Emergent Arboviruses: A Review About Mayaro virus and Oropouche orthobunyavirus

Arthropod-borne viruses have a significant impact on public health worldwide, and their (re) emergence put aside the importance of other circulating arboviruses. Therefore, this scoping review aims to identify and characterize the literature produced in recent years, focusing on aspects of two arboviruses: Mayaro virus and Oropouche orthobunyavirus. The Mayaro and Oropouche viruses were isolated for the first time in Trinidad and Tobago in 1954 and 1955, respectively, and have more recently caused numerous outbreaks. In addition, they have been incriminated as candidate diseases for human epidemics. These viruses have been drawing the attention of public health authorities worldwide following recent outbreaks. To determine the global epidemiological profile of these viruses, we used the Dimensions Database, which contains more than 100 million publications. In general, we identified 327 studies published from 1957 to 2020 for Mayaro virus, and 152 studies published from 1961 to 2020 for Oropouche orthobunyavirus. Interestingly, we observed that Mayaro and Oropouche had a significant increase in the number of publications in recent years. Thus, this comprehensive review will be helpful to guide future research based on the identified knowledge gaps.

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First detection of dengue and chikungunya viruses in natural populations of Aedes aegypti in Martinique during the 2013 – 2015 concomitant outbreak

Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública ◽

10.26633/rpsp.2017.63 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Laurence Farraudière ◽

Fabrice Sonor ◽

Said Crico ◽

Manuel Étienne ◽

Laurence Mousson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Aedes Albopictus ◽

West Indies ◽

Natural Populations ◽

French West Indies ◽

Aedes Mosquitoes ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Public Health Authorities ◽

First Time

Dengue and chikungunya viruses are transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. In Martinique, an island of the French West Indies, Aedes aegypti is the suspected vector of both arboviruses; there is no Aedes albopictus on the island. During the concomitant outbreak of 2013 – 2015, the authors collected wild A. aegypti populations, and for the first time, detected dengue and chikungunya viruses in field-collected females. This paper demonstrates the mosquito’s role in transmission of both dengue and chikungunya on the island, and also highlights a tool that public health authorities can use for preventing outbreaks.

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Mayaro Virus Pathogenesis and Transmission Mechanisms

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens9090738 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 738

Author(s):

Cheikh Tidiane Diagne ◽

Michèle Bengue ◽

Valérie Choumet ◽

Rodolphe Hamel ◽

Julien Pompon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mosquito Control ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

World Population ◽

Outbreak Management ◽

Clinical Complications ◽

Transmission Mechanisms ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Public Health Authorities ◽

Mayaro Virus ◽

First Time

Mayaro virus (MAYV), isolated for the first time in Trinidad and Tobago, has captured the attention of public health authorities worldwide following recent outbreaks in the Americas. It has a propensity to be exported outside its original geographical range, because of the vast distribution of its vectors. Moreover, most of the world population is immunologically naïve with respect to infection with MAYV which makes this virus a true threat. The recent invasion of several countries by Aedesalbopictus underscores the risk of potential urban transmission of MAYV in both tropical and temperate regions. In humans, the clinical manifestations of MAYV disease range from mild fever, rash, and joint pain to arthralgia. In the absence of a licensed vaccine and clinically proven therapeutics against Mayaro fever, prevention focuses mainly on household mosquito control. However, as demonstrated for other arboviruses, mosquito control is rather inefficient for outbreak management and alternative approaches to contain the spread of MAYV are therefore necessary. Despite its strong epidemic potential, little is currently known about MAYV. This review addresses various aspects of MAYV, including its epidemiology, vector biology, mode of transmission, and clinical complications, as well as the latest developments in MAYV diagnosis.

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

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/10901981211014428 ◽

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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Fueling the Covid-19 pandemic: summer school holidays and incidence rates in German districts

Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/pubmed/fdab080 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Thomas Plümper ◽

Eric Neumayer

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Summer School ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Contact Tracing ◽

Robert Koch Institute ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Holiday Period ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Public Health Authorities

AbstractBackgroundThe Robert-Koch-Institute reports that during the summer holiday period a foreign country is stated as the most likely place of infection for an average of 27 and a maximum of 49% of new SARS-CoV-2 infections in Germany.MethodsCross-sectional study on observational data. In Germany, summer school holidays are coordinated between states and spread out over 13 weeks. Employing a dynamic model with district fixed effects, we analyze the association between these holidays and weekly incidence rates across 401 German districts.ResultsWe find effects of the holiday period of around 45% of the average district incidence rates in Germany during their respective final week of holidays and the 2 weeks after holidays end. Western states tend to experience stronger effects than Eastern states. We also find statistically significant interaction effects of school holidays with per capita taxable income and the share of foreign residents in a district’s population.ConclusionsOur results suggest that changed behavior during the holiday season accelerated the pandemic and made it considerably more difficult for public health authorities to contain the spread of the virus by means of contact tracing. Germany’s public health authorities did not prepare adequately for this acceleration.

