Sarcoidosis Mortality in North Carolina: Role of Region, Race, and Other Sociodemographic Variables.

Background: There is regional variability in sarcoidosis mortality across the United States. North Carolina ranks highly in sarcoidosis-related mortality, especially among African Americans (AA). We sought to determine any regional variability of sarcoidosis-related mortality and the relationship to sociodemographic determinants of health in North Carolina.

Fatal incidents among tree care workers in the United States: A case series approach.

For over three decades, tree care workers in the United States have experienced disproportionately high rates of fatal injuries. While the types of fatalities have been well documented, few studies have used a qualitative approach to examine underlying circumstances and other contributing risk factors. In this study, a total of 69 investigative fatal injury reports spanning from 1987 to 2023 from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) were reviewed and assessed.

Antibacterial efficacy, mode of action, and safety of a novel nano-antibiotic against antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli strains.

Globally rising antibiotic-resistant (AR) and multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial infections are of public health concern due to treatment failure with current antibiotics. Enterobacteria, particularly Escherichia coli, cause infections of surgical wound, bloodstream, and urinary tract, including pneumonia and sepsis. Herein, we tested in vitro antibacterial efficacy, mode of action (MoA), and safety of novel amino-functionalized silver nanoparticles (NH-AgNP) against the AR bacteria.

Asthma May Not be a Potential Risk Factor for Severe COVID-19 Illness: A Scoping Review.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), but whether the asthmatic patients are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness than non-asthmatic patients has remained unclear. This scoping review aimed to assess the available evidence to determine if asthmatic patients are at a higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness. Searching several electronic databases and adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a scoping review of 70 articles and using defined inclusion-exclusion criteria, 21 articles were analyzed in-depth and included in this scoping review.

Retrospective Assessment of Preparedness for Mosquito Control Post-Hurricane Florence in North Carolina.

Objectives: Ideally, mosquito control programs (MCPs) use surveillance to target control measures to potentially dangerous mosquito populations. In North Carolina (NC), where there is limited financial support for mosquito control, communities may suffer from mosquito-related issues post-hurricane due to lack of existing MCPs. Here, study objectives were to (1) investigate the emergency response of a subset of NC counties post-Hurricane Florence and (2) develop guidelines and policy recommendations to assist MCPs in post-hurricane mosquito control response.

A scoping review on the effects of Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) on global honey bee decline.

Arguably the most ecologically and economically valuable pollinators worldwide, honey bees play a significant role in food production and enrich biodiversity through pollination. Varroa destructor is an invasive ectoparasitic mite that attacks and feeds on European honey bee, Apis mellifera. Because literature on the effectiveness and sustainability of various treatment modalities available for Varroa mite control in honey bee colonies are scattered, this scoping review was conducted to serve as a guiding document with a focus on: (1) identifying the detrimental impact Varroa mites have on the European honey bee; (2) determining current methods for Varroa mite control and their limitations; (3) examining current market landscape and key players in the pesticide market; and (4) identifying opportunities for more sustainable Varroa mite control methods.

Occupational fatalities among grounds maintenance workers in the United States (2016-2020).

Background: In 2019, grounds maintenance work was ranked among the most dangerous jobs in the United States. The objective of this study was to provide a national profile of fatal injuries of grounds maintenance workers.

Methods: Data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and Current Population Survey were analyzed to determine grounds maintenance worker fatality rates and rate ratios during 2016-2020.

Fluid Intake and Hydration Status Among North Carolina Farmworkers: A Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Agricultural workers are disproportionately at risk for heat-related morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to explore how sociocultural and occupational factors, and environmental heat stress influenced fluid intake and hydration status among Latino farmworkers working in eastern North Carolina.

Methods: A community-informed, mixed methods research study was conducted in partnership with staff at a federally qualified health center.

COVID-19: A Vaccine Priority Index Mapping Tool for Rapidly Assessing Priority Populations in North Carolina.

Background: The initial limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. presented significant allocation, distribution, and delivery challenges.

International, national and local trends in the spread of COVID-19: a geographic view of COVID-19 spread and the role to be played by coproduction.

Background: COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, emerged in 2019 and led to a worldwide pandemic in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a massive natural experiment in the formation of mitigation strategies to prevent cases and to provide effective healthcare for those afflicted. Regional differences in the impact of the pandemic on morbidity and mortality have been driven by political and regional differences in the coproduction of public health and social policy.

