scholarly journals Mapping global environmental suitability for Zika virus

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane P Messina ◽  
Moritz UG Kraemer ◽  
Oliver J Brady ◽  
David M Pigott ◽  
Freya M Shearer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Species Distribution Modelling ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Environmental Suitability ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Large Outbreak ◽  
Health Organization

Zika virus was discovered in Uganda in 1947 and is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which also act as vectors for dengue and chikungunya viruses throughout much of the tropical world. In 2007, an outbreak in the Federated States of Micronesia sparked public health concern. In 2013, the virus began to spread across other parts of Oceania and in 2015, a large outbreak in Latin America began in Brazil. Possible associations with microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome observed in this outbreak have raised concerns about continued global spread of Zika virus, prompting its declaration as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. We conducted species distribution modelling to map environmental suitability for Zika. We show a large portion of tropical and sub-tropical regions globally have suitable environmental conditions with over 2.17 billion people inhabiting these areas.

scholarly journals Global Governance of Anti-microbial Resistance: A Legal and Regulatory Toolkit

2020 ◽  
pp. 401-420
Author(s):  
Calvin W. L. Ho ◽  
Tsung-Ling Lee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
System Approach ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Agricultural Industry ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
Global Action ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Recognizing that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious threat to global public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted a Global Action Plan (GAP) at the May 2015 World Health Assembly. Underscoring that systematic misuse and overuse of drugs in human medicine and food production is a global public health concern, the GAP-AMR urges concerted efforts across governments and private sectors, including pharmaceutical industry, medical professionals, agricultural industry, among others. The GAP has a threefold aim: (1) to ensure a continuous use of effective and safe medicines for treatment and prevention of infectious diseases; (2) to encourage a responsible use of medicines; and (3) to engage countries to develop their national actions on AMR in keeping with the recommendations. While the GAP is a necessary step to enable multilateral actions, it must be supported by effective governance in order to realize the proposed aims. This chapter has a threefold purpose: (1) To identify regulatory principles embedded in key WHO documents relating to AMR and the GAP-AMR; (2) To consider the legal and regulatory actions or interventions that countries could use to strengthen their regulatory lever for AMR containment; and (3) To highlight the crucial role of the regulatory lever in enabling other levers under a whole-of-system approach. Effective AMR containment requires a clearer understanding of how the regulatory lever could be implemented or enabled within health systems, as well as how it underscores and interacts with other levers within a whole-of-system approach.

scholarly journals TUBERCULOSIS: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CONTROL

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e2014070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgia Sulis ◽  
Alberto Roggi ◽  
Alberto Matteelli ◽  
Mario C. Raviglione
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Tuberculosis Epidemiology ◽  
Slow Decline ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Control

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health concern worldwide: despite a regular, although slow, decline in incidence over the last decade, as many as 8.6 million new cases and 1.3 million deaths were estimated to have occurred in 2012. TB is by all means a poverty-related disease, mainly affecting the most vulnerable populations in the poorest countries. The presence of multidrug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis in most countries, with some where prevalence is high, is among the major challenges for TB control, which may hinder recent achievements especially in some settings. Early TB case detection especially in resource-constrained settings and in marginalized groups remains a challenge, and about 3 million people are estimated to remain undiagnosed or not notified and untreated. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently launched the new global TB strategy for the “post-2015 era” aimed at “ending the global TB epidemic” by 2035, based on the three pillars that emphasize patient-centred TB care and prevention, bold policies and supportive systems, and intensified research and innovation.This paper aims to provide an overview of the global TB epidemiology as well as of the main challenges that must be faced to eliminate the disease as a public health problem everywhere.

scholarly journals Advances in Diagnostic Methods for Zika Virus Infection

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A. Herrada ◽  
Md. Alamgir Kabir ◽  
Rommel Altamirano ◽  
Waseem Asghar
Keyword(s):  
Reverse Transcription ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Genome Structure ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Localized Surface Plasmon ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Health Organization

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is one of the most infamous mosquito-borne flavivirus on recent memory due to its potential association with high mortality rates in fetuses, microcephaly and neurological impairments in neonates, and autoimmune disorders. The severity of the disease, as well as its fast spread over several continents, has urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare ZIKV a global health concern. In consequence, over the past couple of years, there has been a significant effort for the development of ZIKV diagnostic methods, vaccine development, and prevention strategies. This review focuses on the most recent aspects of ZIKV research which includes the outbreaks, genome structure, multiplication and propagation of the virus, and more importantly, the development of serological and molecular detection tools such as Zika IgM antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Zika MAC-ELISA), plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), reverse transcription-loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) biosensors, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). Additionally, we discuss the limitations of currently available diagnostic methods, the potential of newly developed sensing technologies, and also provide insight into future areas of research.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and the rise of social activism in Southeast Asia: a public health concern

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Clyde G Corpuz
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Social Activism ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract The current public health crisis has radically altered the social and civic involvement in Southeast Asia. Although the virus has shifted the landscape of engagement, it has not dampened the enthusiasm of the public. In 2020–2021, more people than ever seem to be paying attention and even getting involved in activism. Many dramatic events happened during the coronavirus crisis such as from protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, public activism around the environment, economic inequality, authoritarianism and human rights violations. In Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and just recently Myanmar. The journal has lately published about the ‘Relationship of George Floyd protests to increases in COVID-19 cases using event study methodology’ and it has rightly expressed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended social distancing guidelines must be followed in a protest situation. In response to the situation of social activism in Southeast Asia, one must follow the CDC-recommended and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in the Region. Although protesting is an individual human right, one must also be cautious and be aware of the deadly virus since we are still in a pandemic and the COVID-19 virus continues to mutate.

scholarly journals Quarantine for Zika Virus? Where is the Science?

