The Power of Music to Prevent and Control Emerging Infectious Diseases

Music is a powerful approach to engage communities and disseminate information. Specifically, health campaigns employing music have been used to promote behaviors that can prevent emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). For example, hip hop artists supported campaigns to prevent acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in the 70s in the United States, while Brazilian funk promoted vaccination to mitigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, we broadcast musical messages in local languages to increase community awareness and support prevention measures in Guinea and Liberia in response to the recent Ebola outbreak in 2021. Given the potential of music to promote both individual and population-level behavioral changes to prevent transmission, there is a need to consolidate information on music-based health interventions, and on how we can measure their effectiveness. In this perspective, we provide examples of relevant initiatives, discussing challenges and solutions associated with implementing interventions based on our experience with the 2021 Ebola outbreak. We recommend four steps for a successful music-based health intervention including (1) establishing a task force, (2) compose a “catchy” song including critical preventive measures, (3) deliver the song to the target audience, and (4) evaluate the campaign effectiveness. We argue that close interactions between scientists and musicians can produce rapid musical content for disease prevention. We also identify and discuss several methodological frameworks for testing the effectiveness of such interventions. We conclude that support from public health authorities, government media departments, and international agencies, is necessary to deliver wide outreach and long-term sustainability of musical messaging toward effective EID prevention.

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20th International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Rim Organized by the United States-Japan Cooperative Medical Sciences Program (USJCMSP)

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines7020035 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 35

Author(s):

USJCMSP AIDS, ARI, Cancer, Hepatitis, Immunology and Viral Diseases Panels ◽

K. Gayle Bernabe ◽

Kristina T. Lu ◽

F. Gray Handley ◽

Diane E. Griffin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

The United States ◽

Pacific Rim ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

International Conference ◽

The Pacific ◽

Immunodeficiency Syndrome

The 20th International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Rim to3ok place in Shenzhen, China on January 8–9, 2018 followed by meetings of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)/immunology, acute respiratory infections, cancer, hepatitis, and viral diseases panels on January 10–11. The conference was organized as part of the United States-Japan Cooperative Medical Sciences Program (USJCMSP) by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and was locally hosted by the Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Institute of Microbiology. The conference provides the basis for networking and fostering of collaboration opportunities between researchers in Southeast Asia and the United States based on the scientific and interactive platform of the USJCMSP and takes place in the region on an annual basis. This report summarizes the discussions and conclusions from the conference.

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Survey of Saliva Components and Virus Sensors for Prevention of COVID-19 and Infectious Diseases

Biosensors ◽

10.3390/bios11010014 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 14

Author(s):

Priya Dave ◽

Roberto Rojas-Cessa ◽

Ziqian Dong ◽

Vatcharapan Umpaichitra

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Dental Health ◽

The United States ◽

Human Saliva ◽

Field Application ◽

Future Research ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Control And Prevention ◽

Close Distance

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers saliva contact the lead transmission mean of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Saliva droplets or aerosols expelled by sneezing, coughing, breathing, and talking may carry this virus. People in close distance may be exposed directly to these droplets or indirectly when touching the droplets that fall on surrounding surfaces and ending up contracting COVID-19 after touching the mucosa tissue of their faces. It is of great interest to quickly and effectively detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in an environment, but the existing methods only work in laboratory settings, to the best of our knowledge. However, it may be possible to detect the presence of saliva in the environment and proceed with prevention measures. However, detecting saliva itself has not been documented in the literature. On the other hand, many sensors that detect different organic components in saliva to monitor a person’s health and diagnose different diseases, ranging from diabetes to dental health, have been proposed and they may be used to detect the presence of saliva. This paper surveys sensors that detect organic and inorganic components of human saliva. Humidity sensors are also considered in the detection of saliva because a large portion of saliva is water. Moreover, sensors that detect infectious viruses are also included as they may also be embedded into saliva sensors for a confirmation of the presence of the virus. A classification of sensors by their working principles and the substances they detect is presented, including the sensors’ specifications, sample size, and sensitivity. Indications of which sensors are portable and suitable for field application are presented. This paper also discusses future research and challenges that must be resolved to realize practical saliva sensors. Such sensors may help minimize the spread of not only COVID-19 but also other infectious diseases.

