scholarly journals Candida auris Direct Detection from Surveillance Swabs, Blood, and Urine Using a Laboratory-Developed PCR Method

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 224
Author(s):  
Robert C. Walchak ◽  
Seanne P. Buckwalter ◽  
Nicole M. Zinsmaster ◽  
Katrina M. Henn ◽  
Katelyn M. Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Active Surveillance ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Melting Curve ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Laboratory ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Candida Auris ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Pcr Method

Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen with cases reported in countries around the world and in 19 states within the United States as of August 2020. The CDC has recommended that hospitals perform active surveillance upon admission for patients with the appropriate risk factors. Currently, active surveillance requires that local hospitals send surveillance swabs to a public health laboratory for analysis. In this work, a real-time PCR assay was developed for the specific detection of C. auris from surveillance swabs, blood, and urine to enable rapid detection of this pathogen. The assay uses commercially available primers and reporter probes and it was verified on the LightCycler 480 PCR platform. Contrived specimens and prospectively collected composite groin/axilla surveillance swabs were used to validate the assay. The performance of the PCR assay on surveillance swabs was also compared to a second PCR assay targeting C. auris that was performed at the Minnesota Department of Health–Public Health Laboratory (MDH-PHL). Our PCR assay is able to detect and differentiate C. auris from closely related Candida species such as C. duobushaemulonii, C. haemulonii, and C. pseudohaemulonii on the basis of melting curve temperature differences.

scholarly journals 1719. Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospitalization Rates among US Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S843-S843
Author(s):  
John M McLaughlin ◽  
Farid L Khan ◽  
Heinz-Josef Schmitt ◽  
Yasmeen Agosti ◽  
Luis Jodar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Active Surveillance ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Administrative Claims ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Hospitalization Rates ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Understanding the true magnitude of infant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) burden is critical for determining the potential public-health benefit of RSV prevention strategies. Although global reviews of infant RSV burden exist, none have summarized data from the United States or evaluated how RSV burden estimates are influenced by variations in study design. Methods We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of studies describing RSV-associated hospitalization rates among US infants. We also examined the impact of key study characteristics on these estimates. Results After review of 3058 articles through January 2020, we identified 25 studies with 31 unique estimates of RSV-associated hospitalization rates. Among US infants < 1 year of age, annual rates ranged from 8.4 to 40.8 per 1000 with a pooled rate= 19.4 (95%CI= 17.9–20.9). Study type was associated with RSV hospitalization rates (P =.003), with active surveillance studies having pooled rates per 1000 (11.1; 95%CI: 9.8–12.3) that were half that of studies based on administrative claims (21.4; 95%CI: 19.5–23.3) or modeling approaches (23.2; 95%CI: 20.2–26.2). Conclusion Applying the pooled rates identified in our review to the 2020 US birth cohort suggests that 73,680 to 86,020 RSV-associated infant hospitalizations occur each year. To date, public-health officials have used conservative estimates from active surveillance as the basis for defining US infant RSV burden. The full range of RSV-associated hospitalization rates identified in our review better characterizes the true RSV burden in infants and can better inform future evaluations of RSV prevention strategies. Disclosures John M. McLaughlin, PhD, Pfizer (Employee, Shareholder) Farid L. Khan, MPH, Pfizer (Employee, Shareholder) Heinz-Josef Schmitt, MD, Pfizer (Employee, Shareholder) Yasmeen Agosti, MD, Pfizer (Employee, Shareholder) Luis Jodar, PhD, Pfizer (Employee, Shareholder) Eric Simões, MD, Pfizer (Consultant, Research Grant or Support) David L. Swerdlow, MD, Pfizer (Employee, Shareholder)

Unresolved Issues in Controlling the Tuberculosis Epidemic Among the Foreign-Born in the United States

1996 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-536
Author(s):  
Guido S. Weber
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Year 2000

Tuberculosis (TB), “the world’s most neglected health crisis,” has returned after decades of decline, but has only gradually caught the attention of governments as a formidable threat to public health. By 1984, when TB cases hit an all-time low, federal and state governments stopped supporting the medical infrastructure that once served to contain the disease. State officials around the nation began dismantling laboratory research programs and closing TB clinics and sanitoria. Since 1985, however, TB rates have steadily increased to 26,673 reported cases in 1992, and some have estimated that by the year 2000, there could be a twenty percent increase. By 1993, Congress, realizing that TB could pose a major public health threat, allocated over $100 million to the Department of Health and Human Services for TB prevention and treatment programs. Those funds, however, were sorely needed years before and amounted to only a fraction of what public health officials believe necessary to control TB today.

scholarly journals Interpersonal influence among public health leaders in the United States Department of Health and Human Services

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenine K. Harris ◽  
Bobbi J. Carothers ◽  
Lana M. Wald ◽  
Sarah C. Shelton ◽  
Scott J. Leischow
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Human Services ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Interpersonal Influence ◽  
States Department ◽  
Health And Human Services ◽  
Department Of Health

<em>Background</em>. In public health, interpersonal influence has been identified as an important factor in the spread of health information, and in understanding and changing health behaviors. However, little is known about influence in public health leadership. Influence is important in leadership settings, where public health professionals contribute to national policy and practice agendas. Drawing on social theory and recent advances in statistical network modeling, we examined influence in a network of tobacco control leaders at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). <em>Design and Methods.</em> Fifty-four tobacco control leaders across all 11 agencies in the DHHS were identified; 49 (91%) responded to a web-based survey. Participants were asked about communication with other tobacco control leaders, who influenced their work, and general job characteristics. Exponential random graph modeling was used to develop a network model of influence accounting for characteristics of individuals, their relationships, and global network structures. <em>Results</em>. Higher job ranks, more experience in tobacco control, and more time devoted to tobacco control each week increased the likelihood of influence nomination, as did more frequent communication between network members. Being in the same agency and working the same number of hours per week were positively associated with mutual influence nominations. Controlling for these characteristics, the network also exhibited patterns associated with influential clusters of network members. <em>Conclusions</em>. Findings from this unique study provide a perspective on influence within a government agency that both helps to understand decision-making and also can serve to inform organizational efforts that allow for more effective structuring of leadership.

