Incidence Of Other Infectious Diseases Research Articles

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the incidence of other infectious diseases in the hematology hospital in Korea.

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, hospitals have implemented infection control measures to minimize the spread of the virus within facilities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and common respiratory virus (cRV) infections in hematology units. This retrospective study included all patients hospitalized in Catholic Hematology Hospital between 2019 and 2020. Patients infected with vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), and cRV were analyzed. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) methods and interrupted time series analyses were performed to compare the incidence rates before and after the pandemic. The incidence rates of CPE and VRE did not differ between the two periods. However, the incidence of CDI increased significantly (IRR: 1.41 [p = 0.002]) after the COVID-19 pandemic. The incidence of cRV infection decreased by 76% after the COVID-19 outbreak (IRR: 0.240 [p < 0.001]). The incidence of adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and rhinovirus infection significantly decreased in the COVID-19 period (IRRs: 0.087 [p = 0.003], 0.031 [p < 0.001], and 0.149 [p < 0.001], respectively). The implementation of COVID-19 infection control measures reduced the incidence of cRV infection. However, CDI increased significantly and incidence rates of CPE and VRE remained unchanged in hematological patients after the pandemic. Infection control measures suitable for each type of HCAI, such as stringent hand washing for CDI and enough isolation capacities, should be implemented and maintained in future pandemics, especially in immunocompromised patients.

Outpatient antibiotic prescribing during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide register-based time series analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed an enormous burden on health care systems around the world. Simultaneously, many countries have reported a decrease in the incidence of other infectious diseases, such as acute respiratory infections, leading to a decline in outpatient antibiotic use. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on outpatient antibiotic prescribing in Finland during the first 2 years of the pandemic. We used nationwide register data, applied descriptive methods, and conducted an interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) using ARIMA modelling. Results from the ARIMA modelling showed that at the baseline, before the pandemic, the level of monthly number of antibiotic prescriptions was 248,560 (95% CI: 224,261 to 272,856; p<0.001) and there was a decreasing trend of 1,202 in monthly number of prescriptions (95% CI: -2,107 to -262; p<0.01). After the COVID-19 pandemic began, there was a statistically significant decline of 48,470 (95% CI: -76,404 to -20,535, p<0.001) prescriptions (-19.5% from the baseline level). The greatest decrease in antibiotic prescribing was observed among children aged 0-17 years. While antibiotic prescribing declined in all antibiotic groups associated with respiratory tract infections, the decrease from 2019 to 2020 was the largest with azithromycin (52.6%), amoxicillin (44.8%), and doxycycline (43.8%). Future studies should continue exploring antibiotic prescribing trends during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Effect of iron deficiency anemia on blood levels of interleukin 6 and infection rates in children: a pilot study

Introduction: Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. Iron activates the growth and differentiation of immune cells and cytokine actions. Interleukin 6 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that stimulates the differentiation of B lymphocytes into plasma cells and activates T lymphocytes. Our study aimed to evaluate the correlation between blood levels of iron and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its impact on infection rates in children. Materials and methods: The study included 36 children. The serum concentration of IL-6, iron, and morphology parameters from a venous blood sample were assessed. An anonymous survey of children’s parents was conducted regarding the frequency of infections before and after the diagnosis of anemia. Results: In the study group, the levels of IL-6 were higher than in the control group and showed greater variability between individual patients. There was a statistically significant, negative correlation between IL-6 and iron levels within the study group (p = 0.012), and a decrease in the number of viral diarrheas after the diagnosis of anemia compared to the state before diagnosis (p = 0.041). There was no statistically significant change in the number of colds or the mean duration of infection (p = 0.144, p = 0.498), nor in the incidence of other infectious diseases and antibiotics intake in the study group before and after iron deficiency anemia diagnosis (p = 0.500, p = 0.219). Conclusions: IL-6 might play a role in iron deficiency anemia. Increased levels of IL-6 were shown not to correspond with visible changes in rates and the course of colds, but did result in a reduction in the frequency of viral diarrhea. Further research on a larger group of carefully selected patients is required to determine the effect of anemia on the immune system.

China has the momentum to eliminate measles

China has the momentum to eliminate measles

COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Changes in Pediatric Seasonal Respiratory Infections.

The implementation of social distancing, mask wearing, and other infection control practices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly changed the incidence of other infectious diseases, particularly respiratory illnesses.1-4 Gradual return to pre-pandemic activities - along with novel SARS-CoV-2 variants - allowed for successive waves of COVID-19, most often during the fall/winter respiratory illness season. The purpose of this study was to assess the change in incidence of common primary care respiratory infections over the first two respiratory seasons of the pandemic from the two seasons preceding the pandemic.