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The role of nutrition in strengthening immune system against newly emerging viral diseases: case of SARS-CoV-2

The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research - July-December 2021 ◽

10.51745/najfnr.4.7.240-244 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (7) ◽

pp. 240-244

Author(s):

Meghit Boumediene Khaled ◽

Nada Benajiba

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Infected Individual ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

The Body ◽

Healthy Diet ◽

World Health ◽

Viral Diseases ◽

Prevention Measures

The immune system is involved in the protection of host against environmental agents such as pathogenic micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) and chemicals, thereby preserving the integrity of the body. To preserve organism defense mechanisms, adequate nutritional status should be maintained with appropriate intakes of calories, vitamins, minerals and water that should be continuously provided by a healthy diet. The emergence of new infectious diseases with new pathogenic properties constitutes a serious health issue worldwide. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) represents one of the most recent emerging infectious diseases, caused by a novel coronavirus member called (SARS-CoV-2), identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China in December 2019, and recognized as pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The nutritional status of each COVID-19-infected patient should be assessed prior undertaking treatments. Nutritional support should be the basis of management of any infected individual. However, prevention measures remain the first priority and strategy to develop throughout proper hygiene, healthy diet and staying home. Keywords: Nutrition, Immune system, Viral diseases, SARS-CoV-2.

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Consistent Infection Prevention: Vital During Routine and Emerging Infectious Diseases Care

OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing ◽

10.3912/ojin.vol22no01man01 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Terri Rebmann ◽

Ruth Carrico

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Disease Transmission ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

Occupational Exposures ◽

The United States ◽

Vital Role ◽

Routine Practice ◽

Adequate Knowledge

Emerging infectious diseases impact healthcare providers in the United States and globally. Nurses play a vital role in protecting the health of patients, visitors, and fellow staff members during routine practice and biological disasters, such as bioterrorism, pandemics, or outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases. One vital nursing practice is proper infection prevention procedures. Failure to practice correctly and consistently can result in occupational exposures or disease transmission. This article reviews occupational health risks, and pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions for nurses who provide care to patients with new or re-emerging infectious diseases. Infection prevention education based on existing infection prevention competencies is critical to ensure adequate knowledge and safe practice both every day and in times of limited resources. Challenges specific to infectious disease disasters are discussed, as well as the role of microorganisms and nurse education for infection prevention.

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Factors Contributing to the Occurrence of Emerging Infectious Diseases

Biological Research For Nursing ◽

10.1177/1099800403251238 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 258-267 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Felissa R. Lashley

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

The United States ◽

Major Influence ◽

Past Century ◽

Global Village ◽

Human Control ◽

Lifestyle Choices ◽

Social Opportunities ◽

The Stability

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have been receiving increasing attention for more than two decades. Such attention has resulted from observations of increasing resistance of microorganisms to the usual antibiotics, the identification of formerly unknown disease agents and the diseases they cause, and the realization that the concept of globalization includes global exposure to disease agents formerly confined to small, endemic, or remote areas. Sadly, in the fall of 2001, the potential for using microbial agents as instruments of terror and destruction became obvious with the incidents of anthrax spread in the United States, mainly through the mail, although chemical and biological agents had already been used in this way in the past century. The relationship between infectious diseases and social, political, and economic change from the earliest times to the present has been well documented. Emerging infectious diseases and their basic causes present a threat to the stability of nations and indeed the world. Reasons for the emergence/reemergence of infectious diseases are complex and interrelated. The global village provides global economic and social opportunities but also opportunities for disease emergence and transmission. Although characteristics of microorganisms such as genetic adaptive changes are important in the emergence of infectious diseases, factors under human control play a large role. Behavioral and lifestyle choices are also a major influence on the emergence and spread of many EIDs and require attention. Factors contributing to the appearance of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases are discussed.

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Can Wastewater be Used to Improve our COVID-19 Surveillance Efforts?

CommonHealth ◽

10.15367/ch.v1i3.414 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 141-147

Author(s):

Shannon McGinnis ◽

Shane Mclouglin ◽

Tiffany Buturla ◽

Nishita D'Souza ◽

José Logo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Population Level ◽

The United States ◽

Control Measures ◽

Clear Understanding ◽

Health Control ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Public Health Authorities ◽

Wastewater Samples

As the spread of COVID-19 continues to significantly impact daily life in the United States and globally, there is a need for a clear understanding of disease prevalence in communities. Traditional methods that rely on counting individual cases often result in underreporting due to limited access to testing or healthcare. This issue is further exacerbated by the spread of COVID-19 by asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals who may not seek testing. Historically, wastewater surveillance has been used to provide population-level data on the prevalence of infectious diseases in communities. Data collected through wastewater surveillance has been used to advise public health control measures, such as vaccination campaigns, and to detect local outbreaks before cases are reported to public health authorities. For this reason, researchers around the globe have been analyzing wastewater samples for SARS-CoV-2 to assist in our response to the existing COVID-19 pandemic. This commentary discusses the potential utility of wastewater-based surveillance to advise public health control strategies for COVID-19 and discusses how it may be used to strengthen local surveillance efforts in Philadelphia.

