scholarly journals Houston Health Department’s response to the threat of Zika virus

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Bakota ◽  
Kirsten Short ◽  
Amanda Eckert
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Public Health Authority ◽  
The Public ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The City

ObjectiveThis session will explore the role of the Houston Health Department(HHD) in the City of Houston’s response to the threat of Zika. Thepanelists will provide perspective from the roles of Bureau Chief,informatician, and epidemiologist and provide insight into lessonslearned and strategic successes.IntroductionZika virus spread quickly through South and Central America in2015. The City of Houston saw its first travel-related Zika cases inDecember of 2015. On January 29th, the City held the first planningmeeting with regional partners from healthcare, blood banks,petrochemical companies, mosquito control, and others. Additionallythe City activated Incident Command Structure (ICS) and designatedthe Public Health Authority as the Incident Commander.Initial steps taken by HHD included expanding the capabilityand capacity of the public health laboratory to test for Zika virus;expand surveillance efforts; created an educational campaign aroundthe “3Ds” of Zika defense (Drain, Dress, DEET) which were thendisseminated through several means, including a mass mailing withwater bills; and provided DEET to mothers through the WIC program.The Houston Health Department took the lead in authoringthe City’s Zika Action Plan. In this 3 goals and 6 strategies wereidentified. Goals included 1) Keep Houstonians and visitors aware ofthe threat of Zika; 2) minimize the spread of the virus; and 3) protectpregnant women from the virus. The 6 strategies employed were toA) develop preparedness plans; B) implement ICS within the City;C) ensure situational awareness through surveillance; D) Increasecommunity awareness; E) reduce opportunities for Zika mosquitobreeding grounds; and F) provide direct intervention to reduce thethreat of Zika.HHD was responsible for many of the action items within theplan. We conducted several community outreach events, where wedisseminated educational materials, t-shirts, DEET, and other give-aways. These events allowed frequent engagement with the public forbidrectional communication on how to approach the threat.

scholarly journals Differences in perceived severity of Zika virus infection and dengue fever and its influence on mosquito control practices in malaysia, a dengue-endemic country

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Ping Wong ◽  
Haridah Alias ◽  
Nasrin Aghamohammadi ◽  
I-Ching Sam ◽  
Sazaly Abu Bakar
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Dengue Fever ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Endemic Country ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Perceived Severity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Before And After

AbstractBackgroundIt is important to study the concerns over the Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak among the general public in dengue-endemic countries such as Malaysia, as both diseases are transmitted by the same vector species. Furthermore, investigation of public prevention measures for ZIKV is essential in order to identify the gaps in mosquito control practices. The aims of this study were to explore the differences in 1) the perception of severity towards ZIKV infection and dengue fever, and 2) mosquito control practices before and after the ZIKV outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).MethodData were collected between February 2015 and May 2016 using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing system on a random sample of 567 people from the general Malaysian population aged above 18 years from randomly selected households.ResultsThe median scale score for perceived severity of ZIKV was 3 (interquartile range [IQR] 1-5) versus 4 (IQR 3-5) for dengue (P<0.001). The majority perceived dengue as being more severe than ZIKV (41.6%). Having friends or acquaintances that had died from dengue was significantly associated with higher perceived severity of ZIKV than dengue (odds ratio [OR] 1.913 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.032-3.547]). The scores for mosquito control practices before and after ZIKV was declared a PHEIC were similar, at 4 (IQR 3-5). Multivariate analysis revealed that participants with a higher score for perception of severity of ZIKV were more likely to report greater mosquito control practices after the declaration of the PHEIC (OR 1.822 [95% CI 1.107-2.998]).ConclusionsThe emerging ZIKV pandemic requires concerted efforts to enhance mosquito control practices among the Malaysian public. Efforts to improve public mosquito control practices should focus on enhancing the perception of the severity of ZIKV.Author summaryInvestigation of the public perception of the severity of the re-emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Malaysia, a dengue-endemic country, is of immense importance. It is also vital to know whether the public has heightened their mosquito prevention practices after the declaration of ZIKV as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The aim of this study was to explore the differences in 1) the perception of severity towards ZIKV infection and dengue fever, and 2) mosquito control practices before and after the ZIKV outbreak was declared a PHEIC. Findings showed that the public has a lower perception of severity of ZIKV than of dengue. Mosquito prevention practices were the same before and after the declaration of a PHEIC. People with a higher perception of severity of ZIKV reported higher mosquito control practices after the declaration of a PHEIC. The emerging ZIKV pandemic requires concerted efforts to enhance mosquito control practices among the Malaysian public. Efforts to improve public mosquito control practices should focus on enhancing the perception of severity of the ZIKV.

