Causes, patterns, and epidemiology of tattoo-associated infections since 1820.

Maximizing the Potential Public Health Impact of HPV Vaccines: A Focus on Parents

Societal concerns about the welfare of animals kept in intensive husbandry systems led to the introduction of alternative poultry husbandry systems. Systems offering outdoor access to chickens, are potentially better for chicken welfare, but keeping chickens in these systems is also associated with higher public health and food safety risks for certain hazards, such as Campylobacter contamination of broiler meat, avian influenza introduction, and increased dioxin levels in eggs. Insight into the views of key stakeholder groups – citizens, poultry farmers and poultry veterinarians – concerning poultry husbandry systems may help to develop systems that can count on societal support. The objective of this thesis was to study stakeholders’ views on the conflict between chicken welfare and public health and food safety risks and relevant moral arguments and convictions. The first part of this thesis is based on an online questionnaire, which was filled out by representatives of citizens (n = 2259), poultry farmers (n = 100) and poultry veterinarians (n = 41). The results show that most citizens perceived a system that offers to laying hens outdoor access as the preferred system, while the majority of poultry farmers and poultry veterinarians perceived an indoor system as the preferred husbandry system for keeping hens. Compared to poultry farmers and poultry veterinarians, citizens perceived the issues ‘natural needs of hens’ and ‘environmentally friendly’ as more important, and the issues ‘hen health’, ‘farmer income’ and ‘hens lay many eggs’ as less important. Citizens perceived hen welfare in organic husbandry systems as being the highest of the four husbandry systems, while farmers and veterinarians perceived hen welfare in indoor non-cage systems as the highest. Differences between the welfare scores could be explained by different perceptions of hen welfare aspects, knowledge regarding hen behaviour and socio-demographic characteristics. With regard to risk perceptions was shown that professionals perceive the public health risks of Campylobacter, avian influenza and dioxin related to keeping chickens in outdoor systems higher than citizens did. In contrast, citizens perceive these risks in indoor systems higher than professionals. Citizens reported higher concerns regarding various factors of risk perception than the two professional groups did. It was suggested that risk perceptions of all stakeholder groups are influenced by intuitive feelings – affect – and underlying values. When confronted with a practical case representing the dilemma of improving chicken welfare or reducing public health risks, citizens judged the dilemma predominantly in favour of chicken welfare, in terms of leading natural lives. In contrast, poultry farmers judged the dilemma predominantly in favour of public health. Different valuations of moral arguments and convictions, predominantly those regarding the value of chickens and naturalness, could explain the various judgments. It was also argued that the stakeholders’ judgments depend on their context, i.e. whether or not they are involved in poultry farming. The concerns of the general public regarding chicken welfare and public health seemed predominantly related to naturalness. It is not clear what citizens consider to be natural and how they view an innovative hen husbandry system that takes account of concerns about naturalness, hen welfare and public health. Therefore, we studied citizens views during a farm visit. Two groups of nine citizens visited an innovative laying hen husbandry system with an indoor aviary system and a large covered free-range area. The participants filled out a questionnaire, partly before and partly while seeing the hens. Results of the farm showed that citizens’ concerns related to public health, chicken welfare and naturalness could be addressed in a free-range system with a large covered free-range area. In this thesis it is concluded that differences in views between and within stakeholder groups regarding perceptions, moral convictions and judgements and a dilemma in poultry husbandry could be explained by differences in 1) perceptions of chicken welfare and public health risks related to various husbandry systems; 2) moral convictions related to chicken welfare; 3) differences in weighing up of moral values; 4) context, i.e. whether or not someone is involved in poultry farming; 5) affect and intuitions; 6) knowledge and experiences related to poultry farming and 7) socio-demographics.

Public Health Initiatives in the Emergency Department: Not So Good for the Public Health?

