Louisiana Parishes Research Articles

Awareness of Listeria and high-risk food consumption behavior among pregnant women in Louisiana

Listeria monocytogenes is transmitted predominantly through contaminated food. About one in seven (14%) cases of Listeria infection occurs during pregnancy. In this study, we assessed the awareness of foodborne pathogens including Listeria and high-risk food consumption, among 218 pregnant women in southeastern Louisiana parishes in and around an urbanized area. The results showed the relationship between awareness of Listeria and selected demographic variables, such as age, race, and education level. The majority (71.1%) of pregnant women reported the consumption of high-risk foods during pregnancy. One person reportedly consumed six of the seven high-risk foods. Gaps existed between awareness of Listeria and high-risk food consumption behaviors, although as pregnant women’s awareness of Listeria increased, their high-risk food consumption behaviors decreased. Targeted continuing education for pregnant women in Louisiana should address the gaps identified in this study.

Meriwether Lewis: The Assassination of an American Hero and the Silver Mines of Mexico by Kira Gale, and: The Unknown Travels and Dubious Pursuits of William Clark by Jo Ann Trogdon

Reviewed by: Meriwether Lewis: The Assassination of an American Hero and the Silver Mines of Mexico by Kira Gale, and: The Unknown Travels and Dubious Pursuits of William Clark by Jo Ann Trogdon Don R. Byrnes Meriwether Lewis: The Assassination of an American Hero and the Silver Mines of Mexico. By Kira Gale. (Omaha, Neb.: River Junction Press, 2015. Pp. xxiv, 552. Paper, $24.95, ISBN 978-0-9914093-0-3; cloth, $29.95, 978-0-9914093-1-0.) The Unknown Travels and Dubious Pursuits of William Clark. By Jo Ann Trogdon. (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2015. Pp. xxii, 469. $36.95, ISBN 978-0-8262-2049-3.) These two works join the extensive bibliography on Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and the great journey of discovery to the shores of the Pacific Ocean during the Thomas Jefferson administration. The writers represent the growing interest in local history and the emergence of amateur historians with a laser-sharp focus on specific events and historical figures that impacted their neighborhoods. Conspiracy theories are common elements of the two books, but the methodology is diverse and tailored to the interests of the two writers. In 2006 Kira Gale published Lewis and Clark Road Trips: Exploring the Trail Across America (Omaha, Neb., 2006), describing some eight hundred tourist destinations along the trail, which she traveled. Her next work, written with James E. Starrs, a forensic law professor at George Washington University, was The Death of Meriwether Lewis: A Historic Crime Scene Investigation (Omaha, Neb., 2009). Gale’s new study includes General James Wilkinson as a principal player because of his support for the idea in 1800 to capture Spanish Louisiana (providing access to the silver mines of Mexico) in the event that France attacked the United States. Wilkinson is portrayed as the conspirator par excellence who supported Aaron Burr’s effort to take the presidency in the disputed election of 1800, believing it would enable the invasion (see Norman W. Caldwell, “Cantonment Wilkinsonville,” Mid-America, 31 [January 1949], 3–28). But for the invitation from Thomas Jefferson to serve as his private secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis might well have been part of Wilkinson’s private army. While in Philadelphia, Lewis made “preparations to lead an army expedition called ‘The Corps of Volunteers for North Western Discovery’” (p. 157). After 125 pages of a detailed account of the journey, Gale introduces the Burr-Wilkinson conspiracy. When Wilkinson arrived in Kentucky in 1783, [End Page 159] he was in the westernmost part of the United States, where the Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers met. To the south was Spanish territory in West Florida and the parishes of Spanish Louisiana that extended from Baton Rouge to Mobile. General James Wilkinson was a veteran of the Revolutionary War who continued to serve in the military for a number of years thereafter. Jefferson appointed him to be the governor of the Louisiana Territory. Philip Nolan traveled to Mexico on Wilkinson’s behalf, where he accepted Spanish silver dollars. Nolan was later killed by the Spanish because of his 1801 expedition to Texas to attempt to gain land and wealth there. The relationship of Burr and Wilkinson was a marriage of convenience that Wilkinson exploited to gain land as well as support from the Spanish who were trying to maintain the function of what Herbert Eugene Bolton has called the “borderlands” to protect their holdings south of the United States. Gale describes Wilkinson as “an instigator and a collaborator” (p. 342). After attending the trial of Aaron Burr at Jefferson’s order, Lewis became the governor of the Louisiana Territory. Gale is convinced that Lewis did not commit suicide but was murdered by agents seeking to prevent the disclosure of Wilkinson’s involvement with Burr. The strength of the work, however, is the account of the expedition and not the redemption of Lewis. The book is well documented, and there is an extensive bibliography, as well as a functional index. Jo Ann Trogdon is an attorney who lives in Columbia, Missouri, where she found the 1798–1801 journal of William Clark in the State Historical Society of Missouri. She has previously published articles in Arizona Highways and in...

