scholarly journals Comment on: Emergence of the invasive malaria vector Anopheles stephensi in Khartoum State, Central Sudan

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Kolaczinski ◽  
Samira Al-Eryani ◽  
Emmanuel Chanda ◽  
Lucia Fernandez-Montoya

AbstractThis letter comments on the article “Emergence of the invasive malaria vector Anopheles stephensi in Khartoum State, Central Sudan” published in Parasites and Vectors 2021, 14:511. Here we aim of provide a response to this paper in the broader context of the invasion and spread of An. stephensi in the Horn of Africa, and the required response to it. We agree with the authors that the arrival of this invasive vector in Khartoum State is of high public health concern. Equally concerning, however, we found that the detection of the vector by the authors in 2018 seemingly took 3 years to communicate to the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO), and was reliant on an academic journal. We consider that this short report sets a poor example of how public health threats should be reported. Suitable communication alternatives to alert public health authorities to such threats have been put in place by the WHO and its Member States, and are well known to at least some of the authors of the short report. We would like to encourage all readers not to follow the example of Ahmed et al. but instead act as responsible public health professionals by drawing on the established reporting mechanisms and escalate potential threats as soon as they are identified. Graphical Abstract

Author(s):  
Calvin W. L. Ho ◽  
Tsung-Ling Lee

Abstract Recognizing that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious threat to global public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted a Global Action Plan (GAP) at the May 2015 World Health Assembly. Underscoring that systematic misuse and overuse of drugs in human medicine and food production is a global public health concern, the GAP-AMR urges concerted efforts across governments and private sectors, including pharmaceutical industry, medical professionals, agricultural industry, among others. The GAP has a threefold aim: (1) to ensure a continuous use of effective and safe medicines for treatment and prevention of infectious diseases; (2) to encourage a responsible use of medicines; and (3) to engage countries to develop their national actions on AMR in keeping with the recommendations. While the GAP is a necessary step to enable multilateral actions, it must be supported by effective governance in order to realize the proposed aims. This chapter has a threefold purpose: (1) To identify regulatory principles embedded in key WHO documents relating to AMR and the GAP-AMR; (2) To consider the legal and regulatory actions or interventions that countries could use to strengthen their regulatory lever for AMR containment; and (3) To highlight the crucial role of the regulatory lever in enabling other levers under a whole-of-system approach. Effective AMR containment requires a clearer understanding of how the regulatory lever could be implemented or enabled within health systems, as well as how it underscores and interacts with other levers within a whole-of-system approach.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e2014070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgia Sulis ◽  
Alberto Roggi ◽  
Alberto Matteelli ◽  
Mario C. Raviglione

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health concern worldwide: despite a regular, although slow, decline in incidence over the last decade, as many as 8.6 million new cases and 1.3 million deaths were estimated to have occurred in 2012. TB is by all means a poverty-related disease, mainly affecting the most vulnerable populations in the poorest countries. The presence of multidrug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis in most countries, with some where prevalence is high, is among the major challenges for TB control, which may hinder recent achievements especially in some settings. Early TB case detection especially in resource-constrained settings and in marginalized groups remains a challenge, and about 3 million people are estimated to remain undiagnosed or not notified and untreated. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently launched the new global TB strategy for the “post-2015 era” aimed at “ending the global TB epidemic” by 2035, based on the three pillars that emphasize patient-centred TB care and prevention, bold policies and supportive systems, and intensified research and innovation.This paper aims to provide an overview of the global TB epidemiology as well as of the main challenges that must be faced to eliminate the disease as a public health problem everywhere.


Author(s):  
Jeff Clyde G Corpuz

Abstract The current public health crisis has radically altered the social and civic involvement in Southeast Asia. Although the virus has shifted the landscape of engagement, it has not dampened the enthusiasm of the public. In 2020–2021, more people than ever seem to be paying attention and even getting involved in activism. Many dramatic events happened during the coronavirus crisis such as from protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, public activism around the environment, economic inequality, authoritarianism and human rights violations. In Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and just recently Myanmar. The journal has lately published about the ‘Relationship of George Floyd protests to increases in COVID-19 cases using event study methodology’ and it has rightly expressed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended social distancing guidelines must be followed in a protest situation. In response to the situation of social activism in Southeast Asia, one must follow the CDC-recommended and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in the Region. Although protesting is an individual human right, one must also be cautious and be aware of the deadly virus since we are still in a pandemic and the COVID-19 virus continues to mutate.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bożena Walewska-Zielecka ◽  
Urszula Religioni ◽  
Grzegorz Juszczyk ◽  
Zbigniew M Wawrzyniak ◽  
Aleksandra Czerw ◽  
...  

