Safeguard Public Health Research Articles

Suitability of drinking water quality in Chittagong Metropolitan City, Bangladesh: research on urban water bodies (UWBs) using multivariate analytic techniques

AbstractThis is empirical research that focuses on the urban water ecosystems in the humid tropics of South Asia. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the quality of drinking water in the urban water bodies (UWBs) of Chittagong Metropolitan City (CMC), Bangladesh. The field data was centered on the analysis and depiction of twenty-three (23) water quality parameters, collected from twenty-one (21) spatial observation units. Analytic tools include suitability analysis, correlation matrix, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA) as a means to an end. The data were analyzed using SPSS. The analysis reveals that drinking water quality in studied UWBs was inappropriate during the monsoon season. Parameters that crossed the extreme permissible concentration incorporate EC, BOD, COD, Turbidity, Nitrate, Total coliform, and Fecal coliform. The PCA extracted four factors (PC1–4) with an eigenvalue of 10.23, explaining 73.1% of the total variation in the dataset in cumulative terms. The CA recognized three (3) broad groups of the sampling stations. Group A represents nine cases, suffering the most from pollution concentration in CMC. Awareness building at all levels is advocated to improve clean water sources, increase service provision, and ensure public health safeguards.

Simultaneous Monitoring and Decontamination of Pesticide Residues in Phytomedicine-Enriched Betel Leaf Utilizing QuEChERS-GC-MS/MS Technology to Safeguard Public Health.

The presence of undesirable substances, including pesticides (xenobiotics) in betel leaf (Piper betel), is a great concern for consumers because it is chewed and consumed directly. To protect the consumer's health, a modified QuEChERS method for monitoring purposes and subsequent decontamination process has been developed. The goal of this work was to establish a multi-residue analytical method for monitoring nonpermitted organophosphorus pesticide residues in betel leaf, as well as cost-effective cleaning strategies. The homogenized 15 g samples (20 betel leaf samples collected in West Bengal, India) were extracted with a modified QuEChERS method using acetonitrile, reconstituted to acetone, and finally analyzed by GC-MS/MS. Possible decontamination techniques (such as tap water washing, 2% saltwater washing, and lukewarm water washing) were evaluated. The limit of detection ranged from 0.003 to 0.005 mg/kg, and limit of quantification was 0.01 mg/kg. Recoveries ranged from 80 to 120% with RSDr 9%. One sample was found to contain three pesticides 4 to 7 times higher than MRLs. Suggested decontamination methods allowed reducing toxic traces below European limits. The suggested approach is useful for determining pesticide residues in betel leaves quickly. Traditional techniques of processing betel leaves may reduce pesticide residues below regulatory limits. A multi-residue method and decontamination of pesticides in betel leaf using QuEChERS-GC-MS/MS technology with satisfactory method performance was achieved. Domestic decontamination techniques have a high efficacy in reducing pesticide residues from betel leaves, making them safe for human consumption.

Prevalence Of Gastrointestinal Helminths In Cattle Reared In Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to evaluate the presence of intestinal parasitic infection among cattle reared in Owo, Ondo state. Seventy two (72) fecal samples were randomly collected from cattle. Characteristics of each cattle such as sex, age and body condition scores were noted. Fecal samples were collected per rectum from the selected animals and were subjected to physiological normal saline, Iodine and formal ether concentration techniques. . The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites was 94.4%. Of the 72 cattle screened, 68 were infected, with 16.7% mixed infections and 77.6% single infection with high prevalence of Toxocara vitulorum (26.3%), Strongyloides papillosus (20.8%), Taenia saginata (12.5%), Cooperia spp (9.7%), Haemonchus contortus (8.3%) respectively. Common parasites in mixed infections are Toxocara vitulorum, Strongyloides papillosus, and Paramphistomum spp. Hence, in order to mitigate these issues, it is crucial to promote the implementation of suitable anthelminthic treatment plans and control measures. This includes advocating for comprehensive programs that address parasite control, effective management of pastures, and maintaining a clean environment for cattle. It is equally important to raise public health awareness and emphasize the significance of these measures. Additionally, there is a pressing requirement to monitor gastrointestinal parasites in cattle as a means to enhance animal production and safeguard public health in Nigeria.

AIDS Policy and Pharmaceutical Patents: Brazil’s Strategy to Safeguard Public Health

Developing nations are challenged to strike a balance between their patent obligations as members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and their drug pricing strategies. The Brazilian approach to pharmaceutical price negotiations has been strikingly effective. Describing the context of the Brazilian pharmaceutical sector, their public health system and the Brazilian AIDS policy, this paper examines the Brazilian strategy vis-a-vis the international pharmaceutical manufacturers to explore why their tactics were successful and the potential for wider application by other developing countries.