Louisiana residents’ self-reported lack of information following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Effects on seafood consumption and risk perception

In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill adversely impacted many communities along the Gulf of Mexico. Effects on Gulf waters, marshes, aquatic life, and fisheries were evident in the following days, months, and years. Through studying affected communities’ perceptions regarding the DWH accident, we aim to identify behavioral changes, understand public information sources, and inform dissemination strategies that improve communications from regulatory agencies. Over a three-year period (2012–2015), residents (n = 192) from 7 coastal parishes in southeast Louisiana were surveyed about their perceptions and behaviors before, during, and after the DWH accident. Self-reported consumption of local seafood decreased significantly (50%) during the DWH oil spill but returned to pre-event reported levels by 2015. However, negative seafood quality perceptions remain and have not returned to what were generally positive pre-event levels. Over 30% of study participants trust relatives, friends, and neighbors more than government officials or scientists as information sources regarding locally harvested seafood. Importantly, nearly 50% of participants report that they lack the information needed to make informed decisions regarding the safety of consuming local seafood. We conclude that a lack of information and trust in government agencies exacerbated negative perceptions of oil spill-related dangers. In some cases, overestimation of perceived dangers likely led to behavioral modifications that persist today. Efforts should be made to improve relationships between public health agencies and communities in order to properly inform all citizens of risks following environmental disasters.

Bacterial Leaf Spot of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in Louisiana is Caused by Xanthomonas perforans, Tomato Race 4

