scholarly journals Epidemiological Surveillance To Establish Thresholds For Influenza Among Children In Satellite Cities Of A metropolitan area of Tokyo, Japan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayako Matsuda ◽  
Kei Asayama ◽  
Taku Obara ◽  
Naoto Yagi ◽  
Takayoshi Ohkubo
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Seasonal Influenza ◽  
Type A ◽  
World Health ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Influenza Epidemic ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract Background: Few reports have longitudinally investigated seasonal influenza epidemiological surveillance data of pediatric populations in the metropolitan areas of Japan. We aimed to provide descriptive characteristics of circulating influenza and to investigate the usefulness of setting thresholds for influenza in children (0–15 years old) in two satellite cities of a metropolitan area of Tokyo, Japan, for five consecutive seasons of the influenza epidemic.Methods: The survey was conducted annually during the influenza season, from 2014 to 2018 (ending March 2019), at preschools (kindergartens and nursery schools), elementary schools, and junior high schools located in Toda and Warabi cities, Saitama prefecture. We investigated the epidemiological characteristics and established thresholds using the World Health Organization method.Results: Of the 108,362 children (21,024 to 22,088 throughout five seasons) who received the questionnaire, 76,753 (70.8%; 14,652 to 15,808) responded. After exclusion of responses without basic information, 64,586 children were included in the analysis, of which 13,754 (21.3%) had tested positive for influenza. Influenza type A was generally dominant, whereas type B was responsible for a substantial share of all influenza cases (>40% in seasons 2015 and 2017, when type A circulated with low incidence). The weeks when the influenza epidemic peaked had no clear seasonal pattern among the surveyed years, i.e., the peaks appeared at week 51 (mid-December) or later, whereas the World Health Organization methods reported that the median period when a peak was observed was at 3 weeks (mid-January), regardless of school age group.Conclusions: The present information obtained from the epidemiological survey regarding seasonal influenza in children would be useful for general practitioners, health policymakers, and planners who establish prevention and control methods against influenza.

scholarly journals Influenza activity in the Southern Hemisphere: a preliminary look at the winter 2007 season

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (34) ◽  
Author(s):  
Collective Editorial team
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Seasonal Influenza ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Influenza Activity ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Northern And Southern Hemispheres

Human seasonal influenza occurs in the northern and southern hemispheres in epidemics in the colder months of the year. These vary annually in their mix of viruses (which constantly evolve), the severity of the illness and the ‘fit’ with the vaccine composition, which is reviewed annually by the World Health Organization (WHO) for each hemisphere.

scholarly journals ICU respiratory admissions data for influenza severity surveillance?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liselotte Van Asten ◽  
Angie Luna Pinzon ◽  
Dylan W De Lange ◽  
Evert De Jonge ◽  
Frederika Dijkstra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Influenza Surveillance ◽  
Admission Diagnosis ◽  
Influenza Epidemic ◽  
Influenza Like Illness ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

ObjectiveIntensive Care Unit (ICU) data are registered for quality monitoring in the Netherlands with near 100% coverage. They are a ‘big data’ type source that may be useful for infectious disease surveillance. We explored their potential to enhance the surveillance of influenza which is currently based on the milder end of the disease spectrum. We ultimately aim to set up a real-surveillance system of severe acute respiratory infections.IntroductionWhile influenza-like-illness (ILI) surveillance is well-organized at primary care level in Europe, little data is available on more severe cases. With retrospective data from ICU’s we aim to fill this current knowledge gap and to explore its worth for prospective surveillance. Using multiple parameters proposed by the World Health Organization we estimated the burden of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) to ICU and how this varies between influenza epidemics.MethodsWe analyzed weekly ICU admissions of adults in the Netherlands (2007-2016) from the national intensive care evaluation (NICE) quality registry (100% coverage of adult ICU in 2016; population size 14 million adults. A SARI syndrome was defined as admission diagnosis being any of 6 pneumonia or pulmonary sepsis codes in the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation IV (APACHE IV) prognostic model. Influenza epidemic periods were retrieved from primary care sentinel influenza surveillance data. In recent years NICE has explored and promoted increased timeliness and automation of data transfer.ResultsAnnually, 11-14% of medical admissions to adult ICUs were for a SARI (5-25% weekly). Admissions for bacterial pneumonia (59%) and pulmonary sepsis (25%) contributed most to ICU-SARI. Between influenza epidemics, severity indicators varied: ICU-SARI incidence (between 558-2,400 cumulated admissions nation-wide, rate: 0.40-1.71/10,000 inhabitants), average APACHE score (between 71-78), ICU-SARI mortality (between 13-20%), ICU-SARI/ILI ratio (between 8-17 SARI ICU cases per 1,000 expected medically attended influenza-like-illness in primary care), peak incidence (between 101-188 ICU-SARI admissions nationally in the highest week, rate: between 0.07-0.13/10,000 population).ICUs use different types of electronic health records (EHRs). Data submitted to the NICE registry is mainly based on routinely collected data extracted from these EHRs. The timeliness of data submission varies between a few weeks and three months. Together with ICUs, the NICE registry has recently undertaken actions to increase timeliness of ICU data submission.ConclusionsIn ICU data, great variation can be seen between the yearly influenza epidemic periods in terms of different influenza severity parameters. The parameters also complement each other by reflecting different aspects of severity. Prospective syndromic ICU-SARI surveillance, as proposed by the World Health Organization would provide insight into severity of ongoing influenza epidemics which differ from season to season.Currently a subset of hospitals provide data with a 6-week delay. This can be a worthwhile addition to current influenza surveillance, which, while timelier, is based on milder cases seen by general practitioners (primary care). Future increases in data timeliness will remain an aim.

