Local health officials in the Kansas City, Missouri have reported that illnesses caused by the bacteria Shigella have risen sharply in recent months. Since January, there have been 132 cases of Shigellosis reported in the Kansas City area, compared with only 11 cases reported at this point last year. The surge in cases has prompted the Kansas City Health Department to urge more diligent hand washing regimens as a preventive action against the additional spread of the infectious disease.

The recent spike in Shigellosis cases has pushed the total number of episodes in Missouri to 312, putting the state behind only Tennessee and Oklahoma for tops in the nation.

Shigellosis is a highly contagious bacterial illness that causes vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. It can be easily spread from person-to-person when those infected with the illness do not use proper hygiene practices. Missouri health officials have advised residents that their chances of contracting the illness will be greatly reduced by frequent washing their hands. In addition, it is advised that people who have diarrhea should refrain from entering swimming pools.

Outbreaks of Shigellosis tend to occur in five-year cycles. The last sizable outbreak to occur in Kansas City was in 2000, when 197 cases were reported by the end of June.

To read more about Shigella, please go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/shigellosis_g.htm

Hospitals in Cambodia are becoming increasingly crowded with children exhibiting cases of respiratory infection, leading health officials to questions whether the strain of bird flu affecting several Southeast Asia countries has continued to spread. World Health Organization (WHO) officials have said they are waiting to receive the results of blood tests that were still being conducted before making any definitive pronouncement on the cause of the recent flu outbreak.

Initial testing conducted on some of the sick children found that they had tested positive for the influenza B virus. WHO has ruled out the notion that influenza B combined with the avian influenza to form a new flu virus with the contagiousness of human flu and the potency of bird flu. All of the patients reportedly ate chicken before they fell ill. However, Cambodian health officials refused to speculate on a possible connection with an avian influenza.

Since 2003 the bird flu virus has killed 38 people in Vietnam, 12 in Thailand and four in Cambodia. It is generally transmitted through close contact with infected birds. Chicken that is properly cooked is not believed to pose health threat.

To read more about the WHO efforts in combating bird flu, please go to:
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/

Legislation designed to overhaul and strengthen the federal rules governing lead testing and standards in the nation's public water systems was recently introduced on Capitol Hill. The "Lead-Free Drinking Water Act of 2005" would place new responsibilities on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and public water systems across the country regarding public notification, testing methodology and corrective actions.

Specific components of the legislation include the following:

• Require the EPA to revise the national primary drinking water regulations for lead in drinking water
• Require better notification for residents when a water system has high lead levels
• Require increased water testing and lead remediation in schools and day-care centers nationwide
• Provide additional federal funding to upgrade water distribution systems
• Ban plumbing components with elevated lead levels

The federal legislation comes in the wake of reports of high lead levels in the drinking water systems in Washington, DC and Boston. Exposure to lead can be particularly harmful to vulnerable populations, including as infants, children, pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers.

To read the complete text of the "Lead-Free Drinking Water Act of 2005," please go to:
http://jeffords.senate.gov/leadbill062905_xml.pdf ( PDF)

Scientific findings have raised questions regarding the possible health threat posed by large quantities of discarded pharmaceuticals in the nation's waterways. Concern over potential harm to the nation's aquatic life and, potentially, to human health is being voiced by a variety of academics, state officials and environmental advocates, including officials of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS). According to recent research, fish have been found with large quantities of estrogen and antidepressants in their systems, with many showing signs of significant neurological and physiological disorders.

A 2002 study by the USGS found pharmaceutical contaminants in 80 percent of the 139 streams that were sampled in 30 states. Additional researchers have suggested that hormones and medicines found in water may have contributed to the feminizing of male fish and other fish that appeared sluggish or not interested in eating.

Prescription drugs such as birth control pills, antidepressants and other drugs are often flushed down the drain and may account for the heightened level of pharmaceuticals being found. According to the EPA, however, technological advances in testing may make it possible to detect very low levels of hormones and chemical compounds in waterways. Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not sure yet whether such levels harm animals or people and are currently studying the seriousness of the issue.

Among the concerns being addressed by recent findings is the possible adverse impact that may be experienced in regional fishing industries.

To view the 2002 USGS report, "Water-Quality Data for Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams", please go to: http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/OFR-02-94/

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