Assessment of malaria reporting and epidemic preparedness systems in health facilities in Eldoret West District, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

The most important factor in reducing the impact of an epidemic is a timely response with implementation of effective control measures at the point of detection. This study sought to assess the malaria reporting and epidemic preparedness systems of health facilities in Eldoret West District, Kenya. A crosssectional study design was adapted. A census technique was used to select all the forty five health facilities in the district comprising of government, mission and non-governmental facilities. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used for data collection and analysis done using Stata. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and corresponding percentages. The overall reporting rate was 91.7% for all the health facilities. Only 15 health facilities (33%) plotted malaria trend lines for number of cases of malaria. Malaria epidemics were reported within 24 hours in 22 health facilities but they lacked the appropriate supplies to respond to confirmed cases or epidemics. The overall malaria reporting completeness rate was above 90% implying that the malaria surveillance system was generally good. Concerted efforts by concerned stakeholders should ensure improvement of malaria epidemic preparedness system in all health facilities and provision of information to health personnel on malaria outbreak response strategies.

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Characterizing the effectiveness of COVID-19 mitigation measures: A data-centric approach (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.21321 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lukman Olagoke ◽

Ahmet E. Topcu

Keyword(s):

Control Measure ◽

Control Measures ◽

World Health ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Effective Control ◽

The World ◽

Decision Making Processes ◽

And Performance ◽

Health Organization ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND COVID-19 represents a serious threat to both national health and economic systems. To curb this pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a series of COVID-19 public safety guidelines. Different countries around the world initiated different measures in line with the WHO guidelines to mitigate and investigate the spread of COVID-19 in their territories. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of these control measures using a data-centric approach. METHODS We begin with a simple text analysis of coronavirus-related articles and show that reports on similar outbreaks in the past strongly proposed similar control measures. This reaffirms the fact that these control measures are in order. Subsequently, we propose a simple performance statistic that quantifies general performance and performance under the different measures that were initiated. A density based clustering of based on performance statistic was carried out to group countries based on performance. RESULTS The performance statistic helps evaluate quantitatively the impact of COVID-19 control measures. Countries tend show variability in performance under different control measures. The performance statistic has negative correlation with cases of death which is a useful characteristics for COVID-19 control measure performance analysis. A web-based time-line visualization that enables comparison of performances and cases across continents and subregions is presented. CONCLUSIONS The performance metric is relevant for the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 control measures. This can help caregivers and policymakers identify effective control measures and reduce cases of death due to COVID-19. The interactive web visualizer provides easily digested and quick feedback to augment decision-making processes in the COVID-19 response measures evaluation. CLINICALTRIAL Not Applicable

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Examining and investigating the impact of demographic characteristics and chronic diseases on mortality of COVID-19: Retrospective study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0257131 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (9) ◽

pp. e0257131

Author(s):

Abbas Al Mutair ◽

Alya Al Mutairi ◽

Saad Alhumaid ◽

Syed Maaz Abdullah ◽

Abdul Rehman Zia Zaidi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Demographic Characteristics ◽

Control Measures ◽

Effective Control ◽

Diabetic Patients ◽

History Of ◽

And Gender ◽

The Impact

Background Epidemiological features characterization of COVID-19 is highly important for developing and implementing effective control measures. In Saudi Arabia mortality rate varies between 0.6% to 1.26%. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether demographic characteristics (age and gender) and non-communicable diseases (Hypertension and Diabetes mellitus) have a significant association with mortality in COVID-19 patients. Methods Prior to data collection, an expedite approval was obtained from Institutional Review Board (IRB Log No: RC. RC20.09.10) in Al Habib Research Center at Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is a retrospective design where we used descriptive and inferential analysis to analyse the data. Binary logistic regression was done to study the association between comorbidities and mortality of COVID-19. Results 43 (86%) of the male patients were non-survivors while 7 (14%) of the female patients were survivors. The odds of non-survivors among hypertensive patients are 3.56 times higher than those who are not having a history of Hypertension (HTN). The odds of non-survivors among diabetic patients are 5.17 times higher than those who are not having a history of Diabetes mellitus (DM). The odds of non-survivors are 2.77 times higher among those who have a history of HTN and DM as compared to those who did not have a history of HTN and DM. Conclusions Those patients that had a history of Hypertension and Diabetes had a higher probability of non-survival in contrast to those who did not have a history of Diabetes and hypertension. Further studies are required to study the association of comorbidities with COVID-19 and mortality.

