Parallel Outbreaks of Deadly Pathogens (SARS-CoV-2, H5N8, EVD, Black fungi) around the World in 2021: Priorities for Achieving Control with Socio-Economic and Public Health Impact

Concurrent waves of Coronavirus disease, Ebola virus disease, avian influenza A and black fungus are jeopardizing the lives in some parts of Africa and Asia. From this point of view, this review aims to summarize both socio-economic and public health implications of these parallel outbreaks along with their best possible management approaches. Various online databases were used to collect the necessary information regarding these outbreaks. Based on the reports published and analyses done so far, the long-lasting damages caused by these simultaneous outbreaks on global socio-economical and public health status can be conceived from the past experiences of outbreaks, especially the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, prolonged restrictions by the local government may lead to food insecurity, global recession, and an enormous impact on the mental health of people of all ages, specifically in developing countries. Such overwhelming effects already have been reported to be declining national growth of the economy as well as increasing political insecurity and shortage of basic needs. Although various actions have already been taken including vaccination, clinical management, and further research, social distancing, and lockdown, etc. to improve the situation, the emerging variants and associated genetic mutations may make the containment difficult worsening the situation again. Considering the current mutational dynamics of the pathogens and the past experiences, perpetual preparedness along with updated clinical management backed by epidemiological studies and innovating scientific effort are inevitable to combat the simultaneous waves of multiple infectious diseases.

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Parallel Outbreaks of Deadly Pathogens (SARS-CoV-2, H5N8, EVD, Black Fungi) around East Africa and Asia in 2021: Priorities for Outbreak Management with Socio-Economic and Public Health Impact

COVID ◽

10.3390/covid1010017 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 203-217

Author(s):

Afroza Khan ◽

Nayeema Talukder Ema ◽

Nadira Naznin Rakhi ◽

Otun Saha ◽

Tamer Ahamed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Clinical Management ◽

Influenza A ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Health Impact ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Point Of View ◽

Outbreak Management ◽

Past Experiences

Concurrent waves of coronavirus disease, Ebola virus disease, avian influenza A, and black fungus are jeopardizing lives in some parts of Africa and Asia. From this point of view, this review aims to summarize both the socio-economic and public health implications of these parallel outbreaks along with their best possible management approaches. Online databases (PubMed/PMC/Medline, Publons, ResearchGate, Scopus, Google Scholar, etc.) were used to collect the necessary information regarding these outbreaks. Based on the reports published and analyses performed so far, the long-lasting impacts caused by these simultaneous outbreaks on global socio-economical and public health status can be conceived from the past experiences of outbreaks, especially the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, prolonged restrictions by the local government may lead to food insecurity, global recession, and an enormous impact on the mental health of people of all ages, specifically in developing countries. Such overwhelming effects have already been reported to be declining the national growth of the economy as well as increasing political insecurity and shortage of basic needs. Although various actions have already been taken, including vaccination, clinical management and further research, social distancing, lockdown, etc., to improve the situation, the emerging variants and associated genetic mutations may make containment difficult, worsening the situation again. So, considering the current mutational dynamics of the pathogens and past experiences, perpetual preparedness along with updated clinical management backed by epidemiological studies and innovative scientific effort are inevitable to combat the simultaneous waves of multiple infectious diseases.

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An analysis of International Health Regulations Emergency Committees and Public Health Emergency of International Concern Designations

BMJ Global Health ◽

10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002502 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (6) ◽

pp. e002502 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Lucia Mullen ◽

Christina Potter ◽

Lawrence O Gostin ◽

Anita Cicero ◽

Jennifer B Nuzzo

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Influenza A ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

