Epidemiological aspects of retrovirus (HTLV) infection among Indian populations in the Amazon Region of Brazil

HTLV was initially described in association with a form of leukemia in Japan and a neurological disease in the Caribbean. It was soon shown that HTLV-II was endemic among Amerindians and particularly among Brazilian Indians. The Amazon Region of Brazil is presently the largest endemic area for this virus and has allowed several studies concerning virus biology, the search for overt disease, epidemiological data including detailed demographic data on infected individuals, clear-cut geographic distribution, definition of modes of transmission and maintenance within small, epidemiologically-closed groups, and advances in laboratory diagnosis of the infection. A new molecular subtype named HTLV-IIc was further described on the basis of genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. This subtype is present in other areas of Brazil, indicating that the virus is additionally both a valuable marker for tracing past human migration routes in the Americas and a probable marker for social habits of the present human population. HIV, the other human retrovirus, is still not prevalent among indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon, but these groups are also easy targets for the virus.

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Shoulder Pain at Work: Causation Analysis

Guides Newsletter ◽

10.1001/amaguidesnewsletters.2017.janfeb02 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 11-16

Author(s):

Joel Weddington ◽

Charles N. Brooks ◽

Mark Melhorn ◽

Christopher R. Brigham

Keyword(s):

Epidemiological Data ◽

Case Law ◽

Individual Case ◽

Shoulder Injury ◽

Work Related ◽

Clear Cut ◽

The Individual ◽

Causation Analysis ◽

Injury Causation ◽

Relevant Factors

Abstract In most cases of shoulder injury at work, causation analysis is not clear-cut and requires detailed, thoughtful, and time-consuming causation analysis; traditionally, physicians have approached this in a cursory manner, often presenting their findings as an opinion. An established method of causation analysis using six steps is outlined in the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Guidelines and in the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Disease and Injury Causation, Second Edition, as follows: 1) collect evidence of disease; 2) collect epidemiological data; 3) collect evidence of exposure; 4) collect other relevant factors; 5) evaluate the validity of the evidence; and 6) write a report with evaluation and conclusions. Evaluators also should recognize that thresholds for causation vary by state and are based on specific statutes or case law. Three cases illustrate evidence-based causation analysis using the six steps and illustrate how examiners can form well-founded opinions about whether a given condition is work related, nonoccupational, or some combination of these. An evaluator's causal conclusions should be rational, should be consistent with the facts of the individual case and medical literature, and should cite pertinent references. The opinion should be stated “to a reasonable degree of medical probability,” on a “more-probable-than-not” basis, or using a suitable phrase that meets the legal threshold in the applicable jurisdiction.

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Detection of diarrhoea associated rotavirus and co-infection with diarrhoeagenic pathogens in the Littoral region of Cameroon using ELISA, RT-PCR and Luminex xTAG GPP assays

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-021-06318-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rahinatou N. Ghapoutsa ◽

Maurice Boda ◽

Rashi Gautam ◽

Valantine Ngum Ndze ◽

Akongnwi E. Mugyia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Demographic Data ◽

Laboratory Diagnosis ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Vaccine Introduction ◽