HomePlant DiseaseVol. 100, No. 6Bacterial Leaf Spot of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in Louisiana is Caused by Xanthomonas perforans, Tomato Race 4 PreviousNext DISEASE NOTES OPENOpen Access licenseBacterial Leaf Spot of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in Louisiana is Caused by Xanthomonas perforans, Tomato Race 4M. L. Lewis Ivey, A. Strayer, J. K. Sidhu, and G. V. MinsavageM. L. Lewis IveySearch for more papers by this author, A. StrayerSearch for more papers by this author, J. K. SidhuSearch for more papers by this author, and G. V. MinsavageSearch for more papers by this authorAffiliationsAuthors and Affiliations M. L. Lewis Ivey , Department of Plant Pathology & Crop Physiology, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 A. Strayer , Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611 J. K. Sidhu , Department of Plant Pathology & Crop Physiology, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 G. V. Minsavage , Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Published Online:21 Mar 2016https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-12-15-1451-PDNAboutSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailWechat In fall 2013 and spring 2014, bacterial spot characterized by necrotic leaf spots with chlorosis was observed on commercially produced indeterminate tomato plants in three parishes (Livingston, East Baton Rouge, and Tangipohoa) in southern Louisiana. Disease incidence was 100% and foliar disease severity ranged from 20 to 80%, on a scale of 0 to 100%. No symptoms were observed on the fruit at the time of observation. Diseased leaves were collected from each location, and lesions were excised, surface sterilized by dipping the leaf tissue in 70% ethanol, air dried, and macerated in 10 mM potassium phosphate buffer (KPB), pH 7.4. Ten-fold serial dilutions in KPB were plated on yeast dextrose calcium carbonate medium and four yellow, mucoid colonies were selected and purified. All isolates were classified as Gram negative according to the potassium hydroxide (KOH, 3%) test, oxidase negative, catalase positive, and induced a hypersensitive response in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants 48 h after inoculation with a 108 CFU/ml bacterial suspension. All isolates (MLI2-13, MLI26-14, MLI28-14, and MLI38-14) were identified as Xanthomonas spp. based on the production of an ∼420-bp product using a PCR assay with the genus-specific primers RST65/69 (Obradovic et al. 2004). All strains were identified as Xanthomonas perforans race 4 using real-time multiplex Taqman PCR with X. perforans probe, which targets hrpB2, and primers F1 and R1 (Strayer et al. 2014) and HR test results on tomato differential genotypes [FL216, Hawaii 7998, and a near isogenic line of FL8000 containing RxopJ4 (formerly Xv4)] (Sharlach et al. 2013; Stall et al. 2009). Pathogenicity tests were performed on 7-week-old tomato seedlings (cv. Roma). Three seedlings per test strain were sprayed until runoff with a suspension (∼108 CFU/ml) of X. perforans strain MLI2-13, ML26-14, ML28-14, or MLI38-14. Two additional seedlings were sprayed with water and served as negative controls. All plants were grown in the greenhouse under high relative humidity (∼80%) at day/night temperatures of 33/28°C for 14 days. Seedlings inoculated with the Xanthomonas strains exhibited water-soaked lesions within 10 days after inoculation. Seedlings sprayed with water did not develop symptoms. Isolations were performed as described above and the recovered isolates were similar in morphology to the original strains and produced an ∼420-bp amplicon using a PCR assay with the genus-specific primers RST65/69. Bacterial spot of tomato is widespread in Louisiana; however, this is the first report that identifies the species and race of Xanthomonas causing this disease. This new knowledge will allow commercial producers and homeowners to select tomato varieties with corresponding genetic resistance and will allow researchers to monitor shifts in Xanthomonas spp. populations causing bacterial spot of tomato in Louisiana.

Hurricane Katrina-linked environmental injustice: race, class, and place differentials in attitudes.

Claims of environmental injustice, human neglect, and racism dominated the popular and academic literature after Hurricane Katrina struck the United States in August 2005. A systematic analysis of environmental injustice from the perspective of the survivors remains scanty or nonexistent. This paper presents, therefore, a systematic empirical analysis of the key determinants of Katrina-induced environmental injustice attitudes among survivors in severely affected parishes (counties) in Louisiana and Mississippi three years into the recovery process. Statistical models based on a random sample of survivors were estimated, with the results revealing significant predictors such as age, children in household under 18, education, homeownership, and race. The results further indicate that African-Americans were more likely to perceive environmental injustice following Katrina than their white counterparts. Indeed, the investigation reveals that there are substantial racial gaps in measures of environmental injustice. The theoretical, methodological, and applied policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Depression, Mental Distress, and Domestic Conflict among Louisiana Women Exposed to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the WaTCH Study.

Background:Psychological sequelae are among the most pronounced effects in populations following exposure to oil spills. Women in particular represent a vulnerable yet influential population but have remained relatively understudied with respect to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS).Objective:To describe the relationship between oil spill exposure and mental health among women living in the southern coastal Louisiana parishes affected by the DHOS.Methods:The Women and Their Children’s Health Study administered telephone interviews to a population-based sample of 2,842 women between 2012 and 2014 following the DHOS. Participants were asked about depression, mental distress, domestic conflict, and exposure to the oil spill.Results:Over 28% of the sample reported symptoms of depression, 13% reported severe mental distress, 16% reported an increase in the number of fights with their partners, and 11% reported an increase in the intensity of partner fights. Both economic and physical exposure were significantly associated with depressive symptoms and domestic conflict, whereas only physical exposure was related to mental distress.Conclusions:This large, population-based study of women in southern coastal Louisiana, a particularly disaster-prone area of the country, revealed high rates of poor mental health outcomes. Reported exposure to the DHOS was a significant predictor of these outcomes, suggesting avenues for future disaster mitigation through the provision of mental health services.Citation:Rung AL, Gaston S, Oral E, Robinson WT, Fontham E, Harrington DJ, Trapido E, Peters ES. 2016. Depression, mental distress, and domestic conflict among Louisiana women exposed to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the WaTCH Study. Environ Health Perspect 124:1429–1435; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP167