A study was conducted to assess the practices with respect to management of animal wastes and awareness of livestock keepers on the environmental and public health risks associated with improper management of animal wastes in 66 livestock-keeping households in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection, complemented with review of secondary data and researchers’ observations. Majority of respondents (91.0%) heaped the wastes near the animal shed and none of them treated the waste before disposal. Main methods for waste disposal were spreading as manure on crop farms (62.1%) and burning (10.6%), and about 24% respondents disposed the wastes on any available open space. It was also observed that 40.9% of the respondents were aware of environmental risks caused by improper disposal of animal wastes while 59.1% were not aware of such risks, and the risk mentioned was air pollution. About 57.6% of the respondents were aware of the public health risks and they mentioned skin infections, helminthosis, diarrhea, allergy and respiratory infections. Majority of the respondents (87.9%) were not aware of the existence of legislation governing animal waste management. It can be concluded from the study that the limited knowledge on proper management of animal wastes in the study area as well as lack of enforcement of legislation predisposes the environment and public to health risks. It is recommended that responsible authorities should initiate programmes to educate livestock keepers and the general public on appropriate waste management technologies in order to minimize public and environmental health risks. Key words : animal wastes, environment, public health

This report examines potential public and occupational health and safety risks associated with different photovoltaic cell types (silicon n/p, silicon metal/insulator/semiconductor (MIS) and cadmium sulfide/copper sulfide) and their use in small rooftop shingle, rooftop panel, and ground-based units. Potential development of this technology has aroused concern about public health risks from use, and release of specific pollutants (e.g. silicon and cadmium) from photovoltaic cell fabrication, and conventional pollutants from preparation of structural materials (e.g. sulfur oxides), hazards of electrical shock, and about occupational health risks of accident- and illness-related hazards. Also, questions exist about potential uncertainties in these estimates, and differences in risk among different fabrication alternatives. This report does not resolve all these concerns but some perspective is provided for these questions: (1) what photovoltaic fabrication alternatives and uses will be commercialized in the near-term; (2) what types and quantities of materials will be used and what wastes will be produced; (3) what effects will these pollutants have on environmental quality; (4) what risks will these pollutants pose to public health; and (5) what are the principal occupational health risks.

Objective To investigate the species distribution characteristics of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS) patients in Shanghai, and to provide evidences for clinical treatment. Methods A total of 775 Mycobacteria strains were isolated from patients (including 129 isolates from AIDS patients and 646 isolates from HIV-negative patients) admitted to Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center during 2015. All the species were identified by the sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene and hsp65 gene. Differences in the species distribution were compared between patients with and without HIV infection. CD4+ T lymphocyte count was detected by flow cytometry and its relation with mycobacteria infection was also analyzed. Chi-square test was used for comparison between groups. Results The ratio of NTM isolation from HIV-negative patients was 15.79% (102/646), while that was 46.51% in AIDS patients (60/129), and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=61.38, P 50 cells/μL (20.00% and 15.38%, respectively) (χ2=4.048 and 6.524, respectively, both P 50 cells/μL. Conclusions The prevalence of NTM isolation is significant higher in AIDS patients than HIV-negative patients in Shanghai, and the most prevalent NTM species is MAC. The NTM infection in AIDS patients is related with low CD4+ T lymphocyte counts. Key words: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Nontuberculous mycobacteria; Species identification

Recently in Australia concerns have been raised regarding the contamination of municipal drinking water supplies with lead. This is of particular concern to children due to the impact of lead exposure on cognitive development and as such these findings have received much media attention. The response from legislators has been swift, and The Victorian School Building Authority has announced that all new schools and school upgrade works will only use lead-free tapware and piping systems. However, while the immediate replacement of lead-containing brass fittings may seem a logical and obvious response, it does not consider the potential implications on microbial contamination. This is particularly concerning given the increasing public health threat posed by opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs). This commentary explores this public health risk of lead exposure from plumbing materials compared to the potential public health risks from OPPPs. Non-tuberculous mycobacterium was chosen as the example OPPP, and the influence on plumbing material and its public health burden in Australia is explored. This commentary highlights the need for future research into the influence of plumbing material on OPPPs prior to any changes in legislation regarding plumbing material.

