scholarly journals Epidemiological profile of Plasmodium ovale spp. imported from Africa to Anhui Province, China, 2012 – 2019

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Shuqi Wang ◽  
Duoquan Wang ◽  
Sarah Auburn ◽  
Shenning Lu ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundAlthough autochthonous malaria cases are no longer reported in Anhui Province, China, imported malaria has become a major health concern. The proportion of reported malaria cases caused by Plasmodium ovale spp. increased to levels higher than expected during 2012 to 2019, and showed two peaks, 19.69 % in 2015 and 19.35 % in 2018.MethodsA case-based retrospective study was performed using data collected from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP) and Information System for Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention (ISPDCP) from 2012 to 2019 to assess the trends and differences between Plasmodium ovale curtisi (P. o. curtisi) and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri (P. o. wallikeri). Epidemiological characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsP. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri were found to simultaneously circulate in 14 African countries. Among 128 patients infected with P. ovale spp., the proportion of co-infection cases was 10.16%. Six cases of co-infection with P. ovale spp. and P. falciparum were noted, each presenting with two clinical attacks (the first attack was due to P. falciparum and the second was due to P. ovale spp.) at different intervals. Accurate identification of the infecting species was achieved among only 20.00% of cases of P. ovale spp. infection. At the reporting units, 32.17% and 6.96% of cases of P. ovale spp. infection were misdiagnosed as P. vivax and P. falciparum infections, respectively. ConclusionThe present results indicate that the potential of P. ovale spp. to co-infect with other Plasmodium species has been previously underestimated, as is the incidence of P. ovale spp. in countries where malaria is endemic. P. o. curtisi may have a long latency period of >3 years and potentially cause residual foci, thus posing challenges to the elimination of malaria in P. ovale spp.-endemic areas. Considering the low rate of species identification, more sensitive point-of-care detection methods need to be developed for P. ovale spp. and introduced in non-endemic areas.

