Assessing dengue infection risk in the southern region of Taiwan: implications for control

2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (5) ◽  
pp. 1059-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.-M. LIAO ◽  
T.-L. HUANG ◽  
Y.-H. CHENG ◽  
W.-Y. CHEN ◽  
N.-H. HSIEH ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vector Control ◽  
Risk Model ◽  
Dengue Infection ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Biting Rate ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

SUMMARYDengue, one of the most important mosquito-borne diseases, is a major international public health concern. This study aimed to assess potential dengue infection risk fromAedes aegyptiin Kaohsiung and the implications for vector control. Here we investigated the impact of dengue transmission on human infection risk using a well-established dengue–mosquito–human transmission dynamics model. A basic reproduction number (R0)-based probabilistic risk model was also developed to estimate dengue infection risk. Our findings confirm that the effect of biting rate plays a crucial role in shapingR0estimates. We demonstrated that there was 50% risk probability for increased dengue incidence rates exceeding 0·5–0·8 wk−1for temperatures ranging from 26°C to 32°C. We further demonstrated that the weekly increased dengue incidence rate can be decreased to zero if vector control efficiencies reach 30–80% at temperatures of 19–32°C. We conclude that our analysis on dengue infection risk and control implications in Kaohsiung provide crucial information for policy-making on disease control.

scholarly journals The experience of European hospital-based health care workers on following infection prevention and control procedures for COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise van Hout ◽  
Paul Hutchinson ◽  
Marta Wanat ◽  
Caitlin Pilbeam ◽  
Herman Goossens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBackgroundWorking under pandemic conditions exposes health care workers (HCWs) to infection risk and psychological strain. Protecting the physical and psychological health of HCWs is a key priority. This study assessed the perceptions of European hospital HCWs of local infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on their emotional wellbeing.MethodsWe performed two rounds of an international cross-sectional survey, between 31 March and 17 April 2020 via existing research networks (round 1), and between 14 May and 31 August 2020 via online convenience sampling (round 2). Main outcome measures were (1) behavioural determinants of HCW adherence with IPC procedures, (2) WHO-5 Well-Being Index, a validated scale of 0-100 reflecting emotional wellbeing. The WHO-5 was interpreted as a score below or above 50 points, a cut-off score used in previous literature to screen for depression.Results2,289 HCWs (round 1: n=190, round 2: n=2,099) from 40 countries in Europe participated. Mean age of respondents was 42 (±11) years, 66% were female, 47% and 39% were medical doctors and nurses, respectively. 74% (n=1699) of HCWs were directly treating patients with COVID-19, of which 32% (n=527) reported they were fearful of caring for these patients. HCWs reported high levels of concern about COVID-19 infection risk to themselves (71%) and their family (82%) as a result of their job. 40% of HCWs considered that getting infected with COVID-19 was not within their control. This was more common among junior than senior HCWs (46% versus 38%, P value <.01). Sufficient COVID-19-specific IPC training, confidence in PPE use and institutional trust were positively associated with the feeling that becoming infected with COVID-19 was within their control. Female HCWs were more likely than males to report a WHO-5 score below 50 points (aOR 1.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.8).ConclusionsIn Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a differential impact on those providing direct COVID-19 patient care, junior staff and women. Health facilities must be aware of these differential impacts, build trust and provide tailored support for this vital workforce during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Non-melanoma skin cancer in Serbia (1999-2015) -the need for national prevention and control strategy

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (11) ◽  
pp. 1154-1160
Author(s):  
Danijela Ilic ◽  
Goran Videnovic ◽  
Ruzica Kozomara ◽  
Sonja Radakovic ◽  
Zoran Vlahovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Control Strategy ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Preventive Strategy ◽  
Non Melanoma Skin Cancer ◽  
National Prevention ◽  
And Control ◽  
Melanoma Skin

