Prevalence and Genetic Analysis of Salmonella enterica from a Cross-sectional Survey of the New Zealand Egg Production Environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 82 (12) ◽  
pp. 2201-2214 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOANNE M. KINGSBURY ◽  
KIRSTIN THOM ◽  
HAYLEY ERSKINE ◽  
LISA OLSEN ◽  
TANYA SOBOLEVA

ABSTRACT Epidemiological evidence suggests that Salmonella on New Zealand eggs is not an important pathway for human salmonellosis. However, robust nationally representative data for Salmonella contamination of eggs is not available to support this. To better understand the exposure of New Zealand commercial eggs to Salmonella, a cross-sectional survey collected data on prevalence and serotypes of Salmonella in the feed, laying sheds (feces, dust, and boot or manure belt swabs), and packhouses (egg contact surfaces) of New Zealand commercial egg layer farms. Salmonella was not detected on 16 of 28 surveyed farms, and 4 farms had only one positive sample. Of the 43 (13.3%) of 323 Salmonella-positive samples, dust samples had the highest prevalence (19 of 67, 28.4%), followed by boot or manure belt swabs (11 of 67, 16.4%), feces (7 of 67, 10.4%), packhouse egg contact surfaces (5 of 87, 5.7%), and feed (1 of 33, 3.0%). A significantly higher prevalence was from caged (33 of 75, 44.0%; P < 0.001) compared with cage-free (4 of 126, 3.2%) systems, yet multiple practices differ between laying systems, which could influence prevalence. Salmonella-positive packhouse samples were only identified on the three farms with the highest laying shed prevalence, and isolates were genetically related (as determined by single nucleotide polymorphism analyses) suggesting cross-contamination between the laying shed and packhouse surfaces. Serotypes isolated included Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Thompson, Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Anatum, and Salmonella Mbandaka. Importantly, Salmonella Enteritidis, which causes egg-associated outbreaks internationally, was not isolated. Genomic comparisons of isolates supported the presence of a common contamination source in the shed and farm environments rather than multiple sporadic contamination events. This survey establishes a benchmark of Salmonella prevalence and types in the New Zealand egg production environment and provides a reference point for assessing the impact of changes to practices on Salmonella prevalence. HIGHLIGHTS

