Total parasite cases reach 87 in county

Three new cases of cryptosporidiosis have been confirmed in Douglas County as the total number of cases in northeast Kansas continues to increase, state health officials said Wednesday.

Douglas County alone has seen 87 cases, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Three new cases also have been confirmed in Shawnee County and two in Johnson County. Shawnee County now has nine cases, with four of them linked to Douglas County, officials said. Two of Johnson County’s 16 cases have been linked to Douglas County.

In Douglas County, 54 cases — or 61 percent — are children 18 years or younger.

To avoid infection, people should wash their hands after using the bathroom or changing diapers, officials said.

KU sets conference on international careers

More than 250 high school students are expected today at Kansas University to learn of career opportunities abroad.

The International Career Conference, organized by KU’s Office of International Programs, runs from 8 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Kansas Union.

Former Lt. Gov. Gary Sherrer will be among the speakers scheduled for the day. He will discuss “Taking the Midwest to the World: A Trend, Not a Fad,” at 11 a.m. in the Kansas Union Ballroom.

Other speakers are Harland Priddle, former Kansas secretary of agriculture; representatives of Pinnacle Technologies and Gold Bank; and KU staff.

For more information on the conference, visit www.international.ku.edu.

KU Medical Center wins health outreach grant

The Kansas University Medical Center is one of 15 organizations that will receive grants to improve access to health care services in rural and remote areas of the state, according to the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

KU will receive $249,820 for the program, which will be used to support a network linking the Medical Center to health professionals in rural areas of Kansas by television.