scholarly journals Logically Inferred Tuberculosis Transmission (LITT): A Data Integration Algorithm to Rank Potential Source Cases

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Winglee ◽  
Clinton J. McDaniel ◽  
Lauren Linde ◽  
Steve Kammerer ◽  
Martin Cilnis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Complex Data ◽  
Integration Algorithm ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Tuberculosis Transmission ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Source Case ◽  
Training Resources

Understanding tuberculosis (TB) transmission chains can help public health staff target their resources to prevent further transmission, but currently there are few tools to automate this process. We have developed the Logically Inferred Tuberculosis Transmission (LITT) algorithm to systematize the integration and analysis of whole-genome sequencing, clinical, and epidemiological data. Based on the work typically performed by hand during a cluster investigation, LITT identifies and ranks potential source cases for each case in a TB cluster. We evaluated LITT using a diverse dataset of 534 cases in 56 clusters (size range: 2–69 cases), which were investigated locally in three different U.S. jurisdictions. Investigators and LITT agreed on the most likely source case for 145 (80%) of 181 cases. By reviewing discrepancies, we found that many of the remaining differences resulted from errors in the dataset used for the LITT algorithm. In addition, we developed a graphical user interface, user's manual, and training resources to improve LITT accessibility for frontline staff. While LITT cannot replace thorough field investigation, the algorithm can help investigators systematically analyze and interpret complex data over the course of a TB cluster investigation.Code available at:https://github.com/CDCgov/TB_molecular_epidemiology/tree/1.0; https://zenodo.org/badge/latestdoi/166261171.

Measuring the Global Burden of Disease

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Philosophy Of Medicine ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Global Burden Of Disease ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
Complex Data ◽  
Health States ◽  
Research Collaborations ◽  
Disease Study ◽  
Philosophical Questions

In this volume, a group of leading philosophers, economists, epidemiologists, and policy scholars continue a twenty-year discussion of philosophical questions connected to the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), one of the largest-scale research collaborations in global health. Chapters explore issues in ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics, the philosophy of economics, and the philosophy of medicine. Some chapters identify previously unappreciated aspects of the GBD, including the way it handles causation and aggregates complex data while others offer fresh perspectives on frequently discussed topics such as discounting, age-weighting, and the valuation of health states. The volume concludes with a set of chapters discussing how epidemiological data should and shouldn’t be used.

scholarly journals Lockdown Contained the Spread of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease in Huangshi City, China: Early Epidemiological Findings

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1454-1460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuo Ji ◽  
Hai-Lian Chen ◽  
Jing Xu ◽  
Ling-Ning Wu ◽  
Jie-Jia Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Epidemic Curve ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
Asymptomatic Infections ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Nonpharmaceutical Interventions ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract Background To control the spread of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), China sealed Wuhan on 23 January 2020 and soon expanded lockdown to 12 other cities in Hubei province. We aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics in one of the cities and highlight the effect of current implemented lockdown and nonpharmaceutical interventions. Methods We retrieved data of reported cases in Huangshi and Wuhan from publicly available disease databases. Local epidemiological data on suspected or confirmed cases in Huangshi were collected through field investigation. Epidemic curves were constructed with data on reported and observed cases. Results The accumulated confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatality in Huangshi were reported to be 1015 and 3.74%, respectively, compared with 50006 and 5.08% in Wuhan until 27 March 2020. Right after 24 January, the epidemic curve based on observed cases in Huangshi became flattened. And 1 February 2020 was identified as the “turning point” as the epidemic in Huangshi faded soon afterward. COVID-19 epidemic was characterized by mild cases in Huangshi, accounting for 82.66% of total cases. Moreover, 50 asymptomatic infections were identified in adults and children. In addition, we found confirmed cases in 19 familial clusters and 21 healthcare workers, supporting interhuman transmission. Conclusions Our study reported the temporal dynamics and characteristics of the COVID-19 epidemic in Huangshi city, China, across the unprecedented intervention. Such new epidemiological inference might provide further guidance on current lockdown measures in high-risk cities and, subsequently, help improve public health intervention strategies against the pandemic on the country and global levels.

