Common Communicable Diseases Research Articles

Temporal trends in the incidence and demographics of cancers, communicable diseases, and non-communicable diseases in Saudi Arabia over the last decade.

Objectives:To describe the trends in the incidence rates of 5 most common cancers, communicable diseases, and non-communicable diseases in Saudi Arabia over the last decade.Methods:The incidence rates of cancers (2001-2014), communicable diseases (2003-2016), and non-communicable diseases (1990-2017) were retrieved, classified, and analyzed retrospectively during November 2017, based on data available with the Ministry of Health and were analyzed at the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Results:Age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) (per 100,000 population) of breast cancer among women increased dramatically from 11.8 in 2001 to 22.7 in 2014, indicating a 92.4% increase over the decade. Colorectal cancer incidence was the highest among men, and its ASR per 100,000 population increased from 5.0 to 10.6 in men and from 5.0 to 8.2 in women. Among communicable diseases, incidences of hepatitis B, measles, chickenpox, and brucellosis decreased while dengue fever increased. An alarming increase was observed in the incidence rate of non-communicable diseases namely, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.Conclusion:The incidence rate of non-communicable diseases increased over the decade and was associated with increased mortality and disability, reduced quality of life, and increased health-care costs, indicating an urgent need to establish prevention and control programs. The rising trend in the incidence of cancers may also become a health care issue in Saudi Arabia in the coming years.

Design of a supply chain distribution network for communicable diseases: Hepatitis A in Jordan as a case study

Distribution network plays a vital role on the efficiency and the responsiveness of a supply chain. Any product or service goes through a network until it reaches the final customer. Health care systems incorporate distribution networks to better provide health services to patients. In this study, a distribution network for communicable diseases has been developed. The proposed network addresses Hepatitis A in Jordan as a case study, as it is considered one of the common communicable diseases in Jordan. A regression model was developed to predict future incidents of Hepatitis A in Jordan to build a distribution network based on the future required resources. An optimization clustering model was used to structure the appropriate distribution network. The proposed network was compared with the current network used for distribution of medications for Hepatitis A. The new network incurs less cost in delivering medications to the required hospitals as the traveling distance is less. As future work, it is recommended to incorporate more communicable diseases to develop more realistic distribution network.

An Overview of Brucellosis in Cattle and Humans, and its Serological and Molecular Diagnosis in Control Strategies.

Brucellosis is one of the most common contagious and communicable zoonotic diseases with high rates of morbidity and lifetime sterility. There has been a momentous increase over the recent years in intra/interspecific infection rates, due to poor management and limited resources, especially in developing countries. Abortion in the last trimester is a predominant sign, followed by reduced milk yield and high temperature in cattle, while in humans it is characterized by undulant fever, general malaise, and arthritis. While the clinical picture of brucellosis in humans and cattle is not clear and often misleading with the classical serological diagnosis, efforts have been made to overcome the limitations of current serological assays through the development of PCR-based diagnosis. Due to its complex nature, brucellosis remains a serious threat to public health and livestock in developing countries. In this review, we summarized the recent literature, significant advancements, and challenges in the treatment and vaccination against brucellosis, with a special focus on developing countries.

Outbreak management in residential aged care facilities–prevention and response strategies in regional Australia

Objective: To identify the outbreak prevention and response preparedness of residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in the Hunter New England area of New South Wales (NSW). Design: A cross-sectional telephone survey. Setting: RACFs who provide full-time nursing care in regional NSW. Subjects: Twenty randomly selected RACFs including nine metropolitan and 11 rural facilities within the regional Hunter New England (HNE) district of NSW. Main outcome measures: Percentage of staff and residents vaccinated against influenza in 2013; availability and use of a surveillance system to detect outbreaks; knowledge of national outbreak resources; and presence of a facility outbreak management plan. Results: Across the 20 facilities more than 85% of residents were vaccinated against influenza in 2013. Staff influenza vaccination rates varied from less than 50% in six facilities to greater than 80% in nine facilities. Overall, 18/20 (90%) facilities reported having outbreak management plans available; however only 5/20 (25%) facilities reported having an outbreak surveillance system in place. Conclusion: RACFs in this sample reported varying levels of outbreak prevention and preparedness strategies. Nursing staff working in RACFs need to ensure strategies are in place to prevent and respond to communicable disease outbreaks. In particular all facilities are encouraged to have an outbreak surveillance system in operation, especially during the peak seasons. RACF accreditation should consider including outbreak prevention, preparedness and management outcomes in the review measures to ensure all RACFs have strategies in place to protect vulnerable residents from common communicable disease outbreaks.

