Risk Of Infectious Diseases Research Articles

Routine Infectious Disease Consultation Prior to an Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant.

A transplant infectious disease (TID) assessment is essential to select recipients for an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) and tailor prophylactic and empirical treatment recommendations. We performed a retrospective single-center study to describe our model of care based on a routine TID consultation prior to an allogeneic HCT between 2018 and 2022 in 292 adult (≥18-year-old) consecutive patients. We describe the performance of a TID consultation, arbitrarily defined as major (HCT postponement, procedure, cytomegalovirus [CMV] recipient serology reinterpretation) and minor interventions. Overall, 765 interventions were observed in 257 of 292 (88%) patients: 88 of 765 (11.5%) major and 677 of 765 (88.5%) minor interventions. Among major interventions, HCT was postponed in 8 of 292 (2.7%) patients and a procedure was requested in 18 of 292 (6.2%) patients. The CMV recipient serostatus was changed from indeterminate/low-titer positive to negative in 60 of 292 (20.5%) patients. Among 677 minor interventions, there were 68 (8.8%) additional consultations with other services requested, 260 (33.7%) additional diagnostic tests requested, 102 (13.2%) additional treatments recommended, 60 (7.8%) non-CMV serology reinterpretations performed, 115 (14.9%) deviations from routine anti-infective prophylaxis, and 72 (9.3%) deviations from routine empirical antibiotic treatment recommendations in case of neutropenic fever. We are proposing a structured, clearly defined, and comprehensive pretransplant checklist for an effective assessment of infectious disease risks and complications prior to an allogeneic HCT. Further studies or experiences like ours could help to define a global strategy or new models of care to be implemented in HCT centers in the future.

Mitigating infectious disease risks through non-stationary flood frequency analysis: a case study in Malaysia based on natural disaster reduction strategy.

The occurrence of floods has the potential to escalate the transmission of infectious diseases. To enhance our comprehension of the health impacts of flooding and facilitate effective planning for mitigation strategies, it is necessary to explore the flood risk management. The variability present in hydrological records is an important and neglecting non-stationary patterns in flood data can lead to significant biases in estimating flood quantiles. Consequently, adopting a non-stationary flood frequency analysis appears to be a suitable approach to challenge the assumption of independent and identically distributed observations in the sample. This research employed the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution to examine annual maximum flood series. To estimate non-stationary models in the flood data, several statistical tests, including the TL-moment method was utilized on the data from ten stream-flow stations in Johor, Malaysia, which revealed that two stations, namely Kahang and Lenggor, exhibited non-stationary behaviour in their annual maximum streamflow. Two non-stationary models efficiently described the data series from these two specific stations, the control of which could reduce outbreak of infectious diseases when used for controlling the development measures of the hydraulic structures. Thus, the application of these models may help prevent biased prediction of flood occurrences leading to lower number of cases infected by disease.

Enhancing risk factor evaluation for infectious diseases using decision-making approach based on linear programming

Infectious diseases are defined as the invasion of hazardous agents into the human body that causes injury and has the potential to spread to others. These diseases cause a considerable proportion of illnesses and deaths in any given community. The criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation (CRITIC) approach is used to determine the relative importance of multiple assessment criteria, whereas combinative distance-based assessment (CODAS) is a methodology used to compare and evaluate the efficacy of numerous options. The CRITIC-CODAS method is a linear programming-based tool for estimating the risks of infectious diseases. This method takes into account a number of aspects, including the disease’s characteristics, the population at risk, and the available resources for prevention and treatment. The CRITIC-CODAS technique can provide valuable insights into the possible impact of an infectious disease outbreak and aid in improving decision-making regarding prevention and control measures by assessing these elements in a systematic and quantitative manner. The purpose of this work is to provide an overview of the CRITIC-CODAS technique, which is powered by a q-rung orthopair fuzzy set (q-ROFS), and its use in estimating the risk of infectious disease outbreaks. According to the case study, the infectious disease malaria has a greater possibility of spreading in the city under observation. According to the proposed method, the ranking of infectious cities given as ℐ3ℷ≻ℐ4ℷ≻ℐ5ℷ≻ℐ2ℷ≻ℐ1ℷ. This implies that the likelihood of an epidemic of the infectious disease ℐ3ℷ is higher in the city being observed. The study also addresses the approach’s benefits and shortcomings and makes recommendations for further research and development. Overall, the CRITIC-CODAS approach appears to be a useful tool for better understanding infectious disease risks and guiding appropriate response tactics.

