ABSTRACT
As the globe warms, people will increasingly need affordable, safe methods to stay cool and minimize the worst health impacts of heat exposure. One of the cheapest cooling methods is electric fans. Recent research has recommended ambient air temperature thresholds for safe fan use in adults. Here we use hourly weather reanalysis data (1950-2021) to examine the temporal and spatial evolution of ambient climate conditions in the continental United States (CONUS) considered safe for fan use, focusing on high social vulnerability index (SVI) regions. We find that although most hours in the day are safe for fan use, there are regions that experience hundreds to thousands of hours per year that are too hot for safe fan use. Over the last several decades, the number of hours considered unsafe for fan use has increased across most of the CONUS (on average by â¼70%), with hotspots across the US West and South, suggesting that many individuals will increasingly need alternative cooling strategies. People living in high-SVI locations are 1.5-2 times more likely to experience hotter climate conditions than the overall US population. High-SVI locations also experience higher rates of warming that are approaching and exceeding important safety thresholds that relate to climate adaptation. These results highlight the need to direct additional resources to these communities for heat adaptive strategies.
ABSTRACT
A case of refractory carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by a nurse is described. The nurse's home environment was widely contaminated with MRSA and two family members acquired the organism. Relapse of carriage after routine anti-staphylococcal measures and three negative sets of screening specimens resulted in a hospital outbreak involving three patients. The problem was finally terminated after a co-ordinated commercial cleaning of the house, thermal disinfection of all linen and replacement of some soft furnishings.
Subject(s)
Carrier State/microbiology , Cross Infection/etiology , Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient , Methicillin Resistance , Nursing Staff, Hospital , Staphylococcal Infections/etiology , Cross Infection/microbiology , Environmental Microbiology , Family , Female , Housing , Humans , Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effectsABSTRACT
An outbreak of Staphylococcus aureus infections occurred following discontinuation of antiseptic cord care on a neonatal unit. Multiple phage types were involved. The most common site of infection was the umbilicus. In addition, there were two clusters of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection and one due to Streptococcus pyogenes. The outbreak was rapidly controlled by the reintroduction of hexachlorophane powder for cord care.
