scholarly journals Norovirus outbreak among students of a boarding school in Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (04) ◽  
pp. 274-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Nizam Subahir ◽  
Mohammad Saffree Jeffree ◽  
Mohd Rohaizat Hassan ◽  
Md Faizul Abd Razak ◽  
Syarifah Noor Ghulam Mohamad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boarding School ◽  
Food Samples ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Abdominal Symptoms ◽  
Stool Samples ◽  
Fresh Stool ◽  
And Control ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
First Time

Introduction: Norovirus (NoV) is a contagious virus causing acute gastroenteritis and is mainly responsible for diarrheal outbreak in closed settings. The aims of this study were to describe the epidemiological characteristic of an outbreak in a boarding school, to assess the extent of the outbreak and to implement appropriate control measures. Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted to describe the epidemiological characteristics of the outbreak. Data on demographic details, onset of abdominal symptoms, food intake history and contact with ill person three days prior to illness were obtained. Results: Twelve fresh stool and 14 food samples were tested for NoV and enteric pathogens, respectively. Out of 745 students, 42 (5.6%) were infected during this outbreak. Predominant clinical features were diarrhea (76.1%), vomiting (71.4%) and abdominal pain (67%). Eight (67%) stool samples and six (43.9%)food samples were positive for NoV and total coliforms, respectively. The dissemination of the disease was due to poor hygiene practices among students. Quarantine was imposed until the last case on September 28, 2016. The outbreak was declared over on September 30, 2016. Conclusions: A NoV outbreak was determined first time in Malaysia. Environmental assessment showed poor hygienic conditions in the school’s kitchen. The number of infected students increased considerably despite the implementation of preventive and control measures. Quarantine was effective to stop the outbreak which is characteristics of NoV outbreak.

An Epidemiological Analysis of COVID-19 Confirmed Cases, Reported at National Institute of Health, Pakistan (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ambreen Chaudhry
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Travel History ◽  
Disease Epidemiology ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Multi Center Study ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is a zoonotic disease of novel origin that posed a continuous threat to health worldwide after taking the shape of the pandemic. An understanding of disease epidemiology is supportive in timely preventive and control measures as well as contact tracing and curbing surveillance activities. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to determine the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 confirmed cases reported at the National Institute of Health Pakistan and elements of its spread in Pakistan. METHODS A retrospective record review was conducted at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad, Pakistan from January 25 to April 4, 2020. Univariate and bivariate analysis was done with 95% CI and p<0.05. RESULTS A total of 14,422 samples of suspected COVID-19 cases were received with a positivity rate of 9% (n=1348). Among all 70% (n=939) were male. The median age was 41years of age (range: 01-99Years). Among all, 19% were from 30-39 years old followed by 50-59 years old (17%). Children remained the least affected by 3% (n=35). Of the total reported cases, 55% (n=735) have reported the travel history within the last 14 days. Among these travelers’ international travelers were 23% (n=166) and domestic travelers were 77% (n=569). Travel history including both international and domestic remained significantly associated with the different age groups and Young adults remained more vulnerable to COVID-19 (P=0.03). Fever, SOB, and Cough remained the most significantly associated (P<0.05) in all age groups. CONCLUSIONS A higher incidence of COVID-19 among elderly men suggests robust quarantine measures for this target population. An escalating incidence of local transmission needs strict social distancing and hygiene practices to help flatten the curve. An extensive multi-center study is also recommended for a full understanding of disease dynamics.

scholarly journals Ebola in Africa - Discoveries in the past decade

2002 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
R R Arthur
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Diagnosis ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
Haemorrhagic Fever ◽  
The Past ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
The Republic ◽  
And Control ◽  
First Time

Within the past decade, Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) has been recognised for the first time in four countries. Our understanding of the epidemiology, clinical aspects, laboratory diagnosis and control measures for EHF has improved considerably as a result of the outbreaks in these countries and the re-emergence that has occurred in another. The coordinated international responses to several of the large EHF outbreaks serve as models for controlling epidemics of other communicable diseases. This report is a chronological overview of the EHF outbreaks in Africa during the past decade, including the recent epidemics in Gabon and the Republic of the Congo, and highlights new discoveries and some of the remaining challenges.

