scholarly journals Epidemiological characteristics of the most common zoonoses in the central Banat district of Vojvodina from 2002 to 2016

2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 72-79
Author(s):  
Svetlana Popov ◽  
Mirjana Strbac ◽  
Mioljub Ristic
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Q Fever ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Pork Products ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
Public Health Institute

Introduction. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological characteristics of the most common zoonoses in the Central Banat District of Vojvodina. Material and Methods. A descriptive epidemiological study was conducted using data of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina and Public Health Institute Zrenjanin. The data for this study were collected from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2016. Results. Apart from Q fever, which showed a stable incidence, the trend of incidence rates of other two zoonoses decreased between 2002 and 2016. Q fever was three times more common in males than females, while the incidence of males and females was similar among patients with Trichinellosis and Salmonellosis. Regarding the age distribution, the highest average incidence rate (12/100,000) of Trichinellosis was reported in patients aged 20-39 years; Salmonellosis predominated among patients aged 0-19 years (64.6/100,000), and Q fever in the 20-39 age group (9.2/100,000). Pork products were the most common source of outbreaks of Trichinellosis, while cakes and cookies were the most common source of outbreaks of Salmonelloses. Out of 92 interviewed patients with Q fever, 50 (54.3%) had a direct daily contact with their domestic animals during the maximum incubation period. Conclusion. In order to improve evaluation of epidemiological characteristics of the most common zoonoses and consequently their control in a timely manner, efficient exchange of information between health sectors for humans and animals is necessary, along with continuous education of food handlers and the general population of the Central Banat District of Vojvodina.

scholarly journals Age-Standardized Mortality of Persons on Probation, in Jail, or in State Prison and the General Population, 2001-2012

2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (6) ◽  
pp. 660-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Wildeman ◽  
Alyssa W. Goldman ◽  
Emily A. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Correctional Facility ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
State Prison ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Standardized Mortality Ratios

Objectives: The number of adults in the United States being held on probation—persons convicted of crimes and serving their sentence in the community rather than in a correctional facility—approached 4 million at the end of 2016 and continues to grow, yet little is known about the health and well-being of this population. We compared the standardized mortality ratios of persons on probation in the United States with persons in jail, persons in state prison, and the general US population. Methods: We used administrative data from 2001-2012 from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER database and indirect standardization techniques to compare the mortality rates of persons on probation in 15 states with the mortality rates of persons in jail, persons in state prison, and the general US population. We applied the age-specific mortality rates of 3 populations (general US population, persons in jail, and persons in state prison) to the age distribution of persons on probation to estimate standardized mortality ratios. Results: Persons on probation died at a rate 3.42 times higher than persons in jail, 2.81 times higher than persons in state prison, and 2.10 times higher than the general US population, after standardizing the age distribution of persons on probation relative to the other 3 groups. Conclusions: Public health interventions should target persons on probation, who have received less attention from the public health community than persons serving sentences in jails and prisons.

scholarly journals Pulmonary Versus Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Associated Factors: A Case-Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 117863611984036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Arnedo-Pena ◽  
Maria Angeles Romeu-Garcia ◽  
Noemi Meseguer-Ferrer ◽  
Iraya Vivas-Fornas ◽  
Ana Vizcaino-Batllés ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Associated Factors ◽  
Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
Microbiological Confirmation ◽  
Selection Of

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) incidence remains low in health departments of Castellon and La Plana-Vila-real, but TB elimination is challenging. The objective of this study was to estimate associated factors of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) compared with extrapulmonary tuberculosis (ETB) and investigate epidemiological characteristics of these pathologies to orient control and prevention actions. Materials and Methods: A prospective case-case study was implemented by comparing PTB and ETB incidences during 2013-2016 from notification reports, epidemiological surveillance, and microbiological results of hospitals’ laboratories Hospital General Castellon and La Plana-Vila-Real in the province of Castellon of Valencia region in Spain. In this design, cases were patients with PTB and controls were patients with ETB. Directed acyclic graph approach was used for selection of potential risk and confounding factors. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were estimated by logistic regression models. Results: The study included 136 patients with PTB and 57 patients with ETB, with microbiological confirmation of 93.4% and 52.6%, and the annual median of incidence rates were 7.5 and 3.1 per 100 000 inhabitants, respectively. In general, patients with PTB were younger with higher male proportion than patients with ETB. Risk factors of PTB were smoking tobacco (AOR = 3.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.66-9.56), social problems (social marginalization, homeless, residence in shelters for the poor, or stay in prison) (AOR = 3.39; 95% CI = 1.05-10.94), and contact with patients with TB (AOR = 2.51; 95% CI = 1.06-5.95). No-smoking tobacco and no-drug abuse interaction decrease PTB risk (AOR = 0.27; 95% CI = 0.12-0.64). From these results, specific measures of health promotion and prevention can be addressed. Conclusions: The estimated associated factors of PTB may be prevented, and it was demonstrated that the case-case design is useful in the study of TB.

scholarly journals Epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 travel-associated cases in Vojvodina, Serbia, during 2020