Background/Aim. Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) are ones of the most rapidly increasing cancers worldwide. Although NMSCs have a relatively low mortality rate, they are an important public health concern and the most costly cancers in many countries. The two main objectives in this study were: first, to analyze the trend of age-standardized incidence rate of NMSCs in Serbia and second, to assess the need for national prevention and control strategy based on analyzed trend. Methods. From the Serbian Cancer Registry, we extracted all cases of NMSCs registered in central Serbia from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2015. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to define trends and annual percentage change (APC). Results. NMSCs significantly increased for both genders with APC of +2.32% (p < 0.001). Significantly increasing trend of incidence rates was higher in women (APC, +2.63%; p < 0.0001) than in men (APC, +2.01%; p < 0.001). Conclusion. Our results show a continuously increasing incidence rate of NMCS in Serbia. Without the national preventive strategy, current sporadic activities are highly unlikely to result in reducing the growing trends

scholarly journals Estimation of Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in sheep in Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-71
Author(s):  
Abdelkrim Aroussi ◽  
Ahmed Megharbi ◽  
Meghit Boumediene Khaled ◽  
Hadj Labdouni ◽  
Kadi Diafi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Elisa Kit ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Sheep are considered as an important reservoir of human Toxoplasma gondii infections, although more recent data on the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep in Algeria are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of T. gondii in sheep to obtain a better insight into the importance of sheep as reservoirs of human infection. A commercial ELISA kit, which detects antibodies against T. gondii, was utilized to test 269 sera collected from yearling sheep in the municipal slaughterhouse of Sidi-Bel-Abbes city between October 2020 and February 2021. Simultaneously, we assessed the cut-off as recommended by the manufacturer (S/P>50%) and the bootstrap statistical model to estimate the optimal cut-off value (OD = 0.12). The overall seroprevalence was estimated at 34.2% (92/269) using the ELISA kit cut-off and 50.5% (136/269) using the bootstrapped cut-off, being significantly higher compared to sheep from other regions in Algeria. In conclusion, the seroprevalence of T. gondii in sheep was elevated, constituting, therefore, a major public health concern, as sheep meat could be a significant source of T. gondii infection for human consumers. Further studies are required to estimate the impact of abortion among livestock animals caused by T. gondii infection such as sheep, where it could lead to considerable economic losses.

scholarly journals Modeling Dengue Immune Responses Mediatedby Antibodies: A Qualitative Study

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 941
Author(s):  
Afrina Andriani Sebayang ◽  
Hilda Fahlena ◽  
Vizda Anam ◽  
Damián Knopoff ◽  
Nico Stollenwerk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dengue Virus ◽  
Antibody Production ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Dengue Infection ◽  
Immunological Response ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
The Impact

Dengue fever is a viral mosquito-borne infection and a major international public health concern. With 2.5 billion people at risk of acquiring the infection around the world, disease severity is influenced by the immunological status of the individual, seronegative or seropositive, prior to natural infection. Caused by four antigenically related but distinct serotypes, DENV-1 to DENV-4, infection by one serotype confers life-long immunity to that serotype and a period of temporary cross-immunity (TCI) to other serotypes. The clinical response on exposure to a second serotype is complex with the so-called antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) process, a disease augmentation phenomenon when pre-existing antibodies to previous dengue infection do not neutralize but rather enhance the new infection, used to explain the etiology of severe disease. In this paper, we present a minimalistic mathematical model framework developed to describe qualitatively the dengue immunological response mediated by antibodies. Three models are analyzed and compared: (i) primary dengue infection, (ii) secondary dengue infection with the same (homologous) dengue virus and (iii) secondary dengue infection with a different (heterologous) dengue virus. We explore the features of viral replication, antibody production and infection clearance over time. The model is developed based on body cells and free virus interactions resulting in infected cells activating antibody production. Our mathematical results are qualitatively similar to the ones described in the empiric immunology literature, providing insights into the immunopathogenesis of severe disease. Results presented here are of use for future research directions to evaluate the impact of dengue vaccines.

