Summary of global surveillance data of infectious diseases in January 2023

In January 2023, a total of 64 infectious diseases were reported globally, affecting 235 countries and regions. Except for influenza, the top five infectious diseases affecting greatest number of countries and regions were COVID-19 (235), monkeypox (110), dengue fever (31), measles (27) and cholera (15). The top five infectious diseases with highest case fatality rates were Nipah virus disease (62.5%), Ebola virus disease (47.0%), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (37.5%), Lassa fever (15.1%) and West Nile fever (7.6%). The top five infectious diseases with greatest number of deaths were COVID-19, malaria, cholera, measles and dengue fever. The prevalent infectious diseases in Asia were COVID-19, cholera and dengue fever, the prevalent infectious diseases in Africa were COVID-19, cholera, yellow fever, Lassa fever, malaria and monkeypox, the prevalent infectious diseases in America were COVID-19, cholera, monkeypox, dengue fever and chikungunya fever, the prevalent infectious disease in Europe were COVID-19, monkeypox and invasive group A streptococcus infection.

Summary of global surveillance data of infectious diseases in December 2022

In December 2022, a total of 68 infectious diseases were reported globally, affecting 235 countries and regions. Except for influenza, the top five infectious diseases affecting greatest number of countries and regions were COVID-19 (235), monkeypox (110), dengue fever (28), measles (27) and cholera (14). The top five infectious diseases with highest case fatality rates were Ebola virus disease (47.0%), Rift Valley fever (44.2%), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (40.0%), Lassa fever (17.6%) and West Nile fever (7.6%). The top five infectious diseases with greatest number of deaths were COVID-19, malaria, cholera, dengue fever and measles. The prevalent infectious diseases in Asia were COVID-19, cholera and dengue fever, the prevalent infectious diseases in Africa were COVID-19, cholera, yellow fever, Lassa fever, monkeypox, malaria and measles, the prevalent infectious diseases in America were COVID-19, cholera, monkeypox, dengue fever and chikungunya fever, the prevalent infectious disease in Europe were COVID-19, monkeypox and invasive group A streptococcus infection.

New insights on malaria

Malaria is long known as a deadly vector borne infection, caused by five parasite species of the coccidian genus Plasmodia that are present in as many as 85 countries. Despite significant progresses have been achieved to control the infection by early diagnosis and artemisinin combination treatment, insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying, malaria still represents a major public health issue in many endemic low-income countries. New diagnostic tools of higher sensitivity and specificity are now available for use in endemic countries to better guide diagnosis and treatment. In particular, highly sensitive rapid antigenic tests are now available and the loop-mediated isothermal amplification is a very promising and highly sensitive diagnostic tool. After 2015, decreasing morbidity and mortality trends have been stagnating because of limited funding, emergence of parasite and vector resistance to drugs and insecticides respectively and, recently, by the disrupting effect of COVID-19 pandemic. The incomplete knowledge of the complex immunity of malaria infection has slowed the development of an effective vaccine. However, in 2021, the RTS-S vaccine, however of suboptimal protective efficacy, has been made available for routine use in children above 5 months of age. Population movements has increased the chance of observing imported malaria in non-endemic areas, where malaria competent vectors may still exist.

Possession of exotic animals and zoonotic diseases: an approach from the Mexican context

The possession of exotic animals as pets is a social practice that has become more visible in Mexico in recent years, so it is interesting to understand its environmental and social implications and those related to human health. The present study aims to identify the main species of exotic animals kept as pets and the zoonotic diseases reported in these species. We analyzed official figures of seizures of exotic fauna in Mexico and reviewed specialized literature on zoonotic diseases documented in Mexico in these species. We identified zoonoses in species of fauna that can be acquired legally and illegally in the country, reported in environments in which animals coexist with other species and are in direct contact with people, which represents an important factor in the spread and propensity of this type of disease. We conclude that the sanitary regulation of wildlife markets, the monitoring and studying microorganisms associated with wildlife are valuable strategies to prevent the emergence of zoonoses.

