An outbreak of giardiasis in a group of campers

Thirty-four of 54 campers on a 2 week trip in mountains of Utah had diarrhea during and after their trip. Twenty-two (79%) of 28 symptomatic campers' stools examined contained Giardia lamblia cysts, whereas 4 (29%) of 14 asymptomatic campers' stools had cysts. The temporal distribution of cases and the absence of clustering among food preparation subgroups suggested a common source exposure. Although the epidemiologic data and fecal coliform counts implicated the remote mountain stream used as water source by the group as the vehicle of transmission, Giardia lamblia cysts were not recovered from stream water nor were they found in intestines or feces of sampled mammals living in the drainage area. Twenty-five other campers had stools examined before and after a subsequent hiking trip in another area of Utah; none had Giardia cysts before, but 6 (24%) had them after return. Questionnaires returned by 133 of the campers showed that 5% had an illness compatible with giardiasis within 2 weeks after their trip. These surveys show that campers exposed to mountain stream water are at risk of acquiring giardiasis.     

Inbreeding and canine mammary cancer: a retrospective study

Using files of the Animal Neoplasm Registry (ANR) in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California, we conducted a retrospective study to compare the degree of inbreeding in the ancestry of purebred dogs with mammary and other cancers, and of those without tumors. Wright's coefficients of inbreeding, calculated for all animals in the three groups, ranged from 0.000 to 0.535. The median inbreeding coefficients of the mammary cancer and comparison groups (consisting of other cancers) were approximately twice that of the nonneoplastic group, but neither difference was statistically significant. Dogs with mammary adenocarcinoma and mixed mammary cancer had similar degrees of inbreeding.     

Acute penetrating tracheal trauma

Four hundred seventy blood access procedures performed on 170 dialysis patients during the period 1962-1975 have been analyzed according to survival of access with respect to age, sex and cause of failure. Subcutaneous forms of blood access have a significantly longer life and are more free of complications than external shunts. Although the mode of access can now be tailored to the individual patient, the arterio-venous fistula remains the least expensive and simplest surgical procedure. It should therefore remain as the first choice of access for most patients.     

Utilization of cellulosic materials through enzymatic hydrolysis. II. Preliminary assessment of an integrated processing scheme

An integrated processing scheme is described for the conversion of a celluosic waste (newsprint) to sugrsa by enzymatic hydrolysis and then to ethanol and yeast by fermentation. The unconverted solids are burned to produce process energy requirements and surplus electrical power. Preliminary designs and cost studies are developed to provide a rough perspective on the potential economic feasibility of this method of cellulose utilization.     

Pyogenic arthritis of the sacro-iliac joint. Long-term follow-up

Nine cases of sacro-iliac pyarthrosis are presented. The difficulty in localizing the infection is attributable mostly to failure to appreciate the posteriorly situated physical findings. This, and the difficulty with early roentgenographic demonstration of the lesion, may lead to unnecessary abdominal exploration (as in two of our patients) or to prolonged delay in diagnosis and hence spread of the infection. Awareness of the usual physical findings and prompt use of radioisotope scanning to localize the infection led to earlier diagnosis and avoidance of surgery in three patients seen recently. Antibiotic therapy, with or without surgery, led to cure in all patients, with minimum sequelae.     

Cost of management of patients with haemophilia

The cost of managing 114 adult haemophiliacs in the west of Scotland was assessed for the period 1 March 1971 to 28 February 1974. Altogether 23 of them (20%) accounted for 80% of the resources used. The cost of hospital treatment of these patients during the period was compared with the predicted cost of home treatment, given the availability of freeze-dried factor VIII concentrate in sufficient amounts. We calculate that adequate on-demand home treatment would cost only 16% more than the present treatment, which is substantially less efficient.