Mosquito controls with AGO bucket traps, Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap (AGO), tested by CDC

Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap (AGO) bucket trap is a standard 5-gallon bucket adapted in a specific way to capture mosquitoes.

AGO traps are available for purchase online from Springstar. Two traps cost $75, free shipping: https://www.springstar.net/collections/mosquitoes/products/ago

The Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap (AGO trap), was developed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and has been proven to reduce populations of Aedes mosquitoes by over 80%. It is effective for the mosquitoes that transmit Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. No pesticides or pheromones required. Just add water and a little hay.



From Springstar website: "The Trap-N-Kill® Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap is an 18 liter black bucket fitted with a “capture chamber” on the top. The capture chamber allows you to swap out the sticky board without having to pull off the whole lid. Twist the top half of the chamber and you'll have access to where the sticky board rests. The bucket itself is filled with water up to a specific depth that is controlled by a series of slots which are machined into the bucket sides. Gravid female Aedes mosquitoes are attracted to the hay-infused standing water and seek to lay their eggs on a hard surface right at the water line.

They try to do that by entering the capture chamber through the top screen. They can get through that screen with ease but other critters, like squirrels or birds can't. The capture chamber, a cylinder, contains a replaceable glue board that covers the entire inside portion of the cylinder. The mosquitoes cannot get to the water surface because the bottom screen is made of a finer mesh than the top one -- too fine for a mosquito to get through. As they keep trying to get to the water, they tire and may need to rest. When they choose to rest on the glue surface, that will be their final resting place, so to speak.

No pesticides or pheromones required. Just add water and some grass clippings or hay."

The "stickies" are the sticky issue here, as the replacements are not readily available for purchase. Pest management company Catchmaster lists "AGO Trap Replacement Glue Boards" on its website but there is no link to purchase them online.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4631065/
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/low-tech-trap-might-help-fight-zika-virus-outbreaks-cdc-n571501
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/21081
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article130514329.html
http://mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu/Workshop/Documents/Dengue_Workshop_Introductory_Talks.pdf

Even short term use of oral steroids (less than 30 days) linked to increased risk of severe infection (sepsis), blood clots and fracture

One in five American adults in a commercially insured plan were given prescriptions for short term use of oral corticosteroids during a three year period, with an associated increased risk of adverse events. Of 1.5 million adults, 21% received at least 1 prescription for oral corticosteroids over 3 period.

The most common indications for use were:

- upper respiratory tract infections
- spinal conditions
- allergies.

Within 30 days of drug initiation, there was an increase in rates of:

- sepsis
- venous thromboembolism
- fracture

Risk over the subsequent 31–90 days.

The increased risk persisted at prednisone equivalent doses of less than 20 mg/day.

References:

Short Term Use of Oral Corticosteroids and Related Harms http://buff.ly/2pI5qDY

Easier schedule for HPV vaccine: 2 doses instead of previously recommended 3

From Mayo Clinic: To protect against cervical cancer and other cancers caused by HPV infection, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now recommending that 11- and 12-year-olds receive two doses of HPV vaccine at least six months apart. This is a change from the previously recommended three-dose series.

The CDC says adolescents ages 13–14 also can receive the HPV vaccine on the new two-dose schedule. However, those who start the series later will continue to need three doses.



Self-administered HPV Test is one of the Top 10 Medical Innovations 2017, selected by the Cleveland Clinic:

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa, also known as acne inversa, is a chronic skin disease characterized by recurrent boil-like lumps (nodules) under the skin. Hidradenitis suppurativa was once thought to be a rare condition because only the most severe cases were reported. However, recent studies have shown that the condition affects at least 1 in 100 people when milder cases are also considered.

There are three levels in the management of hidradenitis suppurativa:

- topical options
- systemic options
- surgical methods including laser therapy

Dr. Christian Baum, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist, takes a look at a chronic skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa: overview of the condition and treatment possibilities.



