scholarly journals The early dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Portugal

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Borges ◽  
J Isidro ◽  
NS Trovão ◽  
S Duarte ◽  
H Cortes-Martins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Travel History ◽  
Genomic Epidemiology ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Portuguese Immigrants ◽  
And Control

ABSTRACTBackgroundGenomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal was rapidly implemented by the National Institute of Health in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, in collaboration with more than 50 laboratories distributed nationwide. This unprecedented collaborative effort culminated in the generation of 1275 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences, which represent 15.5% of all confirmed cases in March 2020, making Portugal one of the countries generating the highest volumes of SARS-CoV-2 genomic data during early COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe reconstructed and characterized the spatio-temporal dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 introductions and early dissemination in Portugal using recent phylodynamic models that allow integration of individual-based travel history, in order to obtain a more realistic reconstruction of the viral dynamics.ResultsWe detected at least 277 independent SARS-CoV-2 introductions, mostly from European countries (namely the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland), which was broadly consistent with the available travel history data, as well as with the countries with most frequent connectivity and/or with the highest number of Portuguese immigrants. Although most introductions were estimated to have occurred during the last week of February and the first week of March 2020, it is likely that SARS-CoV-2 was silently circulating in Portugal several weeks before the first confirmed local cases on March 2, 2020.Discussion and ConclusionWhile the implemented preventive and early control measures seem to have been successful in mitigating community transmission from most independent introductions, our results suggest that their earlier implementation could have largely minimized the number of introductions and subsequent virus expansion. Here we lay the foundation for genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal, and highlight the need for systematic, continuous and geographically-representative genomic surveillance to guide national and international public health authorities toward the characterization and control of SARS-CoV-2 circulating diversity.

scholarly journals Widespread activity of multiple lineages of Usutu virus, western Europe, 2016

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Cadar ◽  
Renke Lühken ◽  
Henk van der Jeugd ◽  
Mutien Garigliany ◽  
Ute Ziegler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Usutu Virus ◽  
Dead Bird ◽  
Outbreak Area ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
And Control

In the summer of 2016, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands reported widespread Usutu virus (USUV) activity based on live and dead bird surveillance. The causative USUV strains represented four lineages, of which two putative novel lineages were most likely recently introduced into Germany and spread to other western European countries. The spatial extent of the outbreak area corresponded with R0 values > 1. The occurrence of the outbreak, the largest USUV epizootic registered so far in Europe, allowed us to gain insight in how a recently introduced arbovirus with potential public health implications can spread and become a resident pathogen in a naïve environment. Understanding the ecological and epidemiological factors that drive the emergence or re-emergence of USUV is critical to develop and implement timely surveillance strategies for adequate preventive and control measures. Public health authorities, blood transfusion services and clinicians in countries where USUV was detected should be aware of the risk of possible USUV infection in humans, including in patients with unexplained encephalitis or other neurological impairments, especially during late summer when mosquito densities peak.

Cronobacterspp. (« Enterobacter sakazakii » sensu lato) : implication dans la contamination des préparations en poudre pour nourrissons et enfants en bas âge

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 473-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Proudy
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Neonatal Meningitis ◽  
Enterobacter Sakazakii ◽  
Isolation And Characterization ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
And Control ◽  
Infants And Young Children

Species of the Cronobacter genus (“ Enterobacter sakazakii ” s. l.) are emergent food-borne pathogens that can cause rare but severe neonatal meningitis, bacteriaemia, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Preterm, low-birth-weight, and immuno-compromised infants exposed to these bacterial species are at particular risk. Over the last 50 years, the literature has reported, mainly in newborn children, more than one hundred cases of infection due to these pathogens. The objective of this review was to synthesize the recent advances in knowledge of species of the Cronobacter genus, in particular with regards to taxonomy, physiology, pathogenicity, clinical cases, the methods for detection, isolation, and characterization, and their presence in powdered formulae for infants and young children, which were identified as the main infection vector. Researchers and international public health authorities have explored the ways contamination occur to better control the risks of pathogen development. Appropriate analysis and control measures were implemented in areas processing powdered formulae for infants and young children, and caregivers and families were informed to undertake good hygienic practices.

scholarly journals Deciphering the introduction and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Colombian Amazon Basin

