MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · May 1997
Illegal sales of cigarettes to minors--Mexico City, Mexico, 1997.
Because of the increasing prevalence of tobacco use among youth in the United States and Mexico, in 1996 the United States-Mexico Binational Commission (US-MBC) Health Working Group identified prevention of tobacco use, with an emphasis on adolescents, as one of its four priority health concerns. From 1970 to 1990, annual death rates for the leading causes of smoking-related deaths in Mexico nearly tripled and, in 1992, an estimated 10,253 persons in Mexico died as a result of smoking-related diseases, 9% of all deaths that year. ⋯ As part of the Mexican national program to reduce the prevalence of cigarette smoking among children and adolescents and in support of the goals of the US-MBC, during 1997 the General Directorate of Epidemiology (GDE) in the Secretariat of Health (SOH) conducted a survey of tobacco outlets in Mexico City to assess the percentage of retailers willing to sell cigarettes to minors. This report summarizes the results of the survey, which indicate that virtually no surveyed retailers asked minors attempting to purchase cigarettes about their age and that most retailers sold cigarettes to minors.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Apr 1997
Rubella and congenital rubella syndrome--United States, 1994-1997.
Indigenous rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) have been targeted for elimination in the United States by the year 2000. Progress toward reaching this goal is monitored through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and the National Congenital Rubella Syndrome Registry. ⋯ This report summarizes the characteristics of rubella and CRS cases and outbreaks reported in the United States from 1994 through 1996 and provisional data as of April 18, 1997. The findings indicate sustained low incidence of rubella and CRS since 1992 and possible interruption of transmission of rubella virus in late 1996.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Apr 1997
Urban community intervention to prevent Halloween arson--Detroit, Michigan, 1985-1996.
Arson, the second leading cause of residential fire-associated deaths in the United States, accounts for approximately 700 deaths annually, destroys homes, and destabilizes neighborhoods. In Detroit, Michigan (1990 population: 1,027,974), arson accounted for nearly half (46.3%) of all fire-related deaths since 1984. ⋯ In 1985, Detroit began a citywide intervention campaign against arson and vandalism during the 3-day Halloween period using data from an ongoing fire surveillance system maintained by the Detroit Fire Department (DFD) to target areas at high risk for arson. This report describes the intervention implemented by the city of Detroit from 1985 through 1996 and the impact of the intervention in preventing Halloween arson; approximately 34,000 volunteers participated in 1996, and the number of fires during this 3-day period decreased to the average number of fires for any other 3-day period during the remainder of the year.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Mar 1997
Measles--United States, 1996, and the interruption of indigenous transmission.
As of December 30, 1996 (week 52), local and state health departments had reported a provisional total of 488 confirmed cases of measles to CDC for 1996, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico had reported eight cases. In addition, indigenous transmission of measles in the United States was interrupted for a prolonged period beginning in late 1996. This report summarizes measles surveillance data for 1996, which indicate a substantial proportion of cases were associated with continued international importations of measles and outbreaks among school-aged children who were not required to receive a second dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV) to attend school.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Mar 1997
Methemoglobinemia attributable to nitrite contamination of potable water through boiler fluid additives--New Jersey, 1992 and 1996.
Nitrite and nitrate ions are naturally occurring forms of nitrogen that can be present in ground and surface water and can be used as a food preservative because they inhibit the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Exposure to excessive levels of nitrite or nitrate may result in the acute syndrome of methemoglobinemia (MetHb), in which nitrite binds to hemoglobin. This report summarizes the findings of investigations of two incidents in which unintentional exposure to high doses of nitrite occurred through drinking potable water contaminated with additives to boiler conditioning fluids.