scholarly journals Differences in perceived severity of Zika virus infection and dengue fever and its influence on mosquito control practices in malaysia, a dengue-endemic country

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Ping Wong ◽  
Haridah Alias ◽  
Nasrin Aghamohammadi ◽  
I-Ching Sam ◽  
Sazaly Abu Bakar
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Dengue Fever ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Endemic Country ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Perceived Severity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Before And After

AbstractBackgroundIt is important to study the concerns over the Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak among the general public in dengue-endemic countries such as Malaysia, as both diseases are transmitted by the same vector species. Furthermore, investigation of public prevention measures for ZIKV is essential in order to identify the gaps in mosquito control practices. The aims of this study were to explore the differences in 1) the perception of severity towards ZIKV infection and dengue fever, and 2) mosquito control practices before and after the ZIKV outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).MethodData were collected between February 2015 and May 2016 using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing system on a random sample of 567 people from the general Malaysian population aged above 18 years from randomly selected households.ResultsThe median scale score for perceived severity of ZIKV was 3 (interquartile range [IQR] 1-5) versus 4 (IQR 3-5) for dengue (P<0.001). The majority perceived dengue as being more severe than ZIKV (41.6%). Having friends or acquaintances that had died from dengue was significantly associated with higher perceived severity of ZIKV than dengue (odds ratio [OR] 1.913 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.032-3.547]). The scores for mosquito control practices before and after ZIKV was declared a PHEIC were similar, at 4 (IQR 3-5). Multivariate analysis revealed that participants with a higher score for perception of severity of ZIKV were more likely to report greater mosquito control practices after the declaration of the PHEIC (OR 1.822 [95% CI 1.107-2.998]).ConclusionsThe emerging ZIKV pandemic requires concerted efforts to enhance mosquito control practices among the Malaysian public. Efforts to improve public mosquito control practices should focus on enhancing the perception of the severity of ZIKV.Author summaryInvestigation of the public perception of the severity of the re-emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Malaysia, a dengue-endemic country, is of immense importance. It is also vital to know whether the public has heightened their mosquito prevention practices after the declaration of ZIKV as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The aim of this study was to explore the differences in 1) the perception of severity towards ZIKV infection and dengue fever, and 2) mosquito control practices before and after the ZIKV outbreak was declared a PHEIC. Findings showed that the public has a lower perception of severity of ZIKV than of dengue. Mosquito prevention practices were the same before and after the declaration of a PHEIC. People with a higher perception of severity of ZIKV reported higher mosquito control practices after the declaration of a PHEIC. The emerging ZIKV pandemic requires concerted efforts to enhance mosquito control practices among the Malaysian public. Efforts to improve public mosquito control practices should focus on enhancing the perception of severity of the ZIKV.

scholarly journals Houston Health Department’s response to the threat of Zika virus

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Bakota ◽  
Kirsten Short ◽  
Amanda Eckert
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Public Health Authority ◽  
The Public ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The City

ObjectiveThis session will explore the role of the Houston Health Department(HHD) in the City of Houston’s response to the threat of Zika. Thepanelists will provide perspective from the roles of Bureau Chief,informatician, and epidemiologist and provide insight into lessonslearned and strategic successes.IntroductionZika virus spread quickly through South and Central America in2015. The City of Houston saw its first travel-related Zika cases inDecember of 2015. On January 29th, the City held the first planningmeeting with regional partners from healthcare, blood banks,petrochemical companies, mosquito control, and others. Additionallythe City activated Incident Command Structure (ICS) and designatedthe Public Health Authority as the Incident Commander.Initial steps taken by HHD included expanding the capabilityand capacity of the public health laboratory to test for Zika virus;expand surveillance efforts; created an educational campaign aroundthe “3Ds” of Zika defense (Drain, Dress, DEET) which were thendisseminated through several means, including a mass mailing withwater bills; and provided DEET to mothers through the WIC program.The Houston Health Department took the lead in authoringthe City’s Zika Action Plan. In this 3 goals and 6 strategies wereidentified. Goals included 1) Keep Houstonians and visitors aware ofthe threat of Zika; 2) minimize the spread of the virus; and 3) protectpregnant women from the virus. The 6 strategies employed were toA) develop preparedness plans; B) implement ICS within the City;C) ensure situational awareness through surveillance; D) Increasecommunity awareness; E) reduce opportunities for Zika mosquitobreeding grounds; and F) provide direct intervention to reduce thethreat of Zika.HHD was responsible for many of the action items within theplan. We conducted several community outreach events, where wedisseminated educational materials, t-shirts, DEET, and other give-aways. These events allowed frequent engagement with the public forbidrectional communication on how to approach the threat.

scholarly journals Differences in Perceived Severity of Zika Virus Infection and Dengue Fever and its Influence on Mosquito Control Practices in Malaysia

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 854-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Ping Wong ◽  
Haridah Alias ◽  
Nasrin Aghamohammadi ◽  
I-ching Sam ◽  
Sazaly AbuBakar
Keyword(s):  
Virus Infection ◽  
Dengue Fever ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Perceived Severity ◽  
Zika Virus Infection

scholarly journals Zika virus epidemiology: from Uganda to world pandemic, an update

2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (6) ◽  
pp. 673-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Talero-Gutiérrez ◽  
A. Rivera-Molina ◽  
C. Pérez-Pavajeau ◽  
I. Ossa-Ospina ◽  
C. Santos-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Zikv Infection

