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Decreased risk of non-influenza respiratory infection after influenza B virus infection in children Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-04-08 Tim K. Tsang, Richael Q. R. Du, Vicky J. Fang, Eric H. Y. Lau, Kwok Hung Chan, Daniel K. W. Chu, Dennis K. M. Ip, J. S. Malik Peiris, Gabriel M. Leung, Simon Cauchemez, Benjamin J. Cowling
Previous studies suggest that influenza virus infection may provide temporary non-specific immunity and hence lower the risk of non-influenza respiratory virus infection. In a randomized controlled trial of influenza vaccination, 1 330 children were followed-up in 2009–2011. Respiratory swabs were collected when they reported acute respiratory illness and tested against influenza and other respiratory
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Should we ignore SARS-CoV-2 disease? Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-20 Igor Nesteruk
Current World Health Organization (WHO) reports claim a decline in COVID-19 testing and reporting of new infections. To discuss the consequences of ignoring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the endemic characteristics of the disease in 2023 with the ones estimated before using 2022 data sets are compared. The accumulated numbers of cases and deaths reported to
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The impact of meteorological factors on tuberculosis incidence in Spain: a spatiotemporal analysis Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-20 María del Mar Díez Galán, Lidia Redondo-Bravo, Diana Gómez-Barroso, Laura Herrera, Rocio Amillategui, Javier Gómez-Castellá, Zaida Herrador, Spanish Working Group on Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global leading cause of death, necessitating an investigation into its unequal distribution. Sun exposure, linked to vitamin D (VD) synthesis, has been proposed as a protective factor. This study aimed to analyse TB rates in Spain over time and space and explore their relationship with sunlight exposure. An ecological study examined the associations between rainfall, sunshine
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Comparative epidemiology of outbreaks caused by SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants in China Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-19 Liping Peng, Xiaotong Huang, Can Wang, Hualei Xin, Benjamin J. Cowling, Peng Wu, Tim K. Tsang
From 2020 to December 2022, China implemented strict measures to contain the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. However, despite these efforts, sustained outbreaks of the Omicron variants occurred in 2022. We extracted COVID-19 case numbers from May 2021 to October 2022 to identify outbreaks of the Delta and Omicron variants in all provinces of mainland China. We found that
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Interplay of missed opportunity for vaccination and poor response to the vaccine led to measles outbreak in a slum area of Eastern Mumbai, India Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-18 Reetika Malik Yadav, Mangala Gomare, Arun Gaikwad, Upalimitra Waghmare, Utkarsh Betodkar, Meeta Dhaval Vashi, Vineet Kumar Kamal, Jeromie Wesley Vivian Thangaraj, Sampada Bangar, Tarun Bhatnagar, Manoj Murhekar
In the third week of September 2022, an outbreak of measles was reported from a slum in Eastern Mumbai, India. We sought to investigate whether failure to vaccinate or vaccine failure was the cause. We constructed an epidemic curve, drew a spot map, and calculated the attack rate and case-fatality ratio. We calculated vaccine effectiveness (VE) for one and two doses of measles vaccine in an unmatched
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Annual risk of hepatitis E virus infection and seroreversion: Insights from a serological cohort in Sitakunda, Bangladesh Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-18 Amy Dighe, Ashraful Islam Khan, Taufiqur Rahman Bhuiyan, Md Taufiqul Islam, Zahid Hasan Khan, Ishtiakul Islam Khan, Juan Dent Hulse, Shakeel Ahmed, Mamunur Rashid, Md Zakir Hossain, Rumana Rashid, Sonia T. Hegde, Emily S. Gurley, Firdausi Qadri, Andrew S. Azman
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute jaundice in South Asia. Gaps in our understanding of transmission are driven by non-specific symptoms and scarcity of diagnostics, impeding rational control strategies. In this context, serological data can provide important proxy measures of infection. We enrolled a population-representative serological cohort of 2,337 individuals in Sitakunda, Bangladesh
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Rapid assessment of data systems for COVID-19 vaccination in the WHO African Region Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-18 Franck Mboussou, Patrick Nkamedjie, Daniel Oyaole, Bridget Farham, Ajiri Atagbaza, Sheillah Nsasiirwe, Ana Costache, Donald Brooks, Charles Shey Wiysonge, Benido Impouma
Most countries in Africa deployed digital solutions to monitor progress in rolling out COVID-19 vaccines. A rapid assessment of existing data systems for COVID-19 vaccines in the African region was conducted between May and July 2022, in 23 countries. Data were collected through interviews with key informants, identified among senior staff within Ministries of Health, using a semi-structured electronic
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Barriers to vaccine acceptance in the adult population of mainland Finland, 2021 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Mervi Lasander, Kimmo Elo, Katja Joronen, Timothée Dub