International Coordination of Research on Infectious Animal Diseases (ICRAD) First Call: Editorial and Abstracts

The ICRAD ERA-NET launched its first call in 2020, with funding partners from twenty European countries. The aim was to foster a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach towards developing innovative instruments for the control and prevention of animal infectious diseases. Particularly, with a focus on creating vaccine and diagnostic technology platforms to enhance preparedness for major epidemic threats such as African swine fever and animal influenza. The first ICRAD call received significant support, totaling €17.4 million from partner countries alongside an additional €6.7 million top-up from the European Commission (EC). These funds were allocated to nineteen research project consortiums, consisting of researchers from across Europe. Through their collective efforts, these consortia have made remarkable progress in addressing various infectious disease risks faced by European animal health and the livestock industry. The following text encapsulates abstracts from eleven out of the nineteen projects that received funding through the first ICRAD research call. It’s noteworthy to observe that several of these projects are addressing pressing issues related to ongoing animal health outbreaks. For instance, three of these funded projects are dedicated to enhancing our comprehension of the African swine fever virus (ASFV) and fostering the development of a potential vaccine. Another project is honing its focus on avian influenza, with the objective of deciphering the factors contributing to increased virulence in low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses. This could potentially enable us to better predict the severity of emerging avian influenza virus (AIV) strains. In addition, there are several other projects that align seamlessly with the overarching goals of ICRAD. These include but are not limited to, the development of innovative DNA vaccine technologies and the creation of diagnostic tools for a spectrum of pig diseases. Overall, we have funded a range of projects that align excellently with the overall goals of ICRAD, supporting innovative, cross-cutting research on animal health and welfare, with associated benefits for the environment and the economy. These projects represent significant strides in improving animal health, welfare, and food production throughout Europe. By fostering collaboration between partner institutes and bringing together experts from various countries and disciplines, these joint efforts can effectively combine knowledge, resources, and expertise to address complex challenges and threats. This coordination is crucial for identifying, preventing, and responding to emerging animal diseases that could not only endanger animal health but also have direct or indirect implications for human well-being. Moreover, this cross-border cooperation can yield more comprehensive research outcomes while developing innovative solutions and strategies for disease prevention and control. Ultimately, international scientific coordination on animal health showcased in the following abstracts demonstrates a strong commitment to cooperation while providing robust evidence to safeguard the health of animals, humans, and the environment. ICRAD, which organized this call and allocated grants to these projects is an ERA-NET, a co-funded project under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program.

Gambaran Pola Makan Remaja dan Status Gizi di SMA Swasta Katolik Budi Murni 2 Medan Tahun 2023

Background: Nutritional status is a condition caused by a balance between the intake of nutrients from food with the needs of nutrients needed for the body's metabolism. Nutritional status in adolescents often experience food intake, causing nutritional imbalances in the body. Adolescents who are malnourished will cause the body's immune system to become weak so that it is susceptible to disease, especially the risk of infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases. Imbalance of food consumed with the needs in adolescents can cause nutritional problems, both undernourished and overnourished. Based on an initial survey of adolescents at Budi Murni 2 Catholic Private High School Medan, it was found that the nutritional status was less than 20%. Objective: This study aims to determine the picture of adolescent diet with nutritional status at Budi Murni 2 Catholic Private High School Medan in 2023. Methods: This study was descriptive with a cross-sectional design. The population is 425 people, with a sample of 70 people, using simple random sampling techniques. Data collection using interview and observation techniques using questionnaires. Results: The results of the study found that the diet of adolescents staple foods with sufficient categories was 62.9%, animal side dishes in the sufficient category by 67.1%, sufficient vegetable side dishes by 68.6%, sufficient vegetables by 51.4%, sufficient fruits by 51.4%, more snacks by 50.0% and sufficient drinks by 62.9% while the nutritional status of the normal category was 58.6%. Conclusion: It is expected that adolescents can regulate a good and regular diet by eating three times a day and consuming staple foods, side dishes, vegetables, fruits and water in a balanced manner.

