Interesting article on scalp lesions

[Guest guest]

Many on here have commented on loss of hair. And I am one. I believe

it was Elvira, whom said her grandsons head was full of lesions. Now

they say Bacillus cereus and aspergillus like mold.

Medscape:

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Short Military Haircuts Linked to Bacillus cereus Scalp Infections

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 08 - Short haircuts, followed by

exposure to mud and shared sunscreen, seems to have caused an outbreak

of cutaneous Bacillus cereus infections among cadets in a university

military program, according to a new report.

In August 2004, the Georgia Division of Public Health (GDPH) was

notified of the outbreak, which occurred during the freshman military

orientation week. Ninety-four (14%) of 660 cadets developed

nonpruritic, impetigo-like lesions on their scalps.

According to the article in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

for December 9, infections resolved within 48 hours with use of

antibacterial soap and oral cephalexin.

Cultures from lesions of three cadets were positive for the same

strain of B. cereus.

Co-author Dr. K. Arnold from the GDPH and colleagues note that the

freshman males had received short haircuts using electric clippers

without scalp guards. During orientation week, they were immersed in

mud and river water, wore helmets, and shared sunscreen.

Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated significant

associations between having scalp lesions and receiving a haircut at

the beginning of orientation (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 10.6),

membership in Company B (AOR = 9.7), and sharing sunscreen (AOR = 2.7).

The GDPH recommended that the university military program change the

haircuts so there would be less scalp injury, allow adequate time for

showering, and discourage sharing of sunscreen.

Following implementation of these recommendations during the 2005

orientation, no subsequent skin infections were reported.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

2368698 & dopt=Abstract

Brain abscesses resulting from Bacillus cereus and an Aspergillus-like

mold. Psiachou-Leonard E, Sidi V, Tsivitanidou M, Gompakis N,

Koliouskas D, Roilides E. Department of Pediatric Oncology,

Hippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. An 11-year-old boy with

alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of the thigh experienced three instances of

catheter-related bacteremia resulting from After two episodes of

seizures, two low-density lesions in the right parietal lobe and the

left corpus callosum with enhanced pericavitary opacity were detected.

The catheter was removed. A brain biopsy sample grew and revealed

dichotomously branched septate hyphae compatible with The patient was

treated with ceftriaxone and liposomal amphotericin B for 12 and 52

weeks, respectively, until biopsy-confirmed resolution of the infections.