References:

Hidradenitis suppurativa: a review of cause and treatment. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2011 Apr;24(2):118-23. doi: 10.1097/QCO.0b013e3283428d07.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21192260

Hidradenitis suppurativa. NIH http://buff.ly/1Jiligz

Bedbugs - National Geographic video

An army of these can attack a person 500 times in one night:



How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs - The Home Depot video:

Wash your hands for 20 seconds, as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice - Mayo Clinic video

From Mayo Clinic: Running your hands under the faucet with some soap for a few seconds isn't enough to kill germs.

To help avoid catching the flu and other illnesses, wash your hands thoroughly and frequently with soap and warm water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, particularly before leaving a restroom, eating or touching your face.

Wash your hands for about 20 seconds, about as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice. When visiting a public restroom, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door when leaving.

Keeping HIV and AIDS in check - Deutsche Welle video

Keeping HIV and AIDS in check: Dr. Keikawus Arastéh is an internist at the Center for Infectious Medicine and HIV of the Berlin-based Auguste-Viktoria-Klinikum. He explains how to recognize an HIV infection, how to avoid contracting it in the first place, and what therapies help keep it in check.

What we know (and don't know) about Ebola - TED-Ed video

The highly virulent Ebola virus has seen a few major outbreaks since it first appeared in 1976 -- with the worst epidemic occurring in 2014. How does the virus spread, and what exactly does it do to the body? Alex Gendler details what Ebola is and why it's so hard to study.

Lesson by Alex Gendler, animation by Andrew Foerster. View full lesson:
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-we-know-and-don-t-know-about-ebola-alex-gendler

Understanding Drug Resistance - video by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Resistance to antimicrobial drugs is a growing public health concern. Watch this NIAID video to learn more about how antimicrobial resistance develops and what scientists are doing to fight it.

65-yo patient received a standard-dose flu shot already this season. Should she get the high-dose shot too? Or get a second regular flu shot?

A 65-yo female patient received a standard-dose flu shot already this season. Should he get the high-dose shot too? Or try to get a second regular flu shot?

The simple answer is no. The patients should consider herself immunized. Studies show that getting a delayed second dose doesn't necessarily increase antibody response, and there's some concern that it might actually have a negative effect on the immunity. If you've already had the regular seasonal dose, wait until next year for another dose.


Image of the H1N1 Influenza Virus, CDC.

From CDC's Immunize.org website:

Sometimes patients age 65 years and older who have received the standard-dose influenza vaccine hear about the high-dose product (Fluzone High-Dose, sanofi) and want to receive that, too. Is this okay to administer?

No. ACIP does not recommend that anyone receive more than one dose of influenza vaccine in a season except for certain children age 6 months through 8 years for whom two doses are recommended.

Would giving an older patient 2 doses of standard-dose influenza vaccine be the same as administering the high-dose product?

No, and this is not recommended.

References:

New High-Dose Flu Shot for Older Americans: Answers to Flu Season Questions - AARP http://buff.ly/1ttjluQ

Ask the Experts about Influenza Vaccines - CDC experts answer Q&As; http://buff.ly/1ttjn6e

Fluzone High-Dose Seasonal Influenza Vaccine | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) | CDC http://buff.ly/1ttjnTu

How to diagnose Ebola? Lab tests are similar for most viral diseases - ELISA and PCR

Diagnosing Ebola in an person who has been infected for only a few days is difficult, because the early symptoms, such as fever, are nonspecific to Ebola infection and are seen often in patients with more commonly occurring diseases.

However, if a person has the early symptoms of Ebola and has had contact with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola, contact with objects that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola, or contact with infected animals, or suggestive travel history, they should be isolated and public health professionals notified. Samples from the patient can then be collected and tested to confirm infection.

Laboratory tests used in diagnosis include:

Within a few days after symptoms begin
Antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing
IgM ELISA
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Virus isolation

Later in disease course or after recovery
IgM and IgG antibodies

Retrospectively in deceased patients
Immunohistochemistry testing
PCR
Virus isolation

Ebola discoverer: 'This is unprecedented'. CNN's Christiane Amanpour speaks with Dr. Peter Piot about an "out of control" Ebola epidemic in West Africa:



References:

Diagnosis | Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever | CDC http://buff.ly/1rIdM81
'In 1976 I discovered Ebola - now I fear an unimaginable tragedy' | World news | The Observer http://buff.ly/1EoqpvD
Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.