Analysis laboratory results of three cases of COVID-19 complicated with falciparum malaria

Objective: To analyze the laboratory indexes of patients infected with malaria patients and COVID-19, so as to provide reliable evidence for the diagnosis of mixed infection of both. Methods The routine clinical laboratory items such as routine blood, biochemistry and lymphocyte subsets were tested in three cases of COVID-19 complicated with falciparum malaria who admitted to Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University from July to December 2020 were tested. Laboratory data were stage-wise analyzed in conjunction with changes in the course of disease. Results Three patients confirmed COVID-19 infection recruited all had malaria infection history. Fever, headache, and other symptoms emerged on the 4rd to 11th day after admission. Malaria parasite was detected by malaria parasite antigen testing and blood smear testing, and all three patients had re-ignition of malaria after being confirmed COVID-19 infection. In the early stage of malaria relapse, lymphocytes decreased, CRP and SAA increased, and gradually returned to normal level after antimalarial treatment. Interestingly, we only found one patient at the initial stage of malaria detection showed PLT decreased, no other unnormal changes in other routine blood results (WBC, ESO) and liver function results (ALT, AST, GGT, TBIL, DBIL, CG) were found from the beginning to end course of the disease. Conclusion COVID-19 infection may promote the resurgence of malaria, so the relapse of malaria should be monitored especially for the patient with malaria infection history who begin to develop fever and other symptoms a few days after the diagnosis of COVID-19. The inflammatory indicators would be worth able as an auxiliary judgment basis for the effective treatment of the two combined infection.

Enhancing vaccination of key populations: lessons and actions

Vaccination is effective in preventing the increase of disease, especially emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), and it is particularly important for people in close contact with infected sources and susceptible populations who are at increased risk of getting infectious diseases due to behavior, occupation or health. Despite targeted vaccination guidelines, inadequate vaccination of the key populations fails to receive widespread attention, resulting in a high-risk transition of disease from key populations to general populations. Strengthening the vaccination of the susceptible groups can effectively block the spread of pathogens to general populations, and reduce the consumption of medical resources in universal vaccination, which has significant economic value. In this review, we describe the prevalence of EIDs, analyze the experience and lessons of infectious disease vaccination in key populations through several cases, and further explore the causes for the decline in vaccination rates of key populations. According to the trends of EIDs, a plan to strengthen the vaccination of key populations is proposed to effectively prevent the transition of EIDs from key populations to general populations.

On entropy measures of polycyclic hydroxychloroquine used for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) treatment

The molecular structure of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) used in the treatment of malaria is recently suggested for emergency used in COVID-19. The chemical compound of HCQ is produced by chemical alteration of ethylene oxide from human products, such as waxy maize starch. The molecular graph is a graph comprising of atoms called vertices and the chemical bond between molecules is called edges. A topological index is a numerical representation of a chemical structure which correlates certain physico-chemical characteristics of underlying chemical compounds besides its numerical representation. To distinguish the creation of entropy-based measures from the structure of chemical graphs, several graph properties have been utilized. For computing the structural information of chemical graphs, the graph entropies have become the information-theoretic quantities. The graph entropy measure has attracted the research community due to its potential application in discrete mathematics, biology, and chemistry. In this paper, our contribution is to explore graph entropies for molecular structure of HCQ based on novel information function, which is the number of different degree vertices along with the number of edges between various degree vertices. More precisely, we have explored the degree-based topological characteristics of hydroxyethyl starch conjugated with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ-HEC). Also, we computed entropies of this structure by making a relation of degree-based topological indices with the help of information function. Moreover, we presented the numerical and graphical comparison of the computed results.

