Synopsis for January 19, 2001

MMWR articles are embargoed until 4 p.m. E.S.T. Thursdays.

1. Update: Outbreak of Acute Febrile Illness Among Athletes Participating in EcoChallenge-Sabah 2000 — Borneo, Malaysia, 2000
2. Health-Related Quality of Life Among Persons with Epilepsy — Texas, 1998

Recommendations and Reports

January 19, 2001/Vol. 50/No. RR-1
Preventing and Controlling Tuberculosis Along the U.S.-Mexico Border: Work Group Report

Contact: Office of Communications
CDC, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention
(404) 639–8895

Update: Outbreak of Acute Febrile Illness Among Athletes Participating in EcoChallenge-Sabah 2000 — Borneo, Malaysia, 2000

Exposure to pathogens previously considered unusual or exotic is likely to increase as more individuals participate in adventure tourism.

Adventure travel and eco-tourism represent the fastest growing segment of leisure travel; with this increase goes the increasing likelihood of contact with unusual infectious agents. The Eco-Challenge leptospirosis outbreak serves as one reminder that diseases endemic to remote areas can lead to infection in travelers and athletes from developed nations. Increasingly, travelers to remote areas need to be aware of infectious disease risks, and take precautionary measures to prevent infection. In addition, physicians in developed countries need to consider infection with uncommon agents, such as leptospires, in their patients with appropriate travel and exposure histories. This study suggests that individuals at high risk for leptospirosis, such as those participating in water sports in epidemic areas, may benefit from pre-exposure chemoprophylaxis with doxycycline to prevent or limit illness.

Health-Related Quality of Life Among Persons with Epilepsy — Texas, 1998

Healthcare providers and policymakers should work with the public to de-stigmatize epilepsy and improve access to care.

Epilepsy, a chronic, neurological disorder that affects long-term physical, psychological and social functioning, is also a stigmatizing social label. Epilepsy substantially impacts health because of seizures, side effects of medicines, lifestyle restrictions, and social stigma; therefore, this research sought to examine how persons with epilepsy rate their physical and mental health. Adults with epilepsy reported twice as many days per month when mental and physical health were not good than persons without epilepsy (12.1 days for people with epilepsy compared to 5.7 days for people without), and 5 more days of depression and anxiety and almost 7 more days of pain. For health-related quality of life to improve for people with epilepsy, routine medical care that focuses on controlling seizures and their effects is needed.

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