ABSTRACT
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in rural and remote Australia have lower vaccine coverage rates and experience higher rates of notification and hospitalisations for vaccine preventable diseases than non-Aboriginal people. This paper explores important public health and research activities being undertaken in the Northern Territory to reduce this disparity in vaccine program performance, with a particular focus on rotavirus, meningococcal, human papilloma virus and COVID-19 vaccines.
ABSTRACT
This paper describes the clinical signs and use of differential laboratory diagnostic techniques (computed tomography, cytology, histopathology, antigen/antibody detection and polymerase chain reaction) for infectious (viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic) and non-infectious (inflammatory/immune mediated, neoplastic, cardiac, malformation, foreign body, smoke inhalation, aspiration of caustic material, non-cardiogenic, pulmonary oedema, traumativ, pneumothorax, pulmonary contusions and idiopathic) causes of respiratory diseases in cats and dogs in Ontario, Canada.
ABSTRACT
This special issue includes 11 articles focusing on development of container laboratories in response to COVID-19;COVID-19 in Fiji;Pacific Regional Infectious Disease Association (PRIDA) - capacity-building for microbiology and infectious disease across the Pacific;meningococcal surveillance in Southeast Asia and the Pacific;tropical fever in remote tropics;movement of arboviruses between Indonesia and Western Australia;Rotavirus surveillance informs diarrhoea disease burden in the WHO Western-Pacific region;surveillance for One Health and high consequence veterinary pathogens (Brucellosis, Coxiellosis and Foot and Mouth Disease) in Southeast Asia - Lao PDR and Cambodia in focus and the importance of international partnerships;Avian influenza H5N1.
ABSTRACT
Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis. IMD has been notifiable since 1901 and must be reported to the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE). This study shows the results obtained during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. During the 2018-2019 season, the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease continued the increasing trend observed during the previous five seasons. Mainly due to the increase of cases of serogroup W and Y. The incidence of cases reported during the 2019/2020 season decreased by 31,3% compared to the previous 2018/2019 season. Incidence decreased in all serogroups and in all age groups. This decrease could be due to the addition of several factors. First, this season coincided, in part, with the onset of the COVID pandemic, and measures to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 affected its transmission. Second, the tetravalent conjugate vaccine (Men ACWY) was introduced into the vaccination schedule in adolescents (12 years old) and finally, other limitations of surveillance during this year could affect the decrease.
ABSTRACT
In October 2021 (from 00: 00, 1 October to 24: 00, 31 October), a total of 523 006 cases of notifiable communicable diseases, including 2 040 deaths, were reported in China (except Hong Kong, Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan Province, the same below). In communicable diseases in class A, 2 cases of cholera were reported without death. In communicable diseases in class B, no cases and no deaths of severe acute respiratory syndrome, poliomyelitis, human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, diphtheria and human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus were reported. For the remaining 22 communicable diseases in class B, 249 605 cases were reported, a decrease of 8% compared with last month (272 332 cases) and a decrease of 3% compared with the same period in 2020 (258 591 cases). The first 5 diseases in terms of reported case number were viral hepatitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea and AIDS, accounting for 95% of the total reported cases in class B. A total of 2 039 deaths were reported, a decrease of 6% (133 deaths) compared with last month (2 172 deaths) and an increase of 17% compared with the same period in 2020 (1 737 deaths). According to the website of the National Health Commission of China, a total of 1 081 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported, without death, by 31 provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps from 00: 00, 1 October to 24: 00, 31 October, 2021. In class C communicable diseases, a total of 273 399 cases were reported, an increase of 20% compared with last month (228 597 cases) and a decrease of 13% compared with the same period in 2020 (315 366 cases). The first 3 diseases in terms of reported case number were hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD), other infectious diarrhea and influenza, accounting for 95% of the total reported cases in class C. Compared with last month, except filariasis which had no incidences in both months, the diseases with reported cases increases were HFMD (45 435 cases, 52%), influenza (17 811 cases, 50%) and rubella (11 cases, 12%), but the reported cases of other diseases all decreased, the diseases with obvious case decreases were other infectious diarrhea (16 519 cases, 18%), mumps (1 490 cases, 12%) and acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (327 cases, 14%). Compared with the same period in 2020, except filariasis which had no incidences in both years, the diseases with reported case increases were influenza (33 177 cases, 164%), typhus fever (15 cases, 9%), rubella (8 cases, 9%) and leprosy (3 cases, 17%), but the diseases with reported case decreases were HFMD (65 002 cases, 33%), other infectious diarrhea (4 111 cases, 5%) and mumps (1 574 cases, 12%). One death caused by class C communicable diseases was reported, an increase of 1 death compared with last month and a decrease of 1 death compared with the same period in 2020 (2 deaths).