Littoral Region ◽

Rotavirus Vaccines ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Despite the global roll-out of rotavirus vaccines (RotaTeq/Rotarix / ROTAVAC/Rotasiil), mortality and morbidity due to group A rotavirus (RVA) remains high in sub-Saharan Africa, causing 104,000 deaths and 600,000 hospitalizations yearly. In Cameroon, Rotarix™ was introduced in March 2014, but, routine laboratory diagnosis of rotavirus infection is not yet a common practice, and vaccine effectiveness studies to determine the impact of vaccine introduction have not been done. Thus, studies examining RVA prevalence post vaccine introduction are needed. The study aim was to determine RVA prevalence in severe diarrhoea cases in Littoral region, Cameroon and investigate the role of other diarrheagenic pathogens in RVA-positive cases. Methods We carried out a study among hospitalized children < 5 years of age, presenting with acute gastroenteritis in selected hospitals of the Littoral region of Cameroon, from May 2015 to April 2016. Diarrheic stool samples and socio-demographic data including immunization and breastfeeding status were collected from these participating children. Samples were screened by ELISA (ProSpecT™ Rotavirus) for detection of RVA antigen and by gel-based RT-PCR for detection of the VP6 gene. Co-infection was assessed by multiplexed molecular detection of diarrheal pathogens using the Luminex xTAG GPP assay. Results The ELISA assay detected RVA antigen in 54.6% (71/130) of specimens, with 45, positive by VP6 RT-PCR and 54, positive using Luminex xTAG GPP. Luminex GPP was able to detect all 45 VP6 RT-PCR positive samples. Co-infections were found in 63.0% (34/54) of Luminex positive RVA infections, with Shigella (35.3%; 12/34) and ETEC (29.4%; 10/34) detected frequently. Of the 71 ELISA positive RVA cases, 57.8% (41/71) were fully vaccinated, receiving two doses of Rotarix. Conclusion This study provides insight on RVA prevalence in Cameroon, which could be useful for post-vaccine epidemiological studies, highlights higher than expected RVA prevalence in vaccinated children hospitalized for diarrhoea and provides the trend of RVA co-infection with other enteric pathogens. RVA genotyping is needed to determine circulating rotavirus genotypes in Cameroon, including those causing disease in vaccinated children.

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Inadequate management of natural ecosystem in the Brazilian Amazon region results in the emergence and reemergence of arboviruses

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2001000700025 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 17 (suppl) ◽

pp. S155-S164 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

Pedro F. C. Vasconcelos ◽

Amélia P. A. Travassos da Rosa ◽

Sueli G. Rodrigues ◽

Elizabeth S. Travassos da Rosa ◽

Nicolas Dégallier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Changes ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Brazilian Amazon ◽

Host Population ◽

Amazon Region ◽

Laboratory Animals ◽

Natural Ecosystem ◽

Brazilian Amazon Region ◽

Mining Dam ◽

The Impact

A total of 187 different species of arboviruses and other viruses in vertebrates were identified at the Evandro Chagas Institute (IEC) from 1954 to 1998, among more than 10,000 arbovirus strains isolated from humans, hematophagous insects, and wild and sentinel vertebrates. Despite intensive studies in the Brazilian Amazon region, especially in Pará State, very little is known about most of these viruses, except for information on date, time, source, and method of isolation, as well as their capacity to infect laboratory animals. This paper reviews ecological and epidemiological data and analyzes the impact of vector and host population changes on various viruses as a result of profound changes in the natural environment. Deforestation, mining, dam and highway construction, human colonization, and urbanization were the main manmade environmental changes associated with the emergence and/or reemergence of relevant arboviruses, including some known pathogens for humans.

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Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Epidemiology of Knee and Shoulder Arthroscopy

INQUIRY The Journal of Health Care Organization Provision and Financing ◽

10.1177/00469580211056037 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 58 ◽

pp. 004695802110560

Author(s):

Krystian Kazubski ◽

Łukasz Tomczyk ◽

Piotr Morasiewicz

Keyword(s):

Hospital Stay ◽

Shoulder Arthroscopy ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

University Hospital ◽

Female Ratio ◽

Duration Of Hospital Stay ◽

The Mean ◽

Orthopedic Patients ◽

Male To Female

The purpose of our study was to comprehensively assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on knee and shoulder arthroscopy performed in an orthopedic department of a university hospital in Poland. This study compared the data on all shoulder and knee arthroscopy procedures performed in two different periods: The period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland (from March 4, 2020, to October 15, 2020) and the corresponding period prior to the pandemic (March 4, 2019, to October 15, 2019). The study evaluated epidemiological data, demographic data, and hospital stay duration. The total number of arthroscopy procedures conducted in the evaluated period in 2020 was approximately 8.6% higher than that in the corresponding 2019 period. The mean duration of hospital stay for orthopedic patients after their knee or shoulder arthroscopy was 3.1 days in 2020 and 2.8 days in 2019. Our study revealed the mean age of arthroscopy patients during the pandemic to be lower at 48.4 years than the 51.2 years recorded in 2019. The male-to-female ratio was shown to be lower at .85 during the pandemic, having decreased from 1.5 in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic did not reduce the number of arthroscopy performed at our center, and the mean age of the patients did not change. However, the pandemic had a marked effect on the mean duration of hospital stay and male-to-female ratio.

