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Currently, there is limited research on whether it is better to try to avoid an animal or not in order to avoid motor vehicle crashes and related injuries. It is likely that the answer depends on the size of the animal, vehicle speed, road conditions, traffic, type of roadside obstacles, and other considerations. However, there usually is not enough time to consider these factors when deciding whether to swerve to avoid an animal. A driver’s best bet is to create as much time as possible to avoid a crash. This is best accomplished by our general crash deterrents such as following speed limits, avoiding drinking and driving, and avoiding distracted driving.
| PRESS CONTACT: Office of Communications CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (770) 488-4902 |
Animals crossing the roadway can cause drivers to crash and kill or injure themselves and passengers. CDC researchers found that about 200 motor vehicle occupants in 2001-2002 died and more than 26,600 motor vehicle occupants were injured and treated in emergency departments each year from motor vehicle crashes related to animals crossing the road. The highest injury rates were to teenagers and young adults (15 to 24 years old). Large animals such as deer, moose, elk, bear, horses and cattle were the primary animals (85 percent) involved in these crashes; injuries from these large animal crashes resulted from either a direct collision (54 percent) or swerving (45 percent) to avoid an animal. A driver’s best bet is to create as much time as possible to avoid a crash by following speed limits, avoiding drinking and driving, and avoiding distracted driving. Finally, all motor vehicle occupants should use proper restraints, including safety belts and children should be placed in age-appropriate restraints in the backseat to prevent injury if a crash occurs.
All inmates who receive a medical evaluation in a correctional facility should be administered hepatitis B vaccine to prevent ongoing hepatitis B virus transmission in correctional facilities and to reduce transmission in the community after incarceration.
| PRESS CONTACT: Cindy Weinbaum MD, MPH CDC, National Center for Infectious Diseases (404) 371-5460 |
Between Jan 2001-June 2002, 57 cases of acute hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) were identified among inmates at 31 long-term correctional facilities in Georgia. The majority of cases (72 percent) were acquired in prison, indicating ongoing HBV transmission occurred in correctional facilities. The extent of HBV transmission among inmates might be underestimated since most persons with acute HBV infection are asymptomatic and investigations of single cases are not routinely conducted. A survey at intake centers also showed most incoming inmates were susceptible to HBV and accepted hepatitis B vaccination (76 percent and 78 percent respectively). The ongoing transmission demonstrated in GA prisons might be occurring in other states, where similar conditions are likely to exist. Routine hepatitis B vaccination of inmates would interrupt HBV transmission among inmates during incarceration and reduce transmission in the community after incarceration.
Vaccinating offenders in jails and prisons is feasible, and may prevent about 30 percent of new acute hepatitis B cases in the United States.
| PRESS CONTACT: Cindy Weinbaum MD, MPH CDC, National Center for Infectious Diseases (404) 371-5460 |
Hepatitis B vaccination in prison has the potential to prevent a substantial portion of hepatitis B cases in the United States, since approximately 30 percent of reported acute hepatitis B cases are among individuals who have been incarcerated. Although hepatitis B vaccination in correctional facilities has been recommended for over 20 years, only five states have implemented vaccination programs. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice implemented a hepatitis B vaccination program in its prisons and jails, and proved that vaccinating inmates was feasible and was well accepted by inmates and staff. The large majority of both prison and jail inmates accepted the first dose of vaccine when offered. Ninety-six percent of prison inmates incarcerated for 4 months or more received all three vaccine doses.
Individuals who are being treated with TNF-alpha antagonist agents (i.e., infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab) for illnesses such as Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk of active tuberculosis (TB).
| PRESS CONTACT: Office of Communications CDC, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (404) 639-8895 |
Worldwide, several hundred cases of active TB in patients taking TNF-alpha antagonists have been reported to the FDA’s voluntary adverse event reporting system as of January 2004. A report from California in this week’s MMWR describes 12 cases of active TB among people in that State who were being treated with TNF-alpha antagonists. CDC recommends that patients who are going to be treated with TNF-alpha antagonists be evaluated for TB infection first and be monitored throughout the course of treatment for symptoms of active TB. Providers who prescribe TNF-alpha antagonists should educate their patients about active TB and evaluate anyone who has symptoms. As the use of TNF-alpha antagonists expands, CDC anticipates that associated cases of TB might increase, calling for heightened awareness and monitoring.
| PRESS CONTACT: Division of Media Relations CDC, Office of Communications (404) 639-3286 |
No summary available.
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Contact Us This page last reviewed August 5, 2004 Centers for
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