scholarly journals Very little influenza in the WHO European Region during the 2020/21 season, weeks 40 2020 to 8 2021

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelia Adlhoch ◽  
Piers Mook ◽  
Favelle Lamb ◽  
Lisa Ferland ◽  
Angeliki Melidou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Seasonal Influenza ◽  
Influenza Season ◽  
World Health ◽  
European Region ◽  
Influenza Epidemic ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Viral Subtypes

Between weeks 40 2020 and 8 2021, the World Health Organization European Region experienced a 99.8% reduction in sentinel influenza virus positive detections (33/25,606 tested; 0.1%) relative to an average of 14,966/39,407 (38.0%; p < 0.001) over the same time in the previous six seasons. COVID-19 pandemic public health and physical distancing measures may have extinguished the 2020/21 European seasonal influenza epidemic with just a few sporadic detections of all viral subtypes. This might possibly continue during the remainder of the influenza season.

Community-oriented Administration of Fluoride for the Prevention of Dental Caries

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.E. Petersen ◽  
R.J. Baez ◽  
M.A. Lennon
Keyword(s):  
Dental Caries ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
International Association ◽  
World Health ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic disease affecting human populations around the world. It is recognized that fluoride plays a significant role in dental caries reduction. Meanwhile, several low- and middle-income countries of Asia have not yet implemented systematic fluoride programs; contributing factors relate to misconceptions about the mechanisms of fluoride, low priority given to oral health in national health policy and strategic plans, and lack of interest among public health administrators. A workshop on the effective use of fluoride in Asia took place in Phang-Nga, Thailand, in 2011. A series of country presentations addressed some of the topics mentioned above; in addition, speakers from countries of the region provided examples of successful fluoride interventions and discussed program limitations, barriers encountered, and solutions, as well as possibilities for expanding coverage. Participants acknowledged that automatic fluoridation through water, salt, and milk is the most effective and equitable strategy for the prevention of dental caries. Concerns were expressed that government-subsidized community fluoride prevention programs may face privatization. In addition, the use of affordable fluoride-containing toothpastes should be encouraged. The workshop identified: strengths and weaknesses of ongoing community-based fluoride programs, as well as the interest of countries in a particular method; the requirement for World Health Organization (WHO) technical assistance on various aspects, including fluoridation process, feasibility studies, and implementation of effective epidemiological surveillance of the program; exchange of information; and the need for inter-country collaboration. It was acknowledged that program process and evaluation at the local and country levels need further dissemination. The meeting was co-sponsored by the World Health Organization, the International Association for Dental Research, and the World Dental Federation.

Erstes Instrument zur standardisierten Erfassung der Teilhabe Behinderter

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (07) ◽  
pp. 526-527
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Menschen Mit Behinderung

Coenen M et al. [Recommendation for the collection and analysis of data on participation and disability from the perspective of the World Health Organization]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 2016; 59: 1060–1067 Um eine gleichberechtigte Teilhabe an der Gesellschaft von Menschen mit Behinderung zu ermöglichen, werden zunächst Daten zu vorhandenen Einschränkungen gebraucht. Erst wenn diese detailliert erhoben wurden, können Konzepte zur Beseitigung von Problemen entwickelt werden. Ein standardisiertes Erhebungsinstrument für alle Aspekte der Funktionsfähigkeit fehlte jedoch bisher.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document