Synopsis for July 6, 2001

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

1. Two Fatal Cases of Adenovirus-Related Illness in Previously Healthy Young Adults — Illinois, 2000
2. Health-Related Quality of Life — Los Angeles County, California, 1999
3. Outbreak of Listeriosis Associated with Homemade Mexican-Style Cheese — North Carolina, October 2000–January 2001

Synopsis for July 6, 2001

Two Fatal Cases of Adenovirus-Related Illness in Previously Healthy Young Adults — Illinois, 2000

Efforts to reestablish adenovirus vaccine production should be intensified.

Adenoviral infection can occasionally cause fatal illness in previously healthy young adults. A safe and effective vaccine to prevent adenoviral illness was available for 25 years, but vaccine production ceased in 1996. Since that time, the U.S. military has experienced epidemics of adenoviral respiratory illness. Although most previously healthy young adults infected with adenovirus recover uneventfully, two fatal cases were reported in 2000. Adenovirus infection can be difficult to diagnose. Molecular diagnostic techniques were important in the post-mortem identification of adenovirus in both cases described in this report.

Health-Related Quality of Life — Los Angeles County, California, 1999

Health-related quality of life varies substantially among adults in this large urban population.

The findings in this report should be used to make informed decisions on allocating resources for healthcare services and public health programs for adversely affected adults in Los Angeles County. In Los Angeles County, adults living in poverty report significantly more days of poor health and of limited activity due to poor health than more affluent adults. Chronic diseases (including depression, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and asthma) also substantially reduced health-related quality of life in adult County residents. Tracking health-related quality of life in local communities can help to determine the need for health care services and public health prevention programs and to evaluate their effectiveness.

Outbreak of Listeriosis Associated with Homemade Mexican-Style Cheese — North Carolina, October 2000–January 2001

Non-commercial, homemade, Mexican-style cheese produced with contaminated raw milk was the likely source for an outbreak of listeriosis in North Carolina.

North Carolina laws prohibit the sale of raw milk for consumption, but the practice continues in some communities due to consumers' taste preferences and for cultural reasons. During this outbreak of listeriosis in North Carolina, 12 case-patients were identified; all were Hispanic (11 women and 1 immunocompromised man). Ten of the women were pregnant and infection with the bacteria resulted in 5 still births, 3 premature deliveries, and 2 infected newborns. Most of the patients reported eating unlabeled Mexican-style fresh cheese bought at local markets or from door-to-door vendors.

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