Quantifying Short-Term Foraging Movements in a Marsupial Pest to Improve Targeted Lethal Control and Disease Surveillance

ABSTRACTData from non-traditional data sources, such as social media, search engines, and remote sensing, have previously demonstrated utility for disease surveillance. Few studies, however, have focused on countries in Africa, particularly during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In this study, we use searches of COVID-19 symptoms, questions, and at-home remedies submitted to Google to model COVID-19 in South Africa, and assess how well the Google search data forecast short-term COVID-19 trends. Our findings suggest that information seeking trends on COVID-19 could guide models for anticipating COVID-19 trends and coordinating appropriate response measures.

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Using digital surveillance tools for near real-time mapping of the risk of infectious disease spread

npj Digital Medicine ◽

10.1038/s41746-021-00442-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sangeeta Bhatia ◽

Britta Lassmann ◽

Emily Cohn ◽

Angel N. Desai ◽

Malwina Carrion ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Heterogeneity ◽

Real Time ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

West African ◽

Disease Spread ◽

Short Term ◽

Incidence Trends ◽

Use Of Data ◽

Digital Surveillance ◽

Risk Of Disease

AbstractData from digital disease surveillance tools such as ProMED and HealthMap can complement the field surveillance during ongoing outbreaks. Our aim was to investigate the use of data collected through ProMED and HealthMap in real-time outbreak analysis. We developed a flexible statistical model to quantify spatial heterogeneity in the risk of spread of an outbreak and to forecast short term incidence trends. The model was applied retrospectively to data collected by ProMED and HealthMap during the 2013–2016 West African Ebola epidemic and for comparison, to WHO data. Using ProMED and HealthMap data, the model was able to robustly quantify the risk of disease spread 1–4 weeks in advance and for countries at risk of case importations, quantify where this risk comes from. Our study highlights that ProMED and HealthMap data could be used in real-time to quantify the spatial heterogeneity in risk of spread of an outbreak.

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Effect of storage conditions on SARS-CoV-2 RNA quantification in wastewater solids

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.11933 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e11933

Author(s):

Adrian Simpson ◽

Aaron Topol ◽

Bradley J. White ◽

Marlene K. Wolfe ◽

Krista R. Wigginton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Surveillance ◽

Storage Conditions ◽

Mottle Virus ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Short Term ◽

Pepper Mild Mottle Virus ◽

Strong Interest ◽

Rna Quantification ◽

Term Storage

SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater settled solids is associated with COVID-19 incidence in sewersheds and therefore, there is a strong interest in using these measurements to augment traditional disease surveillance methods. A wastewater surveillance program should provide rapid turn around for sample measurements (ideally within 24 hours), but storage of samples is necessary for a variety of reasons including biobanking. Here we investigate how storage of wastewater solids at 4 °C, −20 °C, and −80 °C affects measured concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. We find that short term (7 or 8 d) storage of raw solids at 4 °C has little effect on measured concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, whereas longer term storage at 4 °C (35–122 d) or freezing reduces measurements by 60%, on average. We show that normalizing SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations by concentrations of pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) RNA, an endogenous wastewater virus, can correct for changes during storage as storage can have a similar effect on PMMoV RNA as on SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The reductions in SARS-CoV-2 RNA in solids during freeze thaws is less than those reported for the same target in liquid influent by several authors.

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Effect of storage conditions on SARS-CoV-2 RNA quantification in wastewater solids

10.1101/2021.05.04.21256611 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Adrian Simpson ◽

Aaron Topol ◽

Bradley White ◽

Marlene Wolfe ◽

Krista Wigginton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Surveillance ◽

Storage Conditions ◽

Mottle Virus ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Short Term ◽

Pepper Mild Mottle Virus ◽

Strong Interest ◽

Rna Quantification ◽

Term Storage

SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater settled solids is associated with COVID-19 incidence in sewersheds and therefore, there is a strong interest in using these measurements to augment traditional disease surveillance methods. A wastewater surveillance program should provide rapid turn around for sample measurements (ideally within 24 hours), but storage of samples is necessary for a variety of reasons including biobanking. Here we investigate how storage of wastewater solids at 4C, -20C, and -80C affects measured concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. We find that short term (7-8 d) storage of raw solids at 4C has little effect on measured concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, whereas longer term storage at 4C (35-122 d) or freezing reduces measurements by 60%, on average. We show that normalizing SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations by concentrations of pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) RNA, an endogenous wastewater virus, can correct for changes during storage as storage can have a similar effect on PMMoV RNA as on SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The reductions in SARS-CoV-2 RNA in solids during freeze thaws is less than those reported for the same target in liquid influent by several authors.