A systemic response to supporting frontline inpatient mental health staff in coping with the COVID-19 outbreak

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Padraig Cotter ◽  
Nicola Jhumat ◽  
Eshia Garcha ◽  
Eirini Papasileka ◽  
Jennifer Parker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Support Staff ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Care Workforce ◽  
Inpatient Mental Health ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to outline the process of supporting frontline inpatient mental health staff in developing ways of coping with COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach A whole system approach was used in formulating and developing support structures with particular focus on relationship-focused coping. Findings Interventions were developed to support staff in coping with problem-focused (e.g. systemic changes) and emotion-focused challenges (e.g. deaths of colleagues). These included psychoeducation, mindfulness-based meditation and rituals to mark the deaths of colleagues. Staff SPACE (Stopping to Process and Consider Events) sessions were used to support staff in managing the many emotions they were experiencing. Positive psychology-based interventions were used to keep morale up and help people to stay motivated. The process of seeking feedback and making changes was introduced to support staff in feeling heard and having a voice. The maternal or master intervention within each of the above was the relational component. Practical implications This work aimed to boost the emotional and psychological literacy of the system. This will be important in the aftermath of the pandemic and could have many benefits thereafter. Social implications The post-COVID-19 health-care workforce will experience significant challenges in terms of readjustment and recovery. It is important that appropriate measures are put in place to ameliorate this. Originality/value An innovative systemic formulation of the impact of COVID-19 on frontline staff, and a coordinated way of dealing with this, is outlined.

Statistical methods

2021 ◽  
pp. 207-228
Author(s):  
Gail Williams ◽  
Robert S. Ware
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Complex Data ◽  
Survival Times ◽  
Time To Event Data ◽  
Ease Of Access ◽  
Inference Methods

This chapter provides an introduction to statistical methods with illustrative examples from public health and epidemiological research. The chapter begins by distinguishing between a study sample and a target population. It goes on to outline different methods of sampling, including probability and non-probability sampling methods. In the following section, the distributions of epidemiological variables are considered, leading on to discussion of probability distributions and statistical inference. Methods for comparing data from two or more groups are then outlined, including methods for continuous and categorical variables. Analysis of time-to-event data to evaluate survival times is then outlined. The final section of the chapter discusses the application of multivariable models to epidemiological data, including extensions of basic models to more complex data distributions. The chapter concludes by cautioning that increasing ease of access to sophisticated statistical methods may increase the risk of erroneous application. There is little substitute for consulting a qualified statistician, particularly with complex designs.

scholarly journals Reducing tuberculosis transmission: a consensus document from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 1900391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Battista Migliori ◽  
Edward Nardell ◽  
Askar Yedilbayev ◽  
Lia D'Ambrosio ◽  
Rosella Centis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Effective Treatment ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Regional Office ◽  
Tuberculosis Transmission ◽  
Consensus Document ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Evidence-based guidance is needed on 1) how tuberculosis (TB) infectiousness evolves in response to effective treatment and 2) how the TB infection risk can be minimised to help countries to implement community-based, outpatient-based care.This document aims to 1) review the available evidence on how quickly TB infectiousness responds to effective treatment (and which factors can lower or boost infectiousness), 2) review policy options on the infectiousness of TB patients relevant to the World Health Organization European Region, 3) define limitations of the available evidence and 4) provide recommendations for further research.The consensus document aims to target all professionals dealing with TB (e.g. TB specialists, pulmonologists, infectious disease specialists, primary healthcare professionals, and other clinical and public health professionals), as well as health staff working in settings where TB infection is prevalent.