There has been a lack of information on vaccine acceptance for Finnish adults. We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected through the Finnish Medicines Agency Medicine Barometer 2021 survey (response rate: 20.6%). We described and explained vaccine acceptance by investigating the associations between socio-demographic factors and statements using logistic regression and conducted
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The molecular epidemiology of hepatitis E virus genotype 3 in Canada Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Jamie Borlang, Donald Murphy, Jennifer Harlow, Carla Osiowy, Neda Nasheri
Autochthonous hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is increasingly reported in industrialized countries and is mostly associated with zoonotic HEV genotype 3 (HEV-3). In this study, we examined the molecular epidemiology of 63 human clinical HEV-3 isolates in Canada between 2014 and 2022. Fifty-five samples were IgM positive, 45 samples were IgG positive and 44 were IgM and IgG positive. The majority
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Combining models to generate a consensus effective reproduction number R for the COVID-19 epidemic status in England Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Harrison Manley, Josie Park, Luke Bevan, Alberto Sanchez-Marroquin, Gabriel Danelian, Thomas Bayley, Veronica Bowman, Thomas Maishman, Thomas Finnie, André Charlett, Nicholas A Watkins, Johanna Hutchinson, Graham Medley, Steven Riley, Nowcasts Model Contributing Group, Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths
The effective reproduction number $ R $ was widely accepted as a key indicator during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the UK, the $ R $ value published on the UK Government Dashboard has been generated as a combined value from an ensemble of epidemiological models via a collaborative initiative between academia and government. In this paper, we outline this collaborative modelling approach
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Epidemiology of tuberculosis among children in Beijing, China, 2012–2021 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Huiwen Zheng, Jing Xiao, Haiming Yang, Feina Li, Yajie Guo, Yonghong Wang, Deze Li, Hao Chen, Xiaotong Wang, Huimin Li, Chen Shen
Data on epidemiology trends of paediatric tuberculosis (TB) are limited in China. So, we investigated the clinical and epidemiological profiles in diagnosed TB disease and TB infection patients at Beijing Children’s Hospital. Of 3 193 patients, 51.05% had pulmonary TB (PTB) and 15.16% had extrapulmonary TB (EPTB). The most frequent forms of EPTB were TB meningitis (39.05%), pleural TB (29.75%), and
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Temporal trend analysis of acute hepatitis B virus infection in China, 1990–2019 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Ying Han, Yuansheng Li, Shuyuan Wang, Jialu Chen, Junhui Zhang
China faces challenges in meeting the World Health Organization (WHO)’s target of reducing hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections by 95% using 2015 as the baseline. Using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 data, joinpoint regression models were used to analyse the temporal trends in the crude incidence rates (CIRs) and age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) of acute HBV (AHBV) infections in China from
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TB index case tracing in the Roma community in the Czech Republic Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 Karolína Doležalová, Beatrix Mališková, Michaela Honegerová, Michaela Hromádková, Jiří Wallenfels
Tuberculosis (TB) contact tracing and TB preventive treatment are key tools in preventing the transmission of TB with the aim of eliminating the disease. Our study seeks to demonstrate how the infection spread from an individual patient to the entire community and how proactive contact tracing facilitated prompt diagnosis and treatment. Our work was conducted as a retrospective analysis of the spread
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COVID-19 outbreak at a residential apartment building in Northern Ontario, Canada Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-04 Dinna Lozano, Carolyn Dohoo, David Elfstrom, Kendra Carswell, Jennifer L. Guthrie
In February 2021, a cluster of Beta variant (B.1.351) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were identified in an apartment building located in Northern Ontario, Canada. Most cases had no known contact with each other. Objectives of this multi-component outbreak investigation were to better understand the social and environmental factors that facilitated the transmission of COVID-19 through this
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Post-migration HIV acquisition: A systematic review and meta-analysis Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Simran Mann, Zeenathnisa Mougammadou, Jan Wohlfahrt, Rahma Elmahdi
Migrants in Europe face a disproportionate burden of HIV infection; however, it remains unclear if this can be prevented through public health interventions in host countries. We undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate post-migration HIV acquisition (PMHA) as a proportion of all HIV cases in European migrants. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, HMIC, and Cochrane Library were searched
