FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Mali Presidential Elections
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
August 20, 2013
I join President Obama and all Americans in congratulating Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on his election as President of the Republic of Mali.
We also commend the interim government for securing a peaceful, inclusive, and orderly election, and applaud its efforts to improve the process and alleviate challenges throughout.
We urge Mali’s new government to build on these efforts in preparing for upcoming legislative elections – the next important milestone as Mali restores its democratic institutions.
The transparent and credible manner in which the election was conducted honors Mali’s democratic tradition, and reflects the progress that Mali has made over the past 18 months.
To ensure the best possibility of consolidating this progress, Mali’s new government must address the country’s most pressing challenges, including national reconciliation and security sector reform, which is why we particularly emphasize the importance of Malian civilian control and oversight of the military.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
READOUT OF SECRETARY HAGEL'S CALL TO ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER YA'ALON
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ISRAELI DEFENSE
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Call with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:
This morning Secretary Hagel spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon to discuss a number of regional security issues. The call touched upon the ongoing violence in Syria -- including the recent claims of use of chemical weapons -- the situation in Egypt, and Iran. Secretary Hagel and Minister Ya'alon agreed to continue to maintain intensive dialogue on the multitude of challenges facing the United States and Israel.
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Call with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:
This morning Secretary Hagel spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon to discuss a number of regional security issues. The call touched upon the ongoing violence in Syria -- including the recent claims of use of chemical weapons -- the situation in Egypt, and Iran. Secretary Hagel and Minister Ya'alon agreed to continue to maintain intensive dialogue on the multitude of challenges facing the United States and Israel.
TREASURY DESIGNATES VIOLENT DRUG TRAFFICKER PURSUANT TO KINGPIN ACT
FROM: U.S. TREASURY
Treasury Designates Guatemalan Trafficker Allied with Los Zetas
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated Jairo Estuardo Orellana Morales, a violent Guatemalan narcotics trafficker, as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker (SDNT) pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). Orellana Morales traffics cocaine through Guatemala on behalf of Los Zetas and has been implicated in several executions in Guatemala in support of his drug trafficking activities.
Orellana Morales is linked to Marta Julia Lorenzana Cordon, a member of the Lorenzana crime family, who was designated by Treasury pursuant to the Kingpin Act in November 2012. Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of efforts by the Treasury Department to thwart transnational drug cartels, such as Los Zetas, which are responsible for distributing significant amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine in the United States. President Obama identified Los Zetas as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act in April 2009 and in July 2011, he named Los Zetas as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization in the Annex to Executive Order 13581 (Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations).
“Jairo Orellana Morales employs extreme violence in his efforts to traffic cocaine through Guatemala on behalf of Los Zetas,” said Treasury’s Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Adam J. Szubin. “OFAC will continue to deny Los Zetas and their Central American operatives access to the U.S. financial system.”
Today’s action prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with Jairo Orellana Morales, and freezes any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
Internationally, OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals linked to 103 drug kingpins since June 2000. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines for criminal violation of the Kingpin Act pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code.
Treasury Designates Guatemalan Trafficker Allied with Los Zetas
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated Jairo Estuardo Orellana Morales, a violent Guatemalan narcotics trafficker, as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker (SDNT) pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). Orellana Morales traffics cocaine through Guatemala on behalf of Los Zetas and has been implicated in several executions in Guatemala in support of his drug trafficking activities.
Orellana Morales is linked to Marta Julia Lorenzana Cordon, a member of the Lorenzana crime family, who was designated by Treasury pursuant to the Kingpin Act in November 2012. Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of efforts by the Treasury Department to thwart transnational drug cartels, such as Los Zetas, which are responsible for distributing significant amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine in the United States. President Obama identified Los Zetas as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act in April 2009 and in July 2011, he named Los Zetas as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization in the Annex to Executive Order 13581 (Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations).
“Jairo Orellana Morales employs extreme violence in his efforts to traffic cocaine through Guatemala on behalf of Los Zetas,” said Treasury’s Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Adam J. Szubin. “OFAC will continue to deny Los Zetas and their Central American operatives access to the U.S. financial system.”