Strengthening the public health workforce in Slovakia through professionalization

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Z Katreniakova ◽  
D Kallayova
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
National Level ◽  
Professional Associations ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Public Health Authority ◽  
Individual Member ◽  
The Public

Abstract Issue The Coalition of Partners (CoP) takes collective action to strengthen public health (PH) services and capacities across the WHO European Region. A review of the implementation of the European Action Plan for Strengthening PH Capacities and Services showed that, despite robust action, its potential remained largely unrealized. In 2017-2018 Slovakia has joined the WHO activities aimed to accelerate a progress in Europe and in individual Member States. One of the main problem of the Slovak PH system is a lack of experts and unbalanced infrastructure. Description of the problem The critical shortage of PH workforce in Slovakia is a result of increasing retirement of physicians, decreasing interest of young physicians and PH professionals to enter to PH practice, and limited opportunities for other professionals in the current PH system. Therefore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Public Health Authority of the SR, the relevant academic institutions and non-governmental organisations agreed to deal with strengthening the PH workforce and took the responsibility for mobilizing the resources needed to implement the Agenda for Action. Results In September 2019, regional PH institutes, universities, professional associations, and other experts were invited to evaluate the PH workforce professionalization using a rapid assessment tool (Czabanowska, Slock, 2019). In October-December 2019, three national round tables were held with aim to formulate the areas for cooperation. In February 2020, the core team and three expertś teams were nominated by the State secretary of the MOH to continue on prioritising the future recommendations in the fields of: education and training, research and development, system and financing. Lessons The initiative supporting PH professionalization has a potential to form a national CoP on strengthening PH capacities and services. Its long-term vision is focused on effectively and efficiently governed PH system in Slovakia. Key messages In Slovakia, strengthening the public health workforce is essential. Started cooperation on supporting public health professionalization is an important step for future actions at national level.

scholarly journals Zika virus (ZIKV) disease: past, present and future

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (6-s) ◽  
pp. 320-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sweety Khatri ◽  
Chandni Dhanoriya ◽  
Deepak Kumar Jain
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Rna Virus ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Autoimmune Disorder ◽  
Public Health Authority ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The World

The mosquito-borne arbovirus Zika virus (positive-stranded RNA virus, ZIKV, Flavivirus, Flaviviridae), has caused an outbreak imposing by its extent and quick spread. This became the focus of a current pandemic and public health crisis all around the world because of the incessant geographic growth of both the virus and its mosquito vectors; it is often misdiagnosed with other disease like yellow fever, west nile, dengue and chikungunya because of same clinical manifestation. After unprecedented huge scale outbreak of ZIKV in Pacific, Micronesian island of Yap in 2007, though ZIKV infections are in general sporadic cases or causing mild self-limiting illness, harsh symptoms have been explained including neurological disorders, autoimmune disorder, fetal anomalies, impaired central nervous system of the fetus, microcephaly in newborns, meningoencephalitis, myelitis and Guillain Barre´Syndrome supposed to be linked with ZIKV. The virus is transmitted mainly by a mosquito Aedes aegypti, whereas, other routes of viral broadcast includes monkey bite, coitus and body fluids such as semen, blood and saliva which needs further corroboration. The relationship between these conditions with ZIKV infection is still not established and is under assessment. Till now there is no vaccine or specific antiviral against ZIKV, therefore the public health authority focuses on preventing infection, mainly in pregnant women and virus transmitted area. WHO and other health officials are working on the expansion of new projects and mosquito control techniques to manage up with infection as there is very fewer literature present on the pathogenesis of the ZIKV to help understand the clinical disease spectrum and target treatments to decrease or stop infection. The future status of ZIKV dispersal to other parts of the world is still unknown. The present review emphasizes various features of ZIKV and its history, epidemiology, transmission, clinical manifestations, progress  and advances in developing effective diagnostics, vaccines and drugs/therapeutics along with accepting suitable avoidance and control strategies to undertake this deadly emerging disease. Keywords: Zika virus, Flavivirus, Aedes aegypti, Pregnancy, Transmission, Microcephaly, Africa