Detection and Molecular Identification of Salmonella Pathogenic Islands and Virulence Plasmid Genes of Salmonella in Xuzhou Raw Meat Products

Virulence genes expressed in Salmonella are a primary contributing factor leading to the high morbidity and mortality of salmonellosis in humans. The pathogenicity of Salmonella is mainly determined by the specific virulence factors that it carries. These factors also confer greater virulence and play a role in infection of a host and transmission of disease, and most Salmonella enterica can cause cross-infections between humans and animals. In this study, 265 samples in total were collected from a farmer's market and two supermarkets in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, China, including 205 pork samples and 60 chicken samples. The suspected Salmonella isolates were isolated and identified using microbiological and molecular methods, and the confirmed isolates were used for serovar analysis and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The virulence genes of Salmonella pathogenic islands (SPIs) and Salmonella virulence plasmids (Spv) in Salmonella-positive isolates were subsequently detected. Salmonella was isolated from 29.0% of samples, and all isolates were confirmed by PCR targeting the stn gene. Among the Salmonella isolates, resistance was most frequently observed against ciprofloxacin (84.4%), followed by tetracycline (71.4%) and streptomycin (68.8%). Resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (6.3%) and aztreonam (5%) was less commonly detected. The presence of the following virulence genes was determined by specific PCRs: hilA (SPI-1), sifA (SPI-2), misL (SPI-3), siiE (SPI-4), sopB (SPI-5), and spvC. The detection rate for SPI-1 to SPI-5 was 93.5, 87.0, 97.4, 97.4, and 97.4%, respectively. In addition, the detection rate of the spvC gene was 96.1%. Except for sopB (94.7%), all isolates of the dominant serovar S. enterica subsp.. enterica serovar Enteritidis contained all virulence genes from SPI-1 to SPI-5. This study demonstrated the epidemiological status of Salmonella in raw meat products in Xuzhou, and the complex antibiotic resistance and high isolation rate of virulence genes observed reveal many potential risks of which the findings presented herein will provide orientation to improve public health safeguards.

Vaccines and more: The response of Dark Web marketplaces to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Early analyses revealed that dark web marketplaces (DWMs) started offering COVID-19 related products (e.g., masks and COVID-19 tests) as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic started, when these goods were in shortage in the traditional economy. Here, we broaden the scope and depth of previous investigations by considering how DWMs responded to an ongoing pandemic after the initial shock. Our dataset contains listings from 194 DWMs collected until July 2021. We start by focusing on vaccines. We find 248 listings offering approved vaccines, like Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca, as well as vendors offering fabricated proofs of vaccination and COVID-19 passports. Then, we consider COVID-19 related products. We show that, as the regular economy has become able to satisfy the demand of these goods, DWMs have decreased their offer. Next, we analyse the profile of vendors of COVID-19 related products and vaccines. We find that most of them are specialized in a single type of listings and are willing to ship worldwide. Finally, we consider a broader set of listings mentioning COVID-19, in order to assess the general impact of the pandemic on the broader activity of DWMs. Among 10,330 such listings, we show that recreational drugs are the most affected among traditional DWMs product, with COVID-19 mentions steadily increasing since March 2020. We anticipate that our results will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, and law enforcement agencies focused on the study and safeguard of public health.

The flipped house and the bubble. Domestic space in the time of coronavirus

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic put the spatial layouts of contemporary housing to the test. During the strict lockdowns in the early phases of the outbreak and the limited, temporary restrictions of the later phases, the safeguarding of public health was inevitably enforced by confining people at home, thus severing, by reasons of force majeure, the traditional relationship between the house and the city. As a result, every household had to contain within itself all aspects of public and private life, regardless of the spatial qualities and the extension of the dwelling. The unexpected new role of the last defence line against the virus showed all the advantages and limits of contemporary housing and the need for a rethinking of some of their typical features. The aim of this article is to investigate how the residential space, as a whole and in its constituent parts, has become a fundamental element in a difficult period, managing to incorporate unexpected functions and requirements but also revealing a series of congenital weaknesses.

Role of phytobiotics in relieving the impacts of Aeromonas hydrophila infection on aquatic animals: A mini-review.