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Verticillium Wilt of Olive and Its Control: What Did We Learn during the Last Decade?

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants9060735 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 735 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nuria Montes-Osuna ◽

Jesús Mercado-Blanco

Keyword(s):

Integrated Management ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Control Measures ◽

Effective Control ◽

Soil Biology ◽

Pests And Diseases ◽

Sensing Technology ◽

Olive Cultivation ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

The Impact

Verticillium (Verticillium dahliae Kleb.) wilt is one of the most devastating diseases affecting olive (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. europaea) cultivation. Its effective control strongly relies on integrated management strategies. Olive cultivation systems are experiencing important changes (e.g., high-density orchards, etc.) aiming at improving productivity. The impact of these changes on soil biology and the incidence/severity of olive pests and diseases has not yet been sufficiently evaluated. A comprehensive understanding of the biology of the pathogen and its populations, the epidemiological factors contributing to exacerbating the disease, the underlying mechanisms of tolerance/resistance, and the involvement of the olive-associated microbiota in the tree’s health is needed. This knowledge will be instrumental to developing more effective control measures to confront the disease in regions where the pathogen is present, or to exclude it from V. dahliae-free areas. This review compiles the most recent advances achieved to understand the olive–V. dahliae interaction as well as measures to control the disease. Aspects such as the molecular basis of the host–pathogen interaction, the identification of new biocontrol agents, the implementation of “-omics” approaches to unravel the basis of disease tolerance, and the utilization of remote sensing technology for the early detection of pathogen attacks are highlighted.

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Traffic dynamics around weaving section influenced by accident: Cellular automata approach

International Journal of Modern Physics C ◽

10.1142/s0129183115500266 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 26 (03) ◽

pp. 1550026 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Lin-Peng Kong ◽

Xin-Gang Li ◽

William H. K. Lam

Keyword(s):

Traffic Management ◽

Control Measures ◽

Effective Control ◽

Traffic Dynamics ◽

Traffic Jam ◽

The Road ◽

Road Capacity ◽

Prone Area ◽

Accident Conditions ◽

The Impact

The weaving section, as a typical bottleneck, is one source of vehicle conflicts and an accident-prone area. Traffic accident will block lanes and the road capacity will be reduced. Several models have been established to study the dynamics around traffic bottlenecks. However, little attention has been paid to study the complex traffic dynamics influenced by the combined effects of bottleneck and accident. This paper presents a cellular automaton model to characterize accident-induced traffic behavior around the weaving section. Some effective control measures are proposed and verified for traffic management under accident condition. The total flux as a function of inflow rates, the phase diagrams, the spatial-temporal diagrams, and the density and velocity profiles are presented to analyze the impact of accident. It was shown that the proposed control measures for weaving traffic can improve the capacity of weaving section under both normal and accident conditions; the accidents occurring on median lane in the weaving section are more inclined to cause traffic jam and reduce road capacity; the capacity of weaving section will be greatly reduced when the accident happens downstream the weaving section.

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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gastrointestinal infection trends in England, February - July 2020

10.1101/2021.04.06.21254174 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nicola K Love ◽

Alex J Elliot ◽

Rachel Chalmers ◽

Amy Douglas ◽

Saheer Gharbia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Marked Change ◽

Control Measures ◽

Surveillance Systems ◽

Health Seeking Behaviour ◽

Outbreak Response ◽

Health Seeking ◽

Historic Data ◽

Gi Infections ◽

The Impact

Objective: To establish the impact of the first six months of the COVID-19 outbreak response of gastrointestinal (GI) infection trends in England. Design: Retrospective ecological study using routinely collected national and regional surveillance data from eight Public Health England coordinated laboratory, outbreak and syndromic surveillance systems using key dates of UK governmental policy change to assign phases for comparison between 2020 and historic data. Results: Decreases in GI illness activity were observed across all surveillance indicators as COVID-19 cases began to peak. Compared to the 5-year average (2015-2019), during the first six months of the COVD-19 response, there was a 52% decrease in GI outbreaks reported (1,544 vs. 3,208 (95% CI: 2,938 - 3,478) and a 34% decrease in laboratory confirmed cases (27,859 vs. 42,495 (95% CI: 40,068 - 44,922). GI indicators began to rise during the first lockdown and lockdown easing, although all remained substantially lower than historic figures. Reductions in laboratory confirmed cases were observed across all age groups and both sexes, with geographical heterogeneity observed in diagnosis trends. Health seeking behaviour changed substantially, with attendances decreasing prior to lockdown across all indicators. Conclusions: There has been a marked change in trends of GI infections in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The drivers of this change are likely to be multifactorial; while changes in health seeking behaviour, pressure on diagnostic services and surveillance system ascertainment have undoubtably played a role there has likely been a true decrease in the incidence for some pathogens resulting from the control measures and restrictions implemented. This suggests that if some of these changes in behaviour such as improved hand hygiene were maintained, then we could potentially see sustained reductions in the burden of GI illness.