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The Check and Report Ebola (CARE+) Program to Monitor Travelers for Ebola After Arrival to the United States, 2014-2016

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/0033354919878165 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 134 (6) ◽

pp. 592-598 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Heather A. Joseph ◽

Abbey E. Wojno ◽

Kelly Winter ◽

Onalee Grady-Erickson ◽

Erin Hawes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

United States ◽

West Africa ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

Care Program ◽

The United States ◽

The Us ◽

Us Government ◽

Public Health Authorities ◽

Control And Prevention

The 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa influenced how public health officials considered migration and emerging infectious diseases. Responding to the public’s concerns, the US government introduced enhanced entry screening and post-arrival monitoring by public health authorities to reduce the risk of importation and domestic transmission of Ebola while continuing to allow travel from West Africa. This case study describes a new initiative, the Check and Report Ebola (CARE+) program that engaged travelers arriving to the United States from countries with Ebola outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employed CARE ambassadors, who quickly communicated with incoming travelers and gave them practical resources to boost their participation in monitoring for Ebola. The program aimed to increase travelers’ knowledge of Ebola symptoms and how to seek medical care safely, increase travelers’ awareness of monitoring requirements, reduce barriers to monitoring, and increase trust in the US public health system. This program could be adapted for use in future outbreaks that involve the potential importation of disease and require the education and active engagement of travelers to participate in post-arrival monitoring.

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Creating monsters for the greater good of humanity: Conflicting interests of science and homeland security

Journal of Emergency Management ◽

10.5055/jem.2012.0089 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 83

Author(s):

Patrick P. Rose, PhD ◽

Clark J. Lee, JD ◽

Sarah E. Sasor, MEng ◽

Earl Stoddard III, PhD, MPH

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Homeland Security ◽

Biomedical Research ◽

Influenza A ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

The United States ◽

United States Government ◽

Current Debate ◽

Risks And Benefits ◽

Department Of Health

Society’s rising expectations for improved treatments and better health outcomes continuously push the boundaries of discovery in biomedical research. One focus of such research is to develop the newest drugs to address humanity’s increasing exposure to emerging infectious diseases. This has led both privately and publicly funded researchers to take on the task of studying highly infectious diseases in laboratory settings. Illustrating this phenomenon is the recent work of two research laboratories at universities that have demonstrated how easily the avian flu virus (influenza A H5N1) could be manipulated into a highly infectious and deadly form for humans. These studies, which were funded by the United States Government through the National Institutes of Health of the US Department of Health and Human Services, have sparked a fierce debate as to their risks and benefits to humankind. Lacking in the current debate, however, is any significant attempt to describe in basic terms the risks and benefits of such research or the basic safeguards already built into the biomedical research enterprise that serves to protect the public’s welfare.In this article, the authors will attempt to frame the ongoing debate for those outside the scientific research community by discussing a number of competing public policy issues that the recent H5N1 controversy raises about research on dangerous pathogens or biological agents and the concerns that emergency planners and managers nation-wide face when such research is conducted in their communities.

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A bibliometric analysis of research on Ebola in Science Citation Index Expanded

South African Journal of Science ◽

10.17159/sajs.2016/20150326 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol Volume 112 (Number 3/4) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Anastassios Pouris ◽

Yuh-Shan Ho ◽

◽

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

The United States ◽

World Health ◽

Global Public Health ◽

African Countries ◽

Citation Pattern ◽

Global Trends ◽

Experimental Drugs

Abstract An unprecedented outbreak of the Ebola virus in 2014 claimed more than 1000 lives in West Africa and the World Health Organization declared a global public health emergency. This outbreak will undoubtedly promote additional research related to the Ebola virus and will create debate related to experimental drugs. This article identified the quantum of research in the field since 1991; the scientific disciplines that contributed to the field; the countries, organisations and authors that supported such research and the most cited articles. An increasing trend in annual production during 1991–2013 was observed. Journal of Virology, Journal of Infectious Diseases, and Virology were the three most productive journals in the field. Similarly, the field of virology dominated the 73 categories in which the Ebola research was classified. A total of 63 countries contributed to Ebola-related research, led by the USA. The most productive institutions were the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. African countries were more likely to be involved in international collaboration than independent research. The most influential article exhibited a notable citation pattern and presented global trends in emerging infectious diseases.

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