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Microbial pesticides have been used for the large-scale eradication of insect pests in populated areas. These are bacteria or viruses that are infectious to a targeted insect pest but are usually harmless to mammals and other nontargeted species. Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (B.t.-k) is one of these pesticides that has been in use for more than 30 years for the control of agricultural pests. In the northeastern United States, it has been used for control of gypsy moth and other tree pests, by aerial applications. No full-scale studies have been conducted to assess the capability of Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) to cause human disease. One case of human disease has been associated with B.t. infection. The organism was isolated from an eye ulcer, following an accidental splash during a commercial application. Different variants have been used to control specific pests and some have displayed some toxic effects in small mammals, farm animals and nontargeted species of insects that are of agricultural significance, such as bees. An infestation of gypsy moths in Lane County, Oregon, a forest products center, precipitated a commercial ban of wood products from the area, resulting in a potential economic loss of one billion dollars annually. It was decided to use B.t.-k, applied by sprays from helicopters, to eliminate the pests. Two sprays were applied, approximately one year apart. The bacteria were mixed with a carrier-sticker polyethylene matrix prior to being applied to the test sites. All cultures in three hospitals and one outpatient facility were collected during the spraying period and one month afterward, which were then subcultured and sent to the participating laboratories and the state laboratory for identification of any Bacillus species present. A control laboratory, 60 miles distant, was used as the control site. During the second spray year other contamination detection measures were employed. Clinical histories were obtained from patients with positive Bacillus isolations. B.t. could not, unequivocally, be identified as the cause of the condition in any of the 55 patients from whom positive isolates were obtained. B.t. was isolated from three cases in which its disease causing role was not clearly defined. The potential pathogenicity of any microorganism cannot be overlooked, especially in view of the increased numbers of immunosuppressed and immunocompromised patients. The role of these important agricultural agents must be more extensively studied considering their potential to cause disease in humans. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

In Oregon, motor vehicles are the leading cause of death among teenagers, followed by suicide. In 1987 the state legislature required reporting of attempted suicides among those under 18 years of age. The data from 1988 show that 644 adolescents aged 10 through 17 attempted suicide, an incidence of 214 per 100,000. Almost 88 percent were 14 to 17 years of age, and were overwhelmingly white and female. Almost 20 percent were urban residents. The ratio of attempted suicides to completed suicides was 47 to 1, largely a function of the method used: those who used guns usually died, while those who took overdoses of drugs or cut themselves often lived. Whether those who use guns are more serious about the desire to die, or the method at hand determines the outcome is a question that must be clarified because successful intervention must be based on the answer. If locking guns away will only prompt a search for an alternate lethal method, other forms of intervention must be used. On the other hand, if locking guns away were to lead to the use of a less lethal method, this type of intervention would be useful. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Abstract: The largest reported United State, outbreak of illness caused by a foodborne pesticide was due to aldicarb-contaminated watermelons. In Oregon, where the first episodes of toxicity were reported, 264 reports source received, and 61 definite cases Were identified. Residues of aldicarb, anticholinesterase inhibitor, were found in 10 of 16 tested melons which had been eaten by persons meeting the case definition. The outbreak demonstrates the need for enhanced physician vigilance with respect to anticholinesterase intoxication. It also demonstrates the value of an established system for reporting of unusual illness to public health officials. (Am J Public Health 1987; 77:1431-1434.1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional Groups x Trials F ratio from an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was compared with three alternatives: an epsilon corrected F ratio, a nonparametric test, and a parametric multivariate test. The Type I error rate and power of the tests was investigated under violation of variance-covariance and normality assumptions. In general, the nonparametric test was preferable under violation of the normality assumption. When both normal-theory conditions were met, the conventional F ratio was preferred, but under severe violation of the variance-covariance assumption, the multivariate test was generally preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]