The Burden of Pulmonary Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease in the United States.

Rationale: State-specific case numbers and costs are critical for quantifying the burden of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease in the United States.

Objectives: To estimate and project national and state annual cases of nontuberculous mycobacterial disease and associated direct medical costs.

Methods: Available direct cost estimates of nontuberculous mycobacterial disease medical encounters were applied to nontuberculous mycobacterial disease prevalence estimates derived from Medicare beneficiary data (2003-2007).

Relationships between Diet, Alcohol Preference, and Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes among Americans.

Although excessive alcohol consumption is a recognized cause of morbidity and mortality, many studies have linked moderate alcohol consumption to improved cardiovascular health and a lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Self-reported alcohol and diet data used to generate these results suffer from measurement error due to recall bias. We estimate the effects of diet, alcohol, and lifestyle choices on the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular disease and T2D among U.

Evidence of multiple zoonotic agents in a wild rodent community in the eastern Sierra Nevada.

This study aimed to describe the occurrence of Yersinia pestis, Rickettsia rickettsii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and ectoparasites in a wild rodent community in the eastern Sierra Nevada. From May to September 2006, rodents were live-trapped, examined for ectoparasites, and blood was collected. All rodents were serologically tested for antibodies to Y.