New Drug-Resistant Superbugs Found In 3 States
Posted by Michelle Moquin on September 25th, 2010
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP BOSTON — An infectious-disease nightmare is unfolding: Bacteria that have been made resistant to nearly all antibiotics by an alarming new gene have sickened people in three states and are popping up all over the world, health officials reported Monday.
New drug-resistant superbugs found in 3 states
The U.S. cases and two others in Canada all involve people who had recently received medical care in India, where the problem is widespread. A British medical journal revealed the risk last month in an article describing dozens of cases in Britain in people who had gone to India for medical procedures.
How many deaths the gene may have caused is unknown; there is no central tracking of such cases. So far, the gene has mostly been found in bacteria that cause gut or urinary infections.
Scientists have long feared this – a very adaptable gene that hitches onto many types of common germs and confers broad drug resistance, creating dangerous “superbugs.”
“It’s a great concern,” because drug resistance has been rising and few new antibiotics are in development, said Dr. M. Lindsay Grayson, director of infectious diseases at the University of Melbourne in Australia. “It’s just a matter of time” until the gene spreads more widely person-to-person, he said.
Grayson heads an American Society for Microbiology conference in Boston, which was buzzing with reports of the gene, called NDM-1 and named for New Delhi.
The U.S. cases occurred this year in people from California, Massachusetts and Illinois, said Brandi Limbago, a lab chief at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three types of bacteria were involved, and three different mechanisms let the gene become part of them.
“We want physicians to look for it,” especially in patients who have traveled recently to India or Pakistan, she said.
What can people do?
Don’t add to the drug resistance problem, experts say. Don’t pressure your doctors for antibiotics if they say they aren’t needed, use the ones you are given properly, and try to avoid infections by washing your hands.
The gene is carried by bacteria that can spread hand-to-mouth, which makes good hygiene very important.
It’s also why health officials are so concerned about where the threat is coming from, said Dr. Patrice Nordmann, a microbiology professor at South-Paris Medical School. India is an overpopulated country that overuses antibiotics and has widespread diarrheal disease and many people without clean water.
“The ingredients are there” for widespread transmission, he said. “It’s going to spread by plane all over the world.”
The U.S. patients were not related. The California woman needed hospital care after being in a car accident in India. The Illinois man had pre-existing medical problems and a urinary catheter, and is thought to have contracted an infection with the gene while traveling in India. The case from Massachusetts involved a woman from India who had surgery and chemotherapy for cancer there and then traveled to the U.S.
Lab tests showed their germs were not killed by the types of drugs normally used to treat drug-resistant infections, including “the last-resort class of antibiotics that physicians go to,” Limbago said.
She did not know how the three patients were treated, but all survived.
Doctors have tried treating some of these cases with combinations of antibiotics, hoping that will be more effective than individual ones are. Some have resorted to using polymyxins – antibiotics used in the 1950s and ’60s that were unpopular because they can harm the kidneys.
The two Canadian cases were treated with a combination of antibiotics, said Dr. Johann Pitout of the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. One case was in Alberta, the other in British Columbia.
Both patients had medical emergencies while traveling in India. They developed urinary infections that were discovered to have the resistance gene once they returned home to Canada, Pitout said.
The CDC advises any hospitals that find such cases to put the patient in medical isolation, check the patient’s close contacts for possible infection, and look for more infections in the hospital.
Any case “should raise an alarm,” Limbago said.
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May you all be bug free - Enjoy the weekend!
xoxo
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michelle
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September 25th, 2010 at 9:11 am
8 Insurance Myths That Could Cost You Dearly
J.D. Howard
Insurance Consumer Advocate Network
We buy insurance to protect ourselves against financial risks — but sometimes the greatest risk is that we don’t fully understand our coverage.
Insurance contracts are complex, with potentially important details buried in small-print legal jargon.
Consumers often assume that common sense dictates when their insurance will protect them, but frequently you don’t get as much coverage as you think you are getting, and sometimes you don’t know enough to take advantage of the coverage that you do have.
The insurance myths that can cost you…
HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE
Myth: The “replacement cost” provision in my homeowner’s policy means that I immediately would be paid enough to go out and replace or repair my ruined possessions.
Reality: Generally, replacement-cost coverage initially pays only the depreciated value — reflecting the reduced value because of age or wear and tear — of your damaged possessions when you file your claim.
In this case, you would have to come up with your own extra cash to buy new replacement items and do repairs.
You then would have to file a supplemental claim, accompanied by a copy of the purchase receipt, to be reimbursed for your cash outlay.
Also, many policies set deadlines for acquiring these replacements, often as little as six or 12 months after the date of the loss — which may not allow enough time to replace a houseful of items.
What to do:
Check the time limit. For structural damage, ask contractors if they are willing to work with the insurer to eventually recover the full cost.
For damaged contents, replace some quickly and file a claim, then use the insurance settlement money to help replace more.
Myth: The mold exclusion in my homeowner’s policy means that I’m financially responsible for resolving any mold problem that develops.