ABSTRACT
In September 2021 (from 00:00, 1 September to 24: 00, 30 September), a total of 500 929 cases of notifiable communicable diseases, including 2 172 deaths, were reported in China (except Hong Kong, Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan Province, the same below). In communicable diseases in class A, no case and no death were reported. In communicable diseases in class B, no cases and no deaths of severe acute respiratory syndrome, poliomyelitis, human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, diphtheria and human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus were reported. For the remaining 22 communicable diseases in class B, 272 332 cases were reported, a decrease of 0.9% compared with last month (274 917 cases) and a decrease of 5% compared with the same period in 2020 (287 923 cases). The first 5 diseases in terms of reported case number were viral hepatitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea and brucellosis, accounting for 94% of the total reported cases in class B. A total of 2 172 deaths were reported, an increase of 5% (95 deaths) compared with last month (2 077 deaths) and a decrease of 5% compared with the same period in 2020 (2 291 deaths). According to the website of the National Health Commission of China, a total of 1 264 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported, without death, by 31 provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps from 00:00, 1 September to 24: 00, 30 September, 2021. In class C communicable diseases, a total of 228 597 cases were reported, an increase of 10% compared with last month (207 153 cases) and a decrease of 7% compared with the same period in 2020 (247 112 cases). The first 3 diseases in terms of reported case number were other infectious diarrhea, hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) and influenza, accounting for 93% of the total reported cases in class C. Compared with last month, except filariasis, visceral leishmaniasis, leprosy and other infectious diarrhea which decreased by 1 case, 11 cases (39%), 12 cases (33%) and 12 747 cases (12%) respectively, the reported cases of all other diseases increased, the diseases with obvious case increases were HFMD (15 352 cases, 22%), influenza (14 160 cases, 66%) and mumps (4 253 cases, 51%). Compared with the same period in 2020, the diseases with reported case increases were influenza (17 269 cases, 95%), visceral leishmaniasis (4 cases, 31%), rubella (19 cases, 27%) and typhus fever (32 cases, 18%), filariasis had no incidences in both years, and the diseases with obvious reported case decreases were HFMD (26 506 cases, 23%). other infectious diarrhea (5 628 cases, 6%) and mumps (523 cases, 4%). No death caused by class C communicable diseases was reported, same to the last month and a decrease of 3 deaths compared with the same period in 2020 (3 deaths).
ABSTRACT
Introduction - The CeGIDDs are centres of information, screening and diagnosis for HIV, viral hepatitis and bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a network of French free-to-use clinics created in 2016. This article describes the characteristics of CeGIDD visitors as well as the screening and diagnostic activities carried out by the structures for the year 2020, comparing them with 2018. Method - We present a repeated cross-sectional study, based on continuous monitoring data from the SurCeGIDD system, which relies on the secure transmission of individual visitor data according to a predefined format. The socio-demographic and behavioural data of the visitors, and their reasons for consultation, are described. The proportions of visitors tested and the positivity rates for HIV, hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV), syphilis, gonococcus (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) are described according to sexual practices. Results - In 2020, 336,333 consultations were reported by 50.3% of the 336 CeGIDDs identified in 2020. Attendance at CeGIDDs fell sharply in the second quarter of 2020 (-58% compared to the first quarter). In 2020, the visitors were mostly men (62.1%) and young people under 30 (64.5%). About a quarter (23.5%) of the visitors were born abroad. The proportion of men having sex with men (14.8%) and trans people (0.38%) had increased compared to 2018. The most frequent reasons for consultation remained risk exposure (60.4%) and systematic screening (43.3%). Some reasons for consultation increased between 2018 and 2020, such as initiating or monitoring a post-exposure prophylaxis. An increase in positivity rate between 2018 and 2020 is observed for HIV (from 0.37% to 0.41%), but especially for NG (from 2.8% to 4.0%), undoubtedly related to changes in visitor characteristics. At the same time, positivity rates decreased for HBV (from 1.3% to 0.93%) and HCV (from 0.94% to 0.60%). They are relatively stable for CT (7.0% in 2020), MG (6.8%) and syphilis (1.0%). Conclusion - Despite a drop in consultations in 2020 related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CeGIDDs continued to carry out their screening/diagnostic missions in a comprehensive sexual health approach. SurCeGIDD surveillance provides elements for monitoring the national sexual health strategy, hence the need to improve the comprehensiveness and completeness of the data collected.
ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic, recommendations for maintaining physical distance, restricted mobility measures, as well as fear of mass transmission by going to health centers have significantly contributed to the general vaccination coverage, which by and large is decreasing worldwide;thus, favoring the potential re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases. In this study, we have used the existing data on vaccination coverage during the pre-pandemic (2019) as well as the pandemic (2020) period to evaluate the impact of coronavirus outbreaks during the vaccination drive in Brazil. Furthermore, we have accumulated data since 2015 among the different regions of the country to acquire more consistent information. The various vaccines analyzed in our study were meningococcal C conjugate, Triple antigen vaccine, 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate, and BCG;subsequently, the data were obtained from the National Disease Notification System. This study revealed that the ongoing immunization drive saw a steep decline of around 10 to 20% during the (2019-2020) pandemic period in Brazil. These results provide strong evidence towards the decreasing trends following the vaccination programs during the COVID-19 pandemic period in Brazil. Furthermore, our results also highlight the importance of adopting widespread multi-component interventions to improve vaccination uptake rates.