scholarly journals EXPEDITIOUS RESPONSE TO EPIDEMICS: THE CHRONICLE OF NIPAH IN KERALA

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohini Menon ◽  
Rohini Menon ◽  
Rohini Menon ◽  
Rohini Menon ◽  
Rohini Menon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nipah Virus ◽  
The State ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Effective Dissemination ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Health Organization

Kerala witnessed a catastrophic outbreak of the Nipah virus (NiV) in May 2018, with a fatality rate of 40-75 per cent. The Nipah virus is recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a significant public health concern, and it's one among the priority diseases for accelerated R&D due to the severe lack of available countermeasures against it. There is no vaccine or cure for the infection. The state of Kerala showed an exemplary response to the outbreak. This involved rapid and effective dissemination of necessary precautions to the broader public. Internet social media played a crucial role in spreading these messages. Although the disease claimed 21 lives, it could have been a lot worse if the state had not taken the measures for proper mitigation. This work gives a brief overview of the Nipah virus, followed by a comprehensive outline of the Kerala outbreak. Community and individual responses to the Nipah outbreak have been analysed to illustrate how various groups and individuals, from health care and tourism departments to religious leaders, played a role in successfully eradicating the virus. Kerala's experience in containing epidemics is expected to become a reference point for other states and regions that may find similar situations.

Coronaviruses outbreaks — Then to Now

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1151-1155
Author(s):  
Komal Bhombe ◽  
Vidya Baliga ◽  
Dhadse P V ◽  
Chitrika Subhadarsanee
Keyword(s):  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Respiratory Complications ◽  
Wholesale Market ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
The World ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Health Organization

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Viral diseases continue to evolve, posing a significant public health concern. Over two decades, several viral epidemics have been recorded wherein several strains of coronaviruses have been associated with epidemics causing severe respiratory complications and even death. Recently, a novel strain of this virus has come into the picture, eventually leading the world towards a pandemic. The situation today is similar to that witnessed earlier named as “SARS-CoV” and “MERS-CoV” which also affected the respiratory system. Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 is propagating to humans via transmission from illegally sold wild animals in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. Phylogenetically, it has been shown that SARS-CoV-2 is a new member of the Coronaviridae family and yet is distinct from SARS-CoV (79% identical) and MERS-CoV (50% identical). Knowing the origin of such a pathogen is essential to develop the means to prevent further transmission and effective vaccines. This starts a discussion about the very origin of these viruses that have fanned a global emergency in the name of COVID-19. Therefore, the focus of this review is the origin, evolution and emergence of CoV during “SARS-CoV”, “MERS-CoV” and “SARS-CoV-2” along with possibilities of future outbreaks.

scholarly journals A Novel Phenotypic Method To Screen for Plasmid-Mediated Colistin Resistance among Enterobacteriales

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Drew T. Bell ◽  
Yehudit Bergman ◽  
Abida Q. Kazmi ◽  
Shawna Lewis ◽  
Pranita D. Tamma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Colistin Resistance ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
Phenotypic Method ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Clinical Pathogens

ABSTRACT Plasmid-mediated colistin resistance (PMCR), a consequence of the mcr genes, is a significant public health concern given its potential to easily spread among clinical pathogens. Recently, it was discovered that MCR enzymes require zinc for activity. Thus, we modified the colistin broth-disk elution (CBDE) test to screen for plasmid-mediated colistin resistance (PMCR) genes based on any reduction of colistin MIC in the presence of EDTA. Eighty-five isolates of the order Enterobacteriales (12 mcr positive) were tested by CBDE ± EDTA. The sensitivity and specificity of the EDTA-CBDE method to detect PMCR compared to the molecular genotype results were 100% and 95.8%, respectively. Isolates positive by the EDTA-CBDE test should be further evaluated to confirm the presence of mcr genes.

Disease outbreaks caused by steppe-type rabies viruses in China

2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (6) ◽  
pp. 1287-1291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. FENG ◽  
W. WANG ◽  
J. GUO ◽  
ALATENGHELI ◽  
Y. LI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Antibody ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Antibody Test ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
The North ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
Significant Public Health

SUMMARYWhile rabies is a significant public health concern in China, the epidemiology of animal rabies in the north and northwest border provinces remains unknown. From February 2013 to March 2014, seven outbreaks of domestic animal rabies caused by wild carnivores in Xinjiang (XJ) and Inner Mongolia (IM) Autonomous Regions, China were reported and diagnosed in brain samples of infected animals by the fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and RT–PCR. Ten field rabies viruses were obtained. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis based on the complete N gene (1353 bp) amplified directly from the original brain tissues showed that these ten strains were steppe-type viruses, closely related to strains reported in Russia and Mongolia. None had been identified previously in China. The viruses from XJ and IM clustered separately into two lineages showing their different geographical distribution. This study emphasizes the importance of wildlife surveillance and of cross-departmental cooperation in the control of transboundary rabies transmission.