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261840
Author(s):  
Tatjana Pustahija ◽  
Mioljub Ristić ◽  
Snežana Medić ◽  
Vladimir Vuković ◽  
Mirjana Štrbac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently the biggest public health problem worldwide. Intensive international travel and tourism have greatly contributed to its rapid global spreading. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of the epidemiological characteristics and clinical outcomes of the travel-associated COVID-19 cases in Vojvodina, Serbia, from March 6 to December 31, 2020 and it concerns permanent residents of Serbia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the dedicated surveillance database of the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina. Overall, 650 travel-associated COVID-19 cases were recorded in Vojvodina during the observed period, mainly imported from Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by Austria and Germany (N = 195, 30%; N = 79, 12.15% and N = 75, 11.54%, respectively). The majority of cases were in the working-age groups, 18–44 and 45–64 years (56.46% and 34.15%, respectively). Overall, 54 (8.31%) patients developed pneumonia. In comparison to patients without pneumonia, those with pneumonia were older (mean age = 55.39 years vs. 41.34 years, p<0.01) and had a higher percentage of comorbidities (57.41% vs. 16.61%). Men were more likely to develop pneumonia than women (OR = 2.22; 95% CI: 1.14–4.30, p = 0.02), as well as those in retired-age group (OR = 4.11; 95% CI: 2.0–8.46, p<0.01). Obesity (OR = 14.40; 95% CI: 3.8–54.6, p<0.01), diabetes (OR = 9.82; 95% CI: 3.15–30.61, p<0.01) and hypertension (OR = 7.99; 95% CI: 3.98–16.02, p<0.01) were the most prominent main comorbidities as predictors of pneumonia. Our results represent general epidemiological and clinical dynamics of COVID-19 disease in Vojvodina. Also, they provide evidence that the predictors of pneumonia were: increasing age, male sex, having underlying comorbidities, an increasing number of days from the return to laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03–1.12, p<0.01), as well as an increasing number of days from symptoms onset to diagnosis (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07–1.21, p<0.01), while anosmia and ageusia were protective factors for developing it (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.12–0.79, p = 0.01).

scholarly journals Epidemiological Characteristics and Trends of Registered Leprosy Cases in China From 2004 to 2016

2021 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-36
Author(s):  
Yi Jiang ◽  
Xiangfeng Dou ◽  
Kanglin Wan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Detection Rate ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Mycobacterium Leprae ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Total Incidence ◽  
Male Patients ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract.Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. China was once one of the countries with severe leprosy epidemics, but its incidence has remained low in recent years. Despite this, there has been no decrease in its incidence more recently, and it is still a public health problem which needs to be controlled. In this study, we analyzed the epidemiological characteristics and trends in the detection rate of new cases of leprosy in China between 2004 and 2016. There were 4,519 cases of leprosy in 28 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions between 2004 and 2016, and the total incidence was 0.02815 (per 100,000 individuals) and 21 deaths. The overall incidence of leprosy showed an inverted “V” distribution (i.e., an increase followed by a decrease). Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guizhou, and Guangxi were the top five regions with the highest incidence rates, and they accounted for 68.7% of the total cases. There were more male patients than female patients, and peasants accounted for 71.7% of the leprosy cases. The patients with leprosy in China were mainly concentrated in the age-group 15–44 years, as this group accounted for 57.2% of the total cases. The purpose of this study is to explore the epidemiology of leprosy in China. This analysis will be useful for future monitoring of leprosy and establishment of public health measures in China, in keeping with the “Programme for the Elimination of Leprosy in China 2011–2020.”

Invited Commentary: Rethinking Cervical Cancer Elimination in Terms of Lifetime Risk Rather Than Arbitrarily Defined Age-Standardized Incidence Rates

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talía Malagón ◽  
Eduardo L Franco
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Lifetime Risk ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cervical Cancers ◽  
Health Target ◽  
Standard Life

Abstract In their accompanying article, Vänskä et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2020;000(00):000–000) provide us with cohort lifetime risks of cervical cancer attributable to different types of human papillomavirus in Sweden. We argue that a standardized lifetime risk such as those calculated by Vänskä et al. might be a more appropriate public health target for cervical cancer elimination than age-standardized incidence rates. Age standardization to an arbitrary standard age distribution implies an implicit value choice regarding the weight of different age groups for which we find little moral justification. Conversely, a standardized lifetime risk uses standard life expectancy as a weight, corresponding to the likelihood that cervical cancer would impact a woman and prevent her from pursuing opportunities within a standard life span. Based on the data from Vänskä et al., a standardized lifetime risk of 129–250 cervical cancers per 100,000 women born could be an aspirational alternative public health target for cervical cancer elimination as a public health problem, complementary to the World Health Organization’s arbitrary draft target of 4 cervical cancers per 100,000 age-standardized woman-years.

scholarly journals Factors associated with maintenance of human Q fever in Vojvodina, Serbia