Aeromonas hydrophila is a ubiquitous bacterium with various hosts that causes mass mortality in farm-raised fish species and significant economic losses. The current antibiotic treatment is ineffective in controlling this bacterium infection in aquaculture species. Therefore, an evaluation of potential phytobiotics is needed to find an alternative antimicrobial agent to reduce the over-reliance on antibiotics in aquaculture and safeguard public and environmental health. Furthermore, the rise in antibiotic resistance cases among pathogenic bacteria indicates an urgent need for new fish and shellfish health management solutions. In this context, phytobiotics applications in aquaculture can be defined as any medicinal plant-based antimicrobial agent used in fish and shellfish health management. This review will focus on the impacts of Motile Aeromonas Septicemia (MAS) due to A. hydrophila in aquaculture, the potential of phytobiotics in enhancing the tolerance of aquaculture species against MAS and the combination of phytobiotics with other antimicrobial and therapeutic agents against MAS.

Performance Evaluation of Waste Stabilization Pond for Treatment of Wastewater from a Tertiary Institution Campus Located in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Appropriate treatment of wastewater before disposal into the environment or reuse is very important in the quest to protect the environment and safeguard public health. This paper investigated the performance evaluation of a waste stabilization pond (WSP) for treatment of wastewater from a tertiary institution campus located in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State in North Central Nigeria. The waste stabilization pond of the tertiary institution campus was designed for a wastewater flow rate of 12,945 m3/day. In order to evaluate the performance of the WSP, a model was developed following the Froude’s number dimensional analysis technique. The model was evaulated based on a wastewater flow of 0.4 m3/day. The final effluent from the maturation pond had 80 mg/L BOD, 195 mg/L COD, 75 CFU/100ml Total Coliforms, 610 mg/L Total solids, 19 mg/L Total Nitrogen, 210 mg/L Chloride, 28 mg/L Phosphate, 1.3 mg/L Ammonia and 7.0 pH. The WSP was able to achieve an overall efficiency of 77.78% reducing all quality parameters to recommended limited with exception of total nitrogen and phosphate. The implementation of this design will go along way to aid the treatment of wastewater from the campus of the university.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practices of health care waste management among nurses in Nyambene Level 4 hospital

Healthcare waste management requires an organized, systematic channeling of waste, consistent with acceptable public health and environmental safeguards (Vanesh et al., 2019). The Ministry of Health estimates that 47% of hospital waste generated cannot be accounted for (Hugo & Lima, 2021). This indicates improper segregation, thus putting health care workers, the population, and the general environment at risk. The broad objective was to assess nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practices in healthcare waste management at Nyambene Level 4 Hospital. The study adopted a cross-sectional design. The target population of this study was nurses working in Nyambene level 4 Hospital with a sample size of 61 nurses. The data collection tool was the questionnaire. The study findings showed that 93.4% (57) of the nurses had good knowledge of waste management, 52.46% (32) of the nurses had a positive attitude and majority (55.7% (34) of the nurses had average waste management practices. Generally, the nurses had good knowledge of waste management. Most nurses had a positive attitude towards prioritizing waste disposal, among other activities in the hospital, and the nurse's practice was generally average. The researchers recommended regular training and education for the nurses, awarding certificates and tokens to nurses who show proper waste management and the administration to carry out regular health care waste management inspections. For example, ensuring each department has three waste management bins. In addition, the researchers recommended introduction of an infection control program to prevent and stop transmission of infections due to improper waste management.

Quantitative Risk Assessment of Exposure to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) via Different Types of Milk for the Slovenian Consumer.

This study aimed to assess the risk of exposure to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) via milk for the Slovenian consumer. MAP is suspected to be associated with several diseases in humans, therefore the risk of exposure should be better understood. The primary source of MAP for humans is thought to be cattle, in which MAP causes paratuberculosis or Johne’s disease. We developed a stochastic quantitative risk assessment model using Monte Carlo simulations. Considering the assumptions and uncertainties, we estimated the overall risk of exposure to MAP via milk to be low. For people consuming raw milk from MAP positive farms, the risk was high. On-farm pasteurisation reduced the risk considerably, but not completely. The risk of exposure via pasteurised retail milk was most likely insignificant. However, with a higher paratuberculosis prevalence the risk would also increase. Given the popularity of raw milk vending machines and homemade dairy products, this risk should not be ignored. To reduce the risk, consumers should heat raw milk before consumption. To prevent a potential public health scare and safeguard farmers’ livelihoods, a reduction in paratuberculosis prevalence should be sought. Our results show that culling clinically infected cows was insufficient to reduce milk contamination with MAP.