Impact of the Opioid/Fentanyl Epidemic on the Toxicology Laboratory’s Workload: The CMCVAMC Experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 152 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S90-S90
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Petersen ◽  
Thomas George ◽  
Darshana Jhala
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Opioid Epidemic ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy

Abstract Introduction Opiates have long been used by both the population at large and the veteran population as a drug of abuse. However, recently, fentanyl—a synthetic opioid—has risen in prominence in this opioid drug abuse epidemic as a drug used by suppliers to “cut” heroin, to masquerade for another opiate, or for direct usage. As this is a recent phenomenon, the new increasing need to test for fentanyl for clinical reasons has a major impact on the toxicology laboratory’s workload. Method Quality assurance/improvement data were obtained to determine the number of fentanyl tests by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) performed by the toxicology laboratory since quarter 1 of 2011 (October-December 2010) to quarter 1 of 2018 (October-December 2017). The numbers of tests required for clinical care in each quarter were tabulated and compared in a graph. Quarters for each year begin and end in October. Results The total number of GC/MS tests for fentanyl needed for clinical care has been drastically increasing recently. From 2011 to 2015, the yearly number of tests clinically needed has ranged from 83 to 92. In 2016, the total number of clinically needed tests for fentanyl spiked to 167 and by fiscal year 2017 included 1,108 fentanyl GC/MS tests. The last examined quarter (quarter 1 of fiscal year 2018) included 527 tests, which is more than the highest number from 2017 (377 in quarter 4 of 2017). Conclusion The increasing use of fentanyl in the opioid epidemic appears to have played a role in significantly increasing the clinical need to test for fentanyl by GC/MS, increasing the volume by over 10 to 15 times. The role of fentanyl in the opioid epidemic remains a significant public health concern.

Current Breakthroughs in Structure-based Design of Synthetic and Natural Sourced Inhibitors Against Zika Viral Targets

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (20) ◽  
pp. 1792-1803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisir Nandi ◽  
Ramandeep Kaur ◽  
Mohit Kumar ◽  
Ankita Sharma ◽  
Aaliya Naaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Mosquito Vector ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Structure Based Drug Design ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Health Organization

Background: Zika is a worldwide pandemic dreadful viral transmission through Aedes mosquito vector. It significantly causes fever, joint pain or rash, and conjunctivitis. Pregnant mothers suffering from Zika viral infection may have fetal abnormalities due to severe neurological problems, characterized by microcephaly along with Guillain-Barré syndrome, issuing ZIKV a major public health concern as declared by the World Health Organization. There is hardly any FDA approved anti-Zika viral drugs available. Objective: Therefore, it is a big panic for the scientists to destroy the virus completely by generating potent inhibitors. Methods: For the purpose, various Zika viral targets were explored by structure-based design in the present review in connection with the discovery of various synthetic and natural sourced inhibitors against Zika virus. Results: The structure-based drug design tools such as x-ray crystallography and molecular docking reported various co-crystallized ligands and Zika virus inhibitors. Conclusion: Such inhibitors could further be modified for the design of highly active leads to combat Zika virus utilizing chemoinformatics modules.

Surgical Treatment Of Obesity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luise Pernar ◽  
Malcolm K. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Weight Loss Surgery ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Treatment Of Obesity ◽  
Hunger Sensation ◽  
Surgical Treatment Of Obesity

Obesity is associated with numerous comorbidities and shortens life expectancy. Currently, over one third of adults in the United States are obese, making management of obesity a significant public health concern. Given the modest benefits of behavior change alone, weight loss surgery has become a popular tool in the treatment of obesity. Numerous studies have documented the benefits of weight loss surgery in promoting weight loss and resolution of comorbidities. The hormonal and physiologic changes that are induced by some weight loss procedures are not yet fully elucidated, but it is thought that changes in hunger sensation and metabolism drive the observed effects. This review contains 4 figures, 2 videos, 3 tables and 60 references Key words: bypass, obesity, sleeve gastrectomy, surgery, weight loss

scholarly journals Medications against drugs: Development of medications to prevent and treat substance use disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Dario Montoya
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Safety And Efficacy ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
Scientific Approach ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
New Compounds