scholarly journals Becoming a Hybrid Entity: A Policy Option for Public Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (S2) ◽  
pp. 68-71
Author(s):  
Sallie Milam ◽  
Melissa Moorehead
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Data Sharing ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Policy Option ◽  
Public Health Authority ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
The Public ◽  
Insurance Program ◽  
Health Insurance Program ◽  
National Priority

When Congress passed HIPAA, it did not intend to constrain public health's data sharing in the same way as clinical or payers. In fact, HIPAA recognizes data sharing with public health as a matter of national priority and shields this function from its reach. However, a health department may offer services that bring it within HIPAA's purview, such as running a Children's Health Insurance Program or a laboratory that bills electronically. When this is the case, HIPAA requires all information and departments be subject to HIPAA unless the public health authority chooses to hybridize. Health departments might re-assess their coverage and elect to become a hybrid entity, thereby restricting HIPAA to only where required and removing barriers to information sharing with communities.

Conclusion

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Llano
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Social Conflict ◽  
Musical Performance ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Interests ◽  
Musical Practices ◽  
The Media ◽  
The City

As is described in this conclusion, more than the media and culture, Madrid’s public space constituted the primary arena where reactions and attitudes toward social conflict and inequalities were negotiated. Social conflict in the public space found expression through musical performance, as well as through the rise of noise that came with the expansion and modernization of the city. Through their impact on public health and morality, noise and unwelcomed musical practices contributed to the refinement of Madrid’s city code and the modernization of society. The interference of vested political interests, however, made the refining of legislation in these areas particularly difficult. Analysis of three musical practices, namely, flamenco, organilleros, and workhouse bands, has shown how difficult it was to adopt consistent policies and approaches to tackling the forms of social conflict that were associated with musical performance.

scholarly journals Distance from the outbreak of infection, ozone pollution and public health consequences of SARS-CoV-2 epidemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Tripepi ◽  
Mario Plebani ◽  
Giorgio Iervasi ◽  
Mercedes Gori ◽  
Daniela Leonardis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Ozone Pollution ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
The Public ◽  
Italian Provinces ◽  
Breakpoint Analysis ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City ◽  
Italian Province ◽  
Optimal Radius

Abstract Background Italy was the second country in the world, after China, to be hit by SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The Italy’s experience teaches that steps to limit people’s movement by imposing “red zones” need to be put in place early by carefully identifying the cities to be included within these areas of quarantine. The assessment of the relationship between the distance from an established outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection with transmission-linked cases and mortality observed in other sites could provide useful information to identify the optimal radius of red zones. Methods We investigated the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 cases and the distance of each Italian province from the first outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Italy (the city of Lodi placed in the Lombardia region). In 38 provinces of Lombardia and neighboring regions, we performed a breakpoint analysis to identify the radius of the red zone around Lodi minimizing epidemic spread and mortality in neighboring cities. Results In all Italian provinces a non-linear relationship was found between SARS-CoV-2 cases and distance from Lodi. In an analysis including the provinces of Lombardia and neighboring regions, SARS-CoV-2 cases and mortality increased when the distance from Lodi reduced below 92 km and 140 km, respectively, and such relationships were amplified by ozone (O3) pollution. Conclusions The breakpoint analysis identifies the radius around the outbreak of Lodi minimizing the public health consequences of SARS-CoV-2 in neighboring cities. Such an approach can be useful to identify the red zones in future epidemics due to highly infective pathogens similar to SARS-CoV-2.

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