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The Copenhagen Primary Care Laboratory Pregnancy (CopPreg) database

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034318 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. e034318

Author(s):

Janet Janbek ◽

Margit Kriegbaum ◽

Mia Klinten Grand ◽

Ina Olmer Specht ◽

Bent Struer Lind ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Clinical Test ◽

Test Results ◽

Data Resource ◽

Medical Birth Register ◽

Clinical Biomarker ◽

Objectively Measured

PurposeThe Copenhagen Primary Care Laboratory Pregnancy (CopPreg) database was established based on data from The Danish Medical Birth Register and the Copenhagen Primary Care Laboratory (CopLab) database. The aim was to provide a biomedical and epidemiological data resource for research in early disease programming (eg, parental clinical biomarker levels and pregnancy/ birth outcomes or long-term health in the offspring).ParticipantsThe cohort consisted in total of 203 608 women (with 340 891 pregnancies) who gave birth to 348 248 children and with 200 590 related fathers. In this paper, we focused on women and fathers who had clinical test requisitions prior to and during pregnancy, and on all children. Thus, the cohort in focus consisted of 203 054 pregnancies with requisitions on 147 045 pregnant women, 39 815 fathers with requisitions during periconception and 65 315 children with requisitions.Findings to dateIn addition to information on pregnancy and birth health status and general socio-demographic data, over 2.2 million clinically relevant test results were available for pregnancies with requisitions, over 1.5 million for children and over 600 000 test results were available for the fathers with requisitions during periconception. These were ordered by general practitioners in the primary care setting only and included general blood tests, nutritional biomarkers (macronutrients and micronutrients) and hormone tests. Information on tests related to infections, allergies, heart and lung function and sperm analyses (fathers) were also available.Future plansThe CopPreg database provides ready to use and valid data from already collected, objectively measured and analysed clinical tests. With several research projects planned, we further invite national and international researchers to use this vast data resource. In a coming paper, we will explore and discuss the indication bias in our cohort.

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Leveraging Globalization to Revive Traditional Foods

Journal of Sustainable Development ◽

10.5539/jsd.v9n6p212 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 212 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jena Trolio ◽

Molly Eckman ◽

Khanjan Mehta

Keyword(s):

Food Systems ◽

Edible Oils ◽

Nutrient Deficiency ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Human Migration ◽

Urban Migration ◽

Traditional Foods ◽

Economy Of Scale ◽

Technological Advances ◽

Indigenous Foods

Traditional foods are important to the sustainability of their native regions because they are often keystone assets to food security, economic stability, and quality nutrition. Globalization of agricultural markets, changing lifestyles, and rural-to-urban migration has contributed to the gradual loss of traditional foods in developing countries. The transition from traditional foods to imported refined carbohydrates, sugars, and edible oils has promoted nutrient deficiency, economic instability, and food insecurity. While the effects of globalization have been largely negative for indigenous foods, globalization is inevitable and has potentially useful aspects. Local champions and international supporters can leverage specific technologies and market patterns brought about or influenced by globalization to revive culinary traditions, strengthen local food systems, and bolster indigenous livelihoods. Such approaches include helping farmers benefit from technological advances in efficiency and economy of scale, biotechnology, post-harvest processing, and smart infrastructure combined with ethically-conscious food sourcing. Trends such as human migration, exotic food fads, interest in nutritious and organic foods, the rise of social media, and agricultural extension and education can also support improvements in local agricultural products and their globalizing markets. Collectively, these efforts can help revive sustainable traditional food production and enhance the lives and livelihoods of indigenous communities.

