scholarly journals Epidemiological and virological characterization of a large community-wide outbreak of hepatitis A in southern Italy

2007 ◽  
Vol 136 (8) ◽  
pp. 1027-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. PONTRELLI ◽  
D. BOCCIA ◽  
M. DI RENZI ◽  
M. MASSARI ◽  
F. GIUGLIANO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Route Of Transmission ◽  
Public Health Authorities

SUMMARYA large outbreak of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection occurred in 2004 in Campania, a region of southern Italy, with 882 cases reported between 1 January and 1 August. The local public health authorities and the Italian National Institute of Health carried out investigations in order to characterize the agent, identify the source of infection and the route of transmission, and implement appropriate control measures. A web-based reporting system enhanced the flow of information between public health authorities, providing real-time epidemic curves and frequency distributions. The same 1B HAV genotype was found in 90% of sera from a subset of patients with acute disease, suggesting a local common source. A case-control study in the municipality with the highest attack rate showed that raw seafood consumption, in particular if illegally sold in water, was strongly associated with HAV illness. Samples of seafood systematically collected from retailers were found contaminated by HAV.

scholarly journals Cluster of hepatitis A cases among travellers returning from Egypt, Germany, September through November 2008

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Bernard ◽  
C Frank
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Nile River ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities

From September to November 2008, 34 cases of hepatitis A imported from Egypt were reported to the German public health authorities. Investigations point to a continuing common source of infection, most likely linked to Nile river cruises. The patients affected had not been vaccinated, which emphasises the need for more effective travel advice before trips to hepatitis A endemic countries.

scholarly journals First report of an outbreak of cerebral coenurosis in Dhofari goats in Oman

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 479-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Shaban El-Neweshy ◽  
Reda Elbastawisy Khalafalla ◽  
Mohamed Mohamed Sayed Ahmed ◽  
Julanda Hamad Al Mawly ◽  
El-Sayed Mohamed El-Manakhly
Keyword(s):  
Brain Parenchyma ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Clear Fluid ◽  
Neuronal Necrosis ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
First Report ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Coenurus Cerebralis ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Cerebral Coenurosis

Abstract This study documented the first outbreak of cerebral coenurosis in goats in Salalah, southern Oman. Deaths of 130 (16.6%) adult native goats in a herd (n=780) were reported from January to June 2017. Affected goats showed various nervous signs ended by death. Investigations for thiamine deficiency, polioencephalomalacia, caprine arthritis encephalitis, and listeriosis were negative. Upon necropsy, multiple (1-4) thin-walled cysts 2-3.5 cm in diameter containing clear fluid with numerous clusters of protoscolices in the cerebrum and cerebellum had replaced the brain parenchyma, causing space-occupying lesions. Parasitologically, the recovered cysts were Coenurus cerebralis, based on the arrangement of protoscolices, and the number and size of their hooks. Morphologically, each protoscolex had four suckers and a rostellum with double-crown hooks. The large and small hooks were 157.7±0.5 µm and 115±0.6 µm in length, respectively. Histopathologically, the parasite destroyed the affected tissues associated with multifocal to diffuse lymphocytic, non-suppurative meningoencephalitis; ischemic neuronal necrosis; and malacia. This is the first report of cerebral coenurosis in livestock in Oman, which should alert the local public health authorities for the application of prevention and control measures.

scholarly journals An interim review of the epidemiological characteristics of 2019 novel coronavirus

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. e2020006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukhyun Ryu ◽  
Byung Chul Chun
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

OBJECTIVES: The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from Wuhan, China is currently recognized as a public health emergency of global concern.METHODS: We reviewed the currently available literature to provide up-to-date guidance on control measures to be implemented by public health authorities.RESULTS: Some of the epidemiological characteristics of 2019-nCoV have been identified. However, there remain considerable uncertainties, which should be considered when providing guidance to public health authorities on control measures.CONCLUSIONS: Additional studies incorporating more detailed information from confirmed cases would be valuable.

scholarly journals Can Wastewater be Used to Improve our COVID-19 Surveillance Efforts?

CommonHealth ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-147
Author(s):  
Shannon McGinnis ◽  
Shane Mclouglin ◽  
Tiffany Buturla ◽  
Nishita D'Souza ◽  
José Logo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Population Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Health Control ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Wastewater Samples

As the spread of COVID-19 continues to significantly impact daily life in the United States and globally, there is a need for a clear understanding of disease prevalence in communities. Traditional methods that rely on counting individual cases often result in underreporting due to limited access to testing or healthcare. This issue is further exacerbated by the spread of COVID-19 by asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals who may not seek testing. Historically, wastewater surveillance has been used to provide population-level data on the prevalence of infectious diseases in communities. Data collected through wastewater surveillance has been used to advise public health control measures, such as vaccination campaigns, and to detect local outbreaks before cases are reported to public health authorities. For this reason, researchers around the globe have been analyzing wastewater samples for SARS-CoV-2 to assist in our response to the existing COVID-19 pandemic. This commentary discusses the potential utility of wastewater-based surveillance to advise public health control strategies for COVID-19 and discusses how it may be used to strengthen local surveillance efforts in Philadelphia.