AbstractZika virus (ZIKV) infection is an emergent worldwide public health problem. Historically, 84 countries have reported vector-borne ZIKV transmission, 61 of which report on-going transmission. It is a Flavivirus transmitted through arthropods belonging to the Aedes genus. Since 2015, ZIKV infections have increased dramatically; with 1.3 million people infected during 2015 in Brazil alone. This paper's objective is to highlight the conjectural epidemiological points of the virus’ dissemination. The digital archives Pubmed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane were searched for papers that assessed aspects of ZIKV transmission and epidemiology. The first isolation occurred in Uganda in 1947. Since then, important outbreaks were documented globally. Consequently, an emergent public health problem arose from a rapidly increasing incidence and its association with the development of neurological diseases such as microcephaly and Guillain–Barré syndrome. Key factors in the successful containment of outbreaks include surveillance of mosquitos in the neighbourhood, an early mosquito control treatment, an assertive information campaign, and the involvement of the local population and healthcare workers. As such, while ZIKV seems to be spreading globally in a similar manner to other arboviruses, such as Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, it can also be rapidly contained due to the pre-existing availability of necessary resources and regulatory tools as control measures. This review aims to provide a description of those characteristics of ZIKV infection that may be useful in the construction of effective outbreak control strategies.

scholarly journals The global scientific research response to the public health emergency of Zika virus infection

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. e0229790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliane Fonseca de Oliveira ◽  
Julia Moreira Pescarini ◽  
Moreno de Souza Rodrigues ◽  
Bethania de Araujo Almeida ◽  
Claudio Maierovitch Pessanha Henriques ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
The Public ◽  
Zika Virus Infection

The application of WeChat App with “group function” in emergency management and treatment of COVID-19 (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Liu ◽  
Hong Shan ◽  
Changli Tu ◽  
Meizhu Chen ◽  
Xiujuan Qu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Group Communication ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
Group Function ◽  
The Public ◽  
Communication Method ◽  
Tertiary Hospitals

UNSTRUCTURED Background: Since December 2019, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan city and rapidly spread throughout China. Facing this kind of public health emergency, an efficient, fast and group communication method is needed. Method: As a director of the department Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in a tertiary hospitals, which is the only designated one for diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in a medium-sized city, I analyzed and summarized the “group function” of WeChat (Weixin, micro-message) App in working about COVID-19. Results: By February 16, 2020, we have completed 1,526 citywide consultations and treatment of 322 inpatients, including 97 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, with the help of 12 WeChat groups by handy. The advantages of WeChat group are as follows: 1. Work efficiency can be improved greatly, saving labor costs. 2. Accurate and intuitive information can be gotten fast and timely, avoiding close contacting with COVID-19 patients. 3. Data and message in WeChat groups can be saved, arranged and reviewed at any time. Conclusions: The “group function” in WeChat App plays a greater role in the public health emergent work about management, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

Funding models and expenditures with primary healthcare in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil metropolitan area

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Vivas ◽  
M Duarte ◽  
A Pitta ◽  
B Christovam
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Ministry Of Health ◽  
Healthcare Budget ◽  
Health Budget ◽  
The Public ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background The government investments in quality primary healthcare are the basis to strengthening the health systems and monitoring the public expenditure in this area is a way to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the public health policies. The Brazil Ministry of Health changed, in 2017, the method of onlending federal resources to states and cities seeking to make the public funds management more flexible. This change, however, suppressed mandatory investments in primary healthcare. This research aims to determine the difference of expenditures on primary healthcare in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil metropolitan area before and after this funding reform, seeking to verify how it can impact the quality of primary healthcare services and programs. Methods This is an ecological time-series study that used data obtained in the Brazil Ministry of Health budget reports. The median and interquartile range of expenditures on primary healthcare (set as the percentage of total public health budget applied in primary care services and programs) of the 13 cities in the Salvador metropolitan area were compared two years before and after the reform. Results The median of expenditures on primary healthcare in Salvador metropolitan area was 25.5% (13,9% - 32,2%) of total public health budget before and 24.8% (20.8% - 30.0%) of total public health budget after the reform (-0.7% difference). Seven cities decreased the expenditures on primary healthcare after the reform, ranging from 1.2% to 10.8% reduction in the primary healthcare budget in five years. Conclusions Expenditures on primary healthcare in Salvador metropolitan area decreased after the 2017 funding reform. Seven of 13 cities reduced the government investments on primary healthcare services and programs in this scenario. Although the overall difference was -0.7%, the budget cuts ranged from 1.2% to 10.8% in the analyzed period and sample. More studies should assess these events in wide areas and with long time ranges. Key messages Public health funding models can impact the primary healthcare settings regardless of the health policy. Reforms in the funding models should consider the possible benefits before implementation. Funding models and methods that require mandatory investments in primary healthcare may be considered over more flexible ones.

Italian operators' response to the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-31
Author(s):  
Massimo Candela ◽  
Antonio Prado
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Internet Usage ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Market Conditions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Online Activities ◽  
Internet Network

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments introduced several social restrictions. As of 18 March 2020, more than 250 million people were in lockdown in Europe. This drastically increased the number of online activities. Due to this unprecedented situation, some concerns arose about the suitability of the Internet network to sustain the increased usage. Italy was severely hit by the first wave of the pandemic and various regions underwent a lockdown before the main country-wide one. The Italian network operators started sharing information about improvements carried out on the network and new measures adopted to support the increase in Internet usage. In this report, by means of a questionnaire, we collect information and provide a quantitative overview of the actions undertaken by network operators in Italy. The attitude of Italian operators was synergic and proactive in supporting the changed market conditions caused by the public health emergency.

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