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Shedding and exclusion from childcare in children with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, 2018–2022 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-26 Amoolya Vusirikala, Sam Rowell, Girija Dabke, Georgina Fox, Jade Bell, Rohini Manuel, Claire Jenkins, Nicola Love, Noel McCarthy, Dana Sumilo, Sooria Balasegaram
Excluding children with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) from childcare until microbiologically clear of the pathogen, disrupts families, education, and earnings. Since PCR introduction, non-O157 STEC serotype detections in England have increased. We examined shedding duration by serotype and transmission risk, to guide exclusion advice. We investigated STEC cases aged <6 years, residing
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Monitoring antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter isolates of chickens and turkeys at the slaughter establishment level across the United States, 2013–2021 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-26 Hamid R. Sodagari, Isha Agrawal, Mohammad N. Sohail, Setyo Yudhanto, Csaba Varga
Foodborne infections with antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter spp. remain an important public health concern. Publicly available data collected by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Campylobacter spp. isolated from broiler chickens and turkeys at the slaughterhouse level across the United States between 2013 and
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Environmental predictors of Escherichia coli concentration at marine beaches in Vancouver, Canada: a Bayesian mixed-effects modelling analysis Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-26 Binyam N. Desta, Jordan Tustin, J. Johanna Sanchez, Cole Heasley, Michael Schwandt, Farida Bishay, Bobby Chan, Andjela Knezevic-Stevanovic, Randall Ash, David Jantzen, Ian Young
Understanding historical environmental determinants associated with the risk of elevated marine water contamination could enhance monitoring marine beaches in a Canadian setting, which can also inform predictive marine water quality models and ongoing climate change preparedness efforts. This study aimed to assess the combination of environmental factors that best predicts Escherichia coli (E. coli)
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Medical exemptions to mandatory vaccinations: The state of play in Australia and a pressure point to watch Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 William Kouji Yap, Katie Attwell
Australia’s mandatory vaccination policies have historically allowed for non-medical exemptions (NMEs), but this changed in 2016 when the Federal Government discontinued NMEs for childhood vaccination requirements. Australian states introduced further mandatory vaccination policies during the COVID-19 pandemic for a range of occupations including healthcare workers (HCWs). There is global evidence
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The importance of falsification endpoints in observational studies of vaccination to prevent severe disease: A critique of a harm–benefit analysis of BNT162b2 vaccination of 5- to 11-year-olds Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Tracy B. Høeg, Alyson Haslam, Vinay Prasad
We explore one systematic review and meta-analysis of both observational and randomized studies examining COVID-19 vaccines in 5- to 11-year-olds, which reported substantial benefits associated with vaccinating this age group. We discuss the limitations of the individual studies that were used to estimate vaccination benefits. The review included five observational studies that evaluated vaccine effectiveness
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Outbreak of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in hospitalized patients: Who is concerned? Nord Franche-Comté Hospital, France, 2023–2024 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-15 Souheil Zayet, Samantha Poloni, Julie Plantin, Abdoulaye Hamani, Yann Meckert, Charles-Eric Lavoignet, Vincent Gendrin, Timothée Klopfenstein
We report an outbreak of confirmed Mycoplasma pneumoniae community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Nord Franche-Comté Hospital, France, from 14 November 2023 to 31 January 2024. All 13 inpatients (11 adults with a mean age of 45.5 years and 2 children) were diagnosed with positive serology and/or positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on respiratory specimens. All patients were
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Malaria in pregnancy: Meta-analyses of prevalence and associated complications Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Jai K. Das, Sohail Lakhani, Abdu R. Rahman, Faareha Siddiqui, Zahra Ali Padhani, Zainab Rashid, Omar Mahmud, Syeda Kanza Naqvi, Hamna Amir Naseem, Hamzah Jehanzeb, Suresh Kumar, Mohammad Asim Beg
This review aims to assess the prevalence of malaria in pregnancy during antenatal visits and delivery, species-specific burden together with regional variation in the burden of disease. It also aims to estimate the proportions of adverse pregnancy outcomes in malaria-positive women. Based on the PRISMA guidelines, a thorough and systematic search was conducted in July 2023 across two electronic databases
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Antimicrobial resistance in the United States: Origins and future directions Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Kent F. Sutton, Lucas W. Ashley
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a critical public health problem that pervades hospitals and health systems worldwide. The ongoing AMR crisis is not only concerning for patient care but also healthcare delivery and quality. This article outlines key components of the origins of AMR in the United States and how it presents across the American healthcare system. Numerous factors contributed to