Role of neglected parasitic diseases in the era of COVID-19 pandemics

There are some doubts about the exact relationship between neglected infectious diseases (NIDs) and COVID-19 disease, which remains to be clearly defined. The present review summarized the effect of parasitic infections as the risk factors or protective agents in the COVID-19 pandemic. Parasites could proficiently modulate immune responses. Thus, parasitic infections could have a different impact on the incidence and clinical severity of COVID-19 in different regions of the world. Also, restoring programs to prevent, treat, and control NIDs, in particular helminths, could help in reducing the incidence and mortality of COVID-19 in endemic areas and help to increase vaccination effectiveness. Changes in the gut microbiome associated with helminth infection may have systemic immunomodulatory effects toward suppressing host immune responses, reducing vaccine efficacy and increasing the severity of other infectious diseases. The cytokine storm observed in severe cases of COVID-19 is characterized by a predominance of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6. However, it is possible that helminth infection could change the outcome of infection by modifying the Th2 response to limit the inflammatory component;this would be particularly apparent in areas endemic for helminthic infections, which suggests a possible protective effect against COVID-19. Because parasitic infections affect more than 2 billion people throughout the world, their impact on COVID-19- associated effects on public health could be considerable. Further studies with larger sample sizes would be needed to explore the possible role of neglected parasitic infections in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Malaria vaccine: the tale of terror, triumph, tyranny, and trust

Malaria is an endemic disease in a true sense. It is an acute febrile disease caused due to the parasite Plasmodium. However, unlike COVID-19, it failed to raise an international concern or gain the scientific limelight. Most of the 200 million globally affected by malaria, half of them are from Africa. Four of the nations, Nigeria (25%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (11%), Mozambique (5%), and Uganda (4%), account for half of the world's malaria burden and is the leading cause of illness and death. In 2019, an estimated 5-6 million people died of malaria - most of them are young children in sub-Saharan Africa. Many of the countries affected by malaria have the lowest economic status. In the malaria-endemic region, the most vulnerable groups are young children and pregnant women. The costs of malaria are enormous to individuals, families, communities, societies, and nations. After a struggle for three decades, the much-awaited malaria vaccine, RTS, S (brand name Mosquirix), was finally launched;but it came with its controversies and allegations. This review explored the different angles of this disease, the vaccine development, and the emerging debates.

Summary of global surveillance data of infectious diseases in may 2022

In May 2022, a total of 66 infectious diseases were reported globally, affecting 233 countries and regions. Except for influenza, the top five infectious diseases affecting greatest number of countries and regions were COVID-19 (233), monkeypox (36), dengue fever (31), measles (24) and cholera (11). The top five infectious diseases with highest case fatality rates were Ebola virus disease (100.0%), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (34.4%), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (22.2%), Lassa fever (19.8%) and monkeypox (4.0%). The top five infectious diseases with greatest number of deaths were COVID-19, malaria, cholera, dengue fever and measles. The prevalent infectious diseases in Asia were COVID-19, dengue fever and cholera, the prevalent infectious diseases in Africa were COVID-19, Ebola virus disease, cholera, yellow fever, Lassa fever, malaria and monkeypox, the prevalent infectious diseases in America were COVID-19, dengue fever, chikungunya fever and Zika virus disease, the prevalent infectious disease in Europe were COVID-19, monkeypox and acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology.

The interaction between COVID-19 and malaria

Since 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread globally, it has undoubtedly had a huge negative impact on the prevention and control of many diseases including malaria, while malaria also brings new challenges to the prevention and control of COVID-19 in malaria endemic areas. Therefore, the awareness of malaria prevention and control to medical workers and the workers of parasitic disease prevention and control needs to be strengthened, and the knowledge of malaria prevention and control needs to be updated urgently. This article focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: on malaria prevention and control, the potential interaction of SARS-CoV-2-Plasmodium parasite co-infection, the challenge of the emergence of "diagnostic resistance" of Plasmodium falciparum strain to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of malaria prevalence on COVID-19 mortality.

Environmental factors and infectious diseases: a systematic review

Environmental factors and infectious diseases are closely related, mathematical models seek to explain these interactions, however, the same analytical practices are often observed with infectious diseases despite substantial differences from non-infectious diseases that can result in analytical challenges.

WHO recommends malaria vaccine for children at risk

This article is based on a recommendation from an ongoing pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi that has reached more than 800,000 children since 2019, with key findings: (1) The vaccine introduction is feasible, improves health and saves lives, with good and equitable coverage of RTS,S seen through routine immunisation systems. This has occurred even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) RTS,S has increased equity in access to malaria prevention, with data from the pilot programme showing that more than two-thirds of children in the three pilot programme countries, who do not sleep under a bednet, have benefitted from the RTS,S vaccine, (3) To date, more than 2.3 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in three African countries, with a favourable safety profile, (4) In areas where the vaccine has been introduced, there has been no decrease in the use of insecticide-treated nets, uptake of other childhood vaccinations, or health seeking behaviour for febrile illness, (5) A reduction of 30% in deadly severe malaria, even when introduced in areas where insecticide-treated nets are widely used and there is good access to diagnosis and treatment, and (6) Modelling estimates that the vaccine is cost-effective in areas of moderate to high malaria transmission. Therefore, this recommendation includes funding decisions from the global health community for broader rollout, and country decision-making on whether to adopt the vaccine as part of national malaria control strategies.