DNA segments of African Swine Fever Virus detected for the first time in hard ticks from sheep and bovines

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ze Chen ◽  
Xiaofeng Xu ◽  
Yufeng Wang ◽  
Jinlong Bei ◽  
Xiufeng Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African Swine Fever Virus ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Fever Virus ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Small Rna Sequencing ◽  
Hard Ticks ◽  
Prevention And Control Measures ◽  
And Control ◽  
First Time

In this study, we detected African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) in Dermacentor (Ixodidae) from sheep and bovines using small RNA sequencing. To validate this result, a 235-bp DNA segment was detected in a number of DNA samples from D. silvarum and sheep blood. This 235-bp segment had an identity of 99% to a 235-bp DNA segment of ASFV and contained three single nucleotide mutations (C38T, C76T and A108C). C38T, resulting in a single amino acid mutation G66D, suggests the existence of a new ASFV strain, which is different from all reported ASFV strains in the NCBI GenBank database and the ASFV strain (GenBank: MH713612.1) reported in China in 2018. To further confirm the existence of ASFV in Dermacentor ticks, three DNA segments of ASFV were detected in D. niveus females from bovines and their first generation ticks reared in our lab. These results also proved that transovarian transmission of ASFV occurs in hard ticks. This study revealed for the first time that ASFV has a wider range of hosts (e.g. sheep and bovines) and vectors (e.g. hard ticks), beyond the well-known Suidae family and Argasidae (soft ticks). Our findings pave the way toward further studies on ASFV transmission and the development of prevention and control measures.

scholarly journals Notes on the sand fly fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a region of Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. e596101422480
Author(s):  
Paula Fassicolo Variza ◽  
Thiago Nunes Pereira ◽  
Joice Guilherme de Oliveira ◽  
Millena Fernandes ◽  
Daniel Moreira de Avelar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Forest ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Sand Flies ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Santa Catarina ◽  
Leishmania Spp ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
And Control ◽  
First Time

The family Psychodidae has a cosmopolitan distribution with members that occur in many habitats, mainly in humid environments, and is most diverse in the tropics. Subfamilies Sycoracinae and Phlebotominae have females with hematophagous habits and the latter studied more due to medical and veterinary interest, since it includes species that can transmit diseases to animals and humans. The knowledge about the sand fly fauna in a region is extremely important for adequate monitoring and control measures for leishmaniasis. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize Psychodidae fauna in relation to richness, abundance and molecular identification of Leishmania spp. in sand flies in southern Santa Catarina, Brazil. The ollections were carried out between 2015 and 2016 in three cities in Santa Catarina, Brazil. Samples were taken near feeding places for domestic animals, urban forest and peridomicile areas. The insects were identified and female sand flies were submitted to molecular analysis to detect the presence of Leishmania spp.. A total of 4,200 insects were collected, 4,193 from the Sycoracinae subfamily and 7 Phlebotominae from the Nyssomyia neivai and Pintomyia fisheri species. Of the studied municipalities, sandflies were registered in Tubarão and Imaruí and the most frequent habitat was the peridomicile areas. No samples were positive for Leishmania spp. In conclusion, the work highlights the presence of two species of sandflies, which were recorded for the first time in southern Santa Catarina.

scholarly journals Should we remain hopeful? The key 8 weeks: Spatiotemporal epidemic characteristics of COVID-19 in Sichuan Province and its comparative analysis with other provinces in China and global epidemic trends