Reality: Your insurer is responsible for mold-remediation costs despite this mold-exclusion clause if the mold stems from a covered event.
Example: A storm blows out several windows, and the rainwater that gets in leads to mold.
Because the storm damage was covered by your policy, the mold is covered, too. Insurance companies sometimes attempt to reject mold-remediation claims that ought to be covered by claiming that the mold is unrelated to the covered event.
What to do: If your insurance company tries this, pay a mold-remediation service a few hundred dollars to determine the age and source of your mold.
If you can establish that the mold dates to the covered event, the insurance company should back down.
Myth: Replacement of only the damaged sections of my home is covered by my insurer.
Reality:If replacing a damaged section of carpeting, siding, flooring or some other element of the home creates a visible difference between the replaced section and the old section, the insurer must replace undamaged areas as well.
This rule applies when there is a spot from which the undamaged section and the replaced section can be seen at the same time.
Example: A storm damages the siding on the north and east sides of your home.
If there’s a visible difference between new siding and old, the siding on the south side must be replaced, too, because there are spots from which the east and south sides can be seen at the same time… and the siding on the west side must be replaced because there are spots where the north and west sides can be seen at the same time.
What to do: If your insurer tries to dodge its responsibility to replace undamaged sections, write the adjuster a letter stating, “It is my understanding that in accordance with the line-of-sight rule, I’m entitled to replacement of the siding on the south and west sides of my home as well.
(Alter the description of what should be covered, as appropriate.) If you have any doubts about this, please refer to your Fire, Casualty and Surety (FC&S) Bulletins and get back to me.”
Adjusters usually back down when policyholders cite this trade publication known by few outside the insurance industry.
AUTO INSURANCE
Myth: I have to live with the work that the repair shop does if my auto insurance requires me to take my vehicle to a specific shop.
Reality: Work done by a repair shop mandated by your auto insurance company’s “Direct Repair Program” is automatically covered by your insurer.
If you can show that the repairs were subpar or incomplete, you have the legal right to insist that they be redone.
What to do: Immediately after your insurer’s mandated repair facility finishes its work, take the vehicle to a dealership service department and request an evaluation of the damaged area.
If the vehicle was in a serious collision, specifically request a four-wheel alignment. (These alignments use laser-diagnostics that often uncover lingering problems with vehicles that have been in collisions.)
Share the dealership’s findings with your insurer, then say, “You’ve warranted these repairs, so make arrangements to take my car back to redo the repairs properly.”
Myth: When I lend my car to a friend, my coverage still applies.
Reality: It depends on the policy. Some insurers now provide coverage only to drivers specifically named on the policy, a practice called “named insured only.”
What to do: Read the terms of your insurance contract carefully before handing over your keys.
Consider the driving skills of the person you’re lending the car to, even if your coverage does extend to this driver — your insurance rates could be increased, even though you were not directly involved in the accident.
HOME AND AUTO INSURANCE
Myth: There’s no harm in calling my insurer about a minor incident to find out if it’s worth filing a claim.
Reality: Your insurance company will open a claim file as soon as you call the claims department, even if you don’t pursue payment.
More claim files typically mean higher premiums when it comes time to renew auto insurance, and homeowner’s insurance providers sometimes cancel coverage when policyholders have multiple claim files.
This can occur even if no payment is ever made on any claim.
What to do: Do not contact your insurer unless it is likely that the cost of repairs will significantly exceed your deductible. Obtain a repair estimate first if you are not certain.
Myth: An “independent” insurance adjuster sent by my insurance company will give me a fair shake.
Reality: An adjuster’s job is to look out for the insurance company’s bottom line.
He/she will pretend to be your ally but will steer you toward options that save the insurer money, such as repairing damaged furniture rather than replacing it… or taking your damaged vehicle to a body shop that works cheap.
This is true even if the adjuster is employed by an independent company — these independent agents know that they will lose the insurance company’s business if they fail to keep claim costs down.
(Adjusters for a small number of insurance companies, including Chubb, Amica and St. Paul Travelers, typically do look out for their customers’ interests. These companies strive to be viewed as customer-friendly insurance providers.)
What to do: If you believe an insurance adjuster is not being reasonable, consider hiring a public adjuster, an insurance claims specialist who represents policyholders in their negotiations with insurance companies.
First, say to the insurance adjuster, “My neighbor suggested I hire a public adjuster to represent me. What do you think?” Insurance company adjusters often become more flexible when they have reason to believe that the alternative is facing off with a professional public adjuster working on the policyholder’s behalf.
If you still are not satisfied, go ahead and hire a public adjuster. They can be found in the Yellow Pages, typically under “Insurance Adjusters” or “Adjusters-Public”…
or through the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (703-433-9217, http://www.napia.com)… or on my Web site (www.ican2000.com). Public adjusters typically charge approximately 15% of the total claim settlement.
Myth: I can cancel my insurance simply by not paying my renewal bill.
Reality: Insurance companies typically provide a grace period of about 30 days before terminating coverage when a bill is not paid.