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Shuqi Wang ◽  
Duoquan Wang ◽  
Sarah Auburn ◽  
Shenning Lu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Although autochthonous malaria cases are no longer reported in Anhui Province, China, imported malaria has become a major health concern. The proportion of reported malaria cases caused by Plasmodium ovale spp. increased to levels higher than expected during 2012 to 2019, and showed two peaks, 19.69% in 2015 and 19.35% in 2018. Methods A case-based retrospective study was performed using data collected from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP) and Information System for Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention (ISPDCP) from 2012 to 2019 to assess the trends and differences between Plasmodium ovale curtisi (P. o. curtisi) and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri (P. o. wallikeri). Epidemiological characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Plasmodium o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri were found to simultaneously circulate in 14 African countries. Among 128 patients infected with P. ovale spp., the proportion of co-infection cases was 10.16%. Six cases of co-infection with P. ovale spp. and P. falciparum were noted, each presenting with two clinical attacks (the first attack was due to P. falciparum and the second was due to P. ovale spp.) at different intervals. Accurate identification of the infecting species was achieved among only 20.00% of cases of P. ovale spp. infection. At the reporting units, 32.17% and 6.96% of cases of P. ovale spp. infection were misdiagnosed as P. vivax and P. falciparum infections, respectively. Conclusion The present results indicate that the potential of P. ovale spp. to co-infect with other Plasmodium species has been previously underestimated, as is the incidence of P. ovale spp. in countries where malaria is endemic. P. o. curtisi may have a long latency period of > 3 years and potentially cause residual foci, thus posing challenges to the elimination of malaria in P. ovale spp.-endemic areas. Considering the low rate of species identification, more sensitive point-of-care detection methods need to be developed for P. ovale spp. and introduced in non-endemic areas.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Shuqi Wang ◽  
Duoquan Wang ◽  
Sarah Auburn ◽  
Shenning Lu ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundAlthough autochthonous malaria cases are no longer reported in Anhui Province, China, imported malaria has become a major health concern. The proportion of reported malaria cases caused by Plasmodium ovale spp. increased to levels higher than expected during 2012 to 2019, and showed two peaks, 19.69 % in 2015 and 19.35 % in 2018.MethodsA case-based retrospective study was performed using data collected from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP) and Information System for Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention (ISPDCP) from 2012 to 2019 to assess the trends and differences between Plasmodium ovale curtisi (P. o. curtisi) and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri (P. o. wallikeri). Epidemiological characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsP. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri were found to simultaneously circulate in 14 African countries. Among 128 patients infected with P. ovale spp., the proportion of mixed infection cases was 10.16%. Six cases of co-infection with P. ovale spp. and P. falciparum were noted, each presenting with two clinical attacks (the first attack was due to P. falciparum and the second was due to P. ovale spp.) at different intervals. Accurate identification of the infecting species was achieved among only 20.00% of cases of P. ovale spp. infection. At the reporting units, 32.17% and 6.96% of cases of P. ovale spp. infection were misdiagnosed as P. vivax and P. falciparum infections, respectively.ConclusionThe present results indicate that the potential of P. ovale spp. to co-infect with other Plasmodium species has been previously underestimated, as is the incidence of P. ovale spp. in countries where malaria is endemic. P. o. curtisi may have a long latency period of >3 years and potentially cause residual foci, thus posing challenges to the elimination of malaria in P. ovale spp.-endemic areas. Considering the low rate of species identification, more sensitive point-of-care detection methods need to be developed for P. ovale spp. and introduced in non-endemic areas.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Shuqi Wang ◽  
Duoquan Wang ◽  
Sarah Auburn ◽  
Shenning Lu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Although autochthonous malaria cases are no longer reported in Anhui Province, China, imported malaria has become a major health concern. The proportion of reported malaria cases caused by Plasmodium ovale spp. increased to levels higher than expected during 2012 to 2019, and showed two peaks, 19.69% in 2015 and 19.35% in 2018. Methods We conducted a case-based retrospective study, using data collected from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention and Information System for Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention from 2012–2019, to describe the trends and differences between P. o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri. Epidemiological characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri were found simultaneously circulating in 14 African countries. Among 128 patients infected with P. ovale spp., the proportion of mixed infection cases was 10.16%. Six cases of co-infection by P. ovale and P. falciparum were observed, each presenting with two clinical attacks (the first attack was due to P. falciparum and the second was due to P. ovale spp.) at different intervals. Accurate identification of the infecting species was achieved in only 20.00% of cases with P. ovale infection. At the reporting units, 32.17% and 6.96% of P. ovale spp. cases were misdiagnosed as P. vivax and P. falciparum, respectively. Conclusion Our finding indicates that the ability of P. ovale spp. to co-infect with other malarial species has been previously underestimated and providing rational evidence for the existence of hypnozoites in P. ovale spp. P. o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri circulate simultaneously in Africa, and the incidence of P. ovale spp. is probably also underestimated in these source countries where the disease is endemic. Given the low rate of species identification, more sensitive point-of-care detection methods need to be developed for P. ovale spp., and introduced in non-endemic areas.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aung Min Thway ◽  
Htun Tayza ◽  
Tun Tun Win ◽  
Ye Minn Tun ◽  
Moe Myint Aung ◽  
...  

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In Myanmar, first COVID-19 reported cases were identified on 23rd March 2020. There were 336 reported confirmed cases, 261 recovered and 6 deaths through 13th July 2020. The study was a retrospective case series and all COVID-19 confirmed cases from 23rd March to 13th July 2020 were included. The data series of COVID-19 cases were extracted from the daily official reports of the Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS), Myanmar and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Myanmar. Among 336 confirmed cases, there were 169 cases with reported transmission events. The median serial interval was 4 days (IQR 3, 2-5) with the range of 0 - 26 days. The mean of the reproduction number was 1.44 with (95% CI = 1.30-1.60) by exponential growth method and 1.32 with (95% CI = 0.98-1.73) confident interval by maximum likelihood method. This study outlined the epidemiological characteristics and epidemic parameters of COVID-19 in Myanmar. The estimation parameters in this study can be comparable with other studies and variability of these parameters can be considered when implementing disease control strategy in Myanmar.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weidong Li ◽  
Xinzhou Zhang ◽  
Jun Feng ◽  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Xian Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In the Anhui province, China, efforts to halt local malaria transmission were successful, with no endemic cases reported since 2014. Contrastingly, imported malaria cases are still being reported, indicating a disease reintroduction risk after years of eradication. To avoid this reintroduction, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) were combined with microscopy methods to strengthen malaria surveillance. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of this surveillance strategy in a field setting. Methods We conducted a retrospective study using malaria surveillance data from January 2016 to June 2020. Epidemiological characteristics and diagnostic information were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistics. The diagnostic performance of the combined toolbox (RDTs plus microscopy) was evaluated based on its sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and Cohen’s kappa coefficient. Results The combined toolbox displayed a higher overall sensitivity for malaria cases than that of microscopy alone (93.74% vs 89.37%; χ2 = 6.09; p = 0.14). In contrast to its high sensitivity, the combined toolbox had a specificity of 69.66%. The species identification rates of the combined toolbox for P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae were 83.15%, 65.00%, 42.11%, and 40.00%, respectively. Conclusions The combination of microscopy and RDTs is an effective strategy for malaria surveillance, possibly detecting more P. falciparum infections than microscopy alone. However, the specificity and ability to identify species of the combined toolbox were not optimal. Thus, monitoring malaria cases in non-endemic areas may require employing more than one diagnostic tool in surveillance strategies. Moreover, further understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different detection methods is necessary for applying optimum combinations in the field setting.