Study on early warning threshold values for 7 common communicable diseases in Gansu province, 2016

Objective: To optimize the warning threshold values of common communicable diseases in Gansu province, and improve the early warning effect. Method: An early warning model was set up for influenza, scarlet fever, other infectious diarrheal diseases, dysentery, typhoid and paratyphoid, viral hepatitis type E and hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) respectively in Gansu by using the moving percentile method and cumulative sum method. By calculating the sensitivity, specificity, predictive value of positive test, predictive value of negative test, Youden' index and receiver-operating characteristic curve, the optimum early warning threshold values for communicable diseases in Gansu were selected. Results: The optimum early warning boundary values of influenza, scarlet fever, other infectious diarrheal diseases, dysentery, typhoid and paratyphoid, and viral hepatitis type E were P(90), P(80), P(95), P(90), P(80) and P(90) respectively. The optimum early warning parameters of HFMD were k=1.2, H=5σ. Under the optimum early warning boundary values/parameters, the early warning sensitivities of influenza, scarlet fever, other infectious diarrheal diseases, dysentery, typhoid and paratyphoid, viral hepatitis type E and HFMD were 86.67%, 100.00%, 91.67%, 100.00%, 100.00%, 100.00% and 100.00%, the specificities were 86.49%, 62.22%, 75.00%, 100.00%, 97.92%, 89.13% and 74.47%. The predictive values of positive test were 72.22%, 29.17%, 52.38%, 100.00%, 80.00%, 54.55% and 29.41%, and the predictive values of negative test were 94.12%, 100.00%, 96.77%, 100.00%, 100.00%, 100.00% and 100.00%, and the Youden' indexes were 0.73, 0.62, 0.67, 1.00, 0.98,0.89 and 0.74. Receiver-operating characteristic curve showed that the values/parameters of this warning boundary were the points closest to the upper left of the coordinate diagram. Conclusion: The early warning thresholds of influenza, other infectious diarrheal diseases, dysentery and hepatitis E in Gansu may be raised appropriately and the early warning parameters of HFMD need to be adjusted to improve the effectiveness of early warning.

Recent Trends in the Epidemiology of Liver Abscess in Western Region ofUttar Pradesh: A Retrospective Study

Liver abscess remains an important clinical entity. It is the most common intra-abdominal visceral abscess. It has become one of the most common communicable diseases with much more prevalence in underdeveloped and developing countries. Low socio economic conditions, unsanitary habits, immuno-compromised state and alcohol abuse are significant risk factors for amoebic liver abscess. A total of eighty-nine patients are included in this study all with confirmed diagnosis of liver abscess. Multiple variables were determined, such as the patient’s general data, personal, pathological and non-pathological records, symptomatology, vital signs, laboratory tests, cultures, antibiotic therapy, treatment, and follow-up until discharge. In past few years, it has been seen that there is a slight change in the incidence and appearance of this disease. These changes prompted us to study the patients of liver abscess in this region of northern India.

Tropical herbs and spices from Mauritius as alternative biomedicine to manage communicable and non-communicable diseases

Mauritius, is a famous touristic tropical island that forms part of the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean. The Island is also well known for its rich cultural and ethnic diversity and for its singular flora and fauna. The local population has been relying on traditional medicine including the use of endemic and indigenous plants, herbs and spices as alternative and complementary medicine for the management of common ailments. Indeed, tropical herbs and spices have always been an important source of lead compounds in the drug discovery process. Such traditional system of medicine has been increasingly used for therapeutic purposes against a panoply of human diseases globally. Over the past years, attempts have been made to document such uses and to validate these traditional claims. This presentation will endeavour to highlight recent progress on the use of herbs and spices in the treatment and/or management of common communicable and non-communicable diseases in light of ethnopharmacological and epidemiological surveys, and in vitro, in vivo and in silico lab-based studies. The ethnopharmacological/epidemiological investigations have led to documentation of several exotic, indigenous and endemic medicinal plant and animal remedies commonly used by Mauritians in the management of diabetes, pain, infectious diseases, against women and paediatric ailments. In vitro and in vivo studies have attempted to validate against non-communicable diseases via inhibition properties against enzymes of clinical relevance (amylase, glucosidase, lipases, and cholisterases). Enzymes kinetics studies have been conducted to determine the mode of inhibition and in silico molecular docking studies used to provide additional insights on the mode of binding of bioactive compounds from the plant extracts and the target enzymes. The plants have also been studied against infectious diseases via evaluation of bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities against pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant strains, biofilm eradication potential, and antibiotic potentiating activity). Data amassed so far from the Mauritian flora has shown that the local tropical biodiversity can be an important sustainable source of biomedicines for future drug development programs.

