Potential risk posed by the importation of ticks into the UK on animals: records from the Tick Surveillance Scheme

2017 ◽  
Vol 182 (4) ◽  
pp. 107-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayleigh M Hansford ◽  
Maaike E Pietzsch ◽  
Benjamin Cull ◽  
Emma L Gillingham ◽  
Jolyon M Medlock
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Potential Risk ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Rhipicephalus Sanguineus ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Tick Vectors ◽  
Surveillance Scheme

In order to monitor important tick vectors in the UK, Public Health England’s Tick Surveillance Scheme (TSS) receives specimens from across the country for identification. In recent years, an increasing number of these specimens have been removed from animals with a recent history of travel outside the UK. This paper presents all data collated by the TSS on ticks entering the country on recently travelled or imported animals since surveillance commenced in 2005. Ten different tick species representing six different genera were identified, entering the UK from 15 different countries. Key themes appear to be emerging from the last 10 years of data, including canine travel from Cyprus and Spain being associated with Rhipicephalus sanguineus importation, and canine travel from France being associated with the importation of multiple tick species and canine illness. In addition, more unusual importation routes have been uncovered, such as the importation of Hyalomma lusitanicum on a dog. Some companion animal owners may not be fully aware of the risks associated with ticks, and may not seek advice from a veterinarian before travel or importing a pet. Promoting awareness of ticks and tickborne disease risk during and after travel or animal importation is needed and veterinarians play an importation role in disseminating this information to their clients.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of a Novel Dementia Risk Score in the UK Biobank Cohort

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melis Anatürk ◽  
Raihaan Patel ◽  
Georgios Georgiopoulos ◽  
Danielle Newby ◽  
Anya Topiwala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Risk Score ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Dementia Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk

INTRODUCTION: Current prognostic models of dementia have had limited success in consistently identifying at-risk individuals. We aimed to develop and validate a novel dementia risk score (DRS) using the UK Biobank cohort.METHODS: After randomly dividing the sample into a training (n=166,487, 80%) and test set (n=41,621, 20%), logistic LASSO regression and standard logistic regression were used to develop the UKB-DRS.RESULTS: The score consisted of age, sex, education, apolipoprotein E4 genotype, a history of diabetes, stroke, and depression, and a family history of dementia. The UKB-DRS had good-to-strong discrimination accuracy in the UKB hold-out sample (AUC [95%CI]=0.79 [0.77, 0.82]) and in an external dataset (Whitehall II cohort, AUC [95%CI]=0.83 [0.79,0.87]). The UKB-DRS also significantly outperformed four published risk scores (i.e., Australian National University Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Index (ANU-ADRI), Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia score (CAIDE), Dementia Risk Score (DRS), and the Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Score (FRS) across both test sets.CONCLUSION: The UKB-DRS represents a novel easy-to-use tool that could be used for routine care or targeted selection of at-risk individuals into clinical trials.

scholarly journals Do post-COVID-19 patients need a second dose of vaccine?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorg Taubel ◽  
Christopher S Spencer ◽  
Anne Freier ◽  
Dorothée Camilleri ◽  
Ibon Garitaonandia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Quantitative Difference ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Longitudinal Assessment ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Antibody Titres ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Antibody Levels ◽  
Public Health Strategies

AbstractVaccination forms a key part of public health strategies to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 globally. In the UK, two vaccines (BNT162b2-mRNA produced by Pfizer, and ChAdOx-1-S produced by Oxford-AstraZeneca) have been licensed to date, and their administration is prioritised according to individual risk. This study forms part of a longitudinal assessment of participants’ SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody levels before and after vaccination. Our results confirm that there is little quantitative difference in the antibody titres achieved by the two vaccines. Our results also suggest that individuals who have previously been infected with SARS-CoV-2 achieve markedly higher antibody titres than those who are immunologically naïve. This finding is useful to inform vaccine prioritisation strategies in the future: individuals with no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection should be prioritised for a second vaccine inoculation.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Public Health Threats Posed by Vector-Borne Disease in the United Kingdom (UK)