International Health ◽

Public Health Emergency ◽

Director General ◽

International Health Regulations ◽

International Response ◽

Health Regulations

IntroductionNine events have been assessed for potential declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). A PHEIC is defined as an extraordinary event that constitutes a public health risk to other states through international spread and requires a coordinated international response. The WHO Director-General convenes Emergency Committees (ECs) to provide their advice on whether an event constitutes a PHEIC. The EC rationales have been criticised for being non-transparent and contradictory to the International Health Regulations (IHR). This first comprehensive analysis of EC rationale provides recommendations to increase clarity of EC decisions which will strengthen the IHR and WHO’s legitimacy in future outbreaks.Methods66 EC statements were reviewed from nine public health outbreaks of influenza A, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, polio, Ebola virus disease, Zika, yellow fever and coronavirus disease-2019. Statements were analysed to determine which of the three IHR criteria were noted as contributing towards the EC’s justification on whether to declare a PHEIC and what language was used to explain the decision.ResultsInterpretation of the criteria were often vague and applied inconsistently. ECs often failed to describe and justify which criteria had been satisfied.DiscussionGuidelines must be developed for the standardised interpretation of IHR core criteria. The ECs must clearly identify and justify which criteria have contributed to their rationale for or against PHEIC declaration.ConclusionStriving for more consistency and transparency in EC justifications would benefit future deliberations and provide more understanding and support for the process.

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Companion animals: a reservoir for methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureusin the community?

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268809991476 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 138 (5) ◽

pp. 595-605 ◽

Cited By ~ 80

Author(s):

A. LOEFFLER ◽

D. H. LLOYD

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Animal Species ◽

Companion Animals ◽

Health Impact ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Healthcare Facilities ◽

The Public ◽

The Past ◽

Mrsa Infection ◽

The Subject

SUMMARYThis article reviews the literature on the epidemiology of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) in dogs, cats and horses. Over the past 10 years, MRSA has emerged as an important pathogen in veterinary medicine, especially in countries with a high MRSA burden in human hospitals. During the same period, community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections in humans without apparent links to healthcare facilities have increased dramatically. Although animal infections occur outside human hospitals, significant epidemiological, clinical and genetic differences exist between CA-MRSA in humans and the majority of MRSA infections in the different animal species. The recognition of MRSA in animals has raised concern over their role as potential reservoirs or vectors for human MRSA infection in the community. However, available data on MRSA transmission between humans and companion animals are limited and the public health impact of such transmission needs to be the subject of more detailed epidemiological studies.

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The influence and enlightenment of five public health emergencies on public psychology since new century: A systematic review

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/00207640211002222 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002076402110022

Author(s):

Zhifeng Wang ◽

Dongmei Wang

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Psychological Intervention ◽

Virus Disease ◽

H1n1 Influenza ◽

Psychological State ◽

Wild Animals ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Public Health Emergencies ◽

The People

Background: Since the 21st century, humans have experienced five public health emergencies: the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), type A H1N1 influenza (H1N1), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), Ebola virus disease (EVD), and the new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19). They caused a large number of casualties and a wider psychological crisis, which might cause severe consequences such as post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide. Aims: To reveal the law of formation of public psychological crisis in public health emergencies, and draw lessons from it. To provide ideas for effectively deal with these psychological crisis problems and fundamentally curbing the occurrence of public health emergencies. Method: Through the method of literature research, ‘public health incidents’, ‘psychological crisis’, ‘mental health’, ‘psychological intervention’, ‘SARS’, ‘H1N1’, ‘MERS’, ‘EVD’, and ‘COVID-19’ were used to search literatures in the databases such as PubMed, Springer, and Sciencedirect, and the literatures were summarized, sorted, and studied. Results: (1) The public health emergencies caused a universal psychological crisis. The main manifestations were depression, compulsion, despair, etc. The people involved mainly include patients, suspected isolated patients, medical staff, and the general public in the epidemic situation. (2) People’s psychological state often experienced stress stage, shock stage, acceptance, and reorganization. Only some susceptible individuals couldn’t complete effective psychological reconstruction, resulting in serious psychological disorders. Individual susceptibility is related to genetic factors, adversity, and traumatic stimuli experienced in early life. Conclusion: To reduce these psychological crisis problems, we should establish and improve the psychological crisis intervention or rescue system of public health emergencies, it was still necessary to live in harmony with nature, get rid of the inappropriate habit of preying on wild animals, in order to prevent the cross-species transmission of the virus between wild animals and humans, and to fundamentally avoid the occurrence of major infectious diseases.