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. e0009327
Author(s):  
Nathalia Ballesteros ◽  
Marina Muñoz ◽  
Luz Helena Patiño ◽  
Carolina Hernández ◽  
Felipe González-Casabianca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Viral Genomes ◽  
Genomic Epidemiology ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Colombian Amazon ◽  
Prevention And Control Measures ◽  
And Control

Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has forced health authorities across the world to take important decisions to curtail its spread. Genomic epidemiology has emerged as a valuable tool to understand introductions and spread of the virus in a specific geographic location. Methodology/Principal findings Here, we report the sequences of 59 SARS-CoV-2 samples from inhabitants of the Colombian Amazonas department. The viral genomes were distributed in two robust clusters within the distinct GISAID clades GH and G. Spatial-temporal analyses revealed two independent introductions of SARS-CoV-2 in the region, one around April 1, 2020 associated with a local transmission, and one around April 2, 2020 associated with other South American genomes (Uruguay and Brazil). We also identified ten lineages circulating in the Amazonas department including the P.1 variant of concern (VOC). Conclusions/Significance This study represents the first genomic epidemiology investigation of SARS-CoV-2 in one of the territories with the highest report of indigenous community of the country. Such findings are essential to decipher viral transmission, inform on global spread and to direct implementation of infection prevention and control measures for this vulnerable population, especially, due to the recent circulation of one of the variants of concern (P.1) associated with major transmissibility and possible reinfections.

scholarly journals Spatio-temporal evolution and influencing mechanism of the COVID-19 epidemic in Shandong province, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinlong Shi ◽  
Xing Gao ◽  
Shuyan Xue ◽  
Fengqing Li ◽  
Qifan Nie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Temporal Evolution ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Shandong Province ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Aged People ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
And Control

AbstractThe novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) outbreak that emerged in late 2019 has posed a severe threat to human health and social and economic development, and thus has become a major public health crisis affecting the world. The spread of COVID-19 in population and regions is a typical geographical process, which is worth discussing from the geographical perspective. This paper focuses on Shandong province, which has a high incidence, though the first Chinese confirmed case was reported from Hubei province. Based on the data of reported confirmed cases and the detailed information of cases collected manually, we used text analysis, mathematical statistics and spatial analysis to reveal the demographic characteristics of confirmed cases and the spatio-temporal evolution process of the epidemic, and to explore the comprehensive mechanism of epidemic evolution and prevention and control. The results show that: (1) the incidence rate of COVID-19 in Shandong is 0.76/100,000. The majority of confirmed cases are old and middle-aged people who are infected by the intra-province diffusion, followed by young and middle-aged people who are infected outside the province. (2) Up to February 5, the number of daily confirmed cases shows a trend of “rapid increase before slowing down”, among which, the changes of age and gender are closely related to population migration, epidemic characteristics and intervention measures. (3) Affected by the regional economy and population, the spatial distribution of the confirmed cases is obviously unbalanced, with the cluster pattern of “high–low” and “low–high”. (4) The evolution of the migration pattern, affected by the geographical location of Wuhan and Chinese traditional culture, is dominated by “cross-provincial” and “intra-provincial” direct flow, and generally shows the trend of “southwest → northeast”. Finally, combined with the targeted countermeasures of “source-flow-sink”, the comprehensive mechanism of COVID-19 epidemic evolution and prevention and control in Shandong is revealed. External and internal prevention and control measures are also figured out.

scholarly journals Investigation of the spread of brucellosis among human and animal populations in southeastern Bulgaria, 2007

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (17) ◽  
Author(s):  
V Tzaneva ◽  
S Ivanova ◽  
M Georgieva ◽  
E Tasheva
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Products ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Control Programmes ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Spread Of Infection ◽  
And Control ◽  
Positive Results

Three human cases of brucellosis were reported in summer 2007 in the region of Haskovo in southeastern Bulgaria. Subsequently, the regional veterinary and public health authorities carried out investigations to determine the spread of infection in domestic animals and in the human population. As a result, over 90,000 animals were tested, and 410 were found infected with brucellosis. The screening of 561 people believed to have been at risk of infection yielded 47 positive results. The majority of these persons had direct contact with domestic animals or had consumed unpasteurised dairy products. The investigations revealed evidence of disease among animals in the region and a considerable risk to humans, thus emphasising the need for effective prevention and control programmes.

