Tick-borne illness spreads in Arizona

Where there are dogs, there are ticks.

A Johns Hopkins infectious disease expert says that growing populations of wild dogs are responsible for Arizona's first widespread outbreak of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Despite its name, the potentially fatal bacterial illness has been most common in the south-central and southeastern United States, with North Carolina and Oklahoma having the greatest number of cases, according to microbiologist J. Stephen Dumler.

The disease's first symptoms - aches, pains, headache and sudden high fever - mimic those of other illnesses, making it difficult to diagnose. The telltale spotty rash, found in 85 percent of patients, doesn't appear until later in the infection.

If caught early, the disease can be cured with antibiotics, but it almost always requires hospitalization. About 10 percent of the cases result in death.

"This study shows that Rocky Mountain spotted fever can show up in unexpected places, and the study should put physicians on alert for the earliest signs and symptoms of the disease," Dumler says.

The study appears in the online version of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Anxiety increases men's suicide risk

Feelings of anxiety and nervousness greatly increase the risk of suicide in men.

A Swedish study of 34,500 16- to 74-year-olds found that men who said they felt very anxious and nervous were nine times more likely to attempt to kill themselves in the next five years than men without those feelings were.

The risk increased over time; it was 15 times higher after a decade.

They also were twice as likely to die from any cause and three to four times more likely to be admitted to a hospital for mental-health problems.

Women also were affected, although not as seriously. Those who reported severe anxiety and nervousness were three times more likely to attempt suicide than were other women.

The study appears in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Docs: Mouthguards protect sporting kids

Kids who play sports are always at risk of catching a ball in the mouth.

So the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that young athletes wear mouthguards, which can help cushion blows that might otherwise cause broken teeth and other facial injuries. Mouthguards also can reduce the risk of severe concussions.

The groups estimate that high school and college football requirements for mouthguards and facemasks have prevented 200,000 mouth and face injuries annually.

About 3.5 million kids ages 14 and under suffer sports- or recreation-related injuries each year. Parents are advised to consult a doctor about what sports might be right for their children's ages and abilities.