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a significant public health concern. Unfortunately, there are few safe and effective medications to treat SUD and efficacy is suboptimal. There are important financial and scientific obstacles to develop new compounds, but recent advances in the discovery of new brain receptors and neurocircuits are offering opportunities to develop new pharmacotherapies. A systematic scientific approach to develop medications is required to demonstrate their safety and efficacy, bring it to market, and prescribe it to patients. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a general overview of the challenges and opportunities in medications development for SUD, describe the phased approach of this development, the medications approved, and those that appear most promising.

Vestibular and Balance Dysfunction Following Sport-Related Concussion

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1349-1363
Author(s):  
Jamie M. Bogle
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Multidisciplinary Team ◽  
Return To Sport ◽  
Return To Play ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Balance Function ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Gaze Stability ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
Significant Public Health

Purpose Sport-related concussion is a significant public health concern that requires a multidisciplinary team to appropriately manage. Athletes often report dizziness and imbalance following concussion, and these symptoms can predict increased time to recover. Vestibular diagnostic evaluations provide important information regarding the athlete's oculomotor, gaze stability, and balance function in order to identify deficits for rehabilitation. These measures also describe objective function helpful for determining when an athlete is ready to return to play. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to provide background on the current understanding of the effects of concussion on the peripheral and central vestibular system, as well as information on a protocol that can be used for acute concussion assessment. Case studies describing 3 common postconcussion presentations will highlight the usefulness of this protocol. Conclusion Sport-related concussion is a highly visible disorder with many symptoms that may be evaluated in the vestibular clinic. A thoughtful protocol evaluating the typical presentation of these patients may help guide the multidisciplinary team in determining appropriate management and clearance for return to sport.

Is “not applicable” option in Internet Addiction Questionnaire affect its results? An exploration of results using four different methods (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
PohYing Lim ◽  
Norliza Ahmad ◽  
Rosliza Abdul Manaf ◽  
Thanendran Nair Asokan ◽  
Nor Syasya Dayana Norlen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Internet Addiction ◽  
Likert Scale ◽  
Public University ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Good Reliability ◽  
Significant Public Health Concern ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
The Mean

BACKGROUND Internet addiction problem is becoming a significant public health concern nowadays, especially during Covid-19 pandemic. Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is one of the most popular questionnaires for evaluating the internet addiction level. Using the same questionnaire in the similar population, the prevalence of IA was ranging from 28.3% to 66.6% with possibly due to the Likert scale used. Different methods on treating “not applicable” option in the Likert scale used in IAT questionnaire might increase the variability in results, and this might not be aware especially when comparing the results among studies. OBJECTIVE This paper aims to compare the differences of results in terms of total scores and prevalence of IA on using four different methods on dealing with the “not applicable” option on the IAT questionnaire. METHODS A total of 417 undergraduate students were recruited from a public university in Malaysia to fill in the IAT questionnaire with six Likert scale that include the following options from “not applicable”, “rarely”, “occasionally”, “frequently”, “often” and “always”. The total score and prevalence of IA for four different methods (Method 1, Method 2, Method 3 and Method 4) on treating “not applicable” option were be compared. RESULTS Out of 20 questions in IAT questionnaire, there were 11 questions had more than 80% of answer rate but no question with 100% answer rate. Only 17.5% of respondents answered all the questions. The Cronbach alpha test showed that four methods had good reliability value (0.910-0.945). The mean ± standard deviation of total scores of IA for Method 1, Method 2, Method 3 and Method 4 were significantly different, with 49.15±15.60, 40.50±17.50, 44.31±15.11 and 48.15±15.08 respectively (P<0.001). Method 1 had significant highest prevalence of IA (43.4%), followed with Method 4 (40.0%), Method 2 (28.3%) and Method 3 (17.3%) (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Four methods on treating the “not applicable” option in the IAT questionnaire showed significant different results, with Method 1 showed significant highest mean total score and prevalence of IA compared to other methods. Researchers are advised to choose an appropriate method on treating the “not applicable” questions, and also be aware of this when comparing the results among different studies.

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