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infection among School Children in Taif

Parasitic infection specially intestinal parasites is considered as the most common communicable diseases worldwide, with special concern in developing countries. Globally about 3.5 billion people are affected, and 450 million complain as a result of these infections, the severest age group affected are children. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence of intestinal parasites infection and associated risk factors among school children in Taif primary school. Descriptive study was conducted on 150 school children. These were investigated for the spectrum, proportion and epidemiology of various kinds of enteroparasites. For 4 months, stool specimens were collected and examined for parasites using direct smear and formal-ether concentration technique. 12% were found positives for enteropathogens. Infections were more prevalent in males than in females. The spectrum of enteric pathogens were including Giardia lambelia(3%), Cryptosporidium parvum(3%), Blastocystis hominis(4%), and Entamoeba histolytica (2%).

A new primary health-care system in the Syrian opposition territories: Good effort but far from being perfect.

Objectives:The primary health-care system in Syria has suffered a great deal of damage over the past 6 years. A large number of physicians and health-care providers have left the country. The objectives of this study are to describe our experience in establishing a primary health-care system in the opposition territories (OTs) in Syria and report the most common treated diseases.Methods:The administrative databases of ten primary care centers in the OT from January 2014 to December 2015 were reviewed. All patients' encounters, including children and adults, in these centers were included in the study.Results:Within the study period, the ten centers served 46,039 patients encounter per month (and average of 4600 patients encounters per center per month). A high number of communicable diseases were noted. Cutaneous leishmaniasis was the most common communicable disease (1170 cases a month). Tuberculosis was treated in 14 patients a month. Other infectious diseases that were almost eradicated before the crises were seen increasingly (29 mumps cases/month, 6 measles cases/month, and 34 cases of typhoid fever/month).Conclusion:The primary health-care system in Syria has been greatly damaged, and tremendous efforts are ongoing to provide access to various basic health-care services including primary care services. Despite these efforts, the current system is very vulnerable and not sustainable. This study summarizes basic health services provided by primary health-care centers in Syrian OTs.

Current Situation and Management of Plague Cases in Madagascar

Madagascar is the most affected country by the plague in the world, where the disease is still endemic and epidemic. 300 to 600 cases are reported annually by the basic health centers and the lethality ranges from 20 to 30%. The objective of this communication is to share the current situation and the management of common communicable disease and those currently emerging such as plague to the participants of the scientific days organized by the Societe de Pathologie Infectieuse de Madagascar (SPIM), held at the Malagasy Academy Tsimbazaza from November 15th, 16th 2016. In Madagascar, the fight against plague is based on: (i) epidemiological surveillance, (ii) early diagnosis and rapid response to cases; (iii) chemoprophylaxis of contacts, (iv) disinfection of the premises of the patients, (v) disinfection of the huts in and around the homes within a radius of 200 meters, (vi) control of the rats and fleas, (vii) Behavior Change Communication, as well as operational research which are also essential for the success of the program. Principles of treatment during the case management of plague: free of charge treatment, early and correct treatment, on the spot, and according to the specific standard of the National Program of Plague Control; biological sampling of the bubo and/or sputum to be made with on-site screening using the rapid diagnosis test before implementing the treatment. Streptomycin, at a divided dose, for 4 days relayed by sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim for 6 days from the 3rd day of treatment is the standard specific treatment for bubonic plague; whereas streptomycin alone is to be administered for 8 to 10 days for the treatment of pulmonary plague. The plague does exist in the country for more than a century, exactly 118 years. are pleased to hear today that men walked on the moon. We hope that one day the plague will eradicated from this planet.

Trends in infectious disease incidence among children in Afghanistan at a time of public health services expansion.

This study reviewed trends in the incidence of common communicable diseases among children under five years in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2013, a period of expansion of public health services. New visits to outpatient clinics constituted the denominator for calculating proportions. In 2013, almost three-quarters of all new visits of children to public health services were for an infectious disease, with respiratory infections the most common. Because of inconsistent data collection for some infections early in the period, the trend for infectious diseases as a whole cannot be estimated. However, there was a statistically significant downward trend in the proportion of new visits that were diagnosed as one of the 11 leading communicable diseases from 74.5% in 2005 to 62.1% in 2013 (P < 0.001). There was no difference in communicable disease patterns between provinces, but a higher per capita consultation rate was associated with a higher proportion of the leading infections (P = 0.008). Recent improvements in maternal health, hygiene, and preventive services may have had an impact in reducing the burden of infections.

