New Assessment of Bovine Tuberculosis Risk Factors in Belgium Based on Nationwide Molecular Epidemiology

Controlling bovine tuberculosis (bTB) disease in cattle farms in England is seen as a challenge for farmers, animal health, environment and policy-makers. The difficulty in diagnosis and controlling bTB comes from a variety of factors: the lack of an accurate diagnostic test which is higher in specificity than the currently available skin test; isolation periods for purchased cattle; and the density of active badgers, especially in high-risk areas. In this paper, to enable the complex evaluation of bTB disease, a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) is designed with the help of domain experts and available historical data. A significant advantage of this approach is that it represents bTB as a dynamic process that evolves periodically, capturing the actual experience of testing and infection over time. Moreover, the model demonstrates the influence of particular risk factors upon the risk of bTB breakdown in cattle farms.

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Patients hospitalised in Bolivia with pulmonary tuberculosis: risk factors for dying

The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease ◽

10.5588/09640569512959 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 6 (6) ◽

pp. 470-474 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

R. Abós-Hernández ◽

E. Ollé-Goig J.

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Pulmonary Tuberculosis ◽

Tuberculosis Risk

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Molecular Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Colonization by Vancomycin-ResistantEnterococcusin Patients with Hematologic Malignancies

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1086/659408 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 490-496 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

N. G. Almyroudis ◽

A. J. Lesse ◽

T. Hahn ◽

G. Samonis ◽

P. A. Hazamy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Molecular Epidemiology ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Severity Of Illness ◽

Hematologic Malignancies ◽

Observation Time ◽

Patient Specific ◽

Common Source ◽

Retrospective Case ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

Objective.To study the molecular epidemiology of vancomycin-resistantEnterococcus(VRE) colonization and to identify modifiable risk factors among patients with hematologic malignancies.Setting.A hematology-oncology unit with high prevalence of VRE colonization.Participants.Patients with hematologic malignancies and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients admitted to the hospital.Methods.Patients underwent weekly surveillance by means of perianal swabs for VRE colonization and, if colonized, were placed in contact isolation. We studied the molecular epidemiology in fecal and blood isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis over a 1-year period. We performed a retrospective case-control study over a 3-year period. Cases were defined as patients colonized by VRE, and controls were defined as patients negative for VRE colonization. Case patients and control patients were matched by admitting service and length of observation time.Results.Molecular genotyping demonstrated the primarily polyclonal nature of VRE isolates. Colonization occurred at a median of 14 days. Colonized patients were characterized by longer hospital admissions. Previous use of ceftazidime was associated with VRE colonization (P< .001), while use of intravenous vancomycin and antibiotics with anaerobic activity did not emerge as a risk factor. There was no association with neutropenia or presence of colonic mucosal disruption, and severity of illness was similar in both groups.Conclusion.Molecular studies showed that in the majority of VRE-colonized patients the strains were unique, arguing that VRE acquisition was sporadic rather than resulting from a common source of transmission. Patient-specific factors, including prior antibiotic exposure, rather than breaches in infection control likely predict for risk of fecal VRE colonization.

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