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be a serious public health concern and one of the major public health priorities. In 2005, it was estimated that there are 185 million anti-HCV positive people in the world, which constitutes 2.8% of the global population. Our study estimates the anti-HCV seroprevalence in the working age population (15–64 years-old), mostly urban and suburban residents, in Poland from 2004 to 2014. The studied group consisted of 61,805 working-age population representatives whose data were obtained from electronic medical records of an outpatient clinic network operating on a countrywide level. Positive anti-HCV test results were obtained in 957 patients, representing 1.5% of the whole population studied throughout the analysed period. The average age of all anti-HCV positive patients was 36.8 years. Analysis of the data suggests that the proportion of anti-HCV positive patients decreased over the study period (mean positive anti-HCV = -0.0017 × year + 3.3715; R2 = 0.7558). In 2004, positive results were noted among 3.2% of patients undergoing HCV antibody tests, but in 2014, the percentage of patients with a positive result stood at 1.1%. The apparent decrease affected men and women similarly. Our study also provides evidence that screening people born before 1965 could be beneficial.


2010 ◽  
Vol 49 (179) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Khadka

The family Orthomyxoviridae consists of Influenza A virus which is negative sense single stranded virus. The genome of the virus is segmented and possesses a peculiar trait of genetic reassortment. The influenza virus on its envelop consists of the antigenic glycoprotein like haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). The changes in those glycoprotein components due to antigenic shift and antigenic drift leads to the development of new strain of Influenza A viruses. Now the novel swine influenza A/H1N1 strain has been detected from different parts of the world which is causing pandemic. World Health Organization has declared the pandemic phase six and more than 60 countries have reported the cases of novel influenza A/H1N1 strain including Nepal. As the disease is spreading world wide, it is a major public health concern for all the countries. And especially the developing countries like Nepal should immediately respond to the situation and should be well prepared to combat the disease before the disease spreads to enough population. Keywords: pandemic, public health, reassortment, swine influenza A/H1N1.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adelekan Oluseyi Okunlade ◽  
Oluwaseun Olanrewaju Esan ◽  
Akinlabi Oladele Ogunleye

Abstract Background Pet birds are housed and reared exclusively for ornamental use. These include psittaciformes (parrots, parakeets, budgerigars, love birds) and passeriformes (e.g. canaries, finches, sparrows, also called songbirds). E. coli is a Gram negative bacterium. In birds, it is called Avian Pathogenic E. coli and is a causative agent of avian colibacillosis. Antimicrobial resistance is the process through which bacteria evade the activity of antibiotics. According to WHO (World Health Organization), antibiotic resistance is the result of indiscriminate use of these drugs which are used both in Veterinary and human medicine. Case presentation A one and half year old yellow female budgerigar pet bird (Melopsittacus undulatus) with patches of black and white on wings and back, kept as companion (one out of four) was presented dead at the avian clinic section of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. It was reported to have presented signs of anorexia and diarrhea for two days before death. Provisional diagnosis was colibacillosis. Intestinal samples were sent for microbial culture and sensitivity. The samples yielded growth of E. coli. Antimicrobial susceptibility revealed that the organism showed resistance to all tested antibiotics. Conclusions Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli constitutes a major public health concern. The constant interaction between household companion birds and humans gives room for disease transmission. Wild birds kept as pets or companions harbor pathogenic and zoonotic pathogens, hence a threat to public health.


Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuefei Jin ◽  
Haiyan Yang ◽  
Wangquan Ji ◽  
Weidong Wu ◽  
Shuaiyin Chen ◽  
...  

