It’s often called the stomach flu or food poisoning. It can ruin a business’ reputation and strip the cheer from the company Christmas party. It is the scourge of daycares, nursing homes and classrooms. It is norovirus, and according to a press release from the Wyoming Department of Health, it is spreading through Casper and Cheyenne. More »
In America, at least 23,000 people die every year from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 2 million become sick from resistant bacteria .Antibiotic use (or misuse) is the No. 1 factor leading to antibiotic resistance. That’s why the CDC designated Nov. 14-18 Get Smart About Antibiotics Week. Here, Mark Dowell, M.D., answers common questions about antibiotic resistance. More »
Sepsis isn’t caused by a particular bug, virus or bacterium. Rather, it is your body’s toxic response to infection. While your body’s immune system was designed to fight off infection, it sometimes goes into overdrive and begins to attack your body. Many infections can lead to sepsis, but pneumonia and infections of your abdomen, kidneys or bloodstream are more likely to cause it than others. More »
Something to remember while planning your summer picnic with family and friends: Mosquitoes, ticks and deer flies are hoping to make a picnic out of you. Bug bites aren’t just itchy and annoying. A man in Big Horn County died last year in an outbreak of tularemia that sickened 22 people. Here’s a look at the infections these blood suckers could spread after puncturing your skin with their flexible probing mouthparts this holiday weekend. More »
The Zika virus is carried by a mosquito closely related to the carrier of yellow fever, and it has been shown to cause alarming birth defects in newborn babies. So far, it’s been reported in Africa, the Caribbean, and areas of South and Central America. Do we, in the great northern state of Wyoming, have anything to worry about? Here, infectious disease specialist Mark Dowell, M.D., answers seven questions about Zika basics. More »
Kaye Phiriot poses in the lobby of Wyoming Medical Center. A sliver in her right thumb turned septic and might have taken her life had she not ... More »
Three looks of the influenza A virus, from left: A colorized transmission micrograph of Avian flu (CDC), Influenza A 'late passage' (CDC), and 'H1N1 navbox' (Cybercobra) Since ... More »
This week, the Wyoming Department of Health reported that tularemia had killed a Big Horn County man and sickened at least 10 others across the state: five in ... More »
Trista Russell, registered nurse, cares for a pediatric patient at Wyoming Medical Center. National Nurses Week 2015 begins this week. It’s a great excuse (as if you ... More »
While you can't measure a hospital by numbers alone, we're pretty proud of those we put up in 2014: 45 minutes average door-to-balloon time for STEMI heart attacks ... More »
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the 2014-2015 flu vaccine is not as protective as hoped for the seasonal influenza A H3N2 virus, a ... More »
Bighorn Mountain Lake looks pristine enough to drink, but looks can be deceiving. Submitted by Rocky Mountain Infectious Diseases When the weather holds, September is a great ... More »
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