Emerging Infections in 2001

Gam:na-hydroxybutyric acid in the treatment of alcohol dependence: possible craving decelopment for the drug. OJ. GHR-induced delirium: a case report and review of the literature on gamina hydroxybutyric acid. A case of gamma-hydroxybu-iyric acid withdrawal syndrome during alcohol addiction treatment: utility of diazepam adminisiration. Cliiz Netrrophanr? i999: 22(1):60-2. gamma-hydroxybutyrate withdrawal: a case report arid literature review. Emerging infections continues to be a hot topic in the infectious disease literature. Articles continue to be published revealing more insights ink) new diseases and disease processes. PCR and niolecular rech~iiques have made this detective work much reli-zbie and accurate. Some of the moye recent articles include the following: Transmission of Lyme disease. How long nwst a tick bike? Ticks can remain attached to humans for long periods of time feeding on blood. It has been debated hcw long a tick must remain attached for the Lyme spirochete Borrelia bzirgdo~feri to actu-aliy migrate through the tick and flow into the huinan host. In this study. (IJigt?er, d!D 2001. 183:773-8). infected ticks were ailowed to attach to mice and Lvere removed at 24 hour intervals up to 96 hours. Infectikity of both ticks and mice for Borreliu b~irgdo$er-i was tested using PCR techniques. No mice became infected if ticks were removed before 24 hours. Between 24 and 48 i~ours only 8% of mice became infected. Ticks allowed to feed 72 hours transmitted Lyme disease to 66% of host mice. Ticks allowed to feed 96 hours transmitted disease to 92% of host mice. If this can be correlated to humans. it would nleail that the chances of acquiring Lyme disease for a tick [hat had been attached for less than 48 hours would be minimal Wbai are the con~plications associated with La Crssse En-cepha#i$is"ta Crosse Encephalitis is one ofthe more virulent forms of California Eircephalitis, a D~iizyi~,ii-,is widespread througlaout the United States. The disease hrs ac animal reservoir an6 is transmitted to humans via !?osijultoes primarily ir! rr:rai areas. Some states have ngressive mosquito abatement control. in part for the control of potentiai!y serious diseases like La Crosse Encephalitis. 1Many children may present with only flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever. and discharge from an emergency room with a diagnosis of "viral syndmme." However, a recent article by McJunkin suggests that some children cvho develop La Crosse Encephalitis may not fair so itre!! (McJili?kin, N Engl d Med, 314jll]:KOI-7). In an afiakysis of 127 patients. most …