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Association between nurse staffing level in intensive care settings and hospital-acquired pneumonia among surgery patients: result from the Korea National Health Insurance cohort Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Yu Shin Park, Il Yun, Suk-Yong Jang, Eun-Cheol Park, Sung-In Jang
This study examined the association between the number of nursing staff in intensive care units (ICUs) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) among surgical patients in South Korea. Data were obtained between 2008 and 2019 from the Korean National Health Insurance Service Cohort Database; 37,706 surgical patients who received critical care services were included in the analysis. Patients with a history
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Near-source passive sampling for monitoring viral outbreaks within a university residential setting Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Kata Farkas, Jessica L. Kevill, Latifah Adwan, Alvaro Garcia-Delgado, Rande Dzay, Jasmine M. S. Grimsley, Kathryn Lambert-Slosarska, Matthew J. Wade, Rachel C. Williams, Javier Martin, Mark Drakesmith, Jiao Song, Victoria McClure, Davey L. Jones
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has proven to be a powerful tool for the population-level monitoring of pathogens, particularly severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For assessment, several wastewater sampling regimes and methods of viral concentration have been investigated, mainly targeting SARS-CoV-2. However, the use of passive samplers in near-source environments for
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COVID-19 passenger screening to reduce travel risk and translocation of disease Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Lindsay L. Waite, Ahmad Nahhas, Jan Irvahn, Grace Garden, Caroline M. Kerfonta, Elizabeth Killelea, William Ferng, Joshua J. Cummins, Rebecca Mereness, Thomas Austin, Stephen Jones, Nels Olson, Mark Wilson, Benson Isaac, Craig A. Pepper, Iain S. Koolhof, Jason Armstrong
Aviation passenger screening has been used worldwide to mitigate the translocation risk of SARS-CoV-2. We present a model that evaluates factors in screening strategies used in air travel and assess their relative sensitivity and importance in identifying infectious passengers. We use adapted Monte Carlo simulations to produce hypothetical disease timelines for the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 for
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Relationship between extreme precipitation and acute gastrointestinal illness in Toronto, Ontario, 2012–2022 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Crystal J. Ethan, Johanna Sanchez, Lauren Grant, Jordan Tustin, Ian Young
Extreme precipitation events are occurring more intensely in Canada. This can contaminate water sources with enteric pathogens, potentially increasing the risk of acute gastrointestinal illness. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between extreme precipitation and emergency department (ED) visits for acute gastrointestinal illness in Toronto from 2012 to 2022. Distributed lag non-linear
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Immune response to SARS-CoV-2 variants after immunization with different vaccines in Mexico Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-05 Erika Garay, Sean P. J. Whelan, Rebecca M. DuBois, Sara M. O’Rourke, Angel Eduardo Salgado-Escobar, José Esteban Muñoz-Medina, Carlos F. Arias, Susana López
There is limited information on the antibody responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in subjects from developing countries with populations having a high incidence of co-morbidities. Here, we analysed the immunogenicity of homologous schemes using the ChAdOx1-S, Sputnik V, or BNT162b2 vaccines and the effect of a booster dose with ChAdOx1-S in middle-aged adults
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Clinical isolate characteristics and demographics of patients with C.jejuni and C.coli infections in Northern Israel, 2015–2021 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-05 Ofri Tsafrir, Hanan Rohana, Lior Bousani, Khatib Orsan, Said Abozaid, Maya Azrad, Avi Peretz
C.coli is a significant cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide, with the majority of cases attributed to C.jejuni. Although most clinical laboratories do not typically conduct antimicrobial susceptibility testing for C.coli, the rise in resistant strains has underscored the necessity for such testing and epidemiological surveillance. The current study presents clinical isolate characteristics
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Seroconversion and seroprevalence of TORCH infections in a pregnant women cohort study, Mombasa, Kenya, 2017-2019 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-02 Elizabeth Hunsperger, Eric Osoro, Peninah Munyua, M. Kariuki Njenga, Harriet Mirieri, Gilbert Kikwai, Dennis Odhiambo, Moshe Dayan, Victor Omballa, George O. Agogo, Cyrus Mugo, Marc-Alain Widdowson, Irene Inwani
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Investigating Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus seropositivity in camels and human behavioural risks in an abattoir in Nigeria Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-02-01 Andrew Musa Adamu, Anyebe Bernard Onoja, Victoria Ehinor Ugbodu, Reuben Sylvester Bala, Meshach Maina, Usman Shehu Salisu, Shedrach Benjamin Pewan, Emmanuel David, Arhyel Malgwi, Cornelius Adamu, Abdulrahman Adeiza, Megan Herbert, Paul Horwood, Oyelola Adegboye
Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is an emerging viral pathogen with pandemic potential that is often misdiagnosed. Case fatality in low-resource settings could be up to 40% due to close contact between animals and humans. A two-year cross-sectional study was conducted in Fagge abattoir, Kano State, Nigeria, to estimate the seropositivity of CCHFV in camels using a commercial multi-species
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Application of ultrasound multimodal imaging in the prediction of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis rupture Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-30 Dan Zhao, Na Feng, Ning He, Jie Chu, Yaqin Shao, Wenzhi Zhang
Lymph node tuberculosis is particularly common in regions with a high tuberculosis burden, and it has a great risk of rupture. This study aims to investigate the utility of ultrasound multimodal imaging in predicting the rupture of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (CTL). 128 patients with unruptured CTL confirmed by pathology or laboratory tests were included. Various ultrasonic image features, including
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Reconstruction and analysis of the transmission network of African swine fever in People’s Republic of China, August 2018–September 2019 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-29 Andrei R. Akhmetzhanov, Sung-mok Jung, Hyojung Lee, Natalie M. Linton, Yichi Yang, Baoyin Yuan, Hiroshi Nishiura
Introduction of African swine fever (ASF) to China in mid-2018 and the subsequent transboundary spread across Asia devastated regional swine production, affecting live pig and pork product-related markets worldwide. To explore the spatiotemporal spread of ASF in China, we reconstructed possible ASF transmission networks using nearest neighbour, exponential function, equal probability, and spatiotemporal
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Enterococcus contamination of infant foods and implications for exposure to foodborne pathogens in peri-urban neighbourhoods of Kisumu, Kenya Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-24 Fanta D. Gutema, Oliver Cumming, Jane Mumma, Sheillah Simiyu, Edwin Attitwa, Bonphace Okoth, John Denge, Daniel Sewell, Kelly K. Baker
We collected infant food samples from 714 households in Kisumu, Kenya, and estimated the prevalence and concentration of Enterococcus, an indicator of food hygiene conditions. In a subset of 212 households, we quantified the change in concentration in stored food between a morning and afternoon feeding time. In addition, household socioeconomic characteristics and hygiene practices of the caregivers
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Optimising cervical cancer screening during pregnancy: a study of liquid-based cytology and HPV DNA co-test Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-23 Liying Gu, Yuan Hu, Yingting Wei, Zubei Hong, Yu Zhang, Jianhua Lin, Lihua Qiu, Wen Di
This study assessed the efficacy of ThinPrep cytologic test and human papillomavirus (HPV) co-test in cervical cancer screening during pregnancy. A cohort of 8,712 pregnant women from Ren Ji Hospital participated in the study. Among them, 601 (6.90%) tested positive for high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and 38 (0.44%) exhibited abnormal cytology results (ASCUS+). Following positive HR-HPV findings, 423 patients
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Seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 N antibodies between December 2021 and march 2023 in Japan Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-23 Seiya Yamayoshi, Etsuko Nagai, Keiko Mitamura, Masao Hagihara, Ryo Kobayashi, Satoshi Takahashi, Akimichi Shibata, Yoshifumi Uwamino, Naoki Hasegawa, Asef Iqbal, Isamu Kamimaki, Kiyoko Iwatsuki-Horimoto, Tokiko Nagamura-Inoue, Yoshihiro Kawaoka
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in 2019 in China and rapidly spread worldwide, leading to a pandemic. The threat of SARS-CoV-2 is subsiding as most people have acquired sufficient antibodies through vaccination and/or infection to prevent severe COVID-19. After the emergence of the omicron variants, the seroprevalence of antibodies against the N protein elicited
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The predictive role of symptoms in COVID-19 diagnostic models: A longitudinal insight Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-22 Olivia Bird, Eva P. Galiza, David Neil Baxter, Marta Boffito, Duncan Browne, Fiona Burns, David R. Chadwick, Rebecca Clark, Catherine A. Cosgrove, James Galloway, Anna L. Goodman, Amardeep Heer, Andrew Higham, Shalini Iyengar, Christopher Jeanes, Philip A. Kalra, Christina Kyriakidou, Judy M. Bradley, Chigomezgo Munthali, Angela M. Minassian, Fiona McGill, Patrick Moore, Imrozia Munsoor, Helen Nicholls
To investigate the symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, their dynamics and their discriminatory power for the disease using longitudinally, prospectively collected information reported at the time of their occurrence. We have analysed data from a large phase 3 clinical UK COVID-19 vaccine trial. The alpha variant was the predominant strain. Participants were assessed for SARS-CoV-2 infection via nasal/throat