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 704-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristi L. Koenig
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Rapid Test ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
World Health ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Spread Of Infection

AbstractIn January 2016, the World Health Organization warned that Zika virus is “spreading explosively” in the Americas and that up to 4 million infections could be present worldwide within a year. Soon thereafter, some politicians and authors publicly advocated for quarantine of travelers returning from regions where mosquitoes carrying Zika virus are prevalent. The public health tool of quarantine can be used to prevent the spread of infection by restricting the movement of persons who have been exposed to a deadly disease that can be transmitted from person to person before symptom onset. With 80% of Zika virus infections being asymptomatic, no rapid test being available to detect the virus, and primary transmission being via the bites of certain mosquitoes, application of quarantine in this setting is not scientifically sound or practically feasible. Rather, public health interventions should focus on preventing bites from infected mosquitoes, counseling pregnant women on the risks of fetal microcephaly and other birth defects, and identifying patients with signs and symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome. As was seen in the Ebola virus disease outbreak of 2014, non-evidence-based factors can influence policy decisions. Public health experts must ensure that policy makers are informed that quarantine is not a scientifically sound approach for the control of Zika virus. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;0:1–3)

scholarly journals Anti-hepatitis C virus seroprevalence in the working age population in Poland, 2004 to 2014

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bożena Walewska-Zielecka ◽  
Urszula Religioni ◽  
Grzegorz Juszczyk ◽  
Zbigniew M Wawrzyniak ◽  
Aleksandra Czerw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
The World ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Working Age Population ◽  
Health Organization

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be a serious public health concern and one of the major public health priorities. In 2005, it was estimated that there are 185 million anti-HCV positive people in the world, which constitutes 2.8% of the global population. Our study estimates the anti-HCV seroprevalence in the working age population (15–64 years-old), mostly urban and suburban residents, in Poland from 2004 to 2014. The studied group consisted of 61,805 working-age population representatives whose data were obtained from electronic medical records of an outpatient clinic network operating on a countrywide level. Positive anti-HCV test results were obtained in 957 patients, representing 1.5% of the whole population studied throughout the analysed period. The average age of all anti-HCV positive patients was 36.8 years. Analysis of the data suggests that the proportion of anti-HCV positive patients decreased over the study period (mean positive anti-HCV = -0.0017 × year + 3.3715; R2 = 0.7558). In 2004, positive results were noted among 3.2% of patients undergoing HCV antibody tests, but in 2014, the percentage of patients with a positive result stood at 1.1%. The apparent decrease affected men and women similarly. Our study also provides evidence that screening people born before 1965 could be beneficial.

scholarly journals Immunological Assays used to Support Efficacy of Zika Virus Vaccines

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Kenneth H. Eckels ◽  
Rafael A. De La Barrera ◽  
Joseph Robert Putnak
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Candidates ◽  
The World ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Immunological Assays ◽  
Health Organization

In February of 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Zika virus (ZIKV) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. This prompted a rapid response from both the private and public sector resulting in the generation of several promising vaccine candidates. In this review, we discuss published scientific efforts associated with these novel vaccines, emphasizing the immunological assays used to evaluate their immunogenicity and efficacy, and support future licensure.

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.

scholarly journals Zika Virus: A Review of Management Considerations and Controversies at Six Months

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-284
Author(s):  
Laura Singer ◽  
Kelly G. Vest ◽  
Charles W. Beadling
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Sexual Transmission ◽  
International Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Neurologic Disorders ◽  
Control Disease ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Health Regulations

AbstractZika virus continues to pose a significant global health threat. While the outbreak pattern may seemingly mirror those of other arboviruses, unique transmission characteristics and clinical outcomes warrant a different approach to traditional public health practices. Sexual transmission and virus-associated fetal and nonfetal neurologic disorders specifically challenge conventional methods of disease protection and prevention with regard to vector control, disease surveillance, and health risk communication. The protocols for outbreak and case limitation led by the World Health Organization (in accordance with Public Health Emergency of International Concern declaration) may be augmented by localized risk categorization and assignment for Zika and future emergent outbreaks. There is currently a great deal of “behind the scenes” discussion about modifications to the formal process described in the International Health Regulations. A scalable, adaptable, and flexible process is needed that can be customized to a specific threat. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:279–284)

Zika

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 224-227
Author(s):  
Rabia Aftab
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Geographic Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Public Health Threat ◽  
Health Organization

The Zika virus (ZIKV), first discovered in 1947, has emerged as a global public health threat over the last decade, with an accelerated geographic spread of the virus occurring in the last 5 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that millions of cases of ZIKV are likely to occur in the Americas between 2016 and 2017. These projections, in conjunction with an increase in newborn microcephaly cases that are suspected to be ZIKV-associated, prompted the WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern in February 2016. With the current media attention, it is likely that GPs will be consulted on th topic, particularly by pregnant women.

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