Salmonella investigations in ruminants

These teaching materials explore the specific powers of governments to implement control measures in response to communicable disease, in two different contexts:The first context concerns global pandemic diseases. Relevant legal authority includes international law, World Health Organization governance and the International Health Regulations, and regulatory authority of nations.The second context is centered on U.S. law and concerns control measures for drug-resistant disease, using tuberculosis as an example. In both contexts, international and domestic, the point is to understand legal authority to address public health emergencies.

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COVID-19 behavioural insights study: Preliminary findings from Finland, April-May, 2020

10.1101/2020.10.11.20210724 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Veronica Cristea ◽

Timothee Dub ◽

Oskari Luomala ◽

Jonas Sivelä

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Risk Perception ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Mean Value ◽

Control Measures ◽

Physical Contact ◽

List Type ◽

Limited Information ◽

Health Measures ◽

Behavioural Insights

AbstractThe COVID-19 monitoring behavioural insights study was conducted from April-May 2020 in Finland. Respondents reported feeling confident protecting themselves against COVID-19 infection. Worries shifted from overloading the health system (mean value 5.5 [95% CI: 5.4-5.6]) to mental health concerns (mean value 5.3 [95% CI 5.2-5.4]). Maintaining physical distancing from families and friends decreased by 7% and 6%. Respondents mostly agreed that if a vaccine would become available, they would get it. The decrease in acceptance of recommended measures needs further analysis, but current results provide evidence to support the response.Key pointsCurrently limited information available on the complex interaction between epidemiology, media attention, pandemic control measures, risk perception and compliance with public health measures.Despite the relatively high risk perception of a possible infection with COVID-19, we observed a steady decrease in adherence to public health measures.Throughout the study, information-seeking behaviour shifted.We observed a decrease in acceptance among the participants in regards to avoiding physical contact.

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Real-time tracking and forecasting of the of COVID-19 outbreak in Kuwait: a mathematical modeling study

10.1101/2020.05.03.20089771 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Abdullah A. Al-Shammari ◽

Hamad Ali ◽

Barrak Al-Ahmad ◽

Faisal H. Al-Refaei ◽

Salman Al-Sabah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mathematical Modeling ◽

Maximum Likelihood ◽

Real Time ◽

Reproduction Number ◽

Control Measures ◽

List Type ◽

Imported Case ◽

Real Time Tracking ◽

Death Cases

AbstractKuwait has been experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak since the first imported case on Feb 24, 2020. Analysis of data from the early stage of COVID-19 outbreak in Kuwait can provide important information about the potential epidemic and healthcare burdens as well as assist in evaluating the potential impact of various outbreak control measures. Such control measures are essentially implemented to achieve a sufficient reduction in the effective reproduction number during an outbreak. In this study, we use a mathematical modeling framework to simulate the outbreak dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Kuwait and forecast the potential burden on the healthcare system. We calibrate the model against daily numbers of detected infection and death cases using a maximum likelihood framework and estimate both the basic and effective reproduction numbers. Our results indicate that the early control measures implemented in Kuwait had the effect of delaying the intensity of the outbreak but were unsuccessful in reducing Rt below 1. This highlights a need for a systematic investigation of the current public health interventions as well as a scientific surveillance tool that is sufficiently sensitive to outbreak temporal dynamics. Meanwhile, the developed model can serve as a public health tool to control the current outbreak and can be used to anticipate effective measures should a second wave re-emerge in Kuwait.HighlightsKuwait is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak since the first imported case on Feb 24, 2020.We develop a mathematical model of disease transmission to provide a real-time tracking and forecasting tool for the epidemic outbreak in Kuwait as well as assess the potential epidemic and healthcare burdens and the effectiveness of early control measures.We calibrate the model against daily numbers of detected infection and death cases using a maximum likelihood framework.We find that early control measures had the effect of delaying and lowering the intensity of the outbreak but were unsuccessful in reducing the effective reproduction number below 1.