Influences on Adaptive Planning to Reduce Flood Risks among Parishes in South Louisiana.

Residents of south Louisiana face a range of increasing, climate-related flood exposure risks that could be reduced through local floodplain management and hazard mitigation planning. A major incentive for community planning to reduce exposure to flood risks is offered by the Community Rating System (CRS) of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP encourages local collective action by offering reduced flood insurance premiums for individual policy holders of communities where suggested risk-reducing measures have been implemented. This preliminary analysis examines the extent to which parishes (counties) in southern Louisiana have implemented the suggested policy actions and identifies key factors that account for variation in the implementation of the measures. More measures implemented results in higher CRS scores. Potential influences on scores include socioeconomic attributes of residents, government capacity, average elevation and past flood events. The results of multiple regression analysis indicate that higher CRS scores are associated most closely with higher median housing values. Furthermore, higher scores are found in parishes with more local municipalities that participate in the CRS program. The number of floods in the last five years and the revenue base of the parish does not appear to influence CRS scores. The results shed light on the conditions under which local adaptive planning to mitigate increasing flood risks is more likely to be implemented and offer insights for program administrators, researchers and community stakeholders.

Perceptions of Food Intake, Physical Activity, and Obesity Among African-American Children in the Lower Mississippi Delta.

To explore the nutrition and physical activity perceptions of children for planning a healthy weight curriculum to address childhood obesity in African-American children living in the Lower Mississippi Delta (LMD). Six children's focus group sessions. Two Louisiana parishes in the LMD. Seventy 8- to 13-year-old African-American children, 46 (66%) females and 24 (44%) males, participated in the focus group sessions. Interview questions were based on personal and environmental determinants and content and strategies for a healthy lifestyle program for children. Focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed, observer recorded, and analyzed to identify recurring trends and patterns among focus groups. Content analysis consisted of coding focus group transcripts for recurrent themes and review of data by an independent reviewer to confirm the themes. Emerging themes were categorized as healthy lifestyle opinions within the social cognitive theory constructs of personal and environmental determinants and curriculum content. LMD youth recognized a healthy eating pattern and that overweight and obesity result from poor eating habits and physical inactivity. Children's food intake pattern did not reflect this understanding, suggesting a need for culturally tailoring an intervention to impact the poor food intake and physical inactivity in two low-income African-American Delta communities.

Abstract B01: The role of social support in alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence

Abstract Introduction: Alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk for some cancers, such as oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver and female breast cancers. Along with genetic factors, the psychosocial environment elevates the proclivity for high alcohol consumption and dependence. We examined whether social support, an important feature of the psychosocial environment, influences alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence. Methods: We analyzed baseline alcohol and psychosocial environment data in the Women and Their Children's Health Study, which has enrolled over 2,800 women residing in seven coastal Louisiana parishes affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. A comprehensive telephone interview was used to ascertain alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence and social support. We utilized multinomial logistic regression to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between social support and alcohol consumption/alcohol dependence. Alcohol consumption/alcohol dependence was defined using the following categories: never drinkers, current drinkers without alcohol dependence, and alcohol dependence as defined by the CAGE questionnaire. Age, race and depression were considered as confounders a priori, and we evaluated income, education, current employment status, oil spill exposure, smoking status, self-efficacy and marital status as potential confounders. Results: After restricting the dataset to subjects with available data on all predictors, 2,336 women were included in the analysis. The mean age was 44.8 years, with 57.3% of the population White. 69.9% of the cohort were non-drinkers, 28.1% reported currently drinking alcohol but did not classify as alcohol dependent, and 2.0% classified as alcohol dependent. We observed that women with low social support were significantly less likely to drink alcohol compared to women with high social support (aOR=0.69; 95% CI=0.53-0.88). Although not significant, a similar relationship for social support was seen when comparing alcohol dependent women and non-drinkers (aOR=0.60; 95% CI=0.28-1.28). In addition, we observed that depressed women were significantly less likely to be current drinkers compared to non-depressed women (aOR=0.78; 95% CI=0.62-0.98). However, depressed women were significantly more likely to be alcohol dependent (aOR=3.26; 95% CI=1.74, 6.10). Conclusion: Our data suggests that women with low social support are less likely to drink alcohol and to be less dependent on alcohol. Therefore, we infer that high social support may in fact confer elevated drinking behaviors among women. Since alcohol is a component cause for several cancers and the control of alcohol intake should reduce incidence and mortality of these cancers, identification and understanding of the modifiable social factors responsible for alcohol intake is also critical in the prevention of alcohol related cancers. Citation Format: Lauren E. Cole, Edward S. Peters, Edward J. Trapido. The role of social support in alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr B01.

Perceptions of Trauma and Loss among Children and Adolescents Exposed to Disasters a Mixed-Methods Study

The purpose of the current study was to extend knowledge of youth exposed to multiple disasters and the experience of cumulative childhood adversity by analyzing perceptions of trauma and loss in children and adolescents. A concurrent mixed-methods design was utilized to explore an ethnically diverse, predominantly low-income sample of youth (N = 4,154) aged 8–18 years from three parishes (counties) in Louisiana impacted by Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill. Youth completed assessments of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), hurricane exposure and oil spill stress, and responded to an open-ended question regarding lifetime trauma and loss. Independent coders assigned responses to 30 categories using a qualitative codebook based on both predetermined and emerging information. Codes were compared and contrasted for meaning and grouped into broader, organizing themes. Themes of trauma and loss included: death and loss of others, threats to life, family disruption, interpersonal trauma, and life transitions. Trauma and loss predicted PTSS when controlling for hurricane exposure and oil spill stress. Most trauma and loss conferred generalized risk regardless of event typology, although interpersonal trauma had unique effects. Findings improve understanding of the nature and extent of trauma and loss among youth exposed to multiple disasters. The use of a mixed-methods design clarifies prior findings in the broader trauma literature and child disaster studies. Through identification of vulnerable subgroups and patterns in perceptions of trauma and loss, findings have important implications for prevention and intervention strategies that promote long-term recovery.

Expansion of the Mexican Rice Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) into Rice and Sugarcane in Louisiana.

The Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is an invasive pest of sugarcane, Saccharum spp., rice, Oryza sativa L., and other graminaceous crops in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. Traps baited with E. loftini female sex pheromones were used to document establishment and distribution of E. loftini near sugarcane, rice, and noncrop hosts in seven southwest Louisiana parishes from 2009 to 2013. Additional field surveys documented larval infestations in commercial sugarcane and rice. After its initial detection in 2008, no E. loftini were detected in Louisiana in 2009 and only two adults were captured in 2010. Trapping documented range expansion into Cameron, Beauregard, and Jefferson Davis parishes in 2011 and Allen, Acadia, and Vermilion parishes in 2013. During the course of this study, E. loftini expanded its range eastward into Louisiana 120 km from the Texas border (≈22 km/yr). Surveys of larval infestations provided the first record of E. loftini attacking rice and sugarcane in Louisiana. Infestations of E. loftini in rice planted without insecticidal seed treatments in Calcasieu Parish reached damaging levels.