Assessing coughing-induced influenza droplet transmission and implications for infection risk control

2015 ◽  
Vol 144 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.-H. CHENG ◽  
C.-H. WANG ◽  
S.-H. YOU ◽  
N.-H. HSIEH ◽  
W.-Y. CHEN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Risk Model ◽  
Control Measure ◽  
Influenza Infection ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Transmission Dynamics ◽  
Human Respiratory Tract ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
And Control ◽  
Respiratory Droplets

SUMMARYIndoor transmission of respiratory droplets bearing influenza within humans poses high risks to respiratory function deterioration and death. Therefore, we aimed to develop a framework for quantifying the influenza infection risk based on the relationships between inhaled/exhaled respiratory droplets and airborne transmission dynamics in a ventilated airspace. An experiment was conducted to measure the size distribution of influenza-containing droplets produced by coughing for a better understanding of potential influenza spread. Here we integrated influenza population transmission dynamics, a human respiratory tract model, and a control measure approach to examine the indoor environment–virus–host interactions. A probabilistic risk model was implemented to assess size-specific infection risk for potentially transmissible influenza droplets indoors. Our results found that there was a 50% probability of the basic reproduction number (R0) exceeding 1 for small-size influenza droplets of 0·3–0·4 µm, implicating a potentially high indoor infection risk to humans. However, a combination of public health interventions with enhanced ventilation could substantially contain indoor influenza infection. Moreover, the present dynamic simulation and control measure assessment provide insights into why indoor transmissible influenza droplet-induced infection is occurring not only in upper lung regions but also in the lower respiratory tract, not normally considered at infection risk.

scholarly journals Patterns of epidemiology and control of onchocerciasis in West Africa

1997 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Boatin ◽  
D.H. Molyneux ◽  
J.M. Hougard ◽  
O.W. Christensen ◽  
E.S. Alley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Vector Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Control Programme ◽  
Transmission Potential ◽  
The Public ◽  
And Control ◽  
Combined Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Onchocerciasis Control

AbstractThis paper summarizes the work of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) in West Africa, a programme which over a 22 year history has reduced the public health problems of blinding onchocerciasis in eleven countries of West Africa through vector control and, more recently, ivermectin distribution. The paper emphasizes the different approaches to control the programme has developed in the different parts of the programme area which have been determined by the epidemiology of the disease (savanna/forest form), the migratory characteristics of the vectors, intensity of the disease before commencement of treatment, the combined impact of vector control and ivermectin and the likelihood of infiltration of infective blackflies from outside the programme area. The programme has constantly monitored the impact of operations on the trends in prevalence, incidence, annual transmission potential, ocular morbidity and species of fly populations, and as a result, has identified areas where special interventions are required until the programme comes to an end in 2002. The paper illustrates the changes in intensity of infection as measured by community microfilarial load and annual transmission potential over the duration of the programme control activities. The paper also defines and justifies the control strategies in different areas and identifies areas for special interventions.

scholarly journals Analysis on the Trend of AIDS Incidence in Zhejiang, China Based on the Age-Period-Cohort Model from 2004 to 2018

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenzhen Lu ◽  
Weidong Ji ◽  
Yi Yin ◽  
Xinye Jin ◽  
Lu Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Cohort Effect ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Upward Trend ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Control Information ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Homosexual Transmission

Abstract Background: To predict the trend of acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS) in specific age groups and to determine the objective population for AIDS screening, we explored the three transmission routes (homosexual transmission, heterosexual transmission, drug injection and others) and characterized each patients group using the Age-Period-Cohort(APC) model based on the whole, local and immigrant populations in Zhejiang, China.Methods: The data recruited in this paper was obtained from the national "Comprehensive AIDS Prevention and Control Information System - Antiviral Therapy Management" database and the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System and the Statistical Yearbook of Zhejiang, China. An APC model was used to estimate the impact of age, period and cohort on the incidence rate of AIDS, and to predict the AIDS incidence rate in specific age groups based on sexes and transmission routes.Results: The AIDS incidence rate peaked in males between 20 and 35 years old; the incidence rate of males was higher than that of females due to the impact of period; obvious cohort effect was observed among the immigrants. In the whole and local populations, the incidence rates of males in all age groups and females in both the 35-year-old group and the whole age group were predicted to increase sharply in five years. In the immigrant population, the AIDS incidence rates of males and females in all age groups were expected to increase significantly in five years; influenced by age, the incidence of AIDS through homosexual transmission peaked between 20 and 35 years old in the whole and local populations; under the influence of period, the incidence of AIDS via homosexual transmission in the whole and local populations increased and remained stable after 2015, and the incidence of AIDS transmitted by homosexual and heterosexual routes in the immigrants also showed an increasing trend. As a result of the cohort effect, the incidence of AIDS transmitted through homosexual route among the whole and local populations peaked in 1990; the incidence of AIDS in all age groups through different transmission routes would show an upward trend over the next five years.Conclusions: The results elucidate that there are sex differences in AIDS incidence rate, and the incidence of AIDS through various transmission routes in all groups is predicted to exhibit an upward trend in the five years to come. Effective intervention strategies should be developed and implemented by the public health departments in Zhejiang to control the epidemic of AIDS.

