MMWR News Synopsis

Corneal Infections Associated with Sleeping in Contact Lenses — Six Cases, United States, 2016–2018

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

Sleeping while wearing contact lenses can increase risk of eye infections 6 to 8 times. Contact lens wearers can take simple steps to prevent contact lens-related eye complications, such as talking to their doctor about not sleeping in lenses, taking out contacts before swimming, and replacing lenses and storage cases when recommended. Contact lenses are a safe and effective form of vision correction when worn and cared for as recommended. This CDC report describes six people who suffered from contact lens-related corneal infections linked to sleeping while wearing lenses. Sleeping in contacts is one of the most frequently reported lens-related habits and is known to increase the risk for a serious eye infection 6 to 8 times. About 1 in 3 people who wear contact lenses sleep or nap in lenses. Contact lens wearers can take simple steps to prevent contact lens-related eye complications, such as talking to their doctors about not sleeping or swimming in lenses, and replacing lenses and storage cases when recommended. Eye care professionals should report contact lens-related corneal infections to MedWatch, the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event reporting program.

Prevalence of Disabilities and Health Care Access by Disability Status and Type Among Adults — United States, 2016

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

One in four adults, or 61 million people, have a disability and many experience disability-specific disparities in health care access. The most common disability type, mobility, is reported by 1 in 7 adults. In addition, disability is more common among adults 65 years and older, among women, in non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives, adults with lower income, and adults living in the southern region of the United States. The findings from this study can be used to reduce disability-specific disparities in health care access. One in four adults in the U.S is living with a disability. Using 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System information, CDC reports on the number of adults with disabilities among six disability types: vision, cognition, mobility, self-care, independent living and, for the first time, serious difficulty hearing. Mobility disability was the most common, reported by 1 in 7 adults. Disability-specific disparities in health care access were also commonly reported, particularly among adults 18-44 and 45-64 years old. Research on the number of people with disabilities, their characteristics, and their disability-specific differences in health care access might enable health care professionals to address disability-specific barriers to health care, ensure inclusivity of health programs, and reduce health disparities for people with disabilities.

Prevalence of Five Health-Related Behaviors for Chronic Disease Prevention Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adults — 25 U.S. States and Guam, 2016

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

Continued efforts are needed to target LGBT populations for overall well-being, including strategies for health promotion and engagement in health-related behaviors. Public health awareness of health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people has increased in recent decades. Healthy People 2020 included objectives to improve health of LGBT people. CDC estimated the five health-related behaviors including never smoking, performing regular physical activity, consuming no or moderate amounts of alcohol, having a normal body weight, and obtaining sufficient sleep daily among adults ages ≥21 years by sexual orientation and transgender status using data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 25 U.S. states and Guam. Patterns of the five health-related behaviors varied by sociodemographic characteristics and by sexual orientation among men and women, and among transgender adults.

Emergence of Localized Serogroup W Meningococcal Disease in the United States — Georgia, 2006–2016

Nancy Nydam
Director of Communications
DPH Communications
404-657-2462
404-402-5225
Nancy.nydam@dph.ga.gov

Although the Unites States as a whole is not experiencing the expansion of invasive meningococcal disease serogroup W that has been seen globally, the importance of monitoring changes in serogroups is crucial as it could have implications for the clinical presentation observed and outcomes of patients with invasive meningococcal disease. Globally, an increase in invasive meningococcal disease serogroup W has caused severe morbidity and mortality; however the United States has not experienced this same trend. However, localized increases in the US indicate that the strain circulating in Georgia may have diversified from the same ancestor as the strain circulating globally. Clinicians and public health officials should remain vigilant in obtaining isolates from all cases of meningococcal disease to monitor changes in circulating strains over time. They should also be aware of the potential for atypical clinical presentations that might not be indicative of meningococcal disease to prevent delays in treatment that could result in unnecessary morbidity and mortality.

Contraceptive Use Among Women at Risk for Unintended Pregnancy in the Context of Public Health Emergencies — United States, 2016

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

Local-level information on contraceptive use can help make sure women have access to contraceptive services, especially during public health emergencies, like disease outbreaks and natural disasters. Ensuring access to effective contraception has been identified as an important strategy for preventing unintended pregnancy and associated negative outcomes, such as serious birth defects, as a result of Zika virus infection. This analysis of data from 21 jurisdictions, collected through CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, found that between September-December 2016, in the midst of the Zika virus outbreak, the proportion of women in need of contraceptive services ranged from 368 to 617 per 1,000 women ages 18–49 years. States and territories can use this information to estimate the number of women who might seek contraceptive services, and to plan and evaluate efforts to increase contraceptive use, particularly in the context of a public health emergency.

• Percentage Distribution of Adult Day Services Centers, by Type of Service — National Study of Long-Term Care Providers, 2016

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.