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Cognitive impairment and risk factor prevalence in a population over 60 in Argentina

Dementia & Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1590/s1980-57642014dn84000010 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 364-370

Author(s):

Raul L. Arizaga ◽

Roxana E. Gogorza ◽

Ricardo F. Allegri ◽

Patricia D. Baumann ◽

María C. Morales ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

High School Students ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Population Based ◽

International Studies ◽

School Students ◽

Cranial Trauma

Epidemiological data on dementia and cognitive impairment are scarce in South America. In Argentina, no dementia/cognitive impairment population-based epidemiological studies are available. The Ceibo Study is a population-based epidemiological study of dementia and cognitive impairment in individuals over 60 to be conducted. The present paper reports the results of the pilot phase (survey of cognitive impairment) conducted in Cañuelas (province of Buenos Aires). METHODS: In a door-to-door survey, trained high school students evaluated 1453 individuals aged 60 years and over in one day using a demographic data and risk factors questionnaire, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). RESULTS: Mean age of the individuals was 70.9 (±7.5) years, 61.4% were women, mean schooling was 5.5 (±3.5) years. Mean MMSE score was 24.5 (±4.7) and mean GDS 3.1 (±2.7). Risk factors of higher prevalence in the population under study were: hypertension (40.6%), smoking (35.1%), alcohol consumption (32.8%), high cholesterol (16.1%), diabetes (12.5%), cranial trauma with loss of consciousness (12.5%), 7 points or more on the GDS (11.7%). Prevalence of cognitive impairment for the whole sample was 23%, and 16.9% in subjects aged 60-69, 23.3% in 70-79 and 42.5% in subjects aged 80 or over . A significant correlation of cognitive impairment with age, functional illiteracy, cranial trauma, high blood pressure, inactivity and depression was found. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, the prevalence of cognitive impairment was comparable with previous international studies.

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Geography, Islands and Migration in an Era of Global Mobility

Island Studies Journal ◽

10.24043/isj.228 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 53-84

Author(s):

Russell King

Keyword(s):

Human Migration ◽

Migration Studies ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Global Era ◽

Global Mobility ◽

Time Space ◽

Migration Dynamics ◽

And Migration ◽

Changing Role

This paper examines the changing role of islands in the age of globalization and in an era of enhanced and diversified mobility. There are many types of islands, many metaphors of insularity, and many types of migration, so the interactions are far from simple. The ‘mobilities turn’ in migration studies recognizes the diversification in motivations and time-space regimes of human migration. After brief reviews of island studies and of migration studies, and the power of geography to capture and distil the interdisciplinarity and relationality of these two study domains, the paper explores various facets of the generally intense engagement that islands have with migration. Two particular scenarios are identified for islands and migration in the global era: the heuristic role of islands as ‘spatial laboratories’ for the study of diverse migration processes in microcosm; and the way in which, especially in the Mediterranean and near-Atlantic regions, islands have become critical locations in the geopolitics of irregular migration routes. The case of Malta is taken to illustrate some of these new insular migration dynamics.

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Data Sharing in Southeast Asia During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.662842 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Arianna Maever L. Amit ◽

Veincent Christian F. Pepito ◽

Bernardo Gutierrez ◽

Thomas Rawson

Keyword(s):

Southeast Asia ◽

Data Sharing ◽

Public Health Surveillance ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Temporal Data ◽

Individual Level ◽

Level Data ◽

Reporting Systems ◽

The Impact

Background: When a new pathogen emerges, consistent case reporting is critical for public health surveillance. Tracking cases geographically and over time is key for understanding the spread of an infectious disease and effectively designing interventions to contain and mitigate an epidemic. In this paper we describe the reporting systems on COVID-19 in Southeast Asia during the first wave in 2020, and highlight the impact of specific reporting methods.Methods: We reviewed key epidemiological variables from various sources including a regionally comprehensive dataset, national trackers, dashboards, and case bulletins for 11 countries during the first wave of the epidemic in Southeast Asia. We recorded timelines of shifts in epidemiological reporting systems and described the differences in how epidemiological data are reported across countries and timepoints.Results: Our findings suggest that countries in Southeast Asia generally reported precise and detailed epidemiological data during the first wave of the pandemic. Changes in reporting rarely occurred for demographic data, while reporting shifts for geographic and temporal data were frequent. Most countries provided COVID-19 individual-level data daily using HTML and PDF, necessitating scraping and extraction before data could be used in analyses.Conclusion: Our study highlights the importance of more nuanced analyses of COVID-19 epidemiological data within and across countries because of the frequent shifts in reporting. As governments continue to respond to impacts on health and the economy, data sharing also needs to be prioritised given its foundational role in policymaking, and in the implementation and evaluation of interventions.