Epidemiological features and changes in the occurrence of infectious diseases in Poland from 2015 to 2020 in the context of the emerging novel SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic

Introduction. The novel emerging infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global public health concern. The ongoing pandemic outbreak in Poland makes a great impact on the diagnosis and treatment of other conditions including cancer and non-neoplastic diseases such as other infectious diseases. Research design. This study aimed to analyze trends in morbidity of selected infectious diseases in Poland over the last 6 years and assess the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic on the incidence of other infectious diseases from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. Results. No clear trend in the total number of cases of infectious diseases in Poland in the years 2015–2019 was observed. During the period from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, a total of 1 273 155 SARS-CoV-2 infections were recorded in Poland; they represented the second most common disease entity in the analyzed period (after flu and suspected flu). At the same time, there was a decrease in morbidity for almost all disease entities for which at least one case had been reported in 2019. The mean hospitalization rate for COVID-19 amounted to 250.2 cases per 100 000 inhabitants. Conclusions. The lack of a clear trend in data for the years 2015–2019 makes it difficult to measure the impact of COVID-19 disease on the occurrence of other infectious diseases in Poland. The latest data indicate a significant reduction in the number of cases reported in 2020 vs. 2019. The question remains, whether this reduction results from limitations in interpersonal contacts forced by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, or is it a matter of underreporting of other diseases.

The indirect impact of control measures in COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of other infectious diseases in China

ObjectivesDuring COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, China, some public health measures of forced lockdown, closure of school and public meeting places, staying at home, transportation stop, masks wearing, hands washing, environmental disinfection were taken on to control epidemic transmission, these measures have made indirect affect on the other infectious diseases incidence. Study designDuring COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we retrospectively analyzed and compared reported cases of other infectious diseases,in order to found what impact of measures in controlling COVID-19 pandemic on the other infectious diseases in China. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed and compared reported cases of measles, pertussis, scarlet fever, seasonal influenza, mumps, HFMD each month in 2018, 2019 and 2020 from the National Health Commission, PRC. ResultsCases of measles, pertussis, scarlet fever, seasonal influenza, mumps and HFMD in January 2020 were not declined, or even increased compare to 2018 and 2019, but from February to December 2020, began to drop significantly compare with the cases of 2018 and 2019. However, seasonal influenza cases in 2020 were more than in 2018. ConclusionIt shown that how important scientific measures are taken to cut off COVID-19 pandemic transmission, However, these taken measures have led to indirect impact on the diffusion of other infectious diseases, led to measles, pertussis, scarlet fever, seasonal influenza, mumps, HFMD declined.

Changes in the Incidence of Intussusception and Infectious Diseases After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea.

BackgroundIntussusception refers to the invagination of a part of the intestine into itself. The exact cause for this condition is unknown in most cases. The active implementation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection control guidelines has reduced the spread of COVID-19 and the incidence of other infectious diseases in children. The current study aimed to identify changes in pediatric intussusception and infectious diseases after the implementation of infection control guidelines and confirm the association between intussusception and contagious diseases.MethodsWe analyzed the electronic medical records of pediatric patients diagnosed with intussusception from seven hospitals in Korea between January 2017 and December 2020. We used open data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to investigate changes in infectious diseases over the same period.ResultsAltogether, we evaluated 390 children with intussusception. There was a statistically significant decrease in the incidence of monthly visits with intussusception in the COVID-19 period group (9.0 vs. 3.5, P < 0.001). When the monthly incidence of infectious diseases was compared between the pre-COVID-19 and the COVID-19 periods, a statistically significant decrease in respiratory viruses (7979.0 vs. 815.2, P < 0.001), enterovirus infection (262.2 vs. 6.6, P < 0.001), and viral enteritis (916.2 vs. 197.8, P < 0.001) were confirmed in the COVID-19 period. Through interrupted time series analysis, it was confirmed that the incidence of intussusception and viral infectious diseases have drastically decreased since March 2020, when COVID-19 infection control guidelines were actively implemented.ConclusionWe confirmed that implementing infection control guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decrease in intussusception and viral infectious diseases. Through this result, it was possible to indirectly confirm the existing hypothesis that viral infections play a significant role in the pathophysiologic mechanism of intussusception.

Reduction of influenza in Osaka, Japan during the COVID-19 outbreak: a population-based ORION registry study

ObjectivesThe spread of COVID-19 has affected the incidence of other infectious diseases, but there are no reports of studies using comprehensive regional population-based data to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on influenza incidence. We attempted to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on influenza using the population-based ORION (Osaka Emergency Information Research Intelligent Operation Network) registry. MethodsThe ORION registry of emergency patients treated by emergency medical service (EMS) personnel was developed by the Osaka Prefecture government. From ORION, we included emergency patients with influenza using the ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) 10 codes. Influenza incidence rate ratio (IRR) and associated 95% CI were calculated. ResultsThe number of influenza patients transported by EMS decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The IRR showed a substantial decrease in influenza patients in 2020 (IRR 2020/2018 0.39, 95% CI 0.37–0.41). ConclusionsA comprehensive regional analysis using the population-based ORION registry confirmed that from January 2020, when the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection were reported in Osaka, Japan, the number of influenza patients transported by EMS decreased dramatically.