scholarly journals Quantitative Immunocapture PCR Assay for Detection of Campylobacter jejuni in Foods

2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (9) ◽  
pp. 4115-4118 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Waller ◽  
Steven A. Ogata
Keyword(s):  
Campylobacter Jejuni ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Quality Control Program ◽  
Milk Samples ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Chicken Skin ◽  
Pcr Method ◽  
Safe Food

ABSTRACT The rapid detection of food-borne bacterial pathogens as part of a quality control program is necessary for the maintenance of a safe food supply. In this report, we present our findings for an immunocapture PCR method for the detection of Campylobacter jejuni in foods. The method permits direct detection of the pathogen without an enrichment step and can be performed in approximately 8 h. Assay results are quantitative, and one cell in a milliliter sample can be detected. Application of the method to spiked milk samples and chicken skin washes did not affect the sensitivity of the assay.

scholarly journals Clinical Microbiology Laboratories' Adoption of Culture-Independent Diagnostic Tests Is a Threat to Foodborne-Disease Surveillance in the United States

2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shari Shea ◽  
Kristy A. Kubota ◽  
Hugh Maguire ◽  
Stephen Gladbach ◽  
Amy Woron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Clinical Microbiology ◽  
Public Health Surveillance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Surveillance ◽  
Enteric Pathogens ◽  
Public Health Laboratory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Culture Independent

INTRODUCTION In November 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a letter to state and territorial epidemiologists, state and territorial public health laboratory directors, and state and territorial health officials. In this letter, culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) for detection of enteric pathogens were characterized as “a serious and current threat to public health surveillance, particularly for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella .” The document says CDC and its public health partners are approaching this issue, in part, by “reviewing regulatory authority in public health agencies to require culture isolates or specimen submission if CIDTs are used.” Large-scale foodborne outbreaks are a continuing threat to public health, and tracking these outbreaks is an important tool in shortening them and developing strategies to prevent them. It is clear that the use of CIDTs for enteric pathogen detection, including both antigen detection and multiplex nucleic acid amplification techniques, is becoming more widespread. Furthermore, some clinical microbiology laboratories will resist the mandate to require submission of culture isolates, since it will likely not improve patient outcomes but may add significant costs. Specimen submission would be less expensive and time-consuming for clinical laboratories; however, this approach would be burdensome for public health laboratories, since those laboratories would need to perform culture isolation prior to typing. Shari Shea and Kristy Kubota from the Association of Public Health Laboratories, along with state public health laboratory officials from Colorado, Missouri, Tennessee, and Utah, will explain the public health laboratories' perspective on why having access to isolates of enteric pathogens is essential for public health surveillance, detection, and tracking of outbreaks and offer potential workable solutions which will allow them to do this. Marc Couturier of ARUP Laboratories and Melissa Miller of the University of North Carolina will explain the advantages of CIDTs for enteric pathogens and discuss practical solutions for clinical microbiology laboratories to address these public health needs.

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in the Primary Health Care Setting: Setting the Scene

1994 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Oldenburg
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Department ◽  
The Past ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
National Public Health

Last (1983) defines public health as: the efforts organised by society to protect, promote and restore the public's health. It is the combination of sciences, skills and beliefs that are directed to the maintenance and improvement of the health of all people through collective or social actions. The programs, services and institutions involved emphasise the prevention of disease and the health needs of the population as a whole. Public health activities change with changing technology and values, but the goals remain the same: to reduce the amount of disease, premature death and disability in the population. (p.45)Recommended goals and targets for addressing national public health problems and directed at reducing the amount of death and premature death have been proposed in many countries over the past 10 years, including the United States of America (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 1990), the United Kingdom (Department of Health, 1992), Canada (Ontario Premiers' Council on Health, 1987) and Australia (Nutbeam, Wise, Bauman, Harris, & Leeder, 1993). In Australia for example, over the past 2 years, much attention has been directed at health outcomes related to cardiovascular disease, cancers, accidents and injuries and mental health. All of these reports have emphasised the importance of changing those lifestyle and related risk factors associated with preventable causes of death. Priority lifestyle areas that have been identified include physical inactivity, diet and nutrition, smoking, alcohol and other drug use, safety behaviours, sun protective behaviours, appropriate use of medicines, immunisation, sexuality and reproductive health, oral hygiene, and mental health. Priority populations and appropriate settings for intervening in these areas have also been identified.

scholarly journals Quinolone Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Rapid Genotyping of Quinolone Resistance-Determining Regions in gyrA and parC Genes by Melting Curve Analysis Predicts Susceptibility

2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 1264-1267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédérique Vernel-Pauillac ◽  
Tiffany R. Hogan ◽  
John W. Tapsall ◽  
Cyrille Goarant
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Melting Curve ◽  
Curve Analysis ◽  
Quinolone Resistance ◽  
Fluoroquinolone Resistance ◽  
Melting Curve Analysis ◽  
Pcr Assay

ABSTRACT We report a duplex real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous screening of mutations involved in fluoroquinolone resistance within gyrA and parC quninolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Our assay clearly detects all mutated QRDRs and allows the identification of common genotypes, whether the QRDRs contain single or double mutations, providing valuable epidemiological tools. When this method is used in conjunction with similar assays and in vitro analyses, essential antibiotic resistance surveillance can be performed for public health purposes.

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