scholarly journals Lifting mobility restrictions and the induced short-term dynamics of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Santana-Cibrian ◽  
Manuel A. Acuna-Zegarra ◽  
Jorge X. Velasco-Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Epidemic Curve ◽  
Effective Contact ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
The World ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

SARS-CoV-2 has now infected 15 million people and produced more than six hundred thousand deaths around the world. Due to high transmission levels, many governments implemented social-distancing measures and confinement with different levels of required compliance to mitigate the COVID-19 epidemic. In several countries, these measures were effective, and it was possible to flatten the epidemic curve and control it. In others, this objective was not or has not been achieved. In far to many cities around the world rebounds of the epidemic are occurring or, in others, plateau-like states have appeared where high incidence rates remain constant for relatively long periods of time. Nonetheless, faced with the challenge of urgent social need to reactivate their economies, many countries have decided to lift mitigation measures at times of high incidence. In this paper, we use a mathematical model to characterize the impact of short duration transmission events within the confinement period previous but close to the epidemic peak. The model describes too, the possible consequences on the disease dynamics after mitigation measures are lifted. We use Mexico City as a case study. The results show that events of high mobility may produce either a later higher peak, a long plateau with relatively constant but high incidence or the same peak as in the original baseline epidemic curve, but with a post-peak interval of slower decay. Finally, we also show the importance of carefully timing the lifting of mitigation measures. If this occurs during a period of high incidence, then the disease transmission will rapidly increase, unless the effective contact rate keeps decreasing, which will be very difficult to achieve once the population is released.

The Impact of Maternal Cocaine Use on Neonates in Socioeconomic Disadvantaged Population

1997 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Yue Sun ◽  
William Chen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Support Programs ◽  
Drug Education ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Cocaine Use ◽  
Disadvantaged Population ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Maternal cocaine use has emerged as a major public health concern because the number of users has markedly increased in 1990s and the impact on neonates is severe. The problem of maternal cocaine use is especially important in socioeconomic disadvantaged population since they are more likely to be victims of this drug use. Social support programs including drug education are utmost important and should be offered to all socioeconomic disadvantage pregnant women to prevent and control maternal cocaine use.

scholarly journals Modeling Dengue Immune Responses Mediated by Antibodies: a Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afrina Andriani Sebayang ◽  
Hilda Fahlena ◽  
Vizda Anam ◽  
Damián Knopoff ◽  
Nico Stollenwerk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dengue Virus ◽  
Antibody Production ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Dengue Infection ◽  
Immunological Response ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
The Impact

Dengue fever is a viral mosquito-borne infection, a major international public health concern. With 2.5 billion people at risk of acquiring the infection around the world, disease severity is influenced by the immunological status of the individual, seronegative or seropositive, prior to natural infection. Caused by four antigenically related but distinct serotypes, DENV-1 to DENV-4, infection by one serotype confers life-long immunity to that serotype and a period of temporary cross-immunity (TCI) to other serotypes. The clinical response on exposure to a second serotype is complex with the so-called Antibody-Dependent enhancement (ADE) process, a disease augmentation phenomenon when pre-existing antibodies to previous dengue infection do not neutralize but rather enhance the new infection, used to explain the etiology of severe disease. In this paper, we present a minimalistic mathematical model framework developed to describe qualitatively the dengue immunological response mediated by antibodies. Three models are analyzed and compared: i) primary dengue infection, ii) secondary dengue infection with the same (homologous) dengue virus and iii) secondary dengue infection with a different (heterologous) dengue virus. We explore the features of viral replication, antibody production, and infection clearance over time. The model is developed based on body cells and free virus interactions resulting in infected cells activating antibody production. Our mathematical results are qualitatively similar to the ones described in the empiric immunology literature, providing insights on the immunopathogenesis of severe disease. Results presented here are of use for future research directions to evaluate the impact of dengue vaccines.

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