Impact of NPIs for COVID-19 on Other Infectious Diseases and Mental Illnesses in South Korea

Due to COVID-19, high-intensity nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are implemented and these regulations may trigger changes in the incidence of other infectious diseases. The goal is to determine the impact of NPIs on other infectious diseases and mental illnesses in South Korea. Data were collected from an open-source dataset concerning NPIs covering the period of January 2018 to July 2020. The data comprised average daily mask production volume and number of companies newly authorized to offer disinfection and sterilization services, and numbers of patients with sentinel surveillance infectious disease and mental illness. This study compared changes in NPIs and incidence of infectious diseases and mental illnesses before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea. &#x0D; In 2020, the average daily mask production volume and the number of companies newly authorized to offer disinfection and sterilization services markedly increased following the virus outbreak (380% and &gt; 94.8–99.5%, respectively). Meanwhile, the incidence of respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases declined, including those of influenza (49–55%), acute respiratory infection (78–79%), hand-foot-and-mouth disease (84–94%), enterovirus (94–97%), and intestinal infectious disease (36–40%). The weekly incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in 2020 remained constant regardless of the COVID-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, the number of outpatients increased by 7–16% for depressive episodes, 5–12% for other anxiety disorders, and 10–28% for sleep disorders. NPIs significantly reduced the incidence of respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases and negatively affected mental health. Therefore, while NPIs should be continued to prevent the spread of infections, systematic policies must be enacted to support mental health.

The impact of malaria coinfection on Ebola virus disease outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

IntroductionViral outbreaks present a particular challenge in countries in Africa where there is already a high incidence of other infectious diseases, including malaria which can alter immune responses to secondary infection. Ebola virus disease (EVD) is one such problem; understanding how Plasmodium spp. and Ebolavirus (EBOV) interact is important for future outbreaks.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review in PubMed and Web of Science to find peer-reviewed papers with primary data literature to determine 1) prevalence of EBOV/Plasmodium spp. coinfection, 2) effect of EBOV/Plasmodium spp. coinfection on EVD pathology and the immune response, 3) impact of EBOV/Plasmodium spp. coinfection on the outcome of EVD-related mortality. Random effects meta-analyses were conducted with the R package meta to produce overall proportion and effect estimates as well as measure between-study heterogeneity.ResultsFrom 322 peer-reviewed papers, 17 were included in the qualitative review and nine were included in a meta-analysis. Prevalence of coinfection was between 19% and 72%. One study reported significantly lower coagulatory response biomarkers in coinfected cases but no difference in inflammatory markers. Case fatality rates were similar between EBOV(+)/Pl(+) and EBOV(+)/Pl(-) cases (62.8%, 95% CI 49.3–74.6 and 56.7%, 95% CI 53.2–60.1, respectively), and there was no significant difference in risk of mortality (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.90–1.31) although heterogeneity between studies was high. One in vivo mouse model laboratory study found no difference in mortality by infection status, but another found prior acute Plasmodium yoeli infection was protective against morbidity and mortality via the IFN-γ signalling pathway.ConclusionThe literature was inconclusive; studies varied widely and there was little attempt to adjust for confounding variables. Laboratory studies may present the best option to answer how pathogens interact within the body but improvement in data collection and analysis and in diagnostic methods would aid patient studies in the future.

Development of the quality assessment information system for infection control in penitentiary institutions

The article describes the quality assessment system for infection control in penitentiary institutions that was developed using a mathematical model based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The following parameters were chosen as indicators of infection control quality level: HIV, tuberculosis, incidence of other infectious diseases, compliance with sanitary regulations and the water quality. The reliability and adequacy of the research has been proved. Quality assessment of infection control is an important criterion for the successful development of effective measures aimed at the improvement of the epidemiological situation in penitentiary institutions.

Reporting of notifiable infectious diseases during the COVID-19 response.

The Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases (MSIS) is based on reporting of cases of 72mandatory notifiable diseases by clinical microbiological laboratories and diagnosing physicians. The aim of our study was to investigate a potential temporal association between measures against COVID-19 in February-April 2020 and incidence of other infectious diseases reported to MSIS. We compared the number of disease cases reported to MSIS during weeks 6-14 in 2020 with the median of cases reported in corresponding weeks during three previous years (2017-2019). Compared to the median of cases reported during corresponding weeks in three previous years, physicians and laboratories reported 47% fewer cases (159 vs. 301) in week 12, 50% fewer cases (131 vs. 261) in week 13, and 69% fewer cases (77 vs. 252) in week 14. There was a reduction in the number of notifications of all included disease groups. The observed decline in reporting of diseases other than COVID-19may indicate a reduced risk of communicable diseases due to comprehensive advice and the requirement for social distancing. However, it is also possible that the sensitivity of the surveillance system was affected by increased resource use on COVID-19 cases management.

