scholarly journals Towards an Integrated Approach for Monitoring Toxoplasmosis in Southern Italy

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1949
Author(s):  
Paola Pepe ◽  
Antonio Bosco ◽  
Federico Capuano ◽  
Loredana Baldi ◽  
Angela Giordano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Molecular Monitoring ◽  
Integrated Monitoring ◽  
Parasitic Zoonoses

Toxoplasmosis is a widespread worldwide zoonotic infection caused by the intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. This protozoan infection is considered one of the most important food-borne parasitic zoonoses globally. Beyond its impact on public health, toxoplasmosis has also important veterinary implications, because it causes miscarriage or congenital malformations in livestock with negative economic impacts. An integrated monitoring programme aimed to deepen the epidemiological data on toxoplasmosis and to identify the risk factors that may favour T. gondii infections in animals and humans was conducted in an endemic area of southern Italy. The monitoring activities were based on the following tasks: (i) parasitological analysis and risk factors for T. gondii in livestock (sheep, goat, cattle and water buffalo) farms; (ii) serological and molecular monitoring at slaughterhouse in meat-producing livestock; (iii) analysis of hospital discharge records (HDRs); (iv) outreach activities (information, dissemination and health education) to farmers, vet practitioners and school-age children. The present study confirmed a very high seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in livestock farms (e.g., up to 93.1% in sheep farms) in southern Italy and highlighted the potentially significant public health risk in this area.

scholarly journals An Evaluation of Malaria Control Practices by Caregivers of Under-5 Children in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (07) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agbenin Andrew ◽  
Edem A. Akpan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Malaria Control ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Roll Back Malaria ◽  
Cross River ◽  
Cross River State ◽  
Under Five ◽  
Under Five Children

Background: Despite many years of research and concerted efforts at control of malaria, the achievement of a malaria free world remains a dream. The prevalence of the disease continues to increase in many parts of the world especially among under-5 children and pregnant women. However, in Nigeria, the scale up of malaria control strategies has produced recognizable public health impact in several communities and this has led to the development of new tools and strategies, including integrated approach to control, aimed at further consolidating malaria control goals. Objectives: To evaluate malaria control practices by Caregivers of under-five children in Calabar South LGA, Cross River State, Nigeria. Methods: A cross sectional study involving the administration of questionnaires to 440 Caregivers of under-five children selected through a multi-stage sampling and simple random sampling techniques. The administration of the questionnaires to the respondents was used to evaluate malaria control practices by Caregivers of under-5 children in Calabar South LGA since the launch of the Roll back Malaria (RBM) Program in Nigeria in 1998. Results: The sociodemographic characteristics of respondents are as follows: 35.3% of respondents fell within the age brackets of 26-31 years, 85% were married, 56.3% had, at least, secondary school education, 35.8% were traders, 98.5% were Christians, 40.8% were medium income earners, 56.3% had 3-5 persons per household. Evaluation of Caregivers in the LGA on knowledge of malaria control practices, show they had good knowledge on strategies to control malaria but many of them did not practice them in their homes. The very few that were involved in the practice of malaria control activities rely on vertical approaches to control instead of integrated malaria control efforts as advocated during the launch of the RBM program in Nigeria in 1998. Conclusions: The state Ministry of Health, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, through the Department of Public Health, needs to invest more on education, communication and information dissemination strategies to reach Caregivers of under-5 children to adopt integrated approach to malaria control instead of using isolated vertical approach if they are to achieve the malaria control targets set by RBM and MDGs for under-5 children in Nigeria in general and Calabar South LGA in particular.

scholarly journals Cross-Disciplinary Consultancy to Enhance Predictions of Asthma Exacerbation Risk in Boston

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Reid ◽  
Julia Gunn ◽  
Snehal Shah ◽  
Michael Donovan ◽  
Rosalind Eggo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Asthma Exacerbation ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Exacerbation Risk ◽  
Near Term

This paper continues an initiative conducted by the International Society for Disease Surveillance with funding from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to connect near-term analytical needs of public health practice with technical expertise from the global research community.  The goal is to enhance investigation capabilities of day-to-day population health monitors. A prior paper described the formation of consultancies for requirements analysis and dialogue regarding costs and benefits of sustainable analytic tools.  Each funded consultancy targets a use case of near-term concern to practitioners.  The consultancy featured here focused on improving predictions of asthma exacerbation risk in demographic and geographic subdivisions of the city of Boston, Massachusetts, USA based on the combination of known risk factors for which evidence is routinely available.A cross-disciplinary group of 28 stakeholders attended the consultancy on March 30-31, 2016 at the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC).Known asthma exacerbation risk factors are upper respiratory virus transmission, particularly in school-age children, harsh or extreme weather conditions, and poor air quality.  Meteorological subject matter experts described availability and usage of data sources representing these risk factors.  Modelers presented multiple analytic approaches including mechanistic models, machine learning approaches, simulation techniques, and hybrids.  Health department staff and local partners discussed surveillance operations, constraints, and operational system requirements.  Attendees valued the direct exchange of information among public health practitioners, system designers, and modelers.  Discussion finalized design of an 8-year de-identified dataset of Boston ED patient records for modeling partners who sign a standard data use agreement.