Today’s action prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with Jairo Orellana Morales, and freezes any assets he may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
Internationally, OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals linked to 103 drug kingpins since June 2000. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines for criminal violation of the Kingpin Act pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code.
SUMMER WILDFIRE BATTLES RAGE ON THE HOMEFRONT
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
California National Guard Battles Several Wildfires
California National Guard
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 20, 2013 - Nearly a dozen aircraft and crews from the California Air and Army National Guard are battling wildfires across Northern California.
Currently, nine California Army National Guard helicopters and two California Air National Guard air tankers are working in coordination with CAL FIRE and U.S. Forest Service firefighting crews to battle the American, Swedes and Rim fires.
The aircraft have dropped more than 250,000 gallons of water or fire retardant since the first crews were activated Aug. 13.
National Guard units also are involved in fighting fires in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.
"We train for this fight every year," said Army Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin, the adjutant general of the California National Guard. "Our ongoing coordination with CAL FIRE and CAL OES ensures that the right people, with the right training, are in the right place when the lives and property of our fellow Californians are on the line."
Three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are battling the American Fire, two Black Hawks are assigned to fight the Rim Fire, and three helicopters -- two Black Hawks and one CH-47 Chinook – are engaged in battling the Swedes Fire. Meanwhile, one Black Hawk helicopter is staged in Redding, Calif., on call for medevac support.
Each Black Hawk is equipped with a 660-gallon water bucket, while the Chinook's bucket has a 2,000-gallon capacity. The medevac helicopter is equipped with a specialized crew and a hoist for extracting injured personnel from rugged terrain.
The helicopters have completed more than 229 drops, releasing about 111,500 gallons of water since their Aug. 17 activation.
The two C-130J air tankers are fighting the Rim fire. Both aircraft are equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems II (MAFFS) and are capable of discharging 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant along the leading edge of a fire in less than five seconds, saturating an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide.
Since their activation Aug. 13, the air tankers have completed more than 53 drops, releasing about 142,000 gallons of retardant.
STATE DEPARTMENT UPDATE ON JOSEPH KONY AND THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Update from the Field: Counter-LRA
Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations
August 20, 2013
Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have terrorized communities across four African nations for 25 years, killing 100,000, according to a UN report, and maiming thousands more. Along the way, the LRA has filled its ranks by abducting tens of thousands of children and forcing them to become soldiers and sex slaves.
In 2010, President Obama directed the Department of State, Department of Defense, and USAID to develop a strategy to help governments and communities end the LRA’s reign of terror. To advance that strategy, U.S. Special Forces were sent to advise and assist the regional militaries pursuing the LRA. At the same time, the State Department deployed experts from the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), created by Secretary Clinton in November 2011 to prevent and respond to conflicts in key countries and regions.
Jon Gandomi is one of those diplomats. Gandomi, who has served as the Department’s field representative for LRA issues since June 2012, and his CSO colleagues helped build a network that includes local communities, U.S. Special Forces soldiers, Ugandan troops, UN officials, and NGOs working to end the LRA. Gandomi’s CSO predecessors were Jason Lewis-Berry, Scott Duncan, and Charlene Brown.
“An important part of the U.S. strategy is to encourage Kony’s soldiers, most of whom were kidnapped as children, to leave the LRA peacefully,” Gandomi says. “This approach has built unique partnerships among civil society leaders, communities, NGOs, and UN missions. All of us understand that most LRA members did not choose to be in the LRA and remain with them only because they fear retribution by Kony. If we can make it easier to defect, then we increase the chances of getting them home safely and weakening the LRA.”
The number of defections has increased noticeably over the past year, indicating that this unconventional approach is producing results. Since May 2012, scores of LRA members have defected or were released. NGOs believe that 15 percent of the LRA’s Ugandan male fighting force has defected in the last 18 months. The number of people killed by the LRA decreased by 66 percent from 2011 to 2012, and the Ugandan military has removed two of the LRA’s most senior and notorious commanders since 2012.