The outbreak of emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) in China has been brought to global attention and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. Scientific advancements since the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002~2003 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012 have accelerated our understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and the development of therapeutics to treat viral infection. As no specific therapeutics and vaccines are available for disease control, the epidemic of COVID-19 is posing a great threat for global public health. To provide a comprehensive summary to public health authorities and potential readers worldwide, we detail the present understanding of COVID-19 and introduce the current state of development of measures in this review.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica J. Armstrong ◽  
Kevin L. Erskine

Drowning, which typically involves a watery environment, remains a serious public health concern claiming an estimated 362 000 lives per year worldwide across all socioeconomic classifications and has remained under close observation by the World Health Organization and its signatories. A significant number of water-related deaths are attributed to accidental drowning, while a smaller but still significant number represent suicidal or homicidal drowning. Others involve a combination of drowning precipitated by injury, intoxication, or environmental extremes. Still others involve victims that die from injury, intoxication, or a natural disease entity of such significance as to preclude the drowning process, while near or in water. While there may be an initial presumption that all water-related deaths are accidental drownings, other possibilities must be considered in the investigation of these types of deaths, as drowning as a cause of death is a diagnosis based on the exclusion of other potential causes. The coordinated investigative efforts of multiple agencies and disciplines are required not only for the designation as drowning as the cause of death but also for death certification. The ongoing analysis and dissemination of data generated from all levels of investigation augment our understanding of the impact on public health and safety, guiding allocation of monetary and educational resources in an effort to prevent further mortality and disability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roudom Ferreira Moura ◽  
Ana Paula Miranda Mundim-Pombo ◽  
Rosângela Elaine Minéo Biagolini ◽  
Janessa de Fátima Morgado de Oliveira

