Publications by authors named "Mark Wegner"

Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), a mosquito-borne (within the California serogroup), can cause severe neuroinvasive disease. According to national data during 2000-2013, 42% of the 31 documented JCV disease cases in the United States were detected in residents from Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Division of Public Health enhanced JCV surveillance by implementing routine use of JCV-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody testing followed by confirmatory JCV-specific plaque reduction neutralization testing on all patients with suspected cases of arboviral infection who had tests positive for arboviral immunoglobin at commercial laboratories.

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The Wisconsin Pharmacy Quality Collaborative is an initiative of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, which connects community pharmacists with patients, physicians, and health plans to improve the quality and reduce the cost of medication use across Wisconsin. In 2012, the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin received a $4.1 million Health Care Innovation Award from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand the Wisconsin Pharmacy Quality Collaborative statewide.

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Cancer causes substantial morbidity and mortality every year in the United States. To address cancer prevention and control in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health and the University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center forged a unique partnership.

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For the 2003 monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak in the United States, interhuman transmission was not documented and all case-patients were near or handled MPXV-infected prairie dogs. We initiated a case-control study to evaluate risk factors for animal-to-human MPXV transmission. Participants completed a questionnaire requesting exposure, clinical, and demographic information.

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Introduction: While heart disease, cancer, and injuries are leading proximate causes of death, research has demonstrated that about half of all deaths in the United States are actually due to preventable causes, including tobacco use, poor diet, and physical inactivity. Using state vital statistics data and findings from national studies, we report on the trends in the preventable causes of death in Wisconsin from 1992 to 2004.

Methods: The leading proximate causes of death in Wisconsin were obtained from Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health (WISH) data derived from individual death certificates.

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We determined factors associated with occupational transmission in Wisconsin during the 2003 outbreak of prairie dog--associated monkeypox virus infections. Our investigation included active contact surveillance, exposure-related interviews, and a veterinary facility cohort study. We identified 19 confirmed, 5 probable, and 3 suspected cases.

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Objective: Compare incidence, mortality, and trends of oral cancer (including the pharynx) in Wisconsin and the United States by race and gender from 1999-2002.

Methods: Age-adjusted incidence rates were compared using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC WONDER). Mortality rates were compared using data from the Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health (WISH) and CDC US Cancer Statistics.

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Background: In 1989, experts in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment met in Madison to set the public health agenda for cancer control. Part of the plan defined target percent change in cancer mortality rates to be met by the year 2000. During the 1990s, public health and health care professionals developed programs and policies to reach these goals.

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Neisseria meningitidis is a major cause of sepsis and meningitis in children and young adults in the United States. To examine recent epidemiologic features of meningococcal disease in Wisconsin, we evaluated Wisconsin case surveillance data collected during 1993-2002. Surveillance data for cases with onsets during this time were analyzed; statistical trends were assessed.

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A gas chromatographic method for the determination of formoterol (RS,SR)-diastereoisomer, a process impurity, in formoterol fumarate was optimized and validated. The method involves silylation of formoterol fumarate with N-(trimethylsilyl)imidazole in N,N-dimethylformamide at room temperature in an autosampler vial to produce trimethylsilyl derivatives of the enantiomers prior to GC analysis. The optimized silylation and separation conditions, respectively, produced good yield and resolution of the analytes.

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Background: During May and June 2003, an outbreak of febrile illness with vesiculopustular eruptions occurred among persons in the midwestern United States who had had contact with ill pet prairie dogs obtained through a common distributor. Zoonotic transmission of a bacterial or viral pathogen was suspected.

Methods: We reviewed medical records, conducted interviews and examinations, and collected blood and tissue samples for analysis from 11 patients and one prairie dog.

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Objectives: To measure the required reading level of a sample of child safety seat (CSS) installation instructions and to compare readability levels among different prices of CSSs to determine whether the lower cost seats to which low-income parents have greater access are written to a lower level of education.

Methods: A CD-ROM containing CSS installation instructions was obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Pricing information was obtained for available models from an Internet-based company that provides comparative shopping information.

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