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PP159 Telemedicine In Paraguay: Contributions Of The Institute Of Health Sciences Research, National University Of Asunción

International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care ◽

10.1017/s0266462320001324 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (S1) ◽

pp. 18-18

Author(s):

Ronald Rivas ◽

Pedro Galván

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Biomedical Engineering ◽

List Type ◽

Telemedicine System ◽

Cellular Telephony ◽

Imaging Department ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Computed Tomography Scans ◽

National University ◽

Development And Validation

IntroductionThe modalities of telemedicine that have been developed and applied so far by the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging at the National University of Asunción (IICS-UNA) are as follows: (i) telediagnosis: the remote sending of data, signals, and images for diagnostic purposes; (ii) general telediagnostic imaging; (iii) telemonitoring (including telemetry): remote monitoring of vital parameters to provide automatic or semi-automatic surveillance or alarm services in emergencies, epidemiology, or tele-public health; and (iv) tele-education: the use of telematic networks to provide virtual platforms for educating and training health professionals.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive review of the scientific works developed by the IICS-UNA in order to evaluate the systematic implementation of Telemedicine in Paraguay. Documents, pilot projects (satellite telegraphy), telediagnostic research, telematics, tele-education, published articles, and statistical data (number of patients attending or studies performed, etcetera) relating to the implementation of the National Telemedicine System by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare since 1999 were reviewed.ResultsImplementation of the telemedicine system has meant that 472,038 patients have attended referral centers nationwide, with 297,999 electrocardiographs, 165,323 computed tomography scans, and 8,697 electroencephalograms being conducted. Projects developed within the framework of the Telemedicine Research Line have included the following: (i)Development and validation of a clinical telemicroscopy system based on cellular telephony;(ii)Implementation of a telemetry system for temperature monitoring of the collection of biological samples from a biomedical research center; and(iii)Production and development of a virtual campus at the National University of Asunción.ConclusionsGiven the current healthcare environment, developing a line of research based on telemedicine is a proactive step, since telemedicine provides an alternative solution to the problem of access to the health system. That is why the IICS-UNA Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Department has developed telemedicine as one of its main lines of research.

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Implementing Personalized Medicine in COVID-19 in Andalusia: An Opportunity to Transform the Healthcare System

Journal of Personalized Medicine ◽

10.3390/jpm11060475 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 475

Author(s):

Joaquín Dopazo ◽

Douglas Maya-Miles ◽

Federico García ◽

Nicola Lorusso ◽

Miguel Ángel Calleja ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Clinical Practice ◽

Personalized Medicine ◽

Local Level ◽

Individual Variability ◽

Response To Therapy ◽

Control Measures ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

Specific Patient

The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented opportunity to exploit the advantages of personalized medicine for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, surveillance and management of a new challenge in public health. COVID-19 infection is highly variable, ranging from asymptomatic infections to severe, life-threatening manifestations. Personalized medicine can play a key role in elucidating individual susceptibility to the infection as well as inter-individual variability in clinical course, prognosis and response to treatment. Integrating personalized medicine into clinical practice can also transform health care by enabling the design of preventive and therapeutic strategies tailored to individual profiles, improving the detection of outbreaks or defining transmission patterns at an increasingly local level. SARS-CoV2 genome sequencing, together with the assessment of specific patient genetic variants, will support clinical decision-makers and ultimately better ways to fight this disease. Additionally, it would facilitate a better stratification and selection of patients for clinical trials, thus increasing the likelihood of obtaining positive results. Lastly, defining a national strategy to implement in clinical practice all available tools of personalized medicine in COVID-19 could be challenging but linked to a positive transformation of the health care system. In this review, we provide an update of the achievements, promises, and challenges of personalized medicine in the fight against COVID-19 from susceptibility to natural history and response to therapy, as well as from surveillance to control measures and vaccination. We also discuss strategies to facilitate the adoption of this new paradigm for medical and public health measures during and after the pandemic in health care systems.

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Aggressive Colonization Screening and Infection Control Measures in Containment of NDM-5 Carbapenemase-Producing CRE

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1017/ice.2020.1132 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. s458-s459

Author(s):

Ishrat Kamal-Ahmed ◽

Kate Tyner ◽

Teresa Fitzgerald ◽

Heather Adele Moulton-Meissner ◽

Gillian McAllister ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infection Control ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Healthcare Facility ◽

The United States ◽

Control Measures ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Clinical Culture ◽

