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L-R: Dr. Molly Schwenn and Katherine Boris of the Maine Cancer Registry and Debra Wigand, Director of Maine CDC's Division of Population Health, pictured with the two honors from US CDC. |
The Maine Cancer Registry
has been recognized with two national honors from the US CDC National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR).
Maine was recognized as one of 19 states to
receive the Registry of Excellence designation. In addition, the registry was recognized for achieving the highest standards for data completeness, timeliness and quality. According to the NPCR, Maine’s data are so thorough and
accurate that they will be included in this year's United States Cancer
Statistics report and other analytic data sets.
Achievement of these
standards and certification is important to ensure accurate information is
available about cancer in Maine and to monitor trends in cancer
diagnosis. Detecting cancer at an earlier stage can improve
outcomes. Maine hospitals are partners in this effort, providing up-to-date local information to the Maine Cancer Registry.
Ticks are generally found
in brushy or wooded areas, near the ground; they cannot jump or fly. Ticks are
attracted to a variety of host factors, including body heat and carbon dioxide.
They will transfer to a potential host when one brushes directly against them
and seek a site for attachment.
Ticks cause a variety of
diseases, including Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis,
Powassan and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, all of which are reportable in Maine.
More than 1,395 cases of Lyme
disease were reported statewide in 2014, a record high for Maine. So far
in 2015, there have been 198 reported cases of Lyme disease.
Other case counts for tickborne
diseases reported in Maine so far in 2015 include:
- 56 cases of anaplasmosis, compared to 191 for all of
2014
- Four cases of babesiosis, compared to 42 cases for all of 2014
For more information:
Summer is here, which means mosquitoes are here as
well. Arboviral diseases, including
eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV), are very serious
infections that are transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. Additionally, Powassan virus is an arboviral
disease transmitted by the bite of an infected tick. Although rare, these diseases have
potentially severe and even fatal consequences for those who contract
them. Maine CDC reminds clinicians of
the potential for human disease activity in Maine and to consider testing for
arboviral disease in patients presenting with unexplained encephalitis,
meningitis or fever (≥100.4°F or 38°C) during the summer and early fall.
EEE and WNV were first
detected in Maine in 2001 in birds. In
2009, Maine experienced unprecedented EEE activity with 19 animals and two mosquito pools testing positive. In
2012, Maine reported its first human case of locally-acquired WNV neuroinvasive
illness. In 2014, Maine reported its
first human case of locally-acquired EEE neuroinvasive illness. Powassan was
first identified in Maine in 2000 but is rarely reported; a confirmed case in
2013 was the first reported case in nearly a decade. In 2014, Maine reported EEE in an emu from
Cumberland County, 22 mosquito pools from York County and one human from York County.
Many people infected with arboviral illness remain
asymptomatic. The following groups of people are at higher risk for clinically
significant arboviral infection:
- Residents of and visitors to areas with mosquito or tick activity
- People who engage in outdoor work and recreational activities
-
People older than 50 and younger than 15
Additional
Information
- Disease
consultation and reporting available through Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821
Cases of pertussis
(whooping cough) continue to be reported statewide.
As of July 8, 185 cases
have been reported in Maine this year, and the majority
of the cases are in school-aged children.
Maine CDC encourages providers
who see patients for cough in an outbreak area to test for pertussis and
treat empirically. (Providers do not need to wait for positive results to
return or a two-week history of cough in order to treat.)
DTaP vaccine is recommended for
all infants and children. Tdap vaccine is recommended for all preteens, teens
and adults, including health care providers. According to the American
Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Tdap is also recommended in the
third trimester of every pregnancy.
For more guidance and
information, visit http://go.usa.gov/dCO
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