US Outbreaks Of Acute Flaccid Myelitis Still Posing Several Mysteries Identifying Risk Factors Called “A Public Health Priority” A comprehensive review and analysis in July by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ) of cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) which causes limb weakness mostly in children reveals many unsolved mysteries (MMWR, July 12). CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat speaking at a recent telebriefing said “AFM is a devastating illness for patients and their families…and we want parents to know that we are keeping their
children front and center and working with our partners to better understand this illness, the risk factors, and ways to treat and prevent it.” The unanswered epidemiologic questions are a cause of concern at the CDC which has declared the identification of risk factors for AFM a public health priority. The disease was first recognized as a distinct condition during a severe - AFM cont'd on page 2
Australian Epidemiologist Carves Out A Role On Social Media Blogging, Tweeting, and Podcasting To Counter Misleading Presentations Of Scientific Findings An epidemiologist working in diabetes and chronic disease with Blacktown Hospital in Sydney Australia and calling himself Gid M-K Health Nerd has created a blog on public health and science topics in the media, many of them about misleading articles and headlines. Begun three years ago by Gideon Meyerowitz Katz (aka Gid MK), the blog, which has some 14,000 August 2019
followers, has addressed such topics as: Bacon Is Not The Enemy 5 Misleading Headlines Sponsored By The Food Industry Sugar Isn’t Giving Us All Cancer Roundup Isn’t Poisoning Your Cheerios Blueberries Can’t Treat Heart Disease Relative vs Absolute Risk - Blogger cont'd on page 4 •
Volume Forty
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Number Eight
In This Issue -3Resolution on Racism& Public Health -5Update: 10 Commandments Contest -8Notes on People -10Near Term Epidemiology Event Calendar -11Marketplace