scholarly journals Geospatial Analysis and Mapping Strategies for Fine Grained and Detailed COVID-19 Data With Geographic Information Systems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
ÁNGEL MIRAMONTES CARBALLADA ◽  
JOSE BALSA-BARREIRO
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Location ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Temporal Behaviour ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
Predictive Risk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The CoVID-19 pandemic is showing a dramatic impact across the world. To the tragedy of the loss of human lives, we must add the great uncertainty that the new coronavirus is causing to our lives. Governments and public health authorities must be able to respond this emergency by taking the appropriate decisions for minimizing the impact of the virus. In the absence of an immediate solution, governments have concentrated their efforts on adopting non-pharmaceutical interventions for restricting the mobility of people and reducing the social contact. Health authorities are publishing most of data for supporting their interventions and policies. The geographic location of the cases is a vital information with exceptional value for analysing the spatio-temporal behaviour of the virus, doing feasible to anticipate potential outbreaks and to elaborate predictive risk mapping. In fact, a great number of media reports, research papers, and web-browsers have presented the COVID-19 disease spreading by using maps. However, processing and visualization of this sort of data presents some aspects that must be carefully reviewed. Based on our experience with fine-grained and detailed data related to COVID-19 in a Spanish region, we present a bunch of mapping strategies and good practices using geospatial tools. The ultimate goal is create appropriate maps at any spatial scale while avoiding conflicts with data such as those related to patients’ privacy.

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.

Experience of non-breastfeeding mothers

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Nihlén Fahlquist
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Research Question ◽  
World Health ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Qualitative Survey ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Ethics Guidelines ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Research Ethics Guidelines

Background: Breastfeeding is currently strongly recommended by midwives and paediatricians, and the recommendations are based on documents provided by the World Health Organization and public health authorities worldwide. Research question: The underlying question is, how are non-breastfeeding mothers affected emotionally when informed that breastfeeding is the safest and healthiest option? Research design: The method used is an anonymous web-based qualitative survey exploring the narratives of non-breastfeeding mothers, published on Thesistools.com . The aim is to achieve qualitative knowledge about the emotions of non-breastfeeding mothers. Participants and research context: Participants were based in Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and were selected through a purposeful sample. Ethical considerations: The online survey anonymizes responses automatically, and all respondents had to tick a box agreeing to be quoted anonymously in scientific articles. The study conforms to research ethics guidelines. Findings: Respondents describe how they were affected, and the following themes emerged in studying their descriptions: depression, anxiety and pain, feeling failed as a mother and woman, loss of freedom/feeling trapped, relief and guilt. Discussion: The themes are discussed against the background of the ethics of care and a theory of ethically responsible risk communication. Conclusion: Three conclusions are made. First, the message should become more empathetic. Second, information should be given in an attentive dialogue. Third, information providers should evaluate effects in a more inclusive way.

scholarly journals The effect of human mobility and control measures on the COVID-19 epidemic in China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz U.G. Kraemer ◽  
Chia-Hung Yang ◽  
Bernardo Gutierrez ◽  
Chieh-Hsi Wu ◽  
Brennan Klein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Mobility ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Travel History ◽  
Mobility Data ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
State Interventions ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has expanded rapidly throughout China. Major behavioral, clinical, and state interventions are underway currently to mitigate the epidemic and prevent the persistence of the virus in human populations in China and worldwide. It remains unclear how these unprecedented interventions, including travel restrictions, have affected COVID-19 spread in China. We use real-time mobility data from Wuhan and detailed case data including travel history to elucidate the role of case importation on transmission in cities across China and ascertain the impact of control measures. Early on, the spatial distribution of COVID-19 cases in China was well explained by human mobility data. Following the implementation of control measures, this correlation dropped and growth rates became negative in most locations, although shifts in the demographics of reported cases are still indicative of local chains of transmission outside Wuhan. This study shows that the drastic control measures implemented in China have substantially mitigated the spread of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Community transmission of influenza A (H1N1)v virus at a rock festival in Belgium, 2-5 July 2009

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (31) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Gutiérrez ◽  
A Litzroth ◽  
S Hammadi ◽  
H Van Oyen ◽  
C Gérard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surveillance System ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Influenza Like Illness ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Influenza A H1n1 ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
And Control

On 6 July 2009 the Belgian enhanced surveillance system for influenza-like illness among travellers returning from influenza A(H1N1)v affected areas detected a case linked to a rock festival which took place on 2-5 July. The health authorities implemented communication and control measures leading to the detection of aditional cases. This paper describes the outbreak and its impact on the management of the influenza pandemic in Belgium.

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