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A Large, Refractory Nosocomial Outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase-Producing Escherichia coli Demonstrates Carbapenemase Gene Outbreaks Involving Sink Sites Require Novel Approaches to Infection Control

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.01689-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 62 (12) ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

V. Decraene ◽

H. T. T. Phan ◽

R. George ◽

D. H. Wyllie ◽

O. Akinremi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽

Control Measures ◽

Effective Control ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Content Type ◽

E Coli ◽

Incidence Trends ◽

Carbapenemase Gene ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) represent a health threat, but effective control interventions remain unclear. Hospital wastewater sites are increasingly being highlighted as important potential reservoirs. We investigated a large Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Escherichia coli outbreak and wider CRE incidence trends in the Central Manchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT) (United Kingdom) over 8 years, to determine the impact of infection prevention and control measures. Bacteriology and patient administration data (2009 to 2017) were linked, and a subset of CMFT or regional hospital KPC-producing E. coli isolates (n = 268) were sequenced. Control interventions followed international guidelines and included cohorting, rectal screening (n = 184,539 screens), environmental sampling, enhanced cleaning, and ward closure and plumbing replacement. Segmented regression of time trends for CRE detections was used to evaluate the impact of interventions on CRE incidence. Genomic analysis (n = 268 isolates) identified the spread of a KPC-producing E. coli outbreak clone (strain A, sequence type 216 [ST216]; n = 125) among patients and in the environment, particularly on 2 cardiac wards (wards 3 and 4), despite control measures. ST216 strain A had caused an antecedent outbreak and shared its KPC plasmids with other E. coli lineages and Enterobacteriaceae species. CRE acquisition incidence declined after closure of wards 3 and 4 and plumbing replacement, suggesting an environmental contribution. However, ward 3/ward 4 wastewater sites were rapidly recolonized with CRE and patient CRE acquisitions recurred, albeit at lower rates. Patient relocation and plumbing replacement were associated with control of a clonal KPC-producing E. coli outbreak; however, environmental contamination with CRE and patient CRE acquisitions recurred rapidly following this intervention. The large numbers of cases and the persistence of blaKPC in E. coli, including pathogenic lineages, are of concern.

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Epidemiology of malaria in the municipality of Cruzeiro do Sul, State of Acre, Brazil, in 2010: uses of a control chart at the local level

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical ◽

10.1590/s0037-86822012000400023 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 526-529 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Rui Moreira Braz ◽

Elisabeth Carmen Duarte ◽

Pedro Luiz Tauil

Keyword(s):

Control Chart ◽

Malaria Control ◽

Local Level ◽

Control Measures ◽

Malaria Surveillance ◽

Malaria Epidemic

INTRODUCTION: This study describes the uses of a control chart in the malaria surveillance at the local level, signaling whether there is a need to intensify or adapt control measures. METHODS: The districts of Cruzeiro do Sul (n=14), State of Acre, Brazil, were classified into three groups: I) those with an incidence lower than expected; II) those with an incidence within the expected range; and III) those with an epidemic. RESULTS: Thirteen of the fourteen districts had outbreaks of malaria at some point in 2010, and six districts showed persistent malaria epidemic throughout the year. CONCLUSIONS: The control chart may help the malaria control at the local level.

