Ebola epidemic increases susceptibility to measles

Ebola cycle

Experts from John Hopkins have found the Ebola epidemic has increased susceptibility to measles, with the rate of increase seen to potentially double in the wake of the problems related to the virus that continues to spread in parts of Africa.

The principal problem related to the Ebola virus is the disruption in the health care system, according to the experts.  Much of the public health focus in areas of Africa is on Ebola, so that fewer people are being vaccinated against measles.  This problem may increase the rate of measles as a consequence of resources having been diverted to the greater problem faced by Ebola.  But measles also has the potential to disable and to cause death, so health authorities are particularly concerned about the problem.

Older women more at risk for sexually transmitted disease

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Most people may believe that sexually transmitted diseases are just a problem for younger folks with active sex lives, but it turns out that older women are more at risk for a disease that can cause severe health problems and that one expert underlines should require testing and mandatory reporting.

The parasite Trichomonas vaginalis has been found in a new study to be twice as common in women over 40.  The worry about this is hat there are no symptoms in most cases.  That’s the reason for the imperative to have testing.

Charlotte Gaydos, M.S., Dr. P.H., tells us, “We usually think of STDs as more prevalent in young people, but our study results clearly show that with trichomonas, while too many young people have it, even more, older women are infected.”  She is one of the investigators involved in the study about older women.

The specifics of the finding done on 7,593 women in Quebec City Canada are these: women 50 and older had the highest trichomonas infection rate, at 13 percent followed by women in their 40’s at 11 percent.    This study that collected samples from women in 28 states, is said to be the largest and most in-depth of its kind.

Gaydos is a professor at John Hopkins School of Medicine.  She says, “Trichomonas infections are quite treatable with antibiotics,” warrant older women getting screened by their family physicians and gynecologists during routine check-ups to make sure they are not infected and are not inadvertently spreading it to others.”  She also goes on to stress how vital it is to be tested because there are often no symptoms of the infection that can lead to severe health problems.

Testing is particularly urgent for older black women and women in jail where the infection rate is as high as 20 percent or more.  Gaydos explains much of the difference in high rates among certain groups is as a result of the social and economic disparities in these groups.

It is especially important for older women to get tested and treated because of the higher rate of this sexually transmitted disease because it makes the woman more susceptible to HIV infections.

Sharing the test results with a partner and reporting the results to health agencies is important particularly because of the health risks that can be spread in the general population. because people who are infected don’t know they are and therefore don’t get treatment.  Both sex partners in a mutually exclusive relationship should be tested.  Condoms are considered some protection when infection is present, but abstinence is the only guarantee of not being infected.  Once treated, however, folks can resume normal sexual activity, but continue to use caution, given the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases that occur without proper vigilance.

John Hopkins doctor underlines quality of life in treatment of braincancer.

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Carol Forsloff - This idea of living longer, but not living very well with brain cancer
worries Alfredo Quinones, M.D., so he stresses quality not just quantity
of life and a special multi-faceted approach.



Quinones, who is Director of Brain Tumor Surgery at John Hopkins University


Quinones has expertise in looking at the various aspects of brain cancer and 
"minimizing collateral damage," the euphemistic way of saying trying to
reduce the elements of the disease so that people can be as comfortable
as possible.


“Brain cancer is sort of the bastard child of cancer,”says Quinones.
“There are about 3,000 new cases a month of the very malignant cancer,
like Senator

Ted Kennedy had.” Thousands more people develop secondary brain tumors –
offshoots of cancer that originate elsewhere, say in the lungs, and
somehow find their way to the brain. “Once cancers get to the brain,
people tend to give up on these patients. But there are so many simple
things we can do,” he says, to have an immediate result on quality of
life, and possibly prolong survival. For example, simply treating
depression and controlling blood sugar levels can make a big difference.


Educating the medical community about how small things can make a big
difference in the quality of life for cancer patients is something
Quinones says is very important.  That's because cancer has so many
facets.


Today, the prognosis for someone diagnosed with an aggressive brain
tumor is devastating; the average survival is just 15 months. “Can we
make it 20 months,”says Quinones. “Then, can we make it 40 months?Ten
years?” But – and this is huge – can those be good years? “Or are those
going to be patients who have absolutely no memory, their brains
potentially fried by radiation, severely impaired. We have to find ways
to minimize the collateral damage that we do through surgery and
adjuvant treatment.” The length of survival is 
meaningless, he adds, “if you’re bedridden, you don’t recognize your loved ones, if you have no memory.”


Quinones is convinced that research on the multiple aspects of brain
cancer and looking at the quality of life as well as the length of life
in the treatment of the disease will be the key to changing how patients
are treated.


This is not rocket science,” he says, “but no one asks,especially with
brain cancer patients, how the family is doing. How are the caregivers
coping? This is honestly part of the big picture; quality of life is not independent.
We are building that infrastructure for long-term follow-up.” Quinones has been concerned for a longtime about the complications of brain cancer and that while doctors look at prolonging the life of their patients, he says it is also important to look at that quality of life that should go with it.