Policyholders are legally responsible for premiums charged during this grace period, even if they have no intention of continuing their coverage and already have obtained coverage through a different insurer.
Not paying the resulting bill is likely to put a black mark on your credit report and trigger calls from bill collectors. It’s better to call and cancel an insurance policy that you no longer need, even if the policy has reached the end of a coverage period.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed J.D. Howard, executive director of Insurance Consumer Advocate Network, an insurance consumer advocacy organization (www.ican2000.com), Springfield, Missouri. Howard has worked in the insurance industry since 1965, mainly as an independent insurance adjuster.
September 25th, 2010 at 11:06 am
Christine O’Donnell Can Win in November!
In the past 24 hours we’ve heard all sorts of political pundits and journalists say that Christine O’Donnell can’t in November and defeat her Democrat opponent, Chris Coons.
Friends – this is complete nonsense for two reasons:
1) Christine O’Donnell actually held a lead in some polls over Democrat Chris Coons over the summer (before the liberals in the Republican establishment started trashing her). She can regain that lead with your help and support.
2) The people who are saying that Christine O’Donnell can’t win in November were the same people saying she couldn’t win the GOP primary over liberal RINO Mike Castle, who was a 9-term Congressman and former Governor of Delaware.
We can prove the “experts” and liberal journalists wrong again, friends! But we need your help to build up a massive warchest for our campaign supporting Christine O’Donnell so she can fight off the Democratic Party establishment that is sharpening their knives and preparing to go all out to defeat her.
Please support our campaign for Christine O’Donnell with a donation – HERE.
You can contribute as little as $5 up to the maximum allowed $5,000 contribution. We’re hoping that at least 1,000 conservatives and tea party activists will contribute $100 or more in the next 24 hours.
Please forward this email to everyone you can!
September 25th, 2010 at 11:07 am
Voting for Small Business Jobs
After months of Senate Republican obstruction, the House passed the final version of the Small Business Jobs Act to expand much needed lending to millions of small businesses and offer tax incentives to help them grow, hire, and fuel our economy — which is fully paid for over 10 years and will not add to the deficit.
Congresswoman Pelosi celebrates the passage of the Small Business Jobs Act, which passed
the House and is on its way to the President’s desk.
The most eloquent voices in this debate have been the small business owners themselves, who are still having difficulties obtaining the capital they need to keep their doors open and to grow. When I met with longstanding leader for San Francisco’s and California’s small businesses Scott Hauge, he told me: “All we are asking for is this: lend us the capital so that we can create the jobs. It’s what we do best.”
Small businesses in San Francisco and across the nation have waited for this bill for far too long. Through $12 billion in tax cuts and a $30 billion Small Business Lending Fund that will leverage up to $300 billion in private sector lending, this legislation will help small businesses create 500,000 new jobs.
For those currently looking for work, the Department of Labor has launched a helpful new Web portal to help job seekers match their current skills to new careers and find out what training is needed to transition from one job to another. This new online tool is called “mySkillsmyFuture” and can be accessed at http://www.myskillsmyfuture.org. Users will be able to view local job postings and locate training and education providers.
Enacting the Patient’s Bill of Rights
On Thursday – the six-month anniversary of the Affordable Care Act – the new Patient’s Bill of Rights took effect. These consumer protections will end the worst insurance company abuses and put you back in charge of your health care.
For Californians, this means:
Up to 196,000 young adults may be able to stay on their parents’ plan until they turn 26
Insurance companies can no longer impose lifetime limits on the 18,883,000 residents of California with private health insurance coverage
Insurance companies can no longer drop your coverage if you get sick – just when you need it most
Your child cannot be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition
If you join a new plan, insurance companies must provide free preventive care services
Which of these new rights is the most important to you?
No dropping your coverage when you get sick
No discrimination against kids with pre-existing conditions
Letting young adults stay on their parents’ plan up to age 26
No lifetime limits and restrictions on annual limits on what insurance will pay
Free preventive care like mammograms and immunizations (for new plans)
Better appeals process for insurance claims (for new plans)
Right to choose your own doctor (for new plans)
Right to access out-of-network emergency care at in-network rates (for new plans)
If you are experiencing difficulties viewing or completing this survey,
please click here to view this message in your browser window
Please feel free to forward this information to your family and friends. To learn more about these efforts, to express your views, or to sign up for email updates, please visit my Web site. I am now on Twitter http://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi.
Sincerely,
Member of Congress
September 26th, 2010 at 8:32 am
It was on a dude ranch out West that one of the hands rode in and dismounted to watch a female guest frolicking in the little lake.
He sat down and it wasn’t long before the frolicker strode out of the water–naked and unashamed–and sat down next to him to have a cigarette.
Before long, nature took its course, and then, when they were relaxing after it was over, the girl asked contentedly, “What is it you do on the ranch, Tex?”
“Before you came along, honey, ” replied Tex, also contentedly, “I supposed you might say I was a cowpoke.”