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Screening at ports of entry for Ebola Virus Disease in England—a descriptive analysis of screening assessment data, 2014–2015

Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/pubmed/fdaa216 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nicki L Boddington ◽

Sophia Steinberger ◽

Richard G Pebody

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

High Risk ◽

Secondary Care ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Health Assessment ◽

Ebola Virus Disease ◽

Screening Assessment

Abstract Background In response to the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa in 2014 and evidence of spread to other countries, pre-entry screening was introduced by PHE at five major ports of entry in the England. Methods All passengers that entered the England via the five ports returning from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leonne were required to complete a Health Assessment Form and have their temperature taken. The numbers, characteristics and outcomes of these passengers were analysed. Results Between 14 October 2014 and 13 October 2015, a total of 12 648 passengers from affected countries had been screened. The majority of passengers were assessed as having no direct contact with EVD cases or high-risk events (12 069, 95.4%), although 535 (4.2%) passengers were assessed as requiring public health follow-up. In total, 39 passengers were referred directly to secondary care, although none were diagnosed with EVD. One high-risk passenger was later referred to secondary care and diagnosed with EVD. Conclusions Collection of these screening data enabled timely monitoring of the numbers and characteristics of passengers screened for EVD, facilitated resourcing decisions and acted as a mechanism to inform passengers of the necessary public health actions.

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Equine-Origin Immunoglobulin Fragments Protect Nonhuman Primates from Ebola Virus Disease

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.01548-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 93 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hualei Wang ◽

Gary Wong ◽

Wenjun Zhu ◽

Shihua He ◽

Yongkun Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Nonhuman Primates ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Hemorrhagic Fever ◽

West African ◽

Clinical Testing ◽

The Past ◽

Over 40 Years

ABSTRACT Ebola virus (EBOV) infections result in aggressive hemorrhagic fever in humans, with fatality rates reaching 90% and with no licensed specific therapeutics to treat ill patients. Advances over the past 5 years have firmly established monoclonal antibody (MAb)-based products as the most promising therapeutics for treating EBOV infections, but production is costly and quantities are limited; therefore, MAbs are not the best candidates for mass use in the case of an epidemic. To address this need, we generated EBOV-specific polyclonal F(ab′)2 fragments from horses hyperimmunized with an EBOV vaccine. The F(ab′)2 was found to potently neutralize West African and Central African EBOV in vitro. Treatment of nonhuman primates (NHPs) with seven doses of 100 mg/kg F(ab′)2 beginning 3 or 5 days postinfection (dpi) resulted in a 100% survival rate. Notably, NHPs for which treatment was initiated at 5 dpi were already highly viremic, with observable signs of EBOV disease, which demonstrated that F(ab′)2 was still effective as a therapeutic agent even in symptomatic subjects. These results show that F(ab′)2 should be advanced for clinical testing in preparation for future EBOV outbreaks and epidemics. IMPORTANCE EBOV is one of the deadliest viruses to humans. It has been over 40 years since EBOV was first reported, but no cure is available. Research breakthroughs over the past 5 years have shown that MAbs constitute an effective therapy for EBOV infections. However, MAbs are expensive and difficult to produce in large amounts and therefore may only play a limited role during an epidemic. A cheaper alternative is required, especially since EBOV is endemic in several third world countries with limited medical resources. Here, we used a standard protocol to produce large amounts of antiserum F(ab′)2 fragments from horses vaccinated with an EBOV vaccine, and we tested the protectiveness in monkeys. We showed that F(ab′)2 was effective in 100% of monkeys even after the animals were visibly ill with EBOV disease. Thus, F(ab′)2 could be a very good option for large-scale treatments of patients and should be advanced to clinical testing.

