South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

About: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is a government organization based out in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 334 authors who have published 315 publications receiving 11187 citations.

Petriellidium boydii Infection of the Sphenoid Sinus

Abstract: Petriellidium boydii infection of the sphenoid sinus in a previously healthy woman was initially diagnosed by immunofluorescent staining of biopsy tissue sections. The diagnosis was confirmed by demonstrating P. boydii precipitins in serum and by isolating the infecting fungus. Despite surgical drainage and intensive therapy with miconazole nitrate, the outcome, because of intracranial extension, was fatal.

Facility-Wide Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Nursing Homes - Seven U.S. Jurisdictions, March-June 2020.

Abstract: Undetected infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) contributes to transmission in nursing homes, settings where large outbreaks with high resident mortality have occurred (1,2). Facility-wide testing of residents and health care personnel (HCP) can identify asymptomatic and presymptomatic infections and facilitate infection prevention and control interventions (3-5). Seven state or local health departments conducted initial facility-wide testing of residents and staff members in 288 nursing homes during March 24-June 14, 2020. Two of the seven health departments conducted testing in 195 nursing homes as part of facility-wide testing all nursing homes in their state, which were in low-incidence areas (i.e., the median preceding 14-day cumulative incidence in the surrounding county for each jurisdiction was 19 and 38 cases per 100,000 persons); 125 of the 195 nursing homes had not reported any COVID-19 cases before the testing. Ninety-five of 22,977 (0.4%) persons tested in 29 (23%) of these 125 facilities had positive SARS-CoV-2 test results. The other five health departments targeted facility-wide testing to 93 nursing homes, where 13,443 persons were tested, and 1,619 (12%) had positive SARS-CoV-2 test results. In regression analyses among 88 of these nursing homes with a documented case before facility-wide testing occurred, each additional day between identification of the first case and completion of facility-wide testing was associated with identification of 1.3 additional cases. Among 62 facilities that could differentiate results by resident and HCP status, an estimated 1.3 HCP cases were identified for every three resident cases. Performing facility-wide testing immediately after identification of a case commonly identifies additional unrecognized cases and, therefore, might maximize the benefits of infection prevention and control interventions. In contrast, facility-wide testing in low-incidence areas without a case has a lower proportion of test positivity; strategies are needed to further optimize testing in these settings.

Community intervention and trends in dietary fat consumption among black and white adults.

Abstract: Objectives This study assessed whether a state public health department could effectively implement an affordable nutrition intervention program at the community level. Design Cross-sectional data were collected via telephone surveys of 9,839 adults, aged 18 years or older, in 1987, 1989, and 1991 in two South Carolina communities. Nutrition education programs began in 1988 in one community. The other community served as a comparison site. We assessed and compared changes in community levels of dietary fat and weekly meat consumption, salt use, and nutrition promotion awareness with analysis of covariance regression techniques that included race, sex, and age as covariates. Results We observed favorable changes in most eating behaviors and levels of awareness in both communities. The intervention community experienced greater absolute changes than the comparison community in use of animal fats (−8.9% vs −4.0%; P =.02) and liquid or soft vegetable fats (+8.4% vs +3.6%; P =.04), and in awareness of restaurant nutrition information (+33.0% vs +19.4%; P =.0001). Although the primary type of dietary fat used differed between black and white respondents, we observed significant change among both groups. Conclusions These results suggest that community-wide nutrition education programs may have augmented regional or national changes in dietary behavior among white and black adults in the intervention community.

An outbreak of staphylococcal skin infections among river rafting guides

Abstract: Outbreaks of staphylococcal skin infections among healthy adults are most unusual. The authors report an epidemic of skin infections due to Staphylococcus aureus that involved river rafting guides in Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina in summer 1982. Infections occurred only among employees of the rafting companies that provided communal, on-site housing; carriage rates of S. aureus were as high as 89% at those companies. A case-control study found that having had an infected roommate was significantly associated with infection, as was working at the livery with the most crowded housing. This outbreak appeared to be due to two factors: frequent minor skin wounds acquired while rafting, and prolonged close contact among the persons with wounds. It is likely that crowding and exposure to infected wounds led to elevated S. aureus carriage rates, which in turn increased the probability that wounds would become infected. Repeated immersion in water likely enhanced the development of infections.