Abstract T P259: Study of Factors Contributing to Reduce Cost in an Innovative Post-Stroke Program

Background and Purpose: Stroke is the 4 th leading cause of death in the United States. Stroke-related medical costs and disability in the US cost approximately $73.7 billion in 2010 and is projected to cost $185 billion by 2030. Decreasing costs of care among post-stroke patients requires a combination of follow-up care and monitoring and targeted risk factor reduction. Ochsner Neuroscience Institute (ONI) has implemented a Comprehensive Stroke Care Model designed to increase quality and decrease costs of stroke across the continuum from symptom onset through 12 months post-discharge. This Model combines evidence-based, streamlined in-hospital care with monthly post-discharge follow-up and education in the home for patients and caregivers. Innovative technology that connects patients and caregivers with ONI stroke and internal medicine providers to address issues real-time during outpatient visits. This research will describe this innovative Stroke Care Model, including its impact on mortality, length of stay, stroke reoccurrence rate, and cost of care. Methods: This research will include patients seen as part of this Model from 1/3/2013-7/31/2014. Stroke Central, the in-hospital component, coordinated patients who presented at Ochsner’s Emergency Department via transfer, EMS, or personal transportation (n=1,711). Stroke Mobile, the outpatient component, includes a subsample of patients and their caregivers who were discharged with a stroke diagnosis and who reside in St. Tammany and Jefferson Parishes in Louisiana (n=288). Results: Stroke Mobile includes patients discharged from Ochsner’s Stroke Program with a final diagnosis of stroke who reside in St. Tammany or Jefferson Parishes in Louisiana from 2013-2014 (n=288 as of 7/31/2014). Patients that participated in stroke mobile reported a stroke reoccurrence rate 40% lower than patients not participating in stroke mobile. Conclusions: These results suggest a significant cost reduction in post stroke care through personalized patient visits that resulted in reduced readmissions rates, reduced stroke reoccurrence rates, and decreased clinic visits.

Abstract T P380: Blood Pressure Management among Stroke Patients: The Impact of a Comprehensive Post-Stroke Model in Louisiana

Background and Purpose: Stroke is the 4 th leading cause of death in the United States, and 38.4% of Louisiana residents report being told they have high blood pressure or hypertension in 2011. The American Stroke Association estimates that 80% of stroke can be prevented through effective blood pressure management, particularly for patients who have already had a stroke. Stroke Mobile, a novel, outpatient care program provides targeted follow-up care and patient/caregiver education for 12 months as part of Ochsner's Comprehensive Stroke Care Model. Stroke Mobile Care Teams, consisting of a Registered Nurse and Lay Health Educator, visit patients and their caregivers in their homes monthly to assess overall health, existing co morbidities, including blood pressure, and provide comprehensive patient/caregiver education and support. Stroke Mobile Care Teams can link back to providers to provide real-time intervention for patients whose blood pressure is elevated. This study will describe ongoing monitoring and intervention for participants in this innovative post-stroke care model. Methods: The study sample includes patients discharged with a final discharge of stroke who reside in St. Tammany or Jefferson Parishes in Louisiana and have completed 12 Stroke Mobile visits in 2013-2014 (n=33). Demographic characteristics and blood pressure management at hospital discharge and upon completion of the Stroke Mobile program was analyzed. Results: Of those who completed 12 visits (n=33), 60.6% had uncontrolled blood pressure levels when starting the Stroke Mobile program. Following monthly monitoring and intervention (as needed) for blood pressure control, 93% of patients who had uncontrolled blood pressure levels post-discharge were at or below their blood pressure goal. All patients were educated across multiple visits on stroke risk factors and blood pressure management and reduction strategies. Conclusions: These results suggest clear benefit from monthly post-stroke follow-up that includes consistent blood pressure assessment and maintenance strategies combined with targeted blood pressure education on management strategies post stroke

Heartworm ‘lack of effectiveness’ claims in the Mississippi delta: Computerized analysis of owner compliance – 2004–2011

