Why is Human Parvo Called Fifth Disease?

With so much discussion of the Coronavirus family, many have questions about the Parvovirus. This virus was not discovered until the 1960s, and is still being researched.

While there are two common forms of Parvo in canines, there is only one common form in humans. These viruses are not zoonotic. In other words, you can't catch Parvo from your dog, nor can he catch it from you.

Parvovirus B-19, the human form, is so named not due to the year it was first discovered, but identified from a label on a patient's blood sample. While many don't use the name Parvo for the human virus, most have heard of Fifth Disease.

According to the CDC, over 50% of adults in the U.S. test positive for Fifth Disease antibodies, so named due to a numerical listing in an old medical text published before the exact virus was discovered. One in five is not ever aware of the Parvo infection, and most suffer only mild respiratory symptoms as well as a face rash at worst.

So while not that serious in humans, Parvo can be devastating to dogs, especially puppies. Have them vaccinated!

Nurse Nan

Stop Using That Bar Soap!

Judging from the amount of bar soap available on store shelves, there are many Americans who still use the product. It's fine to purchase the bars in pretty wrappers to toss amid your bathroom decor, but is it healthy to use every day?

In one word, NO! Contrary to popular opinion, soap doesn't kill germs, it merely washes away the microbes from your hands. Wash your hands with a soap bar and then place the bar in a dish by the sink? When you pick it up to wash the next time, there can be more germs on the wet, slippery bar than on your hands.

God has seen fit to send us liquid soap. Use it!

Nurse Nan

Can Dogs or Cats Contract the Latest Corona Virus?

A disease is deemed zoonotic (pro: zoh-oh-not-ick) if it can be transmitted from a lower species to humans or vice versa. While the current bad boy coronavirus apparently was transmitted originally from a bat to a human, the CDC says this particular strain has not been shown to infect dogs or cats. In other words, it's not like The Stand where future humans will have to live without canine companions.

Nevertheless, enterprising merchants are marketing masks in various sizes made specifically to fit a dog's snoot. Do they work? Looking at the contraptions, it would appear they can protect even from mustard gas, should the need arise. 

In other words, your dog is as likely to contract the new coronavirus as you are to catch feline leukemia. Buy your doggo a can of tennis balls; he'll appreciate it much more. 

Nurse Nan

Heroin Is Made From All Natural Ingredients

Almost 45 years ago, a man named William Duffy wrote a book called Sugar Blues. In this not quite scientific thesis, Duffy compared sugar to heroin, a highly processed addictive drug. 

While many of his claims, perhaps almost half, are merely hyperbole, many are spot on. One of Duffy's claims was that sugar exacerbates depression, a major problem in 1975 and even more of one today. Another idea espoused by Duffy was the trigger effect sugar has on inflammation.

Eat half that box of cupcakes from the Walmart bakery and find that your knees or shoulders no longer function the next day? Blame it on sugar. It's impossible to remove all sugar from our diets, and you certainly won't find Nurse Nan giving up her Pepsi. 

What we all can do is cut back on our sugar intake. Let's discard those in between meal bonbons and that after dinner cake. It's not easy, but it is worth it. Did I mention you'll lose some weight in the process; that might help the knee problem as well. 

Nurse Nan started her great sugarless adventure last week...so what are you waiting for?!!!

Buy Sugar Blues on Amazon

Nurse Nan

Nutmeg & Formaldehyde

Did your mother keep nutmeg in her kitchen? Mine did. Thanksgiving and Christmas meant custard pie for my father. Looking at the recipe for these pies, you'll see that most call for 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. That's fine if you're baking a pie meant for six or eight people, but did you know that from two to three teaspoons of nutmeg consumed at one sitting can be fatal? If you're wondering why anyone would ingest such an amount, nutmeg has hallucinogenic properties.

Yes, it's all a matter of amount - just like formaldehyde. Take a good look at the graphic above. Not giving up custard pies or pears, are you?

So the next time anyone makes ignorant remarks about "embalming fluid" being in the vaccines your children take, be sure to mention nutmeg and pears. You might want to throw in that 5,000 milligram teaspoon compared with the .8 milligram of total formaldehyde in vaccines. Just stand back in case they spit as they sputter.

Nurse Nan

Yes, You Can Legally Buy Hypodermic Needles, But...

A reader recently asked if one needed a prescription to purchase hypodermic needles in Alabama. The answer is "no," but the limit is usually 10, and a pharmacist may refuse if he feels such a purchase could be dangerous to the customer. 

If you would like more information about these type sales, here's an excellent article:

Laws Related to the Retail Sale of Syringes/Needles

The question brings up an excellent point for those needing information on anything pharmacy related: Always Ask the Pharmacist, Not the Tech!

A few years ago, I went to a Florence Rite-Aid to purchase a large syringe for patient use. The type of syringe for which I asked does not have a Luer lock tip, so no needle could be attached. The tech who came to the window practically shouted at me that I couldn't purchase any syringe without a script. I was pretty gobsmacked by her lack of knowledge, but since then others have told me of similar experiences. It's always best to speak directly to the pharmacist concerning any medication or durable medical equipment.

We've often wondered if the tech we spoke to knew just what came with many over the counter meds sold in her very store (see photo)?

Nurse Nan

Worried about Mercury in the Flu Vaccine?

The question of thimerisol (mercury) in the influenzia vaccine has again popped up. Should any rational person be worried? In one word...no.

When one thinks of mercury, the element often found in fish comes to mind. This is chemically methylmercury. How often do you (or your Feline-American companion) eat a 3 oz. can of tuna? Whenever you consume this canned fish, you're orally consuming the same amount of mercury found in one dose of the flu vaccine. 

But wait...the mercury found in the flu shot is ethylmercury, not at all the same thing as methylmercury. The two types of mercury have been laboratory tested in apes with interesting results. For those worried about any chemical residue in the body, only one-third the amount of ethylmercury (usually administered by injection) is retained in comparison to methylmercury (usually taken orally).

Then we have critics who point out that the mercury in the flu vaccine is twice that allowed in drinking water. Yes, that statement is true. Think .5 ml total liquid in the once a year flu shot and the 237 ml in one eight ounce glass of water, presumably drunk daily. 

Do your own research before you accept the mindless and useless figures spouted by the anti-vaxxers.

Nurse Nan