Moose (Alces alces) predation by eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) and eastern coyote × eastern wolf (Canis latrans × Canis lycaon) hybrids

2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (11) ◽  
pp. 837-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.F. Benson ◽  
B.R. Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Canis Latrans ◽  
Alces Alces ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Population Viability ◽  
Gps Telemetry ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Eastern Wolf ◽  
Canis Lycaon ◽  
Moose Population

It has been widely assumed that coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) are incapable of killing adult moose (Alces alces (L., 1758)) and previous studies of coyote predation support this assumption. However, eastern coyotes and eastern coyote × eastern wolf (Canis lycaon Schreber, 1775) are larger than western coyotes and appear to rely on larger prey in some areas. We used a combination of GPS telemetry, genetic analysis, and field investigation to test the hypothesis that eastern coyotes and coyote × wolf hybrids are capable of preying on adult moose in central Ontario. Our hypothesis was supported, as we documented four definitive cases of eastern coyotes and (or) eastern coyote × eastern wolf hybrids killing moose ≥1.5 years old. Predation by coyotes and coyote × wolf hybrids probably does not represent a threat to moose population viability in central Ontario, but our results suggest that researchers and managers in other areas with declining moose populations that are sympatric with eastern coyotes and (or) coyote × wolf hybrids should consider coyote predation as a potential source of mortality.

scholarly journals Horse: a potential source of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in Egypt

2022 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahma Mohammed ◽  
Sara M. Nader ◽  
Dalia A. Hamza ◽  
Maha A. Sabry
Keyword(s):  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Molecular Detection ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Bacteriological Examination ◽  
Molecular Serotyping ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Nasal Swabs ◽  
Sporadic Cases

Abstract Background Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic mycozoonosis of global significance in a wide variety of host species. In equines, cryptococcosis is uncommon, and sporadic cases have been reported with rhinitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Cryptococcus spp. represents a potential risk for immunosuppressed and healthy persons. In Egypt, epidemiological data on cryptococcal infection in horses are limited. The current study was carried out to investigate the occurrence of Cryptococcus spp. in horses and its possible role in the epidemiology of such disease in Egypt. A total of 223 samples was collected from different localities in Egypt included 183 nasal swabs from horses, 28 nasal swabs from humans, and 12 soil samples. Bacteriological examination and the identification of Cryptococcus spp. were performed. Molecular serotyping of Cryptococcus spp. was determined by multiplex PCR using CNa-70S/A-CNb-49S/A. The virulence genes (LAC1, CAP59, and PLB1) of the identified isolates were detected by PCR. Moreover, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the C. gattii gene from horses, humans, and soil isolates found nearby were performed. Result The overall occurrence of Cryptococcus spp. in horses were 9.3, 25, and 10.7% in horses, the soil, and humans, respectively. Molecular serotyping of the Cryptococcus spp. isolates recovered from the nasal passages of horses proved that C. gattii (B), C. neoformans, and two hybrids between C. neoformans (A) and C. gattii (B) were identified. Meanwhile, in case of soil samples, the isolates were identified as C. gattii (B). The human isolates were serotyped as C. gattii in two isolates and C. neoformans in only one isolate. Molecular detection of some virulence genes (LAC1), (CAP59), and (PLB1) were identified in both C. gattii and C. neoformans isolates. The C. gattii gene amplicons of the isolates from horses, humans, and the soil were closely related. Conclusion This study provides the first insights into the Egyptian horse ecology of Cryptococcus species and highlights the role of horses as asymptomatic carriers in disseminating the potentially pathogenic Cryptococcus spp. It also presents the possible risk of cryptococcosis infection in humans.

scholarly journals Microscopic Observation of SARS-Like Particles in RT-qPCR SARS-CoV-2 Positive Sewage Samples

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 516
Author(s):  
Djamal Brahim Belhaouari ◽  
Nathalie Wurtz ◽  
Clio Grimaldier ◽  
Alexandre Lacoste ◽  
Gabriel Augusto Pires de Souza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Sewage Sample ◽  
Viral Infectivity ◽  
Infectious Risk ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The City