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Leishmaniose visceral: Uma revisão literária

Revista Brasileira de Educação e Saúde ◽

10.18378/rebes.v6i2.4663 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 35

Author(s):

Antonio Ricardo Lisboa ◽

Anderson Angel Vieira Pinheiro ◽

Antonia Elinaíde Ferreira Dantas ◽

Itatyane Batista de Oliveira ◽

Tiago Rozendo Evangelista ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Differential Diagnosis ◽

Web Of Science ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Laboratory Diagnosis ◽

New Drugs ◽

Clinical Aspects ◽

Appropriate Treatment ◽

Main Host

A leishmaniose é uma zoonose relatada principalmente em países de clima tropical e sistêmica transmitida por flebotomínios. Por ser uma zoonose que afeta tanto o homem quanto os animais e, recentemente, um grande aumento dos seus dados epidemiológicos, objetivou-se estabelecer uma revisão desde aspectos clínico-epidemiológicos até os novos estudos que visam novas substâncias para o tratamento da doença. Para tanto, a literatura consultada se deu a partir do uso do Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Periódicos CAPES e bibliotecas acadêmicas. Estudos mostraram os aspectos clínicos que a zoonose acarreta e os dados epidemiológicos do nosso país. No Brasil, a forma infectante é a Leishmania (L.) chagasi, sendo que para diagnóstico diferencial, utiliza-se de artifícios bioquímicos, imunológicos e/ou anatomopatológicos. Até o momento as espécies Lutzomyia longipalpis e Lutzomyia cruzi estão relacionadas com a transmissão da doença no Brasil. O principal hospedeiro é o cão (Canis familiares) e é a maior fonte de transmissão do parasito para o homem. O diagnóstico laboratorial continua pautado em parasitológico, imunológico/munofluorescência e ELISA. O clínico se baseia em sinais e sintomas, compilados com os laboratoriais. O tratamento se baseia em apenas dois medicamentos: o antimoniato de N-metil glucamina e a anfotericina B. Desta forma, se faz necessário o investimento para estudos e desenvolvimento de novas drogas, sejam elas derivadas de produtos naturais ou sintéticas e de vacinas para humanos que possam atuar frente a esta zoonose, uma vez que, já se tem observado resistência aos fármacos utilizados. Medidas que visam a redução da transmissão são fundamentais, bem como, o diagnóstico precoce e de alta sensibilidade dos cães infectados para iniciar o tratamento adequado. Visceral leishmaniasis: A literary reviewAbstract: The leishmaniasis is a zoonosis systemic reported mainly in countries with a tropical climated and transmitted by phlebotomines. For being a zoonosis which affects both the man as the animals and, recently, a large increase in its epidemiological data, ruled in establishing a review from clinical-epidemiological aspects until the new studies that aim new substances for the treatment of the disease. Therefore, a literature consulted it was based on the use of Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, “CAPES” periodicals and academic bibliography. Studies have shown the clinical aspects that the zoonosis entails and the epidemiological data of our country. In Brazil, Leishmania (L.) chagasi is the infecting form, being that for differential diagnosis, it uses biochemical, immunological and /or anatomopathological devices. To date the Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lutzomyia cruzi species are related to the transmission of the disease in Brazil. The main host is the dog (Canis familiares) and is the major source of transmission of the parasite for man. The laboratory diagnosis is based on parasitological, immunological / munofluorescence and ELISA. The clinician relies on signs and symptoms, compiled with the laboratory. The treatment is based on only two drugs: antimoniate n-methyl-D-glucamine and amphotericin B. Therefore, is necessary to invest in studies and development of new drugs, whether they are derived from natural product or synthetic and from vaccines for humans that may act against this zoonosis, since, resistance to the drugs used has already been observed. Measures aimed at reducing transmission are essential, as well as, the early and high sensitivity diagnosis of infected dogs to initiate appropriate treatment.

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