scholarly journals Characterizing the risk of melanoma and use of indoor tanning beds in high-risk groups to inform public health regulations

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey Panning ◽  
April Smith ◽  
Olivia Spohn ◽  
Leah van Wesenbeeck
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Indoor Tanning ◽  
Knowledge Level ◽  
Response Relationship ◽  
Dose Response Relationship ◽  
Health Regulations

There is concern about increasing incidence of melanoma and its association with indoor tanning devices. Overall, melanoma and indoor tanning devices exhibit a dose–response relationship; risk factors characterized for melanoma include age, gender, skin complexion, knowledge level, social norms, and location. Currently, legislative practices differ across Canada. Recommendations regarding intervention strategies, information dissemination, and legislation are discussed to inform public health regulations regarding the use of indoor tanning devices.

scholarly journals Vitamin D in Cardiovascular and Renal Disease Prevention / Vitamin D u Prevenciji Kardiovaskularne i Bubrežne Bolesti

2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-15
Author(s):  
Draško Pavlović ◽  
Josipa Josipović ◽  
Nikola Pavlović
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Chronic Kidney Disease ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Renal Disease ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Biological Mechanism

Summary Cardiovascular disease is a well-known public health problem. In the last ten years nephrologists have recognized chronic kidney disease not only as a public health problem but also as one of the major cardiovascular risk factors. There are observational data that support the concept that vitamin D is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and renal disease or that at least vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for these diseases. In this brief review epidemiological data will be presented and the biological mechanism of the vitamin D effect on cardiovascular and renal disease will be discussed.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Susceptibility and Severity Risks in a Survey of Over 500,000 People

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer C. Knight ◽  
Shannon R. McCurdy ◽  
Brooke Rhead ◽  
Marie V. Coignet ◽  
Danny S. Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Nasal Swab ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Large Datasets ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Risk Models ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The U.S

AbstractThe growing toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgency of identifying individuals most at risk of infection and severe outcomes, underscoring the need to assess susceptibility and severity patterns in large datasets.1 The AncestryDNA COVID-19 Study collected self-reported survey data on symptoms, outcomes, risk factors, and exposures for over 563,000 adult individuals in the U.S., including over 4,700 COVID-19 cases as measured by a self-reported positive nasal swab test. We observed significant associations between several risk factors and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity outcomes. Many of the susceptibility associations were accounted for by differences in known exposures; a notable exception was elevated susceptibility odds for males after adjusting for known exposures and age. We also leveraged the dataset to build risk models to robustly predict individualized COVID-19 susceptibility (area under the curve [AUC]=0.84) and severity outcomes including hospitalization and life-threatening critical illness amongst COVID-19 cases (AUC=0.87 and 0.90, respectively). The results highlight the value of self-reported epidemiological data at scale to provide public health insights into the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals (A253) Integrated Community-Based Interventions to Overcome a Deadly Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s69-s70
Author(s):  
M.N. Yao
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Water Purification ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Cholera Outbreak ◽  
Community Based Interventions ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Threats

An unprecedented cholera outbreak affected Zimbabwe from August 2008 to July 2009 with 98,592 cases and 4,288 deaths, in 54 out of 62 districts. The main strategy used to overcome the outbreak was an integrated community-based interventions package. The present work is a case study to describe the strategy and lessons learned for future humanitarian crises and preparedness. The methodology was based on the review of epidemiological reports, assessment and surveys' reports, minutes of joint Health and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Clusters' meetings, and direct observation as Health Cluster Coordinator. Epidemiological data showed an increasing number of cases in rural areas with community deaths representing 66% of the 1,948 deaths from 61,304 cases on 31 January 2009. Risk factors identified in communities were: lack of awareness about the disease, cultural and religious behaviors, lack of potable water with weak sanitation, lack and inappropriate use of water purification tablets, and lack of soap and water containers for effective behavior change. There also was late arrival to cholera to the few treatment centers by rural populations. In addition to treatment centers, a package of interventions was implemented by multi-sectoral stakeholders. The package included: health and WASH education tools and practice sessions for healthy and hygienic behavior change and for an effective use of oral rehydration salt as first aid measure; community-based surveillance with an early warning system and response teams; and distribution of containers and water purification tablets with drilling of water points. Epidemiological data showed a significant decrease of cholera cases where the full package was implemented. This work showed that an integrated package of interventions jointly targeting risk factors can be effective on public health threats in rural communities. Community-based preparedness and response should then take into account an integrated joint intervention package to mitigate public health threats.