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Serological and molecular screening of arenaviruses in suspected tick-borne encephalitis cases in Finland Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-22 Hussein Abas Thamer Alburkat, Emilia Pulkkinen, Jenni Virtanen, Olli Vapalahti, Tarja Sironen, A. J. Jääskeläinen
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is one of the arenaviruses infecting humans. LCMV infections have been reported worldwide in humans with varying levels of severity. To detect arenavirus RNA and LCMV-reactive antibodies in different geographical regions of Finland, we screened human serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, taken from suspected tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) cases, using
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Geographical distribution of invasive meningococcal disease and carriage: A spatial analysis Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Adriana Milazzo, Mark McMillan, Lynne Giles, Kira Page, Louise Flood, Helen Marshall
Little information exists concerning the spatial relationship between invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) cases and Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis) carriage. The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a relationship between IMD and asymptomatic oropharyngeal carriage of meningococci by spatial analysis to identify the distribution and patterns of cases and carriage in South Australia
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The yield of tuberculosis contact investigation on relapsed TB patients and analysis of associated risk factors: Singapore’s experience Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-17 Win M. Kyaw, Leo K.-Y. Lim, Jun Y. Tay, Jeffery L. Cutter, Deborah H. L. Ng
The yield of contact investigation on relapsed tuberculosis (TB) cases can guide strategies and resource allocation in the TB control programme. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to review the yield of contact investigation in relapsed TB cases and identify factors associated with TB infection (TBI) among close contacts of relapsed TB cases notified between 2018 and 2022 in Singapore. TB infection
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Case–control study of behavioural and societal risk factors for sporadic SARS-CoV-2 infections, Germany, 2020–2021 (CoViRiS study) Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-15 Bettina M. Rosner, Gerhard Falkenhorst, Isabella Kumpf, Maren Enßle, Andreas Hicketier, Achim Dörre, Klaus Stark, Hendrik Wilking
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, a variety of societal activities were restricted to minimize direct personal interactions and, consequently, reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The aim of the CoViRiS study was to investigate whether certain behaviours and societal factors were associated with the risk of sporadic symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections. Adult COVID-19 cases and frequency-matched population
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Clinical parameter-based prediction model for neurosyphilis risk stratification Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-15 Yilan Yang, Xin Gu, Lin Zhu, Yuanyuan Cheng, Haikong Lu, Zhifang Guan, Mei Shi, Liyan Ni, Ruirui Peng, Wei Zhao, Juan Wu, Tengfei Qi, Fuquan Long, Zhe Chai, Weiming Gong, Meiping Ye, Pingyu Zhou
Accurately predicting neurosyphilis prior to a lumbar puncture (LP) is critical for the prompt management of neurosyphilis. However, a valid and reliable model for this purpose is still lacking. This study aimed to develop a nomogram for the accurate identification of neurosyphilis in patients with syphilis. The training cohort included 9,504 syphilis patients who underwent initial neurosyphilis evaluation
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A prospective cohort study linking migration, climate, and malaria risk in the Peruvian Amazon – CORRIGENDUM Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-12 Annika K. Gunderson, Cristina Recalde-Coronel, Benjamin F. Zaitchik, Pablo Peñataro Yori, Silvia Rengifo Pinedo, Maribel Paredes Olortegui, Margaret Kosek, Joseph M. Vinetz, William K. Pan
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Estimating the burden of illness caused by domestic waterborne Legionnaires’ disease in Canada: 2015–2019 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-11 Carrie K. M. McMullen, Brendan Dougherty, Diane T. Medeiros, Gordon Yasvinski, Deepak Sharma, M. Kate Thomas
Legionellosis is a disease caused by the bacterium Legionella that most commonly presents as Legionnaires’ disease (LD), a severe form of pneumonia. From 2015 to 2019, an average of 438 LD cases per year were reported in Canada. However, it is believed that the actual number of cases is much higher, since LD may be underdiagnosed and underreported. The purpose of this study was to develop an estimate
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Multistate nontyphoidal Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli outbreaks linked to international travel—United States, 2017–2020 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-11 Caroline A. Habrun, Meseret G. Birhane, Louise K. François Watkins, Katharine Benedict, Lyndsay Bottichio, Kaylea Nemechek, Beth Tolar, Morgan N. Schroeder, Jessica C. Chen, Hayat Caidi, Misha Robyn, Megin Nichols
Enteric bacterial infections are common among people who travel internationally. During 2017–2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated 41 multistate outbreaks of nontyphoidal Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli linked to international travel. Resistance to one or more antimicrobial agents was detected in at least 10% of isolates in 16 of 30 (53%) nontyphoidal