Medical Histories ◽

Asymptomatic Case

Background: In April 2019, Nebraska Public Health Laboratory identified an NDM-producing Enterobacter cloacae from a urine sample from a rehabilitation inpatient who had recently received care in a specialized unit (unit A) of an acute-care hospital (ACH-A). After additional infections occurred at ACH-A, we conducted a public health investigation to contain spread. Methods: A case was defined as isolation of NDM-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) from a patient with history of admission to ACH-A in 2019. We conducted clinical culture surveillance, and we offered colonization screening for carbapenemase-producing organisms to all patients admitted to unit A since February 2019. We assessed healthcare facility infection control practices in ACH-A and epidemiologically linked facilities by visits from the ICAP (Infection Control Assessment and Promotion) Program. The recent medical histories of case patients were reviewed. Isolates were evaluated by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Results: Through June 2019, 7 cases were identified from 6 case patients: 4 from clinical cultures and 3 from 258 colonization screens including 1 prior unit A patient detected as an outpatient (Fig. 1). Organisms isolated were Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 5), E. cloacae (n = 1), and Citrobacter freundii (n = 1); 1 patient had both NDM-producing K. pneumoniae and C. freundii. Also, 5 case patients had overlapping stays in unit A during February–May 2019 (Fig. 2); common exposures in unit A included rooms in close proximity, inhabiting the same room at different times and shared caregivers. One case-patient was not admitted to unit A but shared caregivers, equipment, and devices (including a colonoscope) with other case patients while admitted to other ACH-A units. No case patients reported travel outside the United States. Screening at epidemiologically linked facilities and clinical culture surveillance showed no evidence of transmission beyond ACH-A. Infection control assessments at ACH-A revealed deficiencies in hand hygiene, contact precautions adherence, and incomplete cleaning of shared equipment within and used to transport to/from a treatment room in unit A. Following implementation of recommended infection control interventions, no further cases were identified. Finally, 5 K. pneumoniae of ST-273 were related by WGS including carriage of NDM-5 and IncX3 plasmid supporting transmission of this strain. Further analysis is required to relate IncX3 plasmid carriage and potential transmission to other organisms and sequence types identified in this study. Conclusions: We identified a multiorganism outbreak of NDM-5–producing CRE in an ACH specialty care unit. Transmission was controlled through improved infection control practices and extensive colonization screening to identify asymptomatic case-patients. Multiple species with NDM-5 were identified, highlighting the potential role of genotype-based surveillance.Funding: NoneDisclosures: Muhammad Salman Ashraf reports that he is the principal investigator for a study funded by an investigator-initiated research grant.

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Health inequities and technological solutions during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in high-income countries

Global Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/1757975920984185 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 175797592098418

Author(s):

Muriel Mac-Seing ◽

Robson Rocha de Oliveira

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Equity ◽

Vulnerable Populations ◽

Health Inequities ◽

High Income ◽

Control Measures ◽

Health Priorities ◽

Economic Systems ◽

And Control ◽

Political Decisions

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in massive disruptions to public health, healthcare, as well as political and economic systems across national borders, thus requiring an urgent need to adapt. Worldwide, governments have made a range of political decisions to enforce preventive and control measures. As junior researchers analysing the pandemic through a health equity lens, we wish to share our reflections on this evolving crisis, specifically: (a) the tenuous intersections between the responses to the pandemic and public health priorities; (b) the exacerbation of health inequities experienced by vulnerable populations following decisions made at national and global levels; and (c) the impacts of the technological solutions put forward to address the crisis. Examples drawn from high-income countries are provided to support our three points.

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Willingness of Greek general population to get a COVID-19 vaccine

Global Health Research and Policy ◽

10.1186/s41256-021-00188-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Georgia Kourlaba ◽

Eleni Kourkouni ◽

Stefania Maistreli ◽

Christina-Grammatiki Tsopela ◽

Nafsika-Maria Molocha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

General Population ◽

Data Collection ◽

Sample Size ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Control Measures ◽

Systematic Sampling ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Public Health Officials ◽

To Receive

Abstract Background Epidemiological data indicate that a large part of population needs to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. Hence, it is of high importance for public health officials to know whether people are going to get vaccinated for COVID-19. The objective of the present study was to examine the willingness of adult residents in Greece to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Methods A cross-sectional was survey conducted among the adult general population of Greece between April 28, 2020 to May 03, 2020 (last week of lockdown), using a mixed methodology for data collection: Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) and Computer Assisted web Interviewing (CAWI). Using a sample size calculator, the target sample size was found to be around 1000 respondents. To ensure a nationally representative sample of the urban/rural population according to the Greek census 2011, a proportionate stratified by region systematic sampling procedure was used to recruit particpants. Data collection was guided through a structured questionnaire. Regarding willingness to COVID-19 vaccination, participants were asked to answer the following question: “If there was a vaccine available for the novel coronavirus, would you do it?” Results Of 1004 respondents only 57.7% stated that they are going to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Respondents aged > 65 years old, those who either themselves or a member of their household belonged to a vulnerable group, those believing that the COVID-19 virus was not developed in laboratories by humans, those believing that coronavirus is far more contagious and lethal compared to the H1N1 virus, and those believing that next waves are coming were statistically significantly more likely to be willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Higher knowledge score regarding symptoms, transmission routes and prevention and control measures against COVID-19 was significantly associated with higher willingness of respondents to get vaccinated. Conclusion A significant proportion of individuals in the general population are unwilling to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, stressing the need for public health officials to take immediate awareness-raising measures.

