Norovirus Locates Katrina Evacuees
An outbreak of norovirus occurred from Sept. 2–12, 2005, among evacuees from Hurricane Katrina who were temporarily sheltered at Reliant Park, a recreation and convention complex in Houston.
During this period, approximately 6,500 of an estimated 24,000 evacuees visited the Reliant Park medical clinic, and 1,169 (18%) reported symptoms of acute gastroenteritis; one-quarter were under 18 years. The peak occurred on Sept. 5, when 211 people reported acute GI symptoms.
During peak days of the outbreak, approximately 40% of pediatric visits and 21% of adult visits to the clinic were related to acute gastroenteritis, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (MMWR 2005;54:1016–8).
Samples from 44 patients were tested, and 22 (50%) of these yielded norovirus.
Overall, 511 (44%) of those who reported acute symptoms had diarrhea only, while 342 (29%) reported vomiting, and 316 (27%) reported both vomiting and diarrhea.
Local health authorities implemented preventive measures at the start of the outbreak. Despite this, the outbreak continued for at least a week but subsided before the evacuees left the temporary facility.
HPV Transmits Nonsexually
Anogenital warts in children with human papillomavirus were less predictive of sexual abuse with decreasing age, based on a review of 124 children younger than 13 years with anogenital and respiratory tract human papilloma virus (HPV) infections, said Kelly A. Sinclair, M.D., formerly of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C., and her colleagues.
Of these, 55 children with anogenital warts were evaluated at a childhood sexual abuse clinic, and 17 (31%) were considered to have been abused.
Children younger than 4 years were 3 times less likely to have been sexually abused than those aged 4–8 years, and those younger than 4 years were 12 times less likely to have been abused than those older than 8 years.
These findings challenge the notion that 24 months of age is the upper limit for perinatal transmission of anogenital warts.
None of the 49 children evaluated for laryngeal or oral lesions were considered to have been sexually abused, and the onset of illness peaked between ages 2–5 years.
Since the majority of preadolescent anogenital HPV cases are older than 2 years, the use of 2 years as a cutoff to declare sexual abuse as the cause of infection could subject innocent families to unnecessary scrutiny, said Dr. Sinclair, currently at Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Mo., and her associates.
Thermometers Recalled
Omron Healthcare is voluntarily recalling certain 3-Way instant thermometers due to a potential problem that can cause the thermometer tip to overheat.
The recall applies to model numbers MC-600 and MC-600CAN. The recall was prompted by a limited number of consumer complaints indicating discomfort during and following use of the thermometers. None of the reports have involved serious injury.
Continued use of the affected thermometers may result in discomfort during use, possibly even redness or a blister on the skin. Very young children are at increased risk due to the inability to express themselves and their difficulty in pulling away from a thermometer held by an adult.
The thermometers were sold in the United States and Canada from Sept. 19, 2001, to Oct. 21, 2005. The potentially affected products have lot numbers beginning with 01–32, 01–36, 01–37, and 01–38. Lot numbers are located inside the battery compartment of the thermometers.
The company is requesting that consumers discontinue use of the affected thermometers and call 800-634-4350 for information about how to return the devices and receive a refund or exchange for a different thermometer model. Information can also be found on the company's Web site,
Smoking Stunts Girls' Growth
Persistent cigarette smoking retards physical growth in early adolescence, based on data from a 3-year follow-up study of 496 girls aged 11–15 years, said Eric Stice, Ph.D., and Erin E. Martinez, of the University of Texas at Austin.
Persistent smoking—defined as daily smoking between baseline and at 1-year follow-up or between 1-year and 2-year follow-up—was associated with a reduction of 34% in height, 53% in weight, and 71% in BMI during a 1-year interval compared with nonsmokers (J. Adolesc. Health 2005;37:363–70).
In addition, smoking initiation during adolescence was associated with a 36% reduction in weight gain and a 68% reduction in BMI but not with significant changes in height, compared with nonsmokers.