Background Psychiatrists, psychotherapists and other mental health professionals have long stated the importance of adequate social groups and early intervention for the prevention of severe mental diseases. With psychiatric illness incidence increasing most in the adolescent and young adult populations, we propose the use of school-age directed public mental health initiatives to combat remaining social stigma and promote mental wellbeing, as well as educate children and adolescents in how to recognise symptoms and ask for help. Methods We conducted a systematic review on PubMed as well as government and NGO websites to identify public health initiatives in the prevention and early identification of mental illness among young individuals. Results Preliminary results show that, while certain countries have delineated guidelines on how to support students’ mental health, very few have implemented nation-wide, or even region-wide programmes that directly target prevention and education. A particular note should be made regarding substance abuse and addiction, one of the few illnesses for which many countries have already enacted in-school programmes, that however often overlook the medical aspect of such diseases. Of further note are certain local programmes aimed at offering quality and accessible care to adolescents struggling with mental diseases. Conclusions With psychiatric diseases projected to become one of the greatest contributors to the global burden of disease by 2030, and the importance of early intervention in preventing severe psychiatric illness, we advocated for European public health initiatives implemented in schools, which could be crucial in curbing the spread of mental illness. Key messages • Adolescent and young adults are those most affected by the rising prevalence of mental illness. Consequently, we advocate for in-school programmes to aid in early identification and intervention. • Early identification of mental diseases is crucial in the prevention of severe psychiatric illness, but little has been done so far in terms of public health interventions to tackle such problems.

Pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial infections: Antibiotic treatment and associated costs

In this paper we develop an ethical perspective for public and environmental health practice in consideration of the "right to know" by contrasting consequential and deontological perspectives with relational ethics grounded in the concept of fostering autonomy. From the consequential perspective, disclosure of public and environmental health risks to the public depends on the expected or possible consequences. We discuss three major concerns with this perspective: respect for persons, justice, and ignorance. From a deontological perspective, the "right to know" means that there is a "duty" to communicate about all public health risks and consideration of the principles of prevention, precaution, and environmental justice. Relational ethics develops from consideration of a mutual limitation of the traditional perspectives. Relational ethics is grounded in the relationship between the public and public/environmental health providers. In this paper we develop a model for this relationship, which we call "fostering autonomy through mutually respectful relationships." Fostering autonomy is both an end in public health practice and a means to promote the principles of prevention, precaution, and environmental justice. We discuss these principles as they relate to practical issues of major disasters and contaminants in food, such as DDT, toxaphene, chlordane, and mercury.

Objective To explore the value of CD4+ T lymphocyte count in laboratory diagnosis of AIDS complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods Forty-three patients with acute tuberculosis were selected as the subjects. Among them, 14 patients had typical tuberculosis(X-ray or chest CT), 29 cases were atypical tuberculosis(X-ray or chest CT). 43 patients were examined by CD4+ T lymphocyte count, sputum smear tuberculosis acid-fast bacilli test and T-SPOT.TB(interferon-γ release test), and the results of various methods were compared. Results The The number of CD4+ T lymphocytes in patients with typical pulmonary tuberculosis was (151.26±59.47)/μL, and that in atypical pulmonary tuberculosis was (69.11±19.65)/μL, the difference was statistically significant(t=5.124, P<0.05); and with the reduction of CD4+ T lymphocytes, AIDS patients showed more atypical pulmonary tuberculosis. The positive detection rates of CD4+ T lymphocyte count, T-SPOT.TB and sputum smear were 86.05%, 16.28% and 51.16% respectively. The positive rate of combined detection of three methods(90.70%) was significantly higher, the differences were statistically significant(χ2=5.123, 6.023, 7.125, all P<0.05). Conclusion CD4+ T lymphocyte count is of great value in the laboratory diagnosis of AIDS complicated with tuberculosis, and it is worthy to be widely carried out in clinical practice. Key words: T-lymphocytes; Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Tuberculosis, pulmonary