The burden of clostridium difficile infection: estimates of the incidence of CDI from U.S. Administrative databases.

BackgroundMany administrative data sources are available to study the epidemiology of infectious diseases, including Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), but few publications have compared CDI event rates across databases using similar methodology. We used comparable methods with multiple administrative databases to compare the incidence of CDI in older and younger persons in the United States.MethodsWe performed a retrospective study using three longitudinal data sources (Medicare, OptumInsight LabRx, and Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database (SID)), and two hospital encounter-level data sources (Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and Premier Perspective database) to identify CDI in adults aged 18 and older with calculation of CDI incidence rates/100,000 person-years of observation (pyo) and CDI categorization (onset and association).ResultsThe incidence of CDI ranged from 66/100,000 in persons under 65 years (LabRx), 383/100,000 in elderly persons (SID), and 677/100,000 in elderly persons (Medicare). Ninety percent of CDI episodes in the LabRx population were characterized as community-onset compared to 41 % in the Medicare population. The majority of CDI episodes in the Medicare and LabRx databases were identified based on only a CDI diagnosis, whereas almost ¾ of encounters coded for CDI in the Premier hospital data were confirmed with a positive test result plus treatment with metronidazole or oral vancomycin. Using only the Medicare inpatient data to calculate encounter-level CDI events resulted in 553 CDI events/100,000 persons, virtually the same as the encounter proportion calculated using the NIS (544/100,000 persons).ConclusionsWe found that the incidence of CDI was 35 % higher in the Medicare data and fewer episodes were attributed to hospital acquisition when all medical claims were used to identify CDI, compared to only inpatient data lacking information on diagnosis and treatment in the outpatient setting. The incidence of CDI was 10-fold lower and the proportion of community-onset CDI was much higher in the privately insured younger LabRx population compared to the elderly Medicare population. The methods we developed to identify incident CDI can be used by other investigators to study the incidence of other infectious diseases and adverse events using large generalizable administrative datasets.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1501-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Blood‐stage Plasmodium berghei infection leads to short‐lived parasite‐associated antigen presentation by dendritic cells

Despite extensive evidence that Plasmodium species are capable of stimulating the immune system, the association of malaria with a higher incidence of other infectious diseases and reduced responses to vaccination against unrelated pathogens suggests the existence of immune suppression. Recently, we provided evidence that blood-stage Plasmodium berghei infection leads to suppression of MHC class I-restricted immunity to third party (non-malarial) antigens as a consequence of systemic DC activation. This earlier study did not, however, determine whether reactivity was also impaired to MHC class II-restricted third party antigens or to Plasmodium antigens themselves. Here, we show that while P. berghei-expressed antigens were presented early in infection, there was a rapid decline in presentation within 4 days, paralleling impairment in MHC class I- and II-restricted presentation of third party antigens. This provides important evidence that P. berghei not only causes immunosuppression to subsequently encountered third party antigens, but also rapidly limits the capacity to generate effective parasite-specific immunity.

Antibiotic consumption and resistance selection in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Selection of antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae is an inescapable consequence of antibiotic use. The correlation between antibiotic consumption and selection of resistant organisms can be shown at every ecological level: patient, community, region or country. In the case of multiple resistance, the intensity of antibiotic selection is increased. However, different antibiotics may exert different selective powers. Because of this, co-selection of macrolide and beta-lactam resistance is an asymmetrical phenomenon: macrolides select more efficiently strains resistant to both macrolides and beta-lactams than aminopenicillins. The difference in rates of antibiotic resistance is also influenced by the local spread of susceptible or resistant clones; it is suggested that under mild antibiotic selection, the susceptible organisms that are more fit for host-to-host transmission could be favoured. Subsequent acquisition of resistance in these clones may rapidly increase the prevalence of resistance, and that may lead to an increase in the use of antibiotics. The reasons for antibiotic resistance are mainly the reasons explaining antibiotic consumption. A number of possible sociobiological determinants of antibiotic consumption can be identified: genetic factors in the human populations (for instance, involving different symptomatic types of infection), cultural factors and attitudes of patients towards antibiotics, sociological factors or public health factors, including incidence of other infectious diseases in the human population. Only 'excess' in the use of antibiotics should be controlled; for such a purpose, the concept, 'appropriate demand for antibiotics' (ADA) is proposed.