A retrospective medical record review was conducted to identify factors from veterinary clinic medical records that may have contributed to suspected ineffectiveness of a heartworm preventive product. Patient records of 271 dogs, comprising 301 instances of positive heartworm antigen test results while the dogs were receiving heartworm preventive were evaluated. Nineteen veterinary practices in 17 counties and parishes in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee participated in the study. Records were selected by the veterinary clinics as representative of cases of suspected lack of effectiveness for a heartworm preventive, and for which an owner satisfaction claim had been filed with the manufacturer. Medical record data were entered into a software program, and a graphic representation was created to facilitate analysis of whether pet owners had purchased sufficient heartworm preventive for the dog to be compliant during the period when infection with Dirofilaria immitis could have led to the positive heartworm antigen test result for that patient (“window of infection”). In 243 (80.7%) cases, there was insufficient heartworm preventive purchased, leading to a gap in protection during the “window of infection”. In only five cases (1.7%) there were no purchase lapses or extenuating circumstances (underdosing of medication, multiple purchase gaps outside the established window of infection, or dogs have been diagnosed with heartworm infection more than once during the period studied). Half the cases were from multiple-dog households, and in many of these households, sharing of product between pets was acknowledged. In another 28% of the cases from multiple-dog households, more product was purchased than was needed for one dog, suggesting that the product was being shared between more than one pet. In most cases, there was at least one reason that a dog did not receive sufficient heartworm preventive product, placing the dog at risk of developing an infection with mature heartworms. Several actions were identified that veterinary clinics can take to improve heartworm disease prevention in their patients.

The Labor Market Impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Oil Drilling Moratorium

In 2010, the Gulf Coast experienced the largest oil spill, the greatest mobilization of spill response resources, and the first Gulf-wide deepwater drilling moratorium in U.S. history. Taking advantage of the unexpected nature of the spill and drilling moratorium, I estimate the net effects of these events on Gulf Coast employment and wages. Despite predictions of major job losses in Louisiana -- resulting from the spill and the drilling moratorium -- I find that Louisiana coastal parishes, and oil-intensive parishes in particular, experienced a net increase in employment and wages. In contrast, Gulf Coast Florida counties, especially those south of the Panhandle, experienced a decline in employment. Analysis of accommodation industry employment and wage, business establishment count, sales tax, and commercial air arrival data likewise show positive economic activity impacts in the oil-intensive coastal parishes of Louisiana and reduced economic activity along the Non-Panhandle Florida Gulf Coast.

Evaluation of seed treatment insecticides for management of the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in commercial rice fields in Louisiana

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most injurious insect pest in US rice production. Yield losses in excess of 25% can occur from severe infestations. Management demonstrations were conducted in the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 growing seasons to evaluate the use of commercially available insecticides to control L. oryzophilus in commercial rice fields. The demonstration tests, conducted on farms throughout Louisiana, compared the efficacies of recently registered seed treatment insecticides to untreated controls and to foliar applications of pyrethroids. Efficacy was assessed by collecting root/soil core samples three to four weeks after application of permanent flood and counting numbers of larvae and pupae in core samples. Tests were replicated across locations in multiple rice-producing Louisiana parishes. Densities of larvae and pupae in core samples exceeded the larval threshold (three larvae or pupae per core sample) in over 80% of untreated plots/cuts, confirming the ubiquity and severity of this insect as a pest of rice. Use of chlorantraniliprole (Dermacor® X-100, DuPont™ Crop Protection, Wilmington, DE), thiamethoxam (CruiserMaxx® Rice, Syngenta® Crop Protection, Greensboro, NC), and clothianidin (NipsIt Inside®, Valent® USA Corporation, Walnut Creek, CA) seed treatments significantly reduced L. oryzophilus infestation compared to untreated checks. Fewer larvae and pupae were observed in rice treated with chlorantraniliprole than in rice treated with other insecticides.