Impact of weather factors on hand, foot and mouth disease, and its role in short-term incidence trend forecast in Huainan City, Anhui Province.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is one of the most common communicable diseases in China, and current climate change had been recognized as a significant contributor. Nevertheless, no reliable models have been put forward to predict the dynamics of HFMD cases based on short-term weather variations. The present study aimed to examine the association between weather factors and HFMD, and to explore the accuracy of seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model with local weather conditions in forecasting HFMD. Weather and HFMD data from 2009 to 2014 in Huainan, China, were used. Poisson regression model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was applied to examine the relationship between weather factors and HFMD. The forecasting model for HFMD was performed by using the SARIMA model. The results showed that temperature rise was significantly associated with an elevated risk of HFMD. Yet, no correlations between relative humidity, barometric pressure and rainfall, and HFMD were observed. SARIMA models with temperature variable fitted HFMD data better than the model without it (sR 2 increased, while the BIC decreased), and the SARIMA (0, 1, 1)(0, 1, 0)52 offered the best fit for HFMD data. In addition, compared with females and nursery children, males and scattered children may be more suitable for using SARIMA model to predict the number of HFMD cases and it has high precision. In conclusion, high temperature could increase the risk of contracting HFMD. SARIMA model with temperature variable can effectively improve its forecast accuracy, which can provide valuable information for the policy makers and public health to construct a best-fitting model and optimize HFMD prevention.

The Economic Burden of Otitis Media in Korea, 2012: A Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study.

Background. Otitis media (OM) is a common communicable disease that is associated with a substantial economic burden. However, no Korean studies have evaluated OM-related trends after the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Purpose. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and economic burden of OM in Korea using nationally representative data. Methods. The burden of OM was estimated nationally representative data such as national health insurance claims data from 2012, based on the prevalence approach and the societal perspective. Results. In 2012, 1,788,303 patients visited medical institutions for treatment of OM, and the prevalence and burden of OM were 3.5% and 497.35 million US dollars, respectively. Patients who were 0–9 years old accounted for 59.7% of the cases and 55.2% of the total cost. Among adults, the total and perpatient costs were highest among 50–59-year-old adults. Direct medical costs and outpatient costs accounted for large proportions of the total cost (86.3% and 88.3%, resp.). Conclusion. The economic burden of OM decreased after the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. However, OM is still associated with a relatively large burden, especially among adults, and interventions are needed to reduce the burden of OM in this population.

An Update on New Vaccines for Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common and deadly communicable diseases in the world, infecting approximately one-third of the total human race. The number of drug-resistant TB cases are increasing. The spectrum of resistance varies from single to multidrug and from multidrug to total drug resistance varieties. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is also responsible for the recent re-emergence of tuberculosis infection worldwide. When drugs are becoming ineffective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, there is a need to focus more on preventive strategies. Though Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccine is efficient in preventing miliary and meningeal tuberculosis in children, it is not effective against pulmonary tuberculosis. For prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis, development of new vaccines is the need of time. Several new vaccines are under clinical trials either to replace old BCG or act as a booster for the current BCG vaccine. New vaccines include live Mycobacterial vaccines, its subunit, live vector-based vaccines and killed whole or fragmented vaccines. This review recaps the status of development of pre-clinical tuberculosis vaccines.

Extra pulmonary tuberculosis of the head and neck region in pediatric population

Tuberculosis is the most common communicable disease worldwide. In this era of immune-compromising disease like acquired immune deficiency syndrome, it is necessary to have knowledge of the different presenting features of various rare manifestation of tuberculosis. Young individuals are more prone to such lesion because lack of immunity, close grouping with infected patients and the general increased chances of varying presentation in such patients. This study groups together rare presentation of extra pulmonary tuberculosis of the head and neck region in an effort to increase the recognition of this disease.

Spatio-temporal analysis of the relationship between climate and hand, foot, and mouth disease in Shandong province, China, 2008-2012.

BackgroundHand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is the most common communicable disease in China. Shandong Province is one of the most seriously affected areas. The distribution of HFMD had spatial heterogeneity and seasonal characteristic in this setting. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between climate and HFMD by a Bayesian approach from spatio-temporal interactions perspective.MethodsThe HFMD data of Shandong Province during 2008–2012 were derived from the China National Disease Surveillance Reporting and Management System. And six climatic indicators were obtained from the Meteorological Bureau of Shandong Province. The global spatial autocorrelation statistic (Moran’s I) was used to detect the spatial autocorrelation of HFMD cases in each year. The optimal one among four Bayesian models was further adopted to estimate the relative risk of the occurrence of HFMD via Markov chain Monte Carlo.ResultsThe annual average incidence rate of HFMD was 104.40 per 100,000 in Shandong Province. Positive spatial autocorrelation appeared at county level (Moran’s I ≥0.30, P < 0.001). The best fitting Spatio-temporal interactive model showed that annual average temperature, annual average pressure, annual average relative humidity, annual average wind speed and annual sunshine hours were significantly positive related to the occurrence of HFMD. The estimated relative risk of 36, 87, 91, 79, 65 out of 140 counties for 2008–2012 respectively were significantly more than 1.ConclusionsThere were obvious spatio-temporal heterogeneity of HFMD in Shandong Province, and the climatic indicators were associated with the epidemic of HFMD. Bayesian approach should be recommended to capture the spatial-temporal pattern of HFMD.