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Indoor Environmental Quality in Dwellings and Lifestyle Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Russian Perspective

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115975 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5975

Author(s):

Vladimir Reshetnikov ◽

Oleg Mitrokhin ◽

Elena Belova ◽

Victor Mikhailovsky ◽

Maria Mikerova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Medical Students ◽

Environmental Quality ◽

Indoor Environmental Quality ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Contagious Diseases ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Public Health Authorities ◽

Isolation Index ◽

Novel Coronavirus

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, and as a response, public health authorities started enforcing preventive measures like self-isolation and social distancing. The enforcement of isolation has consequences that may affect the lifestyle-related behavior of the general population. Quarantine encompasses a range of strategies that can be used to detain, isolate, or conditionally release individuals or populations infected or exposed to contagious diseases and should be tailored to circumstances. Interestingly, medical students may represent an example of how the COVID-19 pandemic can form new habits and change lifestyle behaviors. We conducted a web-based survey to assess changes in lifestyle-related behavior of self-isolated medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then we analyzed the sanitary-hygienic regulations of the Russian Federation to determine the requirements for healthy buildings. Results showed that during the pandemic, the enforcement of isolation affects medical students’ lifestyle-related behavior and accompanies an increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and healthy buildings are cutting-edge factors in preventing COVID-19 and NCDs. The Russian sanitary-hygienic regulations support improving this factor with suitable requirements for ventilation, sewage, waste management, and disinfection. Herein, assessing isolation is possible through the hygienic self-isolation index.

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Preparedness and response in Portuguese emergency plans - Interaction with public health

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.868 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

G Leiras ◽

A Martins

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Authority ◽

Civil Protection ◽

Emergency Plans ◽

Emergency Situations ◽

Health Measures ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Public Health Authorities ◽

Protection Authority

Abstract Background Articulation between Civil Protection and Public Health authorities is of paramount importance to control, reduce and prevent threats to the health of the population in situations of crisis or catastrophes. National Civil Protection Authority produces Emergency Plans which describe the role of every stakeholder in emergency situations. Role and importance of Public Health and Public Health Authorities is not always present or well described and known amongst stakeholders. Methods Data was collected from all Districtal Emergency Plans (n = 18). Each document was analysed considering time frame, refences to Public Health and Health Authorities, definition of roles, communication channels, coordination and inclusion of intersectoral communication flow. Quantitative analysis included absolute and relative frequencies and qualitative analysis to all parts related to the terms “Public Health” and “Health Authority”. Each document was reviewed by 2 independent researchers. Results From 18 Districtal Emergency Plans (DEP) analysed, 94,4% (n = 17) had references to Public Health, but none referred the role of Public Health Officers. Only 16,7% referred to Health Authorities, although 94,4% mentioned the law 135/2013, defining the role and attributes of Health Authority. In 72,2%, coordination of Public Health Measures was attributed to the National Medical Emergency Institute. Epidemiological surveillance and Public Health Emergencies were referred in 55,6%, and attributed to the Regional Administration of Health. Conclusions Public Health Authorities and Public Health Medical Officers role in articulation with National Civil Protection Authority in emergency situations lacks severely, with this role being replaced by other entities. This is of great concern regarding management and control of diseases, particularly communicable diseases. Key messages Public Health Authorities lack the necessary involvement in Emergency Plans and emergency situations. Public health measures are coordinated by other entities rather than Public Health Authorities.

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Communicating Recommendations in Public Health Emergencies: The Role of Public Health Authorities

Health Security ◽

10.1089/hs.2019.0073 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 21-28

Author(s):

Taylor A. Holroyd ◽

Oladeji K. Oloko ◽

Daniel A. Salmon ◽

Saad B. Omer ◽

Rupali J. Limaye

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Public Health Emergencies ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Public Health Authorities

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Public Health Preparedness of Post-Katrina and Rita Shelter Health Staff

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x00007408 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 500-505 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Daksha Brahmbhatt ◽

Jennifer L. Chan ◽

Edbert B. Hsu ◽

Hani Mowafi ◽

Thomas D. Kirsch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Technical Support ◽

Health Staff ◽

Health Training ◽

Health Concerns ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Public Health Training ◽

Clinical Scenarios ◽

Public Health Authorities ◽

Hurricanes Katrina And Rita

AbstractIntroduction:During 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the US Gulf Coast, displacing approximately two million people. With >250,000 evacuees in shelters, volunteers from the American Red Cross (ARC) and other nongovernmental and faith-based organizations provided services. The objective of this study was to evaluate the composition, pre-deployment training, and recognition of scenarios with outbreak potential by shelter health staff.Methods:A rapid assessment using a 36-item questionnaire was conducted through in-person interviews with shelter health staff immediately following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Data were collected by sampling at shelters located throughout five ARC regions in Texas. The survey focused on: (1) public health capacity; (2) level of public health awareness among staff; (3) public health training prior to deployment; and (4) interest in technical support for public health concerns. In addition, health staff volunteers were asked to manage 11 clinical scenarios with possible public health implications.Results:Forty-three health staff at 24 shelters were interviewed. Nurses comprised the majority of shelter health volunteers and were present in 93% of shelters; however, there were no public health providers present as staff in any shelter. Less than one-third of shelter health staff had public health training, and only 55% had received public health information specific to managing the health needs of evacuees. Only 37% of the shelters had a systematic method for screening the healthcare needs of evacuees upon arrival. Although specific clinical scenarios involving case clusters were referred appropriately, 60% of the time, 75% of all clinical scenarios with epidemic potential did not elicit proper notification of public health authorities by shelter health staff. In contrast, clinical scenarios requiring medical attention were correctly referred >90% of the time. Greater access and support from health and public health experts was endorsed by 93% of respondents.Conclusions:Public health training for sheltering operations must be enhanced and should be a required component of pre-deployment instruction. Development of a standardized shelter intake health screening instrument may facilitate assessment of needs and appropriate resource allocation. Shelter health staff did not recognize or report the majority of cases with epidemic potential to public health authorities. Direct technical support to shelter health staff for public health concerns could bridge existing gaps and assist surveillance efforts.

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