According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the epidemic situation on poliomyelitis in the world is not good. Ukraine is on the list of countries certified by WHO as the territory free of polio, and previously, population coverage with scheduled vaccination against polio was 95%.
H7N9 virus emerged in Eastern China in March 2013, which led to >550 human cases and >200 deaths in 2 years. Live poultry markets (LPMs) are considered as a major source of human H7N9 infections. In late 2013, the virus had spread to the southern provinces including Guangdong. Its provincial capital Guangzhou, detected its first local H7N9 human case in mid-January 2014 and reaching 10 cases in a month. As a response, Guangzhou government announced a two-week city-wide market closure, banning trading and storing of live poultry. Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention took this opportunity to establish enhanced surveillance on top of the existing routine LPM surveillance, to assess the impact of such on H7N9 viral isolation and survival.
Objective
This study assessed the effect of disinfection and closing live poultry markets in China on avian influenza A(H7N9) virus detection and viability in a natural setting. We characterized virus detection at different sampling sites to assess exposure risk to the general public and live poultry traders.
Effective infectious disease public health surveillance systems are often lacking in resource poor settings. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) put forword recommnded standards for public health surveillence.[1] Following the recommendations, the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) in 1998 proposed the Integrated Dieases Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy for the prompt detection and response to key communicable diseases in the African region.[2,3] In 2003, Cameroon adopted the IDSR-strategy to fortify surveillance in the country. We describe cholera surveillance within IDSR-strategy, and assess whether its goal of data analysis and rapid response at the district level have been met.
Objective
To describe cholera public health surveillance systems in Cameroon within its hierarchical health system
CHIKV is transmitted by mosquitoes and often occurs in large outbreaks with high attack rates. Common symptoms (which can be severe and disabling) include fever, joint pain/swelling, headache, muscle pain and rash. In December 2013, the World Health Organization reported local CHIKV transmission in the Caribbean. In July 2014, the first locally-acquired case in the continental U.S. (Florida) and increasing cases in Puerto Rico (PR) were reported. Due to the growing outbreak, VA Office of Public Health began conducting ongoing surveillance.
Objective
We describe challenges and lessons learned conducting surveillance for Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an emerging infectious disease in the Americas.
In India the range and burden of infectious diseases is enormous. To address this burden effectively, an estimate of the burden of infectious diseases is essential. The present study aims to analyze data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (ISDP) to estimate the rates of selected infectious diseases in the state of Maharashtra in comparison to the rest of India.
Objective
The present study aims to analyze data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (ISDP) to estimate the rates of selected infectious diseases in the state of Maharashtra in comparison to the rest of India.
Deterioration of socio-economic conditions in Ukraine created a threat of the spread of communicable diseases, including vaccine preventable diseases. Children in Ukraine routinely receive two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine according to the national immunization schedule. Measles is targeted for elimination in Ukraine. But now Ukraine crisis carries significant public health risk and requires changing tactics of surveillance and epidemiological control against measles.
Objective
To estimate the current measles situation in the Kharkiv oblast (eastern region of Ukraine) and to develop ways of improving the surveillance and control of measles in elimination phase during the crisis in Ukraine.
Public health practitioners endeavor to expand and refine their syndromic and other advanced surveillance systems that are designed to supplement their existing laboratory testing and disease surveillance toolkit. While much of the development and widespread implementation of these systems had been supported by public health preparedness funding, the reduction of these monies has greatly constrained the ability of public health agencies to staff and maintain these systems. The appearance of H3N2v and other novel influenza A viruses required agencies to carefully identify which systems provide the most cost-effective data to support their public health practice. Recent Enterovirus D68 outbreaks, along with the global emergence of influenza A (H7N9), the global emergence of influenza A (H7N9), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Ebola virus strains, and other viruses associated with high mortality, emphasize the importance of maintaining vigilance for the presence of emerging disease.
Objective
To identify and characterize challenges experienced by public health practitioners conducting surveillance for the presence of influenza, novel respiratory diseases, and globally emerging viruses in an era of limited resources.
Missed opportunities for influenza vaccination in office-based settings occur when patients (who are inclined to accept influenza vaccination if a provider recommends it) remain unvaccinated after a fall/winter healthcare visit. Healthcare providers can be very influential in encouraging patients to obtain influenza vaccination, but little is known in real-time during annual campaigns of how many and what type of providers are actually giving vaccinations in office settings. Many factors affect the ultimate population coverage including taking advantage of opportunities to vaccinate during medical visits. This suggests that provider vaccination behavior, if leveraged, could result in higher rates of influenza vaccine coverage. “Big” healthcare data in the form of high volume streams of electronic healthcare reimbursement claims (eHRCs) can potentially be used to track influenza vaccine administration practices in office-based settings in near real-time, thus empowering public health officials to provide this feedback to practitioners and potentially modify behaviors.
Objective
This paper describes the results of formative research to develop a new metric for public health officials to use in near-real-time tracking of the weekly participation of office-based providers in community influenza vaccination campaigns.
African swine fever virus (ASFV), pseudorabies virus (Aujrszky’s disease virus, ADV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) are some of the most dangerous DNA viruses causing high amounts of morbidity and mortality in commercial and backyard pig farms. Traditional diagnosis of porcine viral infections requires complex and lengthy combinations of virological and serological tests. This study aimed to develop a method for rapid detection of the DNA-containing viral pathogens of pig in clinical materials using conventional multiplex PCR platform.
Objective
The objective was to develope the multiplex PCR for detection of the DNA-contained emergent diseases agents in pigs (African swine fever, Aujeszky disease, Circoviral disease) for diseases surveilance in pig farms
In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia estimated that approximately 1 million people in the United States were living with HIV/AIDS, and that approximately 25% of these were undiagnosed and unaware of their HIV infection. For many such patients the ED may be the only part of the health care system that is utilized. In 2006, the CDC revised their recommendations for HIV testing in a variety of care settings including the ED. In spite of this change, most EDs throughout the United States still do not offer routine HIV testing. Implementing successful ED based testing models may lead to greater acceptance of ED based testing, earlier detection, and further reduction in the transmission of HIV in the United States.
Objective
To design and implement an ED based rapid HIV screening program targeting high risk patients presenting with signs, symptoms, or concerns for sexually transmitted diseases; to determine the prevalence rate of HIV infection in the tested population; to determine the proportion of HIV-positive patients with successful linkage to outpatient care after ED discharge.