“We know from recent defectors that the LRA is at its weakest point in years and morale is at an all-time low,” Gandomi says. “The LRA is fighting for survival.” Gandomi has worked with U.S. Special Forces and local NGO partners to set up locations where it is safe for LRA members to defect. They advertise these locations through radio broadcasts, leaflet drops, and messages played on helicopter-mounted loudspeakers.
Gandomi says it’s hard for most Americans to appreciate how much the U.S. role in the counter-LRA mission means to people in central Africa. “All three of the countries where the LRA operates are among the world’s ten least-developed countries,” he notes. “The region is incredibly remote and has almost no infrastructure, security, or governance. The people who have lived the nightmare of the LRA are extremely grateful for the U.S. presence. They see it as a sign that their years of suffering and trauma at the hands of the LRA have finally been recognized by the international community.”
In addition to travelling with U.S. Special Forces within the region on a weekly basis, Gandomi also engages with local leaders, civil society, NGOs, and UN missions to deepen the coalition of partners working across borders to share information, lessons, and experiences. “The best ideas and innovations in the counter-LRA effort come from communities on the ground,” Gandomi says. “Oftentimes our job is simply to provide a larger platform and support the role they want to play.”
Supporting locally driven efforts is an approach CSO uses in other engagements around the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. “The most unpredictable part of the job is trying to plan around the weather,” Gandomi explains. “In the rainy season you could suddenly discover you’ll be spending the night at a remote field location because travel becomes impossible. You just have to settle in and enjoy being isolated from the rest of the world. During those times I really feel that it’s a privilege to be involved in this work,” Gandomi says. “The region’s challenges won’t suddenly vanish when Kony is captured, but we have a real chance at ending one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts, and the benefits would be significant.”
Update from the Field: Counter-LRA
Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations
August 20, 2013
Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have terrorized communities across four African nations for 25 years, killing 100,000, according to a UN report, and maiming thousands more. Along the way, the LRA has filled its ranks by abducting tens of thousands of children and forcing them to become soldiers and sex slaves.
In 2010, President Obama directed the Department of State, Department of Defense, and USAID to develop a strategy to help governments and communities end the LRA’s reign of terror. To advance that strategy, U.S. Special Forces were sent to advise and assist the regional militaries pursuing the LRA. At the same time, the State Department deployed experts from the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), created by Secretary Clinton in November 2011 to prevent and respond to conflicts in key countries and regions.
Jon Gandomi is one of those diplomats. Gandomi, who has served as the Department’s field representative for LRA issues since June 2012, and his CSO colleagues helped build a network that includes local communities, U.S. Special Forces soldiers, Ugandan troops, UN officials, and NGOs working to end the LRA. Gandomi’s CSO predecessors were Jason Lewis-Berry, Scott Duncan, and Charlene Brown.
“An important part of the U.S. strategy is to encourage Kony’s soldiers, most of whom were kidnapped as children, to leave the LRA peacefully,” Gandomi says. “This approach has built unique partnerships among civil society leaders, communities, NGOs, and UN missions. All of us understand that most LRA members did not choose to be in the LRA and remain with them only because they fear retribution by Kony. If we can make it easier to defect, then we increase the chances of getting them home safely and weakening the LRA.”
The number of defections has increased noticeably over the past year, indicating that this unconventional approach is producing results. Since May 2012, scores of LRA members have defected or were released. NGOs believe that 15 percent of the LRA’s Ugandan male fighting force has defected in the last 18 months. The number of people killed by the LRA decreased by 66 percent from 2011 to 2012, and the Ugandan military has removed two of the LRA’s most senior and notorious commanders since 2012.
“We know from recent defectors that the LRA is at its weakest point in years and morale is at an all-time low,” Gandomi says. “The LRA is fighting for survival.” Gandomi has worked with U.S. Special Forces and local NGO partners to set up locations where it is safe for LRA members to defect. They advertise these locations through radio broadcasts, leaflet drops, and messages played on helicopter-mounted loudspeakers.