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Early Epidemiological Features and Trends of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Southeast Asia: a Population-Level Observational Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-34707/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mingjian Zhu ◽

Kleepbua Jirapat ◽

Jian Shen ◽

Sien Ping Chew ◽

Joanna Wei Hui Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Ratio ◽

Observational Study ◽

Southeast Asia ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Population Level ◽

Intervention Strategies ◽

Cumulative Number ◽

Short Term ◽

Country Level ◽

Epidemiological Features

Abstract Background: The global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been ongoing in Southeast Asia since 13 January 2020. To guide intervention strategies and summarize beneficial experience, we describe the early epidemiological features and evaluate the trends of the COVID-19 outbreak in Southeast Asia. Methods: In this population-level observational study, we compiled a list of individual patients with COVID-19 and daily country-level case counts between 13 January 2020 and 16 March 2020 in Southeast Asia. Relevant spatiotemporal distributions, demographic characteristics and short-term trends were assessed. Results: A total of 1,346 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 217 (16.1%) recoveries and 18 (1.3%) deaths were reported in Southeast Asia as of 16 March 2020. The early transmission dynamics was fit with an exponential regression model: y=0.30e0.13x (p<0·01, adjusted R2 = 0.96). Using this model, we predicted that the cumulative number of reported COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia would exceed 10,000 by early April 2020. A total of 74 cities across 8 countries in Southeast Asia were affected by COVID-19 and most of the confirmed cases were located in 5 international metropolitan areas. Demographic analysis conducted on 925 confirmed cases indicated a median age of 44 years and a sex ratio of 1.25. Median age of local patient population was significantly higher than that of general population in corresponding country (p<0·01), whereas sex ratio did not significantly differ. Conclusions: The situation of COVID-19 endemic in Southeast Asia is intricate and not optimistic in the short-term. Dynamic disease surveillance and targeted intervention strategies are urgent.

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Using Digital Surveillance Tools for Near Real-Time Mapping of the Risk of International Infectious Disease Spread: Ebola as a Case Study

10.1101/19011940 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Sangeeta Bhatia ◽

Britta Lassmann ◽

Emily Cohn ◽

Malwina Carrion ◽

Moritz U. G. Kraemer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Early Warning Systems ◽

West African ◽

Disease Spread ◽

Warning Systems ◽

Short Term ◽

Incidence Trends ◽

Digital Surveillance

AbstractIn our increasingly interconnected world, it is crucial to understand the risk of an outbreak originating in one country or region and spreading to the rest of the world. Digital disease surveillance tools such as ProMED and HealthMap have the potential to serve as important early warning systems as well as complement the field surveillance during an ongoing outbreak. Here we present a flexible statistical model that uses data produced from digital surveillance tools (ProMED and HealthMap) to forecast short term incidence trends in a spatially explicit manner. The model was applied to data collected by ProMED and HealthMap during the 2013-2016 West African Ebola epidemic. The model was able to predict each instance of international spread 1 to 4 weeks in advance. Our study highlights the potential and limitations of using publicly available digital surveillance data for assessing outbreak dynamics in real-time.