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Harmonic Calculation of 12-Pulse Rectifier and Determination of Filter Capacity

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.588-589.834 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 588-589 ◽

pp. 834-838

Author(s):

Yang Li ◽

Yong Jun Yu

Keyword(s):

Control Measures ◽

Effective Control ◽

Good Assessment ◽

Harmonic Currents ◽

Project Construction ◽

Theoretical Reasoning ◽

In The Beginning ◽

The Impact ◽

Filter Capacitor

In order to enable engineers to assess the impact of harmonic currents produced by the 12-pulse rectifier unit on the grid. In this paper, through experimental and theoretical reasoning, I discusses in detail the harmonic calculation parameters required of rectifier unit and calculate the filter capacity which reached the filtering standards for single-tuned filter capacitor. Through this method, we can make a good assessment of the harmonics generated by the project and propose effective control measures for the harmonic excess in the beginning of the project construction.

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Schistosoma transmission in a dynamic seasonal environment and its impact on the effectiveness of disease control

The Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/infdis/jiaa746 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Qimin Huang ◽

David Gurarie ◽

Martial Ndeffo-Mbah ◽

Emily Li ◽

Charles H King

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Variation ◽

Intermediate Host ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Control Measures ◽

Seasonal Effects ◽

Effective Control ◽

Optimal Timing ◽

Snail Population ◽

Dynamics And Control ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background A seasonal transmission environment including seasonal variation of snail population density and human-snail contact patterns can affect the dynamics of Schistosoma infection and the success of control interventions. In projecting control outcomes, conventional modeling approaches have often ignored seasonality by using simplified intermediate-host modeling, or by restricting seasonal effects through use of yearly averaging. Methods We used mathematical analysis and numerical simulation to estimate the impact of seasonality on disease dynamics and control outcomes, and to evaluate whether seasonal averaging or intermediate-host reduction can provide reliable predictions of control outcomes. We also examined whether seasonality could be used as leverage in creation of effective control strategies. Results We found models that used seasonal averaging could grossly overestimate infection burden and underestimate control outcomes in highly seasonal environments. We showed that proper intra-seasonal timing of control measures could make marked improvement on the long-term burden reduction for Schistosoma transmission control, and we identified the optimal timing for each intervention. Seasonal snail control, implemented alone, was less effective than mass drug administration, but could provide additive impact in reaching control and elimination targets. Conclusion Seasonal variation makes Schistosoma transmission less sustainable and easier to control than predicted by earlier modeling studies.

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Serum metabolomics in chickens infected with Cryptosporidium baileyi

Parasites & Vectors ◽

10.1186/s13071-021-04834-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xue-Mei Wu ◽

Xin Yang ◽

Xian-Cheng Fan ◽

Xi Chen ◽

Yu-Xin Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Statistical Analysis ◽

Multivariate Statistical Analysis ◽

Early Stage ◽

Control Measures ◽

Sphingolipid Metabolism ◽

Effective Control ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Multivariate Statistical ◽

The Impact ◽

Cryptosporidium Baileyi

Abstract Background Cryptosporidium baileyi is an economically important zoonotic pathogen that causes serious respiratory symptoms in chickens for which no effective control measures are currently available. An accumulating body of evidence indicates the potential and usefulness of metabolomics to further our understanding of the interaction between pathogens and hosts, and to search for new diagnostic or pharmacological biomarkers of complex microorganisms. The aim of this study was to identify the impact of C. baileyi infection on the serum metabolism of chickens and to assess several metabolites as potential diagnostic biomarkers for C. baileyi infection. Methods Ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and subsequent multivariate statistical analysis were applied to investigate metabolomics profiles in the serum samples of chickens infected with C. baileyi, and to identify potential metabolites that can be used to distinguish chickens infected with C. baileyi from non-infected birds. Results Multivariate statistical analysis identified 138 differential serum metabolites between mock- and C. baileyi-infected chickens at 5 days post-infection (dpi), including 115 upregulated and 23 downregulated compounds. These metabolites were significantly enriched into six pathways, of which two pathways associated with energy and lipid metabolism, namely glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism, respectively, were the most enriched. Interestingly, some important immune-related pathways were also significantly enriched, including the intestinal immune network for IgA production, autophagy and cellular senescence. Nine potential C. baileyi-responsive metabolites were identified, including choline, sirolimus, all-trans retinoic acid, PC(14:0/22:1(13Z)), PC(15:0/22:6(4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z)), PE(16:1(9Z)/24:1(15Z)), phosphocholine, SM(d18:0/16:1(9Z)(OH)) and sphinganine. Conclusions This is the first report on serum metabolic profiling of chickens with early-stage C. baileyi infection. The results provide novel insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of C. baileyi in chickens. Graphic abstract

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