Rubella Outbreak in School Age Children in Kulon Progo District, Yogyakarta

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Nurfadilah H ◽  
◽  
Riris Andono Ahmad ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Center ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
School Age ◽  
Public Health Center ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Village

ABSTRACT Background: On 24 November 2015, public health center Kokap 2 reported an outbreak of suspected measles in the village of Hargowilis. In Kokap District, outbreaks of suspected measles have never occurred in school-age children in the last three years. This study aims to ascertain the suspected measles outbreaks and identify risk factors, sources, and transmission routes. Subjects and Method: This was a matched case control study conducted from November 2015 to January 2016, in Hargowilis Village, Central java. A Sample of 21 who has the main clinical symptoms suspected of measles such as: fever, rash and followed by one of the symptoms of cough, flu, and red eyes (cases) and classmates who did not have case-like symptoms (control) were selected by snowball sampling. The data were analyzed using McNemar’s test and logistic regression. Results: Five out of ten sera tested were positive for rubella. There were 21 total cases. None of the pregnant women was a rubella case. Most of the patients were male (61.90%) with ages ranging from 5 to 11 years (71.43%) and were served at the public health center (80.95%). The case index is a student who travels in the District of Wates. The highest number of cases was at week 46 of 2015 (9 cases). Bivariate analysis showed that contact history (OR = 0.14; 95% CI 0.03 to 0.39; p = <0.001) and age (OR = 0.06; 95% CI 0.00 to 0.24; p = <0.001) were risk factors for this Rubella outbreak. Conclusion: There has been an outbreak of rubella in the village of Hargowilis, Yogyakarta. Public health centers are recommended to provide information to the public about rubella. Health workers need to take all blood serum cases to confirm outbreak. Public health centers are suggested to strengthen the surveillance system for measles and rubella. Keywords: Rubella, risk factors, Public health center, outbreaks Correspondence: Siti Nurfadilah H. Center for Health Policy and Management (PKM) Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta. Email: [email protected]. Mobile: 085255987009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26911/the7thicph.01.20

Substance Abuse and Drug-Related Death, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide: A Review

Crisis ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Mino ◽  
Arnaud Bousquet ◽  
Barbara Broers
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Hiv Epidemic

The high mortality rate among drug users, which is partly due to the HIV epidemic and partly due to drug-related accidental deaths and suicides, presents a major public health problem. Knowing more about prevalence, incidence, and risk factors is important for the development of rational preventive and therapeutic programs. This article attempts to give an overview of studies of the relations between substance abuse, suicidal ideation, suicide, and drug-related death. Research in this field is hampered by the absence of clear definitions, and results of studies are rarely comparable. There is, however, consensus about suicidal ideation being a risk factor for suicide attempts and suicide. Suicidal ideation is also a predictor of suicide, especially among drug users. It is correlated with an absence of family support, with the severity of the psychosocial dysfunctioning, and with multi-drug abuse, but also with requests for treatment. Every clinical examination of a drug user, not only of those who are depressed, should address the possible presence of suicidal ideation, as well as its intensity and duration.

Obesity in relation to risk factors and socioeconomic conditions among school-age children at Khartoum State 2011/2012

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 413-416
Author(s):  
Dr. Suzan Ail Yousif Abo* ,Dr. ALI abdalazez Salih
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Anthropometric Measurement ◽  
Socioeconomic Conditions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
School Year ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
Class Room ◽  
Watching Tv

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that was carried out at Khartoum Stateduring the school year 20112/2012 to estimate the prevalence of obesity among schoolchildren aged 6-15 years and to investigate the relationship between BMI (Body MassIndex) and socioeconomic status and life style factors. Two hundred and fifty pupilsparticipated in this study. The researcher took the anthropometric measurement insidethe class room and gave the questionnaire the students to be answered by one of child’sparents. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(SPSS Version 13.0).In this study, prevalence of obesity was found to be (48%) of them 18% males and 30%females. Income of the family, number of high caloric carbonated beverages/week, wayof transportation to school, length of daily playing outside the home, and time spentin watching TV and video games were significantly correlated with student’s BMI.While parent’s BMI was not having significant correlation with student’s BMI.This study is considered as the first study in its field regarding this age category inKhartoum State, and it is promoting future researches in obesity and its determinant.Key words: Obesity in relation to risk factors and socioeconomic conditions amongschool-age children

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document