The ongoing outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection has spread rapidly worldwide. The major transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 are recognised as inhalation of aerosol/droplets and person-to-person contact. However, some studies have demonstrated that live SARS-CoV-2 can be isolated from the faeces and urine of infected patients, which can then enter the wastewater system. The currently available evidence indicates that the viral RNA present in wastewater may become a potential source of epidemiological data. However, to investigate whether wastewater may present a risk to humans such as sewage workers, we investigated whether intact particles of SARS-CoV-2 were observable and whether it was possible to isolate the virus in wastewater. Using a correlative strategy of light microscopy and electron microscopy (CLEM), we demonstrated the presence of intact and degraded SARS-like particles in RT-qPCR SARS-CoV-2-positive sewage sample collected in the city of Marseille. However, the viral infectivity assessment of SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater was inconclusive, due to the presence of other viruses known to be highly resistant in the environment such as enteroviruses, rhinoviruses, and adenoviruses. Although the survival and the infectious risk of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater cannot be excluded from our study, additional work may be required to investigate the stability, viability, fate, and decay mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 thoroughly in wastewater.

scholarly journals Diversity of DNA Fingerprints ofMycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in the United States

1998 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 1003-1007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenhua Yang ◽  
Peter F. Barnes ◽  
Fernando Chaves ◽  
Kathleen D. Eisenach ◽  
Stephen E. Weis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Polymorphism Analysis ◽  
Tuberculosis Transmission ◽  
The Past ◽  
Pattern Diversity ◽  
Recent Transmission ◽  
Insight Into

To investigate the diversity of IS6110 fingerprints ofMycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in the United States and to determine if matching IS6110 fingerprints represent recent interstate tuberculosis transmission, we performed restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of M. tuberculosisisolates from 1,326 patients in three geographically separated states. Seven hundred ninety-five different IS6110 fingerprint patterns were generated, and pattern diversity was similar in each state. Ninety-six percent of the fingerprint patterns were observed in only one state, demonstrating that most IS6110 fingerprint patterns are confined to a single geographic location. Of the IS6110 fingerprint patterns that were shared by isolates from more than one state, most isolates with 1 to 5 IS6110copies were separable by pTBN12 fingerprinting whereas those with >15 copies were not. One high-copy-number M. tuberculosisstrain had identical IS6110 and pTBN12 fingerprints and included 57 isolates from three states. Epidemiological data demonstrated significant recent transmission of tuberculosis within each city but not among the states. This suggests that identical fingerprints of isolates from geographically separate locations most likely reflect interstate tuberculosis transmission in the past, with subsequent intrastate spread of disease. Further evaluation of M. tuberculosis strains that cause outbreaks in different geographic locations will provide insight into the epidemiological and bacteriological factors that facilitate the spread of tuberculosis.

Training Frontline Mental Health Staff to Deliver “Low Intensity” Psychological Therapy for Psychosis: A Qualitative Analysis of Therapist and Service User Views on the Therapy and its Future Implementation

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Waller ◽  
Philippa Garety ◽  
Suzanne Jolley ◽  
Miriam Fornells-Ambrojo ◽  
Elizabeth Kuipers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Service User ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Trained Staff

Background: Increasing access to evidence-based talking therapies for people with psychosis is a national health priority. We have piloted a new, “low intensity” (LI) CBT intervention specifically designed to be delivered by frontline mental health staff, following brief training, and with ongoing supervision and support. A pilot feasibility study has demonstrated significant improvement in service user outcomes. This study is a qualitative analysis of the experiences of the staff and service users taking part in the evaluation. Aims: To evaluate the acceptability of the training protocol and the therapy, and to examine the factors promoting and restraining implementation. Method: All trained staff and service users completed a semi-structured interview that was transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Service users spoke about learning new skills and achieving their goals. Staff spoke about being able to use a brief, structured intervention to achieve positive outcomes for their clients. Both groups felt that longer, more sophisticated interventions were required to address more complex problems. The positive clinical outcomes motivated therapists to continue using the approach, despite organizational barriers. Conclusions: For both trained staff and service users, taking part in the study was a positive experience. Staff members’ perceived skill development and positive reaction to seeing their clients improve should help to promote implementation. Work is needed to clarify whether and how more complex difficulties should be addressed by frontline staff.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document