International, national and local trends in the spread of COVID-19: a geographic view of COVID-19 spread and the role to be played by coproduction.

Background: COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, emerged in 2019 and led to a worldwide pandemic in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a massive natural experiment in the formation of mitigation strategies to prevent cases and to provide effective healthcare for those afflicted. Regional differences in the impact of the pandemic on morbidity and mortality have been driven by political and regional differences in the coproduction of public health and social policy.

Ecosystemic Theory, Practice, and Policy: Training Recommendations for Environmental Public Health.

The readiness of the public health workforce to deliver the essential public health services is benchmarked against training competencies. Consequently, it is expected that the establishment of the Council on Education in Public Health competencies will continue to drive the agenda of the learning continuum, from education to practice. However, the absence of environmental health as a listed competency in the Council on Education in Public Health accreditation criteria weakens the core public health program structure originally outlined by the National Academy of Medicine (formerly known as the Institute of Medicine) and could further dissolve environmental health content from schools and programs of public health.

COVID-19 Deaths in the United States: Shifts in Hot Spots over the Three Phases of the Pandemic and the Spatiotemporally Varying Impact of Pandemic Vulnerability.

The geographic areas most impacted by COVID-19 may not remain static because public health measures/behaviors change dynamically, and the impacts of pandemic vulnerability also may vary geographically and temporally. The nature of the pandemic makes spatiotemporal methods essential to understanding the distribution of COVID-19 deaths and developing interventions. This study examines the spatiotemporal trends in COVID-19 death rates in the United States from March 2020 to May 2021 by performing an emerging hot spot analysis (EHSA).

Work Safety Culture of Latinx Child Farmworkers in North Carolina.

Background: Little research has addressed the safety environment of child farmworkers. This analysis examines the work safety culture experienced by Latinx child farmworkers in North Carolina.

Methods: Survey interviews were conducted in 2017 with 202 Latinx children aged 10 to 17 years employed on North Carolina farms.

Respiratory Health and Suspected Asthma among Hired Latinx Child Farmworkers in Rural North Carolina.

The aim of this study was to evaluate respiratory health problems, including suspected asthma, and healthcare provider utilization among a sample of Latinx hired child farmworkers in rural North Carolina (n = 140). In 2018, a respiratory health questionnaire and breathing tests were collected from Latinx child (11-19 years) farmworkers (35.0% girls and 65.

Calor Extremo: On the Frontlines of Climate Change with North Carolina Farmworkers.

Increasingly hotter temperatures threaten the environment and pose serious risks to human health. From contending with damaged crops and loss of work due to extreme weather to working in life-threateningly hot and humid temperatures, agricultural farmworkers are on the front lines of this harsh reality.

Preparing for the Health Impacts of a Changing Climate.

Over the past century, anthropogenic activities have resulted in high levels of greenhouse gases in our environment, creating a warming effect on the Earth. As a result, global temperatures have risen, shifting climatic zones, influencing weather patterns, and intensifying storms. These changes include heavy precipitation, drought, wildfires, hurricanes, heat waves, and coastal flooding.

Occupational Hazards and Health and Safety Risks for Latino Tree Trimmers in the Pine Forest Industry.

A pilot project was conducted to evaluate the working conditions and work-related body pain among Latino immigrant tree trimmers ( = 57) in the commercial pine forest service industry. Participants were interviewed about personal and work characteristics, job-related occupational hazards, and body pain. A structured questionnaire and a body pain diagram were used as measures for evaluating associations between personal and work characteristics and body pain.

Heat-Related Illness Among Latinx Child Farmworkers in North Carolina: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Children as young as ten are legally hired for farm work. In North Carolina, many of these hired children are Latinx; they often work long hours during hot and humid summer conditions. Heat-related illness occurs along a continuum of severity ranging from heat cramps and rashes to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can be fatal.

Health and Occupational Injury Experienced by Latinx Child Farmworkers in North Carolina, USA.

Children as young as 10 years old are hired to work on farms in the United States (U.S.).

Asthma deaths in North Carolina: 1999-2016.

Despite the significant decline in overall death rates in the U.S. over the past decade, many asthma deaths could have been avoided.