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Shira Maguen ◽  
Brandon J. Griffin ◽  
Dawne Vogt ◽  
Claire A. Hoffmire ◽  
John R. Blosnich ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Our goal was to examine the association between moral injury, mental health, and suicide attempts during military service and after separation by gender in post-9/11 veterans. Methods A nationally representative sample of 14057 veterans completed a cross-sectional survey. To examine associations of exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs; witnessing, perpetrating, and betrayal) and suicidal self-directed violence, we estimated two series of multivariable logistic regressions stratified by gender, with peri- and post-military suicide attempt as the dependent variables. Results PMIE exposure accounted for additional risk of suicide attempt during and after military service after controlling for demographic and military characteristics, current mental health status, and pre-military history of suicidal ideation and attempt. Men who endorsed PMIE exposure by perpetration were 50% more likely to attempt suicide during service and twice as likely to attempt suicide after separating from service. Men who endorsed betrayal were nearly twice as likely to attempt suicide during service; however, this association attenuated to non-significance after separation in the fully adjusted models. In contrast, women who endorsed betrayal were over 50% more likely to attempt suicide during service and after separation; PMIE exposure by perpetration did not significantly predict suicide attempts before or after service among women in the fully adjusted models. Conclusions Our findings indicate that suicide assessment and prevention programs should consider the impact of moral injury and attend to gender differences in this risk factor in order to provide the most comprehensive care.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Bonsu ◽  
K. K. Addo ◽  
Z. Alebachew ◽  
J. Gyapong ◽  
A. Badu-Peprah ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) disease is one of the three main indicators used to assess the epidemiological burden of TB and the impact change of TB control; the other two are incidence and mortality.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of TB disease among adults in Ghana.METHODS: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey was conducted. Participants were screened for TB using interview and chest X-ray (CXR). For those participants with cough ≥2 weeks and/or abnormal CXR, spot and morning sputum specimens were collected and examined by smear microscopy and culture.RESULTS: The study revealed that the prevalence of smear-positive TB among adults (age ≥15 years) was 111 (95%CI 76–145) and that of bacteriologically confirmed TB was 356 (95%CI 288–425) per 100 000 population. Males and older people had a higher prevalence than their counterparts. The majority of TB cases were smear-negative and had an abnormal CXR without reported chronic cough.CONCLUSION: The survey revealed much higher TB disease burden than previously estimated. This implies that the programme needs more effort and resources to find undiagnosed and unreported cases. The higher proportion of smear-negative and asymptomatic TB cases suggests the need to revise the existing screening and diagnostic algorithms.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong ◽  
Tien Nguyen Le Bao ◽  
Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen ◽  
Thanh Vo Van ◽  
Toi Phung Lam ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The first nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was implemented in Vietnam from April 1 to 15, 2020. Nevertheless, there has been limited information on the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of the public. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychological issues and identify the factors associated with the psychological impact of COVID-19 during the first nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. METHODS We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling. A self-administered, online survey was used to collect data and assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants from April 10 to 15, 2020. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were utilized to assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants during social distancing due to COVID-19. Associations across factors were explored using regression analysis. RESULTS A total of 1385 respondents completed the survey. Of this, 35.9% (n=497) experienced psychological distress, as well as depression (n=325, 23.5%), anxiety (n=195, 14.1%), and stress (n=309, 22.3%). Respondents who evaluated their physical health as average had a higher IES-R score (beta coefficient [B]=9.16, 95% CI 6.43 to 11.89), as well as higher depression (B=5.85, 95% CI 4.49 to 7.21), anxiety (B=3.64, 95% CI 2.64 to 4.63), and stress (B=5.19, 95% CI 3.83 to 6.56) scores for DASS-21 than those who rated their health as good or very good. Those who self-reported their health as bad or very bad experienced more severe depression (B=9.57, 95% CI 4.54 to 14.59), anxiety (B=7.24, 95% CI 3.55 to 10.9), and stress (B=10.60, 95% CI 5.56 to 15.65). Unemployment was more likely to be associated with depression (B=3.34, 95% CI 1.68 to 5.01) and stress (B=2.34, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.85). Regarding worries about COVID-19, more than half (n=755, 54.5%) expressed concern for their children aged <18 years, which increased their IES-R score (B=7.81, 95% CI 4.98 to 10.64) and DASS-21 stress score (B=1.75, 95% CI 0.27 to 3.24). The majority of respondents (n=1335, 96.4%) were confident about their doctor’s expertise in terms of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, which was positively associated with less distress caused by the outbreak (B=–7.84, 95% CI –14.58 to –1.11). CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the effect of COVID-19 on mental health during the nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. The study provides useful evidence for policy decision makers to develop and implement interventions to mitigate these impacts. CLINICALTRIAL


Author(s):  
Hasan S. Alamri ◽  
Wesam F. Mousa ◽  
Abdullah Algarni ◽  
Shehata F. Megahid ◽  
Ali Al Bshabshe ◽  
...  