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Rabies vaccination adherence and associated factors among rabies-exposed patients in Shenzhen, China: a hospital-based cross-sectional study Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-10 Ruiqi Lu, Jinsheng Lin, Yang Zhou, Qian Chen, Zaiying Fan, Shuning Wu, Pei Qin, Liping Li
Adherence to post-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure vaccination (PEV) is an important measure to prevent rabies. The purpose of this study was to explore the adherence to the vaccination protocol and its influencing factors among rabies-exposed patients in Shenzhen, China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, China, to obtain epidemiological characteristics
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Intra-serotypic antigenic diversity of dengue virus serotype 3 in Thailand during 2004–2015 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-08 Promsin Masrinoul, Panumas Sun-Arlee, Sutee Yoksan, Duangnapa Wanlayaporn, Sanjira Juntarapornchai, Surat Punyahathaikul, Kunjimas Ketsuwan, Somnuek Palabodeewat, Alita Kongchanagul, Prasert Auewarakul
In addition to the well-known differences among the four dengue serotypes, intra-serotypic antigenic diversity has been proposed to play a role in viral evolution and epidemic fluctuation. A replacement of genotype II by genotype III of dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV3) occurred in Thailand during 2007–2014, raising questions about the role of intra-serotypic antigenic differences in this genotype shift
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Developing a risk management framework to improve public health outcomes by enumerating and serotyping Salmonella in ground turkey Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-08 Fernando Sampedro, Francisco Garcés-Vega, Ali J. Strickland, Craig W. Hedberg
Salmonella enterica continues to be a leading cause of foodborne morbidity worldwide. A quantitative risk assessment model was developed to evaluate the impact of pathogen enumeration and serotyping strategies on public health after consumption of undercooked contaminated ground turkey in the USA. The risk assessment model predicted more than 20,000 human illnesses annually that would result in ~700
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Investigating oral human papillomavirus co-infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-08 Ella Trembizki, Taylah Anderson, David M. Whiley, Annika Antonsson
Compared to cervical cancer, little is known about human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven oropharyngeal cancer and their cofactors. Here, we investigated potential associations between Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) with oral HPV and HPV persistence, which are known cofactors in cervical carcinogenesis, and also play a role in HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer. Saliva samples (n
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Cost-effectiveness of interferon-γ release assay for screening of latent tuberculosis infection in individuals with schizophrenia Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-05 Akiko Kowada
Schizophrenia is recognized as a significant risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) with preventive treatment for screening of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in individuals with schizophrenia. A state transition model was developed from a healthcare payer perspective on a lifetime horizon. Ten
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Serosurveillance among urban slum and non-slum populations immunized with COVID-19 vaccines in Bangladesh Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-05 Protim Sarker, Md Ahsanul Haq, Evana Akhtar, Anjan Kumar Roy, Md Biplob Hosen, Tarique Mohammad Nurul Huda, Sharmin Akter, Razu Ahmed, Md Razib Chowdhury, Jannatul Ferdous, Maya Vandenent, Mohammad Zahirul Islam, Rashid U. Zaman, Shams-El Arifeen, Abdur Razzaque, Rubhana Raqib
Using two rounds of serosurveillance, we aimed to observe the COVID-19 vaccination status and the dynamics of antibody responses to different vaccines among urban slum and non-slum populations of Bangladesh. Adults (>18 years) and children (10–17 years) were enrolled in March and October 2022. Data including COVID-19 vaccine types and dosage uptake were collected. SARS-CoV-2 spike (S)-specific antibodies
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Rural–urban variation in COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Aotearoa New Zealand: Examining the national roll-out Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2024-01-04 Talis Liepins, Gabrielle Davie, Rory Miller, Jesse Whitehead, Brandon De Graaf, Lynne Clay, Sue Crengle, Garry Nixon
This study aimed to understand rural–urban differences in the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations during the peak period of the national vaccination roll-out in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Using a linked national dataset of health service users aged 12+ years and COVID-19 immunization records, age-standardized rates of vaccination uptake were calculated at fortnightly intervals, between June and December
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Case report: Hospital-acquired chickenpox in a healthcare setting Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-19 Sandeepa Utpat, Nishka Utpat, Vinod Nookala, Lalitha Podakula, Kaanchi Utpat