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (10) ◽  
pp. 998-1008
Author(s):  
Mioljub Ristic ◽  
Mirjana Strbac ◽  
Sara Savic ◽  
Gorana Dragovac ◽  
Svetlana Ilic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Q Fever ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Outbreak Response ◽  
Average Wind Speed ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Background/Aim. Q fever occurs worldwide and can be found in humans as well as in domestic mammals. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of Q fever and evaluate correlation between the Q fever occurrence and weather conditions. Methods. We conducted a descriptive epidemiological study using data of the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Scientific Veterinary Institute, Novi Sad, and the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia, from 2006 to 2015. Results. Out of 272 human Q fever cases, 114 (41.9%) patients were aged between 20 and 39 years. Between January and May, a total of 193 (71.0%) cases of disease were registered. In the Central Banat and South Banat, a strong positive correlation between an increase in Q fever detection and an increase of average wind speed (?= 0.69719 and ?=0.62303, respectively) was observed, while a strong negative correlation was determined between the average rainfall with the number of Q fever cases in the Central Banat, the South Banat and Srem district (? = -0.78033, ? = -0.70675 and ? = -0.70431, respectively). During a 10-year period, a strong positive correlation was found between the human Q fever cases compared to the number of cattle and sheep Q cases in the Srem district (r = 0.7989 and r = 0.7966, respectively). Direct contact with domestic animals was the most frequent route of Q fever transmission in Vojvodina. Conclusion. The timely sharing of information between the animal and human health sectors as well as between neighbouring countries is crucial for an appropriate and an early outbreak response, especially during windy and dry months of the year. Additionally, it is essential that people who are exposed to a risk of infection must be permanently educated about reducing the risk of transmission of infection.

scholarly journals Demographics and Epidemiology of Hepatitis B in the State of Qatar: A Five-Year Surveillance-Based Incidence Study

Pathogens ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Hamad E. Al Romaihi ◽  
Nandakumar Ganesan ◽  
Elmoubasher A. Farag ◽  
Maria K. Smatti ◽  
Gheyath K. Nasrallah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Case Definition ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Cdc Guidelines ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Background: Expatriates represent >80% of Qatar’s population, mostly arriving from countries in Africa and Asia that are endemic with many diseases. This increases the risk for introducing new pathogens into the country and provides a platform for maintenance of endemic pathogen circulation. Here, we report on the incidence and epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis B in Qatar between 2010 and 2014. Methods: We performed a retrospective epidemiological data analysis using the data available at the surveillance system of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in Qatar. Data were collected from distinctive public and private incorporates around the nation. Reported cases of hepatitis B patients represent those who met the stringent case definition as per World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and eventually reported to MOPH. Results: The annual incidence rates of hepatitis B cases were 30.0, 34.2, 30.5, 39.4, and 19.8 per 100,000 population in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively. There was no specific trend or seasonality for the reported cases. The incidence rates were higher in females compared to males between 2010 and 2012, but similar in 2013 and 2014. The highest incidence rates were reported among individuals between 25 and 34 years of age. No cases were reported in children younger than five years in 2013 and 2014. Rates of hepatitis B cases declined dramatically in 2014, in both Qataris and non-Qataris, as compared to the previous years. Conclusion: Our results indicate a dramatic decline of hepatitis B cases in Qatar but mandate improved surveillance and vaccination efforts in expatriates in the nation.

Communications and Politics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Sharfstein
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Political Judgment ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

An effective communications approach starts with a basic dictum set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Be first, be right, be credible.” Agencies must establish themselves as vital sources of accurate information to maintain the public’s trust. At the same time, public health officials must recognize that communications play out in the context of ideological debates, electoral rivalries, and other political considerations. During a public health crisis, this means that health officials often need to constructively engage political leaders in communications and management. Navigating these waters in the middle of a crisis can be treacherous. Figuring out the best way to engage elected leaders is a core aspect of political judgment.

scholarly journals Users’ Beliefs Toward Physical Distancing in Facebook Pages of Public Health Authorities During COVID-19 Pandemic in Early 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812110144
Author(s):  
Soon Guan Tan ◽  
Aravind Sesagiri Raamkumar ◽  
Hwee Lin Wee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Belief Model ◽  
United States Public Health ◽  
Health Belief ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Belief Model ◽  
The Health Belief Model

This study aims to describe Facebook users’ beliefs toward physical distancing measures implemented during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic using the key constructs of the health belief model. A combination of rule-based filtering and manual classification methods was used to classify user comments on COVID-19 Facebook posts of three public health authorities: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States, Public Health England, and Ministry of Health, Singapore. A total of 104,304 comments were analyzed for posts published between 1 January, 2020, and 31 March, 2020, along with COVID-19 cases and deaths count data from the three countries. Findings indicate that the perceived benefits of physical distancing measures ( n = 3,463; 3.3%) was three times higher than perceived barriers ( n = 1,062; 1.0%). Perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 ( n = 2,934; 2.8%) was higher compared with perceived severity ( n = 2,081; 2.0%). Although susceptibility aspects of physical distancing were discussed more often at the start of the year, mentions on the benefits of intervention emerged stronger toward the end of the analysis period, highlighting the shift in beliefs. The health belief model is useful for understanding Facebook users’ beliefs at a basic level, and it provides a scope for further improvement.

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