Introdução: O Estado de São Paulo foi a Unidade da Federação onde ocorreu a notificação do primeiro caso de COVID-19 no Brasil e América Latina,apresentando indicadores de saúde alarmantes e boa parte dos municípios afetados. Objetivo: Analisar os indicadores de saúde do Novo Coronavírus (COVID-19) no Estado de São Paulo (ESP) nos três primeiros meses da epidemia a partir da confirmação do primeiro caso. Material e método: Estudo ecológico, descritivo, considerando os casos confirmados de COVID-19 captados pelo Centro de Vigilância Epidemiológica do ESP para o período de 26 de fevereiro a 26 de maio de 2020. Resultados: Houve crescimento do número de municípios (35, 284 e 510), casos confirmados (1.015, 20.652 e 85.459), óbitos (57, 1.700 e 6.423), coeficientes de incidência (2,21; 44,97 e 186,11 para cada 100.000 habitantes) e mortalidade (0,12; 3,70 e 13,99 para cada 100.000 habitantes) - respectivamente, março, abril e maio. Observou-se declínio do coeficiente de letalidade no terceiro mês comparado ao segundo (respectivamente, 8,23 e 7,52 para cada 100 casos). Conclusão: A magnitude do COVID-19 extrapola os indicadores mundiais em algumas localidades do Estado de São Paulo.Descritores: Infecções por Coronavírus; Pandemias; Epidemiologia Descritiva; Estudos Ecológicos.ReferênciasTan W, Zhao X, Ma X, Wang W, Niu P, Xu W et al. A Novel Coronavirus Genome Identified in a Cluster of Pneumonia Cases — Wuhan, China 2019−2020. China CDC Weekly, 2020;2(4):61-2.Rafael RDMR, Neto M, Carvalho MMB de, David HMSL, Acioli S, Faria MG de A. Epidemiologia, políticas públicas e pandemia de Covid-19: o que esperar no Brasil? Rev enferm UERJ. 2020;28:e49570.Wang C, Horby PW, Hayden FG, Gao GF. A novel coronavirus outbreak of global health concern [published correction appears in Lancet. 2020. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):470-73.Di Gennaro F, Pizzol D, Marotta C, Antunes M, Racalbuto V, Veronese N et al.  Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) Current Status and Future Perspectives: A Narrative Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(8):2690.World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) Situation Report - 117. World Heal Organ [Internet]. 2020;8(1):3–8. Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200516-covid-19-sitrep-117.pdf?sfvrsn=8f562cc_World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Situation Report 138. 2020;(June). Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200606-covid-19-sitrep-138.pdf?sfvrsn=c8abfb17_4BRASIL. Ministério da Saúde S de V em S. Boletim Epidemiológico Especial COE COVID-19. Bol Epidemiológico Espec COE-COVID19 [Internet]. 2020; Available at: https://www.saude.gov.br/images/pdf/2020/May/29/2020-05-25---BEE17---Boletim-do-COE.pdf.The Lancet. COVID-19 in Brazil: "So what?". Lancet. 2020;395(10235):1461.Rodriguez-Morales AJ, Gallego V, Escalera-Antezana JP, Mendez CA, Zambrano LI, Franco-Paredes  et. al.  COVID-19 in Latin America: The implications of the first confirmed case in Brazil. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2020;35:101613.Governo do Estado de São Paulo10 - Secretaria de Estado da Saúde - Coordenadoria de Controle de Doenças - Centro de Vigilância Epidemiológica “Prof. Alexandre Vranjac” – Novo Coronavírus (COVID-19) - Situação Epidemiológica 26 de fevereiro a 26 de maio de 2020, disponíveis em: http://www.saude.sp.gov.br/cve-centro-de-vigilancia-epidemiologica-prof.-alexandre-vranjac/areas-de-vigilancia/doencas-de-transmissao-respiratoria/coronavirus-covid-19/situacao-epidemiologicaIBGE. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Brasil. São Paulo. Arandu. Disponível em: https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/brasil/sp/arandu/pesquisa/37/30255Castro Delgado R, Arcos González P. Analyzing the health system's capacity to respond to epidemics: a key element in planning for emergencies. El análisis de la capacidad de respuesta sanitaria como elemento clave en la planificación ante emergencias epidémicas. Emergencias. 2020;32(3):157-59.World-o-Meter. Disponível em: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/. Acesso em: 14 de maio de 2020.Ren H, Zhao L, Zhang A, Song L, Liao Y, Lu W et al. Early forecasting of the potential risk zones of COVID-19 in China's megacities. Sci Total Environ. 2020;729:138995.Morgenstern H. Ecologic studies in epidemiology: concepts, principles, and methods. Annu Rev Public Health. 1995;16:61-81. Organização Pan-americana de Saúde. REDE Interagencial de Informação para a Saúde – RIPSA. Indicadores Básicos para a Saúde no Brasil: conceitos e aplicações. 2. ed. – Brasília: Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde, 2008. p. 144. Disponível em: http://tabnet.datasus.gov.br/tabdata/livroidb/2ed/CapituloC.pdfMedeiros de Figueiredo A, Daponte A, Moreira Marculino de Figueiredo DC, Gil-García E, Kalache A. Letalidad del COVID-19: ausencia de patrón epidemiológico [Case fatality rate of COVID-19: absence of epidemiological pattern] Gac Sanit. 2020;S0213-9111(20)30084-4.SEADE – Fundação Sistema Estadual de Análise de Dados. Perfil dos Municípios Paulistas. Disponível em: https://perfil.seade.gov.br/. Acessado em: 10/06/2020.Governo de São Paulo. SP Contra o Novo Coronavírus. Adesão ao Isolamento Social em São Paulo. Disponível em: https://www.saopaulo.sp.gov.br/coronavirus/isolamento/. Acessado em 10/06/2020.


eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane P Messina ◽  
Moritz UG Kraemer ◽  
Oliver J Brady ◽  
David M Pigott ◽  
Freya M Shearer ◽  
...  

Zika virus was discovered in Uganda in 1947 and is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which also act as vectors for dengue and chikungunya viruses throughout much of the tropical world. In 2007, an outbreak in the Federated States of Micronesia sparked public health concern. In 2013, the virus began to spread across other parts of Oceania and in 2015, a large outbreak in Latin America began in Brazil. Possible associations with microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome observed in this outbreak have raised concerns about continued global spread of Zika virus, prompting its declaration as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. We conducted species distribution modelling to map environmental suitability for Zika. We show a large portion of tropical and sub-tropical regions globally have suitable environmental conditions with over 2.17 billion people inhabiting these areas.


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