Chickenpox (varicella) is a rare occurrence in healthcare settings in the USA, but can be transmitted to healthcare workers (HCWs) from patients with herpes zoster who, in turn, can potentially transmit it further to unimmunized, immunosuppressed, at-risk, vulnerable patients. It is uncommon due to the inclusion of varicella vaccination in the recommended immunization schedule for children and screening
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Post-COVID-19 neuropsychiatric manifestations: a suggested therapeutic approach to ‘long COVID’ with azithromycin Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-15 Robert A. Schwartz, Robert M. Suskind
The devastating effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may not end when the acute illness has terminated. A subset of COVID-19 patients may have symptoms that persist for months. This condition has been described as ‘long COVID’. From a historical perspective, it has been recognized that serious long-term neurological sequelae
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Global, regional, and national disease burden and attributable risk factors of HIV/AIDS in older adults aged 70 years and above: a trend analysis based on the Global Burden of Disease study 2019 Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-15 Min Du, Min Liu, Jue Liu
We aimed to assess the burden and trend of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among older adults over the past three decades at different geographical levels, based on the data collected from the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) study 2019. This assessment identified the average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) using Joinpoint regression analysis. Globally, the incidence of HIV/AIDS has decreased (AAPC = −3.107);
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COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Turkey: A systematic review and meta-analysis Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-13 Bugra Taygun Gulle, Meryem Merve Oren, Tuba Dal
This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to estimate the prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy in Turkey, which can aid future health policies and strategies. A comprehensive search was conducted on various databases using keywords related to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Turkey. Quality assessment was performed using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for prevalence
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The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in Catalonia (Spain) Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 Ignasi Parrón, Mònica Carol, Núria Bes, Conchita Izquierdo, Pere Godoy, Irene Barrabeig, M. Rosa Sala, Sofía Minguell, Joaquin Ferras, Cristina Rius, Ana I. Martínez, Àngela Domínguez, Working Group for the Study of Outbreaks of Acute Gastroenteritis in Catalonia
We carried out a retrospective study of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreaks reported between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2021 in Catalonia (Spain) to compare the incidence from 2015 to 2019 with that observed from 2020 to 2021. We observed a higher incidence rate of outbreaks during the prepandemic period (16.89 outbreaks/1,000,000 person-years) than during the pandemic period (6.96 outbreaks/1
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ACCI could be a poor prognostic indicator for the in-hospital mortality of patients with SFTS Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-06 Chen Gong, Xinjian Xiang, Baoyu Hong, Tingting Shen, Meng Zhang, Shichun Shen, Shenggang Ding
This study aims to evaluate the predictive role of age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI) scores for in-hospital prognosis of severe fever in thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) patients. A total of 192 patients diagnosed with SFTS were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data were retrospectively collected. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic value
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High prevalence of asymptomatic malaria in Forest Guinea: Results from a rapid community survey Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-05 Charlotte C. Hammer, Mariama Dalanda Diallo, Boubacar Kann, Fatoumata Sanoh, Tamba N’fantoma Leno, Oumar Mansare, Ismail Diakité, Abdoulaye Djibril Sow, Yacouba Konate, Emilie Ryan-Castillo, Alpha Mahmoud Barry, Claire J. Standley
Malaria is endemic in Guinea; however, the extent and role in transmission of asymptomatic malaria are not well understood. In May 2023, we conducted a rapid community survey to determine Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) prevalence among asymptomatic individuals in Middle Guinea (Prefecture Dalaba) and Forest Guinea (Prefecture Guéckédou). In Dalaba, 6 of 239 (2.1%, confidence interval (CI) 0
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Analysis of a SARIMA-XGBoost model for hand, foot, and mouth disease in Xinjiang, China Epidemiol. Infect. (IF 4.2) Pub Date : 2023-12-04 Haojie Man, Hanting Huang, Zhuangyan Qin, Zhiming Li
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood infectious disease. The incidence of HFMD has a pronounced seasonal tendency and is closely related to meteorological factors such as temperature, rainfall, and wind speed. In this paper, we propose a combined SARIMA-XGBoost model to improve the prediction accuracy of HFMD in 15 regions of Xinjiang, China. The SARIMA model is used for seasonal