Resource selection by New York City deer reveals the effective interface between wildlife, zoonotic hazards and humans.

Although the role of host movement in shaping infectious disease dynamics is widely acknowledged, methodological separation between animal movement and disease ecology has prevented researchers from leveraging empirical insights from movement data to advance landscape scale understanding of infectious disease risk. To address this knowledge gap, we examine how movement behaviour and resource utilization by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) determines blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) distribution, which depend on deer for dispersal in a highly fragmented New York City borough. Multi-scale hierarchical resource selection analysis and movement modelling provide insight into how deer's movements contribute to the risk landscape for human exposure to the Lyme disease vector-I. scapularis. We find deer select highly vegetated and accessible residential properties which support blacklegged tick survival. We conclude the distribution of tick-borne disease risk results from the individual resource selection by deer across spatial scales in response to habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbances.

Diet quality and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 disease: a systematic review

Abstract Background The COVID-19 disease pandemic highlighted the importance of healthy diets in the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease. Evidence suggests the influence of the diet and dietary patterns during post-COVID-19 disease, and the impact of the COVID-19 disease pandemic on dietary habits and quality. However, limited evidence exists on the association between a healthy diet, and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease. Methods 5072 research articles from Scopus, EMBASE, PubMed and MEDLINE databases were identified for eligibility. Only studies that had prospective and cross-sectional study designs were included. Eight studies were extracted and were included in the current systematic review that explored Mediterranean diet and dietary components as dietary exposures, and SARS-CoV2 infection and COVID-19 disease as study outcomes. Results Amongst cross-sectional studies, a higher adherence to Mediterranean diet lowered the odds of COVID-19 disease between 12% (OR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.81-0.97) and 84% (OR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.08-0.32). Amongst prospective studies, a higher diet quality and adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with lower hazard ratio of 9% (HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.88-0.94), and the odds of COVID-19 diseases by 36% (OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.42-0.98) to 50% (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.34-0.73), respectively. Conclusions Overall findings of the studies in this review support the concept that Mediterranean diet and other nutritious diets might lower the risk of COVID-19 disease. Awareness could be created by promoting nutrition education programmes. Finally, this review highlights the limited evidence, and requirement of further studies to explore the longitudinal associations between diet, and SARS-CoV2 infection and COVID-19 disease in order to make the findings more generalisable. Key messages • A nutritious diet is associated with lower risk of COVID-19 disease. • Longitudinal studies and nutritional awareness is required to promote the importance of diet quality to cautiously prevent the risk of SARS-CoV2 infection and COVID-19 disease.

Increased temperatures and child health outcomes: a systematic review

Abstract Background Increased ambient temperatures and extreme heat events are well-established risk factors for increased mortality and morbidity. Most studies to-date have focused on the effect of high temperature on adult populations. However, the paediatric population is vulnerable to increased temperatures, due to a combination of physiological and social vulnerabilities characteristic of children. This presentation will present the findings of a systematic review and meta-analysis on increased heat and childhood health risks. Methods A literature search was carried out of three scientific databases: Pubmed, Embase, and SCOPUS. The data was pooled and summarised in statistical meta-analysis, and presented as relative risk (RR) scores. Subgroup analyses by disease category, gender, and climate group were carried out. Studies not meeting criteria for statistical meta-analysis were summarised in narrative review. Results There is evidence that increased heat increases all-cause mortality in the paediatric population. Increased heat is a risk factor for morbidity throughout the childhood years, from increased rates of preterm birth, to increased adolescent mental health presentations. There is evidence that heat increases the risk of SIDS, respiratory, heat illness, renal disease, mental health, and infectious diseases in children. The majority of studies which quantified the relationship between increased heat and illness do not separate children from adults in statistical analyses. Conclusions There is a substantial body of evidence demonstrating that children have higher rates of morbidity and mortality as a result of higher than usual temperatures. Further research is required into the effects of global warming on child health, and more research is needed to establish protective factors. Researchers in environmental health should consider sub-group analyses on children to identify risks particular to this vulnerable population Key messages • Children are at increased risks of multiple diseases in hot temperatures or heatwaves. • More research is needed into the unique impact of climate change on children.