scholarly journals Scabies: Application of the Novel Identify-Isolate-Inform Tool for Detection and Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabitha Cheng ◽  
Bandr Mzahim ◽  
Abdulrahman Alsugair ◽  
Abdussalam Al-Wabel ◽  
Bandar Almutairi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Sarcoptes Scabiei ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Skin Contact ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Skin To Skin ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers

Scabies is a highly contagious, globally prevalent, parasitic skin infestation caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis, also known as the itch mite. There have been outbreaks not only in the developing world, but also in the developed world among refugees and asylum seekers. Once infested with scabies mites, symptomatic patients, as well as asymptomatic carriers, quickly spread the disease through direct skin-to-skin contact. Typically, symptoms of scabies are characterized by an erythematous, papular, pruritic rash associated with burrows. Treatment of scabies involves using topical or systemic scabicides and treating secondary bacterial infections, if present. Given the prevalence and contagiousness of scabies, measures to prevent its spread are essential. Through application of the novel Identify-Isolate-Inform (3I) Tool, emergency medical providers can readily identify risk factors for exposure and important symptoms of the disease, thus limiting its spread through prompt scabicide therapy; isolate the patient until after treatment; and inform local public health authorities and hospital infection prevention, when appropriate. Ultimately, these three actions can aid public health in controlling the transmission of scabies cases, thus ensuring the protection of the general public from this highly contagious skin infestation.

Chikungunya in Guerrero, Mexico, 2019 and Evidence of Gross Underreporting in the Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Nunez-Avellaneda ◽  
Chandra Tangudu ◽  
Jacqueline Barrios-Palacios ◽  
Ma. Isabel Salazar ◽  
Carlos Machain-Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Case Definition ◽  
Important Public Health Problem ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
True Number ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Sera Samples

The local public health authorities reported nine cases of chikungunya in Mexico in 2019, none of which occurred in Guerrero, a coastal state in the southwest. To test the hypothesis that chikungunya is grossly underreported in Mexico, acute sera were collected from 639 febrile patients from low-income households in Guerrero in 2019 and serologically assayed for chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Analysis of the sera by plaque reduction neutralization test revealed that 181 (28.3%) patients were seropositive for CHIKV. To identify patients with acute CHIKV infections, a subset of sera samples were tested for CHIKV-specific IgM by ELISA. Sera samples from 21 of 189 (11.1%) patients were positive. These patients met the chikungunya case definition established by the WHO. In conclusion, we provide evidence that CHIKV remains an important public health problem in Mexico and that the true number of cases is severely underestimated.

An outbreak of hepatitis A in Roma populations living in three prefectures in Greece

2009 ◽  
Vol 138 (7) ◽  
pp. 1025-1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. VANTARAKIS ◽  
A. NEARXOU ◽  
D. PAGONIDIS ◽  
F. MELEGOS ◽  
J. SERETIDIS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
Acute Disease ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Route Of Transmission ◽  
Sanitary Conditions ◽  
Epidemiological Information

SUMMARYAn outbreak of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection affected Roma populations living in three prefectures of northeastern Greece. Between July and November 2007, 124 cases were reported. We carried out investigations to characterize the pathogen, to identify the source of infection and the route of transmission. Using the RT–PCR technique, HAV strains of the same genotype were detected in all sera from a subset of patients with acute disease. These showed more than 99·8% identity, suggesting a common source. A questionnaire was also completed to collect clinical and epidemiological information. The outbreak affected mainly Roma children aged <10 years. An inspection of Roma settlements showed that poor sanitary conditions were associated with the HAV outbreak.

scholarly journals Control of Raw Pork Liver Sausage Production Can Reduce the Prevalence of HEV Infection

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Paolo Ripellino ◽  
Enea Pianezzi ◽  
Gladys Martinetti ◽  
Cinzia Zehnder ◽  
Barbara Mathis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
Pork Liver ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Public Health Authorities

After an acute hepatitis E (HEV) outbreak in Southern Switzerland, in January 2017 the local public health authorities started an active program of food chain control and public education. In this retrospective study, we analysed all laboratory-confirmed acute cases of HEV infection diagnosed between 2014 and 2020. In the period before the public health intervention, the number of cases increased steadily from 2014 (4 of 40 tests, 10%) reaching a peak in the last quarter of 2016 (42 of 285 tests, 14.7 %). Afterwards, the number of positive cases decreased steadily, reaching its lowest value (0.3%) in the second quarter of 2019. There was a statistically significant difference between the frequency of positive cases and period of testing, i.e., before and after the introduction of the public health interventions. Our study shows that active public health measures to control sausages containing raw pork liver can reduce the prevalence of HEV infection.

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