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinyin Xu ◽  
Jing Zeng ◽  
Runyou Liu ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Xiaobo Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Sichuan Province ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
First Case ◽  
Imported Cases ◽  
And Control ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 spread worldwide quickly. Exploring the epidemiological characteristics could provide a basis for responding to imported cases abroad and to formulate prevention and control strategies in areas where COVID-19 is still spreading rapidly. Methods: The number of confirmed cases, daily growth, incidence and length of time from the first reported case to the end of the local cases (i.e., non-overseas imported cases) were compared by spatial (geographical) and temporal classification and visualization of the development and changes of the epidemic situation by layers through maps. Results: In the first wave, a total of 539 cases were reported in Sichuan, with an incidence rate of 0.6462/100,000. The closer to Hubei the population centres were, the more pronounced the epidemic was. The peak in Sichuan Province occurred in the second week. Eight weeks after the Wuhan lockdown, the health crisis had eased. The longest epidemic length at the city level in China (except Wuhan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) was 53 days, with a median of 23 days. Spatial autocorrelation analysis of China showed positive spatial correlation (Moran's Index >0, p<0.05). Most countries outside China began to experience a rapid rise in infection rates 4 weeks after their first case. Some European countries experienced that rise earlier than the USA. The pandemic in Germany, Spain, Italy, and China took 28, 29, 34, and 18 days, respectively, to reach the peak of daily infections, after their daily increase of up to 20 cases. During this time, countries in the African region and Southeast Asian region were at an early stage of infections, those in the Eastern Mediterranean region and region of the Americas were in a rapid growth phase. Conclusions: After the closure of the outbreak city, appropriate isolation and control measures in the next 8 weeks were key to control the outbreak, which reduced the peak value and length of the outbreak. Some countries with improved epidemic situations need to develop a continuous "local strategy at entry checkpoints" to respond to a possible second local epidemic.

scholarly journals Should we remain hopeful? The key 8 weeks: spatiotemporal epidemic characteristics of COVID-19 in Sichuan Province and its comparative analysis with other provinces in China and global epidemic trends

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinyin Xu ◽  
Jing Zeng ◽  
Runyou Liu ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Xiaobo Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Sichuan Province ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
First Case ◽  
Imported Cases ◽  
And Control ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract Background The COVID-19 spread worldwide quickly. Exploring the epidemiological characteristics could provide a basis for responding to imported cases abroad and to formulate prevention and control strategies in areas where COVID-19 is still spreading rapidly. Methods The number of confirmed cases, daily growth, incidence and length of time from the first reported case to the end of the local cases (i.e., non-overseas imported cases) were compared by spatial (geographical) and temporal classification and visualization of the development and changes of the epidemic situation by layers through maps. Results In the first wave, a total of 539 cases were reported in Sichuan, with an incidence rate of 0.6462/100,000. The closer to Hubei the population centres were, the more pronounced the epidemic was. The peak in Sichuan Province occurred in the second week. Eight weeks after the Wuhan lockdown, the health crisis had eased. The longest epidemic length at the city level in China (except Wuhan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) was 53 days, with a median of 23 days. Spatial autocorrelation analysis of China showed positive spatial correlation (Moran’s Index > 0, p < 0.05). Most countries outside China began to experience a rapid rise in infection rates 4 weeks after their first case. Some European countries experienced that rise earlier than the USA. The pandemic in Germany, Spain, Italy, and China took 28, 29, 34, and 18 days, respectively, to reach the peak of daily infections, after their daily increase of up to 20 cases. During this time, countries in the African region and Southeast Asian region were at an early stage of infections, those in the Eastern Mediterranean region and region of the Americas were in a rapid growth phase. Conclusions After the closure of the outbreak city, appropriate isolation and control measures in the next 8 weeks were key to control the outbreak, which reduced the peak value and length of the outbreak. Some countries with improved epidemic situations need to develop a continuous “local strategy at entry checkpoints” to to fend off imported COVID-19.

scholarly journals Epidemiological study of scarlet fever in Shenyang, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huijie Chen ◽  
Ye Chen ◽  
Baijun Sun ◽  
Lihai Wen ◽  
Xiangdong An
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Scarlet Fever ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
And Control ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract Background Since 2011, there has been an increase in the incidence of scarlet fever across China. The main objective of this study was to depict the spatiotemporal epidemiological characteristics of the incidence of scarlet fever in Shenyang, China, in 2018 so as to provide the scientific basis for effective strategies of scarlet control and prevention. Methods Excel 2010 was used to demonstrate the temporal distribution at the month level and ArcGIS10.3 was used to demonstrate the spatial distribution at the district/county level. Moran’s autocorrelation coefficient was used to examine the spatial autocorrelation and the Getis-Ord statistic was used to determine the hot-spot areas of scarlet fever. Results A total of 2314 scarlet fever cases were reported in Shenyang in 2018 with an annual incidence of 31.24 per 100,000. The incidence among males was higher than that among females(p<0.001). A vast majority of the cases (96.89%) were among children aged 3 to 11 years. The highest incidence was 625.34/100,000 in children aged 5–9 years. In 2018 there were two seasonal peaks of scarlet fever in June (summer-peak) and December (winter-peak). The incidence of scarlet fever in urban areas was significantly higher than that in rural areas(p<0.001). The incidence of scarlet fever was randomly distributed in Shenyang. There are hotspot areas located in seven districts. Conclusions Urban areas are the hot spots of scarlet fever and joint prevention and control measures between districts should be applied. Children aged 3–11 are the main source of scarlet fever and therefore the introduction of prevention and control into kindergarten and primary schools may be key to the control of scarlet fever epidemics.