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A Model for Sustaining Evidence-Based Practices in a Statewide System

Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services ◽

10.1606/1044-3894.2017.5 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 98 (1) ◽

pp. 18-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jason M. Lang ◽

Kellie G. Randall ◽

Michelle Delaney ◽

Jeffrey J. Vanderploeg

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽

Quality Indicators ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Health Impact ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Evidence Based Practices ◽

The Public ◽

The Past ◽

Large Systems

Over the past 20 years, efforts have been made to broadly disseminate evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, the public health impact of EBPs has yet to be realized and most EBPs are not sustained. Few structured models exist for disseminating and sustaining EBPs across large systems. This article describes the EBP Dissemination and Support Center (DSC) model and how it was used to sustain trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) across Connecticut. More than 600 clinicians at 35 agencies have been trained and nearly all agencies have sustained TF-CBT for up to 9 years. More than 6,200 children have received TF-CBT and have shown improvements in outcomes and quality indicators. Recommendations are made for using or adapting the DSC model.

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Current aspects of epidemiology, clinic and diagnosis of campylobacteriosis

Kazan medical journal ◽

10.17816/kazmj84426 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 82 (6) ◽

pp. 446-450

Author(s):

S. V. Khaliullina ◽

V. A. Anokhin

Keyword(s):

Causative Agent ◽

Age Groups ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Domestic Animals ◽

Point Of View ◽

The Past ◽

Foreign Literature ◽

Medical Terms ◽

Intestinal Infections ◽

Veterinary Pathology

The problem of campylobacteriosis (CB) has been widely covered in the national and foreign literature over the past 10-20 years. Probably, the interest to this topic is due to a number of reasons. From a microbiological point of view, the causative agent of CB was discovered relatively recently and is an actively studied microorganism. At the same time, the responsibility of the microbe for the development of diseases in domestic animals and birds brings it into the category of problems of veterinary pathology. In medical terms, CB, taking into account modern epidemiological studies, is attributed to the group of the most common bacterial intestinal infections in children of different age groups, since it causes from 5 to 44.9% of all cases of the disease.

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The Threat of Ebola Virus Disease: a Call to Integrate all Sectors in Surveillance Activities in Ghana

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics ◽

10.5210/ojphi.v7i1.5953 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dennis O. Laryea ◽

Yaw Amoako ◽

Dan V. Armooh ◽

Emmanuel P. Abbeyquaye ◽

Bernice N. Amartey

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Service ◽

West Africa ◽

Health System ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Public Health Importance ◽

Ghana Health ◽

Ghana Health Service

Surveillance for communicable diseases of public health importance is critical in preventing and controlling outbreaks. In Ghana, this responsibility lies with the Disease Surveillance Department of the Ghana Health Service (GHS). However, the structure of Ghana's health system means surveillance activities by the department are concentrated in GHS facilities. Active surveillance in non-GHS facilities usually occur during outbreaks. In light of the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa, there is the need to integrate the surveillance activities to include all health facilities to ensure the prompt identification of cases.

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The Healthcare Providers-Patients Relationship and State Obligations in Times of Public Health Emergency

African Journal of Legal Studies ◽

10.1163/17087384-12340012 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 268-298

Author(s):

Gloria C. Nwafor ◽

Anthony O. Nwafor

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Medical Profession ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Public Health Emergency ◽

West African ◽

The State ◽

The West ◽

State Obligations

The recent outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (evd) in the West African sub-region sprung challenges on the healthcare providers in the observance of their ethical rules in dealing with their patients and the State in fulfilling its obligations to ensure that the rights of patients are respected in times of public health emergency. The ethical rules of medical practice demand that the healthcare providers prefer the interests of their patients to the preservation of self. The State is by law under obligation to protect and respect the rights of the patients in all situations. The paper argues that the responses by the healthcare providers and the States in the West African sub region in the wake of the public health emergency fell short of the demands of the ethical rules of the medical profession and the obligation to ensure that the rights of the patients are respected.

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