A conversation about the state in pandemic times

Established ideas about state responsibility and state violence are placed in a new light in times characterized as states of emergency. The following conversation addresses the role of the state in the safeguarding of public health, taking its departure in media debates and political debates about state responsibility in two countries that have been criticized for not taking strong enough measures to protect the very futuriority of the nation in times of a pandemic Sweden and Nicaragua. Both countries have been castigated for avoiding total lockdown and for having taken a passive approach to what Wendy Brown has called “the political management of the virus” (Brown 2020). At the same time, the rhetoric used to describe their respective strategies has differed vastly in dialogue we explore notions about governance, biopolitics and necropolitics as they are articulated and negotiated in national contexts that claim the label social democracies. One of the points of departure is that while the response to Covid-19 is often described in war metaphors, and hence as a state of emergency, the unjust and unequal distribution of life and death is by no means exceptional.

Literacy in the time of Coronavirus: an Italian perspective: Value of literacy in the context of a pandemic.

COVID-19 pandemic, with its dramatic impact on society, poses a challenge to Health Pro-motion and to its principles of empowerment, social cohesion and citizens' democratic participation in health policies. In this pressing emergency, public health strategies aimed at preventing the spread of the pandemic have been primarily oriented towards restrictive measures (travel restrictions, use of PPE) in absence of an adequate educational communication, aimed at increasing citizens' knowledge and skills in regard to the emergency context. To offer a perspective on the Italian situation, in terms of health literacy and life skills in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, aimed not only at identifying deficits, but particularly at determining opportuni-ties and resources (assets) - offered by the peculiar context of crisis - useful to provide citizens with the necessary tools to comprehend the criticalities linked with the emergency and to shape their behaviour to new requirements, in absence of external obligations, as well as to promote future participation of the population - both effective and informed - in a social and political context. A non-systematic review of literature on the subject of health literacy and social cohesion in emergency contexts has been supported by a qualitative assessment, based on the model of assets and on the Italian condition in the last trimester of 2020. The scarce ability of the population to independently adequate habits and behaviour to new criti-calities required by the risk of infection - as well as the necessity to suspend their empowerment and capa-bility from government authorities to protect public health - has been firstly traced back to a widespread lack of literacy and life skills at a general population level. The current situation of crisis offers a peculiar opportunity of tools, circumstances and receptiveness to highlight such deficits, as well as an intervention on multiple fronts, in order to increase literacy and capability, both on an individual and on a community level, through inclusive and sustainable initiatives. A prevention strategy based on the critical understanding of risk and risk-related criticalities is the only one which can aspire to last over time, while offering an effective tool for the safeguarding of public health, along with an opportunity of being prepared to contrast future emergencies more effectively. The development of such strategies represents one of the most significant contributions Health Promotion can offer in the time of Coronavirus.

Adaptive capacity to extreme urban heat: The dynamics of differing narratives

Extreme heat does not affect all urban residents equally. While vulnerability is often defined as a combination of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, many scholars have argued that the quantitative representation of adaptive capacity is particularly difficult. How people who live in vulnerable situations change their behavior to cope with and manage extreme urban temperatures, and the resources necessary to prevent adverse health effects, highlight different adaptive capacity within a city. Our understanding and depiction of how and why the impacts of urban heat vary between individuals and groups is constrained by contemporary approaches to quantify vulnerability using aggregate-scale data drawn from censuses, surveys, and administrative records. Thus, adaptive capacity is likely poorly represented in modern heat vulnerability analyses and their applications. This article explores how different city residents understand and adapt to increasing extreme urban heat, the tradeoffs different populations must make between generic and specific adaptive capacity, and the coping strategies that influence heat adaptive capacity at various scales. Using metropolitan Phoenix as a test site, open-ended interviews were conducted in which residents told their stories about past and present extreme heat adaptive capacity and adaptive behaviors. Three narratives emerged: heat is an inconvenience, heat is a manageable problem, and heat is a catastrophe. Framing heat vulnerability using these differing narratives can help evaluate if standard recommendations for coping with heat adequately represent solutions for the lived experiences of different vulnerable groups. Learning how and under what circumstances vulnerable people are motivated to make necessary changes to increase thermal comfort and safeguard public health will ensure that targeted heat mitigation and adaptation policies are widely adopted. Heat adaptation and mitigation policy makers need to be cognizant of the gap in heat risk perception across different segments of the population and reflect on whether those decisions reflect their experience (of likely belonging to the inconvenience group) or incorporate differing scales of heat adaptive capacity.

Control of Disinfection Byproduct Formation in Drinking Water by Ferrous Iron-Hydrogen Peroxide Oxidation

Control of toxic or carcinogenic disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation in drinking water is critical in an effort to improve drinking water safety and safeguard public health, due to the elevation...