Study on association factors of intestinal infectious diseases based-Bayesian spatio-temporal model

BackgroundIntestinal infectious diseases (IIDs) are a significant public health issue in China, and the incidence and distribution of IIDs vary greatly by region and are affected by various factors. This study aims to describe the spatio-temporal trends of IIDs in the Chinese mainland and investigate the association between socioeconomic and meteorological factors with IIDs.MethodsIn this study, IIDs in mainland China from 2006 to 2017 was analyzed using data obtained from the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Spatio-temporal mapping techniques was employed to visualize the spatial and temporal distribution of IIDs. Additionally, mean center and standard deviational ellipse analyses were utilized to examine the spatial trends of IIDs. To investigate the potential associations between IIDs and meteorological and socioeconomic variables, spatiotemporal zero-inflated Poisson and negative binomial models was employed within a Bayesian framework.ResultsDuring the study period, the occurrence of most IIDs has dramatically reduced, with uneven reductions in different diseases. Significant regional differences were found among IIDs and influential factors. Overall, the access rate to harmless sanitary toilets (ARHST) was positively associated with the risk of cholera (RR: 1.73, 95%CI: 1.08-2.83), bacillary dysentery (RR: 1.32, 95%CI: 1.06-1.63), and other intestinal infectious diseases (RR: 1.88, 95%CI: 1.52-2.36), and negatively associated with typhoid fever (RR: 0.66, 95%CI: 0.51-0.92), paratyphoid fever (RR: 0.71, 95%CI: 0.55-0.92). Urbanization is only associated with hepatitis E (RR: 2.48, 95%CI: 1.12-5.72). And GDP was negatively correlated with paratyphoid fever (RR: 0.82, 95%CI: 0.70-0.97), and bacillary dysentery (RR: 0.77, 95%CI: 0.68-0.88), and hepatitis A (RR: 0.84, 95%CI: 0.73-0.97). Humidity showed positive correlation with some IIDs except for amoebic dysentery (RR: 1.64, 95%CI: 1.23-2.17), while wind speed showed a negative correlation with most IIDs. High precipitation was associated with an increased risk of typhoid fever (RR: 1.52, 95%CI: 1.09-2.13), and high temperature was associated with an increased risk of typhoid fever (RR: 2.82, 95%CI: 2.06-3.89), paratyphoid fever (RR: 2.79, 95%CI: 2.02-3.90), and HMFD (RR: 1.34, 95%CI: 1.01-1.77).ConclusionsThis research systematically and quantitatively studied the effect of socioeconomic and meteorological factors on IIDs, which provided causal clues for future studies and guided government planning.

The approach to developing Ireland’s first national health protection strategy and lessons learnt

Abstract Health protection is recognised as an essential public health function by the World Health Organization. It includes the prevention and control of infectious disease, environmental and radiation risks, and the emergency response to major incidents. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of strengthening this function worldwide. To address this as a public health priority in Ireland, between January and October 2022 the first national first Health Protection Strategy (2022-2027) for the Health Service Executive (HSE) was developed. This was led by the then National Clinical Director for Health Protection supported by a Project Working Group (PWG), with governance and oversight from a multi-disciplinary Steering Committee (SC). Key steps in strategy formation included detailed stakeholder analysis, exploration of the policy context for the strategy, and development of a consultation plan with guidance of an external facilitator. Two SC consultation workshops were held (March and June 2022). Workshop 1 focused on defining strategic vision, aim, and objectives. Workshop 2 verified objectives and identified enablers. A subsequent e-consultation invited feedback from wider stakeholders (July 2022). The strategy, published 13th October 2022, outlines 10 strategic objectives and 11 associated enablers. Progression of strategy implementation will require further stakeholder engagement, development of implementation plans, and establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework, including annual review of implementation. Strengths of the strategy development approach included multidisciplinary SC input and oversight, review of the national and international policy context, detailed stakeholder analysis and engagement, and the comprehensive consultation plan developed with external facilitator input. Lessons from our experience can support colleagues internationally to strategically set out their priorities for health protection beyond COVID-19. Key messages • The development of the first HSE Health Protection Strategy 2022-2027 is a critical step to ensure a clear framework for the delivery of national health protection functions going forward. • As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, public health bodies should strategically set out priorities for health protection beyond COVID-19 – lessons from our experience in doing so can inform this work.

