researchers found no M. avium in showerheads less than six months old) and to choose metal ones, which are less hospitable to biofilms than plastic.
Source(s):
Leah M. Feazel was the lead researcher on the showerhead study. She was head technician at the Pace Laboratory, University of Colorado-Boulder, and is currently a graduate student in Environmental Science and Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado.
October 8th, 2011 at 2:43 am
aleve…
[...]Michelle Moquin's "A day in the life of…" » Blog Archive » Obama’s Health Care Summit[...]…
October 10th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Nursing Homes…
[...]Michelle Moquin's "A day in the life of…" » Blog Archive » Obama’s Health Care Summit[...]…