Contemporary Plagues and Social Progress

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 458-461
Author(s):  
Thomas H. Weller
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Malignant Disease ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Social Progress ◽  
The Public ◽  
National Congress ◽  
Health Field ◽  
Opening Session

For this address at the opening session of the First Mexican National Congress of Infectious Diseases in Children (ler, Congreso National de Infectologia Pediatrica), I have chosen as my title "Contemporary Plagues and Social Progress." While in medicine the term plague usually refers to diseases caused by Pasteurella pestis, the word has broader meanings and usages. It describes that which smites or troubles, can refer to an afflictive evil or anything troublesome or vexatious, or can be applied to any malignant disease, especially those that are contagious. It can be used as an expression of annoyance, as a mild oath, or with the implication of harassment. Thus, today we are concerned with the plague of plagues, the afflictive evils of the cumulative insults of infectious disease. Additionally, we might be tempted to cast a plague on the system of medical education and on the political process that neither conveys the continuing importance of infectious diseases nor funds the mechanisms for their containment. Or, should the shoe be on the other foot? Should not society cast a plague on us? As experts in the field of infectious disease, have we not failed to publicize that, on a global basis, the combination of diarrheal disease and malnutrition is the leading cause of death in infants and children? Has not our successful use of antibiotics induced unjustified public complacency regarding the problems of infectious disease? Why have our low-keyed reports of resistant typhoid bacilli, or pneumococci or of gonococci failed to dispel the prevalent mystique that science has controlled infectious agents, leaving cancer and heart disease in the public eye as the major unconquered problems in the health field?

scholarly journals Legal Measures Undertaken by Public Authorities in Poland for Prevention and Combating COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Mełgieś
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Health Safety ◽  
The Public ◽  
Emergency Situations

The state is a special purpose organization and the directions of its activities are determined by public tasks. One of them is to ensure an efficient health care system, also effective in emergency situations such as those caused by an infectious disease pandemic COVID-19. In particular, legal instruments are used to create it, selected by the rulers within the limits set by law, including the applicable international standards, at the discretion of local governing authorities. The whole system is completed with organizational, medical and finally financial solutions. However, it is due to the fact that public authorities move around in the public space, due to the legality of their operation, that the legal instruments used are of significant importance for the assessment of the effectiveness of the performance of tasks related to combating infectious diseases, and thus ensuring health safety.

scholarly journals Epidemiological Model for Pediatrics Patients with Leprosy Infection

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Bukola Badeji–Ajisafe ◽  
Ajibade Idowu Victor ◽  
Ajibade Abimbola Omotola
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
The Public ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Prevention Therapy ◽  
Mycobacterium Lepromatosis ◽  
And Control

Leprosy Infection (LI) is a long-term chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis. This infectious disease has caused the public issue in many countries around the globe. The disease is prevalent among the adults, although there are now cases of the minor contacting this disease through household contact which is the primary source of infection such as (babysitters, neighbors). The emerging and reemerging diseases have led to a revived interest in infectious diseases in which mathematical models have become important tools in analyzing the spread and control of infectious diseases. Mathematical models are used in comparing, planning, implementing, evaluating and optimizing various detection, prevention therapy, and control programs, the model provides conceptual results such as threshold and basic reproduction number. In this paper, the Passive Immunity Pediatrics (M) - susceptible- Exposed-infected-recovered-susceptible (MSEIRS) model was adopted to depict the spread of infections in our environment.

scholarly journals An approach to and web-based tool for infectious disease outbreak intervention analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashlynn R. Daughton ◽  
Nicholas Generous ◽  
Reid Priedhorsky ◽  
Alina Deshpande
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreak ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Parameter Ranges

Abstract Infectious diseases are a leading cause of death globally. Decisions surrounding how to control an infectious disease outbreak currently rely on a subjective process involving surveillance and expert opinion. However, there are many situations where neither may be available. Modeling can fill gaps in the decision making process by using available data to provide quantitative estimates of outbreak trajectories. Effective reduction of the spread of infectious diseases can be achieved through collaboration between the modeling community and public health policy community. However, such collaboration is rare, resulting in a lack of models that meet the needs of the public health community. Here we show a Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) model modified to include control measures that allows parameter ranges, rather than parameter point estimates, and includes a web user interface for broad adoption. We apply the model to three diseases, measles, norovirus and influenza, to show the feasibility of its use and describe a research agenda to further promote interactions between decision makers and the modeling community.