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolyon Medlock ◽  
Kayleigh Hansford ◽  
Alexander Vaux ◽  
Ben Cull ◽  
Emma Gillingham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Mosquito Vector ◽  
Vector Surveillance ◽  
Vector Borne Disease ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
The Uk

In recent years, the known distribution of vector-borne diseases in Europe has changed, with much new information also available now on the status of vectors in the United Kingdom (UK). For example, in 2016, the UK reported their first detection of the non-native mosquito Aedes albopictus, which is a known vector for dengue and chikungunya virus. In 2010, Culex modestus, a principal mosquito vector for West Nile virus was detected in large numbers in the Thames estuary. For tick-borne diseases, data on the changing distribution of the Lyme borreliosis tick vector, Ixodes ricinus, has recently been published, at a time when there has been an increase in the numbers of reported human cases of Lyme disease. This paper brings together the latest surveillance data and pertinent research on vector-borne disease in the UK, and its relevance to public health. It highlights the need for continued vector surveillance systems to monitor our native mosquito and tick fauna, as well as the need to expand surveillance for invasive species. It illustrates the importance of maintaining surveillance capacity that is sufficient to ensure accurate and timely disease risk assessment to help mitigate the UK’s changing emerging infectious disease risks, especially in a time of climatic and environmental change and increasing global connectivity.

BioLearner: A Machine Learning-Powered Smart Heart Disease Risk Prediction System Utilizing Biomedical Markers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Saad Amer ◽  
Gurleen Wander ◽  
Manmeet Singh ◽  
Rami Bahsoon ◽  
Nicholas R. Jennings ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Prediction System ◽  
Developing Heart ◽  
Nearest Neighbours ◽  
Different Types ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk

Heart disease kills more people around the world than any other disease, and it is one of the leading causes of death in the UK, triggering up to 74,000 deaths per year. An essential part in the prevention of deaths by heart disease and thus heart disease itself is the analysis of biomedical markers to determine the risk of a person developing heart disease. Lots of research has been conducted to assess the accuracy of detecting heart disease by analyzing biomedical markers. However, no previous study has attempted to identify the biomedical markers which are most important in this identification. To solve this problem, we proposed a machine learning-based intelligent heart disease prediction system called BioLearner for the determination of vital biomedical markers. This study aims to improve upon the accuracy of predicting heart disease and identify the most essential biological markers. This is done with the intention of composing a set of markers that impacts the development of heart disease the most. Multiple factors determine whether or not a person develops heart disease. These factors are thought to include Age, history of chest pain (of different types), fasting blood sugar of different types, heart rate, smoking, and other essential factors. The dataset is analyzed, and the different aspects are compared. Various machine learning models such as [Formula: see text] Nearest Neighbours, Neural Networks, Support Vector Machine (SVM) are trained and used to determine the accuracy of our prediction for future heart disease development. BioLearner is able to predict the risk of heart disease with an accuracy of 95%, much higher than the baseline methods.

scholarly journals Studies on the Vertical Distribution of Ticks of Domestic Animals and Their Public Health Importance in Nilgiri Hills and Adjoining Areas of Tamil Nadu State (India)

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaushal Kumar ◽  
N. Balakrishnan ◽  
Abhay Kumar Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Rhipicephalus Sanguineus ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
Public Health Importance ◽  
Tamil Nadu State ◽  
The Nilgiris ◽  
Almost All

The Nilgiri hills and adjoining downhill areas provide favourable ecological conditions for the propagation of haematophagous arthropods owing to richness in vegetation and animal activities. A study has been undertaken during 2008–2010 on the distribution and abundance of ticks of domestic animals in seven different biotopes. A total of 3,008 domestic animals were examined in areas ranging from an altitude of 300 to 2200 meters above mean sea level (MSL) of which 1,335 (44.5%) animals were having tick infestation. A total of 6,012 adult and immature ticks belonging to 12 species (11 ixodid and one argasid) were collected. Eleven tick species were collected from Kallar area situated downhill eastern slopes of the Nilgiris followed by Burliar area (7 species) located at higher altitudes. From Masinagudi area near to dense forests and scrub jungles, five species were recorded. However, at higher elevations on the hills, Udhagamandalam area, only one species was recorded. Among various tick species recorded in the study,Boophilus micropluswas distributed in almost all areas surveyed followed byHaemaphysalis spinigeraandRhipicephalus sanguineus. The factors governing their distribution and epidemiological significance in the transmission of various tick-borne diseases of public health importance are discussed.

