scholarly journals Capsid Integrity qPCR—An Azo-Dye Based and Culture-Independent Approach to Estimate Adenovirus Infectivity after Disinfection and in the Aquatic Environment

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mats Leifels ◽  
David Shoults ◽  
Alyssa Wiedemeyer ◽  
Nicholas J. Ashbolt ◽  
Emanuele Sozzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cell Culture ◽  
False Positive ◽  
Azo Dye ◽  
Human Adenovirus ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Wastewater Samples ◽  
Capsid Integrity

Recreational, reclaimed and drinking source waters worldwide are under increasing anthropogenic pressure, and often contain waterborne enteric bacterial, protozoan, and viral pathogens originating from non-point source fecal contamination. Recently, the capsid integrity (ci)-qPCR, utilizing the azo-dyes propidium monoazide (PMA) or ethidium monoazide (EMA), has been shown to reduce false-positive signals under laboratory conditions as well as in food safety applications, thus improving the qPCR estimation of virions of public health significance. The compatibility of two widely used human adenovirus (HAdV) qPCR protocols was evaluated with the addition of a PMA/EMA pretreatment using a range of spiked and environmental samples. Stock suspensions of HAdV were inactivated using heat, UV, and chlorine before being quantified by cell culture, qPCR, and ci-qPCR. Apparent inactivation of virions was detected for heat and chlorine treated HAdV while there was no significant difference between ci-qPCR and qPCR protocols after disinfection by UV. In a follow-up comparative analysis under more complex matrix conditions, 51 surface and 24 wastewater samples pre/post UV treatment were assessed for enteric waterborne HAdV to evaluate the ability of ci-qPCR to reduce the number of false-positive results when compared to conventional qPCR and cell culture. Azo-dye pretreatment of non-UV inactivated samples was shown to improve the ability of molecular HAdV quantification by reducing signals from virions with an accessible genome, thereby increasing the relevance of qPCR results for public health purposes, particularly suited to resource-limited low and middle-income settings.

A brief review of diagnosis of small ruminants brucellosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Ren ◽  
Qisheng Peng
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
False Positive ◽  
Brucella Melitensis ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Immunological Tests

: Brucellosis caused by bacteria of the genus of Brucella remains a major zoonosis in the widely world, which is an infectious disease with a severe economic impact on animal husbandry and public health. The genus of Brucella includes ten species and the most prevalent is Brucella melitensis. The diagnosis of Brucella melitensis ruminant brucellosis is based on bacteriological and immunological tests. The use of vaccines and the false-positive serological reactions (FPSR) caused by other cross-reacting bacteria represent the immunological contexts. This complex context results in the development of the large number of diagnosis of Brucella melitensis brucellosis. The aim of this article is to briefly review the detection methods and compare the superiorities of different tests.

Future Issues in Dissemination and Implementation Research

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross C. Brownson ◽  
Graham A. Colditz ◽  
Enola K. Proctor
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Implementation Research ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation Research ◽  
The Many

This chapter highlights just a sample of the many rich areas for dissemination and implementation research that will assist us in shortening the gap between discovery and practice, thus beginning to realize the benefits of research for patients, families, and communities. Greater emphasis on implementation in challenging settings, including lower and middle-income countries and underresourced communities in higher income countries will add to the lessons we must learn to fully reap the benefit of our advances in dissemination and implementation research methods. Moreover, collaboration and multidisciplinary approaches to dissemination and implementation research will help to make efforts more consistent and more effective moving forward. Thus, we will be better able to identify knowledge gaps that need to be addressed in future dissemination and implementation research, ultimately informing the practice and policies of clinical care and public health services.

An Overview of the Ethics of Injury in Public Health

2019 ◽  
pp. 597-603
Author(s):  
Adnan A. Hyder
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Injury Prevention ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Public Health Ethics ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Health Ethics ◽  
Prompt Attention ◽  
And Control

This chapter briefly introduces ethics issues in injury prevention and control in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), using a series of examples that prompt attention to the ethical principles of autonomy and justice. The chapter also introduces the section of The Oxford Handbook of Public Health Ethics dedicated to an examination of injury and public health ethics, with attention given to the complex ethical challenges arising in injury prevention and control in LMICs. The section’s two chapters discuss public health ethics issues arising in the prevention and control of unintentional injuries and intentional injuries, respectively. Those chapters define a set of ethics issues within international injury work and provide an initial analysis of the nature of those ethics issues, their specificity, and potential pathways for addressing them.

scholarly journals Changes of Walking Activity During the First Cycle Phases of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Seoul, Korea

2021 ◽  
pp. 193758672110265
Author(s):  
Youngjun Park ◽  
Haekwon Chung ◽  
Sohyun Park
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Voluntary Participation ◽  
Walking Activity ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Acceleration And Deceleration ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The Government

