CDC news releases: E coli poisoning, colorectal cancer screening, arthritis

CDC Report Shows Success in Fighting E. coli O157:H7 
Highlights Need for New Food Safety Strategies

The rate of a severe form of Escherichia coli diarrhea significantly decreased in 2009, reaching the lowest level since 2004, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The incidence of the disease, called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157 infection, also met the national 2010 Healthy People target in 2009.  Infection with E. coli O157 is of particular concern because in 5 percent to 10 percent of cases the infection causes kidney failure and it can be especially dangerous for children and the elderly. >> learn more

New CDC Study Finds Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices Need Improvement 
Current screening methods for Fecal Occult Blood Tests are often not appropriate

More than 75 percent of primary care physicians in the United States who order or perform the fecal occult blood test (FOBT) as a screening option for colorectal cancer perform an in-office test rather than relying on the home-based test, even though the home-based test is more accurate, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found.>> learn more

Arthritis Impacts African-Americans and Hispanics More than Whites 
Arthritis causes more pain and limitations for African-Americans and Hispanics than for whites, according to a study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. African-Americans were 17 percent less likely to report having arthritis than whites, and Hispanics were 46 percent less likely to report the condition than whites, the study said. However, African-Americans and Hispanics with arthritis were almost twice as likely to report severe joint pain and work limitations attributed to their arthritis when compared to whites, it said. >> learn more