scholarly journals HLA and Infectious Diseases

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 370-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenefer M. Blackwell ◽  
Sarra E. Jamieson ◽  
David Burgner
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Human Leukocyte Antigen ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Human Leukocyte ◽  
Acquired Immunity ◽  
Leukocyte Antigen ◽  
Extreme Variability ◽  
Classical Human Leukocyte Antigen

SUMMARY Following their discovery in the early 1970s, classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci have been the prototypical candidates for genetic susceptibility to infectious disease. Indeed, the original hypothesis for the extreme variability observed at HLA loci (H-2 in mice) was the major selective pressure from infectious diseases. Now that both the human genome and the molecular basis of innate and acquired immunity are understood in greater detail, do the classical HLA loci still stand out as major genes that determine susceptibility to infectious disease? This review looks afresh at the evidence supporting a role for classical HLA loci in susceptibility to infectious disease, examines the limitations of data reported to date, and discusses current advances in methodology and technology that will potentially lead to greater understanding of their role in infectious diseases in the future.

scholarly journals Drivers of Infectious Disease Seasonality: Potential Implications for COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 074873042098732
Author(s):  
N. Kronfeld-Schor ◽  
T. J. Stevenson ◽  
S. Nickbakhsh ◽  
E. S. Schernhammer ◽  
X. C. Dopico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
Epidemiological Evidence ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Human Coronaviruses ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Timing Phase

Not 1 year has passed since the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since its emergence, great uncertainty has surrounded the potential for COVID-19 to establish as a seasonally recurrent disease. Many infectious diseases, including endemic human coronaviruses, vary across the year. They show a wide range of seasonal waveforms, timing (phase), and amplitudes, which differ depending on the geographical region. Drivers of such patterns are predominantly studied from an epidemiological perspective with a focus on weather and behavior, but complementary insights emerge from physiological studies of seasonality in animals, including humans. Thus, we take a multidisciplinary approach to integrate knowledge from usually distinct fields. First, we review epidemiological evidence of environmental and behavioral drivers of infectious disease seasonality. Subsequently, we take a chronobiological perspective and discuss within-host changes that may affect susceptibility, morbidity, and mortality from infectious diseases. Based on photoperiodic, circannual, and comparative human data, we not only identify promising future avenues but also highlight the need for further studies in animal models. Our preliminary assessment is that host immune seasonality warrants evaluation alongside weather and human behavior as factors that may contribute to COVID-19 seasonality, and that the relative importance of these drivers requires further investigation. A major challenge to predicting seasonality of infectious diseases are rapid, human-induced changes in the hitherto predictable seasonality of our planet, whose influence we review in a final outlook section. We conclude that a proactive multidisciplinary approach is warranted to predict, mitigate, and prevent seasonal infectious diseases in our complex, changing human-earth system.

Capacity building in the public health field in the Tunisian medical faculties

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Coman ◽  
O Oltean ◽  
M Palianopoulou ◽  
D Plancikova ◽  
C Zedini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
National Level ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Local Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
Medical Faculties ◽  
Health Field

Abstract Over the past years, Tunisia has experienced important reforms in the field of public health. The Tunisian medical faculties (Universities of Sfax, Tunis el Manar, Sousse and Monastir) play a key role in this endeavor by training public health professionals who can contribute to the modernization of the health system. Funded by the EC through Erasmus+ programme, the CONFIDE project (coordinated by Babes-Bolyai University, having as EU partners the Universities of Southern Denmark and Trnava, and the above mentioned Tunisian universities) has established the Research into Policy training programme by strengthening their capacity to provide public health training. The Research into Policy training programme has been delivered by the Centres for Evidence into Health Policy (C4EHPs) established within the Tunisian partner universities for the needs of CONFIDE. The training programme was implemented in four steps: (1) train the trainer sessions - the European experts trained 18 Tunisian trainers; (2) shadowing sessions - the trainers participated in shadowing sessions in the European partner institutions; (3) training delivery - the CONFIDE trainers, assisted by the European experts, delivered the training to an interdisciplinary group of 25 students and professionals; (4) internships - the students participated in internships in local health institutions. Three modules have been built within the Research into Policy training programme: Public health research, Health promotion policies and Evidence based public health policy. They contributed to increasing the public health knowledge and skills of the professionals trained. The training programme was well received by the Tunisian universities and the material developed so far during the project was adapted to the Tunisian context in the third step of implementation. On the long term, the project is expected to have an impact at the national level and produce updates at curricula level in the Tunisian medical faculties. Key messages Research into Policy training programme developed by the EC partners and culturally adapted by the Tunisian partners to the Tunisian public health context. Research into Policy training is a well-received tool for the high quality learning process in the public health field in Tunisian medical faculties.