Aim: This study explores the changes in regular walking activities during the phases of the pandemic. Background: With the spread of COVID-19 transmission, people are refraining from going out, reducing their physical activity. In South Korea, COVID-19 broke out in the 4th week of 2020 and experienced the first cycle phases of the pandemic, such as outbreak, widespread, and decline. In response to the pandemic, the government encouraged voluntary participation in social distancing campaigns, and people reduced their outside activities. Methods: This article examines the decrease and increase of the Prevalence of Regular Walking (≥30 min of moderate walking a day, on ≥5 days a week) by the COVID-19 phases. This study is based on weekly walking data for 15 weeks in 2020, via the smartphone healthcare app, which is managed by 25 public health offices of the Seoul government. Results: According to the findings, the level of prevalence of regular walking (PRW) has a significant difference before and after the outbreak, and every interval of the four-stage COVID-19 phases, that is, pre-pandemic, initiation, acceleration, and deceleration. The level of PRW sharply decreased during initiation and acceleration intervals. In the deceleration interval of COVID-19, the PRW kept increasing, but it has not yet reached the same level as the previous year when the COVID-19 did not exist. Conclusions: As a preliminary study, this study explains empirically how COVID-19 changed PRW in Seoul. It would be helpful to enhance our understanding of the changes in physical inactivity in the pandemic period.

scholarly journals Who manages health workforce in the States of India: Profile, knowledge and perceptions of the team

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Khurana ◽  
S Roy ◽  
M Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Role Clarity ◽  
Public Health Sector ◽  
Hrm Practices ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Problem Human resources in the public health sector is of prime importance in a limited resource setting country, who at times work in a high-pressure, limited resource environment and where skilled staff continue to remain in short supply. The role of Human Resource for Health (HRH) team responsible for managing this health workforce is crucial. They play an important role in improving the human resource practices and creating an enabling organizational culture for optimal resource utilization. The paper explores the profile of the HRH teams of the states of India, their knowledge levels, and perceptions of their role. Methods The participants were HR Managers from 29 states of India who look after HRH in National Health Mission and State Health Departments. Cross-sectional survey tool was used for data collection. Quantitative data analysis included univariate and bivariate analysis. One Way ANOVA test of significance and post-hoc tests using Tukey's method was used to ascertain the groups with significant difference. Results Most of the HRH team members are postgraduates or have management background. Their experience varies from <1year to > 25 years. Mostly of them perceive their role to be limited to implementing bare essential HRM practices, mostly administrative. The educational qualification of the members did not have any significant bearing on their technical knowledge related to HRM practices; but their experience in public health sector showed a significant association. Lessons This study lends evidence to the principle that professionals who have been in the system for long, know about HRH and the associated policies better, and hence may be better equipped to handle HRH and establish good HR Management (HRM) systems. Better role clarity among the HRH teams, expansion of their current scope of work to include advanced practices of HRM and continuous capacity building mechanisms are needed to help strengthen the development and management of HRH. Key messages This study, a first of its kind in the country, lend evidence related to the principle for deciding the profile of team who should be entrusted with managing and development of HRH. The Study gives evidence to focus on the role clarity of HRH to zero down their knowledge and skills gaps and enhance their competencies through better capacity building.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 on the care of people living with noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: an online survey of physicians and pharmacists in nine countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Bullen ◽  
Jessica McCormack ◽  
Amanda Calder ◽  
Varsha Parag ◽  
Kannan Subramaniam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
World Health ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Abstract Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare worldwide. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where people may have limited access to affordable quality care, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to have a particularly adverse impact on the health and healthcare of individuals with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). A World Health Organization survey found that disruption of delivery of healthcare for NCDs was more significant in LMICs than in high-income countries. However, the study did not elicit insights into the day-to-day impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare by front-line healthcare workers (FLHCWs). Aim: To gain insights directly from FLHCWs working in countries with a high NCD burden, and thereby identify opportunities to improve the provision of healthcare during the current pandemic and in future healthcare emergencies. Methods: We recruited selected frontline healthcare workers (general practitioners, pharmacists, and other medical specialists) from nine countries to complete an online survey (n = 1347). Survey questions focused on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on clinical practice and NCDs; barriers to clinical care during the pandemic; and innovative responses to the many challenges presented by the pandemic. Findings: The majority of FLHCWs responding to our survey reported that their care of patients had been impacted both adversely and positively by the public health measures imposed. Most FLHCs (95%) reported a deterioration in the mental health of their patients. Conclusions: Continuity of care for NCDs as part of pandemic preparedness is needed so that chronic conditions are not exacerbated by public health measures and the direct impacts of the pandemic.

scholarly journals A road-map for addressing antimicrobial resistance in low- and middle-income countries: lessons learnt from the public private participation and co-designed antimicrobial stewardship programme in the State of Kerala, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjeev Singh ◽  
Esmita Charani ◽  
Sarada Devi ◽  
Anuj Sharma ◽  
Fabia Edathadathil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
The State ◽  
Action Plans ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Public Health Threat