The contribution of sleep deprivation to suicidal behavior

Objective: This study has the objective correlate sleep disturbances and mood disorders with suicide behavior, showing that the quality of sleep, when altered, interferes negatively in the individual's daily life, compromising social and labor aspects significantly, leading to a higher incidence of psychiatric disorders, which can incite suicidal behaviors. Methods: This article presents a narrative literature review based on the analysis of scientific articles published from 2009 to 2022 in PubMed on sleep deprivation and suicidal behavior. Results: The results certainly showed that quality and the minimum amount needed of sleep, when altered, interferes negatively in the individual's daily life, compromising social aspects significantly, leading to a higher incidence of disorders and acute and chronic diseases, such as schizophrenia , depression, anxiety, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's,increasing the risk of infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancer suggesting that the impact of the sleep-wake cycle on anatomy physiology is significant. Conclusion: The study showed that establishing a causal relationship between sleep and mood becomes indispensable to contribute to the development of conventional interventions to promote earlier approaches to sleep and mental health. It was also able to contemplate that sleep disturbance presents itself as a factor, worthy of incorporation into standardized frameworks, for suicide risk assessment and a growing body of research suggests that sleep complaints may be associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and death by suicide, concluding that suicide is largely influenced by changes in the circadian cycle. ‎

Fomite Transmission in Airports Based on Real Human Touch Behaviors

The public areas of airports are often bustling, raising the risk of infectious diseases spreading through fomites. We recorded 21.3 h of video at three airports, focusing on nine common areas (e.g., boarding and check-in areas) where people touch surfaces. We analyzed 25,925 touches to create a model for how microbes spread from surfaces to humans through touch. The airport mask-wearing rate is high (96.1% in non-restaurant areas), but it is lower (22%) in restaurants. Passengers touch their mucous membranes more often (10.3 times/hour) in restaurants compared to other areas (1.6 times/hour on average). Wearing a mask can significantly reduce the risk of obtaining a virus through direct contact with hands and mucous membranes. If everyone in non-restaurant areas wore masks, the viral intake fraction could be reduced by up to 97.4% compared to not wearing masks. People touch public surfaces the most in self-service check-in areas, at a rate of 473.5 times per hour. Disinfecting public surfaces or hands twice per hour could reduce the viral intake fraction in each area by 27.7% or 15.4%, respectively. The findings of this study provide valuable data support and a scientific foundation for implementing interventions aimed at mitigating fomite transmission within airport settings.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of university students towards monkeypox in Bangladesh.

The recent outbreak of viral zoonotic disease-monkeypox-caused by the monkeypox virus, has infected many people worldwide. This study aims to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) concerning monkeypox among university students in Bangladesh. Data were collected using purposive snowball sampling from 887 university students through an online survey using Google Form. The participants were mostly in their twenties (M = 22.33 [SD 2.01] years), and they spent, on average, 2.59 [SD 1.91] hours/day on electronic and social media. The participants generally showed moderate knowledge (39.5%), low attitude (25.1%), and moderate practice (48.6%) toward monkeypox, with 47.6% having had a moderate KAP score. Findings further showed that personal attributes of university students, i.e., age, sex, year of schooling, residence, living status, geographical distribution, e.g., division, were statistically and significantly associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding monkeypox and overall KAP score. It is also apparent that health status, susceptibility to monkeypox, and exposure to social media were the most common factors significantly associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding monkeypox and overall KAP score. The current study's findings underscore the need for developing appropriate information, education, and communication (IEC) materials and their dissemination, which could play an important role in reducing the risk of monkeypox and similar other infectious diseases, particularly among students in Bangladesh.

