scholarly journals How Can the Typhoid Fever Surveillance in Africa and the Severe Typhoid Fever in Africa Programs Contribute to the Introduction of Typhoid Conjugate Vaccines?

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. S417-S421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyon Jin Jeon ◽  
Justin Im ◽  
Andrea Haselbeck ◽  
Marianne Holm ◽  
Raphaël Rakotozandrindrainy ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The World Health Organization now recommends the use of typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCVs) in typhoid-endemic countries, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, added TCVs into the portfolio of subsidized vaccines. Data from the Severe Typhoid Fever in Africa (SETA) program were used to contribute to TCV introduction decision-making processes, exemplified for Ghana and Madagascar. Methods Data collected from both countries were evaluated, and barriers to and benefits of introduction scenarios are discussed. No standardized methodological framework was applied. Results The Ghanaian healthcare system differs from its Malagasy counterpart: Ghana features a functioning insurance system, antimicrobials are available nationwide, and several sites in Ghana deploy blood culture–based typhoid diagnosis. A higher incidence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella Typhi is reported in Ghana, which has not been identified as an issue in Madagascar. The Malagasy people have a low expectation of provided healthcare and experience frequent unavailability of medicines, resulting in limited healthcare-seeking behavior and extended consequences of untreated disease. Conclusions For Ghana, high typhoid fever incidence coupled with spatiotemporal heterogeneity was observed. A phased TCV introduction through an initial mass campaign in high-risk areas followed by inclusion into routine national immunizations prior to expansion to other areas of the country can be considered. For Madagascar, a national mass campaign followed by routine introduction would be the introduction scenario of choice as it would protect the population, reduce transmission, and prevent an often-deadly disease in a setting characterized by lack of access to healthcare infrastructure. New, easy-to-use diagnostic tools, potentially including environmental surveillance, should be explored and improved to facilitate identification of high-risk areas.

2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (17) ◽  
pp. 649-654
Author(s):  
Piroska Orosi ◽  
Judit Szidor ◽  
Tünde Tóthné Tóth ◽  
József Kónya

The swine-origin new influenza variant A(H1N1) emerged in 2009 and changed the epidemiology of the 2009/2010 influenza season globally and at national level. Aims: The aim of the authors was to analyse the cases of two influenza seasons. Methods: The Medical and Health Sciences Centre of Debrecen University has 1690 beds with 85 000 patients admitted per year. The diagnosis of influenza was conducted using real-time polymerase chain reaction in the microbiological laboratories of the University and the National Epidemiological Centre, according to the recommendation of the World Health Organization. Results: The incidence of influenza was not higher than that observed in the previous season, but two high-risk patient groups were identified: pregnant women and patients with immunodeficiency (oncohematological and organ transplant patients). The influenza vaccine, which is free for high-risk groups and health care workers in Hungary, appeared to be effective for prevention, because in the 2010/2011 influenza season none of the 58 patients who were administered the vaccination developed influenza. Conclusion: It is an important task to protect oncohematological and organ transplant patients. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 649–654.


Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikram Rao ◽  
Subrat Kumar Bhattamisra

Background: COVID-19, a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) was first diagnosed in the patients from Wuhan, China in December 2019. Within couple of months of infection, it was declared as pandemic by World health organization. COVID-19 has become the most contagious infection with a serious threat to global health. In this review, we aimed to discuss the pathogenesis, diagnostics, current treatments and potential vaccines for COVID-19. Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted using keywords “COVID-19”; “Coronavirus”; “SARS-Cov-2”; “SARS” in public domains of Google, Google scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. Selected articles were used to construct this review. Results: SARS-Cov-2 uses the Spike (S) protein on its surface to recognize the receptor on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and bind with 10-folds greater affinity than SARS-Cov-1. Molecular assays and immunoassays are the most frequently used tests whereas computed tomography (CT) scans, Artificial intelligence enabled diagnostic tools were also used in patients. In therapeutic treatment, few drugs were repurposed and there are 23 therapeutic molecules including the repurposed drugs are in different stages of clinical trial. Similarly, development of vaccines is also in the pipeline. Few countries have managed well to contain the spread by rapid testing and identifying the clusters. Conclusion: Till now, the acute complications and mortality of COVID-19 has been linked to the pre-existing comorbid conditions or age. Besides the development of therapeutic strategies that includes drugs and vaccine, the long term implication of COVID-19 infection in terms of the disorder/disability in the cured/discharged patients is a new area to investigate.