Abstract Background The global concern over antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is gathering pace. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at the epicentre of this growing public health threat and governmental and healthcare organizations are at different stages of implementing action plans to tackle AMR. The South Indian state of Kerala was one of the first in India to implement strategies and prioritize activities to address this public health threat. Strategies Through a committed and collaborative effort from all healthcare related disciplines and its professional societies from both public and private sector, the Kerala Public Private Partnership (PPP) has been able to deliver a state-wide strategy to tackle AMR A multilevel strategic leadership model and a multilevel implementation approach that included developing state-wide antibiotic clinical guidelines, a revision of post-graduate and undergraduate medical curriculum, and a training program covering all general practitioners within the state the PPP proved to be a successful model for ensuring state-wide implementation of an AMR action plan. Collaborative work of multi-professional groups ensured co-design and development of disease based clinical treatment guidelines and state-wide infection prevention policy. Knowledge exchange though international and national platforms in the form of workshops for sharing of best practices is critical to success. Capacity building at both public and private institutions included addressing practical and local solutions to the barriers e.g. good antibiotic prescription practices from primary to tertiary care facility and infection prevention at all levels. Conclusion Through 7 years of stakeholder engagement, lobbying with government, and driving change through co-development and implementation, the PPP successfully delivered an antimicrobial stewardship plan across the state. The roadmap for the implementation of the Kerala PPP strategic AMR plan can provide learning for other states and countries aiming to implement action plans for AMR.

scholarly journals Decompressive craniotomy: an international survey of practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Midhun Mohan ◽  
◽  
Hugo Layard Horsfall ◽  
Davi Jorge Fontoura Solla ◽  
Faith C. Robertson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Randomized Trial ◽  
Bone Flap ◽  
Acute Subdural Hematoma ◽  
International Survey ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Decompressive Craniotomy

Abstract Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke have devastating consequences and are major global public health issues. For patients that require a cerebral decompression after suffering a TBI or stroke, a decompressive craniectomy (DC) is the most commonly performed operation. However, retrospective non-randomized studies suggest that a decompressive craniotomy (DCO; also known as hinge or floating craniotomy), where a bone flap is replaced but not rigidly fixed, has comparable outcomes to DC. The primary aim of this project was to understand the current extent of usage of DC and DCO for TBI and stroke worldwide. Method A questionnaire was designed and disseminated globally via emailing lists and social media to practicing neurosurgeons between June and November 2019. Results We received 208 responses from 60 countries [40 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)]. DC is used more frequently than DCO, however, about one-quarter of respondents are using a DCO in more than 25% of their patients. The three top indications for a DCO were an acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) and a GCS of 9-12, ASDH with contusions and a GCS of 3-8, and ASDH with contusions and a GCS of 9-12. There were 8 DCO techniques used with the majority (60/125) loosely tying sutures to the bone flap. The majority (82%) stated that they were interested in collaborating on a randomized trial of DCO vs. DC. Conclusion Our results show that DCO is a procedure carried out for TBI and stroke, especially in LMICs, and most commonly for an ASDH. The majority of the respondents were interested in collaborating on a is a future randomized trial.

scholarly journals A comparison of health communication effectiveness and the improvement of management strategies: taking two Chinese traditional medicine hospitals’ WeChat public accounts as examples

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wang ◽  
Lanting Wu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Communication ◽  
Traditional Medicine ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Mobile Internet ◽  
Chinese Traditional Medicine ◽  
Public Account ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Background In the light of “Internet plus”, hospitals are following the trend of using mobile internet and adopting a strategy of spreading public health knowledge through mobile terminals. WeChat is a social media with the largest number of users in China. Its public account has become the most popular service among the public. Methods We examine the health communication of medical institutions on social media platforms. The WeChat public accounts of Zhejiang Provincial Chinese Traditional Medicine Hospital and Jiangxi Provincial Chinese Traditional Medicine Hospital were taken as cases to measure the communication effect from the following dimensions: update interval, content positioning and design, numbers of clicks and likes as well as topic types. Results The update interval of WeChat public account of Jiangxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine was regular, compared with that of the other hospital. The accounts of the two hospitals both set up special sections to facilitate patients to obtain medical services online. There is an extremely significant difference between the two hospitals’ mean numbers of clicks (p < 0. 001), compared with no significant difference between their mean numbers of likes. One-way analysis of variance suggests the type of topic on posts is significantly correlated with the number of clicks. Moreover, there is an extremely significant difference between public health knowledge and news propaganda. Conclusion The development of hospitals’ WeChat public accounts can promote people’s health and equity in accessing medical information and service, and also boost “Internet plus health care” service. The topic type of hospital’s news publicity is paid a relatively lower attention by users. Therefore, hospitals’ WeChat public accounts need to adjust their strategy from propaganda-oriented to users-centered, with topic planning and posts designed to fulfill users’ needs.

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