scholarly journals Epidemiological study of scarlet fever in Shenyang , China

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huijie Chen ◽  
Ye Chen ◽  
Baijun Sun ◽  
Lihai Wen ◽  
Xiangdong An
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Scarlet Fever ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
And Control ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract Background : Since 2011, the rising incidence of scarlet fever has exerted a marked influence on people. The main objective of this study was to depict the Spatiotemporal epidemiological characteristics of the incidence of scarlet fever in Shenyang, China, in 2018 so as to provide the scientific basis for effective strategies of scarlet control and prevention. Methods: Excel 2010 was used to demonstrate the temporal distribution at the month level and ArcGIS10.3 was used to demonstrate the spatial distribution at the district/county level. Moran’s autocorrelation coefficient was used to examine the spatial autocorrelation and the Getis-Ord statistic was used to determine the hot-spot areas of scarlet fever. Results: A total of 2,314 scarlet fever cases were reported in Shenyang in 2018 with an annual incidence of 31.24 per 100,000. The incidence among males was higher than that among females（ p ＜0.001). A vast majority of the cases (96.89%) were among children aged 3 to 11 years. The highest incidence was 625.34/100,000 in children aged 5-9 years. There are two seasonal peaks occurred in June (Summer-peak) and in December (Winter-peak) in 2018. The incidence of scarlet fever in urban areas was significantly higher than that in rural areas( p ＜0.001).The incidence of scarlet fever was randomly distributed in Shenyang. There are hotspot areas located in seven districts. Conclusions: Urban areas are the hot spots of scarlet fever and joint prevention and control measures between districts should be applied. Children in the kindergartens and the primary schools are the main population of scarlet fever and measures for prevention and control in kindergartens and primary schools may be the key to control the epidemic of scarlet fever.

scholarly journals Research about the optimal strategies for prevention and control of varicella outbreak in a school in a central city of China: based on an SEIR dynamic model

2020 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-ting Zha ◽  
Feng-rui Pang ◽  
Nan Zhou ◽  
Bin Wu ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Model ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Central City ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Peak Time ◽  
Cumulative Number ◽  
And Control ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
Combined Interventions

Abstract Varicella is an acute respiratory infectious diseases, with high transmissibility and quick dissemination. In this study, an SEIR (susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered) dynamic model was established to explore the optimal prevention and control measures according to the epidemiological characteristics about varicella outbreak in a school in a central city of China. Berkeley Madonna 8.3.18 and Microsoft Office Excel 2010 software were employed for the model simulation and data management, respectively. The result showed that the simulated result of SEIR model agreed well with the reported data when β (infected rate) equal to 0.067. Models showed that the cumulative number of cases was only 13 when isolation adopted when the infected individuals were identified (assuming isolation rate was up to 100%); the cumulative number of cases was only two and the TAR (total attack rate) was 0.56% when the vaccination coefficient reached 50%. The cumulative number of cases did not change significantly with the change of efficiency of ventilation and disinfection, but the peak time was delayed; when δ (vaccination coefficient) = 0.1, m (ventilation efficiency) = 0.7 or δ = 0.2, m = 0.5 or δ = 0.3, m = 0.1 or δ = 0.4 and above, the cumulative number of cases would reduce to one case and TAR would reduce to 0.28% with combined interventions. Varicella outbreak in school could be controlled through strict isolation or vaccination singly; combined interventions have been adopted when the vaccination coefficient was low.

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