Author(s):  
Cesar de Souza Bastos Junior ◽  
Vera Lucia Nunes Pannain ◽  
Adriana Caroli-Bottino

Abstract Introduction Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is the most common gastrointestinal neoplasm in the world, accounting for 15% of cancer-related deaths. This condition is related to different molecular pathways, among them the recently described serrated pathway, whose characteristic entities, serrated lesions, have undergone important changes in their names and diagnostic criteria in the past thirty years. The multiplicity of denominations and criteria over the last years may be responsible for the low interobserver concordance (IOC) described in the literature. Objectives The present study aims to describe the evolution in classification of serrated lesions, based on the last three publications of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the reproducibility of these criteria by pathologists, based on the evaluation of the IOC. Methods A search was conducted in the PubMed, ResearchGate and Portal Capes databases, with the following terms: sessile serrated lesion; serrated lesions; serrated adenoma; interobserver concordance; and reproducibility. Articles published since 1990 were researched. Results and Discussion The classification of serrated lesions in the past thirty years showed different denominations and diagnostic criteria. The reproducibility and IOC of these criteria in the literature, based on the kappa coefficient, varied in most studies, from very poor to moderate. Conclusions Interobserver concordance and the reproducibility of microscopic criteria may represent a limitation for the diagnosis and appropriate management of these lesions. It is necessary to investigate diagnostic tools to improve the performance of the pathologist's evaluation, for better concordance, and, consequently, adequate diagnosis and treatment.


2010 ◽  
Vol 197 (4) ◽  
pp. 278-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Velthorst ◽  
Dorien H. Nieman ◽  
Don Linszen ◽  
Hiske Becker ◽  
Lieuwe de Haan ◽  
...  

BackgroundDecline in social functioning occurs in individuals who later develop psychosis.AimsTo investigate whether baseline differences in disability are present in those who do and those who do not make a transition to psychosis in a group clinically at high risk and whether disability is a risk factor for transition.MethodProspective multicentre, naturalistic field study with an 18-month follow-up period on 245 help-seeking individuals clinically at high risk. Disability was assessed with the Disability Assessment Schedule of the World Health Organization (WHODAS–II).ResultsAt baseline, the transition group displayed significantly greater difficulties in making new friends (z =−3.40, P = 0.001), maintaining a friendship (z =−3.00, P = 0.003), dealing with people they do not know (z =−2.28, P = 0.023) and joining community activities (z =−2.0, P = 0.05) compared with the non-transition group. In Cox regression, difficulties in getting along with people significantly contributed to the prediction of transition to psychosis in our sample (β = 0.569, s.e. = 0.184, Wald = 9.548, P = 0.002, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.767, 95% CI 1.238–2.550).ConclusionsCertain domains of social disability might contribute to the prediction of psychosis in a sample clinically at high risk.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunyuan Jiang ◽  
Ruijuan Yang ◽  
Maobin Kuang ◽  
Meng Yu ◽  
Mingchun Zhong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) has been recommended as an alternative indicator of insulin resistance. However, the association between TyG-BMI and pre-diabetes remains to be elucidated. Methods More than 100,000 subjects with normal glucose at baseline received follow-up. The main outcome event of concern was pre-diabetes defined according to the diagnostic criteria recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in 2018 and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the role of TyG-BMI in identifying people at high risk of pre-diabetes. Results At a mean observation period of 3.1 years, the incidence of pre-diabetes in the cohort was 3.70 and 12.31% according to the WHO and ADA diagnostic criteria for pre-diabetes, respectively. The multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that TyG-BMI was independently positively correlated with pre-diabetes, and there was a special population dependence phenomenon. Among them, non-obese people, women and people under 50 years old had a significantly higher risk of TyG-BMI-related pre-diabetes (P-interaction< 0.05). Conclusions These findings suggest that a higher TyG-BMI significantly increases an individual’s risk of pre-diabetes, and this risk is significantly higher in women, non-obese individuals, and individuals younger than 50 years of age.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e25-e25
Author(s):  
Rojin Chegini ◽  
Alireza Bolurian ◽  
Zahra Mojtahedi ◽  
Masoud Hafizi

In December 2019, cases of pneumonia with an unknown pathogen were reporting in Wuhan city, China. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized it as a pandemic, on March 11, 2020. The most frequent site of involvement is the respiratory system. The most common symptoms include cough, fatigue and fever. In some cases, neurological, respiratory and gastrointestinal complications can lead to death. Inflammatory cytokines can play a major role in pathogen damage. Due to the pandemic of COVID-19 and its severe complications, it is critical to identify the high-risk groups. Since this disease has a rapid transmission, following the instructions announced by the WHO, prevention is vital, especially in people with risk factors for disease complications and mortality. According to the latest reports by CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), older age and having some medical conditions such as smoking, obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2 ), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, cancer, solid organ transplant, type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, and sickle cell anemia in younger adults are known disease severity risk factor.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0254421
Author(s):  
Rodrigo B. Abreu ◽  
Greg A. Kirchenbaum ◽  
Giuseppe A. Sautto ◽  
Emily F. Clutter ◽  
Ted M. Ross

