News in brief - June 27, 2005

Basil source of Cyclospora infection - Smoking rate continues to decline - Salt may worsen exercise-induced asthma - Breast cancer surgery and lymphatic fluid

Basil source of Cyclospora infection

The Florida Health Dept. is investigating an increased number of cases of cyclosporiasis, caused by a single-celled parasite that infects the small intestine. Fresh basil is the suspected cause of the outbreak.

In early June, health officials notified physicians across Florida to consider cyclosporiasis in patients who have intermittent or persistent diarrhea. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, substantial weight loss, bloating, increased gas, nausea and vomiting.

During the past 15 years, about 5,000 cases of Cyclospora infection were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. None of the cases was known to be fatal.

Cyclospora is often linked to various types of fresh produce and officials recommend that people wash all fresh fruits and vegetables, even though washing alone may not prevent the disease. Cyclosporiasis is easily treated with antibiotics.

Smoking rate continues to decline

The number of people who smoke cigarettes has continued to go down. It is not, however, going down fast enough to reach Healthy People 2010 goals, and the decrease is not uniform in all ethnic and racial groups, according to the May 27 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

According to data gathered from the National Health Interview Survey, 21.6% of adults were smokers in 2003, a decrease from the 22.5% in 2002 but still a long way from the Healthy People 2010 goal of 12%. Smoking by women dipped below 20% for the first time to 19.2%. Smoking among those ages 18 to 24 dipped to 23.9%, the lowest rate since 1991.

The survey also found that smoking rates are significantly higher among American Indians and Alaska Natives, those living at the poverty level, and those with lower levels of education.

This data has also been corroborated by other, more localized studies. For example, a paper in the June American Journal of Public Health, comparing Chicago neighborhoods, found smoking rates in poor, African-American neighborhoods double that of wealthier Caucasian areas.

"We hope that public health policy-makers and foundations will use this new data as a stimulus for effectively targeting communities and individuals who most need help to stop smoking," said Steven Whitman, PhD, one of the authors and director of the Sinai Urban Health Institute.

Salt may worsen exercise-induced asthma

A diet high in salt may exacerbate asthma triggered by exercise by increasing inflammation in the airways, according to a study published in the June Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Researchers randomized 24 subjects to either a low- or high-salt diet for two weeks and tested their lung capacity before and after exercise. The lung function markers were significantly worse after exercise in those on a high-salt diet than in those taking in less sodium. The forced expiratory volume was decreased by 27%. Pulmonary capillary volume and several markers of inflammation were also increased.

Authors of the paper suggested that this study demonstrates the impact of diet on this condition.

"These findings show that modifying your diet has the potential to modify a disease state," said Timothy Mickleborough, PhD, lead author and assistant professor in the department of kinesiology at Indiana University.

Breast cancer surgery and lymphatic fluid

Removing or sampling the lymph nodes during surgery for breast cancer can result in a severe build-up of lymphatic fluid that causes lymphedema in the arms or hands, note researchers at Ohio State University's School of Public Health.

Researchers found that slightly more than half of 580 women diagnosed with breast cancer in one study experienced such swelling after the surgical removal of a breast or tumor. The swelling generally occurred on the same side of the body as had their surgery, leading women to think their cancers had returned, said Electra Paskett, PhD, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health.

Dr. Paskett presented the findings on June 11 at the Defense Dept.'s Breast Cancer Research Program in Philadelphia.

While there is no cure, swelling can be reduced through massage or by wearing a compression garment, she said.