Seizures in children undergoing stem cell transplantation.

Neurological complications (NCs) are of major concern following hematological stem cell transplantation (HSCT), most of which present with seizures. We performed a retrospective study (2002-2018) of patients undergoing HSCT in order to analyze the incidence and aetiologies related to seizures. Of 155 children undergoing HSCT, 27 (17.4%) developed seizures at some point in 2 years of follow-up. The most frequent etiologies were central nervous system (CNS) infection (n = 10), drug toxicity (n = 8), and vascular disease (n = 5). A statistically significant association was found between seizure and the HSCT type (lower risk for a related identical donor, p = .010), prophylactic or therapeutic mycophenolate use (p = .043 and .046, respectively), steroid use (p = .023), selective CD45RA+ depletion (p = .002), pre-engraftment syndrome (p = .007), and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) severity (p = .030). Seizures predicted evolution to life-threatening complications and admission to intensive care (p < .001) and higher mortality (p = .023). A statistically significant association was also found between seizures and sequelae in survivors (p = .029). Children who developed seizures had a higher risk of CNS infection and vascular disease (odds ratio 37.25 [95% CI: 7.45-186.05] and 12.95 [95% CI 2.24-74.80], respectively). Neurological complications highly impact survival and outcomes and need to be addressed when facing an HSCT procedure.

Using the Health Belief Model to Predict Pre-Travel Health Decisions among U.S.-Based Travelers.

International travelers are at increased risk of infectious disease, but almost half of Americans traveling to lower- and middle-income countries seek no health information before traveling. The Health Belief Model (HBM) can help evaluate decisions by categorizing behaviors into five categories: susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy. This study sought to use the HBM to elucidate what may influence an individual to make certain pre-travel health decisions. We surveyed 604 participants who had recently traveled to an at-risk country. Participants were subset into nested groups: full population, sought any health information, and visited a clinic or health care provider (HCP). Survey questions were categorized according to the HBM, assembled into a priori models, and analyzed in each group using logistic regression with three main outcome variables: "Sought any pre-travel health information," "Visited clinic or HCP," and "Received vaccine." Of the 604 participants, 333 (55%) sought any health information, 245 (41% of total) reported visiting an HCP, and 166 (27% of total) reported receiving a vaccine before traveling. Models containing variables from the susceptibility and benefits categories were most successful in predicting all three outcomes; susceptibility was a more relevant consideration in information seeking and seeing a provider than vaccination, whereas benefits was relevant for all outcomes. Our results emphasize the importance of an individual's perceived susceptibility to disease and perceived benefit of interventions in predicting pre-travel health behaviors. Understanding this interaction can help shape how HCPs and public health entities can encourage health care seeking and vaccine uptake in travelers.

Effects of delivery method on skin diseases and allergy status: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background: Recent data support a relationship between gut microbiota and various chronic diseases, with emerging evidence indicating a similar association with skin microbiota. Objective: This study aimed to examine the impact of the delivery method on skin microbiota and explore its effects on skin diseases and allergies. Sociodemographic characteristics, which are potential factors impacting skin microbiota, were also considered to investigate this relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 285 pediatric patients. The delivery method, allergy status, age, gender, consanguineous marriage, and parental smoking exposure (PSE) factors were questioned. The present diagnoses of the patients were also recorded. Categorical variables were analyzed using Chi-square analysis. Results: An increased risk of infectious skin diseases (ISDs) (viral, bacterial, fungal) and allergies has been observed in cesarean section (CS) (P &lt; 0.001, P = 0.057). The risk of scabies was higher in normal delivery (P = 0.032). There was no significant relationship between the method of delivery and atopic or non-atopic dermatitis. For children born by CS, PSE, and allergies were identified as factors increasing the risk of atopic dermatitis (P = 0.045, P = 0.018). Allergic children born by CS exhibited a lower prevalence of ISD (P = 0.037). In addition, a decrease in ISDs from 21.2% to 10.3% was observed after 3 years of age in normal births (P = 0.139). Conclusion: Minimizing sociodemographic risk factors and creating a balanced and healthy microbiota, especially in early life, through personal and environmental measures, will be an important part of the treatment of skin diseases and allergies.