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Prevalence assessment of ectoparasitic arthropods among commonly consumed wildlife in Nsukka, southeast Nigeria

Bulletin of the National Research Centre ◽

10.1186/s42269-020-00461-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kingsley Uchenna Ozioko ◽

Chris Ikem Okoye ◽

Patience Obiageli Ubachukwu ◽

Raymond Awudu Agbu ◽

Bede Izuchukwu Ezewudo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Control Measures ◽

Wild Game ◽

Wildlife Reservoirs ◽

Source Of Infection ◽

Ixodes Holocyclus ◽

Public Health Significance ◽

Physical Examinations ◽

Health Significance ◽

Vector Borne

Abstract Background Wildlife reservoirs not only act as a source of infection for vectors but also serve as hosts for the vectors themselves, supporting their populations. Their public health significance in developing countries is of growing importance as a result of zoonotic and enzootic diseases associated with the pathogens they transmit. Therefore, a study was carried out to determine the prevalence of ectoparasites of wild game in Nsukka, southeast Nigeria. Physical examinations were carried out on 143 wildlife, and laboratory identification was employed on the ectoparasites. The collected ectoparasites were identified in the laboratory using literature and with the help of a taxonomist. Results Out of the 143 game examined, 114 was infected with at least one parasite representing about 98.6% of an infestation. Among the parasites identified, Amblyomma spp. showed the highest prevalence of 24.5% at 95% confidential intervals of CI (1.45–3.19)–24.5% (p ≤ 0.05). No difference was observed in the prevalence of the ectoparasites according to sex, except for Ixodes holocyclus. Similarly, no difference was observed in prevalence with reference to age except for Rhipicephalus spp. and Polyplax spinulosa which showed differences. Conclusions The present study provides basic data about the most prevalent ectoparasitic arthropod among game in Nsukka, southeast Nigeria, which requires an evaluation of its zoonotic control measures. This work can elicit the risk of possible transmission of some zoonotic and enzootic diseases via game. Improving awareness among local people and bushmeat dealers about the risk of contracting a vector-borne disease through wildlife is crucial.

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A shift from science to politics : a content analysis of COVID-19 Videos on YouTube (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.33948 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chyun-Fung Shi ◽

Matthew C So ◽

Sophie Stelmach ◽

Arielle Earn ◽

David J D Earn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Content Analysis ◽

Large Scale ◽

Control Measures ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Health Campaigns ◽

Public Attention ◽

Conflicting Information ◽

Social Media Platforms

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic is the first pandemic where social media platforms relayed information on a large scale, enabling an “infodemic” of conflicting information which undermined the global response to the pandemic. Understanding how the information circulated and evolved on social media platforms is essential for planning future public health campaigns. OBJECTIVE This study investigated what types of themes about COVID-19 were most viewed on YouTube during the first 8 months of the pandemic, and how COVID-19 themes progressed over this period. METHODS We analyzed top-viewed YouTube COVID-19 related videos in English from from December 1, 2019 to August 16, 2020 with an open inductive content analysis. We coded 536 videos associated with 1.1 billion views across the study period. East Asian countries were the first to report the virus, while most of the top-viewed videos in English were from the US. Videos from straight news outlets dominated the top-viewed videos throughout the outbreak, and public health authorities contributed the fewest. Although straight news was the dominant COVID-19 video source with various types of themes, its viewership per video was similar to that for entertainment news and YouTubers after March. RESULTS We found, first, that collective public attention to the COVID-19 pandemic on YouTube peaked around March 2020, before the outbreak peaked, and flattened afterwards despite a spike in worldwide cases. Second, more videos focused on prevention early on, but videos with political themes increased through time. Third, regarding prevention and control measures, masking received much less attention than lockdown and social distancing in the study period. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that a transition of focus from science to politics on social media intensified the COVID-19 infodemic and may have weakened mitigation measures during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended that authorities should consider co-operating with reputable social media influencers to promote health campaigns and improve health literacy. In addition, given high levels of globalization of social platforms and polarization of users, tailoring communication towards different digital communities is likely to be essential.

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