Gandomi says it’s hard for most Americans to appreciate how much the U.S. role in the counter-LRA mission means to people in central Africa. “All three of the countries where the LRA operates are among the world’s ten least-developed countries,” he notes. “The region is incredibly remote and has almost no infrastructure, security, or governance. The people who have lived the nightmare of the LRA are extremely grateful for the U.S. presence. They see it as a sign that their years of suffering and trauma at the hands of the LRA have finally been recognized by the international community.”
In addition to travelling with U.S. Special Forces within the region on a weekly basis, Gandomi also engages with local leaders, civil society, NGOs, and UN missions to deepen the coalition of partners working across borders to share information, lessons, and experiences. “The best ideas and innovations in the counter-LRA effort come from communities on the ground,” Gandomi says. “Oftentimes our job is simply to provide a larger platform and support the role they want to play.”
Supporting locally driven efforts is an approach CSO uses in other engagements around the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. “The most unpredictable part of the job is trying to plan around the weather,” Gandomi explains. “In the rainy season you could suddenly discover you’ll be spending the night at a remote field location because travel becomes impossible. You just have to settle in and enjoy being isolated from the rest of the world. During those times I really feel that it’s a privilege to be involved in this work,” Gandomi says. “The region’s challenges won’t suddenly vanish when Kony is captured, but we have a real chance at ending one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts, and the benefits would be significant.”
U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT COMBATS CHILD LABOR IN BURMA
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
US Department of Labor announces $5 million grant solicitation to combat child labor in Burma
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $5 million solicitation for cooperative agreement applications to support Burma's efforts to reduce child labor.
The project(s) funded under this solicitation will develop pilot programs to remove or prevent children from exploitative labor and raise awareness in support of Burma's efforts to comply with international standards. Eligible applicants should propose research that yields much-needed credible, comprehensive data on the extent of child labor in Burma. The project will build the capacity of national and local organizations to advocate for a reduction of child labor and improve access to quality education and other relevant services for children and their families.
Applications must be submitted by Oct. 4, 2013, at 5 p.m. EDT electronically or as hard copies to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Procurement Services, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Room S-4307, Washington, D.C. 20210, Attention: Brenda White.
All cooperative agreement awards will be made by Dec. 31, 2013. The solicitation for cooperative agreement application (SCA 13-15) is available online at http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/grants/main.htm and http://www.grants.gov.
Congress has appropriated funds for ILAB to support international technical cooperation projects to combat the worst forms of child labor as defined by the International Labor Organization Convention 182. ILAB grants address child labor through the provision of educational services for children and livelihood support for their households. ILAB also supports the collection of reliable data on child labor and helps strengthen the capacity of governments to address child labor in a sustainable way.
REPUBLIC STEEL FACES FINES FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS
FROM: U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT
Republic Steel faces fines of $1.1 million for 24 safety violations; company previously agreed to address hazards in 2012 OSHA settlement
CANTON, Ohio — Republic Steel has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 24 safety violations carrying fines of $1,138,500. Fifteen willful violations of OSHA's fall protection standards were found at the company's Canton steel manufacturing plant.
OSHA received a formal complaint from the United Steelworkers Union alleging inadequate fall protection and other unsafe practices exposing workers to various hazards in the plant's melt shop. During the inspection, opened in February 2013, OSHA discovered that two workers had been seriously injured in falls at the site in June and August of 2012.
"People working hard to provide for their families should not have worry each day whether they'll come home," said Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "Republic Steel put their workers' lives in danger, and that kind of disregard for safety will not be tolerated."
The company has a history of failing to address fall hazards. In 2011, after an employee was seriously injured in a fall at the company's Lorain, Ohio, facility, OSHA issued willful citations to the company for fall hazards. In a settlement with OSHA in 2012, the company accepted three willful fall hazard violations at the Lorain plant and agreed to address fall protection at its plants, including the Canton plant.