Author(s):  
Van Thuan Hoang ◽  
Thi Dung Pham ◽  
Thi Loi Dao ◽  
Duc Thanh Nguyen ◽  
Van Nghiem Dang ◽  
...  

IntroductionThe aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology of all COVID-19 patients in Vietnam and to describe the measures of disease control and prevention implemented. MethodsData were recovered from Wikipedia regarding the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Vietnam. The period covered was from 23 January to 20 April 2020. Descriptive analysis was stratified by gender, age, country of origin, travel history, clinical symptoms and outcome. A survey of disease control and prevention measures was conducted at the Centre for Disease Control in the Thai Binh province, which is responsible for screening and isolating individuals at high risk of COVID-19. ResultsAs of 20 April 2020, Vietnam had recorded 268 confirmed COVID-19 patients. 55.2% were female. 67.9% were aged 20-49 years and 82.5% were Vietnamese. 60.4% of cases were imported from outside Vietnam. Other cases were acquired in Vietnam by individuals in close contact with imported cases. Only one patient who had not travelled had had no known contact with a confirmed case. 63.1% of patients were asymptomatic. 75.7% of patients were discharged. No deaths were recorded. The Thai Binh CDC surveyed a total of 2,203 persons at risk of COVID-19. 336 persons (15.2%) were isolated at hospitals and 1,411 (64.0%) in dedicated isolation facilities. 16.4% reported at least one respiratory symptom. No positive cases confirmed by RT-PCR have been reported in the Thai Binh province to date. ConclusionThe effect of the systematic screening and isolation strategy made it possible to limit local transmission in Vietnam. Vietnam needs to reinforce diagnostic capacities, prevention measures and provide the necessary epidemiological data on which to base interventions. The wider use of rapid serological tests is also advisable in order to be able to conduct extensive screening in the community.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 1363-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Brown ◽  
Katy O'Brien ◽  
Kelly Knollman-Porter ◽  
Tracey Wallace

Purpose The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released guidelines for rehabilitation professionals regarding the care of children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Given that mTBI impacts millions of children each year and can be particularly detrimental to children in middle and high school age groups, access to universal recommendations for management of postinjury symptoms is ideal. Method This viewpoint article examines the CDC guidelines and applies these recommendations directly to speech-language pathology practices. In particular, education, assessment, treatment, team management, and ongoing monitoring are discussed. In addition, suggested timelines regarding implementation of services by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are provided. Specific focus is placed on adolescents (i.e., middle and high school–age children). Results SLPs are critical members of the rehabilitation team working with children with mTBI and should be involved in education, symptom monitoring, and assessment early in the recovery process. SLPs can also provide unique insight into the cognitive and linguistic challenges of these students and can serve to bridge the gap among rehabilitation and school-based professionals, the adolescent with brain injury, and their parents. Conclusion The guidelines provided by the CDC, along with evidence from the field of speech pathology, can guide SLPs to advocate for involvement in the care of adolescents with mTBI. More research is needed to enhance the evidence base for direct assessment and treatment with this population; however, SLPs can use their extensive knowledge and experience working with individuals with traumatic brain injury as a starting point for post-mTBI care.


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