Division of Disease Control and Health Protection

Please print out this material and share with epidemiology staff, county health department directors, administrators, medical directors, nursing directors, environmental health directors and others with an interest in information of this type. Thank you.

In this issue:

The time is rapidly approaching for the Annual Statewide Epidemiology Seminar ( September 30-October 1). We believe we have developed an interesting, informative and challenging agenda, a list of exciting speakers and an excellent poster session, not to mention time and occasion for colleagues to interact. Be sure to take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity! Reserve your hotel room and register for the meeting early.

For those interested in laboratory issues related to epidemiology, a pre-seminar meeting will be held on the evening of Wednesday, September 29^th, for participants to learn more about these issues. There is no registration fee for this meeting.

Richard S. Hopkins, MD, MSPH, Bureau Chief, State Epidemiologist

Lisa Conti, DVM, MPH, State Public Health Veterinarian

A case of EEE in a child from Walton County was confirmed earlier this week. This is the first case for 1999. The average annual number of cases in Florida is one. An updated map entitled " EEE in Horses by Owner's County of Residence and Month of Report, January through August 31, 1999" is attached. The map will also be posted to the DOH internet web page at www.doh.state.fl.us . Should you have trouble accessing the map via e-mail or the internet, please contact Jill Parker. ¨

EEE in Horses by Owner's County of Residence and Month of Report

Bureau of Epidemiology, Chronic Disease Section (submitted by Dan Thompson)

The Bureau of Epidemiology has an opening in the Chronic Disease Section. The position is a Medical/Health Care Program Analyst, which is a pay grade 24 with a minimum salary of $34,831. The closing date is 9/29/99. Due to fiscal constraints, we plan to hire at or very close to the minimum salary. This position was held until recently by Annette Schwabe.

The position is Career Service and is funded by the National Program of Cancer Registries Grant from CDC. Most of the work of this position is in the areas of cancer epidemiology and cancer registry issues. One of the major duties for this position is the

production of the Florida Annual Cancer Report. An example of this report is the 1995 report available on the Epidemiology web page within the DOH internet site (www.doh.state.fl.us).

Good candidates for this position are persons with experience working with large data sets and programming in SPSS, SAS or similar software, and experience in cancer epidemiology and statistics. Last but certainly not least, is the inclination and ability to write up the results of the work.

Persons interested in this job can find out how to apply and learn more about the required education and experience by looking up the Job Announcement on the internet at http://www.state.fl.us/oraweb/owa/jobvac.detail?pvac_key=9638. The position number is 068590.

After many years of dedicated public health service, Jack Wroten is retiring from his position as Chief of STD Prevention and Control. Those persons interested in applying for the vacancy can find the job description and additional information on the internet at

http://www.state.fl.us/oraweb/owa/jobvac.detail?pvac_key=9631. The position number is 048119 and the closing date is September 17, 1999. ¨

The CDC's Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases has a website focusing on the prevention of antibiotic resistance. Updated information and educational materials about antibiotic resistance are available. The website is: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/antibioticresistance/. ¨

"A complete list of superstitious ideas concerning the prevention or cure of diseases, prevalent among ignorant people even to this day, would be almost endless. In a recent address Dr. Joseph L. Miller, long a practicing physician among the hill folk of West Virginia, enumerated a few of them, including the following:"

"Soot or cobwebs stop bleeding; a bag of asafetida hung around the neck prevents measles, diphtheria and whooping cough; amber necklaces prevent goiter; rubbing a greasy dishrag over a baby’s face stops convulsions; piercing the ears aids weak eyes; nutmegs worn around the neck prevent indigestion and colic; blood from a black cat cures erysipelas; carrying horse chestnuts in the pocket prevents rheumatism; a coin held under the upper lip and a cold key dropped down the back will stop a nosebleed."

"The annoyance of hiccoughs may be readily abated by taking nine sips of water, counting to nine backwards and turning around nine times; putting on a baby’s clothes feet first insures normal growth; wearing the knee cap of a sheep prevents cramps; placing a pan of water under the bed stops night sweats; wearing a rattlesnake skin prevents lumbago; rubbing snake oil, skunk fat or fishing worm oil into the joints cures inflammation; wrapping a warm red woolen sock around the neck cures sore throat."

"The ritual of curing asthma is more elaborate. Back the patient up against a tree, peg a lock of hair into a hole bored in its trunk and snip it off. When the bark grows over the hair the asthma will be gone."

"All the foregoing are utterly foolish procedures of course, but superstitious persons believe in some or all of them. And if such beliefs give them any comfort, who should worry." ¨