"Republic Steel has a long history of OSHA violations and disregard for employee safety and health," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "It is unacceptable that Republic Steel has not taken more effective steps to improve safety at the Canton plant, particularly in light of a 2012 settlement aimed at exactly that. OSHA will remain diligent in its commitment to protect America's steel workers."
A total of 15 willful violations were cited for failing to provide fall protection in the Canton steel mill. Among the violations noted were lack of fall protection while working on the runway girders that were 66 feet above the ground and falls of 30 feet due to missing and damaged guardrails. Workers were also exposed to falls of up to 30 feet above the slag pit and falls of 20 feet above the electric arc furnace and molten steel ladle. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
One repeat violation was cited for failing to post danger signs or other effective means of indicating the existence and location of permit-required confined spaces in the melt shop. OSHA issues repeat violations if an employer previously was cited for the same or a similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. The same violation was cited in August 2009 at the company's facility in Blasdell, N.Y.
Additionally, eight serious violations include tripping hazards, the use of electrical panels not suitable for wet locations, lack of personal protective equipment for employees working around the furnace, failing to evaluate potential hazards in confined spaces that employees might need to enter such as furnaces and duct work, and failure to train workers on hazards and issue entry permits for those spaces. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Republic Steel faces fines of $1.1 million for 24 safety violations; company previously agreed to address hazards in 2012 OSHA settlement
CANTON, Ohio — Republic Steel has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 24 safety violations carrying fines of $1,138,500. Fifteen willful violations of OSHA's fall protection standards were found at the company's Canton steel manufacturing plant.
OSHA received a formal complaint from the United Steelworkers Union alleging inadequate fall protection and other unsafe practices exposing workers to various hazards in the plant's melt shop. During the inspection, opened in February 2013, OSHA discovered that two workers had been seriously injured in falls at the site in June and August of 2012.
"People working hard to provide for their families should not have worry each day whether they'll come home," said Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "Republic Steel put their workers' lives in danger, and that kind of disregard for safety will not be tolerated."
The company has a history of failing to address fall hazards. In 2011, after an employee was seriously injured in a fall at the company's Lorain, Ohio, facility, OSHA issued willful citations to the company for fall hazards. In a settlement with OSHA in 2012, the company accepted three willful fall hazard violations at the Lorain plant and agreed to address fall protection at its plants, including the Canton plant.
"Republic Steel has a long history of OSHA violations and disregard for employee safety and health," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "It is unacceptable that Republic Steel has not taken more effective steps to improve safety at the Canton plant, particularly in light of a 2012 settlement aimed at exactly that. OSHA will remain diligent in its commitment to protect America's steel workers."
A total of 15 willful violations were cited for failing to provide fall protection in the Canton steel mill. Among the violations noted were lack of fall protection while working on the runway girders that were 66 feet above the ground and falls of 30 feet due to missing and damaged guardrails. Workers were also exposed to falls of up to 30 feet above the slag pit and falls of 20 feet above the electric arc furnace and molten steel ladle. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
One repeat violation was cited for failing to post danger signs or other effective means of indicating the existence and location of permit-required confined spaces in the melt shop. OSHA issues repeat violations if an employer previously was cited for the same or a similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. The same violation was cited in August 2009 at the company's facility in Blasdell, N.Y.
Additionally, eight serious violations include tripping hazards, the use of electrical panels not suitable for wet locations, lack of personal protective equipment for employees working around the furnace, failing to evaluate potential hazards in confined spaces that employees might need to enter such as furnaces and duct work, and failure to train workers on hazards and issue entry permits for those spaces. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
CDC ESTIMATES NUMBER OF AMERICANS WITH LME DISEASE
FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
CDC provides estimate of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year
Preliminary estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the number of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year is around 300,000. The preliminary estimates were presented Sunday night in Boston at the 2013 International Conference on Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases.External Web Site Icon
This early estimate is based on findings from three ongoing CDC studies that use different methods, but all aim to define the approximate number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. The first project analyzes medical claims information for approximately 22 million insured people annually for six years, the second project is based on a survey of clinical laboratories and the third project analyzes self-reported Lyme disease cases from a survey of the general public.