Influenza is a highly contagious viral respiratory disease that affects million of people worldwide each year. Annual vaccination is recommended by the World Health Organization with the goal of reducing influenza severity and limiting transmission through elicitation of antibodies targeting the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein. The antibody response elicited by current seasonal influenza virus vaccines is predominantly strain-specific, but pre-existing influenza virus immunity can greatly impact the serological antibody response to vaccination. However, it remains unclear how B cell memory is shaped by recurrent annual vaccination over the course of multiple seasons, especially in high-risk elderly populations. Here, we systematically profiled the B cell response in young adult (18–34 year old) and elderly (65+ year old) vaccine recipients that received annual split inactivated influenza virus vaccination for 3 consecutive seasons. Specifically, the antibody serological and memory B-cell compartments were profiled for reactivity against current and historical influenza A virus strains. Moreover, multiparametric analysis and antibody landscape profiling revealed a transient increase in strain-specific antibodies in the elderly, but with an impaired recall response of pre-existing memory B-cells, plasmablast (PB) differentiation and long-lasting serological changes. This study thoroughly profiles and compares the immune response to recurrent influenza virus vaccination in young and elderly participants unveiling the pitfalls of current influenza virus vaccines in high-risk populations.


Author(s):  
P Brunetti ◽  
L Baldessin ◽  
S Pagliacci

Abstract Background Effective policies for diabetes prevention remain urgent. We conducted a mass screening campaign in Italy to identify subjects potentially having undiagnosed diabetes, prediabetes or at diabetes risk. Methods This cohort study was conducted in community pharmacies joining the unitary National federation of pharmacy holders (Federfarma) and participating in the 7-day screening campaign ‘DiaDay’ in 2017–2018. Capillary blood glucose levels and the risk of developing diabetes in 10 years (through the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score) were assessed. Results 145 651 volunteers aged ≥20 years without known diabetes were screened at 5671 community pharmacies in 2017 and 116 097 at 5112 in 2018. Overall, 3.6% had glucose values suggestive of undiagnosed diabetes; under fasting conditions (N = 94 076), 39.9% and 16.4% had values suggestive of prediabetes by the American Diabetes Association and the World Health Organization criteria, respectively. Of those without diabetes (N = 252 440), 19.2% had scores compatible with a high risk (1:3) and 2.7% with a very high risk (1:2) of developing the disease; in the prediabetes group, the risk rose with higher impaired fasting glucose values. Conclusions DiaDay, the first National screening campaign, highlights the need to screen the population and the key role of the pharmacist both in screening activities and education promotion.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S185-S190
Author(s):  
A Duncan Steele ◽  
Megan E Carey ◽  
Supriya Kumar ◽  
Calman A MacLennan ◽  
Lyou-Fu Ma ◽  
...  

Abstract After the unprecedented success and acceleration of the global agenda towards typhoid fever control with a strong World Health Organization recommendation and the approval of funding from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), for the use of a new typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV), we should turn our minds to the challenges that remain ahead. Despite the evidence showing the safety and clinical efficacy of TCV in endemic populations in developing countries, we should remain vigilant and explore hurdles for the full public health impact of TCV, including vaccine supply for the potential global demand, immunization strategies to optimize the effectiveness and long-term protection provided by the vaccines, potential use of TCV in outbreak settings, and scenarios for addressing chronic carriers. Finally, challenges face endemic countries with poor surveillance systems concerning awareness of the need for TCV and the extent of the issue across their populations, and how to target immunization strategies appropriately.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (155) ◽  
pp. 200068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Ferioli ◽  
Cecilia Cisternino ◽  
Valentina Leo ◽  
Lara Pisani ◽  
Paolo Palange ◽  
...  

The World Health Organization has recently defined the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection a pandemic. The infection, that may cause a potentially very severe respiratory disease, now called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has airborne transmission via droplets. The rate of transmission is quite high, higher than common influenza. Healthcare workers are at high risk of contracting the infection particularly when applying respiratory devices such as oxygen cannulas or noninvasive ventilation. The aim of this article is to provide evidence-based recommendations for the correct use of “respiratory devices” in the COVID-19 emergency and protect healthcare workers from contracting the SARS-CoV-2 infection.


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