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Validation of Short-Term Projection of Diabetes Prevalence Using the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System

Canadian Journal of Diabetes ◽

10.1016/j.jcjd.2021.09.021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 (7) ◽

pp. S5

Author(s):

Hélène Gardiner ◽

Cynthia Robitaille ◽

Sarah Spruin

Keyword(s):

Chronic Disease ◽

Surveillance System ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Diabetes Prevalence ◽

Short Term ◽

Disease Surveillance System

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Causes and Clinical Features of Childhood Encephalitis: A Multicenter, Prospective Cohort Study

Clinical Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/cid/ciz685 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 70 (12) ◽

pp. 2517-2526 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Philip N Britton ◽

Russell C Dale ◽

Christopher C Blyth ◽

Julia E Clark ◽

Nigel Crawford ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Features ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Group B Streptococcus ◽

Human Herpesvirus ◽

Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Outcome ◽

Varicella Zoster ◽

Immune Mediated

Abstract Background We aimed to determine the contemporary causes, clinical features, and short-term outcome of encephalitis in Australian children. Methods We prospectively identified children (≤14 years of age) admitted with suspected encephalitis at 5 major pediatric hospitals nationally between May 2013 and December 2016 using the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) Network. A multidisciplinary expert panel reviewed cases and categorized them using published definitions. Confirmed encephalitis cases were categorized into etiologic subgroups. Results From 526 cases of suspected encephalitis, 287 children met criteria for confirmed encephalitis: 57% (95% confidence interval [CI], 52%–63%) had infectious causes, 10% enterovirus, 10% parechovirus, 8% bacterial meningoencephalitis, 6% influenza, 6% herpes simplex virus (HSV), and 6% Mycoplasma pneumoniae; 25% (95% CI, 20%–30%) had immune-mediated encephalitis, 18% acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and 6% anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis; and 17% (95% CI, 13%–21%) had an unknown cause. Infectious encephalitis occurred in younger children (median age, 1.7 years [interquartile range {IQR}, 0.1–6.9]) compared with immune-mediated encephalitis (median age, 7.6 years [IQR, 4.6–12.4]). Varicella zoster virus encephalitis was infrequent following high vaccination coverage since 2007. Thirteen children (5%) died: 11 with infectious causes (2 influenza; 2 human herpesvirus 6; 2 group B Streptococcus; 2 Streptococcus pneumoniae; 1 HSV; 1 parechovirus; 1 enterovirus) and 2 with no cause identified. Twenty-seven percent (95% CI, 21%–31%) of children showed moderate to severe neurological sequelae at discharge. Conclusions Epidemic viral infections predominated as causes of childhood encephalitis in Australia. The leading causes include vaccine-preventable diseases. There were significant differences in age, clinical features, and outcome among leading causes. Mortality or short-term neurological morbidity occurred in one-third of cases.

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Conceptual short-term memory (CSTM) supports core claims of Christiansen and Chater

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x15000928 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 39 ◽

Author(s):

Mary C. Potter

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Rapid Serial Visual Presentation ◽

Language Comprehension ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Visual Presentation ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Short Term ◽

Term Memory ◽

Use Of Knowledge

AbstractRapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) of words or pictured scenes provides evidence for a large-capacity conceptual short-term memory (CSTM) that momentarily provides rich associated material from long-term memory, permitting rapid chunking (Potter 1993; 2009; 2012). In perception of scenes as well as language comprehension, we make use of knowledge that briefly exceeds the supposed limits of working memory.

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Ultrastructural Changes of Canine Kidneys During 24-Hour Perfusion on a LI-400 Preservation System

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100065626 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 29 ◽

pp. 316-317

Author(s):

M. O. Magnusson ◽

D. G. Osborne ◽

T. Shimoji ◽

W. S. Kiser ◽

W. A. Hawk

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Electrolyte Solution ◽

Ultrastructural Changes ◽

Midline Incision ◽

Short Term ◽

Pentobarbital Anesthesia ◽

Pulsatile Perfusion

Short term experimental and clinical preservation of kidneys is presently best accomplished by hypothermic continuous pulsatile perfusion with cryoprecipitated and millipore filtered plasma. This study was undertaken to observe ultrastructural changes occurring during 24-hour preservation using the above mentioned method.A kidney was removed through a midline incision from healthy mongrel dogs under pentobarbital anesthesia. The kidneys were flushed immediately after removal with chilled electrolyte solution and placed on a LI-400 preservation system and perfused at 8-10°C. Serial kidney biopsies were obtained at 0-½-1-2-4-8-16 and 24 hours of preservation. All biopsies were prepared for electron microscopy. At the end of the preservation period the kidneys were autografted.

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