scholarly journals Public health response to a measles outbreak on a university campus in Australia, 2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-318
Author(s):  
J. Smith ◽  
S. Banu ◽  
M. Young ◽  
D. Francis ◽  
K. Langfeldt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Measles Outbreak ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Student Enrolment ◽  
The University ◽  
Effective Public Health

AbstractThis report describes the effective public health response to a measles outbreak involving a university campus in Brisbane, Australia. Eleven cases in total were notified, mostly university students. The public health response included targeted measles vaccination clinics which were established on campus and focused on student groups most likely to have been exposed. The size of the university population, social interaction between students on and off campus, as well as limited vaccination records for the university community presented challenges for the control of this extremely infectious illness. We recommend domestic students ensure vaccinations are current prior to matriculation. Immunisation information should be included in university student enrolment packs. Incoming international students should ensure routine vaccinations are up-to-date prior to arrival in Australia, thereby reducing the risk of importation of measles and other infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Cost of Public Health Response and Outbreak Control With a Third Dose of Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine During a University Mumps Outbreak—Iowa, 2015–2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Marin ◽  
Tricia L Kitzmann ◽  
Lisa James ◽  
Patricia Quinlisk ◽  
Wade K Aldous ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mmr Vaccine ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
University Of Iowa ◽  
Outbreak Control ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Health Response ◽  
The University

Abstract Background The United States is experiencing mumps outbreaks in settings with high 2-dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage, mainly universities. The economic impact of mumps outbreaks on public health systems is largely unknown. During a 2015–2016 mumps outbreak at the University of Iowa, we estimated the cost of public health response that included a third dose of MMR vaccine. Methods Data on activities performed, personnel hours spent, MMR vaccine doses administered, miles traveled, hourly earnings, and unitary costs were collected using a customized data tool. These data were then used to calculate associated costs. Results Approximately 6300 hours of personnel time were required from state and local public health institutions and the university, including for vaccination and laboratory work. Among activities demanding time were case/contact investigation (36%), response planning/coordination (20%), and specimen testing and report preparation (13% each). A total of 4736 MMR doses were administered and 1920 miles traveled. The total cost was >$649 000, roughly equally distributed between standard outbreak control activities and third-dose MMR vaccination (55% and 45%, respectively). Conclusions Public health response to the mumps outbreak at the University of Iowa required important amounts of personnel time and other resources. Associated costs were sizable enough to affect other public health activities.

scholarly journals Averting an Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in a University Residence Hall through Wastewater Surveillance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryland Corchis-Scott ◽  
Qiudi Geng ◽  
Rajesh Seth ◽  
Rajan Ray ◽  
Mohsan Beg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
North America ◽  
Residence Hall ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Early Adopters ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
Early Evidence ◽  
Health Response

Among early adopters of wastewater monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 have been colleges and universities throughout North America, many of whom are using this approach to monitor congregate living facilities for early evidence of COVID-19 infection as an integral component of campus screening programs. Yet, while there have been numerous examples where wastewater monitoring on a university campus has detected evidence for infection among community members, there are few examples where this monitoring triggered a public health response that may have averted an actual outbreak.

The Neuroscience of Addiction

2019 ◽  
pp. 45-52
Author(s):  
Jay C. Butler
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Loss Of Self ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Effective Public Health ◽  
The Brain

Effective public health approaches to addressing the opioid crisis require an understanding of addiction as a health condition primarily involving the brain, rather than an individual’s series of ongoing “bad choices” or inherent criminal tendencies that ultimately lead to poor health outcomes. Addiction has been defined as “the most severe, chronic stage of substance-use disorder, in which there is a substantial loss of self-control, as indicated by compulsive drug taking despite the desire to stop taking the drug.” Whether addiction is viewed primarily as a “disease” or the outcome of experiential and environmental influences, chronic changes that occur in the brain of the person with addiction form the scientific basis of an effective public health response. Understanding the behavioral changes driven by addiction is vital since they have a profound impact on public safety, the criminal justice system, and public health. This chapter provides an overview of the changes that occur in the brain during development of addiction and how understanding these changes can improve public health practice and policy. It complements more complete clinical and basic science reviews of the neuroscience of addiction that have been recently published.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics and Response: Opinions and Perspectives from Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeleye Adeshakin ◽  
Oluwamuyiwa Ayanshina ◽  
Samuel Essien-Baidoo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Transmission Dynamics ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Effective Public Health

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since its declaration as a pandemic by world health organization (WHO) has spread across the various continent with little known about the most effective public health response for containing and mitigating the transmission of the epidemic. It is important to state that some authors have published on the lessons learned from transmission and management of COVID-19 infection but only a few considered it from the Africa perspective. Despite the late arrival of the pandemic in Africa and the notion that the virus may not thrive because of the high temperature in the continent; today the narrative has changed with the number of infected patients increasing daily. Herein, the authors have shared their perspectives and opinions on the dynamics and response to COVID-19 from Africa context to create more awareness and approach in mitigating the spread of the virus should the continent becomes the epicenter of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Increased PCR screening capacity using a multi-replicate pooling scheme

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Viehweger ◽  
F. Kühnl ◽  
C. Brandt ◽  
B. König ◽  
A. C. Rodloff
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Pcr Screening ◽  
Feasible Method ◽  
Test Sensitivity ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Effective Public Health

AbstractEffective public health response to viral outbreaks such as SARS-CoV-2 require reliable information about the spread of the infecting agent. Often real-time PCR screening of large populations is a feasible method to generate this information. Since test capacities are usually limited, pooling of test specimens is often necessary to increase screening capacity, provided that the test sensitivity is not significantly compromised. However, when a traditional pool is tested positive, all samples in the pool need individual retesting, which becomes ineffective at a higher proportion of positive samples. Here, we report a new pooling protocol that mitigates this problem by replicating samples across multiple pools. The resulting pool set allows the sample status to be resolved more often than with traditional pooling. At 2% prevalence and 20 samples per pool, our protocol increases screening capacity by factors of 5 and 2 compared to individual testing and traditional pooling, respectively. The corresponding software to layout and resolve samples is freely available under a BSD license (https://github.com/phiweger/clonepool).

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