Each year, more than 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC, making it the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States. The new estimate suggests that the total number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease is roughly 10 times higher than the yearly reported number. This new estimate supports studies published in the 1990s indicating that the true number of cases is between 3- and 12-fold higher than the number of reported cases.
“We know that routine surveillance only gives us part of the picture, and that the true number of illnesses is much greater,” said Paul Mead, M.D., M.P.H, chief of epidemiology and surveillance for CDC’s Lyme disease program. “This new preliminary estimate confirms that Lyme disease is a tremendous public health problem in the United States, and clearly highlights the urgent need for prevention.”
CDC continues to analyze the data in the three studies to refine the estimates and better understand the overall burden of Lyme disease in the United States and will publish finalized estimates when the studies are complete. Efforts are also underway at CDC and by other researchers to identify novel methods to kill ticks and prevent illness in people.
“We know people can prevent tick bites through steps like using repellents and tick checks. Although these measures are effective, they aren’t fail-proof and people don’t always use them,” said Lyle R. Petersen, M.D., M.P.H, director of CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. “We need to move to a broader approach to tick reduction, involving entire communities, to combat this public health problem.”
This community approach would involve homeowners trying to kill ticks in their own yards, and communities addressing a variety of issues. These issues include rodents that carry the Lyme disease bacteria, deer that play a key role in the ticks’ lifecycle, suburban planning, and the interaction between deer, rodents, ticks, and humans. All must be addressed to effectively fight Lyme disease.
Most Lyme disease cases reported to CDC through national surveillance are concentrated heavily in the Northeast and upper Midwest, with 96 percent of cases in 13 states. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.
CDC recommends people take steps to help prevent Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases:
Wear repellent
Check for ticks daily
Shower soon after being outdoors
Call your doctor if you get a fever or rash
CDC provides estimate of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year
Preliminary estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the number of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year is around 300,000. The preliminary estimates were presented Sunday night in Boston at the 2013 International Conference on Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases.External Web Site Icon
This early estimate is based on findings from three ongoing CDC studies that use different methods, but all aim to define the approximate number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. The first project analyzes medical claims information for approximately 22 million insured people annually for six years, the second project is based on a survey of clinical laboratories and the third project analyzes self-reported Lyme disease cases from a survey of the general public.
Each year, more than 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to CDC, making it the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States. The new estimate suggests that the total number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease is roughly 10 times higher than the yearly reported number. This new estimate supports studies published in the 1990s indicating that the true number of cases is between 3- and 12-fold higher than the number of reported cases.
“We know that routine surveillance only gives us part of the picture, and that the true number of illnesses is much greater,” said Paul Mead, M.D., M.P.H, chief of epidemiology and surveillance for CDC’s Lyme disease program. “This new preliminary estimate confirms that Lyme disease is a tremendous public health problem in the United States, and clearly highlights the urgent need for prevention.”
CDC continues to analyze the data in the three studies to refine the estimates and better understand the overall burden of Lyme disease in the United States and will publish finalized estimates when the studies are complete. Efforts are also underway at CDC and by other researchers to identify novel methods to kill ticks and prevent illness in people.
“We know people can prevent tick bites through steps like using repellents and tick checks. Although these measures are effective, they aren’t fail-proof and people don’t always use them,” said Lyle R. Petersen, M.D., M.P.H, director of CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. “We need to move to a broader approach to tick reduction, involving entire communities, to combat this public health problem.”
This community approach would involve homeowners trying to kill ticks in their own yards, and communities addressing a variety of issues. These issues include rodents that carry the Lyme disease bacteria, deer that play a key role in the ticks’ lifecycle, suburban planning, and the interaction between deer, rodents, ticks, and humans. All must be addressed to effectively fight Lyme disease.
Most Lyme disease cases reported to CDC through national surveillance are concentrated heavily in the Northeast and upper Midwest, with 96 percent of cases in 13 states. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.
CDC recommends people take steps to help prevent Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases:
Wear repellent
Check for ticks daily
Shower soon after being outdoors
Call your doctor if you get a fever or rash
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