Search results for "ERADICATION"

Plant invasions on small Mediterranean islands. An overview

2016

Biological invasions have become one of the main drivers of habitat degradation and a leading cause of biodiversity loss in island ecosystems worldwide. The spread of invasive species poses a particular environmental threat on the islands of the Mediterranean Basin, which are hot spots of biodiversity and contain rare habitats and endemic species, especially on small islands, which are highly vulnerable to biodiversity loss. Following a recent survey, in this paper we aim to provide an overview of the present-day non-native vascular flora of small Mediterranean islands based on a sample of 37 islands located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Italy. By comparing the cu…

Dogs and Guinea worm eradication

2016

After 30 years of control campaigns, guinea worm faces eradication. However, dogs are expected to thwart the eradication of dracunculiasis as they act as alternative hosts of the worm. The health community un doubtedly have to recognise the success of the Guinea Worm Eradication Program (GWEP), although some flaws cannot be overlooked. One of the most essential points when trying to achieve the control of parasitic infections is to determine the role of reservoirs that could maintain the disease. Erroneously, dogs are likely to have been ignored as reservoirs of Dracunculus medinensis so far. I fi nd it hard to believe that a parasite that has always been considered specific to humans is ab…

Impact of COVID-19 on global HCV elimination efforts.

2021

Background & Aims COVID-19 has placed significant strain on national healthcare systems at a critical moment in the context of hepatitis elimination. Mathematical models can be used to evaluate the possible impact of programmatic delays on hepatitis disease burden. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the incremental change in hepatitis C liver-related deaths and liver cancer, following a 3-month, 6-month, or 1-year hiatus in hepatitis elimination program progress. Methods Previously developed models were adapted for 110 countries to include a status quo or “no delay” scenario and a “1-year delay” scenario assuming significant disruption in interventions (screening, diagnosis and …

WHO delays guinea-worm disease eradication to 2020: are dogs the sole culprits?

2017

Guidelines Have a Key Role in Driving HCV Elimination by Advocating for Simple HCV Care Pathways.

2021

The availability of pangenotypic direct-acting antivirals for treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) has provided an opportunity to simplify patient pathways. Recent clinical practice guidelines have recognised the need for simplification to ensure that elimination of HCV as a public health concern remains a priority. Despite the move towards simplified treatment algorithms, there remains some complexity in the recommendations for the management of genotype 3 patients with compensated cirrhosis. In an era where additional clinical trial data are not anticipated, clinical guidance should consider experience gained in real-world settings. Although more experience is required for some pangenotypic the…

Will the COVID-19 pandemic affect HCV disease burden?

2020

The soil as a reservoir for antagonists to plant diseases

2007

The soil is often considered the milieu providing support for plant roots, water and nutrients for plant growth. But it is also considered a hostile environment harbouring plant pathogenic nematodes, bacteria and fungi. The most common attitude is to try to eliminate the plant pathogenic organisms by biocidal treatments such as methyl bromide fumigation, which are dangerous for man and the environment. Beside this pathogen eradication strategy, another approach to control soil-borne plant diseases consists in studying the plant-pathogen interactions at the cellular and molecular level to create new resistant cultivars or to develop new plant protection products based on elicitation of plant…

Tailored screening and dedicated funding for direct acting antiviral drugs: How to keep Italy on the road to hepatitis C virus elimination?

2020

Background and aims. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination for Italy is an ambitious, but achievable goal. In Italy, there is political will, which aims to achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) elimination goals recognizing the need to identify undiagnosed individuals in key high-risk groups and in the general population, however there is concern regarding HCV treatment implementation in Italian Regions. Methods. A modelling analysis was conducted, using the “Italy Polaris” model, to forecast the impact of different HCV treatment rates in achieving the HCV elimination goals in Italy. The model assessed two treatment scenarios: 2018 Scenario and 2019 Scenario, using the annually HCV trea…

Multicentric randomised study of

2017

Introduction Population-based eradication of Helicobacter pylori has been suggested to be cost-effective and is recommended by international guidelines. However, the potential adverse effects of widespread antibiotic use that this would entail have not been sufficiently studied. An alternative way to decrease gastric cancer mortality is by non-invasive search for precancerous lesions, in particular gastric atrophy; pepsinogen tests are the best currently available alternative. The primary objective of GISTAR is to determine whether H pylori eradication combined with pepsinogen testing reduces mortality from gastric cancer among 40–64-year-old individuals. The secondary objectives include ev…

Optimizing patient referral and center capacity in the management of chronic hepatitis C: Lessons from the Italian experience

2019

Abstract Aims In 2017 the Italian Drug Agency (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco, AIFA) revised the criteria for access to therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C as part of a three-year plan to eradicate HCV. We conducted a Delphi study to determine strategies to identify and treat patients with HCV and to develop through a shared pathway, a model to manage patient referral and optimize prescription center capacity with the overall aim of increasing access to therapy. Methods The process took place in two phases – Phase I (January 2017), before the criteria for treatment of HCV were revised and Phase II (May 2017) when AIFA developed a framework for the eradication of HCV infection in Ita…