Objective: Little is known about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the health care workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May till mid-July among 389 health care workers from government and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a pre-structured online questionnaire that measured adverse psychological outcomes, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of depression and anxiety among health care workers. Results: A high level of anxiety was recorded among the health care workers, and 69.3% of health care workers below the age of 40 were found to have depression. There was a significant increase in depression among staff with chronic health problems (72.1% vs. 61.9%; p = 0.048). High anxiety levels were detected among young staff compared to others (68.7% vs. 43.8%; p = 0.001). Moreover, 82.1% of the female staff were anxious, as compared to 55.6% of the males (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found increased prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia during the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for proper screening and development of corresponding preventive measures to decrease the adverse psychological outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Jiang ◽  
Hongmei Liu ◽  
Dongling Sun ◽  
Haixin Sun ◽  
Xiaojuan Ru ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and purpose Epidemiological data on primary brain tumours (PBTs) are lacking due to the difficulty in case ascertainment among the population. Thus, we aimed to estimate mortality due to PBTs in China nationwide and the detection rate in people with suspected symptoms. Methods A multistage, complex sampling survey regarding mortality due to PBTs in Chinese individuals was carried out by reviewing all causes of death within a year. The detection rates in people with suspected symptoms were estimated based on PBT symptom screening and neurologist reviews and compared between groups by logistic regression analysis. Results Weighted mortality due to PBT was 1.6 (0.8–3.3) per 100,000 population in Chinese individuals, 1.8 (0.7–4.6) per 100,000 population in men, and 1.5 (0.5–4.5) per 100,000 population in women. Among 14,990 people with suspected symptoms, the PBT detection rate was 306.9 (95% CI 224.7–409.3) per 100,000 population in the total population, 233.0 (95% CI 135.7–373.1) per 100,000 population in men, and 376.9 (95% CI 252.4–546.3) per 100,000 population in women. People with an unsteady gait (OR 2.46; 95% CI 1.09–5.51; P=0.029), visual anomalies (3.84; 1.88–7.85; P<0.001), and headache (2.06; 1.10–3.86; P=0.023) were more likely to have a brain tumour than those without corresponding symptoms, while people with dizziness/vertigo were less likely to have a brain tumour than those without corresponding symptoms (0.45; 0.23–0.87; P=0.017). Conclusions Mortality due to PBT in China was low, with a nationwide estimate of 21,215 (10,427–43,165) deaths attributable to PBTs annually. However, the detection rate of PBTs can be greatly improved based on symptom screening in the population.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Colin J. McMahon ◽  
Justin T. Tretter ◽  
Theresa Faulkner ◽  
R. Krishna Kumar ◽  
Andrew N. Redington ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: This study investigated the impact of the Webinar on deep human learning of CHD. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional survey design study used an open and closed-ended questionnaire to assess the impact of the Webinar on deep learning of topical areas within the management of the post-operative tetralogy of Fallot patients. This was a quantitative research methodology using descriptive statistical analyses with a sequential explanatory design. Results: One thousand-three-hundred and seventy-four participants from 100 countries on 6 continents joined the Webinar, 557 (40%) of whom completed the questionnaire. Over 70% of participants reported that they “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the Webinar format promoted deep learning for each of the topics compared to other standard learning methods (textbook and journal learning). Two-thirds expressed a preference for attending a Webinar rather than an international conference. Over 80% of participants highlighted significant barriers to attending conferences including cost (79%), distance to travel (49%), time commitment (51%), and family commitments (35%). Strengths of the Webinar included expertise, concise high-quality presentations often discussing contentious issues, and the platform quality. The main weakness was a limited time for questions. Just over 53% expressed a concern for the carbon footprint involved in attending conferences and preferred to attend a Webinar. Conclusion: E-learning Webinars represent a disruptive innovation, which promotes deep learning, greater multidisciplinary participation, and greater attendee satisfaction with fewer barriers to participation. Although Webinars will never fully replace conferences, a hybrid approach may reduce the need for conferencing, reduce carbon footprint. and promote a “sustainable academia”.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712110340
Author(s):  
Bhagyashree Katare ◽  
Shuoli Zhao ◽  
Joel Cuffey ◽  
Maria I. Marshall ◽  
Corinne Valdivia

Purpose: Describe preferences toward COVID-19 testing features (method, location, hypothetical monetary incentive) and simulate the effect of monetary incentives on willingness to test. Design: Online cross-sectional survey administered in July 2020. Subjects: 1,505 nationally representative U.S. respondents. Measures: Choice of preferred COVID-19 testing options in discrete choice experiment. Options differed by method (nasal-swab, saliva), location (hospital/clinic, drive-through, at-home), and monetary incentive ($0, $10, $20). Analysis: Latent class conditional logit model to classify preferences, mixed logit model to simulate incentive effectiveness. Results: Preferences were categorized into 4 groups: 34% (n = 517) considered testing comfort (saliva versus nasal swab) most important, 27% (n = 408) were willing to trade comfort for monetary incentives, 19% (n = 287) would only test at convenient locations, 20% (n = 293) avoided testing altogether. Relative to no monetary incentives, incentives of $100 increased the percent of testing avoiders (16%) and convenience seekers (70%) that were willing to test. Conclusion: Preferences toward different COVID-19 testing features vary, highlighting the need to match testing features with individuals to monitor the spread of COVID-19.


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