With the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for eye makeup, which allows for expression beyond the scope of masks, has rapidly increased, leading to a greater emphasis on semi-permanent makeup as a means of personal appearance management. Compared to the speed of change in beauty trends before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, research on semi-permanent makeup is significantly lacking in reflecting the flow of these changes, and there is a need for various studies to provide high-quality services that reflect changes in the market and customer needs. Therefore, it is essential to understand the trends of domestic research on semi-permanent makeup before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 in order to promote research in the field of semi-permanent makeup and suggest directions for future studies. In this study, we selected 127 degree and academic journal papers related to semi-permanent makeup in Korea from 2017 to 2021, reflecting the three years before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, as the analysis target to analyze the trends in semi-permanent makeup research and draw implications. The analysis showed that there were 60 academic journal papers and 67 degree theses on semi-permanent makeup during the three years before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, with an increase of more than twice as many papers after the pandemic compared to before. Secondly, the trend of semi-permanent makeup research topics showed that perception, preference, and satisfaction were the most common themes each year, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the topics related to public hygiene, health, infection, and safety management increased by 86%. Furthermore, in terms of research methods, surveys were the most commonly used method with 104 studies, followed by experimental studies, literature reviews, qualitative studies, and developmental studies. Thirdly, in the overall research, the most common research subjects were operators, followed by dyes and random samples. In terms of research methods according to the research topics, surveys accounted for 140 studies (77%), followed by experimental studies with 18 studies (10%) and literature reviews with 9 studies (5%). Through this research, it was found that the number of papers related to semi-permanent makeup significantly increased in 2020 after the outbreak of COVID-19, compared to before COVID-19. This indicates that the interest in semi-permanent makeup has increased with the changing makeup trends. Research topics that were previously focused on awareness, preference, and satisfaction have shifted after the outbreak of COVID-19 to topics related to public hygiene, health, infection, and safety management, highlighting the importance of hygiene. Furthermore, it was found that before COVID-19, quantitative research was predominant, but after the outbreak of COVID-19, there has been an increase in qualitative research and various types of research have been attempted.

The Association of Long-term Macrolide Therapy and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Culture Positivity in Patients With Bronchiectasis

In the United Kingdom and the United States the public health services have always been considered as being an integral part of public health. The mission, tasks and objectives are the same. In Germany pub-lic health research and public health initiatives on behalf of the universities started in the 1990s. Before that terms and disciplines such as "hygiene" and "social medicine" prevailed. The public health service -- related to these disciplines -- had also been established previously. At the start of the debate on public health issues, however, the pub-lic health service did not play an important role. It was criticized for its conventional organization and its lack of population-based strategies. This article describes the conceptual development of both public health and the public health service over the last 15 ye-ars and the importance of public health politics in achieving a joint strategy aimed at im-proving the health of the population including different population groups.

BackgroundInfection with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is of growing clinical concern in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The epidemiology of infection in children and young people remains poorly understood. Our goal was to investigate the epidemiology of NTM infection in the pediatric age group using data from the UK CF Registry.MethodsData from 2010–2015 for individuals aged <16 years (23200 observations from 5333 unique individuals) were obtained. Univariate analysis of unique individuals comparing all key clinical factors and health outcomes to NTM status was performed. The significant factors that were identified were used to generate a multivariate logistic regression model that, following step-wise removal, generated a final parsimonious model.ResultsThe prevalence of individuals with a NTM-positive respiratory culture increased every year from 2010 (45 [1.3%]) to 2015 (156 [3.8%]). Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (odds ratio [OR], 2.66; P = 5.0 × 10−8), age (OR, 1.08; P = 3.4 × 10−10), and intermittent Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection (OR, 1.51; P = .004) were significantly associated with NTM infection.ConclusionsNTM infection is of increasing prevalence in the UK pediatric CF population. This study highlights the urgent need for work to establish effective treatment and prevention strategies for NTM infection in young people with CF.