Summary of the 31st meeting of the international task force for disease eradication, 20-21 October 2020

This article provides a brief overview of the 31st meeting of the International TaskForce for Disease Eradication (ITFDE) that was convened at The Carter Center in Atlanta, GA, USA on 20-21 October 2020 to discuss "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eradication and elimination programmes and the way forward." It highlights the results of 7 eradication programmes, with specific conclusions and recommendations for each: Guinea Worm Eradication Programme(dracunculiasis;GWEP);Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI);elimination programmes for measles and rubella (MR), malaria, river blindness (onchocerciasis;RB), and lymphatic filariasis (LF);and the program for the Global Elimination of Trachoma.

Progress in eliminating onchocerciasis in the WHO region of the Americas: disruption of ivermectin mass drug administration in the Yanomami focus area due to the COVID-19 pandemic

This article describes how the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced provision of treatment in the Yanomami focus area (YFA) in 2020, especially in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The distribution of ivermectin for mass treatment (MDA) to prevent onchocerciasis was affected worldwide by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as were MDA programs for other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). On 1 April 2020, WHO recommended that mass treatment campaigns, active case-finding, and population-based surveys for NTDs be postponed until further notice to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission associated with large-scale community health interventions. The Carter Center, which provides major funding to MDA in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, temporarily halted its activities in 2020 due to an administrative problem and, once the COVID-19 pandemic had taken hold, in order to adhere to WHO recommendations, its own policies, and the policies of other donor organizations. Ivermectin treatment continued to be offered in Brazil, supported by the government, with essential health services such as vaccination and malaria control. On 27 July 2021, WHO released new interim guidance for NTD programs. This included a risk-benefit analysis to figure out if activities could be resumed safely and detailed standards for reducing risk with all known precautions (such as wearing masks, socialdistance, hand sanitizing and/or handwashing, limiting live meetings and group size). The program in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela followed these instructions and made a plan to get back to work safely, which was what WHO wanted.

Edible vaccines: a nutritional substitute for traditional immunization

Edible vaccines are created from transgenic plants and animals and contain immunostimulant. Edible vaccines, to put it simply, are medications generated from plants or animals. In underdeveloped countries, oral vaccines are less expensive and more widely available. Researchers came up with the idea of edible vaccines, in which edible plant pieces are employed as a vaccine factory. To make edible vaccinations, scientists put desired genes into plants and then force the plants to generate the proteins expressed in the genes. Transgenic plants are the result of transformation, whereas transformation is the act of converting plants. The edible vaccination promotes mucosal immunity. Dendritic cells in the gut can assist native T cells activate and differentiate into follicular T-helpers (Tfh). T and B cells will respond precisely to a reliable, digestible immunization. Potato, tomato, banana, carrots, tobacco, papaya, algae, and a variety of other plants are utilised as alternative agents for standard vaccinations. Malaria, cholera, hepatitis, rabies, measles, rotavirus, diarrhoea cancer treatments and treatment of covid-19 are among the illnesses for which plant-based vaccines have been created. It takes time and dedication to develop and sell edible vaccinations. Many edible vaccines for animal and human ailments have been developed and have gone through various levels of clinical testing. The importance of plant-based vaccinations is emphasized in this article.