scholarly journals Television, Teenagers and VD: An Insight into the Advisory Process behind Schools and Colleges’ Broadcasting in the Early 1970s in the UK

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (18) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Angela Saward
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Venereal Disease ◽  
Sexual Education ◽  
Educational Broadcasting ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Television Programme ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

This article looks at the forgotten history of a television programme on venereal disease for teenagers broadcast in the United Kingdom (excluding Scotland) in 1973. It was produced by BBC Schools and Colleges and deemed to be very successful. The production was one of a trio of programmes entitled ‘Health Hazards’, from the series Twentieth Century Focus, which reflected issues relevant to teenagers over a period of social change from the 1960s to the 1970s. The archive record is lean on schools programming and this programme is very well documented from concept to delivery, representing a discrete, but ephemeral, intervention into 1970s sex educational broadcasting. This research contributes something new about public health and sexual education in the period immediately before AIDS.

scholarly journals The Unexpected Holiday Souvenir: The Public Health Risk to UK Travellers from Ticks Acquired Overseas

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (21) ◽  
pp. 7957
Author(s):  
Emma L. Gillingham ◽  
Benjamin Cull ◽  
Maaike E. Pietzsch ◽  
L. Paul Phipps ◽  
Jolyon M. Medlock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Travel History ◽  
The Public ◽  
Overseas Travel ◽  
Tick Borne Disease ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Uk

Overseas travel to regions where ticks are found can increase travellers’ exposure to ticks and pathogens that may be unfamiliar to medical professionals in their home countries. Previous studies have detailed non-native tick species removed from recently returned travellers, occasionally leading to travel-associated human cases of exotic tick-borne disease. There are 20 species of tick endemic to the UK, yet UK travellers can be exposed to many other non-native species whilst overseas. Here, we report ticks received by Public Health England’s Tick Surveillance Scheme from humans with recent travel history between January 2006 and December 2018. Altogether, 16 tick species were received from people who had recently travelled overseas. Confirmed imports (acquired outside of the UK) were received from people who recently travelled to 22 countries. Possible imports (acquired abroad or within the UK) were received from people who had recently travelled to eight European countries. Species-specific literature reviews highlighted nine of the sixteen tick species are known to vector at least one tick-borne pathogen to humans in the country of acquisition, suggesting travellers exposed to ticks may be at risk of being bitten by a species that is a known vector, with implications for novel tick-borne disease transmission to travellers.

Victim hierarchies in the domestic violence disclosure scheme

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian Duggan
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Potential Risk ◽  
Violence Reduction ◽  
Vital Part ◽  
National Implementation ◽  
Reduction Strategies ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Domestic Violence And Abuse

Since its national implementation in March 2014, the UK Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (also known as ‘Clare’s Law’) has enabled thousands of people in England and Wales to seek information from the police about whether their partner has a history of domestically abusive behaviours. Politicians have hailed the policy on the basis that it empowers people to make informed choices about their safety, thus representing a vital part of wider domestic violence reduction strategies. This, of course, is all dependent upon people knowing the policy exists; being able to apply to it; meeting the relevant criteria; there being information to disclose; and this being relayed to the applicant accordingly. Drawing on empirical research into the policy’s operation in one policing area, this paper highlights several discrepancies with respect to how the scheme is functioning. The analysis suggests that the hierarchical, two-tier approach to implementation is impacting on displaced responsibility and potential risk enhancement, while the symbolic mobilisation of domestic violence victims for contemporary political gain is also explored. The paper concludes with suggestions for reform to boost the ability of the policy to prevent domestic violence and abuse.

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