scholarly journals Application of 3D bioprinting in the prevention and the therapy for human diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee-Gyeong Yi ◽  
Hyeonji Kim ◽  
Junyoung Kwon ◽  
Yeong-Jin Choi ◽  
Jinah Jang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Delivery Systems ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
3D Bioprinting ◽  
Disease Research ◽  
Infectious Disease Research

AbstractRapid development of vaccines and therapeutics is necessary to tackle the emergence of new pathogens and infectious diseases. To speed up the drug discovery process, the conventional development pipeline can be retooled by introducing advanced in vitro models as alternatives to conventional infectious disease models and by employing advanced technology for the production of medicine and cell/drug delivery systems. In this regard, layer-by-layer construction with a 3D bioprinting system or other technologies provides a beneficial method for developing highly biomimetic and reliable in vitro models for infectious disease research. In addition, the high flexibility and versatility of 3D bioprinting offer advantages in the effective production of vaccines, therapeutics, and relevant delivery systems. Herein, we discuss the potential of 3D bioprinting technologies for the control of infectious diseases. We also suggest that 3D bioprinting in infectious disease research and drug development could be a significant platform technology for the rapid and automated production of tissue/organ models and medicines in the near future.

scholarly journals The effect of social distancing on the reach of an epidemic in social networks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Gutin ◽  
Tomohiro Hirano ◽  
Sung-Ha Hwang ◽  
Philip R. Neary ◽  
Alexis Akira Toda
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Monte Carlo Simulation ◽  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Global Level ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The Public ◽  
Simulation Results

AbstractHow does social distancing affect the reach of an epidemic in social networks? We present Monte Carlo simulation results of a susceptible–infected–removed with social distancing model. The key feature of the model is that individuals are limited in the number of acquaintances that they can interact with, thereby constraining disease transmission to an infectious subnetwork of the original social network. While increased social distancing typically reduces the spread of an infectious disease, the magnitude varies greatly depending on the topology of the network, indicating the need for policies that are network dependent. Our results also reveal the importance of coordinating policies at the ‘global’ level. In particular, the public health benefits from social distancing to a group (e.g. a country) may be completely undone if that group maintains connections with outside groups that are not following suit.

scholarly journals A Framework of an Integrated Livestock Vehicle Trajectory Database Using Digital Tachograph Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2694
Author(s):  
Heehyeon Jeong ◽  
Jungyeol Hong ◽  
Dongjoo Park
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
African Swine Fever Virus ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Transportation Engineering ◽  
The Public ◽  
Vehicle Trajectories ◽  
History Of ◽  
Vehicle Trajectory ◽  
Livestock Diseases

The outbreak of African swine fever virus has raised global concerns regarding epidemic livestock diseases. Therefore, various studies have attempted to prevent and monitor epidemic livestock diseases. Most of them have emphasized that integrated studies between the public health and transportation engineering are essential to prevent the livestock disease spread. However, it has been difficult to obtain big data related to the mobility of livestock-related vehicles. Thus, it is challenging to conduct research that comprehensively considers cargo vehicles’ movement carrying livestock and the spread of livestock infectious diseases. This study developed the framework for integrating the digital tachograph data (DTG) and trucks’ visit history of livestock facility data. The DTG data include commercial trucks’ coordinate information, but it excludes actual livestock-related vehicle trajectories such as freight types and facility visit history. Therefore, the integrated database we developed can be used as a significant resource for preventing the spread of livestock epidemics by pre-monitoring livestock transport vehicles’ movements. In future studies, epidemiological research on infectious diseases and livestock species will be able to conduct through the derived integrating database. Furthermore, the indicators of the spread of infectious diseases could be suggested based on both microscopic and macroscopic roadway networks to manage livestock epidemics.

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