Declines in elevated blood lead levels among children, 1997-2011.

Background: Early childhood lead exposure is associated with numerous adverse health effects. Eliminating blood lead poisoning is a national health objective for 2020.

Objective: To assess temporal trends in childhood elevated blood lead level (EBLL) rates.

Adapting the pregnancy risk assessment monitoring survey to enhance locally available data: methods.

Despite the increasing emphasis on pre- and interconception planning, perinatal data available to local municipalities and organizations is often limited to that on the birth certificate. A partnership between a local health department and an academic medical center sought to overcome this gap. Using the core questions from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and a stratified random sample methodology (by income) in a county with ~8,000 annual births we mailed 2,462 surveys to mothers who gave birth between May 2009 and April 2010.

Outbreak of Mycobacterium chelonae infection associated with tattoo ink.

Background: In January 2012, on the basis of an initial report from a dermatologist, we began to investigate an outbreak of tattoo-associated Mycobacterium chelonae skin and soft-tissue infections in Rochester, New York. The main goals were to identify the extent, cause, and form of transmission of the outbreak and to prevent further cases of infection.

Methods: We analyzed data from structured interviews with the patients, histopathological testing of skin-biopsy specimens, acid-fast bacilli smears, and microbial cultures and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.