Summary of global surveillance data of infectious diseases in March 2022

In March 2022, a total of 63 infectious diseases were reported globally, affecting 230 countries and regions. Except for influenza, the top five infectious diseases affecting greatest number of countries and regions were COVID-19 (230), dengue fever (32), measles (29), chikungunya fever (10) and cholera (9). The top five infectious diseases with highest case fatality rates were Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (33.3%), Rift Valley fever (20.0%), Lassa fever (18.6%), yellow fever (11.3%) and monkeypox (5.5%). The top five infectious diseases with greatest number of deaths were COVID-19, malaria, measles, cholera and Lassa fever. The prevalent infectious diseases in Asia were COVID-19 and dengue fever, the prevalent infectious diseases in Africa were COVID-19, cholera, yellow fever, Lassa fever, malaria, measles and poliomyelitis, the prevalent infectious diseases in America were COVID-19, dengue fever and chikungunya fever, the prevalent infectious disease in Europe was COVID-19.

The difference study of imported malaria before and after COVID-19 epidemic in Nanning

Objective: To analyze the differences between imported malaria before and during the COVID-19 epidemic in Nanning city, and to predict the imported malaria epidemic, so as to provide a basis for future prevention and control strategies. Methods Malaria case data in Nanning city from 2018 to 2021 were collected and divided into two groups. The data from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019 were classified as the routine period before COVID-19, and the data from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021 were classified as the COVID-19 period. Statistical software was used to analyze the differences between the two groups in basic information, overseas activities, species of infected Plasmodium, diagnosis and treatment. Results The age difference between the two groups was statistically significant (t=2.222, P < 0.05);There was significant difference in the proportion of overseas residence types between the two groups (P < 0.05);There was significant difference in the proportion of parasite species between the two groups (P < 0.05). The proportion of Plasmodium ovale in the COVID-19 period group was higher than that in the routine period group, and the proportion of Plasmodium falciparum was lower than that in the routine period group;There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of gender proportion, current address category proportion, malaria proportion due to going out for gold, proportion of mild, moderate and severe disease degree, proportion of hospitalization, proportion of standardized treatment, proportion of whole course medication, proportion of cure and length of hospital stay. Conclusions The incidence of imported malaria in Nanning declined significantly during the period of COVID-19, and the proportion of Plasmodium falciparum infection decreased. It is necessary to be vigilant against the outbreak of imported malaria caused by the increase of inbound people with the progress of COVID-19 control.

Investigation of imported malaria cases at a COVID-19 isolation point in Qingdao

The epidemiological data were collected from travellers who returned from Guinea on the 23rd of September, 2020 and were diagnosed with malaria at a COVID-19 quarantine site in Qingdao, Shandong Province. The epidemiological characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of the cases and the epidemiology investigation and the rapid test screening results for other travellers on from the same flight and the interventions in reaction to the imported malaria cases were analyzed. The results showed that 4 out of 231 Guinean returned travellers had developed malaria symptoms, including chills and fever, during the isolation period. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT) indicated Plasmodium falciparum infection. Considering the patients' travel history, clinical manifestations, and laboratory RDT test results, a confirmed diagnosis of imported P. falciparum malaria was made. The four malaria cases, who are male workers aged 29 to 55, were transferred to Jiaozhou People's Hospital for treatment. All four patients were administrated of artemether tablets upon diagnosis. One of the cases experienced severe malaria complications and were administrated with 12 doses (60 mg/dose) of artesunate intravenously for five days. The other three patients were treated with dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine phosphate tablets for one course of 8 tablets in 2 days (40 mg dihydroartemisinin and 320 mg piperaquine phosphate), respectively. Among the 231 returned travellers, 111(48.1%) had a history of malaria overseas. There were 23 positive cases detected by RDT, including the four symptomatic cases. The other 19 cases were asymptomatic. One of the asymptomatic cases became symptomatic three months later and was diagnosed as an imported P. malariae infection. Laboratory blood smear microscopic tests at the Jiaozhou City and Qingdao Municipal Center For Disease Control and Prevention showed negative results for the four malaria cases and the 19 RDT positive case. The samples from the four malaria cases were rechecked by the provincial reference laboratory of Shandong Institute of parasitic Disease. The results were negative for malaria infection by microscopic examination but positive for P. falciparum infection by nucleic acid test. It is suggested that during the routine control of COVID-19, the awareness of COVID-19 and malaria should be established among the returned travellers from high malaria-endemic areas. The health education "gate" should be moved forward to improve the treatment compliance for malaria cases and reduce the relapse or recrudescence caused by sub-optimal treatment.