Rural infection preventionists’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from focus groups conducted with association of professionals in infection control & epidemiology (APIC) members

BackgroundSARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was identified and quickly developed into a pandemic in spring, 2020. This event posed immense difficulties for healthcare nationally, with rural areas experiencing different challenges than other regions. MethodsThe Association of Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology conducted focus groups with infection preventionist (IP) members in September and October, 2020. Zoom sessions were recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was used to identify themes. ResultsIn all, 38 IPs who work at a critical access hospital or a healthcare facility in a rural location participated. Major challenges identified by IPs in this study included addressing the lack of access to personal protective equipment (PPE), overwhelming workloads caused by the pandemic and multiple roles/responsibilities, inaccurate social media messages, and generalized disbelief and disregard about the pandemic among rural community members. ConclusionsGaps in preparedness identified in this study, such as the lack of PPE, need to be addressed to prevent occupational illness. In addition, health disparities and inaccurate beliefs about COVID-19 heard by IPs in this study need to be addressed in order to increase compliance with public health safeguards among rural community members and minimize morbidity and mortality in these regions.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on electric energy load and pricing in the Iberian electricity market

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has established itself has one of the biggest health crises facing humanity. Countries all around the world were forced to adopt unprecedented restrictive measures in order to halt the spread of the virus and safeguard public health. These measures have profoundly changed the way of life and severely affected practically all sectors of activity, with major demand and supply shocks, leading to one of the largest recessions in world history. An essential pillar to the proper functioning of modern societies is energy security, particularly electricity security, which guarantees a reliable and efficient supply of electricity. Energy distributors and utility companies remained operational during mandatory stay-at-home orders, to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. Given the relevant role of energy in society, this work will study the consequences of the economic shutdown on the Iberian electricity market, and discuss the timeline of events, the macroeconomic outlook, the financial status of the major electric utility companies (prior to being hit by the COVID-19 health pandemic), the changes in load profile, the generation mix and, finally, the electricity market spot prices.

Graduate Medical Education Accreditation Across Borders: Toward a Remote Alternative.

Graduate Medical Education Accreditation Across Borders: Toward a Remote Alternative.

Prevalence of fasciolosis (Liver flukes) infection in cattle in Zamfara, Nigeria: A slaughterhouse surveillance data utilizing postmortem examination

Bovine fasciolosis, caused by Fasciola gigantica (F. gigantica) and rarely F. hepatica, is an economically important disease affecting cattle in tropical Africa. The aims of this study were to determine a year prevalence of bovine fasciolosis and correlate determinants of infection in slaughtered cattle at the municipal abattoir in Zamfara, Nigeria. Fasciola gigantica was detected in 15% (1740/11,562) cattle slaughtered during a daily postmortem examination (PME) between November 2016 and October 2017. This approach demonstrated an increase risk of liver fluke infection in older cattle (p=0.001, AOR=1.476, 95% CI: 1.188-1.832) and during rainfall (p=0.003, AOR=1.604, 95% CI: 1.176-2.187). Liver condemnation had been significantly found in hot-dry season (p≤0.001, AOR=0.518, 95% CI: 0.417-0.643) and adult cattle (p=0.003, AOR=1.726, 95% CI: 0.586-0.899). This study is an account of bovine fasciolosis prevalence and infection dynamics in part of the northwest region of Nigeria, which provides preliminary information for further studies to guide the design of appropriate control steps to lower the impact of the disease and safeguard public health.

A copper monosulfide-nanoparticle-based fluorescent probe for the sensitive and specific detection of ochratoxin A

The mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary metabolite derived from multiple Aspergillus and Penicillium strains. The development of a rapid, sensitive, and simple method for OTA detection is important to ensure food biosafety and safeguard public health. In this study, we designed a highly specific and sensitive assay for the detection of OTA using copper monosulfide (CuS) nanoparticles conjugated to an anti-OTA antibody (CuS-Ab NPs) and a fluorescent probe for Cu2+. When OTA is present in the solution, the OTA antigen, bound to the microplate, is competed off by the soluble OTA for binding to CuS-Ab NPs. After washing, the CuS-Ab NPs and bound OTA are removed. Subsequently, HCl is added to dissolve the CuS-Ab NPs bound to the OTA antigen, releasing Cu2+ and activating the Cu2+ fluorescent probe. Thus, the resultant fluorescence emission is inversely proportional to the OTA content in the solution. Under optimal conditions, this method detected 0.1–100 ng mL−1 OTA with a limit of detection of 0.01 ng mL−1. The assay was tested using corn, soybean, and coffee samples, with recoveries ranging from 94% to 110%. This strategy provides a new approach for the detection of mycotoxins and other small-molecule analytes with broad application potential in food safety and quality control.