Effects of household composition on infant feeding and mother-infant health in northern Kenya.

Households with alloparents, individuals other than the mother who care for an infant, can shift members' roles and affect mother-infant health. To investigate how household composition relates to infant feeding and infectious disease risk in mother-infant dyads, the team utilized data from breastfeeding dyads (n 208) surveyed during a prolonged drought and food scarcity in northern Kenya. Households were classified by the presence/absence of potential alloparents, distinguishing non-siblings and siblings of the infant. Regression models for breastfeeding frequency, complementary feeding status, and recent infections (n 83) evaluated these outcomes' associations with household type while accounting for food insecurity, adjusted for infant age, infant sex, and maternal age. Household type was unassociated with breastfeeding frequency, but the presence of non-sibling alloparents interacted with food insecurity, predicting increasing breastfeeding frequency as food insecurity intensified among dyads living with non-sibling alloparents. Households with non-sibling alloparents were also inversely associated with complementary feeding but had no association with infection. Households with siblings were inversely associated with (protective against) infant and maternal infection. Further research is needed to understand the interactive influence of household social and food ecologies on mother-infant diet and health under diverse cultural rules and norms for alloparenting.

Hepatitis A virus infection.

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). Over 150 million new infections of hepatitis A occur annually. HAV causes an acute inflammatory reaction in the liver that usually resolves spontaneously without chronic sequelae. However, up to 20% of patients experience a prolonged or relapsed course and <1% experience acute liver failure. Host factors, such as immunological status, age, pregnancy and underlying hepatic diseases, can affect the severity of disease. Anti-HAV IgG antibodiesproduced in response to HAV infection persist for life and protect against re-infection; vaccine-induced antibodies against hepatitis A confer long-term protection. The WHO recommends vaccination for individuals at higher risk of infection and/or severe disease in countries with very low and low hepatitis A virus endemicity, and universal childhood vaccination in intermediate endemicity countries. To date, >25 countries worldwide have implemented such programmes, resulting in a reduction in the incidence of HAV infection. Improving hygiene and sanitation, rapid identification of outbreaks and fast and accurate intervention in outbreak control are essential to reducing HAV transmission.

Clinical Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Variants during COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Due to the variation in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, COVID-19 exhibits significant variability in severity. This presents challenges for governments in managing the allocation of healthcare resources and prioritizing health interventions. Clinical severity is also a critical statistical parameter for researchers to quantify the risks of infectious disease, model the transmission of COVID-19, and provide some targeted measures to control the pandemic. To obtain more accurate severity estimates, including confirmed case-hospitalization risk, confirmed case-fatality risk, hospitalization-fatality risk, and hospitalization-ICU risk, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the clinical severity (including hospitalization, ICU, and fatality risks) of different variants during the period of COVID-19 mass vaccination and provided pooled estimates for each clinical severity metric. All searches were carried out on 1 February 2022 in PubMed for articles published from 1 January 2020 to 1 February 2022. After identifying a total of 3536 studies and excluding 3523 irrelevant studies, 13 studies were included. The severity results show that the Delta and Omicron variants have the highest (6.56%, 0.46%, 19.63%, and 9.06%) and lowest severities (1.51%, 0.04%, 6.01%, and 3.18%), respectively, according to the four clinical severity metrics. Adults over 65 have higher severity levels for all four clinical severity metrics.

Mapping household-scale livestock husbandry in LMICs by animal taxon: a Bayesian prediction model of a key infectious diseases risk factor

Mapping household-scale livestock husbandry in LMICs by animal taxon: a Bayesian prediction model of a key infectious diseases risk factor