COLONIZATION OF NORTHERN LOUISIANA BY THE MEDITERRANEAN GECKO, HEMIDACTYLUS TURCICUS

The Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, is known to have colonized nearly every state in the southern United States. In Louisiana, the Mediterranean Gecko has been documented in many of the southern parishes, but records for the northern portion of the state are limited. We sampled northern Louisiana parishes to document the presence of the Mediterranean Gecko. We sampled a total of 21 parishes in northern Louisiana and found geckos in 17 of those parishes, 16 of which represent new distribution records for the species. This indicates a significant range expansion of this introduced species throughout northern Louisiana. Geckos were found across a temperature range of 14.0–28.0°C and had a strong association with buildings. The species’ affinity for anthropogenic association and the continual nature of anthropogenic expansion facilitate the high vagility of this species. The result is a successful colonization throughout much of Louisiana and likely continued range expansion throughout the southern United States.

Habitat Suitability Under Changing Climatic Conditions for the Exotic Ambrosia Beetle, Cnestus mutilatus (Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini) in the Southeastern United States

Abstract The camphor shot borer, Cnestus mutilatus (Blandford) is a nonnative ambrosia beetle first reported in the United States in 1999 at Oktibbeha County in Mississippi. Although, C. mutilatus is a major pest of several trees in its native habitat in Asia, it is not yet a major pest in the United States. However, the range expansion in recent years across the southeastern region indicates that C. mutilatus could be adapting quickly to the new environment, perhaps because of the availability of numerous host trees and suitable environmental conditions that support the population. As the population increases, future outbreaks of C. mutilatus may result in mortality of valuable hosts. Our objective was to identify potential suitable habitats for C. mutilatus in the southeastern United States under changing climate by 2020 and 2060 by examining C. mutilatus preferred conditions, host environmental requirements, precipitation, and temperature projections from an ensemble of general circulation model, and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change future climate scenarios. Our results indicated that suitable habitat for C. mutilatus in the southeastern United States will expand slightly under the A1B emission scenarios (i.e., moderate population growth and high-energy use balanced across all sources), and significantly under B1 emission scenarios (i.e., representing moderate population growth and an emphasis on global approaches to economic and environmental stability) by 2060. Whereas the opposite may occur under the A2 scenario (i.e., representing continuously increasing population, regionally focused economic growth, and slower introduction of alternative fuels technology). Nearly half of the parishes in Louisiana and counties in Mississippi will be suitable for C. mutilatus by 2020, under the A2 emission scenarios. However, suitable habitat range could decrease and become fragmented by 2060. These results could be useful in forest management efforts in places where C. mutilatus may become established in the future.

The Gulf Region Health Outreach Program – An integrated public health response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

ABSTRACT We describe the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program (GRHOP), a series of four integrated community-based projects designed to be embedded in and to complement the existing efforts undertaken by the public health community along the Gulf Coast. Funded from the Deepwater Horizon Medical Settlement, the GRHOP target beneficiaries are residents of 17 coastal counties and parishes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. The GRHOP is unique in that it integrates projects focused on primary care, mental and behavioral health, environmental and occupational medicine, and training community health workers to help residents navigate the healthcare system and access needed care. We explore the evolution of the program, integration and collaboration among GRHOP projects, sustainability, and lessons learned. We also discuss how health professionals, public health organizations, and community groups, have come together, with lawyers from both the Plaintiff's Steering Committee and BP, to integrate their efforts toward the ultimate goal of bolstering evidence-based services and community resilience by increasing sustainable access to high-quality medical and mental and behavioral healthcare, increasing health knowledge among individuals, communities, and providers, and strengthening public health research infrastructure within an integrated public health program.

Book Review: Before the Line. Vol I, II, and III

This three volume set written and compiled by Dr. Jim Tiller of Sam Houston State University (Huntsville, Texas) represents a significant body of work concerning the history of East Texas-Northwest Louisiana between 1803-1842. His study area includes what is now Caddo Parish in Louisiana and Harrison and Panola counties in Texas. Tiller's interest in the history of the Caddo Indian in this area is also shown by a series of articles he has written about them in recent years.