Low prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in patients with autoimmune diseases in a Chinese patient population

Hepatitis B is a very common communicable disease in China but the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients with autoimmune diseases is unknown. We retrospectively investigated the prevalence of autoimmune diseases in patients with HBV infection. The medical records of 4060 patients with autoimmune or nonautoimmune diseases were reviewed. A positive test result for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was used to indicate the presence of HBV infection. Autoimmune diseases included autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, systemic lupus erythematosus and ulcerative colitis. Nonautoimmune conditions included inguinal hernia, appendicitis and pregnant or postpartum women. The proportion of autoimmune disease patients who were HBsAg positive (2.24%) was significantly lower than that of nonautoimmune disease patients who were HBsAg positive (4.58%; P=0.0014). Regarding hepatic autoimmune diseases, the positivity rates for HBsAg in autoimmune hepatitis patients (0.83%) and primary biliary cirrhosis patients (1.02%) were both significantly lower than in nonautoimmune patients (4.58%; P=0.006 and 0.004, respectively). Patients with hepatic autoimmune disease were significantly less likely to be HBsAg positive (0.93%) than patients with non-hepatic autoimmune disease (3.99%; P=0.002). Patients with autoimmune diseases, especially those with hepatic autoimmune disease, may more efficiently clear HBV than patients with nonautoimmune diseases.

Common infectious and communicable diseases among a nomadic Fulani population in Kano, Nigeria

Z.G. Habib1, M.M. Dalhat2, H. Muhammad3,∗, M.M. Bello4, A.U. Bello5, A.M. Yakasai6, A.H. Sadauki7, U.-F. Abdullahi7, B.A. Gwaram4, F. Sarkin-Fada8, K.M. Karaye8, I. Abdulkadir5, A.G. Habib8 1 University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja, Gwagwalada, Nigeria 2 Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Kano, Nigeria 3 Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria 4 Bayero University, Kano, Kano, Nigeria 5 Ahmadu Bello Univesity, Zaria, Nigeria 6 Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, Nigeria 7 Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria 8 Bayero University Kano, Kano, Nigeria

Colorimetric detection of hepatitis E virus based on reverse transcription loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a common communicable disease in the third world countries. The early diagnosis of HEV is important for the prognosis and prevention of the spread of the disease. Conventional methods for HEV detection need expensive equipment and cannot meet the needs of point of care (POC) use. In the present study, a gold nanoparticle (AuNP) based RT-LAMP assay was developed for colorimetric detection of HEV. As low as 101 copies of HEV RNA were detected visually. With reduced handling and less equipment requirement, this assay provided a simple and rapid alternative to other available methods.

Nephrology in Africa—not yet uhuru

Nephrology is a 'Cinderella speciality', a disregarded area of health care, in Africa. Other health issues have relegated the treatment of kidney diseases to a low priority status, and the cost of treating the more common and widespread communicable diseases, financial mismanagement and corruption in many countries has sounded the death knell for expensive therapies such as dialysis. The communicable diseases that have devastated the health systems around Africa are tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Until recently, very little information was available on the impact of HIV on acute and chronic dialysis admissions. Patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) in most of Africa are seldom treated because of great distances to travel, lack of expertise, poverty and poor sustainable funding for health matters. An acute peritoneal dialysis (PD) programme has now been initiated in Tanzania but the sustainability of this project will be tested in the future. The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) has developed a training programme for nephrologists from developing countries, which may now be bearing fruit. A report from the sub-Saharan Africa region shows that the numbers of patients on dialysis and those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has increased significantly. Other ISN-sponsored programmes such as Continuing Medical Education activities for physicians and community screening projects have had far-reaching positive effects. Government funding for a dialysis programme is well established in South Africa, but this funding is limited so that the numbers accepted for public dialysis are restricted. Consequently in the Western Cape province of South Africa, a 'category system' has been formulated to attempt to cope with this unacceptable and restrictive ruling.